Peter Jackson's Long-Awaited Filmed Adaptation of "The Hobbit" to Be a Trilogy

Peter Jackson's Long-Awaited Filmed Adaptation of "The Hobbit" to Be a Trilogy

Peter Jackson will make a third film in his upcoming adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, it was jointly announced today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officers, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

Jackson, the Academy Award®-winning filmmaker behind the blockbuster “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, recently wrapped principal photography on what he originally planned to be a two-film adaptation of The Hobbit, which is set in Middle-earth 60 years before The Lord of the Rings.

Jackson stated, “Upon recently viewing a cut of the first film, and a chunk of the second, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and I were very pleased with the way the story was coming together. We recognized that the richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, gave rise to a simple question: do we tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as filmmakers and fans was an unreserved ‘yes.’ We know the strength of our cast and of the characters they have brought to life. We know creatively how compelling and engaging the story can be and - lastly, and most importantly - we know how much of the tale of Bilbo Baggins, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur would remain untold if we did not fully realize this complex and wonderful adventure. I’m delighted that New Line, MGM and Warner Bros. are equally enthusiastic about bringing fans this expansive tale across three films.”

Emmerich stated, “We completely support Peter and his vision for bringing this grand adventure to the screen over the course of three films. Peter, Fran and Philippa’s reverence for the material and understanding of these characters ensure an exciting and expanded journey that is bound to please fans around the world.”

“With the abundance of rich material, we fully endorse the decision to further develop what Peter, Fran and Philippa have already begun. We are confident that, with the great care the filmmakers have taken to faithfully bring this journey to the screen, the film will be welcomed by the legions of fans across the globe,” said Barber and Birnbaum.

Robinov added, “Peter, Fran and Philippa have lived in this world and understand more than anyone its tremendous breadth and scope, and the relationships that bind it together. We strongly support their vision to bring this great work fully to life.”

The first film in the trilogy, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” will be released December 14, 2012, with the second film releasing on December 13, 2013, and the third film slated for summer 2014. All three films will be released in 3D and 2D in select theatres and IMAX.

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes three films based on The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. The trilogy of films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. Returning cast members from “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy also include Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, and Andy Serkis as “Gollum.” The international ensemble cast also includes (in alphabetical order) John Bell, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Billy Connolly, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Evangeline Lilly, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas, and Aidan Turner.

The screenplay for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro. Jackson is also producing the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

Under Jackson’s direction, all three movies are being shot in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Additional filming, as with principal photography, is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and its successive installments are productions of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing, being handled by MGM.

Kate Beckinsale, Loving Wife Turned Killer in “Total Recall”

Kate Beckinsale, Loving Wife Turned Killer in “Total Recall”

Fresh from returning as iconic vampire huntress Selene in last January's “Underworld: Evolution,” Kate Beckinsale now plays Lori, the seemingly loving wife who turns ruthless killer, in Columbia Pictures' sci-fi action-thriller “Total Recall.”

The film is directed by Len Wiseman, Beckinsale’s real-life husband of seven years. The two previously worked together on the “Underworld” films.

In the movie, Rekall is a futuristic company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he's got a beautiful wife (Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man.

Finding himself on the run from the police, Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter Melina (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy). The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.

Beckinsale said she was particularly attracted to this project because of the role’s duality. "I've never played a bad guy before. I've always been on the side of truth and justice,” she says. “But the thing is, my character thinks she is on the side of truth and justice. That’s the great thing about this movie – you never know who’s on the right side. Also, there's a slightly maniacal side of her – she's slightly out of control, and that's always fun for an actor to play.

“It was nice to not have to worry about whether the audience was on my side,” continues Beckinsale. “Also, the villain rarely has to be responsible for exposition and the plot. The villain really doesn’t have to do that, so you can really just kind of immerse yourself in her mood and her character and her motives, and it was kind of a treat.


The script originally called for a blond character, but Wiseman thought it made more sense to cast someone who resembled Melina, Quaid’s true love. “My idea was to set him up with a fake wife that has some real similarities to his real love,” he explains. “If that surface memory is coming back, it makes sense for her to have a vague, familiar vibe about her.”

“The female roles in the film required women who not only were likable and attractive but could actually be physical,” says producer Neal H. Moritz. “And Jessica Biel can fight like the devil and Kate Beckinsale can probably beat the devil. So the two of them, you know, in these sequences of having to be physical throughout the whole movie, were incredible.”


Opening across the Philippines on August 22, “Total Recall” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

Tony Gilroy Talks About The Bourne Legacy Shooting Experience in Manila

Tony Gilroy Talks About The Bourne Legacy Shooting Experience in Manila

During preproduction, of The Bourne Legacy director Tony Gilroy toured Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in Vietnam, Jakarta in Indonesia, and Manila in the Philippines. Ultimately, Manila’s history as a shooting location won over the team. Major Hollywood features, such as Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July and Brokedown Palace, were shot in the Philippines in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. “They had a 25-, 30-year run of making movies there,” says Gilroy, “and they have this huge infrastructure that was built up from all the films made about Vietnam.”

The filmmaker called upon Lope V. Juban, Jr., President of Philippine Film Studios, who has worked on most of the films that have come to the Philippines over the past few decades, to give them a tour of Manila. Not only could Juban - who came on as a line producer - offer locations that Gilroy was looking for, but his contacts with government entities would also be vital for a shoot that involved major stunts on city streets. “Juban said, ‘We can talk to the president about that,’ or ‘We can talk to the minister of transportation and the police department about that.’ They’re all people that he knew,” Crowley explains. “I couldn’t have gotten that in Jakarta or in Ho Chi Minh City.”

In fact, The Bourne Legacy would be the first Hollywood film in which Manila plays Manila. “The Philippines has played almost any country - Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Panama,” says Juban. “It is only now that we are filming Manila as Manila, which is great for us.”

It was important to the locals to show off the progress the country had made and their big new areas of development. The Philippines also offered the advantage of a mainly English-speaking local crew. English, the legacy of the American presence for 50 years before World War II, is widely spoken in the country.

Filming in Manila began in the San Andres neighborhood, its ramshackle houses and dark alleyways typical of the city’s lower- and middle-class areas. The San Andres neighborhood has grown organically over the years as locals have kept constructing additions to existing buildings. The casual visitor will find many a residential area that resembles a rabbit-warren maze of alleyways that have been cobbled together.

