PH BLOG ➹

E ric Bana was first introduced to American audiences in the title role of Mark “Chopper” Read in the feature film Chopper , which premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival and was then released in the U.S. to critical notice after its Australian success. Bana earned awards from the Film Critics Circle of Australia and the Australian Film Institute for his portrayal of Chopper. Bana was seen co-starring in Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down as Delta Sergeant First Class Norm “Hoot” Gibson, one of a group of elite U.S. soldiers, opposite Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and Tom Sizemore.

2 0th Century Fox releases the latest international trailer of “ Epic ” from Chris Wedge based on the book by William Joyce “The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs.”

T he Weinstein Company's critically-acclaimed crime comedy “ Killing Them Softly ” starring Brad Pitt will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma) starting Dec. 5. In the film, three dumb guys who think they’re smart rob a Mob-protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse. Pitt plays the enforcer hired to track them down and restore order.

C hris Pine who has emerged as one of Hollywood’s hottest young actors, is currently shooting “Jack Ryan,” slated for a December 2013 release, assuming the mantle of the Tom Clancy action hero previously portrayed on film by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck. This holiday season Chris Pine provides the voice of the character of Jack Frost , a ghostly blue and white 14-year-old boy with no memory of his past apart from waking up one night floating in a frozen lake. “They know Jack as a troublemaker, as this immature kind of guy,” says director Peter Ramsey, and by all appearances, he is. Jack is a 300-year-old prankster in a 17-year-old body, with the power to create frost, wind and snow. Happiest when he’s causing havoc, controlling winter with a swing, tap or touch of his staff, to him, a successful day is measured by how many snowballs he’s thrown, how many windows have been fogged and how many schools have closed after it’s been declared a snow day. He has no resp...

T he first photo of Tom Cruise as Lt. Col. Bill Cage in the upcoming epic sci-fi thriller “ All You Need is Kill ” has been released by Warner Bros. Also starring Emily Blunt, the film is currently being directed by Doug Liman (“The Bourne Identity”). “All You Need is Kill” unfolds in a near future in which a hive-like alien race, called Mimics, have hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, shredding great cities to rubble and leaving millions of human casualties in their wake. No army in the world can match the speed, brutality or seeming prescience of the weaponized Mimic fighters or their telepathic commanders. But now the world’s armies have joined forces for a last stand offensive against the alien horde, with no second chances.

E mmy and Golden Globe-winner Jane Lynch (“Glee”) lends her voice to Sergeant Tamora Calhoun, the woman who runs the platoon of soldiers in the popular game Hero’s Duty, in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 3D adventure comedy “ Wreck-It Ralph .” In the sci-fi battle zone of Hero’s Duty, Sergeant Calhoun is more than just a pretty face—she is the tough-as-nails, take-charge leader who fights for humanity’s freedom. When she’s not offering in-game intel, she’s training her troops for the next attack wave. This unrelenting commander is driven by a personal vendetta and will stop at nothing to protect the player and the arcade from a virulent Cy-Bug invasion.

D isney/Pixar's “ Finding Nemo ” returns to the big screen—for the first time ever in thrilling Disney Digital 3D™—introducing a whole new generation to the stunning underwater adventure. Director Andrew Stanton, a two-time Oscar® winner for “Finding Nemo” and 2008’s “WALL•E,” says that the 3D version of the film is breathtaking—literally. “Watching the first few scenes from ‘Finding Nemo’ in 3D was like I’d never seen a 3D movie before,” says Stanton. “It took my breath away. It felt like I was more underwater. It makes the scary moments scarier. It makes the beautiful moments more beautiful. It really drops you deeper into the story. It just amplifies everything.”

T he third staging of the movie-marathon endurance challenge Star Movies Triathlon saw five winners sharing the coveted title. An interesting mix of yuppies and students won over the contest made more difficult by the fact that two other types of endurance challenges were added apart from the movie marathon itself. The winners were Ria Hernandez , a 28-year old interior designer, Cathleen Anderson , a restaurant owner in her early twenties, students Natalia Ortega and Dominic Cruz , and another young movie buff Lesly Yiu .

