FINAL TRAILER OF “AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2”

Trailer release

Synopsis: We’ve always known that Spider-Man’s most important conflict has been within himself:  the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man.  But in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” Peter Parker finds that his greatest battle is about to begin.

            It’s great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield).  For Peter Parker, there’s no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone).  But being Spider-Man comes at a price:  only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city.  With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he.  And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common:  Oscorp. 

 

            The film, directed by Marc Webb from a screen story and screenplay by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & Jeff Pinkner based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach.

 

The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.)

SPIDER-MAN JOINS EARTH HOUR SUPER HEROES IN GLOBAL LIGHT SWITCH-OFF

Sunday, March 30, 2014 – WWF's Earth Hour broke all records of participation in its eighth year, as Spider-Man last night joined millions of everyday Super Heroes from across the world in the world's largest celebration for the planet.

The event that has evolved into the world’s largest movement for the planet began its journey across more than 154 countries and territories from New Zealand, now sweeping across Asia with Spider-Man and the cast from the upcoming blockbuster “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” including Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Jamie Foxx, sending a message to the world that anyone can be a Super Hero for the Planet from the global flagship Earth Hour event from WWF-Singapore.

WWF's Earth Hour event in Singapore saw lights switched off across the famous Marina Bay skyline, joining the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, the Bird’s Nest in Beijing, Taipei 101, The Wat Arun Buddhist Temple in Bangkok, the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur and more that have already taken part in the global celebration for the planet.

In The Philippines, official Earth Hour representatives, celebrities and Spider-Man fans gathered at the Eastwood Mall Open Park and SM Mall of Asia’s by the Bay to lead the switch-off.

In Australia, a massive candle lit display on the lawn of Parliament House in Canberra spelt out, ‘It’s Lights Out For The Reef’ as thousands across the country witnessed a special documentary about the impact of climate change on the threatened natural wonder the Great Barrier Reef.

As the lights now switch off at India Gate, the beyond the hour focus for children will be felt with WWF-India’s year-long education campaign for a monumental 15,000 schools across India who are switching off for Earth Hour and switching on to more energy efficient practices.

Lights also went off at Swayambhunath Temple in Kathmandu where WWF-Nepal will begin targetting 500,000 people in the country to lead environmental change through a Generation Green Campaign.

Jamie Foxx who plays Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, said “It’s time to conserve, protect, and enjoy this planet of ours. Never underestimate your power, never underestimate what you can do.”

This year, WWF-Nepal also has the enlisted the help of none other than Spider-Man himself to support their Earth Hour Blue crowdfunding project, ‘A Flame Called Hope’. This project supported by Andrew Garfield aims to provide clean biogas energy to villages in Nepal’s Terai Arc.

“Earth Hour is a fantastic movement that has been created about conservation of our planet, which is something that should be on the top of our list as human beings. Let’s remember that the Earth is not ours, we are of this Earth. We all have a responsibility to each other in preserving our home, so it’s amazing to be a part of Earth Hour to help send that message,” said Andrew Garfield.

Earth Hour trended worldwide, with participants sharing their event experience and commitment for the planet across social media platforms that connect the world.

At the heart of the movement’s digital growth is Indonesia, where Earth Hour has become a massive, year-round youth led movement enlisting the support of more than 1.5 million people across more than 31 cities in the country. Creating simple and creative environmental actions through film, performances, social media and public gatherings, the teams promote environmental activities related to saving electricity, reduction in use of plastic, using less paper and tissue, planting more trees and using public transportation throughout the year.

“Earth Hour is much more than an hour. Every person can do their part no matter how big or small to save the planet,” said Emma Stone.

Meanwhile, The Philippines – one of the movement’s staunchest supporters – has since 2009 topped town and city participation levels to earn the title of Earth Hour Hero Country. Last 14 March, over 40 local government officials, city planners and environmental officers attended the Liga Para sa Klima, a multi-year WWF, Smart Communications and ArthaLand initiative to help local communities deal with climate-spurred storms, floods and droughts. The participants pledged not just to switch off their lights this Earth Hour – but to strive towards energy, water and food security. Other national and local government arms, plus corporations and communities have committed to support the switch off.

