EG! Showbiz Style

Complete List Of Nominees For the 68th Golden Globe Awards

2010-12-14T07:40:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Golden Globe Awards is slated on January 16, 2011 and the nominees were already announced today.
Here’s a complete list of the nominees for the 68th Golden Globe Awards:
1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. BLACK SWAN
Protozoa Pictures & Cross Creek Pictures & Phoenix; Fox Searchlight Pictures
b. THE FIGHTER
Paramount Pictures and Relativity Media; Paramount Pictures and Relativity Media
c. INCEPTION
Warner Bros. Pictures UK LTD.; Warner Bros. Pictures
d. THE KING’S SPEECH
See-Saw Films and Bedlam Productions; The Weinstein Company
e. THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Columbia Pictures; Sony Pictures Releasing
2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. HALLE BERRY FRANKIE AND ALICE
b. NICOLE KIDMAN RABBIT HOLE
c. JENNIFER LAWRENCE WINTER’S BONE
d. NATALIE PORTMAN BLACK SWAN
e. MICHELLE WILLIAMS BLUE VALENTINE
3. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. JESSE EISENBERG THE SOCIAL NETWORK
b. COLIN FIRTH THE KING’S SPEECH
c. JAMES FRANCO 127 HOURS
d. RYAN GOSLING BLUE VALENTINE
e. MARK WAHLBERG THE FIGHTER
4. BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Walt Disney Pictures; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
b. BURLESQUE
Screen Gems; Sony Pictures Releasing
c. THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Antidote Films, Mandalay Vision, Gilbert Films; Focus Features
d. RED
di Bonaventura Pictures; Summit Entertainment
e. THE TOURIST
GK Films; Sony Pictures Releasing
5. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. ANNETTE BENING THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
b. ANNE HATHAWAY LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
c. ANGELINA JOLIE THE TOURIST
d. JULIANNE MOORE THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
e. EMMA STONE EASY A
6. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. JOHNNY DEPP ALICE IN WONDERLAND
b. JOHNNY DEPP THE TOURIST
c. PAUL GIAMATTI BARNEY’S VERSION
d. JAKE GYLLENHAAL LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
e. KEVIN SPACEY CASINO JACK
7. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
a. DESPICABLE ME
Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment; Universal Pictures
b. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
DreamWorks Animation; Paramount Pictures
c. THE ILLUSIONIST
Django Films, Ciné B and France 3 Cinéma; Sony Pictures Classics
d. TANGLED
Walt Disney Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
e. TOY STORY 3
Disney * Pixar; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
8. BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
a. BIUTIFUL (MEXICO/SPAIN)
Menageatroz, Focus Features International; Roadside Attractions
b. THE CONCERT (FRANCE)
An Oï Oï Oï Productions, Les Productions Du Tresor, France 3 Cinema, Europacorp, Castel Films, Panache Productions, RTBF (Belgian Television), BIM Distrubuzione Co., Canal +, Cinecinema and France 3; The Weinstein Company
c. THE EDGE (RUSSIA)
(Kpaй)
Teleshow/Rock Films; Central Partnership (Russia)
d. I AM LOVE (ITALY)
(LO SONO L’AMORE)
First Sun; Magnolia Pictures
e. IN A BETTER WORLD (DENMARK)
(Hævnen)
Zentropa Entertainment; Sony Pictures Classics
9. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. AMY ADAMS THE FIGHTER
b. HELENA BONHAM CARTER THE KING’S SPEECH
c. MILA KUNIS BLACK SWAN
d. MELISSA LEO THE FIGHTER
e. JACKI WEAVER ANIMAL KINGDOM
10. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. CHRISTIAN BALE THE FIGHTER
b. MICHAEL DOUGLAS WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER
SLEEPS
c. ANDREW GARFIELD THE SOCIAL NETWORK
d. JEREMY RENNER THE TOWN
e. GEOFFREY RUSH THE KING’S SPEECH
11. BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
a. DARREN ARONOFSKY BLACK SWAN
b. DAVID FINCHER THE SOCIAL NETWORK
c. TOM HOOPER THE KING’S SPEECH
d. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN INCEPTION
e. DAVID O. RUSSELL THE FIGHTER
12. BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
a. DANNY BOYLE, 127 HOURS
SIMON BEAUFOY
b. LISA CHOLODENKO, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
STUART BLUMBERG
c. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN INCEPTION
d. DAVID SEIDLER THE KING’S SPEECH
e. AARON SORKIN THE SOCIAL NETWORK
13. BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
a. ALEXANDRE DESPLAT THE KING’S SPEECH
b. DANNY ELFMAN ALICE IN WONDERLAND
c. A.R. RAHMAN 127 HOURS
d. TRENT REZNOR, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
ATTICUS ROSS
e. HANS ZIMMER INCEPTION
14. BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
a. “BOUND TO YOU” — BURLESQUE
Music by: Samuel Dixon
Lyrics by: Christina Aguilera, Sia Furler
b. “COMING HOME” — COUNTRY STRONG
Music & Lyrics by: Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey, Troy Verges
c. “I SEE THE LIGHT” — TANGLED
Music by: Alan Menken
Lyrics by: Glenn Slater
d. “THERE’S A PLACE FOR US” — CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE
VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
Music & Lyrics by: Carrie Underwood, David Hodges, Hillary Lindsey
e. “YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE LAST OF ME” — BURLESQUE
Music & Lyrics by: Diane Warren
15. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions, Sikelia Productions and Cold Front Productions, HBO Entertainment
b. DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
Showtime, John Goldwyn Productions, The Colleton Company
c. THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)
CBS Television Studios
d. MAD MEN (AMC)
Lionsgate Television
e. THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)
AMC
16. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. JULIANNA MARGULIES THE GOOD WIFE
b. ELISABETH MOSS MAD MEN
c. PIPER PERABO COVERT AFFAIRS
d. KATEY SAGAL SONS OF ANARCHY
e. KYRA SEDGWICK THE CLOSER
17. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. STEVE BUSCEMI BOARDWALK EMPIRE
b. BRYAN CRANSTON BREAKING BAD
c. MICHAEL C. HALL DEXTER
d. JON HAMM MAD MEN
e. HUGH LAURIE HOUSE
18. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. 30 ROCK (NBC)
Universal Media Studios in association with Broadway Video and Little
Stranger Inc.
b. THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
Warner Bros. Television
c. THE BIG C (SHOWTIME)
Showtime, Sony Pictures Television, Perkins Street Productions, Farm Kid, Original Film
d. GLEE (FOX)
Ryan Murphy Television, Twentieth Century Fox Television
e. MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
Twentieth Century Fox Television
f. NURSE JACKIE (SHOWTIME)
Showtime, Lionsgate Television, Jackson Group Entertainment, Madison Grain Elevator, Inc. & Delong Lumber, Caryn Mandabach Productions
19. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. TONI COLLETTE UNITED STATES OF TARA
b. EDIE FALCO NURSE JACKIE
c. TINA FEY 30 ROCK
d. LAURA LINNEY THE BIG C
e. LEA MICHELE GLEE
20. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. ALEC BALDWIN 30 ROCK
b. STEVE CARELL THE OFFICE
c. THOMAS JANE HUNG
d. MATTHEW MORRISON GLEE
e. JIM PARSONS THE BIG BANG THEORY
21. BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. CARLOS (SUNDANCE CHANNEL)
Sundance Channel
b. THE PACIFIC (HBO)
Playtone and DreamWorks in association with HBO Films
c. PILLARS OF THE EARTH (STARZ)
Starz, Tandem Communications, Muse Entertainment Scott Free Films
d. TEMPLE GRANDIN (HBO)
A Ruby Films, Gerson Saines Production, HBO Films
e. YOU DON’T KNOW JACK (HBO)
Bee Holder, Cine Mosaic and Levinson/Fontana Productions, HBO Films
22. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. HAYLEY ATWELL PILLARS OF THE EARTH
b. CLAIRE DANES TEMPLE GRANDIN
c. JUDI DENCH RETURN TO CRANFORD
d. ROMOLA GARAI EMMA
e. JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT THE CLIENT LIST
23. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. IDRIS ELBA LUTHER
b. IAN MCSHANE PILLARS OF THE EARTH
c. AL PACINO YOU DON’T KNOW JACK
d. DENNIS QUAID THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
e. EDGAR RAMIREZ CARLOS
24. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. HOPE DAVIS THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
b. JANE LYNCH GLEE
c. KELLY MACDONALD BOARDWALK EMPIRE
d. JULIA STILES DEXTER
e. SOFIA VERGARA MODERN FAMILY
25. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. SCOTT CAAN HAWAII FIVE-O
b. CHRIS COLFER GLEE
c. CHRIS NOTH THE GOOD WIFE
d. ERIC STONESTREET MODERN FAMILY
e. DAVID STRATHAIRN TEMPLE GRANDIN

'Stone' Movie Info

2010-10-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

Synopsis
A seasoned corrections official and a volatile inmate find their lives dangerously intertwined in Stone, a thought-provoking drama directed by John Curran and written by Angus MacLachlan. Stone features powerful performances by Academy Award(R) winner Robert De Niro and Oscar(R) nominee Edward Norton, and a startlingly raw, breakout performance from Milla Jovovich as the sexy, casually amoral woman they both desire.

As parole officer Jack Mabry (De Niro) counts the days toward a quiet retirement, he is asked to review the case of Gerald ``Stone Creeson (Norton), in prison for covering up the murder of his grandparents with a fire. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to influence the older man's decision have profound and unexpected consequences for them both.

Stone skillfully weaves together the parallel journeys of two men grappling with dark impulses, as the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin. Golden Globe(R) winner Frances Conroy completes the superb ensemble as Madylyn, Jack's devout, long-suffering spouse.

Set against the quiet desperation of economically ravaged suburban Detroit and the stifling brutality of a maximum security prison, this tale of passion, betrayal and corruption examines the fractured lives of two volatile men breaking from their troubled pasts to face uncertain futures.

The film stars Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull), Edward Norton (The Painted Veil, Fight Club) Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element) and Frances Conroy (``Six Feet Under). It is directed by John Curran (The Painted Veil, We Don't Live Here Anymore) from a screenplay by Angus MacLachlan (Junebug). Stone is produced by Holly Wiersma (Factory Girl), Jordan Schur and David J. Mimran. Director of photography is Maryse Alberti (The Wrestler). Editor is Alexandre de Franceschi (Bright Star). Costume designer is Victoria Farrell (New York, I Love You). Production designer is Tim Grimes (The Wrestler). Co-producer is Ed Cathell III (The Secret Life of Bees). Associate producers are Cat Lake and Lauren Mann. Co-executive producers are Will French (Game of Death) and Stephen Roberts (Game of Death). Executive producers are René Besson (Solitary Man), Danny Dimbort (The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans), Avi Lerner (Rambo) and Trevor Short (Leaves of Grass).

'The Hangover' Director Out With New Comedy 'Due Date'

2010-10-16T03:20:00.000-07:00

From Todd Phillips, the director of the smash comedy “The Hangover,” comes “Due Date” starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis as two unlikely companions who are thrown together on a road trip that turns out to be as life-changing as it is outrageous.

Downey plays Peter Highman, an expectant first-time father whose wife’s due date is a mere five days away. As Peter hurries to catch a flight home from Atlanta to be at her side for the birth, his best intentions go completely awry when a chance encounter with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis) forces Peter to hitch a ride with Ethan—on what turns out to be a cross-country road trip that will ultimately destroy several cars, numerous friendships and Peter’s last nerve.

For Phillips, who also serves as a producer and co-writer on the film, the fun of making “Due Date” has been tied to the remarkable cast he has assembled. “Half-way through `The Hangover,' I decided I wanted to work with Zach Galifianakis again,” he notes. “Then, getting a guy like Robert Downey Jr. was a long shot, but when he came on board, it was crazy. So, when the concept came together with the right cast, we had a movie. What made it different was the ability to walk that thin line of awkwardness between the two main characters. But that’s why we have actors like Robert and Zach—they’re so good at it.”

The entire shoot of “Due Date” has been fuelled with an “anything goes” spirit of improvisation, says Phillips. “They throw lines at each other, but we normally talk about it before,” he says. “Still, the spirit of improvising is in the film in a way that makes it feel alive.”

“Every day’s a little bit different, but we’re always doing the same thing, which is playing around and massaging it and trying to have a good time,” Downey says. “I think that’s one of the great things that Phillips said—that he loves doing this because he gets paid to do what he would do for free. And he basically laughs all day long.”

Susan Downey, who serves as an executive producer, adds, “Robert, Zach and Todd all really feed off of each other. They almost have a kind of brotherhood in how they approach this. They just go at each other in a very fun yet constructive way. And they all share the same goal—they just want to make the best version of this possible. It may not be a version that’s on the page the morning they show up to shoot the scene, but they just keep mining it and pushing it to be the best that it can be.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, “Due Date” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

The Social Network Sneak Preview

2010-10-16T03:19:00.000-07:00

Considered as the film to beat in next year's Academy Awards, Columbia Pictures' “The Social Network,” the controversial movie detailing the origins of social media megasite Facebook, will have whole-day sneak previews on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 18 & 19 in selected theaters in Metro Manila. Tickets will be available at regular admission prices.

This affords film buffs and Facebookers a chance to watch the much-talked-about and critically acclaimed movie ahead of its grand opening here on Oct. 27. “The Social Network” has been the No. 1 movie in the US for two consecutive weeks now, earning a cumulative gross of $47-million.

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times praises “The Social Network” as “fleet...funny, exhilarating...supremely confident...a creation story for the digital age,” while Richard Corliss of Time Magazine raves, “The film is like a video game at warp speed. The rewards for paying attention are mammoth and exhilarating.”

“It’s the movie of the year that also brilliantly defines the decade,” applauds Peter Travers of Rolling Stone.
In the film, on a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history, but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.

Also starring are Justin Timberlake (“Shrek The Third”) as Sean Parker, the Napster co-founder who became Facebook's founding president; and Andrew Garfield (“Lions for Lambs,” “Spider-Man” 2012) as Eduardo Saverin, the Facebook co-founder who fell out with Zuckerberg over money.

Directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, “The Social Network” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like ColumbiaPicturesPH on Facebook.

Eat Pray Love Production Notes

2010-09-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) is a modern woman on a quest to marvel at and travel the world while rediscovering and reconnecting with her true inner self in Eat Pray Love. At a crossroads after a divorce, Gilbert takes a year-long sabbatical from her job and uncharacteristically steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life. In her wondrous and exotic travels, she experiences the simple pleasure of eating in Italy, the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of love in Bali. Based on an inspiring true story, Eat Pray Love proves that there really is more than one way to let yourself go and see the world.

Columbia Pictures presents a Plan B Entertainment production, Eat Pray Love. The film stars Julia Roberts, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis, Billy Crudup, and Javier Bardem. Directed by Ryan Murphy. Produced by Dede Gardner. Screenplay by Ryan Murphy & Jennifer Salt. Based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert. Executive producers are Brad Pitt, Stan Wlodkowski, and Jeremy Kleiner. Director of Photography is Robert Richardson, ASC. Production Designer is Bill Groom. Editor is Bradley Buecker. Costume Designer is Michael Dennison. Music by Dario Marianelli. Music Supervision by PJ Bloom.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Julia Roberts read Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir Eat Pray Love when it was first released in 2006. She sent it to one of her best friends and they read it at the same time, and both immediately connected with the story. “Everybody has a journey, a moment in their lives when they need to redefine who they are and what they’re looking for,” says Roberts. “Liz’s journey is very specific and very visual, in a way that’s very appealing as a story, but it’s also a universal story that can apply to anybody.”

Gilbert’s memoir – a self-described search for everything – has achieved extraordinary success, selling over 6.2 million copies in the United States, and overseas, it has been translated into 40 languages. It is the book that attracted Roberts to the project, along with the chance to work with Ryan Murphy, the film’s co-writer/director. “I love the way the book talks about life experience, searching for answers, and how meaningful people can be in our lives. I think that’s really such a vibrant story. It’s great to be part of it, and part of it with Ryan at the helm of it – it was a delicious endeavor,” says the actress.