With its tangled web of utility lines and drying laundry overhead, and pleasant cooking smells merging with other odors of the city, the labyrinthine San Andres neighborhood is where Aaron and Marta find a place to hide from their pursuers: this time, the Philippine authorities.

San Andres was also the setting for a stunt in which Aaron played by actor Jeremy Renner to save (Rachel Weiz) Marta from capture after she is cornered by the police, makes a daring slide three stories down a narrow opening between two buildings. Because of very specific requirements, this set, a narrow three-story structure that the filmmakers called “the chasm,” had to be built by Thompson and his team.

The production’s metro Manila locales also included the Ninoy Aquino International Airport; the historic Intramuros district, known for its Spanish colonial architecture; the Manila Yacht Club; the Marikina covered market; and the Metropoint MRT train station in Pasay City. The crew also traveled approximately an hour by plane from Manila to El Nido, located on the stunning Philippine island of Palawan, for scenes that take place amidst the magnificent islands of the South China Sea. The dramatic islands, with their limestone cliffs that emerge directly from the water, are more often associated with the landscapes of Malaysia and Thailand.

For several days the crew also filmed part of a chase at Navotas Fish Port, known as the fishing capital of the Philippines, situated north of the city on Manila Bay. In the evenings, the location is a working fish market - 1,000 feet long and 200 feet wide - that sells more than 100,000 fish every night. Every morning during the shoot, the crew had to scrub, steam and dry the market. Thompson and his team removed hanging tarps, added skylights and supporting posts, and scrubbed the floor to lessen the overpowering fish smell. This also served a practical purpose: to make the location safe for the complex stunt work that was to be performed there.

No Bourne film would be complete without its fair share of action. Still, emphasizes producer Frank Marshall: “Our rules that we have been very consistent with through all the movies is that we don’t have action for action’s sake. We don’t have a formula where every 10 minutes there has to be a fight scene or an action scene. The action has to be driven by the story. That’s what makes this series unique: These characters get into situations that lead to an action scene or a chase scene, but it all has a story point.”

Unit director Dan Bradley traveled to Manila months before shooting began in order to tailor the action sequences to the locations. “When we looked at the locations, he was with us, and then he said, ‘I’m going to stay behind for a week,’” producer Patrick Crowley recalls. “We waited for Dan to just sit and meditate and come up with great ideas. He’s come up with some things that have never been done before.”

Bradley’s biggest task was to choreograph a motorcycle chase that takes place on the crowded streets of Manila, much of it filmed with Renner in the rider’s seat. “When you’re doing something in which there’s somebody on a motorcycle and they’re not wearing a helmet, you have to have the principal actor do that,” says Crowley. “So we had Jeremy very much involved, and Rachel as well.”

Luckily for the production, Renner is an avid motorcyclist. “When I first met Jeremy, we were going to have some practice sessions, and he showed up on one of the fastest motorcycles in the world, which was one of 10 that he owned,” remembers Crowley. “We felt comfortable that we didn’t have to train him. He has the bones of an action hero. When I see him, I see that silent strength of Steve McQueen. When he gets on a motorcycle, then he becomes even more like him.”

Renner also put Weisz at ease as they worked with Bradley. “Being on the back of a bike with Jeremy, I felt completely safe,” she says. “He was doing wheelies, skids and slides - those kind of stunts that he’s very good at.”

The filmmakers were also impressed when Weisz displayed a previously unseen side: that of an action star. “She’s a great actress and has shown all this incredible talent playing characters who are typically not action characters,” says Crowley. But Weisz insisted on as much rehearsal on the motorcycle as possible and performed much of the stunt work herself. Laughs the producer: “Your heart still goes into your throat when you see her going 45, 50 miles an hour on the motorcycle with Jeremy.”

Prior to filming in Manila, Bradley’s team spent several weeks rehearsing the motorcycle stunts, while special equipment was brought in, including Bradley’s own “Go Mobile,” a custom-made vehicle upon which several cameras may be mounted. Bradley also recruited several expert motorcyclists, including professional stunt driver Jean-Pierre Goy, arguably one of the best in the world, to double on the most dangerous stunts. All were pleased to have an actual Batman on board for the production, as Goy was the only one able to drive the two-wheeled street machine called the Bat-Pod for scenes in The Dark Knight. Indeed, he returned to his key role for this summer’s The Dark Knight Rises.

Bradley’s team also retrofitted several jeepneys, a minibus that is the most common form of transportation in the Philippines. “The jeepneys were our heritage from World War II,” Juban explains. “When jeeps were left behind by the Americans, the Filipinos made the body longer. From that time on, it has ended up our main public utility vehicle. That’s iconic Manila.”

Each painted in a bright, unique style to entice passengers to hop aboard, jeepneys are ubiquitous throughout the country, numbering around 100,000 in Manila alone. The long and narrow vehicle is a cheap and easy form of transportation, ideally shaped for navigating narrow roads that full-size buses cannot. Open windows provide its only form of air conditioning, and its passenger seating consists of two padded benches facing each other in the back, each seating six to 10 people. When the seats are full, additional passengers ride outside, hanging onto the back as best they can.

Jeepneys are featured in a key chase sequence with Renner, Weisz and Changchien that was filmed on one of Manila’s major roadways, Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard, the main route to the presidential palace. Approximately 90 cars and more than 300 extras were used for the sequence, which shot on a mile and a half stretch of Magsaysay Blvd. through three major intersections over several weekends. Helping manage the shoot were local authorities including the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Manila Traffic Bureau and the Presidential Security Group.

“Just on the MMDA, there were about 120 guys working with us - not just in the area, but in the peripheral surroundings to control and help ease the traffic,” Juban recounts. “The Manila police have a contingent of about 50, and the Presidential Security Group has about 20, and then there is the local barangay [district] police.”

A densely populated city of more than 11 million people, Manila was not the easiest place to shoot. “Manila’s a tough city to work in: There are traffic jams, and it’s hard to move around,” ends Crowley. “But the people are so gracious and excited about films. They know more about the Bourne movies than I know about the Bourne movies.”

