THE HAUNTING ESCALATES IN HORROR-THRILLER “INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2”

A haunted family struggles to uncover a terrifying secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world in “Insidious: Chapter 2,” the latest nerve-twisting horror thriller from director James Wan (“The Conjuring”) and screenwriter Leigh Whannell (“Saw,” “Insidious”).

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Produced by “Paranormal Activity's” Jason Blum and Oren Peli, the sequel reteams the cast of the first film, including Patrick Wilson (“The Conjuring”), Rose Byrne (“X-Men: First Class”), Barbara Hershey (“Black Swan”), Lin Shaye (“There’s Something About Mary”) and Ty Simpkins (“Iron Man 3”).

Working individually and collectively, director James Wan, screenwriter Leigh Whannell and producer Jason Blum have been responsible for some of the most influential, commercially successful and flat-out terrifying horror thrillers of the past decade.

In 2004 Wan and Whannell unleashed the groundbreaking and hugely popular “Saw,” which spawned a blockbuster franchise on which Whannell continued to serve as a writer (“Saw II” and “III”) and executive producer. Wan most recently helmed the acclaimed haunted-house tale “The Conjuring,” while Blum has shepherded such blood-curdling hits as “Paranormal Activity” and “Sinister” to the screen. Together, the trio collaborated on the disturbing and original 2011 psychological horror thriller “Insidious,” a micro-budgeted film that became the most profitable theatrical release that year.

Now all three filmmakers are back—along with the entire cast of “Insidious”—with “Insidious: Chapter 2,” which continues the story of the Lambert family’s life-and-death struggle with malignant spirits bent on destroying their lives.

“We’re super excited at the chance to continue telling the story we started in the first film,” says Wan, who makes his sequel-directing debut. “I love the characters we created in the first film, and it’s great to come back to work with the same cast and crew. It’s like coming home to a family. But it’s also very scary because the success of the first film took us all by surprise.”

“Insidious” centers on the troubles of the Lamberts, a suburban family who leave their haunted house for a new home, only to learn it’s not their house that is haunted—it’s their eldest son. “Insidious: Chapter 2” rejoins the family as they try to put their recent troubles behind them, but discover that the spirits that have tormented them are far from finished.

Wan and Whannell took the unusual step of calling the film “Insidious: Chapter 2” because it picks up right where the first film ends. “Not too many sequels try that, but we loved the idea of creating back-to-back stories,” says Whannell. “You could almost watch them as one movie, or as chapters in the same story. We see Josh murder Elise, but Renai doesn’t see it and she’s not quite sure what’s going on. So at the start of the second film, everything seems back to normal, but slowly you realize something is terribly wrong.”

Opening across the Philippines on Sept. 18, “Insidious: Chapter 2” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.columbiapictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

Justine Timberlake's Biggest Gamble In RUNNER RUNNER

Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck and Gemma Arterton star in the high-roller thriller “Runner Runner” as key players trying to get ahead in the multi-billion dollar industry of internet gambling.



Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

 

                Timberlake’s character Richie is a Princeton grad student who’s been swindled by an online gambling group led by Ivan Block (played by Affleck).   Traveling to Costa Rica to confront the gambling legend behind the site, Richie is eventually seduced into Ivan’s haven – easy, instant and limitless wealth.  Ivan, impressed by Richie’s technological savvy takes the younger man under his wing to teach him the ropes.  It is only when he meets and falls for Ivan’s associate, Rebecca Shafran (Arterton) did he realize that he’s facing his greatest gamble yet when he also learns that Ivan is being chased by the FBI for racketeering, extortion and bribery.

 

                “Technology has led us to a world where everything comes very quickly, which has expedited this concept of the American dream.  Young people today want everything faster – especially money,” says director Brad Furman.  Justin Timberlake concurs with Furman’s assessment of the American dream on steroids:  “The American dream used to be about being rich and famous, but now it’s to become rich and famous – as quickly as possible.  The more access we have to things, the faster we want them.  Just touch a button and you can have almost anything shipped to you.”

 

                “Today, people don’t want to own a Cadillac; they want to invent their own car,” Timberlake continues.  “A generation of young people wants to start their own galaxy of entrepreneurial activities. People are constantly trying to reinvent the wheel, and things are moving at warp speed. It’s cutthroat.  It’s very cerebral and less about integrity, pride or honor, or any moral values.”