Murphy, best known for his work with the Golden Globe-winning television series “Nip/Tuck” and “Glee,” has garnered acclaim for his keen and realistic dialogue. He wrote the screenplay with Jennifer Salt, with whom he previously collaborated on “Nip/Tuck.” “Ryan and Jennifer did a very reverential adaptation,” says Roberts. “Ryan was really in sync with Liz Gilbert and talked to her a lot – they tried to be very true to the book. There comes a moment in any film adaptation where things have to be a little bit different, but we always protected the spine of the story – Liz’s journey of self-discovery.”

“The beauty of the book – and, I think, the reason we all wanted to do it – is that it says, ‘Get out of your box,’” says Murphy. “I love that idea – that was a very personal idea for me, because I can be very rigid in my choices, repeating a pattern day after day after day. For example, I love the scene in Rome where Julia spends the afternoon on the floor, eating a perfect meal. I think of that in my day-to-day life; I try to savor the little experiences and try not to have an outcome to the day. That’s what I learned on a personal level by being part of this project.”

“Ryan handed me the book under completely non-movie circumstances – he recommended it as a friend,” says Salt. “He said, ‘I’m reading this book and I feel like I’m listening to you talk. You’re going to love this.’ And I adored it, because it was so honest, so authentic. When Ryan told me that he was going to get the rights and he wanted me to write it with him… It was just a magical moment for me.”

The book’s theme of being true to one’s self became the driving force behind the story and the script. Though Gilbert makes an exotic and beautiful literal journey, traveling around the world, that is only part of the story. The reason the book has resonated with so many is that her inner journey, her quest for self-discovery, rings true – and it can be done anywhere. Says Gardner, “Liz Gilbert’s curiosity for the unfamiliar is one of the things that was compelling to me. You can literally go around the corner and meet someone you haven’t met before, or encounter a new language, food, culture, or set of behaviors.”

In fact, finding that balance between the external and internal journeys was the key in adapting the material for the screen. The plot that keeps the drama moving forward is Liz’s travel from New York to Italy to India to Indonesia, and it was important to the filmmakers to convey to the audience the personal challenge that Liz poses to herself by traveling around the world by herself: “It’s lonely, and it’s not easy,” says Gardner. It’s that plot that would bring the story off the page and come alive on film.

As they penned the adaptation, Murphy and his screenwriting partner, Jennifer Salt, held brainstorming meetings with Roberts and Gardner, each contributing the parts of the book that resonated most with them. There was much overlap, of course, but also some moments that each related to individually. These intimate discussions became the grass roots for the making of the film script.

Another important resource for Murphy and Salt, of course, was the author, Elizabeth Gilbert. During the writing process, Murphy and Gilbert had a regular email exchange; whenever they had a question about their character’s motivation, they found they had a useful ally in the author herself. For example, when writing the Italy section of the film, it seemed to Murphy and Salt that the Thanksgiving meal with all of her Italian friends would be the key that would unlock the entire act of the film. What was it about that meal that was so important to Gilbert? The author responded that at that moment – at the very beginning of her journey – she was still not sure she could feel happiness for herself, but she was certain she could be happy for others. “She said this moment was like a spark of life,” Gardner says. “It is moments like this that helped us immensely and helped us be able to keep moving forward in the storytelling.”

From the very beginning, when Gardner first read the book, the only choice to play Elizabeth Gilbert was Julia Roberts. “It sang out to me as obvious – this should be Julia Roberts,” says the producer. “I have never worked with Julia before and I am just awestruck by her talent. In this role, she runs the gamut in tone, from vulnerability to toughness and from indecision to confidence. She understands when Liz is ebbing and flowing.”

“Liz goes through a wide range of emotions – as you’d expect, because the story covers a year of her life,” says Roberts. “Between going through divorce and dating and traveling and meeting strangers and not knowing what to do, it’s a great opportunity to play a complex and fascinating character.”

“At the beginning of the movie, Liz is unraveling a bit, and she’s not sure why,” Roberts adds. “She’s a traveler – she’s always traveled – so that was an instinct for her to pack her bags. Obviously, not everybody can do what she did, but it’s not really about that. It’s fun to watch her go around the world in the movie, but it’s really about her own self-examination and figuring out what she wants out of life.”

Roberts says that kind of reflection isn’t easy and it’s what makes Gilbert’s journey remarkable. “For her to take that time for herself is what is deeply interesting and encouraging to other people,” she says. “I think that’s courageous and admirable; it’s such a busy, rapid-fire world, so to try to stop and figure out what’s right for you is a good thing.”

Viola Davis, who plays Delia, Liz’s best friend in the film, says that she too saw the connection between Liz Gilbert and Julia Roberts. “As I was reading Eat Pray Love, I thought to myself, Liz probably doesn’t even realize how fantastic she is. She can make friends as soon as she walks in a room. And I feel the same way about Julia – people are attracted to her spirit. She’s a light.”

Roberts had the opportunity to meet the real Elizabeth Gilbert in Rome. “Ryan had a relationship with her through pre-production, but I felt it was important for me in portraying her to go with my instincts, to get enough filming done that I was already on a course by the time that I met her,” says Roberts. “She’s a lovely, lovely person, and she has a great way of talking and very specific mannerisms, and I didn’t want to imitate her. She’s a beautiful human being.”

Like with the casting of Julia Roberts, the filmmakers couldn’t see any other choice than shooting in the real locations that Gilbert visited on her journey. “That was our holy grail – we were going to go to as many places as we could where Liz Gilbert went,” says Murphy. “Some were easy, especially some of the famous places in Rome that Liz visited.” In other instances, Murphy says, they were lucky – the production was able to shoot at the real home of Ketut Liyer, a key character in the Bali sequence. “We spent a lot of time in pre-production, going to the different countries three times, finding the exact locations. If we couldn’t shoot at a real location for reasons that were beyond our control, we took an unbelievable amount of pictures and we would re-create them. Because the book is so well-known and loved, it was important to me, as the director, to be true to where she went,” Murphy continues.

Richard Jenkins, who takes on a key role in the India sequence as Richard From Texas, explains what it meant to the film that they were able to shoot in these exotic locations. “When I was a kid, growing up in a small town in the Midwest, movies were how I saw the world. I went places in films that I couldn’t go in any other way,” he says. “So to have this shot in India – you couldn’t have done it anywhere else. The heat, the feeling, the air, the people. It’s a whole different vibe.”

But not only would the production shoot in the real locations. They would also shoot in chronological order – first in New York, then Italy, then India, then Bali. Doing so, Roberts says, added a layer to her performance. “We experienced all the same emotional responses Liz goes through,” she says. “It made it an incredible experience.”

“In talking with Ryan and Dede, it was clear there was something so special about each of these international locations, and people will want to go on a journey similar to Liz’s when they come and see this movie,” says executive producer Stan Wlodkowski. “So it was unanimous by filmmakers and studio alike that we would film in New York, Italy, India, and Bali, in the same progression that Liz experiences in her book. I don’t think I will ever experience again in my career a schedule like this. We were literally making four separate movies.”

One of their first puzzles was in putting together the shooting schedule for the film. Not only would they have to account for the availability of the actors, but local weather, crews, and getting around. Some of the international locations had film infrastructure and had hosted many movies there before, while others, like Bali, had never had a film of this size shoot there.

“When we began shooting in New York, there was always a production office open somewhere in the world. This movie was open for business 24 hours a day. We had casting offices, art departments, construction departments, and wardrobe departments all across the globe,” says Gardner.

'The Social Network' Traces Origins Of Facebook

2010-09-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

Columbia Pictures brings to the screen The Social Network, the controversial and acclaimed film detailing the Harvard dorm room origins of social media megasite Facebook -- the most revolutionary social phenomenon of the new century -- which is valued today at a staggering $16 billion.

On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history. But for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.

What follows is a drama rife with both creation and destruction; one that purposefully avoids a singular POV, but instead, by tracking dueling narratives, mirrors the clashing truths and constantly morphing social relationships that define our time.

Drawn from multiple sources, the film moves from the halls of Harvard to the cubicles of Palo Alto as it captures the visceral thrill of the heady early days of a culture-changing phenomenon in the making -- and the way it both pulled a group of young revolutionaries together and then split them apart.

In the midst of the chaos are Mark Zuckerberg, the brilliant Harvard student who conceived a website that seemed to redefine our social fabric overnight;Eduardo Saverin, once Zuckerberg’s close friend, who provided the seed money for the fledgling company; Napster founder Sean Parker who brought Facebook to Silicon Valley’s venture capitalists; and the Winklevoss twins, the Harvard classmates who asserted that Zuckerberg stole their idea and then sued him for ownership of it.

Each has his own narrative, his own version of the Facebook story – but they add up to more than the sum of their parts in what becomes a multi-level portrait of 21st Century success – both the youthful fantasy of it and its finite realities as well.

Directed by the Oscar-nominated David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), The Social Network stars Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland) as Zuckerberg, Justin Timberlake (Shrek The Third) as Sean Parker, who became Facebook's founding president; and Andrew Garfield (Lions for Lambs, Spider-Man2012) as Eduardo Saverin, the Facebook co-founder who fell out with Zuckerberg over money.

The film is written by Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men) based on the novel The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook -- A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich.

Opening soon across the Philippines, The Social Network is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Watch Latest Trailer For 'Tangled' 3D

2010-09-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Walt Disney Pictures has just released the latest trailer of the 3D animated feature Tangled, which is billed as one of the most hilarious, hair-raising tales ever told!

In the film, when the kingdom’s most wanted—and most charming—bandit Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) hides out in a mysterious tower, he’s taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a beautiful and feisty tower-bound teen with 70 feet of magical, golden hair.

Flynn’s curious captor, who’s looking for her ticket out of the tower where she’s been locked away for years, strikes a deal with the handsome thief and the unlikely duo sets off on an action-packed escapade, complete with a super-cop horse, an over-protective chameleon and a gruff gang of pub thugs.

In Philippine theaters soon in Disney Digital 3D™ and regular format, Tangled is a story of adventure, heart, humor and hair—lots of hair.

(Here’s the youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHkDAz-s0AE)

Ben Affleck Plays Brooding AntiHero In 'The Town'

2010-09-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

Coming off his critically sensational directorial debut in the Oscar-nominated Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck now directs and stars in another stirring crime thriller, Warner Bros.’ The Town.

In the film, Doug MacRay (Affleck) is an unrepentant criminal, the de facto leader of a group of ruthless bank robbers who pride themselves in stealing what they want and getting out clean. With no real attachments, Doug never has to fear losing anyone close to him. But that all changed on the gang’s latest job, when they briefly took a hostage–bank manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall).

When we meet Affleck’s character, he and his crew are in a van outside the Cambridge Merchant Bank, seconds away from their next robbery. In Affleck’s words, Doug is “banging against the walls of his own life, still doing the stuff he knows is bad for him but unable to change.”

Affleck continues, “He had a shot at a different future—he had a chance to play pro hockey—but he self-destructed. He got addicted to drugs and spun out, so instead of getting out, he came back and, in spite of himself, ended up even deeper in it. That’s where we find him. He’s cleaned up a bit, in terms of getting sober, and he wants to leave, but he can’t escape his circumstances.”

“That’s what was most intriguing about this guy,” co-screenwriter Aaron Stockard asserts. “He is at a point in his life where he realizes if he doesn’t leave, he’s never going to change. It’s not just that he doesn’t want to go to prison or, worse, get killed, which is what will inevitably happen if he stays in Charlestown and continues to do this sort of work. What he wants more than anything is to be a different person.”

“Part of where he is in his life is a function of how and where he grew up,” Affleck relates. “His mother left; his father was in this life; and Doug wound up doing the same thing as the friends he grew up with. It doesn’t excuse it, but hopefully you see the shades of gray in the reasons he ended up where he is. It’s not just cut-and-dried.”

“Ben really understood Doug’s psychological and emotional journey,” producer Graham King says, “so when he said he was interested in playing the role, we knew there was no one better. I was blown away, not only by how Ben depicted the arc of the character but by the intensity of his performance.”

Cast member Jeremy Renner who plays Jem, says that Affleck—both as a director and as a castmate—made portraying the enduring friendship between Jem and Doug a natural. “I felt like I was working with one of my best friends. Ben empowered me to do whatever I thought was right, and if it worked, he got so excited. He set an amazing tone and made everyone feel relaxed and comfortable. It was great.”

Another co-actor, Pete Postlethwaite who plays crime lord Fergie Colm, has high praise for his director, saying, “Ben’s ability to reflect the technique of acting in his direction is an actor’s dream. He knew when you felt you had gotten it wrong and would like to go again, but, better still, he knew when it felt right and there was no need. I’d leap at the chance to work with him again on his next film.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, The Town is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Legends Of The Guardians In 3D

2010-09-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Young owlet Soren embarks on a quest to follow his dreams…only to discover they’re real, in Warner Bros.’ new fantasy, family adventure in 3D, Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole. Stepping into the legend that he’s faithfully followed through his father’s nest-time stories, he becomes a crucial part of the next chapter in the epic tales.

Now on a true hero’s journey of self-discovery, young Soren and his friends join their mentors in an action-packed battle against the evil Pure Ones to protect not only their freedom, but the very existence of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, who have sworn an oath to mend the broken, make strong the weak, and vanquish evil.

“Isn’t it every kid’s fantasy to become a character in his or her favorite story?” director Zack Snyder asks. “In our film, it’s a young owl who wants to find these legendary warrior owls that have been part of his personal mythology since he was born. And when the stories actually turn out to be true, it’s very powerful.”

In Legend of the Guardians, Snyder and the gifted creative team at Animal Logic sought to open a window into a world that hasn’t been seen before, with mythic environments and expansive terrains like nothing they’d ever imagined, and owls so wonderfully realized that you almost forget they’re not real.

“Zack brings a visual language to his movies that is distinctive, and so do we at Animal Logic, so the marriage between Zack’s vision and our vision was easy right from the get-go,” says the film’s producer, Animal Logic CEO Zareh Nalbandian.

Drawing from his experience on the Academy Award®-winning Happy Feet, Nalbandian assembled a crew of more than 500 digital professionals, including a team of computer animation specialists, to bring Legend of the Guardians from the page to the screen, with the added dimension of a 3D film.

“We don’t think about our movies as animated,” he continues, “we think of them as movies; Zack didn’t come on board to make an animated movie, he came to make a great action fantasy adventure, tracking a hero’s journey, which happened to be in an animated world. It was about creating a visual feast for audiences that would be unique.”

In addition to the challenge of taking on his first entirely computer-generated project, Snyder, whose previous work includes the epic action films 300 and Watchmen, found that his motivation for making this particular story hit close to home. “I know it sounds cliché,” the director admits, “but my kids are always saying to me, ‘Dad, when are you gonna make a movie we can see?’ And the chance to work with the animators at Animal Logic really appealed to me; there were moments in Happy Feet that I found artistically breathtaking. So when I saw their initial Guardians artwork, and then read the stories of Soren and his friends on this incredible quest, I looked at it as a perfect opportunity to bring my own sensibilities to a family film.”

“Both Zack and I loved the notion of this young boy—who just happens to be an owl in an owl world—learning to believe in himself and in something bigger than himself,” executive producer Deborah Snyder says. “He has to battle the odds, and in doing so, becomes the owl kingdom’s only hope for survival. We felt it was a story we would love to bring to the screen.”

“There’s real vigor in the story and a full spectrum of characters, from cute and cuddly to downright evil,” says star Geoffrey Rush. “Adding to that, the sophistication, the brilliance really, of the technique has truly been elevated in animated movies. I believed this could be a film that would be appreciated by both kids and their parents on many different levels.”

Stepping into the animation realm for the first time, Snyder enthuses, “Animation is filmmaking without limits. When I saw the potential of what the movie could be, and thought about the chance as a filmmaker to actually be able to create any shot I wanted…I couldn’t wait to see what we could do.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole will be presented in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular format and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Sneak Peak: The Provocative Drama 'Stone'

2010-09-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

A convicted arsonist (Edward Norton) looks to manipulate a correctional officer (Robert De Niro) into a plan to secure his parole by placing his beautiful wife (Milla Jovovich) in the lawman's path, in Overture Film’s new, critically acclaimed drama, Stone.

A thought-provoking film directed by John Curran (The Painted Veil) and written by Angus McLachlan (Junebug), Stone will be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Trinoma, Glorietta 4 & Greenbelt 3).

In the film, as parole officer Jack Mabry counts the days toward a quiet retirement, he is asked to review the case of Gerald "Stone" Creeson, in prison for covering up the murder of his grandparents with a fire. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to influence the older man’s decision have profound and unexpected effects on them both.