I n the new James Bond 007 adventure “ Skyfall ,” two Bond women complicate matters for the British super spy. They are played by Naomie Harris (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest”) and French actress Berenice Marlohe . Daniel Craig who plays Bond says “We’ve just been blessed with a terrific cast. The casting of the girls: Naomie and Bérénice – finding two exceptionally beautiful women who are very serious actresses and who are intelligent and work hard. For me, it has been a joy.”

B ruce Willis returns in his most iconic role as John McClane - the “real” hero with the skills and attitude to always be the last man standing. This time the take-no-prisoners cop is really in the wrong place at the wrong time after traveling to Moscow to help his estranged son Jack. With the Russian underworld in pursuit, and battling a countdown to war, the two McClanes discover that their opposing methods make them unstoppable heroes. "A Good Day to Die Hard” opens February 13 in theaters nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

C olumbia Pictures has just debuted the teaser trailer of “Evil Dead,” the much anticipated remake of Sam Raimi's 1981 cult-hit horror film “ The Evil Dead ,” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnTtPTMyCWU. In the new movie, five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin where they discover a Book Of The Dead and unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival. A core cast of young, fresh talent includes Jane Levy (“Suburgatory”) as Mia; Shiloh Fernandez (“Deadgirl,” “Red Riding Hood”) as David; Lou Taylor Pucci (“Carriers”) as Eric; Jessica Lucas (“Cloverfield”) as Olivia and Elizabeth Blackmore (“Legend of the Seeker”) as Natalie.

F ans around the world are invited to tune-in and participate in a live chat with Hugh Jackman and director James Mangold from the set of The Wolverine in Sydney, Australia. This extraordinary event will take place on Monday, October 29th at 1:00 pm PT (Los Angeles time) / Tuesday, October 30th at 4:00am (Philippines) on YouTube at www.youtube.com/thewolverinemovie and the film’s official website at www.TheWolverineMovie.com. Marvel’s own Agent M will host and provide fans special access to this highly anticipated movie.

E mmy-nominated comedienne Sarah Silverman lends her voice to Vanellope von Schweetz , a scrappy little girl who’s the first to spot Ralph when he crash-lands in the Sugar Rush arcade-game in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 3D comedy adventure “ Wreck-It Ralph .” Known as “The Glitch,” Vanellope is a pixelating programming mistake in the candy-coated cart-racing game Sugar Rush. With a racer’s spirit embedded in her coding, Vanellope is determined to earn her place in the starting lineup amongst the other racers. Only problem: the other racers don’t want her or her glitching in the game. Years of rejection have left Vanellope with a wicked sense of humor and a razor-sharp tongue. However, somewhere beneath that hard shell is a sweet center just waiting to be revealed.

A cademy Award-nominee John C. Reilly (“Chicago”) breathes life to Ralph, a heavy-handed wrecking riot with a heart, in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 3D animated adventure, “Wreck-It Ralph.” For 30 years—day in, day out—Wreck-It Ralph has been doing his job as “The Bad Guy” in the arcade game Fix-It Felix Jr. But it’s getting harder and harder to love his job when no one seems to like him for doing it. Suffering from a classic case of Bad-Guy fatigue and hungry for a little wreck-ognition, Ralph embarks on a wild adventure across an incredible arcade-game universe to prove that just because he’s a Bad Guy, it doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy. Reilly was called on to provide the voice of Ralph. “When we were talking about making the main character a ‘bad guy,’” says director Rich Moore, “we knew we needed someone the audience could get behind—support and love—even though he’s kind of rough around the edges. John inhabits the characters he plays and he connects to the h...

C aught between accidental and intended hits, Sean Hayes stars as Larry in the hilarious comedy “ The Three Stooges .” Spanning more than twenty-five years since they appeared on television slapping and poking their way in 190 original comedies, the Stooges are about to be seen in a whole new dimension on the big screen. In “ The Three Stooges ,” Larry, Curly and Moe are released into the wild city landscape after spending half of their lives in an orphanage. Out to save the orphanage and raise the money to save the only home they know, they decide to tackle the world outside the only way they know how.

