GET READY FOR THE HOTTEST MOVIE DATE EVER IN R-18 COMEDY “MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES” [R18]

Unapologetically wild and based on a true-to-life ad gone viral, “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” hits theatres on September 14 nationwide starring Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick. 

 

 

In “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates,” Mike and Dave are brothers (played by Devine and Efron), warned by their family to smarten-up their hard-partying ways before their sister’s wedding in Hawaii, and to bring two respectable girls as dates. After posting an ad on Craigslist, they’re contacted by a cadre of prospective suitors, and they ultimately settle on Alice (Kendrick) and Tatiana (Plaza), whose interest in Adam and Dave extends to little more than the prospect of a free holiday on the islands. But the girls they finally chose, aren’t quite as wholesome as they expect. And as the real Stangles explain, some artistic license has been taken to turn the film into this year’s hottest comedy.

The other woman in the boys’ life is, of course, their sister Jeanie (Sugar Lyn Beard), whose Hawaiian wedding provides the backdrop for the unexpected girls-gone wild / dates-gone-horribly-wrong hijinks. But Jeanie’s big day is also ground zero for the guys’ determination that Jeanie be happy—no matter how crazy things get.

“Mike and Dave are party boys with good intentions,” Beard shares of her onscreen brothers. “Jeanie was like that, too, when she was growing up with them. They’ve protected Jeanie her entire life, but now there’s a new man in her life, her fiancé Eric, and he brings out her sweeter side.”

A special massage brings out yet another side of Jeanie. Having been accidentally mauled by an ATV driven by…who else?...Mike, Jeanie is ready for some serious rest and relaxation. A nice massage seems like the perfect idea, but Alice has something a little more potent in mind for Jeanie. She makes arrangements with the masseur, Keanu, for him to go the extra mile.

Beard says filming the scene was a highlight for her—not only of the film, “but of my life!” she exclaims with a laugh. “My bare butt was exposed for almost an entire day’s shooting, and I was being used like a slip ‘n slide. The scene was a little sweaty, a little oily, but all great. I was laughing so hard, which was interesting because Jeanie is getting so much pleasure out of the massage, that all the shaking of my body from laughter kind of worked for the scene.”

The brothers are determined not to screw up their sister Jeanie’s destination wedding. “Mike and Dave love Jeanie and Jeanie loves them, as well,” director Jake Szymanski continues. “She just wants her special day to go without a hitch.”

“Mike and Dave adore their sister,” confirms Efron. “Their mantra is: ‘We’re doin’ it for Jeanie! Everything we do is for Jeanie!’ They protect and love her and have put her on a pedestal. She forgives them for all the mischief they do.”

“Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” in cinemas nationwide on September 14 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros

SLICK THRILLER “MORGAN” PITS KATE MARA AGAINST ANYA TAYLOR-JOY IN HIGH-THROTTLE ACTION [R13]

Luke Scott’s directorial debut “Morgan,” a compelling sci-fi thriller poses one of the big scientific questions of our time: if artificial intelligence becomes as smart, if not smarter than humans, then what do we have to offer?



Morgan (played by Anya Taylor-Joy), being the next step in human evolution and a bioengineered being with synthetic DNA poses great divide on the moral and practical ambiguity of humanoids. At one month, she (it) was walking and talking; at six months, she exceeded her creators’ wildest expectations. Morgan is enigmatic and unpredictable—a lab-created being with emotional capacity and conflicting traits that blur the line between being human and synthetic.

Scott, a talented commercials director and son of acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott (who also produces the film), shares that their biggest challenge was finding their Morgan—the artificial, yet organic being that would represent Scott’s vision of the next step in human evolution.



The actor would have to portray a character that is physically, mentally and intellectually amplified. She would have to balance these enhanced attributes with a clear emotional interpretation of her/its world, and the flawed people with whom she interacts each day. “That’s one of Morgan’s many ironies,” says Scott. “Morgan is as imperfect as a human, but in other ways, she is absolutely perfect.”



Before finalizing casting, Scott and his teams wrestled with how to characterize Morgan. She? It? Human…or something else? “I came to identify Morgan an ‘it’ because I’m essentially the scientist who created her,” Scott says with a laugh. “But we always intended Morgan to be somewhat feminized because there is an inherent strength to the feminine form.”



After a long search, Scott chose Anya Taylor-Joy to portray Morgan. He had been impressed by her performance in director Robert Egger’s award-winning feature debut The Witch. “In that film, I saw that Anya had a unique delicacy and access to her emotional landscape that is critical to the character of Morgan,” says Scott.



Unlike her director, Taylor-Joy eschewed research into the field of synthetic life, opting instead for numerous discussions with Scott. “We didn’t discuss specific scenes,” says the actress. “It was more about Morgan’s viewpoints on certain things and events.”