Stone skillfully weaves together the parallel journeys of two men grappling with dark impulses, as the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin. The film’s superb ensemble features Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil series) as Lucetta, Stone’s sexy, casually amoral wife, and Golden Globe® winner Frances Conroy (TV’s Six Feet Under) as Madylyn, Jack’s devout, long-suffering spouse.

Set against the quiet desperation of an economically ravaged community and the stifling brutality of a maximum security prison, this tale of passion, betrayal and corruption examines the fractured lives of two volatile men breaking from their troubled pasts to face uncertain futures.

Sneak Peak Of 'The Other Guys'

2010-09-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

Columbia Pictures presents an all-star cast led by Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Eva Mendes, Ray Stevenson, Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson, in the action-comedy The Other Guys.

In the U.S. No. 1 hit, detectives Christopher Danson and P.K. Highsmith (Johnson and Jackson) are the baddest and most beloved cops around. They don’t get tattoos – other men get tattoos of them. Two desks over and one back, sit Detectives Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg). You’ve seen them in the background of photos of Danson and Highsmith, out of focus and eyes closed. They’re not heroes – they’re "the Other Guys."

But every cop has his or her day and soon Gamble and Hoitz stumble into a seemingly innocuous case no other detective wants to touch that could turn into the city’s biggest crime. It’s the opportunity of their lives, but do these guys have the right stuff?

Director Adam McKay says that his challenge for this film was to keep the set as open and free to experimentation as he could, while also keeping it grounded enough that the action sequences made sense.

"Obviously, we like to do silly, absurd things," says McKay. “The Other Guys is an action comedy, and I think it’s just as funny as the movies we’ve made in the past. But it’s also a bit more badass – we really tried to come up with action scenes we hadn’t seen before, and I think we came up with some fantastic stuff."

Opening soon across the Philippines, The Other Guys is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to get the latest movie news, video clips, games and free downloads. Find us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm On Opposite Sides Of The Law In 'The Town'

2010-09-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

Award-winning actors Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) and Jon Hamm (TV’s Mad Men) play cop-and-robber literally, in Warner Bros. The Town, an action-thriller about friendship and betrayal, love and hope, and escaping a past that has no future.

In the film, Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) is an unrepentant criminal, the de facto leader of a group of ruthless bank robbers who pride themselves in stealing what they want and getting out clean. With no real attachments, Doug never has to fear losing anyone close to him. But that all changed on the gang’s latest job, when they briefly took a hostage–bank manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall).

Renner plays Jem, Doug’s closest friend and a kind of brother-in-arms, albeit on the wrong side of the law. Unlike Doug, Jem is resigned to the life he was essentially born to and has no compunctions about his criminal pursuits.

Renner observes, “Given their upbringing, Jem and Doug had to lean on each other throughout their lives, so they are definitely more like brothers than friends. But now Doug is veering away from the only life Jem has ever known and Jem is trying to reel him back in, to knock some sense into him, as if to say, ‘We’re bank robbers. That’s what we do; that’s all we are.’ The conflict between them lies within that.”

“Doug and Jem have a complicated back story,” comments Affleck, who also served as the film’s director. “They’ve been best friends since they were kids, but they have become very different people…people who would not be friends if they met today. However, because they have this shared history of loyalty and love they are bound to each other, and that puts a lot of pressure on Doug. Jem is always on the verge of being out of control, and Doug is the only one who has been able to make sure he doesn’t go too far.”

Meanwhile, Hamm portrays FBI Special Agent Frawley, who heads up a task force investigating bank robberies in Boston. “He is an outsider,” Hamm acknowledges. “But although he is not from Boston, he has a lot of experience with these types of crimes and has been there awhile, so he knows all the players.”
This latest string of robberies is frustrating Frawley because he knows who the perpetrators are, but still hasn’t been able to nail them. “It creates an interesting dynamic between my character and Ben’s character,” Hamm says. “A fundamental element of a good heist movie is the interplay between the good guys and the bad guys. Who’s going to win? But here, the line between the good guys and the bad guys is less defined because you can empathize with both.”

“I’m a huge fan of Jon’s, so I felt really lucky to have him in the cast,” states Affleck. “When I met with the real FBI agents, I noticed that they projected a certain kind of power and intelligence, and Jon conveyed that. He’s acutely smart and there is something about him that innately commands respect. It would be hard to imagine an actor who was more right for this role.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, The Town is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Author Kathryn Lasky Talks About 'Legends Of The Guardians"

2010-09-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

The beloved Guardians of Ga’Hoole books by award-winning author Kathryn Lasky are brought to the screen by acclaimed filmmaker Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300) in Warner Bros.’ fantasy family adventure in 3D, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.

The film follows Soren (voice of Jim Sturgess), a young owl enthralled by his father’s epic stories of the Guardians of Ga’ Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother, Kludd (voice of Ryan Kwanten), scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father’s favor from his younger sibling. But Kludd’s jealousy has terrible consequences—causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones.

Now it is up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls. Together they soar across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians—Soren’s only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms.

A New York Times best-selling author, Lasky has written over 120 children's and young adult fiction and nonfiction books and sold over 11 million copies. She talks about her Ga’Hoole series of books in the following interview:

Question: How long did it take to write the first Guardians of Ga'Hoole book?
Kathryn Lasky: The first book took the longest because I was trying to really set the main characters and the whole future course of the series. So that was about four months of writing and editing.
Q: Where did you get the inspiration for the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series?
Lasky: Well, my first idea was to do a non fiction book about owls. My husband Christopher Knight, a former national Geographic photographer, and I had done several non fiction books together illustrated with his photos. But Chris said that it would be awfully hard doing a non fiction book what with owls shy, rare to the point of endangered and that the best pictures would be at night. So lighting would be difficult. It was his idea that I try a fantasy book. In the beginning I thought I would just do one book. But when I sent the proposal into Scholastic, Jean Feiwel, the editor in chief, called me up and said "This is not just one book. It's six". I was kind of shocked. I thought how on earth do I stretch this out to six? But now I am just starting book 13. So I guess I sort of figured it out.
Q: Did you hope, on some level, that your use of owls would enlighten readers to respect nature more?
Lasky: Maybe on some level. But I rarely write with a moral objective in mind. To me the most important thing is to tell a good story. If I can do that I think that enlightenment, respect of nature, etc. follows.
Q: How did you research the books? Did you consult with owl experts?
Lasky: I early on discovered the Owl Pages and it was enormously helpful. But I did a lot of research in libraries. I talked to some people at the Audubon Society. I live in Cambridge , Massachusetts and there are wonderful libraries there. So I used the Harvard libraries as well as the public ones.
Q: What is your favorite Guardians of Ga'Hoole book?
Lasky: That's like asking what is your favorite child. But I have to a admit that I enjoyed especially writing the legends trilogy, books 9, 10 and 11 - The First Collier, The Coming of Hoole and To Be a King where I delved back into the ancient history of the owl kingdoms.
Q: If you were an owl, what kind would you be? Or What owl are you most like?
Lasky: I don't know which of the owl characters I am most like but I have a special fondness for Barn owls and Spotted owls.

Q: Which Guardians of Ga'Hoole character are you most like?
Lasky: As is said I don't know which one I am most like. I think they all have elements of my own personality, except for Twilight. Twilight is absolutely modelled on Muhammed Ali who has always been right up there as one of my all time favorite heroes.
Q: Which books will be included in the Legend of the Guardians movie?
Lasky: The first movie, or what we hope will be the first of many, will include books 1 through 3. The movie is going to be CGI and they used a lot of the owls from the Harry Potter movies. It is the same movie company Warner Brothers and the same producer.
(Opening soon across the Philippines, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole will be presented in 3D and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.)

James Franco Rekindles Julia's Pasion In 'Eat Pray Love'

2010-09-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

James Franco plays David, the young lover of Julia Roberts’ character, in Columbia Pictures’ new romance drama Eat Pray Love.

In the film, Liz Gilbert (Roberts) is a modern woman on a quest to marvel at and travel the world while rediscovering and reconnecting with her true inner self. At a crossroads after a divorce, Gilbert takes a year-long sabbatical from her job and uncharacteristically steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life. In her wondrous and exotic travels, she experiences the simple pleasure of eating in Italy, the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of love in Bali.

Eat Pray Love starts off in New York, where the reasons for Liz’s need to get away is explored and established through her relationships with two men: her ex-husband, Stephen (Billy Crudup), and her lover, David.

“Liz and Stephen is a couple that has fallen out of love – they have material blessings, but they want different things in life,” explains director Ryan Murphy. “They’re not meant to be together, but this does not make their time together any less valuable or worthwhile.

In turn, Franco’s character, David, adores Liz and rekindles her passions that she thinks have disappeared from her life. Producer Dede Gardner strongly believed that if you don’t like who she goes off with after walking away from her husband, the story isn’t going to work. “There was no one else in the world to play this part,” she says. “James is adorable and sexy, but also very cerebral, with an enormous beating heart and generous spirit.”

“When David and Liz meet, Liz is searching on a lot of levels,” says Franco. “She’s looking for a way to connect to someone romantically, but also some deeper, spiritual meaning in her life. Maybe it’s not a relationship that’s going to last, but it sets her off on her journey, so there are positive things that come out of it.”

Franco and Roberts had their challenges as they had to dive in very quickly to their chemistry as a couple. Says Franco, “The first scene we shot together we made out, and by the end of the day we broke up. It was very intense.”

Franco is best known for his starring role as Harry Osbourne in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. He was last seen starring opposite Sean Penn in Gus Van Sant’s Milk in which his performance earned an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in David Gordon Green’s comedy Pineapple Express where he starred opposite Seth Rogen.

Opening in October 6, 2010 across the Philippines, Eat Pray Love is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to get the latest movie news, video clips, games and free downloads. Find us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

The American Production Notes

2010-09-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

The suspense thriller The American stars Academy Award winner George Clooney in the title role for director Anton Corbijn (Control). The screenplay by Rowan Joffe is adapted from Martin Booth’s 1990 novel A Very Private Gentleman.

As an assassin, Jack (played by Mr. Clooney) is constantly on the move and always alone. After a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for this American abroad, Jack retreats to the Italian countryside. He relishes being away from death for a spell as he holes up in a small medieval town. While there, Jack takes an assignment to construct a weapon for a mysterious contact, Mathilde (Thekla Reuten).

Savoring the peaceful quietude he finds in the mountains of Abruzzo, Jack accepts the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto (Paolo Bonacelli) and pursues a torrid liaison with a beautiful woman, Clara (Violante Placido). Jack and Clara’s time together evolves into a romance, one seemingly free of danger. But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate.

A Focus Features presentation of a This is that/Greenlit/Smokehouse production. An Anton Corbijn Film. George Clooney. The American. Violante Placido, Thekla Reuten, Paolo Bonacelli. Casting by Beatrice Kruger. Costume Designer, Suttirat Anne Larlarb. Music by Herbert Grönemeyer. Editor, Andrew Hulme. Production Designer, Mark Digby. Director of Photography, Martin Ruhe. Executive Producer, Enzo Sisti. Produced by Anne Carey, Jill Green, Ann Wingate, Grant Heslov, George Clooney. Based on the novel A Very Private Gentleman by Martin Booth. Screenplay by Rowan Joffe. Directed by Anton Corbijn. A Focus Features Release.

Following the success of his award-winning first feature, the drama Control, director Anton Corbijn was deliberately looking to work on a new film centering on as different material as possible. He reveals, “I started reading thriller scripts. The theme of The American, of a loner trying to find redemption from the deeds he’s done, interested me – as did the tension and the romance in the story. Here was something I saw could be not only suspenseful but also thoughtful.

“My career for over 35 years has been as a portrait photographer; filmmaking is a new adventure for me. I’m still finding my voice. I feel that where The American does parallel Control is in the idea of trying to change one’s life; how can you maybe make good after doing wrong? Can you overcome things that might be in you which define you?”

Music – both motivator and subject in Control – was a key inspiration to Corbijn in his formative years. A certain genre of movie was as well; he remembers, “I haven’t seen all that many movies in my life, but Westerns have long made an impression on me, starting with – in childhood – Rawhide [the 1960s TV series starring Clint Eastwood]. The look, the stories, the morality of movie Westerns always attracted me. Although The American is not actually a Western, it is structured in that genre; a stranger comes to a small town and connects with a couple of the people in it, but his past catches up with him – and there is a shootout.”

Producer Anne Carey concurs, noting that in The American, as in Westerns, “there is a man who has lived by the gun, and the violence that he’s lived by threatens to infect the peace that he’s tried to find in a place that he thinks he could live in.

“I read Martin Booth’s novel A Very Private Gentleman over a decade ago, and immediately thought that it could be a sexy and entertaining genre piece with a complex and interesting lead role. [Producers] Ann Wingate and Jill Green were simultaneously closing on the rights. We decided that, rather than compete against one another, we would join forces and make the picture together.”

Wingate recalls, “I had started working on getting the book made into a movie back in the 1990s, with BBC Films. They had let it drop, and later Jill and I had been working together and I suggested reviving the project. I’d always been drawn to the love story for the lead character, a man who has had enough of escaping his life yet seeks to escape what he is.”

Green elaborates, “What also attracted us to the book was the insight into this character as a solitary figure who wants to find romance and redemption, despite his escalating inner turmoil. To have a lead character who is both an expert gun maker and assassin put me in mind of The Day of the Jackal, which also was adapted from a novel. At the time, Martin Booth was still alive, and he insisted on English/European producers for the movie from his book. So that was Ann and me.

“But Anne Carey was so keen on the project that we said ‘Why not,’ and so we got together in a happy marriage, spending probably 6-7 years working on the script.”

Carey adds, “It then took a while to find the right director and star.”

Green remarks, “When we first met with Anton, his vision for the piece very much suited Martin’s original book, and we liked his articulated visual sense of the material.” Wingate notes, “Inevitably, after all these years, there had to be updates to the material. We had to do that more than once. What’s happened is that the movie got much closer to the feel of the novel, much leaner and as a result stronger.”

By the end of the decade, Carey reports, “Anton had become the linchpin, the one whose involvement got this to jell. In our conversations with him, it was clear that he envisioned this to be at once a classically framed and told film as well as a contemporary one in the style and the shooting.”

Producer Grant Heslov, who joined the project in 2008, notes, “Because Anton comes from the world of photography, he is able to compose his frames in a striking way – something that many directors spend their entire careers striving to achieve.

“But he also brings a perspective where he doesn’t see anything straight on; everything comes from a bit of an odd angle, which is a plus.”

Screenwriter Rowan Joffe came to, and at, the material from several angles. He comments, “When Anton, Anne, and Grant asked me to write The American, I was thrilled at the chance to adapt such a morally rich, visually arresting, and unusual novel. Though there had been several previous scripts, I decided to start completely afresh, inspired by Anton’s brilliant idea to re-conceive the story as a kind of contemporary Western.

“With that in mind, I wove together my favorite passages from the book, simplifying the overall structure into a character-motivated thriller with a streamlined plot, a powerful redemptive theme, very spare dialogue, and a wild Italian landscape that acts like a character in its own right, exerting its transformative, melancholy beauty on our hero and assisting him in his journey to redemption. George Clooney’s interest in my first draft allowed me to continue refining subsequent drafts with him in mind; that was a considerable dramatic boon for the script as well as a rare opportunity to craft a character for one of the greatest movie actors alive.”

For Corbijn, the question of just where to film in – as called for in the script – Italy was critical to pre-production planning. He reflects, “The surroundings had to be a character in the movie. I had a clear idea of how the landscape should look, and I wanted to use towns and villages as a back lot.” Accordingly, the filmmakers were loath to attempt “casting” another country instead.

The name of the movie, however, did change; after going by the novel’s title, Corbijn baptized the film as Il Americano before it finally became The American.

In terms of specific Italy locales, all concerned had been transfixed by Abruzzo, a mountainous region located east of Rome and spreading from the base of the Apennine range of mountains towards the Adriatic Sea. Remote and majestic, the area is “a raw environment, an honest landscape of a type that is rarely seen in movies,” marvels Corbijn.

By the winter of 2008, the filmmakers had chosen their Abruzzo locations, as Corbijn and Joffe together and, prior, Carey had all made scouting trips. Then, on April 6th, 2009, the Abruzzo region was hit by an earthquake. There were over 300 casualties; 60,000 people were suddenly homeless; and many parts of the ancient town of L’aquila – less than 70 miles northeast of Rome – lay in ruins.