This year sees Earth Hour launch a new crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platform for the Planet, asking people to use their power to back a project or add their voice to solution based environmental projects across the world.

From donating to build climate smart fiberglass boats for Typhoon Haiyan affected fishermen in the Philippines, to giving Rangers in Indonesia better equipment to protect the forests and wildlife of Borneo and Sumatra and even helping fund indigenous communities in Colombia to generate sustainable means of livelihood that prevents deforestation in the Amazon – Earth Hour is calling on participants across the world to be Superheroes for the Planet by getting involved in Earth Hour Blue when the lights come back on.

Earth Hour next hit the Middle East, Africa and Europe, where the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) turned off its lights for the first time, joining the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow, South Africa’s Table Mountain, St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, The Eiffel Tower in Paris, La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Buckingham Palace in London, Edinburgh Castle in Scotland before the hour of inspiration made its way across the Atlantic to South America.

There, the Christ the Redeemer (statue) in Rio de Janeiro, The Angel of Independence in Mexico City are key landmarks taking part in the continent, and The Empire State Building and Times Square in New York City, Niagara Falls, Los Angeles International Airport, the Las Vegas Strip and more joined in the world’s largest celebration for the planet from North America, before Earth Hour wrapped up on the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia.

Earth Hour in 2014 sees the completion of the shift from event to movement status across the world, with the celebration cementing its place as a platform for beyond the hour activities for amazing environmental outcomes to protect parts of the planet including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Arctic in Finland and the Amazon Rainforest in Colombia.

The focus on outcomes was inspired by Earth Hour’s success in past years that led to better legislation through the Russian Parliament to protect seas from oil pollution, the creation of a 3.4 million hectare marine protected area in Argentina and the world’s first Earth Hour Forest in Uganda to fight against massive deforestation in the country. All of these outcomes were powered by the crowd, showing that change for the planet can be achieved when the individual and collective realises their power.

People are encouraged to use their power by backing a project or add their voice at www.earthhour.org and sharing their #EarthHour activities on Instagram.

From script to screen, the environmental efforts in the making of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” have been supported at every level and made the film the most eco-friendly tentpole in the studio’s history. Sony Pictures has extended these efforts in making the production and publicity tour carbon neutral, as well as “EcoSpidey” external outreach with a sizzle reel, game and Twitter campaign. Internally, the studio co-developed a unique online experience for employees to learn about Earth Hour and take action with the partnership, which has been made available to hundreds of thousands of employees at over 14 of the world’s largest corporations, powered by Practically Green.

Notes to editors

B-roll footage and the 1st Earth Hour 2014 compilation video can be downloaded at: www.ehour.me/eh2014vids

www.earthhourspiderman.com

To view the Earth Hour and Spider-Man Partnership Video, please go to: www.earthhour.org/spiderman

X-MEN’S TOUGHEST CHALLENGE YET IN “X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST” (3D)

                20^th Century Fox has just released new photos from the upcoming “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” the most epic and action-packed X-Men to-date.

 

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

                Back at the helm of a blockbuster film franchise he helped launch, Bryan Singer directs “X-Men: Days of Future Past” where mutants are fighting for survival in a dark future where the robotic Sentinels have been slowly wiping them.    The mutants look to time travel to help their younger selves stop this awful timeline from coming to pass. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), having the ability to instantly heal, is the one chosen to endure the strain of travelling back in time.

 

                The Sentinels, created by Bolivar Trask (played by “Game of Thrones’” Peter Dinklage) is an unprecedented technology  designed to hunt and kill mutants.  Son of the wealthy son of industrialist Larry Trask, Bolivar believes that mutants are a threat to human existence, so he took it upon himself to preserve humanity with his Sentinel program.  Dinklage, in recent interviews, shares, “I didn’t want to play the villain. He’s a man of science. He’s a man of invention. He actually sees what he’s doing as a good thing — [his ambition is] definitely blind and he’s quite arrogant. He’s strove all his life for a certain respect and attention.”