 

                Timberlake’s Richie Furst is among those getting caught up in this irresistible but dangerous mindset.  His guide and “benefactor” is Ivan Block.  Timberlake describes his character’s descent: “Richie is a good guy in the wrong place, trying to do the right thing.  He’s constantly trying to hold on to his morals.  Richie is a dreamer and an idealist who makes an honest mistake and must figure out how he’s going to get out of it.”

 

                “Runner Runner.”  It’s an expression unknown to all but perhaps the most ardent gamblers.  For the uninitiated, here’s a quick explanation: In the game of poker Texas hold ‘em, each player is dealt two “hole cards,” which they keep to themselves. Then three cards are dealt face up – also known as The Flop. The fourth card dealt up is The Turn and the fifth card is The River. Sometimes a player will get the two cards he needs on The Turn and The River – a very lucky break that is also known as “runner runner.”  For “Runner Runner’s” Richie to avoid jail, he’ll need an ingenious plan – and some very lucky breaks.

 

                “Runner Runner” opens September 26 from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.                Visit YouTube 20thCenturyFoxPh and Facebook /20^th Century Fox Philippines for more of the latest  photos and trailers of “Runner Runner.”

“THE BOOK THIEF” FIRST LOOK PHOTO

Based on the globally acclaimed best-selling book “The Book Thief” by Australian author Markus Zusak, 20th Century Fox’s latest movie of the same title introduces us to a German girl named Liesel Meminger at the heart of the story.

Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

 

                Set during World War II in Germany in January of 1939, Sophie Nélisse takes on the role of 9-year old Liesel – a foster girl living outside of Munich brought to a community where amongst those whom she learned to love, finally discovered her ultimate passion – books.

                 

                At a time when uncertainty looms, Liesel is brought to her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann (played by Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson respectively) while her younger brother Werner dies along the way to the Hubermanns.  In the cemetery where her brother is buried, a book entitled “The Grave Digger’s Handbook” found its way to Liesel’s hands,  the first of her collections from which she’d eventually become “The Book Thief.”

 

                The powerful material that is “The Book Thief” is transformed into an affirming, life changing movie from the production team that brought “Life of Pi” to the big screen and from Brian Percival, director of several episodes of the high profile series “Downton Abbey.”   Percival has found the movie’s heroine upon seeing Nélisse’s audition tape.     "It was quite uncanny, this kid. I was taken right away," says Percival. "It was this mixture of naive innocence but at the same time she's actually quite ballsy. You feel that you can get kneed in the groin at any point."

 

                Nélisse who also played a starring role in “Monsieur Lazhar” in 2011 shares that her role in “The Book Thief” was daunting.  Narrated by Death, the story’s tough emotional content which Nelisse’s character Liesel comes of age in an intolerant society within a war had Geoffrey Rush raving on Nelisse’s performance.   "I've had the opportunity in my career to have played opposite some extraordinary actresses and Sophie is just a true, natural original," says Rush. "She's a gifted performer who has an instinctive and highly creative rapport with the lens.”

 

                Soon to steal our hearts, “The Book Thief” will open February 19, 2014 in cinemas from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Follow Mark_Templar on Twitter for more movie updates and reviews.

Sneak Peek: THE FAMILY

Robert DeNiro and Michelle Pfeiffer return to their Mafia roots in the dark comedy, The Family,  When a notorious mafia family crosses the mob by committing the ultimate crime of snitching, they are put into the Government Witness Protection Program and shipped off to Normandy, France.  Although they pretend to want to change their lives, old habits die hard, and they soon resort back to their old criminal ways of doing business and settling scores.



Photo courtesy of Captive Cinema

Academy Award winner Robert De Niro (The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull) is the dad. Michelle Pfeiffer (Married to the Mob, Scarface) is the Mom. Dianna Argon (Glee) is their daughter and John D’Leo (The Wrestler) their son. Tommy Lee Jones plays a CIA agent that does his best to keep the family from tipping off their whereabouts with their bad behavior. Directed  Luc Besson (Taken, Transporter).

 

 

“The Family ” released and distributed by Captive Cinema.

