Final Film in "The Hobbit" Trilogy Now Called “THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES”

Warner Bros Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and New Line Cinema jointly announced last April 24, 2014 that the much-anticipated final film in Peter Jackson’s trilogy adaptation of the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, has now been titled “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” The film, previously titled “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” will be released worldwide (including the Philippines) on December 17, 2014.

Peter Jackson stated, “Our journey to make ‘The Hobbit’ Trilogy has been in some ways like Bilbo's own, with hidden paths revealing their secrets to us as we've gone along. ‘There and Back Again’ felt like the right name for the second of a two-film telling of the quest to reclaim Erebor, when Bilbo’s arrival there, and departure, were both contained within the second film. But with three movies, it suddenly felt misplaced—after all, Bilbo has already arrived ‘there’ in the ‘The Desolation of Smaug.’ When we did the premiere trip late last year, I had a quiet conversation with the studio about the idea of revisiting the title. We decided to keep an open mind until a cut of the film was ready to look at. We reached that point last week, and after viewing the movie, we all agreed there is now one title that feels completely appropriate. And so: ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’ it is.”

“The Hobbit” Trilogy tells a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson and his 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.”

Thousands of Youth Gather for Habitat Youth Build 2014

“Tagbo. Tukod. Tana!” 

Over 5,000 youth will converge at this year’s Habitat for Humanity “Youth Build”, happening simultaneously on May 3, 2014 in five key provinces in the country, to make a commitment to help rebuild homes across calamity-stricken areas in the Philippines. This year’s Youth Build is expected to be one of the biggest youth gatherings in the country.

Beginning May 3, young volunteers will sweat it out as they get their gloves, hard hats, and shovels ready to begin the construction of Habitat houses in earthquake-hit areas in Bohol, and Yolanda-affected communities in Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Naga. After Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) destroyed parts of the country in November last year, Habitat launched its “Re-Build PH” campaign with a target to rebuild 30,000 houses. This year’s Youth Build aims to rally the youth to do their share to meet this target.

“Rebuilding the Philippines is everyone’s responsibility. This time, we want to gather our youth and tap into their passion and energy to help get the job done while at the same time serving as role models to the younger generation,” shares Charlie Ayco, Habitat for Humanity Philippine’s CEO and Managing Director.

“Tagbo. Tukod. Tana!”

Since the build-sites are mostly around the Visayas region, this year’s theme was taken from the local Visayan dialect-- “Tagbo. Tukod. Tana!”  (Let’s gather. Let’s build. Let’s do it.) It hopes to speak more urgently to the Visayan youth to rise to the challenge of helping their own neighbors, friends, and kababayans rebuild their own communities by taking part in the Youth Build.

“For us to be able to truly move forward from the horrors of the earthquake and typhoon, we need to work hand-in-hand as one community-- the progress of one is the progress of all. We encourage the Boholanos to help their kababayans, because by doing so they are helping the entire province,” Ayco adds.

Rebuilding 7,000 houses in Bohol

In October last year, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake rocked parts of Bohol leaving houses in shambles and families homeless. The Youth Build targets to rebuild 7,000 homes in 16 municipalities across the province providing decent shelter to families still living in tents and make-shift houses.

To kick-off festivities in Bohol on May 3, a motorcade of celebrity youth supporters will take place in the morning leading all the way to the Habitat site in Loon, Bohol where Habitat’s Youth Council will begin the initial build. To cap the day, a youth concert open to the public will be staged to further urge the Boholano youth to respond to the call.

Other local festivities to kick-off the “Youth Build” will also happen in Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Naga.

The Habitat Youth Build is a movement that engages young people to raise funds for, and awareness of the poverty housing situation in the Asia-Pacific region where one in eight people live in slums, according to the United Nations.

Now on its third year, the annual campaign challenges the youth to do something concrete to help. Young people from 11 other Habitat countries across the region will also participate and build or repair homes for low-income families.

Habitat for Humanity Philippines is a global non-profit organization committed to addressing the housing backlog in the country. To know more about Habitat and its programs, log on to www.habitat.org.ph.