 

                “X-Men: Days of Future Past” will open in Phils. cinemas nationwide on May 21 from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

FANTASY WORLD UNVEILS IN “SAGA: CURSE OF THE SHADOW”

From the producers of “Pride and Prejudice,” Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin of Arrowstorm Entertainment write and produce “Saga: Curse of the Shadow,” a sci-fi adventure thriller tracking a female bounty hunter on a mission to stop a cult to raise the god of the Undead.

 

                Starring Dani Chuchran as Nemyt Willowhaven, a tormented elven bounty huntress to infiltrate a cabal known as The Shadow. In the movie a man named Keltus (Richard McWilliams), an agent of the ruling Order, is on the trail of the enigmatic Shadow cult. He reports to a local garrison to interrogate a captured Shadow cultist, but finds the man dead - murdered by Nemyt, an elven bounty huntress cursed with the Mark of the Shadow - an undead plague. Nemyt has learned of a secret meeting and a powerful treasure. Keltus frees her from prison and the two set out to rendezvous with the cult.   

 

                “One of our primary concerns with the film was the Kullimon character – a living, breathing orc that the audience can root for, and come to love” said producer, Jason Faller. “Whereas video gamers play orc characters all the time, we’ve never seen a sympathetic orc on film before. I think Special Effects Make-Up Supervisor, Chris Hanson, nailed it though and I’m excited for fans of the genre to experience Kullimon.”

 

                The movie’s unapologetically lush look is credited to costume and design supervisor Anne Black for the handsome production values.   “She has a beautiful eye and is a stickler for quality,” he said. “I think costume and production design in general is often the downfall of many indie productions. The lack of quality sets and costumes make a film look cheap. We focus on what ends up on screen and spend the money on those elements.”

 

                Griffin said he and his partners are “interested in re-creating the experience that role-playing gamers encounter every day. So much fantasy cinema deals with kings and princesses saving the world, whereas gamers deal with a small group of heroes of different skill sets. Different races like dwarves, elves and orcs band together on quests for fortune and glory. It is a much more personal world, where anyone can become a hero, rather than just ‘the chosen one.’”

 

                Rated PG by the MTRCB, “Saga: Curse of the Shadow” opens April 2 in cinemas from CrystalSky Multimedia.

 

 

Amazing Spider-Man 2 Sneak Peek on Rise Of Electro

Trailer Release

When Electro rises, Spider-Man's greatest enemies will unite. Will Peter Parker pay the ultimate price to be the hero he is destined to become?

With barely two months before the grand debut of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” in Philippine theatres on April 30, Columbia Pictures has revved up its marketing campaign by releasing a new, 3-minute footage called “Rise of Electro.” 

 

Synopsis: We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead.

 

It's great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

 

The film, directed by Marc Webb from a screen story and screenplay by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & Jeff Pinkner based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach.

 

(Opening across the Philippines on April 30, “The Amazing Spider-Man 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. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.)

No. 1 BESTSELLER “HEAVEN IS FOR REAL” NOW INSPIRES IN THE BIG SCREEN

In 2010, a book by an unknown author – fueled entirely by word-of-mouth and the fiery enthusiasm of curious and inspired readers – suddenly and from out of the blue hit the vaunted #1 position on the New York Times best-seller list. This was Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent’s Heaven Is For Real and it would go on to sell millions of copies with over 10 million in print worldwide and to be translated into 35 languages, while sparking lively conversations about the nature of life, faith and eternity among families and communities everywhere. 
 

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Now, TriStar Pictures' new drama “Heaven Is For Real” brings to the screen the true story that has inspired millions across the globe – that of a little boy’s extraordinary, life-changing experience, and his father’s search for the courage and conviction to share his son’s discovery with the world.

 

The soaring journey of the book began with a parent’s worst nightmare: a sick little boy doctors said was unlikely to pull through. But little Colton did pull through and that was just the beginning of his surprises. After he recovered, the 4 year-old began to tell an incredible story: that during his touch-and-go surgery he had gone to heaven and been shown a realm of indescribable beauty and supreme peace, even meeting deceased relatives he had never known personally.

