OctoArts Films International: MERYL STREEP IN THE INSPIRING TRUE STORY “FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS” [G]

From Stephen Frears, the director of “The Queen” and “Philomena” comes an unforgettable heartwarming and funny story that will bring the audience to tears in “Florence Foster Jenkins,” the inspiring true story of the eponymous New York heiress who obsessively pursued her dream of becoming a great singer. Starring two of the best loved actors worldwide, Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, the film celebrates the human spirit, the power of music, and the passion of amateurs everywhere.

The voice Florence (Streep) heard in her head was divine, but to the rest of the world it was hilariously awful. At private recitals, her devoted husband and manager, St. Claire Bayfield (Grant) realized he had perhaps bitten off more than he could chew.

“Florence Foster Jenkins’” score is composed by Alexandre Desplat (“The Queen,” “The King’s Speech”) who incorporates wonderful music from popular songs to golden classics.

 “Florence Foster Jenkins” opens August 24 from OctoArts Films International. Trailer link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAsgjz3wcGg

From Pioneer Films - JENNIFER GARNER STARS IN HEARTWARMING MAGICAL FAMILY MOVIE “NINE LIVES”

Award-winning actress Jennifer Garner, who recently starred in the endearing faith-based movie “Miracles from Heaven” stars anew in “Nine Lives,” an inspiring magical family movie about a work-obsessed real-estate mogul who suffers a magical accident that leaves him trapped inside the body of a cat and realizes he has to put his family first if he ever hopes to regain his human form.

 

“Nine Lives” also stars award-winning Kevin Spacey as Tom Brand who is undeniably successful, impossibly wealthy but is an unapologetic jerk. Striving to build the tallest skyscraper in the Northern Hemisphere, the daredevil billionaire will sacrifice anything — even the love of his family — to complete an architectural marvel nearly as gargantuan as his ego. Tom’s workaholic lifestyle has alienated his long-suffering family, including his devoted wife Lara (Garner), neglected adult son David (Robbie Amell) and starved-for-attention young daughter Rebecca (Malina Weissman).

When Rebecca’s 11th birthday arrives, the girl begs her father for the same present she asks for every year: a cat. Tom hates cats, but reluctantly finds himself in a magical pet shop owned by the quirky Felix Perkins (Christopher Walken). The peculiar proprietor knows exactly what Brand needs — and its name is Mr. Fuzzypants. After suffering a fateful accident on the way to Rebecca’s birthday party, a horrified Tom discovers that while his human form is lying comatose in a hospital bed, he is watching events unfold from inside the body of the cat. Trapped inside Mr. Fuzzypants and trying desperately to make his loved ones aware of his situation, he soon realizes that if he is ever to earn back his human existence, he must reconnect with his family and become the husband and father they deserve.

At the heart of his family is his beautiful, understanding wife Lara. Director Sonnenfeld says that as soon as he read the script he formed a mental image of the actress who would portray the character. “Jennifer Garner was always my first choice to play Kevin’s wife,” he explains. “She’s beautiful, strong and funny — qualities that don’t always go together.”

The actress is happy to be at the center of the film’s three-ring circus. “I am the poor mom at home with a husband in a coma, a confused daughter — and a cat who’s acting crazy, getting drunk and being totally wild and inappropriate,” she laughs. “And I’m trying to figure it all out.”

“Lara is pretty even keeled,” she adds. “She’s warm, sensible, loving — but she’s fed up with her husband. I think Lara and Tom have a real marriage and that she genuinely loves him. She’s starting to try to set boundaries, saying, ‘This is not enough for me, and it’s certainly not enough for our daughter, so you better show up.’ And he just fails again and again.”

Jennifer Garner is confident that moviegoers of all ages will enjoy the film. “I don’t think audiences can help having a great time hearing Kevin Spacey’s droll, grumpy cat voice come out of Mr. Fuzzypants,” she says. “With Kevin as the cat, we were all in stitches. Between Christopher Walken, the beautiful Malina, and the wonderful Robbie Amell and Mark Consuelos, this movie is in good shape. It’s incredibly watchable, and funny and warm.”

 

 “Nine Lives” opens August 17 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.

ULTIMATE TRIBUTE TO MOTHERS IN NEW COMEDY “BAD MOMS” - OPENS AUGUST 3 IN CINEMAS [R16]

The latest badass comedy “Bad Moms” brings together an ensemble of extremely talented group of filmmakers starting from the writer/director duo, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore who also penned the outrageous worldwide hit “The Hangover,” along with producer Suzanne Todd, a multiple Golden Globe® and Emmy® nominated producer whose movies have grossed more than two and a half billion dollars worldwide such as “Austin Powers” trilogy, “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” “Boiler Room” and “Memento.” 

With a wide array of adjectives to choose from - tiger moms, soccer moms, perfect moms, fed up moms, you name it, they’re all here in “Bad Moms,” the ultimate tribute movie about the awesomeness of mothers starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christina Applegate and Annie Mumolo with Jay Hernandez, Oona Lawrence and Emjay Anthony.


It’s war between the good and the mean in “Bad Moms,” contemporarily set in a world where there’s simply an overload of information – high tech apps, meaningful blogs, ‘expert’ advice, judgy “feedback” – but nothing has ever solved the one big issue all moms face: How to get it all done in the measly 24 hours to keep their family fit, fed and functioning, all with a smile after a long day. Does any app or hashtag address that? Can one blame them if they finally freak out? The answer is clear - #No #NoYouCant.


