“THE HOBBIT” Final Chapter Reveals Character Posters

The character poster artworks for Peter Jackson's “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” have been unveiled online. The one-sheets individually feature in close-up shots the film's eight major characters namely Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin, Galadriel, Legolas, Tauriel, Bard and Thandruil.

The third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town.

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.

“THE HOBBIT” Breaks to the Top of PH Weekend Box Office

First film in Peter Jackson’s epic “The Hobbit” Trilogy breaks multiple records in its opening.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), soared to the top of Philippine box office in its opening weekend, earning P55-million on more than 300 screens, including six IMAX theatres. That figure represents the biggest opening ever for any film in the canon of “The Lord of the Rings.” The announcement was made today by Francis Soliven, General Manager of Warner Bros. (F.E.), Inc.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is the acclaimed first film in Oscar®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson’s epic “The Hobbit” Trilogy, based on the timeless novel by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Shot in 3D 48 frames-per-second, the film was released in High Frame Rate 3D (HFR 3D) in select theaters, other 2D and 3D formats, and IMAX®.

Soliven stated, “Peter Jackson and his team of actors and filmmakers have delivered another superb film in the canon he established with ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy. Audiences everywhere have been excited by the prospect of returning to Middle-earth and these results speak to the incredible enthusiasm out there for this new adventure.” 

In the U.S., “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” dominated the weekend with an estimated $84.775 million domestically and $138.2 million internationally, for a worldwide estimated total of $223 million, including a record-breaking $15.1 from IMAX theatres worldwide.

Domestically, the film broke records for largest December opening in motion picture history, including Christmas/holiday weekends. Back in the Philippines, the top-performing cinemas are SM Mall of Asia (P4.16-M), SM North EDSA (P3.16-M), Trinoma (P3.00-M), Greenbelt 3 (P2.22-M), SM Cebu (P2.16-M), Glorietta 4 (P2.02-M), SM Megamall (P1.82-M), Power Plant (P1.73-M), Newport (P1.64-M) and Eastwood (P1.53-M). They are followed closely by Alabang Town Center (P1.41-M), Gateway (P1.242-M), SM Southmall (P1.241-M), Robinsons Galleria (P994,816), SM Clark (P940,995), Shang Cineplex (P916,080), Robinsons Ermita (P850,310), Ayala Cebu (P849,474), Robinsons Magnolia (P845,407) and Theatremall (P782,932).

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.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN” GROSSES P271.54-M, NO.1 IN PH FOR 2ND WEEK

Comic book hero Peter Parker triumphantly returned to Philippine cinemas, re-igniting the Spider-Man film franchise with a ten-day nationwide gross of a staggering P271.54-million for “The Amazing Spider-Man.” This was announced today by Victor R. Cabrera, managing director of film distributor Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.

Topping the local box-office for two weeks in a row, the “Spider-Man” reboot is now the second-highest grossing movie of the year, and on track to become one of the most successful titles of all-time.
In the US, the brand new “Spider-Man” spun itself a $65 million opening weekend and $140 million in its first six days at theaters, July 3 to 8. Overseas, it added $129.1 million, raising its international total to $201.6 million and worldwide haul to $341.2 million since it began rolling out a week earlier in some foreign markets.
Back in the Philippines, “Amazing” opened June 29 with the biggest rollout ever in the industry: 530 cinemas, including 90 Digital 3D and 4 IMAX 3D screens. SM Mall of Asia registered the highest box-office receipts with P21.58-M, followed by SM North EDSA with P16.81-M, and Trinoma at P13.70-M.

The Untols Story of Peter Parker Begins with “THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN”

Spider-Man returns to the big screen for the untold story of Peter Parker in Columbia Pictures' new action-adventure “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb. Screenplay by James Vanderbilt and Alvin Sargent and Steve Kloves.

“The Amazing Spider-Man” is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets.
As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to OsCorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

In beginning a new chapter in the Spider-Man saga, it was important to the filmmakers to show a side of Peter Parker that moviegoers haven’t seen before.

THE HOBBIT Shot with New Technology

Warner Bros. Pictures screened approximately 10 minutes of never-before-seen footage from New Line Cinema and MGM’s upcoming epic “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” which showcased the filmmaking innovation of 48 frames-per-second (fps), doubling the typical frame rate of 24 fps. The footage was part of the studio’s presentation at CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO).

The film, slated for worldwide release beginning December 14, 2012, is the first major motion picture to be made using this state-of-the art high-frame-rate technology.


The footage was introduced via a taped greeting from director Peter Jackson, who gave a bit of history as to how 24 fps became the industry standard and why today’s technology allows for higher frame rates. He also explained that 48 fps is actually closer to the way the human eye views the world. Jackson offered, “As a filmmaker, I always want to create a strong sense of reality, to allow the audience to lose themselves in whatever the cinematic story is that I’m presenting. Shooting and projecting at 48 fps gives you the illusion that a hole has been cut in the wall of the cinema, and you’re watching the story unfold with a heightened sense of reality. It’s terrific for 3D; I’ve looked at the 48 fps dailies for ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ in 3D for over a year now, and with the reduction in strobing and flicker, it is a much more gentle experience on your eyes. 48 fps is not just limited to 3D. A film shot in 48 fps looks fantastic when projected in 2D, and converts well to 24 fps as well.”

Peter Jackson starts filming “THE HOBBIT”

Peter Jackson’s two film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s widely read masterpiece, "The Hobbit", starting it's production in Wellington, New Zealand.

In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit…

“The Hobbit” is set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking 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.”

  The two films, with screenplays by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson, will be shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Filming will take place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.