Ultimate Killing Machine “JOHN WICK” Back for Vengeance

Known as the legendary killing machine in a hyper-real, super-secret criminal community, “John Wick” (played by Keanu Reeves), walks its dark halls once again after retiring from the ruthless world he used to live to avenge the death of his wife.  After the sudden death of his beloved wife, John Wick (Reeves) receives one last gift from her, a beagle puppy named Daisy, and a note imploring him not to forget how to love. But John’s mourning is interrupted when his 1969 Boss Mustang catches the eye of sadistic thug Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen). When John refuses to sell the car, Iosef and his henchmen break into his house and steal it, beating John unconscious and leaving Daisy dead. Unwittingly, they have just reawakened one of the most brutal assassins the underworld has ever seen.

                “The character is extremely hard-edged,” says director Stahelski. “Rather than presenting him as a stereotypical badass assassin on a rampage, we wanted to emphasize that he’s a man who has suffered loss after loss. Keanu brings an emotional side to every role he plays. He’s never hard as nails. As John, he goes through a full range of emotions: depression, anger, sorrow and hope and, ultimately, when he goes into rampage mode, he still communicates his humanity.”

“THE BOOK OF LIFE” FLIPS THROUGH THE PAGES OF FRIENDSHIP, TRUE LOVE AND STRONG FAMILY VALUES

Reel FX Animation and 20^th Century Fox open the pages of “The Book of Life” and present a grand mythology set in visually spectacular worlds never seen before. The film brings together director Jorge R. Gutierrez’s unique visual style and a crowd-pleasing mix of adventure, action, comedy, romance and music with a voice cast as lively as their animated characters – Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Christina Applegate, Diego Luna,  Ice Cube, Ron Perlman and Hector Elizondo. 

“The Book of Life,” a vibrant animated fantasy-adventure, tells the legend of Manolo (Luna), a conflicted hero and dreamer who sets off on an epic quest through magical, mythical and wondrous worlds in order to reunite with his one true love Maria (Saldana) and defend his village.   But Manolo and his equally courageous best friend Joaquin (Tatum)are not your typical Prince Charmings; the object of their affections is far from being your average princess; and “The Book of Life” is a fairy tale that doesn’t go by the book.

Its journey to the big screen began with, appropriately enough, a friendship.  Producer Brad Booker, a Reel FX development executive, had known Gutierrez (known for the multiple Emmy and Annie winning series “El Tigre, The Adventures of Manny Rivera” for Nickelodeon which he created with his wife) for over a decade, and after hearing of the project, Booker believed Reel FX would be a great home for it.  The independent animation studio knew that the film needed the perfect creative partner to help guide its path and development.  Gutierrez’s first choice: legendary director, producer and author Guillermo del Toro, who like Gutierrez hails from Mexico.  Gutierrez felt del Toro’s authentic perspective and unique aesthetic sensibility were a perfect match for the film. 

 Del Toro was equally impressed by Gutierrez’s passion for what would become “The Book of Life.”  “Jorge is his movie,” he says, “and the movie is an imprint of his personality.  Jorge’s ideas for “The Book of Life” started with his connection to his homeland of Mexico, and presenting an exciting, never-before-experienced depiction of that country, its people and its traditions – all in a way that would be accessible to audiences around the world.” 

Adds producer Brad Booker:  “Guillermo brings an authenticity and passion for this world and story.  He’s a visionary filmmaker and has been tremendously supportive of Jorge’s ideas.”  “The Book of Life” brings together Gutierrez’s perspective of his native country with a story to which everyone can relate.  He explains:  “This is a very personal movie. The inspiration comes from my family history and childhood experiences.”

Still, Gutierrez admits he embellished some elements.  “My grandfather Luis used to tell me, ‘Jorgito, don’t ever let the truth get in the way of a good story!’  And that was the moment I fell in love with storytelling.”  Gutierrez’s passion for the story, characters and their world points to the film’s broad appeal.  “If you’re telling a story and want it be universal, then you have to be specific,” del Toro explains.  “If the filmmaker loves the story and characters, then audiences will love it.  And if a filmmaker feels it’s powerful, more people will love the story he or she is telling because it’s powerful.  And that’s exactly what Jorge has done with “The Book of Life.” 

“The Book of Life” opens October 16 in cinemas (2D and 3D) nationwide from 20^th Century Fox thru Warner Bros.

STEVEN SEAGAL Back in Action in “ A GOOD MAN”

Known worldwide for his adept skills in fighting under cool demeanor, Steven Segal, whose action blockbuster movies such as “Above The Law” and “Under Siege” solidified his status as action icon is back in the upcoming movie “A Good Man.”

                Steven Seagal plays Alexander Coates in “A Good Man,” a special forces operator who becomes haunted by his past when a little girl dies in his arms on a mission in Dagestan. Looking for redemption, Alexander goes off grid.

