PH BLOG ➹

F rom Martin Campbell, the director of “The Mask of Zorro” and “Casino Royale” comes Warner Bros.' new action adventure “Green Lantern,” the first motion picture adaptation of the popular comic book. “It’s a comic book, but you have to treat this material seriously,” says Campbell. “I mean, technically, it’s very different, and it’s difficult and all of that, but I approach it with the same seriousness as I would approach Hamlet.”

N ew comedy sensation Zach Galifianakis reprises his breakout role of Alan from the 2009 blockbuster “The Hangover” in Warner Bros.' highly anticipated sequel, “The Hangover Part II.” A self-described “stay-at-home son,” Galifianakis’ Alan embodies what director Todd Phillips finds funny in male relationships. “Women have a much more elegant way in their relationships,” the director states. “But there’s an awkwardness to the way men behave that is exemplified in these movies by how left-footed Alan is around the guys. The reality is that Alan’s best friends are probably his dad, his mom and his dog. He so badly wants human connection that he always overdoes it.”

F rom Walt Disney Pictures comes the dramatic comedy “Prom,” where every couple has a story and no two are exactly alike. “Prom” portrays the precarious passage from high school to independence as some relationships unravel and others ignite as the big dance approaches. For Nova Prescott (Aimee Teegarden), it’s a battle of wills as she finds herself drawn to the guy (Thomas McDonell) who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Fellow seniors Mei (Yin Chang) and Tyler (De’Vaughn Nixon) harbor secrets, while others face all the insecurity and anticipation that surrounds one of high school’s most seminal events. There are hundreds of nights in high school, but there’s only one “Prom.”

P laying Angelica, the first-ever female pirate in Disney's “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” was just one of the lures for Penélope Cruz, an Academy Award®–winning actress of international repute and it didn’t hurt that Cruz was already an admirer of the entire franchise. “I’m a very big fan of the first three movies,” she confesses, “and of what Johnny Depp did in those movies. This is a great adventure for any actor to be a part of. It’s an adventure every day; you can never be bored.”

X -MEN: FIRST CLASS is a new beginning for the X-Men. The story is by Sheldon Turner, an Academy Award nominee for co-scripting Up in the Air, and Bryan Singer – whose work as the director of the first two films in the series, X-Men and X2: X-Men United, was hailed by critics and audiences around the world for their skillful and seamless blending of drama, action, scale and social-political themes. Singer’s X-Men films became a template for the resurgence in comics- to-movie adaptations, and landmarks in the new age of superhero films.

B efore Charles (James McAvoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers. “X-Men: First Class” brings together the epic scale and action of a summer blockbuster with a character-driven story that unveils the beginning of the X-Men saga. As the first class discovers, harnesses, and comes to terms with their formidable powers, alliances are formed that will shape the eternal war between the heroes and villains of the X-Men universe.

F rom the director of “A Night at the Museum” comes DreamWorks Pictures’ “Real Steel,” a gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone high-tech. DreamWorks has just released the film’s newest trailer which you can watch at this link: http://youtu.be/KaacCiGkUcg.

W arner Bros. has just shared the first trailer and poster of its upcoming horror thriller, “Final Destination 5,” the second of the Final Destination films to be shot in 3D. Take your first look at the teaser poster below and the teaser trailer at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwqXLPJNaY0&feature=channel_video_title.

B radley Cooper (“Limitless,” “The A-Team”) reunites with director Todd Phillips and the cast of 2009’s Golden Globe-winning smash hit “The Hangover” in Warner Bros.’ eagerly awaited sequel, “The Hangover Part II.” In the film, Phil (Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. With the memory of Doug’s nearly disastrous bachelor party in Las Vegas still fresh—or at least well-documented—Stu is taking no chances. He has opted for a safe, subdued, pre-wedding trip brunch, with pancakes, coffee…and no alcohol. However, things don’t always go as planned.

B ringing the enduringly popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, Warner Bros.' new action adventure “Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) in the title role, under the direction of Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”).

T hey both found fame playing vampires. Now, Cam Gigandet (“Twilight”) and Stephen Moyer (HBO’s “True Blood”) are on the opposite side of the fence fighting bloodsuckers in Columbia Pictures’ new supernatural action-thriller “Priest.” Based on the popular graphic novel series written by Min-Woo Hyung, “Priest” is set in an alternate world -- one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest (Paul Bettany) from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece, Lucy (Lily Collins), is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on an obsessive quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend, Hicks (Gigandet), and a former Warrior Priestess (Maggie Q) who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.