When Taylor-Joy’s Morgan suddenly attacks one of her handlers, the corporation overseeing and funding the project calls in a special “risk management consultant,” Lee Weathers, to investigate. Kate Mara, who had just come off a starring turn in Ridley Scott’s blockbuster, Oscar-nominated “The Martian,” portrays Lee.



One of the more daunting challenges for both Mara and Taylor-Joy was the brutal fights waged between their two characters. Designed and choreographed by stunt coordinator Paul Herbert and his team, the battles royale are among the film’s centerpieces, revealing unexpected facets of what appeared to be a trouble-shooting corporate “suit” and an innocent-looking “experiment” gone wrong. “Kate and Anya were really impressive,” says Scott. “For those fight scenes, they turned themselves into action heroes.”

“Morgan” opens in cinemas September 7 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros

20th Century Fox NEXT STEP IN HUMAN EVOLUTION IN “MORGAN” [Rated R-13]

From producer Ridley Scott and director Luke Scott, “Morgan” offers a thrilling, visceral and intense movie-going experience starring Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Michelle Yeoh, Paul Giamatti, Leslie Rose and Toby Jones, “Morgan” introduces an artificial yet organic being that represents the future in human evolution.

In “Morgan” the inevitable happens, the creation surpasses its creator. The titular character “Morgan” is played by Anya Taylor-Joy a bioengineered being with synthetic DNA. At one month, she (it) was walking and talking; at six months, she exceeded her creators’ wildest expectations. Morgan is enigmatic and unpredictable—a lab-created being with emotional capacity and conflicting traits that blur the line between being human and synthetic. When “Morgan” suddenly attacked one of her handlers, the company immediately sends Lee Weathers (Kate Mara), a corporate trouble shooter who decides whether Morgan will continue to live or be terminated at once.

Luke Scott is a noted commercials director who has also worked in various capacities on his father Ridley’s epic and acclaimed films, Luke makes his feature directorial debut with “Morgan.” The story’s themes clearly resonate with the young filmmaker, whose short film, “Loom,” shot on 4K 3D, was a kind of precursor to “Morgan.” Starring Giovanni Ribisi, the short was about a man hiding an artificial being in a genetics workshop.

Some of the ideas explored in Loom were expanded upon in screenwriter Seth Owen’s original script for “Morgan,” which entered the prestigious film industry “Black List” in 2014—compiled annually from the suggestions of more than 250 film executives who contribute names of their favorite scripts written that year.

Scott was intrigued by Owens’ unusual approach to some of the big scientific questions of our time: if artificial intelligence becomes as smart, if not smarter than humans, then what do we have to offer? Would artificial beings like Morgan be the next leap in our evolution?

Even more significantly, Scott wondered, “What motivates us to synthetically produce or reproduce a human being? These are issues that encompass faith, morality, science and technology.”



To further explore and immerse himself in this bleeding-edge research, Scott visited Queens University’s microbiology labs. There, he learned that investigations in this area, though pervasive in the scientific community, were still taboo outside the halls of academia and laboratories—and that advances in this field were happening at warp speed. “It’s all pretty remarkable,” says Scott, whose penetrating queries sometimes caught the labs’ professors off guard.

“Morgan” opens September 7 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

HAPPY WORLD UNLIKE ANY AWAITS IN “TROLLS”

From DreamWorks, creators of highly successful animation such as “Kung Fu Panda,” “How To Train Your Dragon” and “Madagascar” comes “Trolls,” the most smart, funny, irreverent animated comedy of the year. 

ANNA KENDRICK AND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE voices TROLLS

 

“Trolls” takes the audience to a colorful, wondrous world populated by hilariously unforgettable characters and discover the story of the overly optimistic creatures (Trolls), with a constant song on their lips, and the comically pessimistic Bergens, who are only happy when they have trolls in their stomach. “Trolls” features the voice of Anna Kendrick as Poppy, the optimistic leader of the Trolls, and her polar opposite, Branch, played by Justin Timberlake. Together, this unlikely pair of Trolls must embark on an adventure that takes them far beyond the only world they've ever known.

ANNA KENDRICK AND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

Leading the happy bunch of Trolls is Poppy (Kendrick), a relentlessly upbeat — if slightly naive — Troll whose father King Peppy saved his subjects from the Troll-hungry Bergens. As she and her group of nine friends, the Snack Pack, face their biggest challenge ever, Poppy is faced for the first time in her life with a problem that apparently can't be solved with a song, a dance and a hug. But after some hilarious attempts at saving the day, Poppy discovers that being true to yourself is always the best answer.

Justin Timberlake takes on the role of Branch, the over-cautious paranoid survivalist in Troll Village, who lives in fear of invasion from the Bergens. The only Troll in the village who doesn't sing, dance or hug, Branch lives a disgruntled existence, constantly trying to prepare for the worst. He’s constantly flummoxed by the over-the-top positivity of the other Trolls — is he the only sane one in this crowd of exuberantly happy Trolls? Over the course of the film, Branch will be challenged to embrace his inner Troll, even if it includes a dreaded burst of singing and dancing. Will he learn to find inner happiness with Poppy at his side?