Two years later (somewhere in Eastern Europe) Alexander meets Sasha Ivanov working as an enforcer for a Russian mobster named Vladimir – forced to pay off a debt from his father and passed down to his family. When low level gangsters start turning up dead and money begins to disappear, Sasha suspects that he is being set up to take the fall. And when his sisters Mya and Lena are kidnapped by Vladimir, Sasha turns to  the only man who can help – Alexander Coates. 

 Sasha and Alexander take on Vladimir’s men as well as the mysterious Mr. Chen to rescue Sasha’s sisters. Alexander is fighting to do what is right while Sasha is fighting for the most important thing in his life – his family. Action and mayhem ensue as the body count rises with Alexander returning to what he does

best – killing in the name of what’s right.

                “A Good Man” opens August 20 in cinemas nationwide from Crystalsky Multimedia.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON Frees her Mind in LUCY

Portraying strong, unique female characters on the big screen is always a welcome challenge for Scarlett Johansson. So when casting his latest action-thriller “Lucy,” and writer-director Luc Besson needed to find an actress who could be believable as extremely vulnerable, as well as superpowered, when her exposure to an illicit substance inadvertently makes her acquire incredible skills, Johansson quickly came to mind.

Producer Virginie Besson-Silla describes the unlikely heroine of this story: “Lucy is an average girl who’s having fun with her friends in Asia, and there’s a lot of partying going on. She’s discovering life, but she’s going to discover it the hard way…and go much further than she would ever expect.”

For the role, Besson and his producer reached out to Scarlett Johansson, who has starred in intimate films such as “Lost in Translation” and “Her,” as well as action blockbusters including “Iron Man 2,” “The Avengers” and, most recently, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

“RUROUNI KENSHIN” Stars, Director To Be in Manila for Sequel's Asian Premiere

Japanese director Keishi Otomo and actors Takeru Satoh, Emi Takei and Munetaka Aoki are flying to Manila to grace the Asian Premiere of “Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno,” this was jointly announced last July 25, 2014 by William Ireton, President & Representative Director of Warner Entertainment Japan Inc., and Francis Soliven, General Manager of Warner Bros. Philippines.

The invitational red carpet premiere is scheduled on Wednesday night, August 6 at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong. The Japanese talents are also expected to interact with the media and fans in a public press conference Thursday, August 7 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati.

 In making the announcement, Ireton stated, “We are thrilled to bring director Keishi Otomo and castmembers Takeru Satoh, Emi Takei and Munetaka Aoki to Manila so they can personally thank and engage with the loyal fans of `Rurouni Kenshin.' The Philippines is a very important market for the franchise as proven by the outstanding box-office success in Manila of the first `Rurouni Kenshin' film in 2013.”

For his part, Soliven said, “Moviegoers in the Philippines have helped create a wave of anticipation and excitement for the `Rurouni Kenshin' sequels and the upcoming talent visit is a much welcome recognition of the fans' ardent support.”

“Kyoto Inferno” which bows across the Philippines on August 20 is the first of two sequels to the 2013 blockbuster “Rurouni Kenshin.” The second, titled “The Legend Ends” opens on September 24.

Based on the Kyoto arc of the popular manga series written & illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the “Rurouni Kenshin” sequels follow the story of Kenshin Himura (Satoh), a legendary swordsman in the wars accompanying the turbulent fall of Japan's Shogunate in the 19th century. Once feared as 'Battosai the Killer', he has adopted a peaceful life since the arrival of the 'new age'.

But Makoto Shishio (Tatsuya Fujiwara), the 'Shadow Killer' and successor to Kenshin's position as the deadly assassin, has since then been scheming in the Kyoto underworld, raising an army of disaffected former samurais with the aim of overthrowing the new regime.

Agreeing to a request by the new government to defeat Shishio, Kenshin leaves his beloved ones in Tokyo and sets out for Kyoto. He and Shishio are a match in skill and in wits, but their aims are opposite. Can Kenshin preserve the nation without breaking his vow that he will kill no more...?

The films also star Emi Takei (Kaoru Kamiya), Munetaka Aoki (Sanosuke Sagara), Kaito Oyagi (Yahiko Myojin), Yu Aoi (Megumi Takani), Yosuke Eguchi (Hajime Saito), Min Tanaka (Nenji Kashiwazaki), Tao Tsuchiya (Misao Makimachi), Ryunosuke Kamiki (Soujiro Seta), Maryjun Takahashi (Yumi Komagata) and Tatsuya Fujiwara (Makoto Shishio).

The first sequel, “Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno” will open across the Philippines on Aug. 20, 2014, to be followed by “Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends” on Sept. 24, 2014. Both films are distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

What "LUCY" Cast Says About Director LUC BESSON

A Luc Besson production looks like no other. That definitely has to do with the fact that the writer/director is deeply involved in every aspect of the shoot. And his latest action-thriller “Lucy” starring Scarlett Johansson, is no exception.