Further in “Bad Moms,” other moms know not to cross supermom Gwendolyn James (Applegate), the community’s arbiter of acceptable behavior, and Amy Mitchell (Kunis) certainly never meant to. Life is hard enough. But upon reaching her tipping point, Amy is set to prove the perfect moms wrong and joins forces with Kiki (Bell), a stay-at-home mom and Carla, a single mom, together they brand themselves as “bad moms” eventually losing all fear of anyone else labeling them.



Kunis signed on as lead character Amy Mitchell, a working mom whose myriad obligations leave her cut off from friendships, let alone the idea of fun for its own sake. Poor Amy is too busy to realize what she is missing. “Really early on in motherhood, you forget that you’re a girl and you need girlfriends,” said Kristen Bell, a real life mother of two. “Part of the beauty of this film is that it’s about these mothers discovering friendships again.”


“Reading the script, you’d think a woman wrote it, but talking to Jon and Scott, you realize it’s an homage to their wives,” said actress Mila Kunis, a real-life mom herself. In fact, all six of the film’s leading ladies are mothers, as is producer Suzanne Todd.


Lucas and Moore found expert guides to help them stir the soup, they hosted dinner parties with lots of moms, lots of wine and lots of stories from the trenches. “What moms talk about is not how it’s usually portrayed in the average Hallmark-y Mom movie,” said Lucas. “It’s way more interesting and fun, and way more R-rated. Sometimes X-rated. And, yes, there’s conflict!”


Producer Suzanne Todd, a mother of three, agreed. “It just feels like my experience. There were five scenes in the script that I felt like I had lived for sure. I mean exact, like exact detail of dialogue and specific things that happened; because it is kind of a shared collective experience about how hard we try to be good moms, how hard we are on ourselves about not being good enough.”

 

“Bad Moms” opens August 3 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.

DAD BECOMES CAT IN MAGICAL FAMILY MOVIE “NINE LIVES”

From the director the worldwide blockbuster action comedy film “Men In Black,” filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld brings together a cast of actors in his latest family movie “Nine Lives” led by Kevin Spacey with Jennifer Garner, Robbie Amell, Malina Weissman, Christopher Walken and Cheryl Hines.

In “Nine Lives,” an immensely successful businessman who has built an empire at the expense of any sort of true human connection, Tom Brand (Spacey) is surrounded by good people who love him in spite of his skyscraper-sized flaws. But it isn’t until he finds himself with four paws and a tail that Tom realizes how lucky he’s been.

A unique mix of heartwarming family fare, supernatural mystery and slapstick comedy, “Nine Lives” also delivers the thrill of seeing one of the most talented actors of our time inhabiting the body of an adorable cat named Mr. Fuzzypants. Hearkening back to films as diverse as It’s a Wonderful Life, Big and Freaky Friday, it’s a concept that should appeal to audiences from 5 to 85 — and one that Kevin Spacey was excited to join.

“For me, this is a great opportunity because I love doing comedy,” explains the two-time Oscar® winner. “People often think of me in a darker, more evil kind of part. But it’s a great joy for me to be able to come to work every day and do something that’s really funny, really fast and very clever.”

Sonnenfeld, whose long list of hits also includes “The Addams Family,” “Get Shorty” and “Wild Wild West,” says the film falls squarely in his wheelhouse. “It’s what I do as a filmmaker: It’s fantasy and it’s funny but it’s also real,” explains the director. “It’s a very funny movie in a fantastic situation that somehow is totally grounded in reality.”

According to co-writer Ben Shiffren, the goal of the script was to tell a story with humor and heart about a man who has alienated his family by spending all his time at the office and is forced, through a magical intervention, to reassess his priorities. “We wanted the tone be a bit more mature than just a typical ‘cat hijinks’ movie, so parents are able to appreciate it as well as kids,” he adds.

At the same time, the writers wanted to mine the rich comedic potential of a self-centered and controlling person trapped in a pet’s body, says co-writer Daniel Antoniazzi. “Part of Tom Brand’s karmic punishment for ignoring his family is that he gets to hear what they think of him, and hear how they miss him, how they love him. But also how he’s done wrong, the times he’s missed out on life events.”

Producer Jonathan Vanger describes “Nine Lives” as a light-hearted comedy with “a lot of fun things in it, including animals, children and some great actors.” He credits Sonnenfeld with bringing it all together into a fresh, funny, family-friendly fable. “I’ve seen all of Barry’s movies, but I hadn’t met the man before working on this film. He is extremely efficient and knows exactly what he wants. It’s a delight to work with a director who is that well organized, and is able to make the movie he wants, almost editing it in the camera as he goes along. It’s pretty impressive.”

Family movie “Nine Lives” opens August 31 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films. Trailer of Nine Lives:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lppZ9i1KcTk&list=PLPzPHkB8W5ae_dDnQ180cNi_modwkqgIv

Pioneer Films: MODERN DAY MOTHERHOOD QUIRKS IN HILARIOUS “BAD MOMS” MOVIE

In the latest totally relatable movie for mothers all over the world, “Bad Moms” brings together three overworked and under-appreciated moms who ditch conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun, and comedic self-indulgence when pushed beyond their limits. 

The most hilarious authentic comedy of the year, “Bad Moms” stars Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell (played Anna in “Frozen”) and Kathryn Hahn, written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore who also penned the highly successful “The Hangover” film series. The movie is produced by blockbuster maker Suzanne Todd, who is behind worldwide hits such as “Alice In Wonderland” and “Austin Powers” movies.