Sleeping Beauty Fable Comes Full Circle with “MALEFICENT”

The character Maleficent was a Disney creation first introduced in their 1959 animated feature “Sleeping Beauty.” But the story of the princess who falls under a spell of eternal sleep has been told since the beginning of fairy-tale time.

The story of Sleeping Beauty evolved—under different titles—over approximately 400 years (1000 if we count some overlapping elements from Medieval times). The early written origins of the story can be traced from the French novel “Perceforest” (author unknown) written in 1527 to a tale by Italian storyteller Giambattista Basile (1636) called “Sun, Moon & Talia” from a collection entitled “The Tale of Tales,” which is generally accepted as the first collection of fairy tales ever printed.

In 1697, a version of the story,“The Beauty Asleep in the Woods,” was published by Charles Perrault in his book, “The Tales of Mother Goose.” The Brothers Grimm borrowed heavily from this version in writing their own 1812 story of a beautiful princess awakened from a spell-induced slumber, “Little Briar Rose.”

The origins of Maleficent as a female personification of evil are less clear. Basile’s story casts a Queen as the jealous, vengeful villainess but she was married to the King and not an independent outsider who inflicts a curse on the royal family. The villainess was changed to a wicked fairy by Perrault, whose version was closest to Disney’s.Perrault also introduced the element of a handsome Prince whose kiss could break the spell.

So it fell to 20th-century writers and animators and actress Eleanor Audley to invent Maleficent for Disney’s classic “Sleeping Beauty.” The film took 10 years to make and cost $6 million. It was the most expensive movie the studio had produced to that point in time.

Maleficent remains both the favorite and the most feared character in Disney’s gallery of infamy. Now she returns in a live-action version of the classic story directed by Robert Stromberg and starring Angelina Jolie.

“It was important to me as a director to retain enough of the elements of ‘Sleeping Beauty’so that people who are fans of the original won’t be disappointed when they see this,” explains Stromberg. “I felt it was important that people not only see this classic character realized in a new light but also see the genesis of some of those story elements that they remember from the original film.”

To blend the old and new into a finished screenplay, Disney hired writer Linda Woolverton. “In my time at Disney both as an executive and as a producer, Linda Woolverton is the most important writer Disney has had,” says producer Joe Roth. “Over the past 20 years she’s written ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘The Lion King’ in the animated area and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in live action. More than any other writer, she has really kind of unlocked the notion of what a Disney film is.”

Woolverton began her process of discovering the secret life of Maleficent by watching Disney’s animated “Sleeping Beauty.” “After watching the movie, I came up with some ideas that revealed more about her character,” Woolverton explains. “I created a past for her that leads to the singular moment in which she curses the baby Aurora and then takes us past that moment from Maleficent’s point of view through the ending of the film. But it’s a reinvention; it’s not just a retelling of the same story.”

In addition to the challenge of reinventing a fairy tale that has been a staple of every childborn in the last 50 years, Woolverton had to honor both the iconic character that Disney created and the talented actress stepping into the role. “The character really is fantastic and once we had Angelina Jolie, my task was to seamlessly meld the two into one to recreate a classic, but wholly unique Maleficent,” concludes the writer.

Opening across the Philippines on May 28, 2014, “Maleficent” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

Andrew Garfield Creates New Vision for “SPIDER-MAN” Role

Returning to the role of Peter Parker is Andrew Garfield, the BAFTA-winning actor who creates a new vision for the role in Columbia Pictures' “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”

“It’s hard to be Peter Parker, but it’s great to be Spider-Man,” says Garfield. “As Peter Parker, he has all of the same problems that we all have – girl problems, money problems. But when he puts on the suit, it’s a massive release. He can breathe. Spider-Man always knows the right thing to do – he’s a vessel for good, heroic energy and saving people. He takes joy and pleasure in it, and a playfulness comes out of him.”

