KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE International Trailer 2

 From Matthew Vaughn, director of “X-Men: First Class” comes a new set of spy heroes to save the world in “Kingsman: The Secret Service.”  Starring Colin Firth, Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson and Taron Egerton, this latest espionage movie is based on the comic book “The Secret Service” by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar. 

In the latest trailer of the movie, Colin Firth plays suave veteran Kingsman spy Harry Hart as he introduces Eggsy (Egerton) into the world of secret service.  In one scene where Eggsy’s street enemies interrupt them in a bar, Harry teaches the juveniles that “Manners Maketh A Man” and walks away from the fracas completely unruffled, surprised Eggsy – thinking that Harry is just an old friend of his dad. It will just be a matter of time until Eggsy, an unruly yet promising young teen, will become fully immersed in the Secret Service as he is recruited for a training program to make him an ultimate spy.

Check out the latest “Kingsman: The Secret Service” international trailer here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf696TpZG2Q&index=1&list=PLcZs6n5iZPx-olg6PhKzfFdJpyO4wvyaL

 

                “Kingsman: The Secret Service” will open February 11, 2015 in cinemas from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

“DRACULA UNTOLD” Flies to PH IMAX Theaters Oct 15

IMAX Corporation and Universal Pictures, a division of Comcast Corp. and Legendary Pictures recently announced that “Dracula Untold,” the origin story of the man who became Dracula, starring Luke Evans (“Fast & Furious 6,” “The Hobbit” series), will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and released into IMAX® theatres internationally, including The Philippines, beginning Oct. 15, 2014.

Gary Shore directs and Michael De Luca produces this epic action-adventure that co-stars Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper, Diarmaid Murtagh and Samantha Barks.

"Dracula is perhaps the most iconic horror story ever told, and this new twist on this classic tale is sure to appeal to IMAX audiences around the world," said Greg Foster, CEO of IMAX Entertainment and Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. "We're excited to have the opportunity to once again partner with the terrific team at Universal and our long time collaborators at Legendary as we present this exciting film in IMAX."

“THE EQUALIZER” To Be Shown in PH IMAX Theaters Starting Oct 1

IMAX Corporation and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that “The Equalizer,” the highly anticipated reteaming of Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington and acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and released in IMAX® theatres worldwide, including the Philippines.

Fuqua directed Washington in the critically lauded 2001 box office hit “Training Day,” for which Washington won the Academy Award® for Best Actor.

In “The Equalizer,” Denzel Washington plays McCall, a man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can't stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.

Based on the television series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim, “The Equalizer” also stars Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, with Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo. Film is written by Richard Wenk.

"Antoine Fuqua is one of the most provocative filmmakers working today, and Denzel Washington is nothing short of being one of the greatest American movie stars," said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. "We're excited to be working with our long time partners at Sony Pictures Entertainment to bring this exciting film to IMAX moviegoers worldwide."

Rory Bruer, President, Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures, said, "The Equalizer is a visceral action-thriller, and Denzel's character – a man driven by a relentless pursuit of justice – is one that is compelling for everyone. It's the kind of picture that is perfectly suited for The IMAX Experience®."

The IMAX release of The Equalizer will offer consumers the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with its proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

Opening across the Philippines in October 01, 2014, “The Equalizer” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Fifth "Mission: Impossible" Film Starts Production

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions announced last August 25, 2014 that principal photography has commenced on the fifth installment in the blockbuster “Mission: Impossible” franchise. The new film will shoot in Vienna, Morocco and London.

Christopher McQuarrie will direct from a screenplay by Drew Pearce and Christopher McQuarrie and Will Staples. The film is produced by Tom Cruise through Tom Cruise Productions and J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk through Bad Robot. Skydance Productions’ David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger will serve as executive producers.

The film stars Tom Cruise reprising the iconic role of Ethan Hunt, who was first introduced to moviegoers in 1996. Returning to the franchise will be Simon Pegg as Benji, Jeremy Renner as Brandt and Ving Rhames as Luther. Joining the cast will be Alec Baldwin and Rebecca Ferguson.

The 4th installment in the globally successful franchise, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” earned nearly $700 million worldwide and became Cruise’s highest grossing film to date in his storied career.

The “Mission: Impossible” franchise has earned more than $2 billion at the box office, making it one of the most successful franchises in movie history.

The fifth "Mission: Impossible" film will be distributed in the Philippines by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Odds Stacked Against You? Call “THE EQUALIZER”

From Antoine Fuqua, director of “Training Day” and “Olympus Has Fallen” comes Columbia Pictures' new action thriller “The Equalizer” starring Denzel Washington.