Sneak Peek: NO ONE LIVES

Fourteen students appear brutally murdered, and the crime scene offers no clues as to the whereabouts of the one person who could be the only survivor, a young woman named Emma (Adelaide Clemens). Months later, some bandits attack a young couple’s car, and in it they discover the frightened Emma. Rubbing their hands together at the perspective of the considerable payoff for the “ransom”, they don’t realize that the ones who appeared to be their prey are actually much less defenseless than they seem. Director Ryûhei Kitamura continues his American adventure with a violent and ingenious thriller, manipulating all the genre conventions past and future to his taste.

Photo courtesy of Solar Entertainment Corp.

“No One Lives” is a smart and original horror movie with at its heart a killer in the grip of a dark and twisted love affair. Starring Luke Evans, Adelaide Clemens, Angus Macfadyen and Laura Ramsey.

 

‘No One Lives’ is released and distributed by Solar Entertainment Corp.

Showing soon!

EXCITING STARS COMPLETE CAST OF ACTION THRILLER “2 GUNS”

Starring alongside Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg in Columbia Pictures' new action thriller “2 Guns” are four A-list actors with impressive credentials -- Paula Patton (“Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol”), Bill Paxton (HBO's “Big Love”), James Marsden (the “X-Men” series) and Edward James Olmos (TV's “Battlestar Galactica”).

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

In the film, two operatives – Bobby Trench (Washington) and Michael “Stig” Stigman (Wahlberg) from competing bureaus are forced on the run together. But there is a big problem with their unexpected partnership: Neither knows that the other is an undercover federal agent.

Baltasar Kormakur (“Contraband”) reteams directs “2 Guns” from a screenplay that is written by Blake Masters (TV's “Brotherhood”) and based on the Boom! Studios graphic novels by Steven Grant.

Paula Patton (who reunites with Washington for the first time since the 2006 sci-fi thriller, “Déjà Vu”) stars as Agent Deb Rees, Bobby’s handler at the DEA who further blurs the lines between on- and off-duty. Deb is torn between her feelings for Bobby and her desire to do right by herself. “I’ve always had a theory that the line between a crook and a good guy is a very fine one,” shares Patton. “Still, it’s challenging to work undercover and to pretend to be a crook. What is so great about `2 Guns' is that it’s rough, rugged, shoot-’em-up action with a bit of romance. But, more importantly, it also has a sense of humor about itself.”

Bill Paxton plays Earl, a honey-tongued CIA asset who is even tougher than the men he takes down. Earl is fond of preaching to his victims, meting out punishment to the “guilty, ignorant or unlucky” as he deems fit. “When I read the script, I was struck with its central theme of honor,” explais Paxton. “I liked the idea of all these supposedly honorable men who are loyal to these supposedly honorable organizations, but at the end of the day the only two men in the movie who have true honor are Bobby and Stig—because they're honorable to each other.”

James Marsden plays Lt. Cmdr. Quince, Stig’s point man in naval intelligence and permanent thorn in his side. Stig considers Quince above suspicion, but Quince might not be the straight arrow he appears. Because Quince holds Stig’s future over his head, the undercover agent bristles whenever his superior is around. Marsden explains their dynamic: “They joined the Navy around the same time, but my character shot up the ranks through the academy, aced every test. He’s a bit of a sociopath and very into his power; he’s the puppet master, the intellectual behind the plot. Quince has got his muscle behind him, but there are times when he gets his guns out and isn’t afraid to get his uniform dirty.”

Edward James Olmos stars as Papi Greco, an underworld drug warlord who is out to make Bobby and Stig regret the day they set foot on his ranch. “It’s a very well-written action-comedy between two ‘buddies’ that connects with the public,” notes Olmos. “What drew me to the story is the humoristic, but very honest, look at the contributions of different parts of the American government in the actual drug situation.”

Opening across the Philippines on Sept. 18, “2 Guns” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.columbiapictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

Metro Manila movie review

Story: A farmer from the Northern highlands came to Manila with his family for a suitable life and how it affect their lives.

 

Review: When I first saw it, it reminded me of an American action movie, Armored. But it was not a rip off of it. The story revolves around nation's capital and how three people were affected by it. So, the star this movie is not the three main actors but Metro Manila itself. If you are confused, just watch it and you'll understand.

 

What impresses me is that the director Sean Ellis was able to make this film and it has no foreign influence. It was as if the movie was made with good research. He may have immersed himself in the Metro.

 

As for the actors, it was good that they casts non-popular actors but known for their talents in the independent movie industry. If they casts famous ones in this movie, the focus of the story may be  diverted.