“Trolls” also features the voices Russell Brand, Zooey Deschanel, James Corden, Kunal Nayyar, Ron Funches, Icona Pop and Gwen Stefani.

DreamWorks' and 20th Century Fox’s “Trolls” is a fresh, broad comedy filled with music, heart and hair-raising adventures that will open in cinemas nationwide on October 26.


Trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arUNsqnvNC0

20th Century Fox - PINOY/CEBU-BORN GALEN TAN CHU IS CO-DIRECTOR IN BLUE SKY’S “ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE” [PG]

Cebu-born Galen Tan Chu helms the latest instalment of the global “Ice Age” hit franchise - “Ice Age: Collision Course” as co-director with acclaimed filmmaker Michael Thurmeier.

Galen Tan Chu spent his early (11) years in the Philippines before migrating to the US where he studied illustration and animation at Pratt Institute. Chu is a true veteran of the “Ice Age” franchise and Blue Sky Studios, having started his career at Blue Sky Studios as an animator on “Ice Age” (2002). He then became a lead animator on Blue Sky's second animated feature “Robots” (2005). On “Ice Age: The Meltdown” (2006), he was promoted to supervising animator and then served as supervising animator on “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” (2008), “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (2009), “Rio” (2011) and “Epic” (2013). He also directed the direct-to-DVD short “Surviving Sid” (2008).

Audiences everywhere love the Ice Age films, one of the biggest animated motion picture series in the world. Each new story increases the stakes, scale, adventure, humor and heart—making “Ice Age: Collision Course” the biggest and most ambitious film of the series. Propelling audiences to new environments, like the cosmos and a crystallized world known as Geotopia, this is the defining chapter in the Ice Age “chillogy,” with many of the characters beginning new journeys. 

“Ice Age: Collision Course” sees Scrat playing pinball with the planets chasing his elusive acorn, he creates the ultimate Scrat-aclysm, sending the mother of all asteroids hurtling toward Earth. Again, Scrat’s misadventures have life- and world-changing consequences for our sub-zero heroes on the ground. At the same time, there are earth-shaking events of an entirely different nature playing out for the gang. Manny and Ellie’s daughter Peaches is getting married, and to Manny that’s as unwanted a development as an asteroid landing in his backyard.

Cebuano Galen Tan Chu co-directs ICE AGE COLLISION COURSE

Jennifer Llopez as Shira

Ray Romano as Manny

“Ice Age: Collision Course” sees Manny’s world changing—and he’s not happy about it. Peaches has dropped a bombshell on her parents, and, says co-director Galen Tan Chu: “Manny sees that as a threat. She’s not only getting married, she and her soon-to-be hubby Julian are moving away to begin their lives as a couple.”

Indeed, the” Ice Age” films are also love stories: Manny has Ellie, Peaches has Julian, Diego has Shira. Even the crazy brotherly bond between daredevils Crash and Eddie is a kind of love story. But what about Sid the sloth? For Sid, romantic love has proven elusive, if not impossible.

It’s not that Sid isn’t deserving of finding that special sloth. As Thurmeier points out, “If Manny is the emotional core of the Ice Age films, then Sid is the comic conscience. He has a good heart, and, as we saw in the first film, he was instrumental in bringing the herd together and was the one who cracked Manny’s tough exterior.” And it’s not that Sid isn’t interested in romance; as Chu notes, Sid “wears his heart on his sleeve.”

Reflecting on the franchise’s global central theme, Galen Tan Chu notes, “What strikes a chord for audiences around the world is that the members of the herd look out for each other. They’ve grown up together as this family, and people really connect to that journey.”

“Ice Age: Collision Course” opens July 6 in cinemas (2D and 3D) from 

20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

VISIONARY FILMMAKER TIM BURTON TURNS BESTSELLING BOOK TO FILM – “MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN”

Highly acclaimed director Tim Burton brings Ransom Riggs’ bestselling young adult tome “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” to the big screen with the same title starring an ensemble of talented actors headed by Eva Green, Dame Judi Dench, Terence Stamp, Samuel L. Jackson, Asa Butterfield, Ella Purnell, Finlay Macmillan and Lauren McCostie.


With millions of copies sold and translated into 40 languages, “Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children” has spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list and was named one of "100 Young Adult Books to Read in a Lifetime" by Amazon.com.

The movie adaptation of “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” sees Asa Butterfield, who plays Jake growing up in suburban Florida. Listening to stories told by his much adored grandfather of his time in a magical home on a Welsh island and of the strange children with remarkable abilities, Jake believed that the stories came straight from his grandpa’s vivid imagination. But then, a frightening chain of events leads him to believe that the home -– and the “peculiar” children who lived there protected by Miss Peregrine – might indeed be real and he sets out to find it.