“The Bourne Legacy” is released and distributed by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corp. Showing on August 8, 2012 nationwide.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days” Opens in Theaters on August 15

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days” Opens in Theaters on August 15

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days” is the third and latest big screen installment of author Jeff Kinney’s wildly popular series of illustrated novels about wise-cracking but hapless middle school student Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon). As Greg confides to his diary (though, as he likes to point out, “It’s not a diary, it’s a journal!”), middle school is “the dumbest idea ever invented,” a never-ending ordeal involving – among other appalling things – wedgies, bullies, morons and swirlies. And if you don’t know what a swirly is, then lucky you.

Returning with Zachary Gordon for more mayhem in the community are his brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick) who’s older but not wiser and his best friend Rowley (Robert Capron) whose wholesome outlook in life makes him the coolest kid around along with Fregley (Grayson Russell), Holly (Peyton List), Patty (Laine MacNeil) and Chirag (Karan Brar).

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days” is based on Kinney’s third and fourth Wimpy Kid books, The Last Straw and Dog Days. Kinney, who worked closely with the screenwriters, producers and director, says, “We have an obligation to our readers, to make sure we’re protecting their expectations and don’t stray too far from the books.”

Simpson notes, “Some fans will ask, what happened to the third book, The Last Straw? We incorporated elements of it into“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days”, and we brought other elements into“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days”. For the latter, this enabled us to get outside of the school and do a summer-themed movie. This was a great opportunity to expand Greg’s world. People usually look at summer vacation as a golden time, but for Greg it’s just as tough as the school year. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is a really fun book that turns summer on its head, and I think we’ve done that in the movie. We also have some new elements that feel like they’re part of Jeff Kinney’s world.”

Indeed, the filmmakers are quick to praise Zachary’s achievements in bringing Greg Heffley to life on screen. “I can’t imagine anyone else playing this role,” says Simpson. “We started out, three years ago, with a stick figure in Jeff’s book, and had many discussions about what that stick figure would look like if it came to life. We decided that it was really about attitude – a little bit of a hustler, a little bit of salesman, and of course, a wimp. Greg is a good kid, but still trying to get ahead the way that kids do. Zach has really nailed this role and I think it’s hard for kids, when they read the books, to imagine anyone but Zach as Greg.”

Zachary’s Greg still plays off his friends, including Rowley, and troublemaker older brother Rodrick, but “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days” also sees Greg spending more time with his dad, Frank. Jacobson notes: “This movie is about Greg and his father, and we get a much fuller sense of who Frank is as a character and more of an opportunity to enjoy Steve Zahn, who’s played the role in all three pictures. And, while we’ve had the amazing comedic weapon that is Steve in our arsenal all along, it’s great to finally let it loose.” Kinney says, “In the books, the parents are kind of background characters; Greg doesn’t even know what his father does for a living. But Steve has done wonders with the Frank character, and adds humor to everything he does.” Rachael Harris adds, “There are some very laugh-out-loud slapsticky things Steve does that nobody can do better.”


“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days” opens August 15 in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Trailer Now Playing of the Massive, Epic, Monumental “Life of Pi” Movie

Trailer Now Playing of the Massive, Epic, Monumental “Life of Pi” Movie

Based upon the bestselling book by Yann Martel, Life of Pi tells the story of a young man’s incredible survival at sea against impossible odds. A remarkable technological breakthrough in 3D epic adventure, PI is an emotionally captivating experience that will inspire, touch and transport audiences to a place of discovery that they will never forget.

Winner of the pretigious Literary Awards Hugh Maclennan Prize for fiction in 2001 and the Man Booker Prize in 2002, Yann Martel's "Life of Pi" is now a movie adaptation by 20th Century Fox helmed by filmmaker Ang Lee and is starred by newcomer Suraj Sharma as the titular character Pi Patel.

When Pi Patel, a son of a zookeeper turned sixteen, his family emigrate from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship due to the prevalence of political unrest. An extraordinary God-loving boy whose passion for stories is unmatched, has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior and practices his native Hinduism along with Christianity and Islam.

When the ship capsized due to a massive storm, Pi finds himself in the company of a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra and a 450-pound Bengal tiger aboard a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean. Finally reaching the shores of the coast of Mexico, the Bengal tiger who goes by the name of Richard Parker flees to the jungle and Pi left on his own is interrogated by the Japanese authorities who refuse to believe his account.

On board the titular character is Suraj Sharma as Pi who debuts in the film. Suraj Sharma, 17, is a student who lives with his mathematician parents in Delhi, India. He has no previous acting experience and was cast following an extensive, months-long search. Over 3000 young men auditioned for the part.

Sharma landed the role of the lead role after a worldwide talent search headed by the film’s director Ang Lee, Academy Award®-winning filmmaker for his work in “Brokeback Mountain.” “Suraj is Pi,” Lee continued. “During his audition, he filled the room with emotion, much of which he conveyed simply through his eyes. His natural ability to believe and stay in the world of the story is a rare treasure.”

Lee, whose many other honors include an Oscar nomination for his direction of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and whose “Sense and Sensibility” was a Best Picture nominee, shot “Life of Pi” in 3D, utilizing groundbreaking techniques to capture the story’s epic scope.

Since Ang Lee came aboard the project at the end of 2008, he has worked to create a singular vision of Martel’s unforgettable tale. The all-audience experiential movie event will take us through a young man’s incredible adventure – at turns thrilling and spiritual; joyous and harrowing; humorous and tragic. Audiences will follow Pi Patel as he travels from an exotic zoo in India on a voyage across the Pacific, where he survives a shipwreck and is cast adrift in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger as his only company. Adrift in an endess expanse of ocean, Pi struggles to survive and train his companion, landing on a magical island that offers the two their only respite on their desperate journey.

Commented Yann Martel: "I'm thrilled that Ang is adapting “Life of Pi” to film. He's a brilliant, versatile director, with a stunning visual sensibility. He can capture the most intimate emotion as well as the most dynamic action. He's the perfect filmmaker to bring Pi’s epic journey to the screen”

David Magee (“Finding Neverland”) adapted Martel’s book. Gil Netter (“Marley & Me,” “The Blind Side”) is producing. The director of photography is Claudio Miranda, who collaborated with David Fincher on several films, including “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Miranda recently shot “Tron: Legacy” in 3D. Avy Kaufman is the casting director.