It was also on April 6th that Corbijn was meeting with Clooney to finalize the latter’s plans to produce and star in the movie. Corbijn remembers, “We discussed our shared hope that filming The American would help to boost the region economically, what with the money spent during production and the finished film encouraging tourism in the future.”

Executive producer Enzo Sisti adds, “I started with the production in April. Everyone – Anton, George, Focus Features – was saying, ‘We must go with Abruzzo. They need a film like this, and our movie needs a beautiful region like this.’”

Wingate notes, “The atmosphere gives you a different view and a different feel; it’s not the pretty Tuscany or Umbria, or the beautiful Florence or Rome, of so many movies.”

Corbijn says, “The terrain is rugged and rocky; it’s not generally where tourists go. But it’s a wonderful area that needs preserving; beyond even the earthquake, oil drilling is harming the landscape.”

Heslov sums up the region’s appeal to the production as “not just an Italy we haven’t seen, but one filmed in a way we haven’t seen it, by way of Anton’s take.”

The filmmakers also immediately stepped up to avail themselves of Italy’s new financial incentive, which was 10 years in the making and had been formally passed just a few months before the earthquake hit; The American was the first movie to do so before filming began. Carey offers, “The big benefit is that you get the money during production, unlike with many tax credits where you have to wait 1-2 years.”

Clooney visited L’aquila with actor Bill Murray on July 9th to support quake victims who were living in tents, and to inaugurate a movie theater in a tent camp in San Demetrio. He promised that filming of his new movie would begin in the region in September.

As the production firmed up its commitment to the region and the fall filming schedule, casting continued. Corbijn already knew that he had found the right actor to play Jack, stating, “This is a character George hasn’t played before; it’s always interesting when an actor finds something new. He’s so good with dialogue, and in this movie he is playing a man of few words who is always on the lookout and constantly in a state of tension.”

Heslov adds, “Jack is someone who is only now finding moments of beauty in his life. Even if he now makes the right choices, does fate have a different idea for him?

“George brings this stillness to the role of Jack, who spends a lot of time in silence. That’s a challenge for an actor, to keep the inner life going on-screen.”

Green offers, “This role reminds me of George’s work in Michael Clayton, in that he can convey so much through his eyes alone.”

Carey notes, “Audiences instinctively place their trust in George, which is important to our establishing the character of Jack.”

Wingate says, “It’s a much darker role for George, yet he embodies the character so well. We were all rather ecstatic to get him to play the part.”

For the casting of the Italians who have an impact on Jack, the filmmakers were set on hiring actors who were established in their native Italy yet not necessarily known internationally.

Veteran actor Paolo Bonacelli was cast as the priest, Father Benedetto. Whether the role is large or small, Bonacelli feels that “every scene is useful to know the role, know the character. The ‘little scenes’ are important – and one must study, study, study.

“Father Benedetto wants to be a friend, but Jack is very cautious. To me, as an actor colleague, George Clooney was professional and kind.”

To play the prostitute Clara, the woman who cues Jack’s realization that another life might conceivably be on the horizon for him, Italian leading lady Violante Placido was cast. The director says, “Violante is a classic Italian beauty, and is an intelligent actress in front of the camera. She doesn’t overplay, with big gestures all the time, which was important because she has to represent heart in the film. She is a sexual being on-screen, which the role absolutely required, yet she also has that old-fashioned movie-star quality…

“…as does George, of course, which is why chemistry between them came naturally. That was a tremendous asset, because directing intimate scenes was new to me. I wanted to impart a raw feeling to them, given the darkness in Jack’s character. In their first scene together, I shot it to focus on Clara; through looking at her, you see what he sees in her and you sense a change for the characters. I wanted to achieve tension and sensuality, without cutting away.”

“Those scenes aren’t easy,” admits Placido. “But, any scene can be difficult; in a way, you’re naked any time you act. George put me at ease; I appreciated this because I’ve worked with actors who are insecure and try to make the other actor that way.”

Placido sees Jack and Clara as “two souls brought together because they each have something extreme in their lives – their jobs – that isolates them. They first relate to each other with their bodies, with animal instincts, but then they become more intimate personally – which scares them both.

“Neither is used to trusting other people, but Clara communicates to Jack her dream of changing her life. Each feels their own identity changing because they are being seen through the other’s eyes. They are both searching for something within themselves and also outside themselves.”

Despite – or, rather, because of – already speaking English well, Placido had to work with dialogue coach Dianne Jones. The actress laughs, “She helped me to make my English worse! Because Clara comes from a small town, what made sense was that maybe she studies English, and only so well; she needed to have a bit more Italian in her way of speaking.

“At the first audition with Anton, there was a translation from English to Italian that sounded a bit strange to me. So I asked him if I could freely improvise some Italian slang and swearing, since Clara is a bit rough. He let me do that, and I think that’s why he wanted to meet with me again – and when they told me I got the part, I read the script and saw that they had written in the switch for that exchange.”

Placido’s familiarity with Abruzzo was also helpful in her playing Clara. Placido reflects, “When you’re there, it’s like going back in time. My best friends come from there. A few years ago, I recorded an album of music and spent three months in the area; it inspires creativity. This countryside is so beautiful, with its powerful mountains and the milky sea close by. Making our movie, I got to be in parts of the area I didn’t know before.

“In my work, I am getting to collaborate with people who bring something that can be a treasure to experience. On this movie, Anton and George were so focused and so generous.”

For the other key female role opposite Clooney, that of Jack’s enigmatic client Mathilde, the filmmakers tapped Dutch-born Thekla Reuten. The actress speaks several languages and has made movies all over the world, and so possesses “a chameleon quality, which is great for the role,” notes Carey. “Thekla contrasts with the Italian actors by having a different acting style, and a different physicality from Violante, all of which registers strongly on-screen.”

“I met a lot of people for that role. It was very sought-after,” confides Corbijn. “But Thekla shone, embracing the character’s ambiguity, and the part was hers.”

Reuten reveals, “I’m half-Italian, so it was exciting to come back and work in the country, and speak the language with the crew.” Born in Holland, she was “so impressed by Control – with a little Dutch pride about Anton – and was hoping that he would continue doing features; it’s a gift to cinema that he has decided to make, as they say, ‘moving pictures.’”

The actress assesses her character as “a woman who has the same skills, and probably the early ambition to become as good, as Jack in a world revolving around money and adrenaline. Her encounters with Jack are a warning of what her future looks like – she could be him in 10, 20 years.

“There’s no room for heart in her profession, but she on purpose tries to let her guard down around him a little bit. But the way their scenes together are, even when they’re just facing each other and talking, it feels like a duel.”

Reuten’s time spent with Clooney was a lot less fraught then Mathilde’s with Jack. She remarks, “I admire the choices George has made in his career. On the set, I learned from his professionalism, whether he was joking around, applying his producing eye, or making you feel the lonesome and cold soul of Jack.”

Eyeing them all was director of photography Martin Ruhe, who had worked with Corbijn prior. Corbijn reflects, “We share a liking for the simple approach, for the most part avoiding complex camera movements. Martin makes the ordinary look beautiful by the way he lights it.”

Ruhe clarifies, “Once the decision was made to film The American on location, we knew that we didn’t want to overrule the locales but, rather, wanted to be inspired by them – particularly with their fast-changing weather.

“Anton and I thought, let’s see how Abruzzo influences Jack and his choices. So we storyboarded only two sequences; the nighttime pursuit, and the climactic set piece.”

Carey comments, “Anton and Martin really move as a unit; I think Martin’s eye is wired to Anton’s brain. The widescreen lensing of The American is so elegant.”

With L’aquila too heavily damaged, the production chose nearby Sulmona as its base. Sulmona, a thriving market town, is dominated by the surrounding mountains, and by a central piazza with an 17th-Century viaduct running alongside. Sulmona is well-known among Italians as the home of the “confetti” – those national favorite sweets (almonds covered in sugar) bought and gifted to celebrate birthdays and marriages.

The mayor and people of Sulmona welcomed the predominantly Italian cast and crew with open arms and full cooperation. Many town residents can be seen in the film, as passersby in scenes where Jack cautiously ventures out and about.

For filming of a marketplace sequence in the town square, veteran Italian actress Silvana Bosi was playing the role of a cheese seller tending to Jack. When the cameras started rolling, Anton Corbijn was startled – not by Bosi’s performance, but by an older woman who entered the shot and began to confer with the actress. This take-ruiner turned out to be the real-life owner of the cheese stall; the same disruption happened two more times, as the older woman disdained the technicalities of filmmaking. Her professional pride necessitated her interceding, given that Bosi was apparently not selling George Clooney the choice piece of parmesan cheese.

Clooney was the recipient of something even more coveted when Sulmona hosted its annual film festival and honored him with the inaugural presentation of the Silver Ovidius, for his achievement in film. The award is so named because Sulmona is celebrated as the birthplace of the Latin poet Ovid.

While Sulmona was a key filming location, scenes were also shot in the villages of Calascio, Anversa, Castelvecchio, and Pacentro. Given the earthquake and the resulting designated frozen zones, “we were never able to set foot in L’aquila for any filming,” says Corbijn. “I had found some locations there in January 2009, but in the end we couldn’t use them.”

Wherever the production went, Corbijn – given his vocation as photographer – had his Leica camera with him to capture images that will likely not make it into the movie. “I work with available light and I don’t work with digital,” he notes. “My photographs from the shoot are snapshots. Some days, I won’t take any; some days, I’ll take five.”

Among the most striking filming set-ups were the ones by the River Aterno, in the national park of Grand Sasso. A bend in the river was the setting for two crucial scenes in the film, one for Clooney with each of the leading ladies. Production designer Mark Digby and his team had to make some cosmetic adjustments to the spot. Then, in the early hours of the morning of the first day of principal photography, came the unwelcome discovery that marauders had invaded the set, uprooting the art department’s carefully placed greenery. Neither prankish teenagers nor aggrieved locals, these destructors were a pack of wild boars who clearly objected to their territory being visited. These animals can be aggressive if approached, so the unit was careful to monitor the undergrowth for any sign of the return of the cingiale. The set was hastily replanted, and security guards were posted on subsequent nights to stave off the porky invaders.

Animal behavior aside, Digby clarifies that “it’s important, for a location-driven film such as this one, that you don’t fight locations. That said, this location was in fact a river, and for the scenes we needed a lake. So we made it more wild, with a lot of flowering plants – while simultaneously making its scale seem not so big.”

Digby and his department faced a different challenge in realizing the weapon that Jack has been commissioned to craft. He explains, “It sounds simple – get a gun, find a suitcase for it – but it wasn’t. The gun was being made in England, and there’s a lead time for permits and organizing bringing it over. To do that, we had to work out how to cut it down. At the same time, in Italy, we were working on a briefcase that was of the correct size, style, and elegance for the weapon. Measurements and pictures were shared, but there were 3-4 elements that needed to match up yet couldn’t be brought together until basically the last moment.

“To cover all options, we had three sizes of cases made, including one for long shots where Jack is carrying it around. Ultimately, we had to cheat the barrel and the silencer by an inch or two, and the manufacturer of the cases made one with a hinge and a depth for us that they don’t normally do.”

Also on the weaponry front, armourer Jon Baker worked closely with the filmmakers, crew, and actors on everything from specs to safety. Reuten spent nearly two weeks training with him, preparing for scenes in which Mathilde assembles and/or disassembles a weapon. “She started out slowly, learning from scratch, and then got very good at it, always chasing herself to beat her [previous best] time,” says Baker. “George has had so much training from past movies that he already knew about firearms, and saved me a lot of work!”

For the village where Jack makes his temporary home, the production headed up in altitude; Castel del Monte, perched high in the mountain range at 5000 feet, is a village that often seems to be suspended in a sea of clouds, as the weather swirls and shifts below it. Within the hillside fortification, little has changed in decades. As a citadel, it was first held by the Romans, then overrun by the Goths. By the 16th Century it was part of the fiefdom of the Medicis, who commissioned many of the fine Renaissance buildings therein. The Bourbons later declared it part of their Spanish Empire, and it finally became part of Italy in the early 19th Century.

“Castel del Monte hosts more people in the summer,” notes Corbijn. “Outside of that season, when fall arrives quickly and it is so cold at night, there are a lot of empty houses – which I found quite spooky. I saw it as a beautiful environment that could turn dangerous, and was reminded of the Venice settings in Nicolas Roeg’s film Don’t Look Now.”

Wingate adds, “It’s almost medieval. If you live in a village where almost every road you look down shows you mountains, that must affect the way you behave and live.”

Heslov says, “Some parts really are walking-only. We had times where heavy equipment that we had ordered showed up – and then later we couldn’t get it out.”

Digby marvels, “The locale is small enough to be able to know what’s happening around you, yet large enough to deliberately get lost in; there is a maze of streets and arches and houses – perfect for Jack to disappear into.”

Costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb elaborates that “Jack is trying to blend in and not call attention to himself, so I had to think in those terms for his costumes. Mark and I discussed muted colors, and what was being done both tonally and visually, with Anton and Martin.

“But here I was, working with one of the best-dressed men on the planet and having to make him look less sartorially considered. We went with timeless classic pieces for Jack to wear, nothing branded or slick.”

Larlarb adds, “We also had to balance out the other characters in relation to Jack; for instance, equalizing Mathilde to get across the idea that they’re in the same line of work. Also, perhaps they’re kindred spirits; perhaps Jack is checking her out a bit.

“Clara has to pop out in some ways, yet retain a level of naturalness that attracts Jack. We worked on eliminating red for the most part, but we gave her just the right kind of red for her purse.”

Corbijn clarifies, “The color red is only in the movie a few times; when you see it, that’s linked to danger or to love…or, to both.”

With the influx of cast and crew, in one fell swoop the existing population of Castel del Monte – 129 people – was more than doubled. When one crew member needed emergency dental work, it necessitated travel to a nearby town, as the answering machine of Castel del Monte’s dentist declared that he was “unavailable, due to his appearance in a Hollywood film.”

Indeed, the majority of the Castel del Monte villagers appear in The American, many in the sequence of Father Benedetto’s procession. Originally scripted as the Procession of the Snakes, which takes place annually in the village of Colculla, the movie’s procession had to be changed to the Procession of the Lambs, when the inhabitants of Colculla raised strong objections to their procession being hijacked for a rival village – even if only on film – and nearly called for the intervention of the local bishop.

Sharp-eyed viewers will notice the recurring appearance of a black dog in the Castel del Monte-shot sequences. Wally, as the dog was known, lived in the piazza and was adopted by the crew; he responded to calls of “Action!” by blithely trotting into the shot, time and time again.

Not to be outdone by Sulmona, Castel del Monte boasts its own artisan cheese maker, who per tradition uses her family’s herd of sheep and goats to produce delicious cheeses that are sold only to local restaurants. As filming wrapped, she was still working on the recipe for the perfect “Capra di Clooney,” a goat cheese that would commemorate the production’s stay there.

Above Castel del Monte is the Alpine plain of the Campo Imperatore, part of the National Park of San Grasso and site of a driving sequence in the movie. Until the early 20th Century, this vast and imposing landscape was the summer destination for the transumanza, the annual migration of shepherds and millions of sheep, herded from their winter pastures near to the coast. Nowadays, it is a winter ski resort while in summer hosts cattle, wild horses, wolves, and – reportedly – bears.

The production ventured into much more familiar territory at the end of the nine-week Italy leg of the shoot to film an early scene, where Jack arrives in Rome prior to being pointed towards Abruzzo. But to shoot in Termini, the bustling city central train station, and on the surrounding streets with a recognizable movie star posed a challenge. While one train platform was made partially available, the production adopted stealth tactics to get the needed shot of Jack crossing the busy main street; a camera was hidden in the window of a café and George Clooney, costumed as Jack and toting the character’s suitcase, was quietly dropped off alone from a car, on the opposite side of the street. Rome’s morning commuters going to work on a weekday, barely registered the man striding through their midst, and the filmmakers got the shot as Clooney made it across and ducked into the car that was waiting for Jack to drive off in. “We never even put it on the call sheet,” reveals Carey. “We had a fallback plan of a double doing the shot, but George was very game.

“Since the Italian crew has good relationships with the authorities, they knew how to work in Rome, and what permits we needed. It was as controllable as filming in any big city in the world can be.”