When he does, Jake is entranced by the eccentric band of youngsters who live there, trapped in a time loop living one day in 1940 over and over again. He also discovers that – just like his grandfather before him – he has a pivotal role in keeping them safe from the evil ‘hollowgasts’ who are hunting them.

“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” will open September 28 in cinemas from 

20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

20th Century Fox - GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SUPERHUMAN IN SCI-FI THRILLER “MORGAN”

Luke Scott, son of highly acclaimed blockbuster maker Ridley Scott (“Alien,” “The Martian”) debuts as director (full-length film) in the sci-fi thriller “Morgan” starring Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Paul Giamatti, Rose Leslie, Boyd Holbrook and Michelle Yeoh.

 

 

“Morgan” tells the chilling tale of a creation that escaped in a tightly-guarded facility for artificial intelligence. A corporate troubleshooter, played by Kate Mara, is sent to the remote, top-secret location, where she is to investigate and evaluate the terrifying incident. She learns that the seemingly innocent “human” who escaped has both infinite promise and incalculable danger.

Scott, from his previous interview with EW reveals that “Morgan” eventually becomes greater that the scientists who created her. “What Morgan really alludes to is human beings becoming, in a sense, the creator. Not in a traditional religious sense, but an idea that we have the capabilities to become our own creator. And what I suspect could happen — we’ve seen it in all these movies, whether it’s Frankenstein or Metropolis — it’s the creation of a being that is greater than the creator. That is fascinating to me, and it definitely feels like a next stage of evolution in the real world.” 

 

Produced by Ridley Scott, “Morgan” opens in cinemas nationwide on September 7 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

“INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE” INVADES BOX-OFFICE WITH P100 MILLION OPENING WEEKEND [PG]

Blockbuster filmmaker Roland Emmerich’s latest alien-invasion action epic “Independence Day: Resurgence” won the local (Phils.) box-office war when it opened with a whopping PhP 100 million nationwide on its opening weekend. “Independence Day: Resurgence” surpassed its blockbuster predecessor’s (“Independence Day”) feat by more than 200% for its opening weekend.

“Independence Day: Resurgence” is currently in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D screens across the nation and has recorded outstanding gross receipts in the following top twenty (20) theaters. Among the top 20 highest grossing cinemas include: SM MALL OF ASIA (4.4 million),; SM MEGAMALL (3.8M); SM NORTH EDSA (3.3M); TRINOMA (3.3M); GLORIETTA4 (2.3M); POWERPLANT (2.2 M); GATEWAY/ ALI MALL (1.97M); GREENBELT 3 (1.95M); BONIFACIO HIGH STREET (1.64M); ALABANG TOWN CENTER (1.58M); SM CEBU (1.57M); SM CLARK (1.43M); SM AURA (1.42M); THEATREMALL (1.41M); UPTOWN (1.4M); SHANG CINEPLEX (1.33M); AYALA CEBU (1.32M); EASTWOOD (1.18M); SM SOUTHMALL (1.16M) and NEWPORT (1.13M). This covered the first five day period June 22 -27.

Directed by Roland Emmerich and produced by Dean Devlin, “Independence Day: Resurgence” stars Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Liam Hemsworth, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe and Angelababy. The film takes visual spectacle and human-alien war to new heights. The aliens are back with a vengeance. “Independence Day: Resurgence,” represents director Roland Emmerich’s huge return to the genre that made him famous. The 1996 original shot into the public imagination with its vistas of destruction, its memorable characters and huge impact on both science fiction and disaster movies. With giant alien spaceships unleashing incredibly devastating power upon the world, it took brain, brawn and heroics to figure out a way to fight back.

Now, 20 years later, humanity has united to rebuild the world’s major cities, while salvaged alien technology has been utilized to work on solving many big problems such as climate change. But the lingering threat of the extra-terrestrials’ return still hangs over our heads and the Earth Space Defence programme has formed to be ready for when that day comes. Ominously, it appears that man’s greatest enemy is indeed back. 

 

 

“Independence Day: Resurgence” is now on its second week in cinemas nationwide. The film is a 20th Century Fox presentation distributed by Warner Bros.

“INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE” NOW SHOWING IN MORE THAN 300 SCREENS NATIONWIDE (2D, 3D AND IMAX) [PG]

The latest epic battle “Independence Day: Resurgence” by director Roland Emmerich is set twenty years after the alien invasion that nearly decimated the planet and presents an alternate reality to our world today.


The backstory of “Independence Day: Resurgence” begins in 1996, during an ordinary summer day when, without warning, something extraordinary happened. All eyes turned upward and the question of whether we were alone in the universe was finally answered. In a matter of minutes, the lives of every person across the globe changed forever. With the fate of our planet at stake, the words “Independence Day” took on an entirely new meaning. No longer was it solely an American holiday. It would be memorialized as the day the entire world fought back against a common enemy.



The aftermath of what became known as the War of 1996 saw half of Earth’s population annihilated. Humanity had never come so close to total obliteration. Those who survived the Alien attack to rebuild our world would never forget the fallen and forever remember that unity is our greatest strength.