Paul Giamatti is the Rhino in “THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2”

As Spider-Man's enemies begin to unite in Columbia Pictures' new action adventure “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” one enemy to join the sinister cause is the Russian gangster Aleksei Sytsevich, played by Oscar-nominated actor Paul Giamatti (“Sideways,” “12 Years a Slave”). Stopped and sent packing by Spider-Man early in the film, he returns as a highly mechanized Oscorp invention – the Rhino.

The Rhino was in fact Paul Giamatti’s favorite Marvel character when he was growing up. “He’s just brute force, and a little kid loves that sort of thing,” the actor says, describing the Rhino’s appeal. “You can just destroy everything, go through a brick wall. The Rhino had that great mean face all the time and was cool-looking.”

An appearance on Conan O’Brien’s late night talk show in 2011 led to Giamatti being cast as the Rhino in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” “As a joke, Conan asked me if I could be in one of the Spider-Man movies, what would I want to play, and I said the Rhino,” says Giamatti. “I guess Marc Webb saw it, and when they were coming around to do this one, I met him and he asked, ‘Would you seriously want to play the Rhino?’ It’s such a weird fantasy thing – I feel like I’m seven!”

Bringing the Rhino to the big screen presented a challenge to the special effects team. “We had some creative license in creating a wonderful villain in the Rhino – one that would make people laugh and fear at the same time,” says digital effects supervisor David Alexander Smith. “We looked at old Russian tanks and military equipment. We wanted it to feel substantial and not rickety, but at the same time it’s kind of a hodgepodge. We ended up with something very strong and fun at the same time, playing off of the character that Paul Giamatti established.”

Even though the Rhino costume would be entirely CG (2,295 pieces of CG geometry, including 263 nuts and bolts), Giamatti performed on set in a 12-foot-tall, mobile unit. “It was important for a few reasons to have Paul Giamatti in some sort of physical contraption on the set,” says Visual Effects Supervisor Jerome Chen. “[Director] Marc [Webb] wanted Andrew [Garfield] and Paul to have the correct eyelines to each other – they had to see and act with each other. Also, because this scene is in daylight on Park Avenue, we could have the correct lighting on Paul when we put the CG suit around him. I’m sure that onlookers had no idea what they were looking at, but it looks great in the final film.”

This past fall, Paul Giamatti was seen in several films: John Lee Hancock’s “Saving Mr. Banks,” Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave” opposite Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, and Chiwetel Ejiofor; Carlo Carlei’s “Romeo and Juliet,” as Friar Laurence, opposite Hailee Steinfeld and Damian Lewis.

Other credits for him include “Turbo,” “Rock of Ages,” “The Ides of March,” Curtis Hanson’s HBO movie “Too Big To Fail,” in which his performance earned him his third SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries as well as an Emmy® and Golden Globe® nomination.
In 2006, Giamatti’s performance in Ron Howard’s “Cinderella Man” earned him his first SAG Award and a Broadcast Film Critics’ Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as Academy Award and Golden Globe® nominations in the same category.

For his role in Alexander Payne’s critically-lauded “Sideways,”Giamatti earned several accolades for his performance including Best Actor from the Independent Spirit Awards, New York Film Critics Circle as well as a Golden Globe® and SAG Award nomination.

Opening across the Philippines on April 30 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and 2D formats, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

“STAR WARS: EPISODE VII” CAST ANNOUNCED!

The Star Wars team is thrilled to announce the cast of “Star Wars: Episode VII.”

Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.

Director J.J. Abrams says, “We are so excited to finally share the cast of `Star Wars: Episode VII.' It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.”

“Star Wars: Episode VII” is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.

SM Prime Opens Retail Podium in Sun Residences

Property conglomerate SM Prime Holdings, Inc. opened its newest retail podium, Sun Mall in Quezon City within SM Development Corporation’s (SMDC) condominium development, Sun Residences. SMDC is SM Prime’s residential development arm. This is the third retail podium attached to an SMDC residential tower after Jazz Mall in Bel-Air, Makati and Mezza Strip in Quezon City.

Sun Mall spans a gross floor area of 15,000 square meters and offers a variety of commercial and retail stores that can accommodate the basic household needs of its residents. The retail podium is designed to provide every patron with a worthwhile lifestyle experience.