A s Spain's most internationally acclaimed actor, Javier Bardem has captivated audiences worldwide with his diverse performances. In 2008, Bardem received the Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actor for his chilling portrayal of sociopath killer, Anton Chigurh, in Joel and Ethan Coen's No Country for Old Men. Now, Bardem plays Silva, the man who puts MI6 – Britain's secret intelligence agency -- at risk, in Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures' “ Skyfall ,” the 23rd 007 James Bond installment which is the longest-running film franchise in history.

D irector Sacha Gervasi brings to life Alfred Hitchcock, an iconic and beloved filmmaker of all time in “ Hitchcock ” starring an all-ensemble cast where Anthony Hopkins plays the titular character along with Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, James D’Arcy and Toni Collette. “Hitchcock,” clearly a movie within a movie buzzes about early for the yearly awaited Oscars – bringing the iconic director’s love story to the fore while filming the classic, seminal horror movie “Psycho.” Hitchcock’s wife and partner Alma Reville will be played by Helen Mirren.

W alt Disney Pictures has revealed the comprehensive character guide of its upcoming animated feature “Wreck-It Ralph” showcasing each of the film's four main "levels." “ Wreck-It Ralph ” takes moviegoers on a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping journey in which Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly)—tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, Jr. (voice of Jack McBrayer), the “good guy” star of their game—sets off on a quest to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero. The film also features the voices of Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman.

F ilmmaking is about taking risks, says Erik Matti , writer and director of the biggest horror adventure of 2012, Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles . What else would you call the movie’s astronomical budget, the decision to shoot it entirely on green screen and have a bad boy character as the film’s main protagonist? The concept immediately appealed to lead actor Dingdong Dantes who is playing against type in this project. “Collaborating with Erik Matti and executive producer Dondon Monteverde allowed me to break out of the stereotype of my roles on TV and in the movies.”

I n approaching Columbia Pictures’ “Skyfall,” the 23rd James Bond adventure, the filmmakers were very attuned to the fact that 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of James Bond on film. They were determined that this entry in the longest-running film franchise in history would deliver everything that has made Bond, Bond: heart-stopping action, scene-stealing villains, beautiful Bond women, exotic locations, a killer theme, the Aston Martin DB5… and, of course, 007 himself, played by Daniel Craig. But a Bond film is not a collection of puzzle pieces; these elements combine – like gin and vermouth, shaken, not stirred – to serve the story. For “Skyfall,” bringing it all together is Academy Award®-winner Sam Mendes. “I knew that Sam would put everything behind it,” says Craig, who marks his third film as Bond. “He would put all of his knowledge of movie making behind it, but also his knowledge and love of Fleming and Bond.”

T aken 2 opened (Oct. 4) to a very strong weekend in the Philippines, dominating the local box-office with its 4-day nationwide opening weekend at P64.82 million. The figure translates to an astounding 60% slice of the domestic market nationwide who came to see Neeson return as Bryan Mills, an ex-CIA whose special skills are unmatched and stops at nothing to protect his family. “ Taken 2 ’s” 4-day opening weekend at Metro Manila with a box-office of P46.32million alone amassed higher, ten times more than its predecessor. With its current box-office, Neeson’s “Taken 2” took in new records and is now the Biggest Opening Weekend for a Fox film this year. It also etched in as the 7th Biggest Opening Weekend for a Fox film All Time and is so far the 3rd Biggest 4-Day Opening Weekend for a Fox film All Time.

B en Affleck directs and stars in Warner Bros.’ acclaimed thriller “ Argo ” in which he plays real-life CIA “exfiltration” specialist Tony Mendez, an expert in getting people out of hostile spots. “Argo” chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis, focusing on the little-known role that the CIA and Hollywood played—information that was not declassified until many years after the event.

E mily Blunt (“The Devil Wears Prada”) stars opposite Ewan McGregor in BBC Films' inspirational comedy “ Salmon Fishing in the Yemen ,” directed by Lasse Halstrom (“Chocolat”) and penned by Oscar®-winning screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (“Slumdog Millionaire”). “Salmon Fishing” opens exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma) on Oct. 10. In the film, a visionary sheik (Amr Waked) believes his passion for the peaceful pastime of salmon fishing can enrich the lives of his people, and he dreams of bringing the sport to the not so fish-friendly desert. Willing to spare no expense, he instructs his representative (Blunt) to turn the dream into reality, an extraordinary feat that will require the involvement of Britain's leading fisheries expert (McGregor) who happens to think the project both absurd and unachievable.