I n “The Hangover,” the Las Vegas shenanigans of the Wolfpack – Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and Justin Bartha -- stayed in Vegas. This time, in “The Hangover Part II,” the gang travels to exotic Thailand for a bachelor party that’s supposed to be subdued and safe. However, things don’t always go as planned. “The Hangover” was released in 2009 and took the world by storm—becoming the highest-grossing R-Rated comedy of all time and winning the Golden Globe for Best Picture-Musical or Comedy. Though the laughs were nonstop, it was not just the jokes that made it so appealing; it was a group of actors who were believable as friends and whose chemistry onscreen just clicked.

2 011’s most anticipated prequel “X-Men: First Class” strikes high in amperage as its opening approaches – June 2 in Phil. theaters! “X-Men: First Class” refracts to the time when Charles Xavier aka Professor X who can control minds and Erik Lensherr aka Magneto who has the power to control magnetism are close friends who have started to discover their powers the first time. They began as closest of friends working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new) to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. Made to work together in a forthcoming globally critical event, a rift between them ensued in the process. Thus began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-MEN that puts an end to their friendship, marking the beginning of their lifelong rivalry.

T wo Filipino-American actors join Johnny Depp in his quest for the Fountain of Youth in Walt Disney Pictures’ “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.” They are Daphne Joy and Michael Rosales, who play a mermaid and a pirate on the Queen Anne’s Revenge, respectively. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise—this time in Disney Digital 3D™. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penélope Cruz), Jack Sparrow (Depp) is not sure if it’s love—or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica.

W hen Priest (Paul Bettany) defies the orders of the Clergy by leaving the city on a perilous quest to save his niece from a murderous pack of vampires, the Council of Monsignors dispatches a team of warrior priests to bring him back, in Columbia Pictures' new supernatural thriller “Priest.” For the role of Priestess, the group’s leader, the filmmakers chose Maggie Q, a Hawaiian-born actress who brought martial arts skills honed in in several Hong Kong action films. No stranger to Hollywood action roles, she’s starred in “Mission: Impossible III,” alongside Tom Cruise, and “Live Free or Die Hard,” with Bruce Willis.

W arner Bros. has intensified its campaign for the upcoming 3D action adventure “Green Lantern” by releasing the film's international one-sheet and banner. Take your first look at the said materials here and have a green overload! “ Green Lantern ” stars Ryan Reynolds (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) in the title role, under the direction of Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”).

A larger-than-life Jack Sparrow, in his three-dimensional swashbuckling glory? Get this and more when Walt Disney Pictures' “Pirates of the Cariibean: On Stranger Tides” sails to theaters in full, immersive 3D. "On Stranger Tides" is the first "Pirates" flick shot with digital 3-D cameras. The filmmakers make good use of the 3-D imagery in action sequences, which include a shot where Penelope Cruz's character, Angelica, tries to stab Depp's Capt. Jack through a closed door, her sword leaping off the screen right at the audience.

From left – Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Clark Gregg (SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow) Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye), Mark Ruffalo ( Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk), and writer/Director Joss Whedon. P roduction has commenced today in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated movie “Marvel’s The Avengers,” directed by Joss Whedon (“Serenity”) from a screenplay by Whedon. The film will continue principal photography in Cleveland, Ohio and New York City. Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) returns as the iconic Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”) as Thor, Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) as Captain America, Jeremy Renner (“Thor,” “The Hurt Locker”) as Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo (“The Kids Are Alright”) as Hulk, Scarlett Johansson (“Iron Man 2”) as Black Widow...

A teenage girl goes out into the world for the first time – and has to battle for her life, in Columbia Pictures' adventure thriller “Hanna.” Directed by Joe Wright (“Atonement,” “Pride & Prejudice”), the film stars Eric Bana (“The Time Traveler's Wife”), Cate Blancheet (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) and Saoirse Ronan (“Atonement”). In the film, Hanna (Ronan) is 16 years old. She is bright, inquisitive, and a devoted daughter. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a solider; these come from being raised by her widowed father Erik (Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of North Finland.

A cademy Award® winner Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson bring to life an epic tale of forbidden love in a magical bygone era filled with adventure, wonder and great danger in the Francis Lawrence helmed “Water For Elephants” based from the bestselling book of the same title by Sara Gruen.