With its line-up of service and retail establishments such as flagship SM Hypermarket, Watsons, and BDO, as well food stores and specialty shops, residents will have a variety of options to choose from to satisfy their needs and provide utmost convenience.

Among the food concepts in Sun Mall are The Happy Bakery, the first inline store of Happy Dizon of the Dizon family behind Dizon Farms. Happy Bakery will serve breads, cakes, soups, salads and sandwiches; Chef Lau’s Pugon Roasters of Chef Rolando Laudico is a “fast good” restaurant that serves firebrick oven-roasted traditional Filipino dishes like roast chicken, pork liempo and beef at affordable prices. Gong Cha, the Taiwanese milk tea brand with over 200 branches in Asia is also part of Sun Mall.  

“Sun Residences shines brighter with the opening of Sun Mall as this reflects the synergies at work in SM Prime.   Through these retail podiums within our residential towers, we aim to provide our residents with access to everything that they will need,” SM Prime Executive Vice President and SM Development Corporation (SMDC) President Jeffrey Lim said.

Launched in 2009, Sun Residences is a two-tower, 43-storey development that offers studio, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units with prices ranging between PHP1.8 million and PHP4.6 million.

True to SMDC’s promise of providing five-star homes in prime locations, Sun Residences features a list of stellar features and amenities- a hotel-like lobby, a swimming pool, a clubhouse with multi-purpose hall, function rooms, a student’s lounge, children’s play area, barbeque area, and a landscaped garden with gazebos and a jogging path.

Located along España Boulevard corner Mayon Street – Welcome Rotonda, Sun Residences is the ideal abode for university and college students of the educational institutions along the university belt, and for professionals working in and around the area.     

For a stress-free living experience, Sun Residences through SMDC Property Management offers a menu of services to address the various needs of its unit owners – front desk for hassle-free package acceptance and delivery processing; housekeeping and services for home improvements; and for investors, leasing services to help them achieve the best return for their investments.

Sun Residences is among 22 condominium brands by SMDC, the residential arm of SM Prime. These brands are Chateau Elysee Residences in Bicutan, Paranaque; Mezza Residences and Mezza II Residences on Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City; Berkeley Residences in Katipunan, Quezon City; Grass Residences and Fern at Grass Residences in Quezon City beside SM North EDSA; Sea Residences in the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay;  Field Residences in Sucat, Paranaque; Princeton Residences in New Manila, Quezon City; Jazz Residences in Bel-Air,  Makati; Light Residences near the BONI-EDSA MRT Station in Mandaluyong; MPlace@South Triangle in Quezon City ;   Blue Residences in Katipunan, Quezon City;    Shine Residences in Pasig; Green Residences on Taft Avenue in Manila ; Shell Residences in the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay; Grace Residences in Taguig; Breeze Residences in Pasay; Trees Residences in Novaliches, Quezon City;  Shore Residences in the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay and Wind Residences in Tagaytay.  

“THE OTHER WOMAN” Tops Latest U.S. Box Office

Women are on top this time in the latest U.S. box-office weekend report as “The Other Woman” starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Upton and Leslie Mann nudged down Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” to 2nd place.  

            The funny and fashion-candy “The Other Woman” opened in the U.S. at $24.7 million over the weekend . In “The Other Woman,” Cameron Diaz takes on the role of Carly, a beautiful and successful lawyer who discovers that Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), the charismatic man in her life, is married.  Accidentally discovering that her man is married to Kate (Leslie Mann), they still soon find out that the despicable rogue they’re both is also involved with a third woman, Amber (Kate Upton).  Unexpectedly, the three develop a close bond and team up to exact revenge on the three-timing cheat.

“THE FAULT IN OUR STARS” Align on June 5 in Cinemas

The phenomenal young-adult tome “The Fault In Our Stars” penned by John Green is brought to life on the big screen produced by blockbuster producer Wyck Godfrey (“Twilight” films) and directed by Josh Boone (“Stuck In Love”).