 

At first, the Burpos were unsure what to make of their son’s revelations. He had such a childlike innocence when talking about it, they were 100% convinced he wasn’t making it up. But even though they were already people of faith – indeed, Todd served as a pastor in their small Nebraska town – they were suddenly confronted with questions they had never really considered. Sure, they had talked and thought plenty about heaven in the abstract; but was it possible their son had experienced it for real? And if he had unlocked one of life’s greatest mysteries . . . should they, and how could they, share this bewildering event with a world prone to disbelief and skepticism? 

 

It was this part of Todd Burpo’s journey – through a storm of doubt and into standing up for his son and his own hard-won convictions – that intrigued the filmmakers behind the book’s screen adaptation. They saw a story that nearly anyone who has wondered about life, death and the meaning of it all, or ever took a risk for their deepest beliefs, could relate to on a personal level. 

 

Veteran Hollywood producer Joe Roth initially read about the Burpos in a two-paragraph item about the book even before it was published. Having produced dozens of hit films since the 1970s, Roth’s instincts were instantly set in motion. 

 

“I’ve had a habit these past 40 years of reading the New York Times book section in the hope that I’ll come across something that nobody else has thought of – and up until now it’s never worked because by the time it makes the Times someone’s already bought it,” Roth recounts. “But when I read about this book, it seemed like such a terrific idea for a movie. It poses a question everybody asks: what happens when you die? It doesn’t matter what religion or background you come from, or whether you lived 2000 years ago or in 2014, it’s a question that intrigues everyone. “ 

 

The nature of the Burpo family, pillars of the community in a small heartland town, made it even more relatable and inherently dramatic, Roth felt. “Here you have a pastor who when confronted with his son’s story, wasn’t really quite sure he if believed it himself and was in conflict about whether he should stir up the townspeople, or simply put it aside,” Roth explains. “And he did the unsafe thing, which was appealing to me -- he backed his son’s vision even though it could have potentially lost him his job and made him quite unpopular in the town.” 

 

Roth was thrilled to find he was the first major producer to approach the Burpos – and just four weeks after he made a deal with them, his instincts were rewarded, when the book hit #1 on the bestseller list, demonstrating its broad cultural appeal. 

 

“Heaven is for Real” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

BROSNAN AND THOMPSON AS PARTNERS IN CRIME IN THE ROMANTIC COMEDY “THE LOVE PUNCH”

It’s a dream team pairing in the upcoming romantic caper, “The Love Punch,” starring ever-sassy Emma Thompson and always-charming Pierce Brosnan as ex-couple who reunite to steal back the money stolen from their retirement fund.    

Photo courtesy of Axinite Digicinema

                “The Love Punch” sees middle aged and divorced, company owner Richard Jones (Brosnan) looking forward to a worry-free existence as he arrives at his office on his last day of work. Much to his dismay, he discovers that the management buyout of his company was fraudulent. The company is now bankrupt and the employee pension fund - including his own - has been embezzled. Enlisting the help of his ex-wife Kate (Thompson), Richard sets out to track down the shady business man behind this, Vincent Kruger. Before they know it, Richard and Kate are caught up in a cat and mouse caper across Europe in a whirlwind of intrigue, mad chases and jewelry theft during which they rekindle their romance.

 

                Five years after “LAST Chance Harvey’s” international success, screenwriter and director Joel Hopkins wished again to team up with Emma Thompson. Straight away, the actress was excited about the story of a couple, divorced for eight years, who embark on a roller-coaster journey. And just as she came up with the name of Dustin Hoffman for “Last Chance Harvey,” it was she who thought of Pierce Brosnan for this new project.

 

                "I got excited by the idea of this ‘classic’ movie couple," Hopkins explains. "The starting point is to find a pairing that really excites me even before writing the script and then build a story around them. I really like to cast the movie in my head while I'm writing.”  Nicola Usborne, Hopkins's wife and producing partner, agrees: "We've worked together for fifteen years and Joel always begins with characters or preferably with actors and then builds an arc around them".