Corbijn was impressed by the cooperation that the cast and crew received all across Italy. He remarks, “The townspeople were honest and hard-working, with a mountain mentality and not a city mentality.

“In Italy, there is a lack of hierarchy amongst the crew. Everybody is either friends or related, so the atmosphere is like that of a family.”

Heslov concurs, “It’s very much la famiglia. Everything is a lot less formal. Sometimes things are set by handshake.

“When you get to the set in the morning, everyone kisses each other, has coffee, and talks for about half an hour before things get going. I loved that way of working!”

With respect to the citizens of the Abruzzo region, Carey comments, “These are a people who pride themselves on having a history, a moral strength, and a sense of secrecy and privacy. All of that informed the character of the locations.”

Green adds, “Aside from the locations, Anton has also made use of some very dramatic landscapes – distant mountains, deep wide valleys. Wherever we went, the Italian crew members were highly skilled, and we were thankful to have them.

“Visuals aside, in speaking to Anton during production I knew that he would be doing something interesting with the sound and the music in the picture as well.”

Indeed, even before filming had wrapped, music was becoming an important part of Corbijn’s concept for the movie; while The American is not music-centric like Control was, the director engaged another longtime creative partner, Herbert Grönemeyer, to compose the music for the new film. Corbijn praises Grönemeyer’s music as “bringing emotion into the movie at key points. It’s piano-based, and it adds a lot.

“Herbert’s score also helps you get what’s going on through Jack’s mind, such as when he’s completely alone working on making the weapons.”

Principal photography was completed, several weeks after the wrap in Italy, with five days of location work in Ostersund, Sweden. The wait was in part to capture the harsher beauty of this country in deepest winter, as built into both the script and the visual scheme to contrast with the warmer imagery of Italy. As Corbijn notes, “We filmed the start of the movie at the end of our shooting schedule. Aside from the below-zero weather, we loved being in Sweden with its amazing landscapes.” Clooney had grown a beard to further contrast with the Italy-set remainder of the movie, where Jack is clean-shaven.

Of his leading man, Corbijn states, “The fact that George is always on-set, not wasting time in his trailer…people might not realize how much having your lead actor be ready for you benefits a director’s shooting schedule. It is a great bonus that he thinks not just about his own role, but about the film as a whole and about the other actors. His sense of continuity amazes me, and when we got stuck on something he would always volunteer a solution.

“He is a serious actor yet keeps everyone entertained on set, so cast and crew enjoy his company, and he takes pleasure in the work. He’s so good at keeping everyone motivated; the one joke I tried to make fell flat. George also knows how to deal with the attention he gets in public with charm and grace, which was invaluable when we were shooting in such small villages.”

Eat Pray Love

2010-08-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

From producer Brad Pitt and director Ryan Murphy (TV’s Nip/Tuck, Glee) comes Columbia Pictures’ new drama Eat Pray Love starring Academy Award-winner Julia Roberts. The film is based on Elizabeth Gilbert‘s international bestseller of the same title.

Eat Pray Love also stars James Franco (Spider-Man trilogy), Richard Jenkins (TV‘s Six Feet Under), Viola Davis (Nights in Rodanthe), Billy Crudup (Mission: Impossible III) and Oscar-winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men).

In the film, Liz Gilbert (Roberts) is a modern woman on a quest to marvel at and travel the world while rediscovering and reconnecting with her true inner self. At a crossroads after a divorce, Gilbert takes a year-long sabbatical from her job and uncharacteristically steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life. In her wondrous and exotic travels, she experiences the simple pleasure of eating in Italy, the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of love in Bali.
Indeed, there really is more than one way to let yourself go and see the world.

Eat Pray Love is produced by Dede Gardner, with a screenplay by Ryan Murphy & Jennifer Salt. Executive producers are Brad Pitt, Stan Wlodkowski, and Jeremy Kleiner. Director of Photography is Robert Richardson, ASC. Production Designer is Bill Groom. Editor is Bradley Buecker. Costume Designer is Michael Dennison. Music by Dario Marianelli. Music Supervision by PJ Bloom.

Opening soon across the Philippines, Eat Pray Love is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to get the latest movie news, video clips, games and free downloads. Find us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

'TRON Legacy' Billboard Art

2010-08-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

Disney has just launched the billboard art for the highly-anticipated TRON: Legacy!
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, TRON: Legacy is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen.

In the film, Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Oscar®-winner Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer.

When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the old Flynn’s Arcade—a signal that could only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a digital world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years.
With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe—a universe created by Kevin himself that has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons, landscapes and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape.

Presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and scored by Grammy® Award-winning electronic music duo Daft Punk, TRON: Legacy hits Philippine theaters January 2011, in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D.

The action-adventure is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

George Clooney As 'The American' Assassin

2010-08-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

Academy Award-winner George Clooney plays Jack, a weapons maker for professional assassins and a killer himself, who suddenly becomes the target, in Focus Features’ new thriller 'The American."

Adapted from Martin Booth’s 1990 novel A Very Private Gentleman, the film will be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Trinoma, Glorietta 4 & Greenbelt 3).

In many ways, the character fits Clooney: smart, handsome, worldly. But the character is hardly the man, who in addition to being voted “sexiest man alive,” is a writer, director, producer and humanitarian.
Indeed, as The American director Anton Corbijn says, Clooney is able to weave all of these identities together: “He’s a director’s favorite in terms of understanding what a director needs from an actor. He’s directed three films and so he knows that it’s very important to have an actor who’s on set. So George is never in the trailers. He’s on set and ready.”

“Jack is a character George hasn’t played before; it’s always interesting when an actor finds something new,” continues Corbijn. “He’s so good with dialogue, and in this movie he is playing a man of few words who is always on the lookout and constantly in a state of tension.”

Producer Grant Heslov adds, “Jack is someone who is only now finding moments of beauty in his life. Even if he now makes the right choices, does fate have a different idea for him? George brings this stillness to the role of Jack, who spends a lot of time in silence. That’s a challenge for an actor, to keep the inner life going on-screen.”

“This role reminds me of George’s Oscar-nominated work in Michael Clayton, in that he can convey so much through his eyes alone,” offers producer Jill Green. “Audiences instinctively place their trust in George, which is important to our establishing the character of Jack.”

However, producer Anne Wingate says, “It’s a much darker role for George, yet he embodies the character so well. We were all rather ecstatic to get him to play the part.”

Of his leading man, Corbijn states, “He is a serious actor yet keeps everyone entertained on set, so cast and crew enjoy his company, and he takes pleasure in the work. He’s so good at keeping everyone motivated. George also knows how to deal with the attention he gets in public with charm and grace, which was invaluable.”

First Look: 'Due Date' Movie Poster

2010-08-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

Warner Bros. makes a big reveal of its upcoming blockbuster comedy “Due Date” !

From “Hangover” director Todd Phillips, “Due Date” stars Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis as two unlikely companions who are thrown together on a road trip that turns out to be as life-changing as it is outrageous.

“Due Date” is written by Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland and Adam Sztykiel & Todd Phillips, from a story by Cohen & Freedland.

The film also stars Michelle Monaghan (“Made of Honor”), Oscar® nominee Juliette Lewis (“Cape Fear,” “Whip It”) and Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx (“Ray”).

The film is being produced by Phillips and Dan Goldberg, who previously collaborated on “The Hangover.” Scott Budnick, Thomas Tull and Susan Downey are serving as executive producers on the film.
Opening soon across the Philippines, “Due Date” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

'Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore

2010-08-13T05:44:00.000-07:00

In the eternal battle between cats and dogs, one crazed feline has just taken things a paw too far.

Kitty Galore, a former elite agent for spy organization MEOWS, has gone rogue. In 48 hours, she plans to unleash a diabolical device designed to not only bring her canine enemies to heel but take down her former kitty comrades and make the world her scratching post.

Faced with this immediate and unprecedented threat, cats and dogs will be forced to work together for the first time in history in an unlikely alliance to save themselves—and their beloved humans—from global cat-astrophe.

It’s time for the fur to fly.

The comedy “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore,” a blend of live action, state-of-the-art puppetry and computer animation in 3D, stars Emmy Award winner Christina Applegate (“Friends,” “Samantha Who?”), Oscar® nominee Michael Clarke Duncan (“The Green Mile”), Emmy Award nominee Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”), Emmy Award winner Sean Hayes (“Will & Grace”), James Marsden (“Hairspray”), two-time Oscar® nominee, Emmy and multiple Grammy Award winner Bette Midler, Oscar® nominee Nick Nolte (“Affliction,” “The Prince of Tides”), Emmy Award winner Joe Pantoliano (“The Sopranos”), comedian and rapper Katt Williams (“The Katt Phenomenon”), Chris O’Donnell (“NCIS: Los Angeles”), Emmy Award nominee Jack McBrayer (“30 Rock”), SNL regular Fred Armisen (“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”) and Paul Rodriguez (“Tortilla Soup,” “Comic Relief VII”).

The film is directed by Brad Peyton and written by Ron J. Friedman & Steve Bencich, based on characters created by John Requa & Glenn Ficarra. It is produced by Andrew Lazar and Polly Johnsen, with Brent O’Connor and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers. The creative behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Steven Poster, production designer Rusty Smith, editor Julie Rogers and composer Christopher Lennertz.

Visual effects are supervised by Randy Starr, and animatronic effects by David Barclay. The animal actors appear through Boone’s Animals for Hollywood, under the supervision of trainer Boone Narr.
“Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore” will be presented in 3D where available.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Mad Chance/Polymorphic Pictures Production: “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore,” distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

Photos by Warner Bros.

'Sucker Punch' Character Posters

2010-08-10T00:41:00.000-07:00

Warner Bros. has released the official character posters of its upcoming action-adventure Sucker Punch from director Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300).

The one-sheets feature individual cast members Emily Browning as Babydoll, Vanessa Hudgens as Blondie, Abbie Cornish as Sweet Pea, Jamie Chung as Amber, Jena Malone as Rocket and Carla Gugino as Madam Gorski.

Jamie Chung as Amber

Emily Browning as Babydoll

Vanessa Hudgens at Blondie

Carla Gugino as Madam Gorski

Jena Malone as Rocket

Abbie Cornish as Sweet Pea

Sucker Punch is an action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, but her incredible adventures blur the lines between what's real and what is imaginary...with potentially tragic consequences.

Opening across the Philippines in March 2012, Sucker Punch will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

'Salt' Passes Php100-M Gross In 12 Days!

2010-08-09T02:29:00.001-07:00

MANILA, Aug. 9 – There’s no stopping the tenacious Evelyn Salt in her box-office domination! Angelina Jolie’s power-packed action-thriller Salt breached the landmark P100-million gross Sunday, Aug. 8 or 12 days after its release. This according to Victor R. Cabrera, managing director of distributor Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.

The film’s cumulative nationwide gross now stands at a spectacular P100.11-million, easily beating the final grosses of previous spy megahits such as Wanted (P94.65-M), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (P83.26-M) and all three Jason Bourne movies -- The Bourne Ultimatum (P58.07-M),The Bourne Supremacy (P35.90-M) and The Bourne Identity (P 36.80-M).

Salt also became the 2^nd P100-M hit for Columbia this year, after last June’s blockbuster The Karate Kid.

The Philip Noyce-directed actioner continued to impress discriminating local critics. “Among the fine cinematic lessons Salt teaches is a veritable crash course in relentless editing for maximum suspense and visceral impact,” wrote Nestor Torre in his column. “From the film’s shocking start to its `twist within a twist’ conclusion, the movie’s pacing and ever-intensifying conclusion doesn’t let up until the viewer ends up feeling like a very wet and limp dishrag—no kidding.”

Widely-read columnist Scott Garceau wrote that after the expositional back-story, “Salt kicks into high gear and doesn’t look back. There are enough stunts here to fill a Die Hard trilogy or a handful of Jason Bourne flicks.”

The cinemas that posted the biggest grosses for “Salt” are Trinoma (P6.13-M), SM Mall of Asia (P5.04-M), Glorietta 4 (P3.90-M), SM Megamall (P3.65-M), SM North EDSA (P3.20-M), SM Cebu (P3.12-M), Greenbelt 3 (P3.11-M), Power Plant (P3.03-M), Alabang Town Center(P2.83-M) and Ayala Cebu (P2.66-M).

Also doing great business are Gateway (P2.65-M), Shang Cineplex (P2.29-M), Eastwood (P2.23-M), Robinsons Ermita (P2.19-M), Greenhills (P2.01-M), Gaisano Davao (P1.92-M), Robinsons Galleria (P1.87-M), Market! Market! (P1.71-M), Festival (1.67-M) and SM San Lazaro (P1.33-M)

In the film, CIA officer Evelyn Salt (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt's efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: "Who Is Salt?"

Still playing across the Philippines, “Salt” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visitwww.sonypictures.com.ph to get the latest movie news, video clips, games and free downloads. Find us on Facebookwww.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

Bette Midler And Christina Applegate Voices In 'Cats And Dogs'

2010-08-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

Hollywood icon Bette Midler and Emmy-nominee Christina Applegate breathe life to the lead kittens in Warner Bros.’ new comedy adventure in 3D, “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.”

In the film, what’s going on is nothing less than the endless war between two species at odds since their earliest ancestors sought out the first caveman’s campfire. But now, one renegade cat agent – Kitty Galore -- has upped the ante. Determined to not only break the bond between dogs and humans forever but also pit feline against feline, Kitty’s bid for global domination could jeopardize the future of all creatures, four- and two-legged alike.

Starring as the voice of Kitty Galore, the scariest, loopiest, fur-challenged feline to swipe a claw since the maniacal Mr. Tinkles earned a permanent time-out at Doggie Alcatraz, Midler says, “I’ve been asked if I believe people are going to like this movie because they think their animals talk to them. Well, I don’t know about anyone else but I had an animal that did talk to me. She was a Jack Russell terrier, a dear friend of mine, and she spoke in complete sentences.”

“I don’t think Kitty is misunderstood; she’s just evil,” Bette Midler states, confessing, “I like her a lot. She’s great. Villains are the most fun to play, they’re so over-the-top and usually the silliest. Here you have a wonderful combination of evil and absolute ridiculousness, which is irresistible.”

A former MEOWS agent, Kitty went rogue after losing all her fur in a depilatory vat that she fell into while trying to escape guard dogs at a cosmetics lab. Shunned by the human family who no longer recognized her, she landed on the street. Now a few hacks shy of a hairball, Kitty is one sour puss bent on avenging her losses on a grand scale.

Creating her cadence and vocal mannerisms was a process based both on looks and back-story, Midler explains. “You start with a sketch. In time, the sketch gets increasingly life-like and fleshed out until the creature is right there in front of you and sort of tells you what its voice should sound like. Kitty has gigantic eyes and very sharp, pointed little teeth. She seems refined so I tried to make her sound like a well-bred cat with a bad nature. She was obviously once a star and her stardom was snatched away from her so now she’s quite bitter and, as the title says, wants revenge.

“Having fun with it is key,” Midler continues. “Kitty gets whacked out sometimes and sputters because her mind is racing faster than she can talk.”

In the face of such sweeping peril, cats and dogs must join forces. Thus, dogs Butch (Nick Nolte) and Diggs (James Marsden) find their nascent partnership has grown to include MEOWS operative Catherine, who bravely puts all nine of her lives on the line with them, to bring Kitty down.

Describing the edgy alliance, Applegate says of her character, Catherine, “She’s a tough, smart, fearless cat, raised with the stereotypical distaste for dogs, but she’s willing to open up and take this chance. They’re working together for a common goal but are still a little bit at each other’s throats from the get-go.”

Applegate adds, “It’s absolutely absurd and fantastic, this whole secret high-tech world they have and yet it’s presented as perfectly normal. It’s as if all that other stuff they do—like purring and doing tricks, or tearing up the yard—is just designed to distract us from what’s really going on.”

Opening soon across the Philippines in Digital 3D and regular format, “Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

'Going The Distance' With Drew Barrymore

2010-08-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

Drew Barrymore (He’s Just Not That Into You) stars in New Line Cinema’s raucous and romantic comedy with both heart and heat, Going the Distance. The film tells the story of what can happen when a beer-and-barbecued wings-fueled one-night stand accidentally turns into something more.