                Written for the screen by the creative minds of Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (“500 Days of Summer,” Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”), “The Fault In Our Stars” features two of today’s most followed young actors – Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort as extraordinary teenagers who fatefully meet and takes their love on an unforgettable and exhilarating journey into infinity. 

                Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) is sixteen years old. She alternately loves and tolerates her sometimes over-doting parents.  Hazel has developed a crush on a young man, Gus Waters (Ansel Elgort), who seems equally smitten with her. As they grow closer, Hazel and Gus share their fears that accompany their health issues, as well as their love of books, including Hazel’s touchstone, An Imperial Affliction.  She has tried many times to get in touch with the book’s reclusive author Peter Van Houten (Willem Dafoe), to no avail.  When Gus manages to reach Van Houten through the author’s assistant, it results, astonishingly, in an invitation to meet the writer in Amsterdam. Gus is determined to take Hazel on a journey that will answer every question she has ever had about the book that has meant so much to her.   

            

    Even before the novel was published, Hollywood came calling.  But Green was reluctant to sell the movie rights.  “I felt the story was so personal and close to me I just couldn’t imagine it being turned into a movie.”

             

New Trailer and Banners for JUPITER ASCENDING

Warner Bros. Pictures has just unveiled a new trailer and two character banners for “Jupiter Ascending,” an original science fiction epic adventure from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski of “The Matrix” trilogy.

Watch the trailer here.



In the film, Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.

From the streets of Chicago to far flung galaxies whirling through space, “Jupiter Ascending” is written and directed by the Wachowskis. Award-winning producer Grant Hill, with whom they have collaborated since “The Matrix” Trilogy, is producing, together with Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski. Roberto Malerba and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers.

The international cast that also includes Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, Doona Bae, James D’Arcy and Tim Pigott-Smith.

Set for release across the Philippines on July 17, 2014, “Jupiter Ascending” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

“JUPITER ASCENDING” Unleases Teaser Trailer

Warner Bros.' “Jupiter Ascending,” an original science fiction epic adventure from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski, has just rolled out its latest trailer which may viewed here.



In the film, Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.

2014 Movie line-up of Walt Disney Studios Philippines

2014 Movie Guide from Walt Disney Studios Philippines.

2014 MOVIES FROM AXINITE DIGICINEMA

Axinite Digicinema is set to release a thrilling lineup of movies this 2014 starred in by the finest actors such as Anthony Hopkins, Liam Neeson, Adrien Brody, Pierce Brosnan, Ryan Kwanten along with pop culture’s most talented dog Pudsey and an animation movie based on mmorpg’s most popular videogame.
               

TV’s latest heartthrob Ryan Kwanten is a man who became famous for his flaws in the latest romantic comedy, “The Right Kind of Wrong.”  Kwanten plays Leo Palamino, a failed-writer-turned-dishwasher made famous for his many flaws and shortcomings in a blog called “Why You Suck,” a huge Internet success written by his ex-wife.  Then Leo meets Colette, the girl of his dreams… on the day she is marrying the perfect man.  And so, the ultimate underdog story begins as Leo, a fearless dreamer, risks all to show Colette and the whole wide world all that is right with a man famous for being wrong.
             

 
Liam Neeson stars in his latest thrilling role in the romantic thriller “Third Person.”  Directed and written by Paul Haggis, the movie is about three couples in different cities: Rome, Paris and New York.  This intelligent and intriguing film exposes the sensitive truth about human nature – Neeson plays a Pulitzer-prize winning novelist trying to work on his story about love.  His lover, played by Olivia Wilde meets up with him in his hotel in Paris while his wife played by Kim Basinger, patiently awaits his return back home in the U.S. from writing his story.   James Franco and Mila Kunis adds mystery to the mix as estranged couple fighting for the custody of their only child.  While Brody’s character is a shady American businessman who decides to help Moran Atias’ gypsy character rescue her daughter from the mob.

                 Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson star in “The Love Punch” directed by Joel Hopkins, a comedy centered on a divorced couple who undertakes a robbery to recover the retirement money that was stolen from them.  Brosnan plays Richard, a financial something-or-other facing bankruptcy a week before retirement. A corporation has come in and wiped his company's pension fund. They're joined in the chase by rogue-ish ex-serviceman Jerry (Timothy Spall) and his gently nutty wife Penelope (Celia Imrie), who says rude words and gets a bit randy.