Commented Ang Lee: “It has been a daunting and exciting process to develop a motion picture that brings Yann Martel’s fascinating, mind-boggling story to the big screen. Casting the sixteen-year old Pi was particularly challenging. We searched throughout India for a young man who had the innocence to capture our attention, the depth of character to break our hearts, and the physicality needed to embody Pi on his journey.

Fox 2000 Pictures president Elizabeth Gabler stated: “It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside Ang Lee as he and his team brings this amazing film to life. We believe that “Life of Pi,” with its tremendous scope, groundbreaking visuals, and a story that embraces the triumph of the human spirit will be a cinematic event for audiences of all ages, all over the world.”

One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox Filmed Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of FFE: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.

“Life of Pi” is a Twentieth Century Fox release to be distributed nationwide by Warner Bros. on January 8, 2013.

Life of Pi - Trailer:

Colin Farrell Uncovers His Real Memories in “Total Recall”

Colin Farrell Uncovers His Real Memories in “Total Recall”

Colin Farrell stars as a factory worker who'd rather have real memories of a super-spy, in Columbia Pictures' new action-adventure “Total Recall.” He turns to Rekall, a futuristic company that can turn your dreams into real memories. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man.

The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.

“It was very important that Quaid is just an ordinary guy,” producer Toby Jaffe says. “Colin just brings a real genius to him as an actor. There’s a likeability onscreen that you just feel he’s a real guy who could be a real factory worker.”

“It’s a common story, a man who feels that he isn’t living the life he should be living – a man experiencing some discontent with his lot in life,” says Farrell. “But he gets a rude awakening, which is that he really isn’t living the life he should be living. Quaid has no idea who he is, beyond a deeply cellular or emotional level. The whole movie is him trying to figure out who is the real Quaid.”

“I really wanted to get more involved in Quaid’s experience,” Wiseman explains. “I mean, imagine: you wake up, you go about your life and you inherently feel like a good guy… All of a sudden, everybody around you starts telling you that you’re a bad guy. What do you do?”

With that in mind, Farrell approached the role as a battle between emotional and intellectual and tried to maintain that balance. “It brings up issues of identity, ego, and super-ego – it’s fun to wade into that psychological pond a bit,” he says.

As part of his development of the character, Farrell did some unusual things – including sleeping overnight in the Quaid Apartment set. “I just wanted to see what it was like to have an evening and then wake up in the morning in that space,” he says. “It was lovely, actually.”

“Colin really dedicated himself to this character,” says producer Neal H. Moritz. “He’s in just about every scene. There were many days that he was standing in the rain all day long, wet as can be, and still, every day after filming he’d either go to yoga or lift weights.”

Whenever possible, Farrell performed his own stunts. The actor worked closely with stunt coordinator Andy Gill (“Fast Five”) and fight coordinator Jeff Imada (“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1”). “You get schooled when you come to work with them,” he says. “You get practical lessons that you’d never need to learn, if you weren’t doing this job.”

Opening across the Philippines on August 22, “Total Recall” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

Kelly MacDonald Channels Her Inner Teen for “Brave”

Kelly MacDonald Channels Her Inner Teen for “Brave”

In “Brave,” Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald (TV's “Boardwalk Empire,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2”) gives voice to the passionate, rebellious teen Merida - the first lead female hero to carry a film in Pixar's 26-year history. And by all accounts, she hit the bull's-eye.

"Kelly has a true Scottish spunkiness in her," says Brenda Chapman, one of “Brave's” directors. "And that really comes through. Princess Merida is a girl with a great spirit. And Kelly is able to depict that. There's a sweetness and an appeal in Kelly that she infuses in Merida. Yet there's a strength. Kelly has it in spades."

“Brave” follows the heroic journey of Merida, a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane).

Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her skills and resources—including her clever and mischievous triplet brothers - to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late, and discover the meaning of true bravery.

Though Pixar has featured its share of strong female characters, the story of Merida's turbulent relationship with her by-the-royal-book mother, breaks through as an action-filled fairy tale set along a female story line.

"The fact Merida is the first lead heroine was sort of news to me well after I started working," Macdonald says. "When I do think about it, it gives me the fear slightly. But I am very proud to be that person.

“Merida was such a fun character to play and her voice isn’t too removed from mine,” the actress continues. “I amped up the teenage thing that’s never quite left my life - I just had to pretend my mom was in the room. Nothing winds you up like your parents.”

Co-Director Mark Andrews saw a great connection between Macdonald and Merida. “Kelly is so alive and vibrant with a great charm, wit and quirkiness that totally works for Merida. The character is funny and goofy and can laugh at herself, but has this Scottish teenage angst. Kelly Macdonald is the soul of the character and she makes Merida truly appealing.”

Macdonald certainly shares Merida’s love of her homeland. “This is going to sound a bit biased, but Scotland is the most beautiful country in the world,” concludes the actress. “The filmmakers have got it down to the tiniest bit of heather - the settings are so lush and verdant, it can make you homesick.”

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International, “Brave” takes aim at Philippine theaters on August 01, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.

“Total Recall” is a Futuristic Action-Thriller on Reality and Memory

“Total Recall” is a Futuristic Action-Thriller on Reality and Memory

Columbia Pictures assembles a powerhouse cast led by Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, John Cho and Bill Nighy for the big screen re-imagining of “Total Recall.”

Directed by Len Wiseman (“Underworld,” “Live Free and Die Hard”), “Total Recall” is an action thriller about reality and memory, inspired anew by the famous short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick.

In the film, Rekall is a futuristic company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Farrell), even though he's got a beautiful wife (Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs.

But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police – controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Cranston), the leader of the free world – Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Nighy) and stop Cohaagen.

The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.

“Total Recall’s” re-imagined journey to the silver screen began in 2008 when producer Toby Jaffe was perusing a bookstore, looking through the sci-fi shelf. “I was looking at all the books I read as a young guy, and I picked up a Philip K. Dick anthology and read the short story ‘We Can Remember It for You Wholesale,’” he recalls. “I remembered it was a great sort of wish-fulfillment fantasy.”