H elping Ben Affleck's character in Warner Bros.' new thriller “Argo” mount the daring and covert mission to rescue six Americans trapped in Iran, following the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy, is a trio of unlikely accomplices played by Bryan Cranston, John Goodman and Alan Arkin. On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.

T he Three Stooges debuted on the big screen in the 1930 black-and-white feature, "Soup to Nuts," in which they appeared opposite veteran vaudevillian Ted Healy (1896-1937). It was Healy who accidentally discovered the Howard brothers (Moses and Samuel Horwitz, nicknamed, respectively, Moe and Shemp) during a 1922 stage performance in Brooklyn (the third member, Larry Fine, whose birthname was Louis Feinberg, came into the fold in 1925). Initially billed as "Ted Healy and His Stooges," the concept had the trio (Moe, Larry and Shemp) act as foils, or "stooges" to Healy's jokes. It may have been Healy telling the jokes, but The Stooges were getting all the laughs. With the renewed popularity of the comedy trio in syndicated television in recent years, it made sense to revive the franchise in a brand new motion picture.

C olumbia Pictures has just unveiled a “ Skyfall ” video blog that highlights Naomie Harries and Berenice Marlohe, the new `Bond women' in the film. The featurette can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsh7I-QPVXI&list=UU9vXJYvgswrEHfNveILWM2Q&index=1&feature=plcp. In this “vlog” at the making of "Skyfall," the upcoming 23rd James Bond film, the new Bond women took the challenge of being beautiful, strong and stylish at the same time. Harris -- who can be seen driving, shooting, and sultrily shaving Bond's face -- says, "I don't think it's enough to just look pretty anymore. That may well have been true in the past, but certainly not now."

T HE CROODS teaser poster has arrived! The Croods will open March 30, 2013 in Philippine cinemas -- from DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox! It will star Nicolas Cage , Ryan Reynolds , Catherine Keener, Emma Stone , Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman. The film is set in the prehistoric era, when a man's position as a "Leader of the Hunt" is threatened by the arrival of a prehistoric genius who comes up with revolutionary new inventions like fire.

I n 1980, Studio Six Productions trumpeted a new film project that had the elements of a hit sci-fi movie: spaceships, aliens, action and adventure, all happening on an arid, distant planet. Billed as a “cosmic conflagration,” the epic feature was never greenlit by any studio chief. It could only be given a green light by America’s Commander in Chief. More than 30 years later, Ben Affleck directed, produced and stars in Warner Bros.' “ Argo ,” a film based on the true story of the covert mission to rescue six Americans trapped in Iran, following the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran that shocked the world.

W arner Bros., New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures have just unveiled the main one-sheet art for “ The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ,” the first of Peter Jackson's trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

T he Prince of Darkness Count Dracula finally grants his first-ever interview in conjunction with the opening of the 3D animated monster comedy “ Hotel Transylvania ” where he plays the lead role. Hotel Transylvania is Dracula’s lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them. On one special weekend, Dracula has invited some of the world’s most famous monsters — Frankenstein and his wife, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more — to celebrate his daughter Mavis’ 118th birthday. For Drac, catering to these infamous friends is no problem — but his world could come crashing down when a human backpacker, Jonathan, stumbles on the hotel for the first time and befriends Mavis.

“ The Croods ” is a prehistoric 3D comedy adventure from DreamWorks Animation to be distributed by 20th Century Fox that takes us back to the beginning of time. In a previously undiscovered era known as the Croodacious – we find the Crood family when Mother Nature was still experimenting and the flora and fauna we know today hasn’t evolved yet is where the story all began. At the center of this world is the Crood family, led by Grug (voiced by Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage), an over-protective father who, like all dads, is doing all he can to hold his family together at a time when cataclysmic changes are happening. Together with his wife (Catherine Keener), kids (Emma Stone and Clark Duke) and ornery mother-in-law (Cloris Leachman) in tow, Grug guides his family through this spectacular environment, full of amazing creatures, to find a new cave to call home. Along the way, they encounter Guy (Ryan Reynolds), an imaginative and resourceful newcomer who takes risks and wholeh...