 

                Pierce Brosnan is enthusiastic about the filmmaker: "Joel as a director has a very good ear for the rhythm of comedy and for the articulation of speech and pacing of dialogue", he says.

 

                Emma Thompson compares the way Hopkins directs actors to the careful making of a dessert: "It's very delicate and it's all about finding the right balance of ingredients", she comments. "It's really like a soufflé doing this kind of work - you have to get the air into the mix just to make something that really rises. That's what you want in a director – someone who absolutely collaborates and lets you try things but who also tells you 'I want it like this and not like that'.”

 

                The director will look back fondly on the production of the film: "I've always had a relationship with France", he admits. "I found the crew very invested in the project as a whole, not just in their departments, but interested in the whole project, helping the whole film come together. Perhaps in England, people are a little more inside their departments and less interested in the process as a whole".

 

                Emma Thompson agrees: " In France, I noticed that the camaraderie existed between all the partners. You'll be at lunch, which is like a family thing, and everybody sits down to eat and talk with each other, and even have a glass of wine. Not me, though. I live like a nun when I’m shooting".      

 

                Pierce Brosnan is just as excited about France as the director: "I've come here over the years with James Bond, but this has been the most in-depth experience with a 100% French shoot", he contends. "You're surrounded by this sense of cinematic history, and it permeates your being.”

 

                Producer Clément Miserez concludes: "I dream of doing “Love Punch 2” and “Love Punch 3” any time, and of working again with Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson, because they're both nice and humble, and the whole crew would tell you just the same!"

                “The Love Punch” will open at a cinema near you on April 19 (Saturday) from Axinite Digicinema.

TRAVELOGUE ADVENTURE IN “RIO 2” UNFOLDS VIA BREATHTAKING 3D POP-UPS

Blue Sky’s Studios’ Blue Macaws and friends from the worldwide hit “Rio” are back for a grander adventure into the Amazon in “Rio 2” where music beats faster and louder with the returning cast Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Oscar and Grammy winner Jamie Foxx,  will.i.am, Jemaine Clement along new voice cast members  - Oscar® nominee Andy Garcia, Grammy® winner Bruno Mars, Tony® winner Kristin Chenoweth and Oscar/Emmy®/Tony winner Rita Moreno.  “Rio 2” also features new Brazilian artists and original music by Janelle Monae and Wondaland.

 

Photo courtesy of Blue Sky Studios

                Helmed by Carlos Saldanha, Jewel convinces Blu to check out Linda and Tulio’s discovery that there might still be other Blue Macaws in the thick forest of the Amazon after seeing a single blue feather while trekking the forest. 

We then catch up with Blu, Jewel and their three kids, all of whom have settled into life in Rio.  They experience the comforts and conveniences of city dwelling.  Blu remains as domesticated as ever, but Jewel is concerned that the children are becoming more like humans than birds, and that they may never know how to be birds.

 

                When Jewel decides the kids need to learn to live like real birds, she insists the family venture to the Amazon.  Blu tells his buddies of his travel plans, but Nico, Pedro and Luiz warn him of the myriad dangers that could lie ahead in the wild.  But the ever-positive Rafael encourages Blu, reminding him that “a happy wife means a happy life!”

               

                Anne Hathaway explains:  “Jewel grew up in the jungle and the kids are being raised in Rio, so there’s definitely more of a human influence on them.  They listen to music players, eat pancakes and watch TV.  Jewel is not the biggest fan of that kind of domesticity.”

 

                Blue and Jewel’s adventurous triplets are a jungle of a character themselves – Carla, Tiago and Bia. Singer/actress/comedian Rachel Crow voices the eldest of the triplets, Carla, a spunky teen who longs to get a little space from her protective family so she can express her musical side.  Like her father Blu, Carla not so keen at first to go with her family into the wild but in an instant changed her mind when she learns that her cool uncles Nico and Pedro are joining the adventure.  Eventually, Carla helps her Uncles put up the most musical and vibrant carnival show in the Amazon where she has also blossomed as a musical talent.                  Very much her father’s daughter, Bia (voiced by “The Hunger Games’” Amandla Stenberg) is as domesticated and lives with her beak in a book and likes spouting facts and figures like Blu.  But when she gets to the Amazon, she is inspired by its awe and wonder. For once, she puts down her books and experiences the colorful life around her.  Tiago, the youngest and only boy of the triplets is voiced by Pierce Gagnon, is always up for adventure, especially if it involves destroying something. 