Of course, Dick’s story had been adapted for the screen once before, in 1990, under the title “Total Recall.” Jaffe began thinking that the time might be right to revisit Dick’s story for the screen and brought his idea to producer Neal H. Moritz, who read the short story and re-watched the 1990 film.

“We just felt like we could make a fresh version of the original story,” Moritz says. “By reimagining the story, we thought that there was so much more to the characters and story that we could investigate. That felt fresh to us.”

The reason is that Dick’s story feels as cutting edge as when it was first published in the 1960s. “The genius of the story is this idea that you can implant a memory into somebody’s head and when they wake up, they will feel they’ve lived it,” says Jaffe. The set-up opens up a treasure trove of questions: what is memory? How do we know what really happened in the past?

“That concept of Rekall, as Philip K. Dick created it in his story, is what made me want to direct this movie,” says Len Wiseman, who also has an art department background, having worked on such big budget sci-fi hits as “Independence Day” and “Stargate.” Wiseman’s take on the film was to delve deeper into the main character by creating a hybrid of a psychological thriller and an action film that just happens to be set in the future.

Instead of events occurring on Mars, Wiseman keeps the action on a far-in-the-future earth dominated by two nation-states – United Federation of Britain and The Colony. Like Dick’s story, Wiseman’s says, “There’s a whole other kind of experience on Earth with which to take this character.”

“When we reminded ourselves that Philip K. Dick didn’t send his characters to Mars, that really opened up the possibilities,” says Jaffe. “Once we were freed to keep the character here on Earth, like Dick does, we weren’t constrained by the setting, the era, or the hows and whys of getting him off the planet.”


Opening across the Philippines in August, “Total Recall” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

Ben Whishaw to Play Q in James Bond “Skyfall”

Ben Whishaw to Play Q in James Bond “Skyfall”

Skyfall™ producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli confirmed that the character of Q will be making a welcome return to the Bond franchise and the role will be played by Ben Whishaw.

Whishaw becomes the fourth actor to play Bond’s quartermaster affectionately known as Q. The role began with Peter Burton as Major Boothroyd in Dr. No, followed by Desmond Llewelyn (in 17 Bond films between 1963-1999), and John Cleese (who appeared as Q’s assistant, R, in The World is Not Enough and was later promoted to Q in Die Another Day).

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli commented, “It’s a real thrill to confirm the return of Q in SKYFALL™ played by the enormously talented Ben Whishaw. We are delighted to have this beloved character back in the series.”

Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in Skyfall™, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In Skyfall™, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. The film is from Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Directed by Sam Mendes. Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. Written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan.

Ben Whishaw will be seen later this year in Cloud Atlas alongside an all-star cast including Tom Hanks, Jim Sturgess and Halle Berry, and in the BBC’s “Richard II.” He will also be seen in the second series of “The Hour” for the BBC, in which he stars opposite Dominic West and Romola Garai. His films include roles in Bright Star, The Tempest, Brideshead Revisited, I’m Not There, Stoned, Layer Cake, Enduring Love, The Trench, Mauvaise Passé, and the lead roles in My Brother Tom and Perfume opposite Alan Rickman and Dustin Hoffman. For television, he also starred in the hugely popular BBC drama “Criminal Justice,” which saw him pick up the award for best actor at the 2009 Royal Television Society Awards, Best Actor at the International Emmy Awards 2009 and was nominated for Best Actor at the 2009 BAFTA Television Awards. His many roles on the British stage include “The Idiot,” “Cock”, “The Seagull,” “Hamlet” (for which he received an Olivier nomination), and “His Dark Materials.” He will appear in Michael Grandage’s production of “Peter and Alice” in the title role opposite Judi Dench in 2013. He was a BAFTA Rising Star nominee in 2007.



Opening across the Philippines in October 31, 2012, “Skyfall” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.columbiapictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

Monsters University - Trailer

Monsters University - Trailer

Disney/Pixar has just released the teaser trailer of “Monsters University,” the highly anticipated prequel to the 2011 blockbuster, “Monsters, Inc.”

Watch below:




Synopsis: Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn’t always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn't stand each other. “Monsters University” unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.


Screaming with laughter and fun, “Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”) and produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”).


The film opens in the Philippines in 2013, and will be shown in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.

Scottish Story of “Brave” Springs From Reality

Scottish Story of “Brave” Springs From Reality

The story of Disney/Pixar's new animnated feature “Brave” was very personal for the film’s directors, Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman. They drew from the experiences of their own families, combining that with their Scottish heritage and love of the country. With their strong backgrounds in storytelling and filmmaking, they were able to weave a tale that was original, emotionally stirring and full of thrilling adventure.

“Brave” follows the heroic journey of Merida, a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her skills and resources - including her clever and mischievous triplet brothers - to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late, and discover the meaning of true bravery.

There’s a reason why the story of “Brave” is so relevant, says Chapman: it’s inspired by a real relationship. “I was dealing with a very headstrong daughter,” she shares. “She was so passionate and so strong - and she was four at the time. I thought, ‘What’s she going to be like as a teenager?’

“I started to imagine what a fairy tale would be like,” continues Chapman, “with a working mom and a really willful daughter whose strength you don’t want to squash - but sometimes you do want to squash it a little. But in the end, it wasn’t a fairy tale at all. ‘Brave’ turned out to be more of an epic action-adventure.”

Chapman knew instantly where she’d set this new action-adventure fantasy tale. “I have a love of Scotland,” she says. “It’s my ancestry, though I’m one of the great American mutts and my family has been around since before the Revolution, so I can’t find that old country family connection. Scotland’s just such an amazing place. It’s beautiful. The people are really hearty and they have an incredible spirit.”

In creating the story for “Brave,” the filmmakers took elements of Scottish history and lore to construct their own legends. A demon bear named Mor’du, the gathering and unity of the clans, the role of the mystical will o’ the wisps and a mysterious witch with the power to create change are all rooted in reality and mythology.

“When we visited Scotland on our research trip, we met amazing storytellers and historians who had a big influence on us,” says Larsen. “Scotland is a storytelling culture - wherever we went, the locals erupted into stories of their everyday lives and the people they knew. The story of Mor’du was inspired by the stories we heard while we were there.”