“Bad Moms” sees Amy (Kunis), leading a seemingly perfect life - a great marriage, overachieving kids, beautiful home, stunning looks and still holding down a career. However she's over-worked, over committed and exhausted to the point that she's about to snap. Fed up, she joins forces with two other moms, Kiki (Bell), a stay-at-home mom and Carla (Hahn), a single mom who all go on a quest to liberate themselves from conventional responsibilities, going on a wild un-mom like binge of freedom, fun and self-indulgence - putting them on a collision course with PTA Queen Bee Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate) and her clique of devoted perfect moms, Stacy (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Vicky (Annie Mumolo).

Producer Todd, who is also a working mom hopes that multi-tasking mothers and those around them will take cues from “Bad Moms” on indulging themselves of the much needed breaks every now and then. “Obviously, I’m a working mom and I’ve always been, so I think that all moms are very hard on themselves,” she said. “In the movie, we get to take that on in a real way. I hope that people will go see this movie and come out of it and feel a little differently about themselves and the world or maybe they will feel like ‘I am doing a good job.’”

Likewise, Kunis further echoes Todd’s thoughts, “I think people like to know they’re not alone. And I think that the second you’re like, “Oh wait,” it’s something you can poke humor at and make light of. I think before, when my parents were raising my brother and I, everything had to look perfect. Whether it was or wasn’t you just didn’t air your dirty laundry so to speak. And I think nowadays, if it’s going wrong I call my best friend like, “I don’t know, there’s this color coming out of her nose and I’m pretty sure she’s dying.” It’s okay to do that now and I don’t think it necessarily was okay before. So I think this movie kind of brings light to that.”
 

“Bad Moms” opens August 3 in cinemas from Pioneer Films. Check out the film’s trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GLe9Tad6TI

Now Showing: Now You See Me 2 from Pioner FIlms [PG]

“Now You See Me 2” is now showing  in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films

From Pioneer Films - MASTER MAGICIANS BACK AND BEYOND THE LIMITS OF ILLUSION IN “NOW YOU SEE ME 2”

The surprise worldwide hit caper “Now You See Me” which grossed over $300 million worldwide and earned the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Movie Thriller, made the Horsemen’s return to the screen inevitable for their most astounding magic act in “Now You See Me 2.” After starting out in New York City, where the first film left off, the action of “Now You See Me 2” soon becomes international as The Horsemen are transported to Macau, seemingly by magic, then on to London for a final showdown with an unexpected alliance of enemies.
In 2013, “Now You See Me” mesmerized the world with the David and Goliath escapades of a preternaturally gifted group of professional illusionists who pull off daring heists at the expense of a corrupt billionaire. This year, “Now You See Me 2” brings back the talented group in a lightning-paced global adventure that blurs the line between heroes and villains as the Horsemen continue their mission armed only with their imaginations, skill and camaraderie. This time, things go wrong very quickly for the Horsemen. The audience can look forward to watching a movie that has a bigger scope, bigger laughs and bigger action, while going deeper into the mythology of The Eye.

Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Daniel Radcliffe, and Michael Caine NOW YOU SEE ME 2

Directed by Jon M. Chu (“G.I. Joe Retaliation”), also known for his expertise in cutting-edge technology in filmmaking, brings “Now You See Me 2” on its biggest, boldest and unparalleled innovative magic ever onscreen. “Now You See Me 2” stars returning cast Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine with new characters played by “Harry Potter’s” Daniel Radcliffe, Lizzy Caplan, Jay Chouand Sanaa Lathan.

A big fan of “Now You See Me,” Chu jumped at the chance to work with a cast full of world-class actors, including five Oscar® winners and nominees, to make a movie combining magic, storytelling and mystery. “This script was so much fun to work on,” he continues. “However this time around, we get to be with the Horsemen as they are trapped in a magic trick themselves and have to use their illusionist skills to get out. Ed Solomon’s script is brilliant and combines intricate story architecture with a breezy pace and fun tone that makes the movie an event for the whole family."

In “Now You See Me 2,” the audience will feel like they are watching first hand as great magicians do their best work, according to screenwriter Ed Solomon, whose numerous past credits include “Men in Black” and cult-classic “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” “You should have that dual response that magic so often evokes,” Solomon says. “You are amazed by what you are seeing even though you know you’re being fooled. You’re excited to see where it will take you. There’s that wonderful suspension of disbelief.”

At the heart of this film, like that of its predecessor, is a sense of adventure and wonder, says Solomon. “I hope it’s at least as much fun for the audience to watch as it was for us to make,” he adds. “I think people love magic for the same reason they love jokes. It’s the element of surprise. You know it’s a game, but you feel safe. People love watching an expert doing something they don’t quite understand and trying to get to the bottom of that mystery.”

 Prepare for the unbelievable when “Now You See Me 2” opens June 8 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films

OctoArts Films International: TOM HANKS IN THE FACE OF RECESSION IN “A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING” [R13]

Award-winning actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks stars in “A Hologram for the King” set in recession-ravaged 2010 as an American businessman named Alan Clay adapted from the book of the same title by acclaimed author Dave Eggers. 



Hanks’ role in the movie is a broke, depressed and freshly divorced man who arrives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to close what he hopes will be the deal of a lifetime. His mission: sell a state-ofthe-art holographic teleconferencing system to the Saudi government. Adrift and alone in an unfamiliar land, Alan befriends taxi driver Yousef (Alexander Black), who chauffeurs him through the desert to the “King’s Metropolis of Economy and Trade,” a surreal ghost town of vacant skyscrapers and half-completed construction projects. Baffled by the bureaucratic reception he gets at the so-called “Welcome Center,” Alan struggles to figure out why his small IT support team is being forced to spend its days in a sweltering tent as it preps for the big presentation. Worse, because of the Saudi way of doing business, he’s unclear if the king will ever show up for the long-scheduled meeting.