 

An average Pinoy movie audience, most of the times, wants to be entertained. Nothing wrong with that but it also affects how the movie production. It is rare that the audience watch a movie that they can engage into. Less Pinoy movie patrons watch movies that make them think about the world we live in. In Metro Manila movie, you can relate to the characters and you will not see Metro Manila the same way again.

 

The movie was also critically acclaimed in 2013  Sundance Film Festival. Metro Manila opens in Octoberin Philippine cinemas nationwide and is released and distributed by Captive Films. For more quality movie reviews, follow Mark_Templar on Twitter.

“WE'RE THE MILLERS” ENLISTS STAR-STUDDED CAST

A rambunctious bunch of talented actors led by Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter and Ed Helms raises the marquee value of New Line Cinema's action comedy “We’re the Millers.”

Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema

Jason Sudeikis (“Horrible Bosses”) plays David Clark, a small-time pot dealer whose clientele includes chefs and soccer moms, but no kids—after all, he has his scruples. So what could go wrong? Plenty. A trio of gutter punks steals his stash and cash, leaving him in major debt to his supplier, Brad.

In order to wipe the slate clean—and maintain a clean bill of health—David must now become a big-time drug smuggler by bringing Brad’s latest shipment in from Mexico. Twisting the arms of his neighbors, cynical stripper Rose and wannabe customer Kenny, as well as streetwise teen Casey, David devises a foolproof plan. One fake wife, two pretend kids and a huge, shiny RV later, the “Millers” are headed south of the border for a Fourth of July weekend that is sure to end with a bang.

Jennifer Aniston (“Just Go With It”) portrays Rose who reluctantly accepts David’s proposal to be his “wife” only after she realizes she has no other choice. “She does not initially agree to sign on for this adventure because, despite being a stripper, she has morals, she has boundaries, and breaking the law is not something she is willing to do,” Aniston says. “But the rules are changing at work in a way that she doesn’t agree with, and she’s broke. And David’s offered to pay her a lot of money, so she feels she has no choice but to go along.”

But a wife is not going to be enough. To be a real family, they’ll need some fake kids. Along for the weekend as their “son,” is Kenny, played by young British actor Will Poulter (“The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader”). A lonely latchkey teen, who lives in David's building with his absentee mother, “Kenny is this 18-year-old virgin who views a local drug dealer as a father figure, and in many ways, he really is the heart of the movie,” director Rawson Marshall Thurber states. “Will plays him with just the right balance of sweetness and intelligence and naïveté.”

Pierced street punk Casey, played by Emma Roberts (“Valentine's Day”), rounds out the Miller family as the daughter David never wanted. Roberts allows that her character “is a runaway and a bit of a delinquent, a brat, a rebel, and in it for the money. The four of them, the Millers, could not be any more different; they’re all kind of loveable, but each character has a quirky shortcoming of some kind, which makes for a funny group. And a pretty realistic family, I think,” she laughs.

The Millers’ assignment comes at the behest of Brad, a major player in the Denver drug market and beyond. Ed Helms (“The Hangover” trilogy) took on the small but critical role and, much to the filmmakers’ delight, brought his own sense of wackiness to the part.

“Brad is a drug kingpin who is both preppy and a little bit obsessed with orcas, and a very fun and very weird character to play,” Helms says. “He’s chipper, happy about life, but also somewhat sociopathic, which was a terrific combination of things to work with.”

New Line Cinema’s “We’re The Millers” opens across the Philippines on Sept. 18 and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

For more movie updates and best non-spoiler reviews, follow @Mark_Templar on Twitter.

The Counselor official trailer

“The Counselor” is an intense suspense-thriller that brings an ensemble of Hollywood’s most multi-faceted actors including Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz, directed by blockbuster maker Ridley Scott (“Gladiator,” “Black Hawk Down,” “Alien,” “American Gangster”) and written by Cormac McCarthy, a Pulitzer Prize winner whose works have been turned into acclaimed films such as “No Country For Old Men,” “The Road” and “All the Pretty Horses.”

                Fassbender plays a lawyer known as the counselor whose involvement with a drug trafficking syndicate goes awry along with an accomplice played by Brad Pitt.  Bardem who plays partner to Fassbender’s character further deepens the plot with his relatively strong ties with the drug cartel while equally strong femme fatale characters are played by Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz.  “The Counselor,” lured by the sparkling promise of easy money in drug trafficking soon finds out that he will soon have to escape the fatal consequences of his euphoric decision.