Filmmakers infused the folklore and magic they soaked up in Scotland throughout the story. According to production designer Steve Pilcher, even a hint of magic enhanced the mystical tone of the film. “We evoke the feeling of magic without using magic,” he says. “Adding lichen to the standing stones or dew drops on the grass - it catches the light and emits a little sparkle. We created the fantasy with a natural element, which is great for this story in this place.”

Adds director Mark Andrews, “The will o’ the wisps are in a lot of Scottish folklore. They were said to lead you to treasure or doom - to change your fate - but they’re an actual phenomenon of swamp and bog gas seeping up through the earth and interacting with the natural resources to create the blue flames. People would follow these lights thinking they were little fairies, and basically drown or get sucked down into the bogs. [So] we made the wisps like actual little spirits.”

Once Pilcher had that directive, the design of the wisps came together. “We liked sapphire blue against the natural environment because there's nothing like it in the rest of the film. That shade of blue is the hottest part of a flame, yet it feels cold. That contradiction is intriguing and that's what magic is about. There is a desire to touch it, to follow it, but also a little fear.”

“They’re almost like Marley’s ghost in a way,” says Andrews, “because Marley’s ghost isn’t an evil spirit - even though he’s frightening, he’s trying to warn Ebenezer to change his ways. That’s what the wisps are doing. There’s a duality to them, because they’re either good or evil—they lead Merida into more and more trouble, but in the end, they’ve led her exactly where she needs to go.”


Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International, “Brave” takes aim at Philippine theaters on August 01, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.

Tom Hardy is Batman’s Nemesis in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

Tom Hardy is Batman’s Nemesis in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

In Warner Bros.’ new action-thriller “The Dark Knight Rises” – the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy – the threat to Batman/Bruce Wayne comes in the form of a merciless, masked villain named Bane, who makes his presence known to the citizens of Gotham with an explosive display of power.

While the Scarecrow was a madman and the Joker an anarchist, “Bane is a terrorist in both his mentality and his actions,” says actor Tom Hardy, who plays Batman’s new arch-nemesis. “He is physically intimidating and he’s also very intelligent, which makes him even more dangerous.”

Nolan relates, “In deciding on who the next villain would be, it was imperative that it was someone completely different from the Joker - that he be a brute force. The physical component of what Bruce Wayne does as Batman is of extraordinary importance, and we had not truly challenged that in the first two films. I really wanted to see Batman meet his match physically, as well as intellectually. Bane is raw strength with a fanatical devotion to duty, and that combination makes him unstoppable.”

“This is the first time it appears highly unlikely that Batman will come out on top in a physical altercation,” allows Christian Bale who plays the superhero. “He has been dormant for years, so he’s in a weakened condition to begin with, and Bane is not only incredibly strong but ruthless in terms of his sheer militancy and the ideology that drives him.”

Bane, however, has no such compunctions. Everything he does is a means to an end. Hardy attests, “Bane has come to do a job and has no feelings of remorse or shame about the death and destruction he’s causing. There is nothing ambiguous about Bane. He is clearly a villain…just a horrible piece of work.”

Bane is infamous among Batman comic fans for the terrible harm he inflicts on the Caped Crusader. Having recently worked with Hardy on “Inception,” Nolan knew he could project an extreme physical and psychological threat despite having to act from behind a mask. “When you’re creating a monstrous presence like Bane in a movie, you could concentrate just on the physical or you could focus on the more psychological aspects. With Tom, I knew I would get the whole package. He is such an incredible actor; he was able to depict this beast of a man who has exceptional fighting skills, but also able to convey the soul of someone who is damaged inside as well as out. Tom is the kind of actor who relished the challenge of having to generate an entire performance with most of his face covered up. What he is able to do with just his eyes is truly amazing.”

Hardy states that the mask was not a deterrent when given an opportunity to rejoin the director, especially on a Dark Knight film. “Chris called me up and said there was a role I might be good for, but he wasn’t sure I’d be interested because I’d have to wear a mask for several months. He wouldn’t tell me anything else about the character, except that he was a very bad guy. I said, ‘Let me get this straight: you want me to come and work with you, travel around the world, have a stunt team and all the weapons I could possibly want to play with, and all I have to do is wear a mask?’ He answered, ‘Yeah, pretty much…’ And I said, ‘I’m in!’”

Unlike Batman, Bane does not wear a mask to conceal his identity, but to anesthetize himself against excruciating pain, resulting from injuries he suffered long ago. Countering Nolan’s concerns, Hardy says, “I didn’t feel limited by the mask. What’s cool about it is, as soon as you put it on, you become the character.”

The actor adds that his portrayal of Bane entailed creating a contradiction between the voice and the body. “He is florid in his speech, but has the physicality of a gorilla. So while he is quite articulate, we also wanted to establish a very imposing presence.”


Opening across the Philippines on Thursday, July 19 in IMAX, 2D and regular theaters, “The Dark Knight Rises” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Anne Hathaway Gives New Definition to Catwoman Character in “The Dark Knight Rises”

Anne Hathaway Gives New Definition to Catwoman Character in “The Dark Knight Rises”

Academy Award-nominee Anne Hathaway is the brilliantly skilled thief named Selina Kyle - better known in the Batman canon as Catwoman – in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures' “The Dark Knight Rises,” the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

Nolan says, “We felt very strongly that we should have Catwoman in this film, but we always look for an organic way of grounding the characters in our world. Selina is a cat burglar, a grifter, a classic movie femme fatale, really. That was my way in, and we drew the iconic figure of Catwoman from that.”

The only member of the main cast who counts this film as her first collaboration with Nolan, Hathaway admits, “It’s hard to reveal anything about Selina Kyle because she is intensely private and very mysterious. She has her own code of ethics, which sometimes involves doing things that other people might consider questionable.”

Screenwriter Jonathan Nolan says, “Something about her morally ambiguous philosophy finally gives Batman someone he can relate to. In a weird way, she’s the yin to his yang. The dynamic between them is so fresh - the playful way she kind of pokes fun at him - it sparks a connection between them and takes some of the somberness away from his character.”


In the film, Gotham’s most influential citizens have gathered at Wayne Manor for a benefit honoring Harvey Dent Day. It is the perfect hunting ground for the audacious and undeniably attractive cat burglar, Selina Kyle. Her encounter with Bruce Wayne has an unexpected effect on him.