Clay arrives in Saudi Arabia without any prior knowledge of the place, other than his own cartoonish, stereotypical concept, according to Hanks. “Though he’s not a happy guy, when Alan tries to sell the upbeat nature of the 3-D hologram and rally his team, he becomes this other guy, the former Alan Clay, a man with energy and vibrancy. That’s where the comedy comes from.”

In addition to emphasizing the book’s humor, Tykwer bolstered the romantic elements as he translated Eggers’ story from page to screen. “The longer I worked on the script, the more profound the love story became because it connects to this whole third-act decision where the movie becomes a more optimistic tale,” Tykwer says. Alan is coaxed out of his funk by Zahra Hakem, an alluring, talented surgeon portrayed by London-born Sarita Choudhury. In her role as CIA Division Chief Saul Berenson’s long-suffering wife Mira on the Emmy-winning series “Homeland,” the half-Indian, half-English actress developed an avid following that included Hanks himself. “I remember seeing Sarita for the first time on ‘Homeland’ and thinking, ‘Alright, I don’t know who she is, but that woman is riveting. I don’t know where she comes from but I can’t take my eyes off her.”

In Hollywood’s finest black-comedy tradition, “A Hologram for the King delivers laughs spiked with bittersweet undertones. “We’ve made a crisis comedy that points the finger at the fact that our economic structure is falling apart and the apocalypse seems to be looming just around the corner,” Tykwer says. “We use comedy as a tool to embrace tragedy like a balloon you stick with a needle so it explodes and the energy that comes out is cheerful. Despite all of Alan’s problems, I hope this movie cheers people up.”

For Hanks, who’s earned iconic status and five Academy Award® nominations by playing regular, good-hearted Americans who triumph overhard luck circumstances, A Hologram for the King is the story of a man who stumbles upon an emotional and spiritual oasis after wandering in the desert. “Why make a movie about a guy where nothing ever works out for him? That might work fantastically as a piece of literature but as far as the cinema goes, the story requires this other thing — for want of a better word, let’s just call it hope.”

 

“A Hologram for the King” opens June 1 in cinemas from OctoArts Films International. 

 

 

DANIEL RADCLIFFE WHIPS MAGIC ANEW IN DARING CAPER THRILLER “NOW YOU SEE ME 2” [PG]

Daniel Radcliffe, best known for his role in the phenomenal worldwide hit franchise “Harry Potter” enters the magic realm once again in the astounding caper thriller “Now You See Me 2.” 

Directed by John M. Chu, “Now You See Me 2” sees the master magicians known as the Four Horsemen return and elevate the limits of stage illusion to new heights to clear their names and ultimately expose the ruthlessness of a dangerous tech magnate. One year after their astonishing Robin Hood-style magic shows win the public’s adulation and confound the FBI, the quartet resurfaces for a dazzling comeback performance that will make their previous escapades seem like child’s play. With the help of FBI Special Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo), the Horsemen — J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and new addition Lula (Lizzy Caplan) — mount a meticulously planned surprise appearance, in hopes of exposing corrupt tech tycoon Owen Case (Ben Lamb).


But their scheme backfires, exposing Dylan’s involvement with the Horsemen and sending all five of them back on the run. To regain their freedom and their reputations they are forced by wealthy recluse Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe) to recover an unimaginably powerful computer chip stolen by his treacherous former business partner — none other than Owen Case. The Horsemen soon find themselves once again squaring off against unscrupulous businessman Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine) and professional skeptic Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) as they attempt to accomplish the most difficult heist of their careers — but even they cannot anticipate the ultimate surprise awaiting them.

New addition Daniel Radcliffe joins the cast as Walter Mabry, a wealthy boy-wonder entrepreneur in hiding in a fabulous high-rise apartment in Macau. “Daniel has displayed a lot of different sides throughout his career, but this playful, weird, demented side is something we’ve never seen,” explains Chu.

What stood out for Radcliffe about the first film were the wide-ranging experiences of the accomplished cast. “It’s such an amazing group of actors, all bringing such different things from interesting and varied careers,” the actor says. “They seemed to be having such a great time together and that’s really compelling for an audience to watch.”

A mystery man with a complicated proposal for the Horseman, Mabry will not take no for an answer. His background may be high tech, but his passion is magic.

“Jon has done a fantastic job,” Radcliffe says. “To take on something of this magnitude requires real vision. He breaks down immense sequences into streamlined storytelling in a way that is wonderful to watch. There’s a crucial sequence in which the Horsemen have to steal something right under people’s noses. Jon created an incredibly cool, complicated scene that uses stage magic to pull off the heist in a way that hasn’t been seen before on screen.”

There is something about magic that reduces us all to children, believes Radcliffe. “Sleight-of-hand is very hard, but some of the best tricks in the world are so incredibly simple and effective.”

“Now You See Me 2” opens June 8 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.

Pioneer Films - MARRIED AND ABUSED IN ROMANTIC KOREAN COMEDY MOVIE “MY NEW SASSY GIRL” [Rated PG]

The story of the hapless Gyeon-woo (played by Cha Tae-Hyun) in the fall-of-your-seat Korean romantic hit movie “My Sassy Girl” continues in the highly-awaited sequel “My New Sassy Girl” where he is now married to an unpredictable tough woman played by Victoria Song.