Aside from a small pocket of resistance in the African Congo, the Alien threat was neutralized—and the world began to rise from the ashes. Reconstruction started immediately as the great cities, monuments and landmarks of the world were slowly restored to their former glory. The near destruction of humankind had an unexpected but welcome effect, as centuries-old conflicts and political distrust dissolved to create an unprecedented cooperation among the nations of the world. Harvesting recovered Alien technology from the aftermath of the War of 1996, the unified nations spent the last two decades rebuilding and collaborating on an immense defense program to protect our planet from off-World invaders. The Earth Space Defense (ESD) program served as an early warning system and a united global defense unit. After years of research and development from ESD scientists around the world, the next generation of Alien-human vehicles and weapons systems were introduced.

“Independence Day: Resurgence” expands the mythology of the Independence Day universe by putting the band back together—reuniting original cast members from the first film—as well as introducing new players from around the world led by Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman with new characters played by Liam Hemsworth, Maika Monroe, Jessie Usher, Travis Trope, William Fichtner and Sela Ward.



For director Roland Emmerich, the ensemble is a dream team. “It’s exciting to see this handover from one generation to the next,” he notes. “We have veteran heroes from the first film making way for a team of new ones. With the original cast on set, and off, it’s like a 20-year class reunion—the class of ‘96.”



Producer Dean Devlin notes: “The most rewarding part of the project is being on set with these actors again and seeing that they are not just as good as they were then; they’ve gotten even better. When you’re writing the script, you wonder, ‘What’s it going to be like 20 years later?’ Then, our returnees work on this film, and they just light up the screen and our new team shines, as well. It’s the perfect mix.”

“Independence Day: Resurgence” is now showing in more than 300 screens nationwide from 

20th Century Fox distributed by Warner Bros.

20th Century Fox: SCRATASTROPHIC CHILLOGY CONTINUES IN “ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE” ON JULY 6 IN CINEMAS

In the latest epic family movie adventure “Ice Age: Collision Course” from the highly successful “Ice Age” franchise, audiences worldwide will be propelled to new environments like the cosmos and a crystallized world known as Geotopia, with many of the characters beginning their own new journeys. 

Scrat is, of course, one character that never changes. In “Ice Age: Collision Course” he continues his pursuit of the cursed acorn. But this time Scrat’s quest is taking him where no Ice Age character has gone before—the cosmos—where the consequences of his antics are nothing short of “Scrat-tastrophic.” Scrat’s epic pursuit of the elusive acorn catapults him into the universe, where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the Ice Age world. To save themselves, Sid, Manny, Diego and the rest of the herd must leave their home and embark on a quest full of comedy and adventure, as they travel to exotic new lands and encounter a host of colorful new characters.

In this film, Scrat drives the story, instead of merely providing comic relief to the main story of the herd. And it’s about time. Scrat is literally at every major moment in the history of the natural world. He ushered in the Ice Age, started the Meltdown, unleashed the Lost World of the Dinosaurs into the Ice Age, started the separation of the continents—and now, he’s triggered a series of cosmic disasters that threaten the Ice Age world. “In this film, Scrat is pretty much responsible for the expansion of the universe as we know it,” notes Forte. “It’s his version of the Big Bang.”

Director Michael Thurmeier embraced the opportunity to find a unique environment—and catastrophes—for the cherished acorn-chaser. “I see so much potential with what you can do with Scrat,” he notes. “He’s become a true classic animated character. Scrat never stops persevering, no matter what happens to him.”

The filmmakers’ new path for Scrat also presents fresh obstacles to overcome. This time, he must deal with gravitational forces, otherworldly technology, and the infinite mysteries of the cosmos.

The new film’s story is deeply rooted in the mythology of the original Ice Age. Producer Lori Forte, who has been with the franchise since its inception, and whose ideas have sparked several of the films’ stories, explains: “In the first film, there was a scene where the herd passes through a kind of ice ‘museum,’ where we see a prehistoric fish, a dinosaur, the evolution of Sid, and then a spacecraft or flying saucer. “We always recognized that the spaceship was intriguing and knew there was some kind of mythology attached to it that we’d someday explore, but at that time we didn’t know exactly what it was,” she continues. “So we decided the time was right to come back around to that piece of Ice Age, and sowed the seeds for Collision Course.”

Another connection to the original film—and to its subsequent chapters—is the herd’s relatable family dynamics, which provide heart and emotion, and complement the comedy and adventure. But like most families, the herd must adapt to a world that’s always in flux. “We take our family of characters further than we’ve seen them before,” says Forte.

“Ice Age: Collision Course” brings an all-star voice cast with returning and new herd members led by Ray Romano as the voice of Manny the Mammoth, John Leguizamo as Sid, Dennis Leary as Diego, Queen Latifah as Ellie, Jennifer Lopez as Shira, Adam Devine as Julian, Jessie J as Brooke, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Shangri-llama, Josh Peck as Eddie, Simon Pegg as Buck, Sean William Scott as Crash and Wanda Sykes as Granny.