Christian Bale, who reprises his Batman/Bruce Wayne character, reveals, “What really impacts Bruce is that, after years of isolation, he’s meeting this woman he finds fascinating and funny. He suddenly recognizes he’s been seeking something, even unconsciously…that he’s lost all the color in his life and needs some human contact.”

Hathaway asserts, “I think Bruce owes Selina a big thank you because he was leading a pretty lonely life until she came in and got his blood pumping and reminded him that there are fun people out there in the world. One of the things that fans have always enjoyed about Bruce and Selina is the playful side of their relationship. They may operate very differently, but they actually have a lot in common: they like to keep certain things hidden; they’re usually several steps ahead of everyone else in the room; and they prefer to dress in black,” she smiles. “I had so much fun working with Christian. He’s quick to laugh and have a good time, but he’s also so solid. He’s the kind of actor that raises your game.”

Acting alongside Bale was not the only reason Hathaway was excited to portray what she calls “one of the most famous female comic book characters ever.” She recounts, “I did look back at some archival comics and read a lot about Bob Kane’s inspirations for Catwoman, but the most important thing was to be Catwoman in this film and fit into Christopher Nolan’s Gotham City. I’m such a huge fan of Chris’s. With Batman, he has been able to pose some really interesting philosophical questions, while shooting these spectacular action sequences and also finding the humor. It was a thrill to work with someone whose mind is so brilliant and whose talent is so very evident.”

Nolan offers, “We needed to find the balance between the classic image of the character and a believable person you care about. Casting Anne Hathaway in the role was the key to that. She was able to combine those facets seamlessly so they aren’t in conflict, but one is amplifying the other.”

“I think Selina does what is necessary to survive,” shares Hathaway, “and that includes crossing a few lines that others might find unforgivable. Even if she wants to change, it’s hard to escape your past…and she does have a past. That makes her vulnerable, especially these days when anyone with a computer or smartphone can look up almost anything about you. Everybody has moments in life when they think, ‘If I knew then what I know now…’ Selina might like the opportunity not to have to live by the choices she was forced to make up to this point.”


Opening across the Philippines on Thursday, July 19 in IMAX, 2D and regular theaters, “The Dark Knight Rises” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

James Franco, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis Star in “Oz The Great and Powerful”

James Franco, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis Star in “Oz The Great and Powerful”

Take your first look at the teaser poster of Walt Disney Pictures' upcoming fantasy adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful” starring James Franco, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis.

Directed byt Sam Raimi, “Oz The Great and Powerful” imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Kunis), Evanora (Weisz) and Glinda (Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

“Oz The Great and Powerful” is produced by Joe Roth and written by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire. Grant Curtis, Philip Steuer and Palak Patel are serving as executive producers.
“Oz The Great and Powerful” opens in Philippine theaters on March 2013.

Warner Bros. Unveiled “The Hobbit” and “Pacific Rim” Posters

Warner Bros. Unveiled “The Hobbit” and “Pacific Rim” Posters

In time for next week's Comic-Con in the US, Warner Bros. has unveiled the teaser posters of two of its eagerly anticipated potential blockbusters: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “Pacific Rim.”

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the first of two films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey and Martin Freeman stars in the central role of Bilbo Baggins. The ensemble cast also includes Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ian Holm, Evangeline Lilly, Christopher Lee, Lee Pace, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving and Elijah Wood.

Meanwhile, Oscar® nominee Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) is directing “Pacific Rim” from a script by Travis Beacham (“Clash of the Titans”).

In the film, when legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

The film stars Charlie Hunnam (TV’s “Sons of Anarchy”), Idris Elba (“Thor”), Rinko Kikuchi (“The Brothers Bloom”), Charlie Day (“Horrible Bosses”), and Ron Perlman (the “Hellboy” films).

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” opens in the Philippines on December 2012, to be followed by “Pacific Rim” on July 2013.

The Legend Ends in “The Dark Knight Rises”

The Legend Ends in “The Dark Knight Rises”

“Batman is the hero Gotham deserves...but not the one it needs right now.”

Those words, spoken by Commissioner Gordon at the end of 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” set in motion a fateful conspiracy that labeled Batman a murderer and Harvey Dent—who died, unbeknownst to the public, as the vengeful Two-Face - a crime-fighting crusader who paid the ultimate price. Predicated on that lie, Gotham City enacted tough new laws that put criminals behind bars or drove them beyond Gotham’s borders.

Now, Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures brings to the screen “The Dark Knight Rises,” the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

Christopher Nolan says, “Our story picks up eight years later, when it seems that Batman and Commissioner Gordon have succeeded—the Dark Knight is no longer needed in Gotham. In that regard, Bruce Wayne has won the battle, but he is traumatized by what happened and doesn’t know how to move on from being the figure of Batman. ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ very much deals with the consequences of his and other characters’ actions in the previous films.”

Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Also starring are Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake.

Returning to the main cast, Oscar® winner Michael Caine plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman reprises the role of Lucius Fox.


With “The Dark Knight Rises,” Nolan completes the story arc he commenced with 2005’s “Batman Begins.” He recalls, “We were all very excited to bring this tale full circle; that was our chief inspiration for returning to Gotham. We also felt a tremendous sense of responsibility to fulfill expectations based on the first two movies while giving the audience something they hadn’t seen before. It was a tricky balance.”

The filmmakers and cast were also intent on maintaining a balance between heart-pounding action and intimate emotion. Producer Emma Thomas affirms, “Right from the start, Chris set out to make each of these films something that could not be categorized into any one genre. ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has all of the excitement and fun that a big summer movie ought to have. The action is huge, but the story and characters are equally, if not more, important, because it’s hard to care about all the bells and whistles if there isn’t something to engage you in an emotional way.”

Producer Charles Roven adds, “We all want to be wowed, but we also want to be invested. Regardless of the scope, Chris has never lost his focus on the story and relationships, which goes back through all of his movies.”