In the film, Erin’s (Barrymore) wry wit and unfiltered frankness charm newly single Garrett (Justin Long) over beer, bar trivia and breakfast the next morning. Their chemistry sparks a full-fledged summer fling, but neither expects it to last once Erin heads home to San Francisco and Garrett stays behind for his job in New York City. But when six weeks of romping through the city inadvertently become meaningful, neither is sure they want it to end.

Barrymore reveals, “I liked this story because it had a lot of humor and it was sexy, but it was also surprisingly emotional. I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters and I really cared about why or how they were or weren’t able to work out their issues. Any story that deals with the complexities of a relationship in a very comical and contemporary way totally interests me.”

The role of aspiring journalist Erin required Barrymore to be both tough and vulnerable, with a smartass sense of humor. “Drew has often played an America’s sweetheart type of character, but Erin is strong-willed, she curses, she speaks her mind freely and is really on equal footing with the guys. Drew played it without losing any of her charm,” director Nanette Burstein states.

“Erin is a very strong girl; she can go to bars and win at video games and hang with the boys,” Barrymore offers. “But she put a relationship ahead of her dreams before and resented it, so she’s not going to do it again. I really liked playing someone with a sharp tongue and wit and honesty. I loved her bravado.”

“Being an educated woman of around 30, still interning in a shrinking job market, there’s a lot of competition and that’s frustrating,” producer Adam Shankman says. “So, like a lot of young professionals, Erin goes out after work to blow off steam. She plays as hard as she works,” he adds. “I think Drew felt that was a refreshing change of pace and she was fantastic in the role.”

“To me, both Erin and Garrett are really honest, flawed characters,” Shankman observes. “Garrett behaves pretty badly at times, Erin behaves pretty badly at other times, and they both behave selfishly. But even though life is giving them an ‘out,’ they’re honestly trying to make a go of it before they decide if it’s too big of a commitment. And while humor infuses almost everything, the emotional scenes with Justin and Drew really anchor the film.”

Like many real couples facing time apart, the characters in Going the Distance try to maintain both the humor and the emotion that flows freely when they’re together.

“Even though Erin and Garrett are separated by thousands of miles, we wanted to make sure that we didn’t separate the heart and the humor,” Barrymore concludes. “We tried to bring in both everywhere, across the board.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, Going the Distance is a New Line Cinema production, and distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Who's Who In "Inception" - Know The Characters Of Inception

2010-08-02T18:16:00.000-07:00

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ Inception directed by the highly acclaimed Christopher Nolan is the most talked about movie of the moment. Everyone’s been buzzing about the film’s mind blowing scenes, exceptional effects, and excellent storyline.

The film starring multiple Oscar nominee Leonardo Di Caprio opened in multiple IMAX screens on its worldwide release last July 15.

"Inception is a film that asks the audience to come on a journey into the human mind – its going to be an incredibly immersive experience, and in IMAX, they are going to get the best version of that…we have done all kinds of things to re-format the film for The IMAX Experience, and as a result, you get enhanced clarity, sound and a closer relationship with the action. I think IMAX is going to be a really amazing way to see Inception." Director Christopher Nolan said in an interview.

“Inception” was written and directed by Oscar® nominee Christopher Nolan (“Memento,” “The Dark Knight”), who also produced the film with Emma Thomas. Chris Brigham and Thomas Tull served as executive producers, with Jordan Goldberg co-producing.

Nolan’s behind-the-scenes collaborators included three-time Oscar®-nominated director of photography Wally Pfister (“The Dark Knight,” “The Prestige,” “Batman Begins”), production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas (“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”), two-time Oscar®-nominated editor Lee Smith (“The Dark Knight,” “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”), Oscar®-nominated costume designer Jeffrey Kurland (“Bullets Over Broadway,” “Collateral”), and Oscar®-nominated special effects supervisor Chris Corbould (“The Dark Knight”). The music is by Academy Award®-winning composer Hans Zimmer (“The Dark Knight,” “The Lion King”).

Concurrently with the film’s nationwide theatrical release, “Inception: The IMAX Experience” will be released in select IMAX® theatres. “Inception” will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through proprietary IMAX DMR® technology. With crystal clear images, laser-aligned digital sound and maximized field of view, IMAX provides the world’s most immersive movie experience.

Inception List of Characters

In addition to filming all over the world, “Inception” features an international ensemble cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Tom Berenger and Dileep Rao, who were all working with Nolan for the first time, as well as Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine, who were reunited with the director.

Thomas observes, “The movie has some great roles, and the actors really responded to the material, which made the casting process very smooth. We felt very lucky to have such a remarkable level of talent. I think the actors were also inspired by the rest of the cast; they wanted to work together and be a part of it.”
They also wanted to work with Christopher Nolan.

Ellen Page affirms, “I am such a fan of Chris’s, so the idea of being a part of this film was very exciting. And I was blown away by the script; it was like nothing I had ever read. I completely disappeared into it, and when I finished, I was literally sweating. It was so conceptually original and so incredibly moving, with a powerful emotional spine that one can really connect to. It was phenomenal to work with a filmmaker who is able to create entire worlds, things you’ve never seen before, in such an amazing way.”

Ken Watanabe, who previously teamed with Nolan on “Batman Begins,” recalls, “When Chris called and asked me to join him, it was easy to say yes, because it was a wonderful opportunity to work with a director I loved working with before. And after I read it, I was even more pleased. So my heart and my head told me I definitely had to do this movie.”

“I was very excited by the script, and then when Chris told me the other actors involved, I knew it couldn’t get any better,” says Cillian Murphy, who was in both “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” “I think Chris’s films are intelligent and hugely entertaining, and this one fits that bill beautifully.”

“His mind is so rich,” Marion Cotillard says, “and that’s one reason Chris is such an extraordinary director and writer. On a movie as imaginative as this, you need a director you can trust—someone to take your hand and share his vision—and I trusted him 100 percent. He really inspired me and gave me the keys I needed.”
“Chris is an extremely talented filmmaker,” DiCaprio states, adding, “I also appreciated getting to collaborate so closely with such an unbelievable cast. We had lengthy conversations about our characters, and their individual histories and relationships. And Chris definitely encouraged that; he wanted every actor, no matter how big or small the part, to have a real sense of our characters and to bring something to the table to make them our own.”

Nolan offers, “It was fascinating to watch the actors evolve as a group, very much the way the characters do in the story. It really brought a richness to their scenes together. As a writer, you hope for that kind of chemistry, but it’s not until you get on the set that you see the cast bring out their characters’ idiosyncrasies and interesting inter-relationships. That’s a vital part of any movie, especially a heist movie, and I think these actors really delivered that.

“The film follows a team of very different people, each with singular skills, who are brought together to accomplish a very special task,” Nolan continues. “If any one of them fails, it can spell disaster, so each individual is integral to their success. And we understand everything they’re going through because we are on that journey with them.”

Dom Cobb – The Extractor
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Dom Cobb, a master in the art of extraction. The actor notes, “Cobb has achieved a level of expertise that has made him very well known in the underground black market of individuals who are able to infiltrate people’s minds and extract information.”

“At the beginning of the film,” Nolan says, “we learn that Cobb is the best extractor in the game. He is hired by corporations to steal secrets they would otherwise never have access to. It’s all based on the persistence of an idea, the notion that any concept will stay fixed in the subconscious. It’s impossible to unlearn something, and that forms the basis for what an extractor is able to do in terms of retrieving information.”
The way extraction works is through a process called dream sharing—manufacturing the world of the dream and bringing the subject into that world, which feels completely real as long as they are in it.

But Cobb’s rare skills have also resulted in him being a wanted fugitive who can never go home. Thomas shares, “From the start, we know he is a man with a past that makes it impossible for him to go back to America. But his kids are there and that motivates him more than anything else. He’s willing to take any risk in his work if it means he can get home to what he loves most.”

For that reason, DiCaprio says that the approach he and Nolan took was that “no matter how surreal the dream state, everything needed to be grounded in our connection with the character; everything had to be emotionally charged. From Cobb’s standpoint there is something very real at stake, so all of his choices, his reactions, and how he deals with the people he’s working with is a means to one end: getting back his life.”
Nolan expounds, “Working with Leo early on, we really delved into the emotional life of his character. It was very important to him that that be the guiding thread of the story, and with it he is able to draw the audience through the complex story in a very clear fashion. That’s what great actors are able to bring to a project, and Leo made a massive contribution to the film. I think he is one of our finest actors and his performance in the film is extraordinary.”

Arthur – The Point Man
Cobb’s longtime and most trusted colleague is Arthur, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. While Cobb is the master planner, Arthur takes care of the details. Gordon-Levitt asserts, “Arthur is the organized one, the one making sure everything is in its right place. The way I see it, Cobb is the artist and Arthur is the producer.

He’s the one saying, ‘Okay, you have your vision; now I’m going to figure out how to make all the nuts and bolts work so you can do your thing.’ But as fastidious and professional as he is, Arthur didn’t want to apply his organizational skills to being a lawyer or doctor or any of the things he could have been because sharing dreams is fascinating. It’s not just a job for him. I think the technology of dream sharing is something that has inspired him since he first heard about it so, ultimately, it’s not the money he’s doing it for. He wouldn’t risk his life for a good paycheck. He loves it.”

Gordon-Levitt reveals that his character’s fascination with dreams is something they had in common. “I consider myself a creative person and dreams are where we’re all artists. Everything you do in a dream—everything you see, everything you hear, everyone you talk to—is your creation. That’s evidence of how powerful the creative mind could be if we were to let it, so it intrigued me to do a movie about dreams. You could call it a heist film, but I think of it more as a con artist film. I think of our characters as gentlemen thieves, and I identify with them because they are artists, or actors. They’re lying for a living…not just lying but manufacturing truth. They’re creating reality, and that’s what I do, too,” he smiles.

“Joe is a tremendous actor to work with—very charismatic, extremely dedicated, and also physically adept,” Nolan says. “He is a performer who doesn’t just find the internal life of the character but also projects the physical expression of that through his movements and expressions. And that’s good because there was definitely a very physical component to playing Arthur.”

Ariadne – The Architect
To manufacture the world of the dream, one of the most vital members of the team is the architect. Ellen Page portrays Ariadne, a brilliant student of architecture, who is approached by Cobb for a job, which, Page concedes, “isn’t necessarily legal, but she is propelled by an intellectual curiosity that makes her unable to pull herself away from such a unique opportunity.”

That opportunity is to design and build places that could not exist in reality. Page offers, “When Cobb brings Ariadne into his world, so to speak, she immediately displays a natural ability to think outside the box and broaden her mind enough to facilitate what he’s trying to accomplish. She ends up becoming even more involved in the job as she discovers what’s really going on with Cobb and learns about things he can’t control. But, despite the fears that arise, she wants to try and help him in order for the team to succeed.”

Nolan relates, “In writing the script for ‘Inception,’ it was very important to me that there be a conduit for the audience—a character who is being shown this world for the first time and is eager to explore it. That’s how the character of Ariadne was born. It was also very important for the audience to see Cobb through Ariadne’s eyes and get to the core of that character. And when I met with Ellen, she had the perfect combination of freshness and savvy and maturity beyond her years. She is an extraordinary performer with incredible creativity and an innate curiosity of her own and, therefore, naturally infused Ariadne with those qualities. Ellen was able to balance the emotional life of her character with the need for Ariadne to bring the audience in and show them the truth.”

Page says, “I was excited that Chris had written an awesome role for a young woman who is intelligent and comfortable in her own skin. She is thrust into this completely new environment and unusual situation and deals with it very eloquently. She can very much hold her own, especially in a group that’s a bit of a boys’ club,” she laughs.

Eames – The Forger
Unlike Ariadne, Eames is an old hand at dream sharing and has some history with Cobb, whether as allies or possibly even competitors. Tom Hardy plays the role of Eames, who, he notes, possesses surprising skills as a forger…and not just on paper. “In the dream world, Eames can project the image of anyone, so he’s actually forging an identity in a physical manifestation and can convince another person that he’s whomever the team needs him to be in order to aid their deception. What’s especially interesting for me about these characters is the idea of the antihero, the fact that what they are doing could be considered dishonorable, but you still root for them. That’s nice because it’s not just black and white; we have a lot of gray area to play in.”

Nolan says that, like his character, Hardy is something of a chameleon. “Tom is an actor who can absolutely jump into the skin of a character and inhabit a role, and he did that very effectively with Eames. He saw the potential of the character right away and brought a wonderfully cheeky quality to his performance, which I was delighted to see come through.”

Emma Thomas adds that there was also some comic relief in the banter played out by Hardy and Gordon-Levitt. “There is a fun dynamic between Eames and Arthur in the movie. Clearly, they have a rivalry that dates back before our story begins, but they also have a grudging admiration, even if they’d never admit it. They are a pretty funny duo to watch as the heist unfolds.”

Mal – The Shade
Mal, played by Marion Cotillard, is the love of Cobb’s life. “Mal is a tricky one to describe because she is a mix of so many things,” the actress says cryptically. “But maybe it’s the kind of thing you don’t describe because different people can have different interpretations.”

“Mal is the essence of the femme fatale,” states Nolan. “Marion brought an exceptionally haunting quality to her performance. What she was able to do with just her eyes and her emotional openness is quite beautiful. And she and Leo together portray an incredibly moving couple. Underneath all of the action, I think ‘Inception’ is very much founded on a love story, and these two actors found the truth of that in a most remarkable way.”

“Leo is such a gifted actor. I have always been a great fan of his work, so it was amazing to work with him,” Cotillard says. “His commitment is total and his intensity is unlimited. You can see it in his eyes. When you share a scene with him, you can trust everything he does because he’s so authentic.”
DiCaprio has equal praise for his co-star. “It was wonderful to act alongside Marion. She can be strong and vulnerable and hopeful and heartbreaking all in the same moment, which was perfect for all the contradictions of her character.”

Saito – The Tourist
Ken Watanabe portrays the role of Saito, a rich and powerful business magnate, who offers Cobb a very special job with a promise of payment more valuable than money. Simply put, if Cobb can give Saito what he wants, Saito will get Cobb home. There is only one condition: Saito wants to accompany Cobb’s team on the job to be sure he gets what he’s paying for. Thomas says, “We refer to him as ‘the tourist’ because he has no expertise, but uses his financial influence to join the group.”

Watanabe observes, “At first, it’s only a business relationship, but as the story continues, Saito and Cobb develop an understanding and a respect. They need each other.”

Nolan says that he created the role of Saito with Watanabe in mind. “I wrote the part specifically for Ken because I wanted to work with him again. I enjoyed directing him so much on ‘Batman Begins,’ but his role was smaller and we didn’t have a lot of time together. This time I made sure he had a bigger part. Ken is an extremely charismatic performer, a true movie star. He is a consummate actor who knows how to get the most out of every scene. It’s just a pleasure to watch him work.”

Robert Fischer – The Mark
The target of Saito’s business proposition is Robert Fischer, who is about to inherit control of his dying father’s multibillion-dollar empire. Cillian Murphy, who plays the part of Fischer, points out, “Despite his vast wealth, Robert is riddled with all sorts of insecurities, as one might expect of someone who has lived his entire life in the shadow of a hugely powerful individual. It doesn’t help that he has a very strained relationship with his father. So here you have a person who is about to inherit the world and is lacking for nothing except, perhaps, the thing he wants most: a proper relationship with his father.”

Thomas comments, “We were so happy to work with Cillian again. He’s a fantastic actor and he brought so much to his role. I think the character of Robert Fischer is especially interesting, because in a heist movie the mark isn’t always so multifaceted. But Robert becomes a very large part of the story’s emotional heart and a great deal of that is found in Cillian’s performance.”

Yusuf – The Chemist
One of the keys to carrying out Cobb’s operation is the use of a drug compound that enables multiple people to share different dream states. Dileep Rao appears as a chemist named Yusuf whom the actor describes as “an avant-garde pharmacologist, who is a resource for people, like Cobb, who want to do this work unsupervised, unregistered and unapproved of by anyone. Yusuf obviously has a monetary interest in helping Cobb, but he is also motivated by a burning curiosity. He has been experimenting with this stuff for so long and now he wants to see what it’s like.”

“The role of the chemist was particularly tough because you don’t want him to seem like some kind of drug dealer. He’s absolutely not,” says co-producer Jordan Goldberg. “He’s someone who is committed to the art of dream sharing and making it work in ways it hasn’t before. We needed Yusuf to be funny and interesting and obviously smart, and Dileep is all of those things.”

Completing the main cast of “Inception” is a trio of veteran actors who each play something of a paternal role to two of the characters.