In "My New Sassy Girl," Gyeon-woo has trouble forgetting his "old" sassy girl (Jun Ji-hyun), but soon reunites with his childhood love (Song). The "new" sassy girl, the only child of a rich family in China, returns to Korea to marry Gyeon-woo despite disapproval from her family. However, Gyeon-woo's married life with his new, but familiar sassy girl is tougher than he ever imagined. Directed by South Korean veteran Jo Geun-shik, “My New Sassy Girl” now explores the problems of the newly married couple.

Cha Tae-hyun who reprises his role shares that, “The new movie elaborates on the romance, and love can be blind, risky, and unpredictable theme. There's no change to the characters, except that Gyeon-woo was a student back then, and is now an office worker and a husband. The woman has changed, but her way of treating me hasn't changed at all. I loved the plot a lot. I think there will be a new trend of people following certain actions from the film as there was with the first film.”

Victoria Song, a Chinese actress-singer, revealed in her previous interviews that she felt she had to live up to the expectations set by the actress in the first movie. “Jun Ji Hyun's effect on the movie is a big pressure for me," Victoria said. "However, this is a new step for me. I believe I have the strength to overcome the pressure."

Likewise, Cha has high hopes that the audience will still love the sequel despite changes in the lead female role. “Gyeon Woo' from 'My Sassy Girl' is a character I can't help but note as memorable. Even after all the characters I've played, it's a character who will forever be connected to my name. I was determined to not participate in the second movie, but because of my personal attachments, as well as my trust in director Jo Geun Shik, I'm just hoping that things will work out in the end," Cha admits.

Mark your calendars for one unforgettable funny romantic escapade when “My New Sassy Girl” opens June 1 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.

AWARD-WINNING TOM HANKS STARS IN NOVEL-TO-MOVIE DRAMEDY “A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING”

Adapted from the novel by Dave Eggers, “A Hologram for the King,” starring Tom Hanks is set in a rising Saudi Arabian city, far from weary, recession-scarred America, a struggling businessman pursues a last-ditch attempt to stave off foreclosure, pay his daughter’s college tuition, and finally do something great. In A Hologram for the King, author Dave Eggers takes us around the world to show how one man fights to hold himself and his splintering family together in the face of the global economy’s gale-force winds. This taut, richly layered, and elegiac novel turned movie is a powerful evocation of our contemporary moment — and a moving story of how we got here.

This latest Tom Hanks starrer is directed by Tom Tykwer who has solidly established himself as a young Spielberg for this well-endowed type of international co-productionalism that basically milks state funds on a global scale. What Tykwer likes about “A Hologram for the King” Tykwer is its tacky surrealism, and he indulges in it. Tom Hanks is the fool in the dunes, but he gets a nice bath in the end, and even romance. When was the last time anyone thought of putting Hanks in a sex scene? That must have been Philadelphia, again. But then Saudi-Arabia is so strait-laced that even Everyman has an edge.

After Tom Hanks gave Dave Eggers' National Book Award-nominated novel A Hologram for the King a rave review on his Twitter feed in 2012, only one issue remained unresolved for the two-time Oscar-winning actor. "I was already a big fan of Dave Eggers' work, having read a bunch of his stuff including things he did with McSweeney's literary review," Hanks says. "Then I read A Hologram for the King in one sitting and my only question when I finished it was whether or not he wanted a movie made out of his book."

German filmmaker Tom Tykwer, who co-directed Hanks in the 2012 sci-fi epic “Cloud Atlas,” felt just as strongly about the source material. "A Hologram for the King hit a very particular nerve in me," Tykwer recalls. "It was the most contemporary novel I'd read in a very long time so I felt like it couldn't wait: this story had to be made into a movie. It's very much about now, yet it still it has the sense of a classic novel in that it's a book for all times. I found that to be a brilliant mix so I turned into this very pushy machine trying to put the movie together as fast as I could."

Tykwer, who had worked with author Eggers previously on a miniseries adaptation of the San Francisco-based author's novel “What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng,” arranged a meeting with Hanks and Eggers at a Los Angeles hotel. After pitching his ideas for the book's cinematic adaptation, Tykwer and Eggers came to a very un-Hollywood-like agreement. "Dave and I trust each other," the director explains. "I love that he offered to get rid of all the contract stuff and just write on some piece of paper 'I promise not to be an asshole' and then we would both sign it. We're very much on the same page when it comes to artistic exchange. Dave understands that once you let somebody take over your vision, you have to keep some distance."

Tykwer was equally excited about partnering once again with Hanks. "Working with Tom is liberating for a filmmaker because he's so open-minded to every moment and every situation," Tykwer says. "He's like a super-intelligent child who comes into a room and says, 'Okay, what are our toys?' And then, 'Let's explore what we can do with them!' That's super inspiring because when you come up with a new idea, he picks it up really greedily and does something with it in a wonderfully playful way."

“A Hologram for the King” opens June 1 in cinemas to be released by OctoArts Films International.

SECOND ROUND OF HILARIOUS LOVE STORY IN “MY NEW SASSY GIRL”

From the surprise romantic blockbuster South Korean film “My Sassy Girl,” the comical and lovable Cha-tae Hyun is back in his latest romantic misadventures in “My New Sassy Girl.” 

Following the sincere, funny and hapless Gyun-Woo (Cha-tae Hyun), he is now married in “My New Sassy Girl” to his childhood sweetheart played by Victoria Song. In the movie, Gyun-woo is trying to mend his broken heart after being separated from his love at the end of the first film. He then finds himself reunited with his childhood sweetheart while mending his broken heart. In no time, Gyun-woo falls in love once again, marries her and goes through a honeymoon which no man would ever dream of.