 

“Ice Age: Collision Course” opens in cinemas (2D and 3D) on July 6 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

LIAM HEMSWORTH LEADS NEW GENERATION OF HEROES IN “INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE”

Liam Hemsworth leads a team of young pilots fighting aliens in “Independence Day: Resurgence” directed by Roland Emmerich with an all-star cast including Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Sela Ward, Maika Monroe, Jessie Usher and Angelababy.
The aliens are back with a vengeance for “Independence Day: Resurgence,” which represents director Roland Emmerich’s huge return to the genre that made him famous. The 1996 original shot into the public imagination with its vistas of destruction, its memorable characters and huge impact on both science fiction and disaster movies. With giant alien spaceships unleashing incredibly devastating power upon the world, it took brain, brawn and heroics to figure out a way to fight back.

Now, 20 years later, humanity has united to rebuild the world’s major cities, while salvaged alien technology has been utilized to work on solving many big problems such as climate change. But the lingering threat of the extra-terrestrials’ return still hangs over our heads and the Earth Space Defence programme has formed to be ready for when that day comes. Ominously, it appears that our greatest enemy is indeed back.

Demonstrating versatility and skill in a range of performances, Hemsworth has proven to be one of the most sought-after actors of his generation. In “Independence Day: Resurgence,” Hemsworth plays Jake Morrison, a hotshot fighter pilot whose family was killed in the original alien attack chronicled in Roland Emmerich’s groundbreaking 1996 sci-fi thriller. Growing up an orphan, Jake joined the military, and quickly showed an aptitude for daring flight missions.

Hemsworth particularly enjoyed exploring the character’s motivations to be at the front lines of this new battle against the Aliens. “Jake’s parents were killed during the War of 1996, so he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder in this fight.” The chip on Jake’s shoulder impacts his behavior with authority. Hemsworth elaborates: “Jake can be a little outspoken, because he's always been the underdog who had to fight for every scrap. As a result of growing up as an orphan, Jake became resentful and jealous of other people's positions.”

Jake’s outspokenness, as well as his fearlessness and occasional disregard for authority, land him in hot water. He gets his wings clipped and is relegated to piloting a Moon Tug, which is more or less like working a giant forklift or tug boat, transporting weapons to the military’s moon defense base. The outpost is a first-response center in the event of another Alien attack. “The Moon Tug is a lot slower than the jets Jake is used to flying, and basically his day consists of moving heavy parts around from point A to B, on the moon,” says Hemsworth. “It’s not the most exciting job for Jake, who knows he belongs in a fighter jet. And he will end up in a fighter jet.”

Hemsworth says he jumped at the chance to be a part of “Independence Day: Resurgence,” because the first film is one of his all-time favorites, although he was only six years old when it was released. “Battling an Alien invasion fleet in this film was a dream come true for me,” says the actor.

 

“Independence Day: Resurgence” opens June 22 in cinemas nationwide (2D, 3D and IMAX) from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

The gentlemen stopped for a photo call in front of the famed Sydney Opera House (INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE)

Jeff Goldblum, Liam Hemsworth and Roland Emmerich's recent press tour in Sydney, Australia for INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE (opens in Philippine cinemas June 22).  

 

20th Century Fox FULL-THROTTLE DEFENSE AGAINST ALIENS IN “INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE” ON JUNE 22

After “Independence Day” redefined the event movie genre and became a worldwide hit, its follow-up epic chapter, “Independence Day: Resurgence” delivers a new global spectacle on an unimaginable scale. The most anticipated event movie of the year “Independence Day: Resurgence” stars Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Maika Monroe, Bill Pullman, Jessie Usher and Sela Ward directed by Roland Emmerich. 

Liam Hemsworth heads the cast of newcomers, portraying Jake Morrison. Raised as an orphan, Jake is a hotshot heroic fighter pilot of Alien-human hybrid jets. The looming Alien invasion may just do that for Jake, just as it changes the life of David Levinson, again portrayed by Jeff Goldblum. In the first movie, it was Levinson who figured out how to stop the Alien threat in the great War of ’96 while Bill Pullman reprises his role as former U.S. president Thomas J. Whitmore, who led the planetary defense in 1996. Due to his close encounters with the Aliens at that time, Whitmore has undergone what medical professionals refer to as Alien Residual Condition. Severe internal changes have left Whitmore haunted and disturbed, and “knowing” what the Aliens know. He has visions of their impending return and dark premonitions of the Aliens’ plans for Earth. Another of the film’s many strong female roles is U.S. President Lanford, portrayed by Sela Ward. Having previously faced a global catastrophe in Emmerich's The Day After Tomorrow, Ward was ready to tackle another massive threat, but this time as the commander in chief.