                Pudsey, 2012’s winner of Britain’s Got Talent leaps to a new breed of adventure as he stars in his first film: “Pudsey: The Movie” directed by Horrid Henry. Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment is producing the movie that tells of a heartwarming tale of friendship and courage centering on a city dog moved to the countryside with his new loving family. Pudsey comes across a number of eccentric characters and has to save the day. David Walliams will provide the voice of Pudsey which also stars Jessica Hynes, John Sessions and Luke Tittensor.

                Video game developer Shanda Games, Eyedentity Games and Mili Pictures join forces to produce the widely popular MMORPG , Dragon Nest.  Adapted for the big screen, the movie “Dragon Nest: Rise of the Black Dragon” is directed by Yuefeng Song and tells  the journey of a young warrior to defeat the evil Black Dragon.  The movie is the first part of the “Dragon Nest” trilogy set 50 years ago (from real time in game) when a black dragon appeared in the once peaceful land of Altera.  Under the order of the King, the young Geraint, Argenta, Velskud and other legendary heroes assembled various forces to form the Dragon Slaying Alliance. This incident was widely referred as the First Dragon Invasion by the generations to come.

                “28 Days Later” meets “Die Hard” in the horror apocalyptic thriller “Tower of the Dead” helmed by filmmaker Ross Boyask.   In “Tower of the Dead,” a group of highly trained armed response team is tasked with breaching a fortified tower block and interrogate a notorious arms dealer in order to capture a dirty bomb terror suspect.

                “Kidnapping Freddy Heineken” trails the real story behind the abduction of one of the wealthiest man of his time.  Based on true accounts, the film’s star-studded cast is headed by Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins in the title role.  The movie also stars Jim Sturgess, Sam Worthington and Ryan Kwanten.  In this heist movie set in 1984, four childhood friends decided to pull off what would later be called “the crime of the century.”  The movie brings us inside within the planning, execution, rousing aftermath and ultimate downfall of the kidnappers of beer tycoon Alfred "Freddy" Heineken, which resulted in the largest ransom ever paid for an individual.

Disney's “PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE” New Posters

The teaser posters for Disney's 3D animated comedy-adventure “Planes: Fires & Rescue” have just been launched online. Both one-sheets carry the tagline, “When Others Fly Out, Heroes Fly In.”

The sequel to last year's box-office hit “Planes” (grossing more than $200 million worldwide), “Planes: Fire & Rescue” is a new comedy-adventure about second chances, featuring a dynamic crew of elite firefighting aircraft devoted to protecting historic Piston Peak National Park from raging wildfire.

When world famous air racer Dusty (voice of Dane Cook) learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he must shift gears and is launched into the world of aerial firefighting. Dusty joins forces with veteran fire and rescue helicopter Blade Ranger and his courageous team, including spirited super scooper Dipper (voice of Julie Bowen), heavy-lift helicopter Windlifter, ex-military transport Cabbie and a lively bunch of brave all-terrain vehicles known as The Smokejumpers. Together, the fearless team battles a massive wildfire and Dusty learns what it takes to become a true hero.

Opening across the Philippines on August 20, 2014, “Planes: Fire & Rescue” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Unlock the Mystery of “HEAVEN IS FOR REAL”

Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book of the same name, TriStar Pictures' new drama “Heaven Is For Real” brings to the screen the true story that has inspired millions across the globe – that of a little boy’s extraordinary, life-changing experience, and his father’s search for the courage and conviction to share his son’s discovery with the world.

Academy Award®-nominee and Emmy® Award-winner Greg Kinnear (“As Good As It Gets,” “Little Miss Sunshine”) stars as Todd Burpo, a small-town businessman, volunteer firefighter and pastor struggling to make ends meet in a tough year for his family. After his bright young son Colton (newcomer Connor Corum in his feature film debut) is rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, Todd and his wife Sonja (Kelly Reilly) are overjoyed by his miraculous survival.