“My New Sassy Girl” will soon open in local cinemas on June 1 from Pioneer Films. 

Click here for the film’s trailer: https://youtu.be/WC_ZzqOlQ2k

A-LIST CAST IN A HEARTWARMING TRIBUTE TO THE ONE THAT CONNECTS US ALL IN “MOTHER’S DAY” MOVIE

Expectant moms, single moms, stepmoms, gay moms, estranged moms, long-lost moms and mothers of all kinds get their due in an emotional tribute to the tie that can’t be broken in “Mother’s Day,” an endearing and entertaining romantic comedy about everyone’s first love, our mothers. 

 

 

Director and producer Garry Marshall once again brings together an all-star cast for a joyous holiday celebration in his new film, “Mother’s Day.” Marshall tackles the complicated connection between mother and child through a series of deftly interwoven stories that salute the sometimes maddening, often conflicted and always powerful bond of maternal love in a movie about the impact mothers have on their children’s lives — even when they don’t mean to.

Jennifer Aniston ( “Friends”), Kate Hudson (“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”), Julia Roberts (“Pretty Woman”), Jason Sudeikis (“We’re the Millers”) and Britt Robertson (“Tomorrowland”) star in interwoven stories about a group of women with one important thing in common- mothers. In the week before the one day of the year when Mom comes first, the lives of a group of strong, loving and wildly imperfect women, from a divorced mother dealing with her kids’ new stepmom to a young mom trying find her own birth mother, provide an emotional and humorous reminder that every mom is her own kind of hero. 

 

Julia Roberts, marking her fourth appearance in a Garry Marshall film, was the first star on board, agreeing to play Miranda, the queen of a ubiquitous home shopping network. Sleekly coiffed and impeccably turned out, Miranda has a secret that will be revealed by the end of the film.

Jennifer Aniston plays recently divorced Sandy with two sons. She and her ex-husband, Henry (Timothy Olyphant), are on exceptionally good terms until he impulsively weds his much younger girlfriend and Sandy finds herself struggling with the idea that she’s replaceable. “It comes out of the blue,” says Aniston. “She suddenly has to share her children with their new stepmom. It’s a complete game changer when another person comes in as a co-parent to your children.”

Shay Mitchell, from the television series “Pretty Little Liars,” plays Henry’s new wife, Tina. Tina is young and naive, but her affection for both Henry and his children is authentic, says the actress. “She really does care so much for the kids and is trying genuinely to play the role of being their other mom. She doesn’t think Sandy will be upset at all. They’re going to work as a team and raise these kids as best they can.”

Kate Hudson plays Jesse, a happily married mom who is estranged from her own mother. “Jesse and her sister Gabi cut off their parents because they have both made lives they know their parents wouldn’t approve of. Gabi is married to a woman. Jesse married an Indian man and has a child with him.” Hudson explains.

The film also introduces a “Mister Mom” Bradley (played by Jason Sudeikis), the father of two girls is facing his first Mother’s Day without his wife, a Marine killed in combat. It has been almost a year since her passing and the kids are trying to move forward, but Bradley has only scratched the surface of his mourning. The storyline adds a note of poignancy to the movie as he struggles to let go of the past for his children’s sake.

Britt Robertson, who recently starred opposite George Clooney in the blockbuster "Tomorrowland," plays Kristin, a new mom who has never met her birth mother. Kristin’s British boyfriend Zack (Jack Whitehall) wants very much to marry her, but she’s not sure. Adopted as an infant, Kristin fears that because she’s never known her birth mother, she doesn’t know what kind of woman she’s going to be. “I immediately said yes to this project,” Robertson recalls. “I just loved all the different story lines and the different kinds of relationships between mothers and children. I think everyone will find a character they can relate to.”

“Mother’s Day” opens May 4 in cinemas from OctoArts Films International.

BOX-OFFICE HIT ROMANTIC COMEDY DIRECTOR GARRY MARSHALL BRINGS BIG-HEARTED MOVIE “MOTHER’S DAY”

Garry Marshall, who moved everyone to tears of joy with his classic and endearing romantic comedies such as “Pretty Woman,” “The Princess Diaries,” “Beaches,” “Dear God,” “New Year’s Eve” and “Valentine’s Day” connects the world once again with his latest star-studded movie “Mother’s Day” starring Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and Jason Sudeikis in a celebratory and inspiring story of what “Mother’s Day” really means to each of them.

“Mother’s Day” tell the intertwining stories of mothers and a Mr. Mom as the holiday approaches that stars Julia Roberts as Miranda, as a television host, Jennifer Aniston who plays recently-divorced Sandy, Kate Hudson who plays reluctant daughter and Jason Sudeikis, a widower trying to relate to his daughters. The movie also stars Timothy Olyphant, Sarah Chalke, Shay Mitchell, Jon Lovitz and Britt Robertson.

Aniston and Sudeikis, who’ve previously worked together in riotous comedies such as “We’re The Millers” marks their fifth movie as their characters’ lives are intertwined in “Mother’s Day.” “With Jason, we’ve been doing movies together which makes it quite fun and comfortable in all the best ways,” Aniston shares.

Further Aniston talks about working with director Garry Marshall, “It’s as if he likes walk with sunshine wherever he goes, and it just shows in his crew, he’s beloved and adored. I think a lot of people are here just to be with him. He also lets us improv which is fun.”