It's worth noting that Besson worked in every department of a film production before he became a full-fledged director. It wasn’t surprising therefore for fellow cast and crew to see Besson add fake blood on some extras or to touch up Johansson’s makeup, while he was at the camera.

Besson says that he has such a clear vision of the picture he is trying to achieve that he likes to have the camera with him most of the time: “I’m either at the camera, or I have the camera on my shoulder. I like to be very close to the actors. I’ve realized that, when you say, ‘Action,’ it’s like sticking a syringe in the actor’s arm. It’s an anesthetic. Between the moment, you say, ‘Action’ and ‘Cut,’ he’s on an anesthetic. He’s someone else. So I don’t want to break that. Sometimes in the middle of a line, I might say, ‘Okay, breathe. Do it again. Say it again. Go back to the beginning.’ I don’t cut because I want to get the most I can from the state the actor is in. They appreciate that because what’s difficult for them is to build up that pressure for ‘Action!’”

The cast members find the director’s approach both rewarding and demanding. Johansson was particularly taken with Besson’s directing style: “Luc has a very specific vision of how he wants each scene to look. That can be tough, but I appreciate that in a director. I appreciate the attention to detail and that unwillingness to settle for anything less. It can be exhausting, but in the end, I never left the set feeling, ‘I don’t know if we really got that.’ He’s emphatic about the fact that he settles for nothing less than perfect. And that’s great!”

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.

Fleeing from the Inescapable in “THE MAZE RUNNER”

Filmmaker Wes Ball, acclaimed for his kinetic powerful 8-minute short “Ruin” that had internet audiences blown away brings his dynamic filmmaking flair in the upcoming young adult movie “The Maze Runner.”

                Based on the bestselling book by James Dashner, “The Maze Runner” stars Dylan O’Brien along with a talented young cast – Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie Sangster,  Will Pouter, Ki Hong Lee, Aml Ameen, Alex Flores, Chris Sheffield, Dexter Darden, Jacob Latimore and Blake Cooper who are all trapped in a enclosed space known as The Glade.

“The Maze Runner” is the first book in the bestselling trilogy set in a post-apocalyptic world where a community of young men discover they’re all trapped in a maze.  When Thomas (O’Brien) surfaces from the bottom of The Glade, things have never been the same, especially when the last one and the only girl in the group followed after Thomas.   They all must work together not only to escape the maze, but solve its riddle and reveal the chilling secret of their entrapment. 

 

                In the movie, the boys are surrounded by massive walls – industrial yet ancient in design, these chilling walls seem out of place in the wild forest where the boys are thriving each day.   Thomas, along with Minho (Ki Hong Lee) tries to go through the massive maze walls to try to get through an opening that will lead them out of the Glade.  But the boys who were there first warned them that nobody has ever made it out alive from the maze.  There’s something that preys on the ones that stay out too long in the maze. 

                Director Ball cast a talented group of young boys who are all trapped, most of whom are content in the confines and safety of the glade until Thomas came questioning everything.

  

                Gally, played by Will Pouter whose film credits include “Son of Rainbow,” “We’re The Millers” and “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is at odds with Thomas’ charging into the unknown.  His character, Gally is all about keeping things safe and normal so as to keep them alive.  

                Aml Ameen, known for his roles in “Red Tails” and TV’s “Harry’s Law” is the father figure of the group.  The very first glader, he was the first one who taught himself everything there is to know to survive the glade.

                Arriving second in the glade, Newt, played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster (“Game of Thrones,” “Nowhere Boy,” and Ferb’s voice in “Phineas & Ferb) is basically Alby’s right hand.  Newt takes up the reins whenever Alby is not around.

                Chuck – played by Blake Cooper (“Parental Guidance”) “He’s this absolutely adorable kid. Sort of a little brother character,” Ball says. Chuck is younger and smaller than most of the other boys. He tries hard, and nobody expects much out of him, though he gets his hero moments.”

Running through the dangerous maze with Thomas is Minho, played by Ki Hong Lee (TV’s “The Nine Lives of Chloe King”) who doesn’t say much  but  runs fast, making him a very valuable part of the team for solving the riddle of the maze. “He’s the fastest, most bad-ass guy who goes out into the maze every day. He’s kind of a mysterious guy, but will eventually open up, too,” says Ball of Lee’s character.

The only rose among the thorns, Teresa is played by Kaya Scodelario (“Clash of the Titans”) who is probably the harbinger of doom because “all goes bad as soon as she turns up,” director Ball shares of Teresa’s mysterious character.

“The Maze Runner” opens September 17 in theatres nationwide from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. 

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.