For director Roland Emmerich, “Independence Day: Resurgence” marks a return to the universe he and co-writer and producer Dean Devlin created two decades ago. They captured cinematic lightning in a bottle—electrifying audiences around the around the world with drama, action, fun, unforgettable characters, and a presidential speech that’s still quoted today. In the movie, we find the world using recovered Alien technology wherein the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the Aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.



Notably, the new film is Emmerich’s first sequel. “This world is very special to me, and I wanted to do right by it and the characters,” says the filmmaker. “Enough time has passed that it all felt fresh to me.” Also nudging Emmerich back to the world of Independence Day was the chance to employ visual effects that were light years ahead of those available twenty years ago.



“Independence Day: Resurgence” transports the audience into the midst of the action where one of its set pieces include an Alien spaceship that’s a super-structure of unfathomable size, and has a gravitational pull that wreaks havoc with the entire planet, hitting all of the famous landmarks on Earth. “Independence Day: Resurgence” is that kind of boundary-pushing juggernaut, mixed with a playfulness not typical for this genre. “This one is so much bigger than ID4,” says Jeff Goldblum, who reprises his starring role as scientist/world savior David Levinson. “But the film’s spirit of fun, wonder and delight is just as important.”



In fact, as Emmerich notes, the characters and fun are now taking center stage. “Audiences really like these characters,” he explains. “We’ve expanded the universe of Independence Day, and I can’t wait for people to experience it.”

 

 “Independence Day: Resurgence” opens June 22 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. Available in 2D, 3D and IMAX screens across the Philippines.

“X-MEN: APOCALYPSE” REIGNS SUPREME AT THE PHILS.BOX-OFFICE PHP 230 MILLION ON OPENING WEEKEND

20th Century Fox’s “X-Men: Apocalypse” reigns supreme at the box-office with its PhP 230 million opening weekend (first five days) in the Philippines in 476 screens. It also dominated and opened number one on its first day of release (opened May 18) in the country with PhP 45 million in box-office receipts.

In the Philippines, “X-Men: Apocalypse” has taken the franchise to new heights with its strong box-office results. It now holds as the Biggest Fox Opening Weekend All-Time, tracking 131% higher than “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” It is also now the Biggest Non-Holiday May Opening Weekend All-Time. Ultimately, “X-Men: Apocalypse” records show that it is now the Biggest Opening Weekend in the X-Men franchise.



In addition to its opening weekend box-office results, it has become the Biggest Fox Opening Day All-Time, Biggest Non-Holiday May Opening All-Time and the Biggest Opening Day in the X-Men franchise. “X-Men: Apocalypse” also cemented its apocalyptic power on Philippine soil as it now stands as the 2nd Biggest Opening Weekend for the year, after “Captain America: Civil War.”



“X-Men: Apocalypse’s” powerful presence recorded strong box-office receipts from the following top twenty (20) cinemas: SM MEGAMALL (11million), SM MALL OF ASIA (10.1M); TRINOMA (8.1M); SM NORTH EDSA/THE BLOCK (8M); GLORIETTA (6.2M); POWERPLANT (4.3M); SM CEBU (4.3M); GREENBELT 3 (4.1M); GATEWAY CINEPLEX (3.99M); ALABANG TOWN CENTER (3.95M); BONIFACIO HIGHSTREET (3.8M); AYALA CEBU (3.6M); THEATREMALL (3.6M); SHANG CINEPLEX (3.38M); MARKET!MARKET! (3.31M); EASTWOOD (3.25M); ROBINSON’S MAGNOLIA (3.15M); SM AURA (3.13M); UPTOWN (3.03M); NEWPORT (2.7M).



Indeed record-breaking, “X-Men: Apocalypse’s” Phil. box-office feat is also cited in major news organizations as one of the top performing markets in international territories. As reported in www.Variety.com "The launch featured the biggest Fox opening weekend ever in half a dozen markets including Philippines ($4.9 million), India ($3.5 million), Indonesia ($3.1 million), Singapore ($3 million), Thailand ($2.7 million) and Colombia ($1.9 million).”

Bryan Singer’s return at the helm of the franchise in “X-Men: Apocalypse” along with beloved mutant characters pitted against the most powerful of their kind has generated coherent rave buzz among its fan base round the globe despite polarizing reviews from some critics. “X-Men: Apocalypse” brings returning and new characters on the big screen led by James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Evan Peters and Rose Byrne with young and equally powerful mutants played by Sophie Turner, Ben Hardy, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp. Kodi Smit-McPhee and Oscar Isaac. In the movie, the invincible and immortal Apocalypse is set free after being entombed for several millennia. Enraged that his kind are no longer treated as gods, Apocalypse assembles a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto, to destroy humankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. To end Apocalypse’s path of global destruction, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) and Professor X (James McAvoy) lead a team of young X-Men in an epic showdown with a seemingly unstoppable enemy.



“X-Men: Apocalypse” is now showing in cinemas across the Philippines from 20th Century Fox distributed by Warner Bros. Available in 2D, 3D, 4D and IMAX screens nationwide.