                “The Counselor” will open November in theaters nationwide from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

CATCH THE GOLDEN-SNITCH-MAN IN “THE INTERNSHIP”

The world over have seen the airfield battle to capture the golden snitch in one of the most phenomenal (recently) wrapped-up teen-wizard movie “Harry Potter.”  In another universe called Google campus where great thinkers converge to create something new being  featured in the movie “The Internship,” they have found a way to reinvent the game of quidditch on ground.

 

 

Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

                Starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, “The Internship” finds Nick (Owen Wilson) and his partner Billy (Vince Vaughn), as two newly unemployed watch salesman trying to find employment with a limited skill-set in a world that appears to have passed them by.

 

                 “As salesmen they are incredibly good at what they do,” says director Shawn Levy, “but the whole profession of selling in person, in an age where most people are increasingly buying their goods on the Internet, is on the wane. So they are downsized, suddenly unemployed, and Vince's character comes up with this idea of applying for an internship at Google, a company that represents the vanguard of the new economy. It's a long shot, but this possibility of self-reinvention is exciting to Billy and Nick and they take their shot.”

 

                It required a certain amount of Googliness on the part of Levy and production designer Tom Meyer to reimagine a world where innovation intersects with fun and purpose.  “We scouted Google a number of times.  It's quirky, idyllic, strange, and very specific,” says Levy.  “But, it was clear to us that there's no way the production could shoot at Google for an entire month and a half, because they're an ongoing business.  So we needed to find a way to replicate Google in Atlanta, which I initially thought would be impossible.”

                But infrastructure alone does not a Google campus make. “When you go to Google, the most important thing that you take away from it is its non-traditional aspect and out of the box thinking,” says Meyer.  “Google reps said to me when I was trying to recreate it, ‘Do it, but keep the spirit of what Google is about.’”

                “For each one of the sets we did a photo-real illustration, or a model, or both, then sent it off to Google, and had conversations back and forth,” adds Meyer.  “I tried to capture that feeling that you take away when you’re an employee or visitor there.  There’s a huge sense of playfulness.  And the idea of a healthy body and mind is central to Google.”

                 “This isn’t Owen and Vince being interns at Corporate Office Number 5.  This is Google; this is Oz,” adds Meyer.  “So, the film starts off in the first act at a normal, almost retro-office environment, which we call Kansas [as in the “Wizard of Oz” setting], our black and white atmosphere.  And then, when you go to Google, you hit those primary colors, the clean glass, white walls, and wacky, crazy objects, which provided a real sense of a pop and wonder.’”

                Ultimately, “The Internship’s  Googliness is that it’s not just about life at Google.  “It's about every one of us who'd like to believe that another shot is possible,that another kind of chapter in the story of you is possible,” says Levy.  “I don't know anyone who doesn't relate to that; whether you're 16, 22, or 40, we all want to believe that we can change our lives – that it’s never too late.  And so, the movie is really about possibility.”

                In other words, we must dare to search.  Billy and Nick remind us that the best is yet to come, and that old dogs are capable of learning new tricks.  With guts, grit and Googliness, everyone has a chance.  So, dream big, dream again, dream some more.  Because the world loves second acts.

                “The Internship” is released in theaters from 20^th Century Fox and distributed by Warner Bros.

WARNER BROS. SETS FEB 14, 2014 RELEASE FOR “WINTER'S TALE”

Warner Bros. Media Release

Burbank, CA – Warner Bros. Pictures has set a winter release date for “Winter’s Tale,” written and directed by Oscar®-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind,” “The Da Vinci Code”) and based on the novel by Mark Helprin.

The film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures, will open in North America on February 14, 2014, with international dates to follow. The announcement was made recently by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Stated Fellman, “We look forward to unveiling ‘Winter’s Tale’ as Akiva’s directorial debut. It features a remarkable roster of acting talent and a sweeping, romantic story that’s ideally suited for the holiday play period.”

“With its pedigree and stellar international cast, this epic, moving tale will have broad appeal overseas,” said Kwan Vandenberg. “The February date provides us a strong corridor in which to launch the film worldwide.”

Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, “Winter’s Tale” is a story of miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil.