 

                Upon their arrival at the heart of the Amazon, Blu and Jewel meet the locals, including Eduardo (Andy Garcia), a larger than life patriarch with a firm set of rules, who becomes a comedic obstacle for Blu; Mimi (Rita Moreno), Eduardo’s warm and sassy sister, who likes to speak her mind, even to her overbearing brother; and Roberto (singer-songwriter-record producer Bruno Mars), a perfect specimen of a wild bird who charms everyone around him and makes Blus elf-conscious.  As Blu tries to fit in, he worries he may lose Jewel and the kids to the call of the wild.

 

                Saldanha envisioned a mini-travelogue that would get the characters from Rio to the Amazon swiftly and show his beloved Brazil in a fun way.    To mark the journey, the filmmakers devised an unfolding map and pop-up map, as well as some GPS imagery, all presented in a stylized way.  As the sequence progresses, the scene weaves back and forth between the real world and the paper pop-up world.  Finally arriving at their destination – the largest jungle in the world – the family takes in the marvels of the Amazon: massive trees of all types, the limitless flora and fauna, and giant rivers.  It is a much bigger canvas, and thus more challenging to render than building the city of Rio in the first film.“We wanted to capture the vibe of the forest and its harmony, with nature and with animals,” comments Saldanha. 

 

                “Rio 2” (in 3D and 2D) is released from 20^th Century Fox and distributed by Warner Bros.

JOHANSSON’S BLACK WIDOW IS BACK IN “CAPTAIN AMERICA” SEQUEL

Joining Steve Rogers aka Captain America in his latest adventure, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” is familiar ally Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, played once again by topnotch actress Scarlett Johansson.

 

Photo courtesy of Marvel Pictures

Natasha has become Steve Rogers’ closest ally in the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization as she helps him adjust to his new role. “When we first meet Natasha and Steve, it’s kind of in real time, so a couple of years have gone by and they have worked on many different missions together,” informs Johansson. “They have gotten to know each other better, so they have more ease and banter to their conversations. I really like the dynamic because their friendship is far more interesting to me than if they were to have a romantic relationship.”

 

For Chris Evans, having his longtime friend Johansson as his co-star makes it easier to ground the characters relationship in reality. “I’ve known Scarlett for over ten years now. She’s like a sister,” says Evans. “We’ve done four movies now, and it’s just so nice having a history with someone off camera because I think that bleeds onscreen. Cap and Black Widow are very different people; it’s kind of like this odd pairing. Her morality is questionable and Cap’s a Boy Scout. She makes her living by lying and Cap couldn’t do it if he tried. When they are at the point where they really can’t trust anyone,it becomes an interesting relationship because it involves trusting someone you don’t know that well.”

 

For Johansson, the film was an opportunity to delve deeper into the character’s cryptic past, which has only been glossed over in “Iron Man 2” and “Marvel’s The Avengers.” “We continue to open up the story and give little tidbits and throw the bone out once in a while as to where she came from and what her background is,” relates Johansson. “There’s a lot to explore in the past but certainly where she’s going too. When you take a character who’s had the past that she’s had, who has seen the darkest places, over time she appreciates what the right thing is in her mind and starts to understand humanity.”

 

Adds director Anthony Russo, “We couldn’t resist the idea of putting those two characters together because Cap has such a strong moral code and Black Widow lies for a living; it’s fire and water. To force those two into a situation where they have to engage each other and trust each other made for some great drama.”

 

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier"  is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

 

In addition to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Guardians of the Galaxy" on August 1, 2014; "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on May 1, 2015; and "Ant-Man" on July 17, 2015.

