History Trivia / ThePrestige

* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/ChristopherNolan only had Music/DavidBowie in mind for Nikola Tesla "because his function in the story is a small but very important role". Bowie initially declined the role, but Nolan flew out to him personally to tell him that he was the only person he imagined for the role, and that his larger than life persona would make the idea of Tesla building a cloning device believable. Upon hearing this, he changed his mind.

* DuelingMovies: One of two period pieces that focus on magicians to come out in 2006 (along with ''Film/TheIllusionist2006'', which is actually quite different).

* DuelingMovies: One of two period pieces that focus on magicians to come out in 2006 (along with ''Film/TheIllusionist'', which is actually quite different).

* ActorAllusion: After impressing Angier and Cutter with his ability to mimic the magician, Root delivers the Shakespearian lines [[Theatre/HenryIV My liege, I did deny no prisoners.]] This is the beginning of Creator/HughJackman's go-to soliloquy for when he has to audition for a part.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/SamMendes expressed interest in directing. But the original author wanted Christopher Nolan, having loved ''{{Film/Following}}'' and ''{{Film/Memento}}''.
** Years later, Mendes would date Creator/RebeccaHall, who played Sarah in the film.

** Daniel Davis of ''Series/TheNanny'', using the exact same accent as he did in said show. [[note]]He had previously used that very same accent as Moriarty in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''.[[/note]]
** Piper Perabo as Angier's wife Julia.

* RetroactiveRecognition: This film is oft considered to be ''[[Film/XMenFilmSeries Wolverine]] vs. [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy Batman]], guest starring [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse Black Widow]]''.

* ThrowItIn: Creator/RebeccaHall ad-libbed the "I know what you are" line. She initially felt terrible about it, fearing she was giving away the ending. But the director liked it and left it in.

** For England in most of the scenes set there.
** A variant in the Angier storyline, as the scenes of Angier's trip to Colorado were actually filmed in Colorado, however, the town of Telluride in southwest Colorado is standing in for Colorado Springs. To be fair, Telluride has more buildings left over from the 1890s time period, compared to Colorado Springs, and it would take less work to disguise the environments.

** Of all people, sex symbol Music/DavidBowie plays the celibate Tesla.

* AscendedFanboy: Andy Serkis, a big fan of David Bowie, enjoyed his experience of working with him very much.

*** NB this accent was so good this troper from London initially thought Julia was played by British actress Emilia Clarke
*** Which would have been an impressive trick given that filming finished four years before Clarke graduated from Drama Centre London.

** [[spoiler:Christian Bale portrays both Alfred Borden and his twin, as well as Fallon, which is one of the twins in disguise]].

* AllStarCast: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlet Johanson, Michael Caine, Andy Serkis, and David Bowie.

** Andy Serkis, a Londoner, plays Alley with an excellent [[BigApplesauce New York]] accent.

* ThrowItIn: Rebecca Hall ad-libbed the "I know what you are" line. She initially felt terrible about it, fearing she was giving away the ending. But the director liked it and left it in.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Sam Mendes expressed interest in directing. But the original author wanted Christopher Nolan, having loved ''{{Film/Following}}'' and ''{{Film/Memento}}''.

** [[spoiler:Christian Bale portrays both Alfred Borden and his twin, Fallon]].

* ActingForTwo[[spoiler: (Hundred)]]:

* ActingForTwo[[spoiler: Hundred]]:

* ActingForTwo:

** Jackman plays both Robert Angier and his double, Root.

* HeyItsThatGuy!: [[{{Series/Frasier}} Gil Chesterton]] helps Angier book a theater for his final show.