“X-MEN: APOCALYPSE” MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS ON MAY 18 – Wednesday

The most awaited epic battle of mutants in “X-Men: Apocalypse” is about to unfold on the big screen on May 18, Wednesday in (midnight screening) selected cinemas – Alabang Town Center, Greenbelt 3, Glorietta 4, Trinoma, SM Aura, SM BF, SM Fairview, SM Light Mall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Marikina, SM Marilao, SM Megamall, SM Molino, SM North Edsa, SM Southmall, SM Clark, The Block, Century Mall, Commerce Center, Eastwood, Evia, Newport, Starmall Taguig, Uptown, Abreeza Davao, SM Cebu, SM Lanang and Gaisano Davao.


In “X-Men: Apocalypse,” we find our favorite group of mutants in 1983, dealing with more than just the fashions of the time. An ancient, powerful and extremely angry creature named Apocalypse has awakened after millennia spent slumbering, decided that our civilization is too corrupt to survive and must be destroyed so he can restore proper order. Charles Xavier must rally his young students for the fight of their lives against not just Apocalypse, but also his powerful Four Horsemen, one of which just happens to be Erik “Magneto” Lensherr.



Opening on May 18 nationwide directed by Bryan Singer, “X-Men: Apocalypse” stars James McAvoy as Charles Xavier/Professor X, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique/Raven, Michael Fassbender as Erik Lensherr/Magneto, Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse, Olivia Munn as Psylocke, Alexandra Shipp as Storm, Ben Hardy as Angel, Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, Tye Sheridan as Scott Summers/Cyclops, Nicholas Hoult Hank McCoy/Beast, Evan Peters as Quicksilver, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nightcrawler, Lana Condor as Jubilee and Rose Byrne as Moira McTaggert.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE BACK IN BATTLE FORM AS MYSTIQUE IN “X-MEN: APOCALYPSE”

It has been 10 years since the heroes of “X-Men: Days Of Future Past” saved humanity and themselves from threats within and without. Now, in “X-Men: Apocalypse,” things are – at least for people like Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) – a little more settled. Humanity is aware of the mutants living among them and relations have been, for the most part, peaceful. But all that changes when the ancient, incredibly powerful mutant known as Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) awakens in the early 1980s and begins to destroy the world as we know it, convinced that he can create civilization again the way he thinks it should be. With Bryan Singer once more directing, “X-Men: Apocalypse” promises a huge global adventure and another thrilling mission for the world’s favorite mutants.

The world of 1983 also has undergone upheavals in the treatment of mutants. This next stage of human evolution is now accepted by most—but not all—of humanity, thanks to the heroism of Raven/Mystique, who (as seen in “X-Men: Days of Future Past”) prevented the assassination of the U.S. president and a war between mutants and humans.

Jennifer Lawrence is back as Raven aka Mystique, a blue-skinned shapeshifter, is seeking her true purpose, as well as elusive self-acceptance. In the years leading up to “X-Men: Apocalypse,” she had tried to stay hidden from the world, shunning her celebrity as the face of hope and change for the new, mutant-integrated world. She resists bearing the weight of that label, and feels much of her past doesn’t warrant the world’s perception of her as a hero.

Now, Raven is living by her own code and working independently as an underground mutant savior, to fight against the remaining instances of human exploitation of mutants and save those still being persecuted.



“The character is more ‘Raven’ than ‘Mystique’ in this story because she cannot be her true mutant self in a world that she feels is still not as mutant-friendly as it’s perceived to be,” says Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence, who first played the role in “X-Men: First Class” and then reprised it in “Days of Future Past.” “That’s why she has basically been Raven since the events of the previous films, so no one would know she’s that mutant. When we meet her in this film, she’s been living a covert life as Raven.” Raven’s mission to help mutants where she can culminates in her leading the X-Men in a massive battle with Apocalypse. But first she is reunited with the two men with whom she is closest, and with whom she shares a complex and evolving history: Charles Xavier (aka Professor X) and Erik Lensherr (Magneto). Raven and Charles have a long history together and were part of the original X-Men team. In the subsequent years they grew apart, separated by both distance and philosophies.



Costume designer Louise Mingenbach drew upon the resources and inventory of numerous costume rental houses in the U.S. and Montréal and scoured retail vintage stores across North America to find thousands of wardrobe items needed to dress performers in 1980s apparel from Cairo, East Germany, and the U.S. For Jennifer Lawrence, Mingenbach took into account Raven’s modus operandi: “She’s fighting for a cause and is not particularly concerned with how she looks,” says the designer. She found Lawrence a “Chrissie Hynde type” studded leather jacket and an old rock-‘n-roll t-shirt. “1983 was the great era of the rocker chick,” says Mingenbach, “and that kind of look reflected Raven’s rebellious nature.”



It’s mutants vs. mutants when “X-Men: Apocalypse” opens May 18 in cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. (also available in 3D and IMAX)