S teve Carell takes audiences on a humorous, moving, and intimate journey against an epic backdrop of Earth’s final days, in Focus Features' critically acclaimed comedy “ Seeking a Friend for the End of the World .” Set in a too-near future where time at once stands still and is slipping away forever, the film explores what people will do and how they will feel when humanity’s end is near. “Seeking a Friend” will be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt3 and Trinoma).

W alt Disney Animation Studios has just launched the new, full trailer of the 3D adventure comedy " Wreck-It Ralph " from Emmy-winning director Rich Moore (TV's "The Simpsons," "Futurama"). Check out the trailer here at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odkUsA8Os0Q&feature=youtu.be. Synopsis: Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) is tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix (voice of Jack McBrayer), the "good guy" star of their game who always gets to save the day.

D ream Works Pictures and 20th Century Fox reveal the long-awaited trailer of " Lincoln ." From pioneering blockbuster maker and one of the world’s most influential filmmakers, Academy Award-winner Steven Spielberg directs Academy Award-winning actors Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones in the sweeping drama “Lincoln.” Steven Spielberg’s biographical epic “Lincoln” puts Daniel Day-Lewis in the titular role as the most beloved 16th president of the United States. The movie unveils Lincoln’s tumultuous final months in office following his triumph in leading his country during the Civil War and leaving his greatest legacy on ending slavery. Renowned for his Gettysburg Address “Four scores and seven years ago…that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from earth” Lincoln, coming from a poor family is a self-educated man who became a politician and was able to unite the country with his steadfast moral compass and passion to...

T he teaser poster for the upcoming 3D theatrical release of the Academy Award®-winning film “Finding Nemo” has just been shared by Disney/Pixar. “ Finding Nemo ” returns to the big screen in thrilling Disney Digital 3D™ for the first time ever. Teeming with memorable comedic characters and heartfelt emotion, this stunning underwater adventure follows the momentous journey of an overprotective clownfish named Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) and his young son Nemo (voiced by Alexander Gould)––who become separated in the Great Barrier Reef when Nemo is unexpectedly taken far from his ocean home to a fish tank in a dentist’s office.

C olumbia Pictures' 3D action-thriller “ Resident Evil: Retribution ,” the fifth installment of the wildly successful film franchise adaptation of the popular video game series, has been rated PG-13 Without Cuts by the Movie and Television Review & Classification Board (MTRCB). The MTRCB recommended an additional advisory: “The movie contains violence that may not be suitable for young viewers. Strict parental guidance is advised.”

B ritish talents James D'Arcy (“Master and Commander”) and Andrea Riseborough (“Never Let Me Go”) play the ill-fated Duke and Duchess of Windsor in The Weinstein Company's elegant romantic drama “ W.E. ,” Madonna's Oscar-nominated film about one of the greatest real love stories of all time. The will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma) starting Sept. 12.

O ld school meets new school parenting when comedy legends Billy Crystal and Bette Midler play Artie and Diane Decker, who are called in by their daughter Alice (Marisa Tomei) to help care for their three grandkids. When their parenting methods collide, the once-orderly household gets out of control. From family filmmaker Andy Fickman (best known for “The Game Plan,” “You Again,” She’s the Man” and “Race To Witch Mountain”), “ Parental Guidance ” spins into a heartwarming chaos when Alice calls on her parents to help watch her kids when she needs to leave town for work. When left with their grandkids, Artie and Diane employ unexpected tactics which means using some new parenting style to help teach their grandkids how to act and behave like kids.

D isney/Pixar has just launched the teaser poster for the theatrical, 3D release of the now-classic Academy Award®-winning animated comedy adventure “ Monsters, Inc. ” One of Disney•Pixar’s most beloved and visually imaginative feature films ever, “Monsters, Inc.” returns to the big screen to delight a whole new generation of audiences and fans alike, this time in stunning 3D.