Pete Postlethwaite is seen as Robert’s dying father, Maurice Fischer, while Tom Berenger takes on the part of Peter Browning, who is Maurice’s longtime legal counsel, as well as Robert’s godfather. In fact, Berenger calls Browning more of a “surrogate father” to Robert, emphasizing, “Robert even calls my character ‘Uncle Peter’ because Browning has been with him his whole life and has probably spent more quality time with him than his own father.” Michael Caine appears as Cobb’s father-in-law, Miles, who played a pivotal role in the younger man’s life. “Miles is a professor who taught Cobb about dream sharing,” Caine reveals. “Cobb ended up going against his advice and Miles doesn’t necessarily approve of what he’s done with that knowledge. But he still cares about him and worries about him all the time.”

Despite his disapproval, Miles also introduces Cobb to his most promising student, Ariadne. “He wants to help Cobb come home,” says Caine, “so, being a great judge of character, Miles makes an educated guess that she is the right one for the job and hopes for the best.”

Caine counts ‘Inception’ as his fourth film with Nolan, following “Batman Begins,” “The Prestige” and “The Dark Knight.” Nolan says, “It’s always good to have Sir Michael Caine in your film, and he was gracious enough to do this role for us. It’s a joy to have him on set.”

“As Michael says, he is our good luck charm,” Thomas smiles. “I don’t think we could make a film without him at this point.”

'Bran Nue Day' Trailer And Movie Poster Exclusive Showing In U.S.

2010-07-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

Synopsis:
Bran Nue Dae is a charming new Australian-based, music-driven road movie/romantic comedy starring Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush that literally bursts onto the screen with unbridled energy and fun. Loosely based on one of Australia ' s most beloved and popular musicals, Bran Nue Dae is a foot stomping tour-de-force centering on the romantic adventures of a young aboriginal couple set against the spectacularly beautiful Australian landscape.
MTV Australia calls Bran Nue Dae, "Hilarious...A Celebration. The Next Homegrown Cinema Classic." And The Sunday Mail called this Number One Australian Movie of the Year "An Exuberant Musical Road Movie!"
Directed by Rachel Perkins
Written by Reg Cribb, Rachel Perkins & Jimmy Chi
Based on the stage musical "Bran Nue Dae" by Jimmy Chi & Kuckles
Running Time: 88 minutes
Rating: Not Rated

Visit the official website: http://brannuedaemovie.com/
Become a fan: http://www.facebook.com/brannuedaemovie

'Salt' Movie Amazing Stunts By Angelina Jolie

2010-07-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

With Angelina Jolie in the lead role, the filmmakers were limited only by their imaginations when it came to the action and stunt sequences in the film. “Angelina is very much into doing all the action herself,” says Simon Crane, who directed the second unit and coordinated the stunts. Crane had collaborated with Jolie on many films prior to Salt, including Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Mr.& Mrs. Smith. “She’s really game for anything.”

“I think it’s great when a movie star is willing to put themselves out there because it makes you stay in the moment even more as an audience member,” says producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. “She’s pretty fearless.”

“I love doing action movies,” explains the actress. “I’ve always loved to run and jump around and be physical.”

Jolie felt particularly safe working with Crane not only because of their longstanding professional relationship but because Crane is simply one of the best in the business. “He started out as one of the great stuntmen,” says Noyce. “In Cliffhanger, there’s an amazing midair transfer – that was Simon. The greatest, most exciting war sequence I’ve ever seen – the D-Day sequence in Saving Private Ryan – that was coordinated by Simon. The greatest fight sequence I’ve ever seen – in Braveheart – choreographed by Simon. The greatest swordfight, in Troy – Simon. The guy is a living legend. He’s seen it all and done it all. He takes the audience by the seat of their pants and plunges them into the scene.”

Crane says he was gratified by the opportunity to re-team with Jolie. “She was always trying to find or come up with new ways of doing action,” he says.

In one major action sequence, Salt, cornered by her pursuers, makes a bold leap off a freeway overpass and lands on top of a moving truck on the highway below. Salt’s pursuers follow her in an SUV, and arrange a roadblock, forcing Salt to take some dramatic evasive actions in the middle of a six-lane thoroughfare.

Working from an animatronic storyboard designed over the previous months by Phillip Noyce, Crane and his team spent several weeks on the highways of Albany, New York, planning, rehearsing, and shooting this complex sequence. The Route 787 and Route 20 interchange next to downtown Albany matched DC’s highways, and caused little traffic disruption when exit and entrance ramps had to be closed for filming.

Crane, working closely with stunt coordinator Wade Eastwood and Jolie’s stunt double Eunice Huthart, planned the shot. “That’s really Angelina on top of the vehicles,” says Crane.

“I trust them so much with their rigs and harnesses,” says Jolie. “Instead of feeling scared, it’s like working with the circus for the day, and you get to play. They know me and they know what I can do, and what I’m not very good at.” Citing another sequence, in which the actress walks a ledge twelve stories up in her bare feet, she says, “I happen to like heights, so we’ve found these moments where I can use that.”

Jolie also worked with Crane and his team to develop the fight style that her character would employ. “Because I’m a girl and I’m light on my feet, we naturally went to styles like Muay Thai, which is very long and beautiful,” Jolie says. Muay Thai employs the “Art of Eight Limbs,” in which not only fists are used to make strikes, but also elbows, shins, and knees. “But then we realized it wasn’t as practical a fight if you have face-to-face combat, and it didn’t look as aggressive,” says the actress.

So Jolie and Crane and his team added Krav Maga, a more brutal form of fighting developed in Israel and used by the FBI and American special operations forces, to Salt’s fighting technique. “She fights secret service guards in the film,” notes Crane. “You can’t have her take those guys out too easily, or it would soften the whole film. Salt is very efficient – she doesn’t really want to kill anyone.”

“There’s a tremendous amount of running in this film, more than I care to mention,” jokes Schreiber. “Running in dress shoes and a suit – Harrison Ford always made that look so easy, but it is not easy. I spent the first two weeks of this film with shin splints, icing my legs every day.”

Ghost Write Exclusive Showing In Ayala Cinemas

2010-07-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Winner of the Best Director prize at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival, Roman Polanski’s critically acclaimed thriller The Ghost Writer will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4 &; Greenbelt 3) starting Wednesday, August 4,2010.

The mystery thriller, which was adapted from the bestselling novel The Ghost by Richard Harris, stars Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall and Olivia Williams.

In the film, when a successful British ghostwriter known only as The Ghost, (McGregor) agrees to complete the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Brosnan), his agent assures him it's the opportunity of a lifetime. But the project seems doomed from the start-not least because his predecessor on the project, Lang's long-term aide, died in an unfortunate accident.

The Ghost flies out to work on the project, in the middle of winter, to an oceanfront house on an island off the U.S. Eastern seaboard. But the day after he arrives, a former British cabinet minister accuses Lang of authorizing the illegal seizure of suspected terrorists and handing them over for torture by the CIA-a war crime. The controversy brings reporters and protesters swarming to the island mansion where Lang is staying with his wife, Ruth (Williams), and his personal assistant (and mistress), Amelia (Cattrall).

As The Ghost works, he begins to uncover clues suggesting his predecessor may have stumbled on a dark secret linking Lang to the CIA-and that somehow this information is hidden in the manuscript he left behind. Was Lang in the service of the American intelligence agency while he was prime minister? And was The Ghost's predecessor murdered because of the appalling truth he uncovered?

Resonating with topical themes, this atmospheric and suspenseful political thriller is a story of deceit and betrayal on every level- sexual, political and literary. In a world in which nothing, and no one, is as it seems, The Ghost quickly discovers that the past can be deadly-and that history is decided by whoever stays alive to write it.

Vampires Suck In Theaters August 2010

2010-07-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

At the heels of the phenomenal vampire tales come “Vampires Suck,” a parody of today’s hit teen flick from the outrageous minds of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer (“Date Movie,” “Epic Movie”).

“Vampires Suck” pools together talented comics headed by Ken Jeong (“Hangover”) with Matt Latner, Jenn Proske and Chris Riggi. The movie bites when Becca (Proske) finds herself in the midst of vampire-human-wolf love triangle, taking her deeper into teen angst and romance as she decides between Edward Sullen (Latner) the vampire and Jacob (Riggi) the werewolf. In the midst of being torn and before she finally decides between Edward and Jacob, Becca must get around her controlling father who manages to embarrass her at all times. Thanks to her set of friends who make her feel normal while contending with their own teen romantic issues headed for a smash in their most awaited prom.

“Vampires Suck” opens very soon in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Thor SDCC Movie Screen Caps

2010-07-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

Thor SDCC Movie will be showing May 2011 but here are some raw screen caps photos from the Thor SDCC Movie Trailer leaked at the Comicon Manhattan.

Thor SDCC Trailer

2010-07-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the 5 minute trailer of Thor SDCC. Watch the Thor SDCC trailer now while its hot and Marvel doesn't notice this leak yet. This came from Manhattan Entertainment Comicon trailer.

First And Official Trailer of Harry Potter Deathly Hollows

2010-06-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

The finale of the worldwide movie phenomenon is here, Harry Potter Deathly Hollows in two parts. Part 1 on November 2010, Part 2 in July 2011.

TOPHER GRACE GETS DEADLY IN “PREDATORS”

2010-06-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

Set to be the deadliest wild card in the all-new “Predators” movie, Topher Grace plays Edwin, a disgraced physician thrown in the predators’ planet for a hunting game along with Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne and Alice Braga directed by Nimrod Antal and produced/written by Robert Rodriguez.

Grace came to international prominence via his work in “Spider Man 3” as Venom, he was recently seen in the romantic comedy “Valentin’s Day opposite Anne Hathaway. His other film works include “Win A Date With Tad Hamilton,” “In Good Company” and “Traffic.” He started to be recognized earlier on with his television work in the long-running series “That 70s Show” in the US.

Yet, in the upcoming “Predators” to open July 8 (Thursday) in Philippine cinemas from 20th Century Fox, Grace takes on another challenge by playing duplicitous Edwin, a doctor with a mysterious past amidst a group of stone-cold killers thrown together to serve as preys.

Journeying on to his character’s dark side, Grace shares more of himself and of his role in the following q&a with Jorge Carreon of L.A. Examiner.com
Q: What’s a nice young man like you doing in a wicked place like this?
A. Robert Rodriguez! I’ve been a huge fan of his work since I was in high school. I saw “El Mariachi “and someone told me he made the film for $30,000 dollars. It was an amazing action film, so I’ve always wanted to be a part of something that he’s a part of. And the story has a big twist, which actors love to play. I was really interested in it being kind of a character piece; there’s more stuff for the actors to do. Then I saw “Kontroll” (director Nimrod Antal’s debut film) and thought, “This guy’s a killer director. “
Q: You've done special effects-driven movies before. What makes “Predators” unique?
A: The great thing about Nim and Robert’s work is that they really made a commitment at the beginning of this film to do as much with special effects as possible, and not with CGI. It’s the real thing, which helps a lot. An actor’s nightmare is standing in front of a green screen and you're looking at a tennis ball that's hanging there or a piece of tape and someone is saying, “It’s trying to kill you.” It’s easier when they have me running at 30 miles an hour away from a dog that's chasing me.
Q: Despite some rather harsh environments and the mayhem of the plot, the cast looks to be a rather solid group of friends .
A: Well, there’s a time where it gets really serious before we start rolling, but it is probably the most fun set I’ve ever been on. Adrien plays a leader in the film and is a great leader. He is really an egoless movie star.

Q: These films pose the question, how far would you go for your own survival?
A: I do not have the ability to do half the things these characters have the power to do. [laughs] I feel like I’d sprain my ankle and die within the first two minutes if I had to live through this story in real life. Edwin at his weakest is stronger than I am. I think what it really asks is, how much do you care about your fellow man? Everyone is out for their own survival, but it also says, “What is the point of being concerned about your own life’s worth when you're not concerned about others?”

Knight And Day World Premiere In Spain

2010-06-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

Seville, Spain –Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz’s action-comedy “Knight and Day” held its global gala last June 16 at Spain’s southern metropolis which capped the globe-trotting hopping publicity tour and press junket of the on-screen duo.

In “Knight and Day,” a woman (Diaz) learns a secret she was never meant to know when she becomes the reluctant partner to a covert operative (Cruise) on a mission he was never meant to complete. As their globetrotting adventure erupts into a maze of double-crosses, close escapes and false identities, they come to realize that all they can count on is each other.

Directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma), “Knight and Day” also stars Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, Maggie Grace, and Marc Blucas. The screenplay is by Patrick O’Neill and James Mangold, from a story by Patrick O’Neill. The producers are Cathy Konrad, Steve Pink and Todd Garner.

20th Century Fox releases “Knight and Day” on June 24 (Thursday) in theaters across the Philippines.

One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox Filmed Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of FFE: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.

'Toy Story 3' Escapes With Php55.9M In 4 Days In RP, Opens at No. 1

2010-06-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

MANILA, June 21 – Families and toy lovers propelled Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story 3” to a No. 1 opening in the Philippines -- garnering a buzz-worthy P55.9-million, four-day debut weekend gross nationwide for the June 17 to 20 period. This was announced today by Victor R. Cabrera, managing director of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Philippines which distributed the film.

Powered by overwhelmingly positive word-of-mouth, “Toy Story 3” broke the national, all-time biggest Saturday and Sunday box office records for an animated feature, scoring P20.2-million on Saturday, June 19 and P22-million on Sunday, June 20. (Previous record holder was “Shrek Forever After” with P17.5M Saturday and P19M Sunday.)

Studio-wise, the film posted the highest Saturday and Sunday grosses for a Disney feature (live action or animation), overtaking last month’s “Prince of Persia’s” P17.1-million Saturday and P18.8-million Sunday milestones.

The Tom Hanks-Tim Allen-starrer also shattered Disney/Pixar’s opening weekend record in the Philippines , beating the P46-M five-day bow of 2009’s “Up” by 21 percent and in only four days.
Post-screening feedback for “Toy Story 3” has been upbeat across-the-board, with audiences responding emotionally to the film’s heart-tugging conclusion. Reviews from local critics and movie bloggers have all been raves and clearly encouraging repeat viewership.

Hauling in the biggest receipts are SM Mall of Asia (P5.12-M), SM North EDSA (P3.96-M), Trinoma (P3.67-M), Power Plant (P2.61-M), SM Megamall (P1.90-M), Greenbelt 3 (P1.86-M), Glorietta 4 (P1.80-M), Shangri-la (P1.69-M), Eastwood (P1.48-M), and Alabang Town Center (P1.26-M).
Also showing impressive sales are Robinsons Ermita (P1.209-M), Gateway (P1.205-M), Festival (P1.152-M), SM Marikina (P1.151-M), Market! Market! (P1.09-M), Robinsons Galleria (P1.05-M), Sta. Lucia East (P 953,966), SM San Lazaro (P 940,062), SM Fairview (P 934,374) and SM Cebu (P 890,064).
In the U.S. , “Toy Story 3" scored the biggest-ever opening for Disney/Pixar, with an estimated box office haul of $109 million. It was the second biggest opening ever for a 3D film after “ Alice in Wonderland's” $116.1-million last March and the second highest for an animated film trailing “Shrek the Third's” $121.6 from 2007. Woody and Buzz also tied the $109M opening of last summer's “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” for number ten on the list of all-time biggest debuts.

Now playing across the Philippines in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular format, “Toy Story 3” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.

Win Tickets To 'The Karate Kid' Premiere

2010-06-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

In Columbia Pictures’ The Karate Kid, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could have been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother’s (Taraji P. Henson) career takes them both to China. Dre has a hard time making friends at first but he does make a connection with his classmate Mei Ying – and the feeling is mutual – until cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre makes an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. Dre knows only a little karate, and in the land of kung fu, Cheng puts “the karate kid” on the floor with ease. Feeling alone in a foreign land, Dre has no friends to turn to except the maintenance man, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan). Secretly a master of kung fu, Mr. Han and Dre begin to train together, building a friendship and moving toward a final showdown with Cheng at a kung fu tournament. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre learns that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.