“I belieie no matter what they say, there’s still in magic inmoies and when you let them ompovise, someyime you get that magic. I knowhen I se it. In this picture, we wait for magical moments.”

“Sandy is basically met with the news that his ex-husband has remarried and she’s got to overcome on sharing her children and sort of rising above it. She’s a little thrown by his ex-husband’s new wife, and she’s thrown by the fact that she’s a much much younger woman because that’s a big deal when another person comes in as a co-parent to your child,” Aniston says of her character.

Veteran director Marshall likewise enthuses on the wondrous things that mothers all over the world had done for their families. “I wanted to explore and celebrate and show how hard and difficult it is today. I think it is the hardest job in the world is a mother raising a teenager these days, it’s just tough, with the internet, to get him to look up is a major thing, but I think it’s about time to really celebrate it. And do something about mothers and how hard it is now they have to put up with everything and they do it.”

On casting Jennifer Aniston, “I love how prepared she was and how ready she was to try. And this shows how open and very brave she is and when you let yourself go. But here she really impressed me and had the best time and made the scenes come alive.”

Marshall, known for his heartfelt movies finally shares that “I think emotions are good, but laugher sometime hou gotta have too. Make them laugh, make them cry, that has always been my motto, and many others. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don’t. But in this films I have actors who do that.”

Celebrate the wonder of life that is our moms, watch “Mother’s Day” starting May 4 in cinemas – from OctoArts Films International.

Check out the films trailer here: https://youtu.be/IfjOhlD6_-U

Now Showing: Mr. Right from Pioner Films

 

 “Mr. Right” opens TODAY in cinemas from Pioneer Films. 

ANNA KENDRICK AND SAM ROCKWELL KILLER COUPLE IN R-RATED ROMCOM “MR. RIGHT” [R-16]

Blending dancing, violence and romance into one-of-a-kind hybrid entertainment, “Mr. Right” stars Anna Kendrick as manic Martha who falls in for Francis (Sam Rockwell), a professional assassin with a cause.





When Martha discovers that her new beau is a professional hitman, who kills the people ordering the hits. But the bodies pile up, Martha must decide whether to flee or join her man in the mayhem.



Like her co-star Rockwell, Anna Kendrick combines dramatic chops -- showcased in her Oscar-nominated “Up in the Air” performance -- with the natural wit displayed in “Pitch Perfect” and its blockbuster sequel. When she read the “Mr. Right” script, Kendrick savored the chance to go a little wild. "The most exciting thing for me was the way Max wrote Martha as someone who's always been a little psychotic," Kendrick says. "He mentioned to me that some script notes suggested he make her this mild mannered girl until she encounters Mr. Right. But I thought it was funny and wise to make Martha bat shit crazy from the get go."



Kendrick also sparked to Mr. Right because she knew Rockwell would be playing the title role. "I always pictured Mr. Right as Sam," she says. "I knew he would bring amazing energy to the character. He makes you love this guy who’s killing people. but because it’s Sam playing Francis, you’re rooting for him."



Director Cabezas sealed the deal with Kendrick after they met in New York and bonded over a their shared vision of a bold, unpredictable heroine. "Paco showed me a lot of pre-vis stuff on his computer," she recalls. "We talked a lot about making sure that Martha was fun and active and not your typical damsel. For example, when we meet Martha, she’s being unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend and she crawls into a closet and gets drunk. I really liked doing that scene, being able to spout profanity and nonsense where you don’t even know what you’re saying half the time and you go 'This is my job! I’m at work, these are my co-workers, this is crazy'"



Producer Jacobs says "Often times with movies in this genre, you see the female lead running scared once the gunfire starts. We needed to find an actress who had that America's sweetheart girl next door quality, but underneath all of that, in Mr. Right, the gunfire kind of turns Martha on. Anna knew how to pull off that turn."




Kendrick's Martha also gets in on the action once she learns how to channel her so-called "gift of motion." "The stunt team has been amazing," says the petite actress. "They know how to make you look good even if you’re a little five foot weakling. I've had a good time bludgeoning people." Beard sums up Kendrick's performance concisely. "Once she takes on Mr. Right's moves, Anna kicks ass."



As producer Jacobs sees it, Mr. Right ultimately succeeds on the strength of its leads. "When people see Francis and Anna fall in love with each other, that’s going to be the home run of the movie," he says. "In order to stand out in this day and age, you can’t stick to regular conventions. Francis and Martha are so fun and the dialogue is so unique, you're happy to spend two hours with these people."

An explosive cocktail of romantic action comedy hits cinemas when “Mr. Right” opens April 6 (from Pioneer Films).

TO LOVE AND TO GUARD IN ROMANTIC ACTION COMEDY “MR. RIGHT” [R16]

In the tradition of highly-successful romantic action comedies comes a one-of-a-kind love story in “Mr. Right” starring two of Hollywood’s well-sought actors Anna Kendrick and Sam Rockwell.

In “Mr. Right,” Martha (Anna Kendrick) discovers that her new beau, Francis (Sam Rockwell), is a professional assassin… with a cause. He kills the people ordering the hits. As the bodies pile up, Martha must decide whether to flee or join her man in the mayhem.

Sam Rockwell is that rare Hollywood star who's equally adept in somber dramas like the most recent Broadway revival “Fool For Love” and BAFTA award-winning “Moon” as he is playing quirky characters in such black-humored action fare “Seven Psychopaths” and “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.” When director Paco Cabezas met with the actor in late 2012, Rockwell immediately responded to Mr. Right 's subversive sense of humor. "I said 'yes' right away because Max Landis wrote a really fun script that reminded me of movies like “Grosse Point Blank” in the way it mixed action and romantic comedy," he says. "I saw Mr. Right as being kind of like Mr. and Mrs. Smith-meets-Silver Lining Playbook where you have two dysfunctional bi-polar type people who find each other. They're both hot messes, on edge and scary. Francis and Martha might freak other people out, but they don’t freak each other out."