In the film, Washington plays McCall, a man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him to lead a quiet life in peace. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.

Based on the television series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim, “The Equalizer” also stars Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, with Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo. Film is written by Richard Wenk.

For director Antoine Fuqua – who re-teams with Denzel Washington after directing the actor to his Oscar®-winning performance in “Training Day” – McCall shares some of the archetypical heroic traits that have been passed down. “I saw this movie as a throwback, like the westerns that Sergio Leone made,” he explains. “There’s an antihero, in a struggle, reluctant and ashamed to pick up his gun... but when he gets a chance to help other people, he does. He uses his skills for that.”

The film takes its title from the 1980s television series and shares its central premise – a man, highly trained, who can “equalize” the odds when they are stacked against the helpless. Though the filmmakers took only the premise and title from the original show, Blumenthal says that the premise is one that has only become more relevant. “The word ‘equalizer’ is a very strong, powerful word,” he notes. “A lot of people believe that there’s a lot of imbalance in the world, so the idea of creating a balance – equalizing something – is very meaningful. If anything, I think that title means more now, in 2014, than it did in the 1980s. People can get behind this kind of hero: a man who does heroic acts for the people who need them the most.”

In seeking out a director, Washington was excited to be re-teaming with Fuqua. After their experience together on “Training Day,” Fuqua says, it was clear that “The Equalizer” lent itself to a good match of actor and director. “Part of what I discovered in `Training Day' is that I can read something on the page that sounds like an action piece, and I know that Denzel will see the acting in that – he can take an action beat and create great drama, as if it’s a dialogue scene,” says Fuqua. “He’s unpredictable, in the best way possible – he’s in his world, and you’re a fly on the wall, to capture it, if you can be smart enough to know when to continue in the scene.”

Similarly, Washington felt great confidence in his director. “He’s very talented,” says the actor. “We sent him the material and he responded – we sat down and he had tons of ideas – and it was a done deal.” Later, on set, that confidence paid off. “Antoine had the vision for the film – he was doing close work with specialized cameras, all of that stuff. But I never worried about any of that. The camera is Antoine’s area of expertise – I don’t have to worry about that. I just worry about the acting,” he smiles.

“We had a rhythm and an understanding,” concludes Fuqua. “There were times when we didn’t need to talk; we both knew where each other was going.”

Opening across the Philippines on October 01, 2014, “The Equalizer” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

“TERMINATOR” Reboot Officially Titled “TERMINATOR GENISYS”

Production has officially wrapped on the upcoming "Terminator" reboot and star Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed the title for the film in a post on his Facebook - “Terminator Genisys.” Schwarzenegger revealed the title along with an image of him on the set which you can check out below.

"Hasta la vista, baby. I want to thank the cast and crew of Terminator Genisys for a fantastic shoot," he wrote. "It was challenging, it was fun, and it was rewarding. From our director to the producers, from the camera team to catering, from visual effects to hair and makeup - we couldn't have done it without you. I can't wait to see our finished project and I know we'll remind the fans why they fell in love with the Terminator. On July 1, 2015, I'll be back."

Co-starring Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons, Dayo Okeniyi, Byung Hun Lee and Matt Smith, “Terminator Genisys” is directed by “Thor: The Dark World's” Alan Taylor from a screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier. David Ellison and Dana Goldberg of Skydance Productions are producing. Skydance's Paul Schwake, Annapurna Pictures' Megan Ellison, Kalogridis and Lussier are executive producing.

Opening across the Philippines on July 2015, “Terminator Genisys” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

From Pages to Movies: “THE MAZE RUNNER” AND “KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE”

20^th Century Fox adapts two of the world’s best-selling thrilling young adult fictions, “The Maze Runner” and “Kingsman: The Secret Service” into the big screen. 

                Based on James Dashner’s futuristic thrilling adventure of the same title, “The Maze Runner” by filmmaker Wes Ball , primarily known for his successful venture as the owner of Oddball Animation tells a story about life in a post apocalyptic world unlike no other. 

“The Maze Runner” sees a group of young boys living together and surviving on their own in a place they call the Glade, not knowing who put them there and why they are there, they soon find out the chilling mystery of their entrapment when Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) is sent to the Glade.  Thomas along with the other boys and the only girl named Teresa dare to defy status quo and risk their lives to get out and run through the series of dangerous maze where predators wait to feast on human flesh.  The movie also stars Will Poulter, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Aml Ameen, and Blake Cooper.

