“TARZAN” Swings Into Action as Filming Begins on New 3D Adventure

Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ new Tarzan 3D action adventure, starring Alexander Skarsgård (HBO’s “True Blood”) as the legendary character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

 

David Yates, who helmed the last four “Harry Potter” blockbusters, including “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 & 2,” is directing. Jerry Weintraub (“Behind the Candelabra,” the “Ocean’s” trilogy) is producing the film, together with David Barron (the “Harry Potter” films, upcoming “Cinderella”). Susan Ekins, Nikolas Korda, David Yates, Mike Richardson and Bruce Berman are serving as executive producers.

Dreamworks' TURBO Zooming In

Dreamworks is set to change the pace in racing when it finally releases “Turbo” in theaters worldwide on July 19 starring the voices of Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Snoop Dogg, Maya Rudolph, Ben Schwartz and Samuel L. Jackson.

In “Turbo,” a snail named Theo (voiced by Reynolds) dreams of being the greatest racer in the world making him an oddity in the slow and cautious community he belongs. An impossible dream of an ordinary snail comes true when luck struck him with an incredible speed one fateful day.

With his dream suddenly within reach, Theo aka Turbo embarks on a journey after being transported to a rundown strip mall where visitors bet on races featuring snails and meets a ragtag of street-smart snails headed by Whiplash (Samuel L. Jackson), Smoove Move (Snoop Dogg), Burn (Maya Rudolph) and Skidmark (Ben Schwartz).

Based on his own original concept, filmmaker David Soren mentioned in an interview with Susan Wloszczyna of USATODAY.Com that “Turbo” was hatched by combining the fascination of his son with race cars and an ongoing infestation of snails on their suburban lawn.“It came purely out of wanting to do an underdog story and combining elements in my life, taking one of the slowest creatures on earth and having him dream of mind-melting speed.”

"Ryan Reynolds' infectious enthusiasm and humor will bring life to the lead role of Turbo and set the tone for this amazing roster of all-star voice talent," said DreamWorks Animation Chief Creative Officer Bill Damaschke. "This high-octane journey will take audiences on the race of their lives and completely re-define the traditional notion of moving at a snail's pace!"

Alec Baldwin is Santa Claus in Rise of the Guardians

Award-winning actor Alec Baldwin (North) began his prolific career in television, appearing in series such as “Hotel” and “Knot’s Landing” before seguing to roles on Broadway and in film.

In 2004, Baldwin received an Academy Award for his role in “The Cooler.” In 2008, he lent his voice to the DreamWorks Animation feature “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.”

According to Billy Joyce’s books, North, better known as Santa Claus, is the de facto leader of the Guardians – but it is the Man in the Moon, “the wise watcher of the world,” Ramsey says, who chose him many centuries ago. “When the Man in the Moon decided a group of special people was needed to protect Earth’s children from Pitch, the first guy he found was Nicholas St. North,” says Joyce, who envisioned North as a sword-wielding Cossack in his early days, “the wildest young warrior and thief in all of Russia,” until his mission in life changed to become a protector of children.

For the film, everyone agreed that North, with his booming voice, blustering, uncompromising attitude and “naughty” and “nice” tattoos emblazed on his forearms, was a boisterous, larger-than-life character that needed to be played by a larger-than life actor. Who better than Oscar nominee Alec Baldwin?

Hugh Jackman plays the Easter Bunny in Rise of the Guardians

Hugh Jackman made his first major U.S. film appearance as Wolverine in the first installment of the “X-Men” franchise, a role he reprised in the enormously successful “X2” and “X-Men: The Last Stand” in 2006. Most recently in the franchise, he played Wolverine in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” which serves as a prequel to the popular series and grossed $85 million domestically in its first weekend of release in May 2009.

Audiences will see Jackman in the role again in the next “X-Men” chapter, “The Wolverine. Jackman recently wrapped production on the much-anticipated film adaptation of the musical “Les Miserables,” directed by Academy Award-winning director Tom Hooper, and co-starring Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe.

This Holiday season he lending his voice to a warrior rabbit E. Aster Bunnymund, aka The Easter Bunny in DreamWorks Animations ‘Rise of the Guardians’.

FRANKENWEENIE Main Poster Launched!

Take your first look at the pay-off poster of Walt Disney Pictures’ upcoming animated feature, “Frankenweenie” which has just been launched by the studio.

From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” was filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience.


With a screenplay by Burton and John August, the film's voice cast is lead by Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan and Atticus Shaffer.


Opening in the Philippines this October, “Frankenweenie” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

First Look: JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND

Warner Bros. jumpstarts the buzz for “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” as it launches the film’s poster and trailer online (http://youtu.be/nGuoGIF183w).

In this follow-up to the 2008 worldwide hit “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” the new 3D family adventure “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” begins when young Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson, reprising his role from the first film) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist.  It’s a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. 

            


  Unable to stop him from going, Sean’s new stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson), joins the quest.  Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

          “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” also stars Michael Caine as Sean’s grandfather, Alexander Anderson, and Kristin Davis as Sean’s mom, Liz Anderson.

             
Opening in theatres beginning January 2012, “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” is a New Line Cinema presentation, will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.