C atapulted to fame with a breakthrough performance in the blockbuster “ Sucker Punch ,” Abbie Cornish now stars in The Weinstein Company's elegant romantic drama “W.E.,” Madonna's vision of one of the most greatest real love stories of all time. The will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma) starting Sept. 12. “W.E.” starts in the year 1998, when Manhattan is abuzz with anticipation about the upcoming auction of the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. But the auction is far more than a diversion for Wally Winthrop (Cornish), a New Yorker trapped in an unhappy and abusive marriage. Transfixed by the exquisite artifacts of the Windsors' lives, Wally becomes obsessed with the love story of Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough), the chic, charismatic American who captured the heart of King Edward VIII (James D'Arcy). As she learns more about the sacrifices Wallis made in choosing to be with Edward, Wally finds the courag...

F unnyman Adam Sandler lends his voice to Dracula, in Columbia Pictures’ new 3D, animated comedy “ Hotel Transylvania .” In the film, all of the qualities that make the Prince of Darkness the indisputable leader of monsters—his strength dominance charisma and perhaps over-controlling nature-—also happen to make him an excellent manager of Hotel Transylvania – the lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them.

T he cast of Columbia Pictures' new, 3D sci-fi action-thriller “ Resident Evil: Retribution ” includes many faces that will be familiar to fans of the franchise. The filmmakers devised an ingenious way to bring back characters who have met with brutal fates in earlier films, including Michelle Rodriguez’s Rain from the first “Resident Evil,” Sienna Guillory’s Jill Valentine from “Resident Evil: Apocalypse” and “Resident Evil: Afterlife,” Oded Fehr’s Carlos from “Apocalypse” and “Resident Evil: Extinction” as well as Boris Kodjoe’s Luther West and Shawn Roberts’ Albert Wesker from “Afterlife.” “It’s exciting for us and, we hope, for the fans to have these actors and their characters back,” says writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson. “It was a unique opportunity to work with everyone again. For instance, I’ve always wanted to work with Michelle Rodriguez again, but we shot her in the head in the first movie, which seemed to preclude bringing her back.”

A nna Kendrick (“Twilight” series, “Up in the Air”) and Leslie Mann (“Knocked Up”) join the voice ensemble cast of Focus Features' new, 3D animated thriller “ ParaNorman .” The acclaimed family film will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas starting Sept. 5. When a small town comes under siege by zombies, who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he'll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst, of all, grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits. Leslie Mann gives voice to Norman’s mom, Sandra Babcock, a caring parent who must watch her son being ostracized because of his special ghost-whispering talent. While Mann, a mother of two, clearly understands the maternal dimension of her character, she also connected to Norman on a personal level. “As a k...

H it action director Olivier Megaton heats up the action arena with twice the thrill, action and carnage in the upcoming sequel “ Taken 2 ” where the first movie cemented Liam Njavascript:void(0)eeson as this era ’s most relatable action hero being a family man keen on saving his daughter at all cost from human trafficking. From the first movie where his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) had been abducted by a cartel of human traffickers, “Taken 2” now follows Bryan Mills and his family at Istanbul where the father of the cartel’s leader is out to avenge his son killed by Mills during his daughter’s rescue. With Mills and his wife abducted this time, Kim tries to save them at breakneck speed taking cues from his father’s infallible timely instructions to track them down.

L eading the talented voice cast of Focus Features' new 3D animated comedy “ ParaNorman ” are Kodi Smit-McPhee (“Let Me In”), Casey Affleck (“Ocean's Thirteen”) and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (“Superbad”). The acclaimed family film will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas starting Sept. 5. The voice of the film’s 11-year-old hero, Norman Babcock, is provided by Kodi Smit-McPhee, a young Australian actor who in a brief few years has made a big name for himself. While Norman talks to ghosts in order to rid his town of zombies and stop a witch's curse, the film is really a comedy, which was perfect for Smit-McPhee, whose work in recent years has been in fairly dark films. As he told Entertainment Weekly, “my favorite genre is comedy…It’s pretty ironic and funny that I always get these kind of dramatic…movies.”