The director also raised the bar for “The Dark Knight Rises” in expanding on his use of IMAX cameras. Nearly half of the movie was shot with the large-format cameras, utilizing ultra resolution 15 perf/65-millimeter film. Nolan states, “We got great results with the IMAX cameras on the last film. I appreciate what it offers from the technical side, but I’m most interested in what it can give me as a storytelling tool. How can it help me pull the audience deeper into this world? IMAX provides the broadest possible canvas, creating the most immersive experience.”

“The Dark Knight Rises” will be presented on 70-millimeter film in 102 IMAX 15/70mm locations worldwide. “Having shot almost half the picture with large-format IMAX film cameras, it is very important to me that we show ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in the IMAX film format wherever possible,” Nolan shares. “Audiences everywhere should be assured that every presentation of the film will be of the highest standard—having benefited from the clarity and depth IMAX cameras offer. However, these 102 screens will showcase the original IMAX film photography in its optimum form, and I hope anyone who has an opportunity to experience the film in these theatres will seek it out.”

Nolan concludes, “When you look back on the Dark Knight films, you can see the world we’re living in reflected, but we don’t want to be specific about it. We just come at the stories from the point of view of what concerns us. What gives us fear? What gives us hope? What would require a hero of Batman’s stature to rise up in our world?”


Opening across the Philippines on July 19 in IMAX, 2D and regular theaters, “The Dark Knight Rises” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Jennifer Lopez in “Ice Age 4: Continental Drift”

Jennifer Lopez in “Ice Age 4: Continental Drift”

One of the world’s most loved idol, musician and actress Jennifer Lopez joins the fourth outing of the phenomenal hit franchise “Ice Age” headed by its three heroes from different species namely Manny the mammoth, Diego the tiger and Sid the sloth in “Ice Age: Continental Drift”

This time, along with Manny’s family and Sid’s grandma, they face a formidable chilling adventure against a group of pirates in the cold seas. With Scrat in the middle of it all subdividing land masses into what we now know as the seven continents, the group’s all-new adventure takes them on a thrilling ride to the far end of the seas.

Jennifer Lopez plays Shira, a beautiful saber tooth pirate who is also a loyal first mate on their ship of pirates headed by a prehistoric orangutan named Captain Gutt (Peter Drinklage). After Diego and Manny capsized Gutt’s ship, Shira gets separated from the pirates and is shocked to discover that Gutt has no real loyalty to her. When Diego appeals to her join his motley crew, she has to make the decision to stick with Gutt or to join Diego, Manny and the herd. Initially battling Diego and his best friends Manny and Sid, Shira finds herself slowly losing her heart to Diego in the midst of their adventure to find home.

But alas! Love Love is never simple, especially for sabre-toothed tigers. Shira is a member of a pirate crew that has taken Diego, Manny and Sid hostage, so Shira and Diego’s initial encounters are as foes who go toe-to-toe – and sabre-to-sabre – against one another. They are equally matched. “Shira is a femme fatale; she’s sharp, fast and intelligent. But they’re more alike one another than either tiger would admit, and from their hostility and attempts at one-upmanship comes a shared point of view and ultimately a relationship,” director Steve Martino shares.

Leary insists it’s about time Diego found someone to share his life with. “It took only four ‘Ice Age’ movies for me to get a love interest. Believe me, when making the first ‘Ice Age’, I didn’t look down the road and think, you know, Diego’s going to get a girlfriend and it’s going to be J-Lo. I would have put that in my contract back then if I thought I could have gotten away with it!”


According to Jennifer Lopez, who joins the “Ice Age” family as Shira, Diego and Shira are destined to join forces. “The two characters have a similar backstory,” she explains. “Diego left his pack of sabre-toothed tigers in the first film, and Shira had left hers because she didn’t like the pack mentality. Shira felt like she didn’t belong anywhere until she joined the pirates. Eventually she realizes the pirates are out for themselves, and she must make a choice between staying with them or starting a new life with Diego.” And as we all know, Diego can be very convincing.

Lopez was excited about joining the “Ice Age” team, especially as an empowered figure. “Ice Age 4: Continental Drift” is a poignant, fun, exciting and sweet story, and I love playing strong female characters like Shira,” she explains.

The filmmakers were thrilled to get the multi-talented actress-singer-“American Idol” judge onboard. “Playing a character in an animated film is about more than just the actor’s voice,” says producer Lori Forte. “It’s about the attitude, and Jennifer really brings it.” The film also makes use of Lopez’s singing talents, as she joins her fellow pirates (including Peter Dinklage, Nick Frost, Aziz Ansari, and Alain Chabat) in a sea shanty, “Master of the Seas,” written by Adam Schlesinger (of Fountains of Wayne); and accompanies Nicki Minaj, Romano, Leary, John Leguizamo and Latifah) in the closing song, “We Are (Theme from Ice Age 4: Continental Drift ),” written by Ester Dean.

But first, some words from J. Lo’s Shira – on filming the latest Ice Age movie and the experience with co-stars of various species.

Q: Great to meet you Shira. You’ve got such a beautiful shiny coat.
Shira: Purr… Thank you very much (licks paws).

Q: You’re new to the Ice Age gang. What did you make of them at first?
Shira: That pack of misfits? A sloth, a mammoth and a sabre-toothed tiger – it’s like the start of a really bad joke. No, I’m just kidding with you. Those guys are the best thing that ever happened to me. They gave me back my freedom… Well, after they locked me in a prison cave that is.

Q: Prison cave? What happened?
Shira: Oh, it’s a long story. Let’s just say I’d fallen in with a bad crowd and had some deep-seated trust issues.

Q: By a bad crowd, do you mean Captain Gutt and his revolting crew of pirates?
Shira: I’d really rather not talk about that phase of my life. It’s in the past now.

Q: We hear you’re quite a warrior princess. Is that true?
Shira: I can hold my own (strokes whiskers). All those years on a pirate ship did at least teach me how to fight. It was survival of the fittest out there, not survival of the friendliest.

Q: Not just a pretty kitty then?
Shira: Hissss! Everyone knows the female of the species is more deadly than the male. So you’d better watch out (growls).

Q: Oh come on, you two are blatantly having some kind of romance. Admit it – you melted his ice-cold heart didn’t you?
Shira: I’ll tell you what. If you can run to the top of that vertical cliff face and back in under 30 seconds, I’ll tell you anything you want.


“Ice Age 4: Continental Drift” opens July 12 in cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.