But they are wholly unprepared for what happens next -- Colton starts to matter-of-factly recount what he says was an amazing journey to heaven and back. As Colton innocently tells his parents details of things he couldn't possibly know, Todd finds himself colliding against a wall of mystery and doubt, until he breaks through to rediscover hope, wonder and the strength of purpose.

“Heaven is For Real” is directed by Randall Wallace, the Oscar®-nominated writer of “Braveheart.” The screenplay is by Randall Wallace and Christopher Parker, based on the book by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent.

Faith Based Drama - “HEAVEN IS FOR REAL”

Inspired by the #1 New York Times best-selling book of the same title, Columbia Pictures' faith-based family drama “Heaven is for Real” has just revealed its teaser trailer online which may be viewed here.



“Heaven is for Real” brings to the screen the true story of a small-town father who must find the courage and conviction to share his son’s extraordinary, life-changing experience, with the world.

The film stars Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® award winning actor Greg Kinnear as Todd Burpo and co-stars Kelly Reilly as Sonja Burpo, the real-life couple whose son Colton (newcomer Connor Corum) claims to have visited Heaven during a near death experience.

Colton recounts the details of his amazing journey with childlike innocence and speaks matter-of-factly about things that happened before his birth ... things he couldn't possibly know. Todd and his family are then challenged to examine the meaning from this remarkable event.

Also starring Thomas Haden Church (“Spider-Man 3”), the film is directed by Randall Wallace, and screenplay by Wallace and Christopher Parker based on the book by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent.

(Opening across the Philippines on Black Saturday, April 19, “Heaven is for Real” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.)

Prime Primate Caesar: Dominion Over Humans in “DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES”

 20th Century Fox releases the latest photos on über-ape Caesar, whose intelligence had been artificially enhanced in the previous worldwide blockbuster “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and continues to be in dominion over humans in the upcoming post-apocalyptic movie “Dawn of The Planet of the Apes.”

                The primates in “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” led by Caesar (Andy Serkis) step up on nature’s chain when a virus wipes out most of humankind.  Also starring in the film are Gary Oldman with Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Kirk Acevedo, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Enrique Murciano who play survivors and are trying to prevent the apes from fully inheriting the Earth.

Timely Movie on AIDS “Dallas Buyers Club” Hits Philippine Screens

An imperfect man fights for survival during an uncertain time in America. Inspired by true events, Ron Woodroof's story of strength is told in DALLAS BUYERS CLUB.

Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey is  Ron Woodroof an electrician and rodeo cowboy. In 1985, he is well into an unexamined existence with a devil-may-care lifestyle. 

Suddenly, Ron is blindsided by being diagnosed as H.I.V.-positive and given 30 days to live. Yet he will not, and does not, accept a death sentence.

His crash course of research reveals a lack of approved treatments and medications in the U.S., so Ron crosses the border into Mexico. There, he learns about alternative treatments and begins smuggling them into the U.S., challenging the medical and scientific community including his concerned physician, Dr. Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner).

An outsider to the gay community, Ron finds an unlikely ally in fellow AIDS patient Rayon (Academy Award winner Jared Leto), a transsexual who shares Ron's lust for life. Rayon also shares Ron's entrepreneurial spirit: seeking to avoid government sanctions against selling non-approved medicines and supplements, they establish a buyers club, where H.I.V.-positive people pay monthly dues for access to the newly acquired supplies. Deep in the heart of Texas, Rons pioneering underground collective beats loud and strong. With a growing community of friends and clients, Ron fights for dignity, education, and acceptance. In the years following his diagnosis, the embattled Lone Star loner lives life to the fullest like never before.

‘Dallas Buyers Club’ is released and distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA.

Alien Abduction Poster Premiere

The spooky new one-sheet for Alien Abduction, a horror thriller from the producers of Hostel and Inglourious Basterds.