                Matthew Vaughn, director of worldwide box-office hit “X-Men: First Class” and “Kick Ass” recruits a whole new ensemble of another first class in the “Kingsman: The Secret Service” starring Colin Firth, Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson and Mark Strong with a squad of young new trainees for non-stop action deployment headed by Taron Egerton, with Sofia Boutella,  Sophie Cookson and Tom Prior.  

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” is based upon the acclaimed comic book from Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons that  tells a story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined, but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

                From 20^th Century Fox, join the thrilling escape when “The Maze Runner” opens September 17 and meet the young new knights ready for action in “Kingsman: The Secret Service” when it opens October 22 in cinemas nationwide.

Rain Ready in “THE PRINCE”

Korean pop star Rain is back in fighting form after serving in the army for his country. Back to work and in full action mode, Rain stars alongside Hollywood’s Bruce Willis and Jason Patric in “The Prince” where he plays loyal henchman to Willis’ character who is about to settle scores with Patric playing the title role.

“The Prince” pits two long time enemies – a retired assassin Paul Brennan (Patric) and Omar (Willis), the city’s most powerful man who faceoff once again after twenty years.  Paul Brennan (Patric), a retired New Orleans crime boss, has lived a quiet life off the grid, running an auto repair garage in remote Mississippi when his teenage daughter goes missing, Paul is forced to return to the city and face his former enemies. 

The plot follows the re-awaking of a feud between a retired assassin and the man whose wife he killed years earlier. This man, played by Bruce Willis, exacts revenge by kidnapping the former hit man's daughter. Now the two are chasing each other through the streets of Mobile, although the trailer indicates it's set in Mississippi.  Standing dangerously between the two is Mark (Rain), loyal henchman to Omar. Omar instructs his henchmen to bring Paul to him, but Mark (Rain), measures his words carefully before counseling, Let him do whatever it is he came here for and crawl back to whatever rock he’s been hiding under. “Mark is cool headed and charismatic,” says South Korean actor and singer Rain, who plays Omar’s quick-on-the-draw, right hand man.

For Rain,  whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon, “The Prince” is his first action film as he comes back to making movies after his military service.  Rain, known as a superstar musician in Asia, crossed over into acting with his debut in the hit South Korean television series “Sang-Doo” (Let’s Go to School). He solidified his position as an actor with his lead role in the Korean mini-series “Full House,” and became recognized throughout Asia as not only as a singer, but an actor as well. The drama was aired throughout most of Asia, including Japan and China, with an average program rating of over 50 percent. This was the start of Rain Fever that seemed to cross borders throughout the east and Southeast Asia.

During his latest Korean television mini-series, “A Love To Kill,” Rain’s headstrong approach to trials and challenges made him more versatile as an actor. One of the most acclaimed filmmakers in Korea, Chan Wook Park, known internationally for his VENGEANCE Triology (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance), chose Rain to star in “I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Ok.” It was a great honor and opportunity for Rain to finally break into films, and he was featured alongside stars Ji-Hoon Jung and Soo Jeong Im. The film won the Alfred Bauer Award for Particular Innovation in Filmmaking, one of the eight main awards at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival, and Rain received the Best New Actor Award for his role in the film at the 43rd Baek Sang Arts Award in Korea in 2007.

For his Hollywood debut, Rain was cast as a rookie racer in the Andy and Lana Wachowski’s action adventure film “Speed Racer,” based on the classic series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida. This movie boasted the kind of revolutionary visual effects and cutting-edge storytelling that have become the benchmarks of the Wachowskis’ films, and gave Rain his first chance to leave his mark in the American entertainment industry. Impressed by Jung’s work ethic and his huge talent, the Wachowskis’ chose Rain for the lead in their next movie, “Ninja Assassin.” In the 2009 release, Rain plays Raizo, one of the deadliest assassins in the world. 

“The Prince” will open in theatres nationwide on September 10 from Axinite Digicinema.

Morgan Freeman, an Expert on Human Brain in "LUCY"

Universal Pictures' new mind-bending action thriller “Lucy” examines the possibility of what one human could truly do if she unlocked 100 percent of her brain capacity and accessed the furthest reaches of her mind.

As her abilities keep evolving, Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) reaches out to Professor Samuel Norman, an expert on the human brain, to try to understand what is happening to her. Soon after she is supercharged, she finds herself able to do anything from learning Chinese in an hour to beginning to control space and time.

The production was fortunate enough to have Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman join the team as the world-renowned neurologist whose lifelong focus is how we access the information stored in our brain.