Columbia Pictures presents an Overbrook Entertainment / Jerry Weintraub Production, in association with China Film Group Corporation, The Karate Kid. The film stars Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, and Taraji P. Henson. Directed by Harald Zwart. Produced by Jerry Weintraub, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, James Lassiter, and Ken Stovitz. Screenplay by Christopher Murphey. Story by Robert Mark Kamen. Executive Producers are Dany Wolf, Susan Ekins, and Han San Ping. Director of Photography is Roger Pratt, BSC. Production Designer is François Séguin. Editor is Joel Negron. Costume Designer is Han Feng. Co-Producer is Solon So. Music by James Horner. Music Supervision by Pilar McCurry.

Want to win tickets to The Karate Kid premiere on June 5, Saturday, at SM Megamall Cinema 6?

Answer this: "Where is the setting of the new Karate Kid movie?"

50th person to reply to this email with the correct answer wins!

e-mail answer at pr@smcinema.com

Photos from Columbia Pictures

American Idol Season 9 Finale Emotional

2010-05-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

The American Idol Season 9 Finale was an emotional one, it wasn't really about who will be the season's idol it was all about Simon Cowell exit at this talent show he, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson pioneered .

The Kiss lead singer Paul Stanley opened the show and got a standing ovation from the audience. Other big names appeared too like Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Alanis Morisette, Chicago, Michael Leers, The Beegees and so much more. Paula Abdul made an appearance too.

And finally winning over Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze is American Idol Season 9 grand champion.

All AI former finalists and winners from Season 1 to 8 were there like Kelly Clarkson, Jason Castro, Taylor Swift, Ruben Studdard.

Prince Of Persia : The Sands Of Time

2010-05-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

Set in the mystical lands of Persia, a rogue prince and a mysterious princess race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time -- a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world. Written by Walt Disney Pictures

Sex and the City 2 Premiere

2010-05-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

The fun, the friendship, the fashion: “Sex and the City 2” brings it all back and more as Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) take another bite out of The Big Apple—and beyond—carrying on with their busy lives and loves in a sequel that truly sparkles.

What happens after you say “I do?” Life is everything the ladies ever wished it to be, but it wouldn’t be “Sex and the City” if life didn’t hold a few more surprises…this time in the form of a glamorous, sun-drenched adventure that whisks the women away from New York to one of the most luxurious, exotic and vivid places on earth, where there’s something mysterious around every corner. It’s an escape that comes exactly at the right moment for the four friends, who are finding themselves in—and fighting against—the traditional roles of marriage, motherhood and more.

After all, sometimes you just have to get away with the girls.

Michael Patrick King wrote and directed “Sex and the City 2.” The film stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, with John Corbett and Chris Noth, as well as David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Jason Lewis, Willie Garson and Mario Cantone. King also produced the film with Sarah Jessica Parker, Darren Star and John Melfi. Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener and Marcus Viscidi served as executive producers. The film is based on the TV series created by Darren Star, based on characters from the book by Candace Bushnell.

The behind-the-scenes team includes such “Sex and the City” veterans as director of photography John Thomas, production designer Jeremy Conway, editor Michael Berenbaum, costume designer Patricia Field, and composer Aaron Zigman.

New Line Cinema Presents, in association with Home Box Office, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Darren Star Production, a film by Michael Patrick King, “Sex and the City 2,” released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and, in select territories, by Village Roadshow Pictures.

Sex and the City 2 will be shown in cinemas June 2, 2010

www.sexandthecity2movie.co.uk

“Knight and Day” Moves Up To June 24 Philippines Opening

2010-05-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

Shortening ‘fanticipation’ for the most awaited action-romantic movie of the year, the Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz film “Knight and Day” books to an earlier opening on June 24 (Thursday) in Philippine cinemas.

“Knight and Day” shoots into a series of high-octane events when June Havens (Diaz) accidentally bumps into Roy Miller (Cruise), a mysterious man who seems to have fallen out from the government’s secret service. Popping in and out of June’s life, Roy manages to pull June in a string of ballistic episodes that threaten their lives. Running away from every group who assures them of safety, Roy and June continue the globetrotting chase as they try to figure out the truth in order to survive.

The movie is directed by James Mangold (“3:10 to Yuma,” “Walk the Line”) from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Frank (“Minority Report,” “Out of Sight”). The film’s executive producers include blockbuster makers Joe Roth (“The Great Debaters”), E. Bennett Walsh (“Kill Bill”) and Arnon Milchan (“Mr. and Mrs. Smith”).

Also starring in the movie are Peter Sarsgaard (“An Education”) as a federal agent relentlessly pursuing the couple; Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as a CIA director trying to decipher the true purpose of their high-wire activities; Paul Dano (“There Will Be Blood”) as an eccentric genius behind a revolutionary technology; and Olivier Martinez (“Unfaithful”) as a ruthless arms manufacturer. Co-starring are Maggie Grace (“Taken”) and Marc Blucas (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”).

“Knight and Day” is a 20th Century Fox film to be distributed by Warner Bros. in the Phil. theaters.

Iron Man 2 Free Movie Download

2010-05-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

Watch and download Iron Man 2 movie at the comforts of your own home here for free!

Kick-Ass Movie Download

2010-05-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

Download Kick-Ass Movie for free here this is a very nice copy.

How To Train Your Dragon Full Movie Download

2010-05-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

Download a nice copy of the movie How To Train Your Dragon here.

A Nightmare On Elm Street 2010, Freddy Krueger

2010-05-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

Freddy Krueger 1984

Freddy Krueger 2010

A Nightmare On Elm Street Cast of Characters:

Jackie Earle Haley ... Freddy Krueger
Kyle Gallner ... Quentin Smith
Rooney Mara ... Nancy Holbrook
Katie Cassidy ... Kris Fowles
Thomas Dekker ... Jesse Braun
Kellan Lutz ... Dean Russell
Clancy Brown ... Alan Smith

'The Last Song' With Miley Cyrus Liam Hemsworth

2010-05-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Genre: Drama, Romance
Rated PG for thematic material, some violence, sensuality and mild language

The Last Song Movie Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Tybee Island, Georgia. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father ...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer on Tybee Island with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms - first love, the love between parents and children - that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts ...and heal them.

Cast:
Miley Cyrus ... Ronnie Miller
Greg Kinnear ... Steve Miller
Bobby Coleman ... Jonah Miller
Liam Hemsworth ... Will Blakelee
Hallock Beals ... Scott
Kelly Preston ... Kim
Nick Lashaway ... Marcus
Carly Chaikin ... Blaze
Kate Vernon ... Susan Blakelee
Melissa Ordway ... Ashley

Touchstone and Walt Disney Pictures

Showing in Philippine Cinemas May 12, 2010.

Patrick Stewart Will Not Return As Professor X In 'X-Men: First Class'

2010-05-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

Its official, X-Men First Class will be released next summer but its also likely we will see a whole new cast.

For one will no longer be returning as Professor X in X-Men: First Class. Professor X will be in the movie but the guy we've come to associate Professor X with, Patrick Stewart, says he may not be coming back to school. Patrick Stewart recently sat down with TrekMovie.com to discuss his former roles in the X-Men franchise and his potential to work in X-Men: First Class. Here's what he said:

"…working on X-Men with Sir Ian McKellen was “one of the best and most fun experiences” he has ever had, and that it was “the best job in the world” because every day he got to go to makeup and say good morning and give a kiss on the cheek to Halle Berry, Rebecca Romijn, Famke Janssen and Anna Paquin (and even Hugh Jackman). As for the future of X-Men, Stewart talked about the upcoming young Magneto & Xavier film (joking they were going to hire 8-year olds), but he doesn’t expect to be involved."

We saw Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen all youthful as Professor X and Magneto during the opening scenes of X-Men: The Last Stand can't do that again for X-Men: First Class? Arrghhh! Some of the DimeWars staff are so extreme, they're willing to boycott X-Men: First Class until we get a clear statement from the movie studio that they're keeping the original Professor X.

Kick Ass Director To Direct X-Men: First Class

2010-05-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

A release date a 'Kick-Ass' director and a different cast members.

These are just among the on-going rumors about the latest installment of Marvel's most popular mutant superhero movie series The X-Men but only two things were confirmed, that Matthew Vaughn 'Kick Ass' director will soon trade superhero wannabes for the real deal when he gets behind the camera for 'X-Men: First Class.'

The 20th Century Fox film about the early years of Marvel's popular mutants received a director and release date this week, according to Variety. The report confirmed earlier rumors regarding Vaughn's attachment to the project and set the release date for the film as June 3, 2011.

Production is expected to begin this summer, with "X-Men" and "X2: X-Men United" director Bryan Singer producing "First Class" alongside Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg.

"I've been a fan of Matthew's since 'Layer Cake,' " Singer said in a statement regarding the announcement. "He has a deft hand with multiple characters and storylines, and a great love of the X-Men universe. I feel the combination of this story and his vision will make for an exciting and original X-Men film."

"X-Men: First Class" is expected to focus on younger versions of Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr (played by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, respectively, in the original franchise), before Xavier established his school for mutants and Lensherr adopted the name Magneto. The plot will explore the events that led up to the rift between the two characters.

No cast has been announced at this point for "X-Men: First Class."

" 'X-Men: First Class' presents an exciting opportunity to further explore the history and relationships of these beloved characters," said Emma Watts, Fox president of production. "Matthew's combination of talent, verve and vision is perfectly suited to the task."

Chris Brown defends singing at Mayweather-Mosley fight

2010-05-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

Chris Brown has defended his decision to sing the national anthem at the boxing match between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Shane Mosley over the weekend - following a raft of criticism.

The singer took the mic before the fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night to belt out "The Star-Spangled Banner," but his performance was met with a muted reaction from the crowd at the Palms Hotel.

Brown's appearance at the event was also met with criticism from online bloggers, who slammed the decision to give the hitmaker a star turn at a boxing match, following his conviction for assaulting ex-girlfriend Rihanna last year.

And the "Kiss Kiss" star addressed the controversy with a series of posts on his Twitter page.

He writes, "I'm human. How many of u r (sic) perfect? If there is no forgiveness, there is no change... I'm humbled by everything. If I wasn't somewhat sane and loved my fans and music so damn much I would give up, but that's not why I was put on this earth... you'll see!"

The posts have since been removed.

David Boreanaz had the 'Bones' to admit affair

2010-05-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

So what's up with the male celebrities coming out in the open regarding their past affairs? Do they really think coming clean will repair an already broken trust? I don't think so.

TV hit show star and former "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Angel David Boreanaz joins the bad boys club after admitting he cheated with his wife.

He reveals he has been unfaithful to his wife, Jaime Bergman, and the two are currently trying to save their marriage - after a former mistress threatened to go public with their affair.

He confesses, "Our marriage has been tainted with my infidelities. I just want to be open and honest. I was irresponsible.

"I was associated with a woman who I was involved with and had a relationship with. She asked for money. I felt as though I was being blackmailed or there was some sort of extortion."

Boreanaz joins Tiger Woods and Sandra Bullock's estranged husband Jesse James on the list of famous bad boys who have been forced to come clean about their infidelities in recent months.

The actor hopes the mistakes he has made don't end his marriage: "We're working on repairing what has been damaged so badly."

Boreanaz and actress Bergman have an eight-year-old son, called Jaden Rayne, and a daughter, Bardot Vita Boreanaz, who was born last summer.

This is his second marriage. His first union with Ingrid Quinn ended in divorce after just two years in 1999.

'A-Team' Reboot

2010-05-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

The world’s most wanted covert team from the 80’s phenomenal television series “The A-Team” reboots as an explosive action extravaganza onto the big screen starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Jessica Biel.

This time, the A-Team having hailed from the recent Iraq war become renegades headed by master tactician Col. Hannibal Smith (Neeson) along with Lt. Templeton ‘Faceman’ Peck (Bradley Cooper), Capt. ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock (Sharlto Copley) and Sgt. Bosco ‘B.A.’ Baracus (Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson) are being pursued by the government’s Lt. Sosa (Biel) for a crime framed by an unknown influential military personnel.

Joe Carnahan (“Narc,” “Smokin’ Aces”) directs from a screenplay by Skip Woods (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”). In a recent interview with latimes.com, Carnahan explained that the “A-Team’ film is hardly a by-the-book big-screen rendering of the series. Where the original Alpha Unit was a squad of disgraced Vietnam war vets, the new team is made up of covert operatives who ran missions during the most recent Iraq war and get hung out to dry for crimes they didn’t commit. This adaptation is more in the spirit of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman’ update.”

Moreso, Carnahan shares that “While I like the TV show, I didn’t think it was any great shakes in terms of heavy drama. You could take that story and have it translate into the present day with more success. Like that of Sharlto Copley’s “Howlin’ Mad” Murdock character that had been similarly updated for modern audiences. If you tried to put that show out today, you wouldn’t get away with what they got away with before. I mean, Murdock for what passed as crazy 25 years ago doesn’t hold up nowadays. So you have to reevaluate things like ‘crazy.’”

“A-Team” will hit theaters June 11 (Friday) in the Phils. to be distributed by Warner Bros.

'Marmaduke' Unleashed

2010-05-04T06:58:00.000-07:00

In the tradition of its family-oriented live-CGI blockbuster “Alvin and the Chipmunks” and “Garfield” movies, 20^th Century Fox unleashes “Marmaduke,” a 1954 comic strip on the world’s most gregarious Great Dane starring Academy Award nominee William H. Macy, Judy Greer andLee Pace with a voice cast that includes Owen Wilson, Kiefer Sutherland, Amanda Seyfried,Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Black Eyed Peas’ Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson.

Tom Dey, who gave us the hilarious “Shanghai Noon” and romantic comedy “Failure to Launch” once again lends his comedic paw prints in “Marmaduke” where the story embarks on the wacky misadventures of the Winslow family with their beloved Great Dane Marmaduke (voiced by Owen Wilson).

In the movie Phil (Lee Pace) and Debbie (Judy Greer) Winslow queasily move in to a new neighborhood, their hyper-driven canine Marmaduke sees the move as a whole new leash for more exploration. As Marmaduke explores his vast new surrounding, he finds himself in the middle of an ongoing battle of fitting in and wooing his newfound purebred love.

"We've approached the movie like a John Hughes movie with dogs," Dey says in an interview from USA Today. "The dog park is like high school for dogs. To make this kind of movie, you really have to understand that it is the dog's world and we just live in it." The story in Marmaduke will be told from the viewpoint of the dog - like Scooby Doo, but hopefully not as bad. "Marmaduke is a teenager, and he's trying to find his way in the world," Dey further explains. "It's a boy-meets-girl story, a coming-of-age and cautionary tale."

Whacks of family fun unleashes when “Marmaduke”opens June 4 in theaters from 20^thCentury Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Knight And Day Latest Trailer

2010-04-23T04:09:00.000-07:00

20th Century Fox releases the latest trailer of “Knight and Day” that tracks Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz in a superlative of stunts as they play a fugitive couple racing across the globe.

“Knight and Day” was briefly introduced to the movie viewing public months back when its first trailer played in theaters and on the blogosphere depicting Tom Cruise as a mysterious man clad in jeans, shirt and a jacket stalking the panic-stricken Cameron Diaz who had been thrown in a cycle of cutthroat events that threaten her life.

An action-comedy that begins when a small-town woman (diaz) has a chance encounter with a mysterious man (cruise). He is either the man of her dreams or perhaps, her nightmares. Also starring in “Knight and Day” are Peter Sarsgaard (“An Education”) as a federal agent relentlessly pursuing the couple; Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as a CIA director trying to decipher the true purpose of their high-wire activities; Paul Dano (“There Will Be Blood”) as an eccentric genius behind a revolutionary technology; and Olivier Martinez (“Unfaithful”) as a ruthless arms manufacturer. Co-starring are Maggie Grace (“Taken”) and Marc Blucas (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”).
The movie is directed by James Mangold (“3:10 to Yuma,” “Walk the Line”) from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Frank (“Minority Report,” “Out of Sight”). The film’s executive producers include blockbuster makers Joe Roth (“The Great Debaters”), E. Bennett Walsh (“Kill Bill”) and Arnon Milchan (“Mr. and Mrs. Smith”).

One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox Filmed Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of FFE: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.
“Knight and Day” opens in the Philippines on July 7 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Sex And The City 2 Official Movie Poster

2010-04-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Oh yes! This is it the official and your first look at Sex and the City 2 movie poster coming in theaters May 27, 2010! Here Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) is strutting her stuff on the deserts of Abu Dhabi where she and the rest of the girls -- Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) -- go on a fabulous adventure together. Don't fear ladies, as New York is still in the movies, just look at the glasses.
SATC 2 extended version movie trailer: