The ladies are hungry for Beowulf -The National Post

The ladies are hungry for Beowulf

March 9, 2006

Shinan Govani

www.canada.com/nationalpost



The ladies are hungry for beowulf: Gerard Butler's insatiable fans are storming the border to catch their sixth-century stud

Border alert! A certain Scottish studmuffin is responsible for a wave of hysteria set to soon wash over Toronto -- an ilk of enthusiasm usually reserved for Brazilian soccer matches, soap star mall visits and Klingon-centric meet-ups.

The most touching thing about it all? The Scottish studmuffin is only a figment of the silver screen. See, this is the thing: Gerard Butler, who worked a mask in the big-screen outing of the Phantom of the Opera in 2004 and also turned heads in Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider, has a movie opening on Friday.

But only in Canada. The film, Beowulf & Grendel -- a good-and-evil epic set in sixth-century Iceland -- doesn't have yet have a U.S. distributor. And some people apparently just can't wait!

Indeed, I have it on good authority that a stampede consisting of Butler's sizeable fan base is headed our way. Note: A fan base surprisingly large for an actor who doesn't regularly smile back at us from the covers of In Touch and Us Weekly -- and who's never been linked to Lindsay Lohan either!

Over a hundred doting ladies -- and yes, they are mostly ladies -- are about to descend on not only Toronto, but also Vancouver and Winnipeg, in an attempt to catch their beloved, swashbuckling Gerald in all his medieval, snoggable splendour. In T.O., specifically, the plan is for them to see Beowulf & Grendel on Saturday. Twice!

A group dinner is said to be planned for in between show times.

A spy spills to me: "The women are coming from Chicago, Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia, Colorado, Florida, etc,."

Age-wise, they range from the school-prom set to the senior-discount crowd. Doe-eyed girls, greying grandmothers, and every nice stalking girl in between. Amazingly, many of them have actually already seen the movie -- at a recent "Butler convention" in Glasgow, Scotland!

For reasons best left to providence, or maybe the science of Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, Butler appears to be a booming industry of his own. Once an actual lawyer -- before he was terminally bitten by the acting bug -- the actor's fan base counts 10,000 members, and his Web site lays claim to 5 million hits.

(Just one example of the postings found on the site? Here's an excerpt: "Gerry is awesome. Gerry is sexy. Gerry is GOD.")

I, for one, got to witness some of the frenzy first-hand when Beowulf and Grendel premiered right here in Toronto at the filmfest last year.

During a fancy after-party held at The Distillery, where the godly Gerry worked the room in a beat-up leather jacket, I saw plenty of folks having a feast of him. At one point, he even appeared to have zapped then-Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson, with whom he was spotted conversing.

Did we mention that the film -- one of those myth flicks -- is directed by Canadian Sturla Gunnarsson? And also co-stars Sarah Polley? There, I think I just did.

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