“THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG” REIGNS ACROSS PH WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), charged to the top of the box office in its opening weekend, earning P76.65-million on 321 screens in the Philippines, including seven IMAX theatres.

“Smaug” broke the opening weekend gross of last year's “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” which bowed with P55-million, and bested the openings of recent blockbusters in the same genre, notably “Avatar” (P57.6-M) and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest” (P51.6-M).
The announcement was made last December 16, 2013 by Francis Soliven, General Manager of Warner Bros. (F.E.), Inc., the film's local distributor.

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is the second film in Oscar®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson’s epic “The Hobbit” Trilogy, based on the timeless novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. The first film in the Trilogy, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” went on to gross P137.6-million in the Philippines and a billion dollars worldwide.

Opening day showings, were sold out weeks in advance and thousands of fans waited in line to be among the first to see the movie. The film was released in High Frame Rate 3D (HFR 3D) in select theaters, other 2D and 3D formats, and IMAX®.

Soliven stated, “Moviegoers in the Philippines have been waiting to rejoin the adventure with Bilbo and the Company of Dwarves, and Peter Jackson and his team have delivered another great adventure for fans and newcomers alike. On the heels of this fantastic opening, word-of-mouth and the continued positive critical response ensure great playability into the Holiday season.”

The top grossing cinemas are led by SM Mall of Asia (P4.46-M), followed by SM North EDSA (P3.57-M) and Trinoma (P3.56-M).

Also posting huge receipts are SM Megamall (P2.80-M), SM Cebu (P2.68-M), Greenbelt 3 (P2.63-M), Glorietta 4 (P2.57-M), Power Plant (P1.81-M), SM Aura (P1.80-M) and Gateway (P1.78-M).
Rounding up the Top 20 theaters are Newport (P1.65-M), Alabang Town Center (P1.60-M), Eastwood (P1.507-M), Theatremall (P1.503-M), Ayala Cebu (P1.42-M), SM Southmall (P1.341-M), Robinsons Galleria (P1.340-M), Shang Cineplex (P1.31-M), Robinsons Magnolia (P1.16-M) and (tie) Gaisano Davao (P1.08-M) & SM Clark (P1.08-M).

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. The international ensemble cast is led by Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. The film also stars Mikael Persbrandt, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Dean O’Gorman, Graham McTavish, Adam Brown, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ryan Gage, John Bell, Manu Bennett and Lawrence Makoare.

The screenplay for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced 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 Philippa Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Present a WingNut Films Production, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.” The film is a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG” LAUNCHES FIRST TRAILER

The first trailer for Peter Jackson's “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” has been released and can be watched here.



            The anticipated film stars Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Evangeline Lilly, John Bell, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Sylvester McCoy, Graham McTavish, Michael Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O'Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Ken Stott and Aidan Turner.

            The second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece "The Hobbit," by J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins (Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf (McKellen) and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Armitage) on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

            A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be released in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures on Dec. 12, 2013, to be followed by “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” on July 18, 2014.

Warner Bros. Picture 2013 Movies Line Up

From the most eagerly anticipated reboot of the Superman franchise, to new offerings from master directors Guillermo del Toro, Bryan Singer, Baz Luhrmann, Alfonso Cuaron, to the continuation of the blockbuster series “The Hobbit” and “The Hangover,” the 2013 line-up of Warner Bros. Pictures lives up to the studio's thrust: to entertain the world.

Check out Warner's formidable slate of films for the coming new year!

“Man of Steel” A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

“Pacific Rim” 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.

High Frame Rate 3D Version of "The Hobbit" in Select Cinemas!

Want to be fully immersed in Middle-earth?

Then watch “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” in its glorious High Frame Rate (HFR) 3D version in the following theaters: Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3, Greenhills, Robinsons Ermita, Robinsons Galleria, SM Cebu, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa and SM Southmall. 

For the first time, director Peter Jackson utilized state-of-the-art digital cameras to record the action in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” in 3D at an unprecedented 48 frames per second (fps) for release in High Frame Rate 3D (HFR 3D), as well as all the standard formats.

“We want ‘The Hobbit’ films to be a visual experience that goes several steps beyond ‘The Lord of the Rings,’” Jackson says. “3D didn’t really exist in mainstream cinema ten years ago at the level it does now, and we’ve shot the movie at 48 fps, which makes it the first feature film to be shot using today’s High Frame Rate technology.”


Jackson once again drew together members of the cast of “The Lord of the Rings,” including Ian McKellen as the Wizard Gandalf the Grey, Cate Blanchett as Elf Queen Galadriel, Hugo Weaving as Elf Lord Elrond, and Andy Serkis once again playing Gollum. Framing the story are Elijah Wood reprising the role of Frodo Baggins, and Ian Holm as Old Bilbo Baggins, who recalls his great adventure prior to leaving Bag End. Leading the international ensemble cast are Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit at the center of the tale, and Richard Armitage as the Dwarf warrior Thorin Oakenshield.

Together, this team of filmmakers and artists embarked on a new adventure—once again shooting three movies back-to-back to create a new motion picture trilogy, one that begins with a Hobbit living in a hole in the ground, on the brink of an incredible, and quite unexpected, journey.

A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be released in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures on Dec. 13, 2012.

The second film, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be released on Dec. 13, 2013, to be followed by “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” on July 18, 2014.

Meet the Characters of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY’S

Get to know the characters in director Peter Jackson’s eagerly anticipated “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the first of a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

GANDALF, THE GREY (Ian Mckellen). One of the most powerful Wizards in all Middle-earth, Gandalf the Grey joins the quest to reclaim the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor and the great treasure that lies within its stone halls from a fire-breathing dragon, Smaug the Terrible. Along the way, Gandalf finds evidence that an ancient evil may have found its way back into the world. In order to uncover the truth, Gandalf must leave his companions to fend for themselves – a journey that will take him into darkest corners of Middle-earth where his worst suspicions are confirmed.

BILBO BAGGINS (Martin Freeman). Like all Hobbits, Bilbo Baggins is fond of his comfortable existence; all he needs to be happy is a full pantry and a good book. When the Wizard Gandalf and 13 Dwarves unexpectedly appear on Bilbo’s doorstep and invite him to join them on a dangerous adventure, Bilbo’s life changes forever. Initially skeptical of the invitation, Bilbo’s spirit of adventure leads him to join the Company of Thorin Oakenshield and become the “burglar” required to complete their quest to outwit a ferocious dragon and reclaim the Dwarves’ stolen treasure. To everyone’s surprise, including his own, Bilbo’s wit and courage prove that there is indeed more to this Hobbit than meets the eye.