As Freeman is quite a science buff, and particularly enthusiastic about the mind’s capacity, the actor was a natural choice. Writer-director Luc Besson notes: “Morgan Freeman is the ultimate professor, for two reasons. First of all, he’s fascinated by the theory we develop in the movie because he’s very familiar with it, which I didn’t know before we met for the film. It was a pleasure for him just to talk about it. And secondly, he’s such a good actor that you believe everything he says.”

Producer Virginie Besson-Silla was also thrilled to see Freeman come aboard. “Morgan is one of the only people who could play God,” she enthuses. “So, to play the character of wisdom in the film, it was pretty obvious that he was the perfect actor.”

Freeman was equally excited to join the cast, admitting that he holds his character in high esteem. “Professor Norman has written about the brain for years,” he says. “He gives lectures all over the world and has been at the Sorbonne, in Paris, for a number of years. Because he’s preeminent in the field, he is tracked down by Lucy, who’s trying to figure out what’s going on with her brain.”

The veteran actor offers that Professor Norman is flattered to be contacted by Lucy: “When she calls him up and says, ‘I’ve read everything you wrote,’ he replies, ‘You can’t have.’ And when she starts quoting what he wrote, he says, ‘We’ve got to meet.”

Opening across the Philippines on August 06, “Lucy” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

DWAYNE JOHNSON Feels He's Born to Play “HERCULES”

Action superstar Dwayne Johnson experienced a massive jolt on the set of Paramount Pictures' epic adventure “Hercules” during a scene when his Greek hero was chained to stone pillars.

  

"It's when Hercules breaks through the chains and becomes the demi-god he was born to be," says Johnson. "I was actually yelling with all the power I could muster, 'I am Hercules!' I gave it my all and made myself pass out every time we did it. But I honestly felt in that moment that I was born to play this role."

From the looks of it, he might be right.

Even as a child, Johnson, 41, idolized the Herculean legend — "He was the first superhero." But with his 6-foot-5 frame and his famously heroic stature, Johnson is one of the few actors who could legitimately portray his hero onscreen. The effort has taken a decade, and came into focus when director Brett Ratner came onboard four years ago. Johnson took eight months to sculpt his body to demi-god status and maintained it during the taxing shoot in Hungary.

"It's incredible, he's up every morning at 3:45 right on the treadmill, then it was right to the gym for hours," says producer Beau Flynn. "And then it was to the makeup chair, then shooting all day in the heat. And repeat that for 90 days."

Johnson's first transformation into his character took 41/2 hours after being adorned with a wig, beard, makeup and wardrobe. "It looked incredible, we had succeeded," says Johnson. "But it was like, how the hell can we cut the time down?"

Eventually they whittled the daily process to 3 1/2 hours, though the lush yak-beard ("Yes, real yak hair," says Johnson) alone took 2 1/2 hours of application.

"The No. 1 goal is to make the definitive version of Hercules," says Johnson. "We know we're going to be under a microscope." But he's confident moviegoers will accept his "passion-driven" project based on the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars.

The story finds Hercules after he has endured his famous 12 Labors (which included slaying a nine-headed hydra and the fearsome Nemean lion), punishment bestowed on him after killing his family in a fit of insanity.

Hercules is still in a dark place mentally, with scars from his many battles. But now he is traveling with a group of mercenaries and cashing in on his famous name until he's hired to train an army for an epic battle.

The setting allowed Johnson, wearing Hercules' Nemean lion headpiece and wielding a massive oak club (with the lion's claws), to lead war scenes featuring more than 1,000 soldiers.

"Green screen and effects can be fantastic. But when you have real men, real sweat and even real blood, it's very gratifying," says Johnson. "You feel the substance."

After he was done with some serious clubbing, Johnson would recover in modern Hercules style.

"I had the club of Hercules and the Nemean lion's head in my room," says Johnson. "I'd come home to that and catch something on the BBC with a glass of tequila."

From Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, "Hercules" stars Dwayne Johnson as both man and myth, leading a band of mercenaries to help end a bloody civil war in the land of Thrace and return the rightful king to his throne. A tormented soul from birth, Hercules has the strength of a God but feels the suffering of a human. Unimaginable villains will test the mythical power of Hercules in director Brett Ratner's gritty take on one of the most epic action heroes of the ages.

“Hercules” also stars Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan, Aksel Hennie, Ingrid Berdal, Reece Ritchie, Tobias Santelmann, Rebecca Ferguson, Isaac Andrews and John Hurt.

The film is produced by Beau Flynn, Barry Levine and Brett Ratner. Based on Radical Comics' "Hercules" by Steve Moore, with a screenplay by Ryan J. Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulos. Directed by Brett Ratner.

Opening across the Philippines on July 23 in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D cinemas, “Hercules” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.