Kendrick also sparked to Mr. Right because she knew Rockwell would be playing the title role. "I always pictured Mr. Right as Sam," she says. "I knew he would bring amazing energy to the character. He makes you love this guy who’s killing people. but because it’s Sam playing Francis, you’re rooting for him."

Producer Jacobs says "Often times with movies in this genre, you see the female lead running scared once the gunfire starts. We needed to find an actress who had that America's sweetheart girl next door quality, but underneath all of that, in Mr. Right, the gunfire kind of turns Martha on. Anna knew how to pull off that turn."

The movie veered away from using CGI trickery in favor of old-fashioned physical fisticuffs. "I'm tired of watching action movies plagued with digital effects where nothing is real," Cabezas explains. "In Mr. Right, everything's real. Sam Rockwell did 99 percent of the action himself, and he did it with grace and speed."

Rockwell rose to the live-action challenge. "I’m not formally trained as a dancer but I have been boxing off and on for twenty years so that helped a lot with the lateral movement, feet agility, that kind of crap," Rockwell explains. "It’s all the same stuff."


Blending dancing, violence and romance into one-of-a-kind hybrid entertainment, "Mr. Right" aims to seduce audiences with its twisted take on the classic boy-meets-girl formula. "I don’t have a clue how to categorize this movie, and that's what I love about Mr. Right," says Cabezas. "It’s funny, it’s a thriller, it has action and a lot of heart. In that sense, it's an explosive cocktail. I love movies that are great roller coasters of emotion, where you never know what to expect. I hope people who see Mr. Right have a laugh and have a good time and say 'Wow, I wasn’t expecting that.'"

Rated R16 by the MTRB, “Mr. Right” opens April 6 in cinemas from Pioneer Films. 

SPELLBINDING TRICKS BACK IN “NOW YOU SEE ME 2” THIS JUNE 15 IN CINEMAS NATIONWIDE

The Four Horsemen return in the thrilling caper “Now You See Me 2” for a second mind-bending adventure, elevating the limits of stage illusion to new heights in hopes of clearing their names and exposing the ruthlessness of a dangerous tech magnate.


The illusionists (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan) return one year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public’s adulation with their Robin Hood-style magic spectacles. The man behind their vanishing act is none other than Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe), a tech prodigy who threatens the Horsemen into pulling off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mastermind behind it all.



Directed by Jon M. Chu and co-produced by David Copperfield, “Now You See Me 2” sees returning cast Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman with new characters played by Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Radcliffe and Jay Chou.



The magic returns in cinemas when “Now You See Me 2”opens June 15 from Pioneer Films. Check out the film’s character posters released recently.

PITCH PERFECT STAR ANNA KENDRICK PAIRS UP WITH AN ASSASSIN IN LATEST MOVIE “MR. RIGHT”

Produced by hit movie makers, the upcoming romantic action comedy “Mr. Right” sees a hyperactive at the best of times, Martha (Anna Kendrick) has gone full-on manic since her latest breakup. She babbles, parties like a monster, cooks everything in sight — and is looking to do something terrible when she meets Francis (Sam Rockwell; “The Way Way Back”). To anyone else, Francis’s approach would come across as creepy, but Martha can’t help but be intrigued. They seem a perfect match: she's bananas, he's bananas... except he's a deadly sort of bananas. He’s a professional assassin. 

Francis is a hitman with a cause: he unexpectedly kills the people ordering the hits. Just as Martha begins to realize her new beau wasn't joking when he said he had to step out for a moment to shoot someone, things start heating up for Francis. His services are solicited by a dubious client who's being sought by an equally dubious FBI agent (Tim Roth; The Hateful Eight, Reservoir Dogs). As the bodies pile up, Martha needs to decide whether to flee or join in the mayhem.

Several years before writer Max Landis' mastery of offbeat storytelling became evident in “American Ultra,” “Victor Frankenstein” and the $122 million-grossing superhero hit “Chronicle,” he dreamed up an outrageous contribution to the rom-com canon in Mr. Right. When the dancing hitman high concept proved too challenging for mainstream Hollywood tastemakers, Circle of Confusion producers Rick Jacobs and Stephen Emery, who also manage Landis, decided to produce the script themselves.

 "For all its fun and dynamics, Max's story didn’t immediately catch the eyes of the studios, so that became an opportunity where Stephen and I decided to put the movie together organically," Jacobs says. "The great thing about Mr. Right is, it’s got a little bit of everything -- action, romance, comedy. The story doesn’t fit in one box, which can make it hard for some people, but for us it seemed like a really fun ride to jump on."

Making sure Mr. Right featured all the right moves, stunt coordinator Kevin Beard joined forces with fight coordinator James Lew to design Rockwell's eye-popping stunts. "Our challenge was to make all this action come alive," says Beard, whose stunt resume includes Texas Chainsaw 3D and The Expendables "Before the shoot began we had a three and a half hour meeting with Paco where the big question was 'How do you do a dance fight and not make it look stupid?' He had us go back and take a look at Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin movies from silent era. Once we started working out the moves, we came up with some cool stuff."

 “Mr. Right” opens in cinemas this April 6 from Pioneer Films. 

Check out the films’ trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsFkfIMQXgE&feature=youtu.be