Aliens used to abduct us all the time in the 1980s and 1990s. These days, it seemed like they had lost all interest in humanity… until now. Captive Cinema  is proud to premiere the creepy new Alien Abduction poster, from a film produced by Mike Fleiss (Hostel) and Lawrence Bender (Inglourious Basterds), and directed by Marty Beckerman

More Cast Additions to Untitled Superman/Batman Film

Warner Bros. Pictures announced April 3 that Oscar®-winning actress Holly Hunter, Callan Mulvey of “300: Rise of an Empire,” and Tao Okamoto of “The Wolverine” have joined the cast of the upcoming Zack Snyder untitled Superman/Batman film. The announcement was made by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

All three actors will play characters newly created for the film.

Snyder stated, “Holly has always been one of my favorite actresses; she has immense talent and is always captivating on screen. I had an opportunity to meet her a while back and knew instantly that I had to work with her, so as we began writing the script I made sure to create a role specifically for her."

“I just had the good fortune to work with Callan on ‘300: Rise of an Empire’ and was very impressed with his incredible talent,” the director continued. “He’s a fantastic actor and I’m looking forward to having the chance to work with him again. And, quite simply, Tao is a striking presence whose beauty is aptly rivaled by her amazing abilities as an actress. I’m really excited to have her joining us on this adventure.”

“CAPTAIN AMERICA” Sequel Grosses P155.51-M in 5 Days, Opens at No.1 in PH

MANILA, March 31, 2014 – The patriotic superhero led the Philippine box office to victory as Marvel's “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” opened at No.1 with a nationwide, five-day opening weekend gross of a staggering P155.51-million.

This according to Victor R. Cabrera, Managing Director of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Philippines which distributed the film.

Propelled by through-the-roof, positive reviews from critics and excellent word-of-mouth, the record-breaking bow claimed the biggest opening weekend for the year for a foreign title (dethroning “300: Rise of an Empire”) as well as the biggest March opening ever in the industry.

The debut of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” also glaringly surpassed the openings of previous Marvel titles, specifically its predecessor, 2011's “Captain America: The First Avenger” (P90.8-M), 2010's “Iron Man 2” (P104.9-M) and 2011's “Thor” (P59.5-M).

Overseas, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” grossed a stellar $75.2 million from 32 territories (incuding UK, France, Germany, Italy, Korea and the Philippines), representing approximately 57% of the overseas market place. By comparison, the original “Captain America” grossed only $40 million from the same group of countries in 2011. The film opens in the U.S. and North America on April 4.

Back in the Philippines, “The Winter Soldier” rolled out in 453 screens, including 8 IMAX theaters. The SM Group claimed the three biggest opening receipts, led by SM North EDSA (P8.41-M), SM Mall of Asia (P8.33-M), SM Megamall (P7.62-M).

The top four to ten slots are occupied by Trinoma (P5.16-M), Glorietta 4 (P4.90-M), SM Cebu (P4.36-M), Alabang Town Center (P3.96-M), Greenbelt 3 (P3.87-M), Power Plant (P3.79-M) and Greenhills Promenade (P3.70-M).

Rounding out the top 11 to 20 rankings were SM Aura (P3.63-M), Newport (P3.39-M), SM Southmall (P2.83-M), Shang Cineplex (P2.72-M), Robinsons Magnolia (P2.543-M), Gateway (P2.541-M), Eastwood (P2.53-M), Ayala Cebu (P2.46-M), SM Fairview (P2.34-M) and SM Marikina (P2.15-M).
Marvel's “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” which continues the big screen adventures of Steve Rogers aka Captain America, picks up after the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, and finds Steve Rogers living quietly in Washington, D.C., and trying to adjust to the modern world.

But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue and mystery that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off assailants sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable new enemy—the Winter Soldier.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1941, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” returns Chris Evans as the iconic Super Hero character Steve Rogers/Captain America along with Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow, Emily VanCamp as Agent 13, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, with Academy Award® winner Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce, a senior leader within the S.H.I.E.L.D organization, and Samuel L. Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is now playing across the Philippines and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

In addition to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Guardians of the Galaxy" on August 1, 2014; "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on May 1, 2015; and "Ant-Man" on July 17, 2015.