The film stars Colin Farrell (“Total Recall”), Jessica Brown Findlay (TV’s “Downton Abbey”), and Oscar® winners Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”), William Hurt (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”), Eva Marie Saint (“On the Waterfront”) and Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”). It also introduces young newcomers Ripley Sobo and Mckayla Twiggs (both from Broadway’s “Once”).

“Winter’s Tale” marks the directorial debut of Akiva Goldsman, who also wrote the screenplay, based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Helprin. Goldsman is also producing, with Marc Platt (“Drive”), Michael Tadross (“Sherlock Holmes”) and Tony Allard (Showtime’s “The Baby Dance”). Kerry Foster and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes five-time Oscar®-nominated director of photography Caleb Deschanel (“The Passion of the Christ,” “The Patriot”), production designer Naomi Shohan (“Constantine,” “I Am Legend”), costume designer Michael Kaplan (“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” “Star Trek”) and editors Wayne Wahrman (“I Am Legend”) and Oscar® nominee Tim Squyres (“Life of Pi,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”). The music is composed by Oscar® winner Hans Zimmer (“The Lion King,” “Inception,” “Man of Steel”).

A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

Disney's FROZEN Characters: ANNA

Meet the characters of Walt Disney Animation Studios' upcoming animated feature “Frozen,” a stunning big-screen comedy adventure. 

Character photo courtesy of Disney Animation Studios

Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) is more daring than graceful and, at times, can act before she thinks. But she’s also the most optimistic and caring person you’ll ever meet.  She longs to reconnect with her sister, Elsa, as they were close during their childhood. When Elsa accidentally unleashes a magical secret that locks the kingdom of Arendelle in an eternal winter, Anna embarks on a dangerous adventure to make things right. Armed with only her fearlessness, a never-give-up attitude and her faith in others, Anna is determined to save both her kingdom and her family.

            Opening across the Philippines in 3D on January 2014, “Frozen” will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters Docks At P78.2M On Opening Weekend

“Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” emerged on high seas when it docked no. 1 in the Phils.’ box-office arena on its opening weekend (August 7-11) with a total of P 78.2 million nationwide in almost 200 screens (in 2D and 3D) nationwide.



\Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

 

                The opening weekend figure nails “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” as  the Second Biggest Opening Weekend for a Fox film to open this year, next to the recently released blockbuster “The Wolverine.” Among all other foreign films and one local film playing on the same week, “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” grabbed the greater chunk of the overall market share at 51%.  Reaching a broader market base this time, the latest "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters'" box-office sees a 126% increase over the previously released "Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief" movie.

 

                In addition to the latest wave of adventure and spectacular visual effects seen in the movie, its strong opening is also attributed to a solid throng of followers of the book series (authored by Rick Riordan) where the movie is based and to the unstoppable growth of Logan Lerman’s popularity locally.

 

                The movie’s opening weekend admissions also totaled to a splashy catch of 443,702 nationwide from all screens where SM Mall of Asia took the lead with a box-office gross P 3.8 million, followed by SM North Edsa with P 3.45 million.  Trinoma tightly followed at 3rd spot with P3.41 million, SM Megamall is at 4th with P2.4 million and Greenbelt3 sums up as top 5th cinema earner with P 2.174 million.

 

                Completing the top cinema earners of “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” are Newport (P 2.170M); Glorietta4 (P 2.12M); Alabang Town Center (P2.04M); TheatreMall (P 1.81M); SM Cebu (P1.749M); Gateway Cineplex/AliMall (P1.746M); Powerplant (P 1.59M); Eastwood (P 1.6M); Shang Cineplex (P 1.33M); Ayala Cebu (P1.3M); Gaisano Davao (P1.2M); Market!Market! (P1.175M); SM Southmall (P1.16); SM Baguio (P1.1M) and SM Fairview (P1.08M).

 

                Based on the book by Rick Riordan, the film casts Lerman as a high school teen who discovers that his father is Greek God of the Sea, Poseidon. Indoctrinated into a world of gods, demi-gods and lords of the underworld, Percy’s quest turned Lerman into a star. Produced by Chris Columbus and directed by Thor Freudenthal, Logan Lerman returns in “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” with returning cast members Alexandra Daddario and Brandon T. Jackson, as well as new faces Leven Rambin and Douglas Smith, Lerman’s Percy must set out on a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece of legend, so as to restore safety to his home and school, Camp Half Blood.

 

                “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” is still showing nationwide from 20th Century Fox distributed by Warner Bros.