K atheryn Elizabeth Hudson is the daughter of two Christian ministers who allowed only gospel music in their home. But Hudson's alter ego, 27-year-old Katy Perry, looks every inch the pop star, with her purple hair and pink ruffled dress, as she arrives at a Beverly Hills hotel suite to talk about her new movie, Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D . Perry invited two filmmakers to tag along as she circled the globe on her sellout 124-arena California Dreams Tour. The movie captures performances and real life, including a glimpse into her marriage to comedian Russell Brand at the beginning of the tour, and one painful moment depicted later when she is seen sobbing as the marriage unravels. ''There were some moments that made my tummy turn when I saw them in the final edit, because I'd already lived them and I really didn't want to live them again,'' Perry says.

T he year's most acclaimed animated feature and considered a virtual shoo-in for the 2013 Academy Awards, Focus Features' new comedy thriller “ParaNorman” will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3, Trinoma, Market! Market!, Alabang Town Center) starting Sept. 5. Garnering an excellent 87% “fresh” rating at Rotten Tomatoes, “ ParaNorman ” is described by critics as “beautifully animated and solidly scripted...and will entertain (and frighten) older children while providing surprisingly thoughtful fare for their parents.”

A fter starring last year in two ensemble comedies “Horrible Bosses” and “Hall Pass,” comic actor Jason Sudeikis will be seen next in Warner Bros.' “ The Campaign .” He plays Mitch, the loyal but increasingly overwhelmed campaign manager, of incumbent congressman, Cam Brady (Will Ferrell). In the film, as Cam Brady brazens through an embarrasing sex scandal with his usual flair, the seasoned politico prepares to segue unopposed into his fifth term in office. But this time, to his astonishment, a challenger appears out of nowhere: local tour operator Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis) — a dumpy, soft-spoken, cardigan-wrapped, fanny-pack-wearing oddball with zero political experience. As Election Day closes in, the two are locked in a dead heat, with insults quickly escalating to injury until all they care about is burying each other.

T ake your first look at the teaser trailer for the upcoming dance movie “Battle of the Year” which has just been released by Columbia Pictures at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEUXsSywN7g&feature=plcp. The film stars Josh Holloway (“Lost,” “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”) and recording artist Chris Brown (“Takers”). With compelling characters and vibrant dance sequences, “ Battle of the Year ” is set in the international world of B-boying – the urban dance more commonly known as “breakdancing.”

G olden Globe-winner Dylan McDermott (TV’s “The Practice,” “American Horror Story”) stars in Warner Bros.’ new comedy “ The Campaign ” as Tim Wattley aka The Terminator, the baddest, toughest, meanest and winning-est campaign manager who ever whipped a candidate into shape for success. In the film, as Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) brazens through an embarrasing sex scandal with his usual flair, the seasoned politico prepares to segue unopposed into his fifth term in office. But this time, to his astonishment, a challenger appears out of nowhere: local tour operator Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis) — a dumpy, soft-spoken, cardigan-wrapped, fanny-pack-wearing oddball with zero political experience. As Election Day closes in, the two are locked in a dead heat, with insults quickly escalating to injury until all they care about is burying each other.

W arner Bros. has just revealed the teaser poster of its upcoming sports film, “ Trouble With The Curve .” The film stars Clint Eastwood as an aging baseball scout with a failing eye sight who takes his daughter (Amy Adams) with him on a trip to check out a hot prospect.

A cclaimed director John Hillcoat (“The Road”) delivers a thrillingly vivid slice of American outlaw history in The Weinstein Company's critically-applauded epic gangster tale, “ Lawless .” The film will be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma). An official competition entry in last May's Cannes Film Festival, “Lawless” is the true story of the infamous Bondurant Brothers: three bootlegging siblings who made a run for the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia. Based on author Matt Bondurant’s fictionalized account of his family, The Wettest County in the World, the film gathers an ensemble of gifted, dynamic new-generation stars – Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan – alongside two of the finest actors of their generations, Guy Pearce and Gary Oldman.

C olumbia Pictures has just released a “legacy” video for its upcoming 3D sci-fi action-thriller “ Resident Evil: Retribution ” that can be seen at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djGpeWjpZEU&list=UU9vXJYvgswrEHfNveILWM2Q&index=1&feature=plcp. It is a montage of scenes from the past “Resident Evil” movies, along with new footage from “Retribution,” that tells the story/history of the franchise leading up to the new film.