WHO'S WHO IN “CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER”:BUCKY BARNES

WINTER SOLDIER aka BUCKY BARNES (Sebastian Stan). Steve Rogers’ best friend Bucky Barnes was thought to have died in World War II. However, he resurfaces decades later as the Winter Soldier, a brainwashed, mega-enhanced Super-Soldier doing dirty work for a mysterious organization. The hardened Winter Soldier has no memories of his former identity and that suits him just fine—he is simply a killing machine.

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1941, Marvel's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a., directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, and stars Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, and Hayley Atwell, with Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is presented by Marvel Studios. The executive producers are Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Michael Grillo, Alan Fine and Stan Lee.

In addition to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Guardians of the Galaxy" on August 1, 2014; "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on May 1, 2015; and "Ant-Man" on July 17, 2015.

WHO'S WHO IN “CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER”: ALEXANDER PIERCE

ALEXANDER PIERCE (Robert Redford). A high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and personal friend of Nick Fury, Pierce is respected and politically connected. Often the person who interfaces with prominent world officials, he is polished and well spoken, and presents a credible face to the world on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1941, Marvel's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a., directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, and stars Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, and Hayley Atwell, with Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is presented by Marvel Studios. The executive producers are Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Michael Grillo, Alan Fine and Stan Lee.

In addition to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Guardians of the Galaxy" on August 1, 2014; "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on May 1, 2015; and "Ant-Man" on July 17, 2015.

“THE WINTER SOLDIER” STRIKES IN “CAPTAIN AMERICA” SEQUEL

The uninitiated may ask, just who is The Winter Soldier and why is he in the title of the new Captain America movie?

Character poster courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Producer Kevin Feige explains, “One of the best Captain America storylines in the comics over the past 20 years was The Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker. It influenced the tone and the texture in the first Captain America film, and we all felt it was time to for the Winter Soldier to be one of the main characters in the franchise.”

 

For Brubaker, coming up with the Winter Soldier character was something that started in his youth. “When I was 8 years old, I had already been reading comics for about four years and I had every issue of ‘Captain America’ from #100 on,” recalls Brubaker. 

 

With the filmmakers settling on the storyline for the film, the ball was passed to screenwriters Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely who wrote the first film of the franchise, “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Speaking about the writing duo, Feige says, “They’re great because they are well versed in the comics. They’re also just incredible screenwriters and very creative. They’ve got one foot outside of the comic world, one foot firmly inside the comic world, and in particular for ‘The Winter Soldier’ that’s what we were looking for. We were looking for a movie that could play to both groups of people—as we do with all of our movies—fans of the properties and people who don’t know them at all.”

“The Winter Soldier is like a negative image of Captain America,” says screenwriter Stephen McFeely. “Steve Rogers was asleep for 70 years while the Winter Soldier was killing people for 70 years. One represents the government and the other has spent 70 years undermining governments, killing presidents and important political figures.”

 

“Winter Soldier in the movie is perceived as a ghost ops character,” informs Joe Russo. “An infamous assassin that intelligence agencies throughout the world have never been able to identify; like Bigfoot, there are only blurry, inconclusive photos of his existence over an inexplicable 60-year period.

 

Anthony explains, “Cap is like Rocky; he’s a character with a clear code and a strong drive. He’s at his most compelling when you take him to the 12th round. When he’s beat up, bloody, stumbling—will he stay on his feet? That’s when you feel the real victory in him. Our thought process was, if the villain’s his best friend, then let’s make the villain as brutal and aggressive as we possibly can, so that it presents the greatest challenge to Cap. So that the distance Cap has to pull the character back from is so significant that as audience members we’re not sure whether he’s going to get there or not. Winter Soldier is a very tragic, empathetic villain. There’s something good inside of him that is potentially salvageable, and only Cap can recognize that.”

 

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” which continues the big screen adventures of Steve Rogers aka Captain America, picks up after the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, and finds Steve Rogers living quietly in Washington, D.C., and trying to adjust to the modern world.

 

But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue and mystery that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off assailants sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable new enemy—the Winter Soldier.

 

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier"  is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

 

In addition to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Guardians of the Galaxy" on August 1, 2014; "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on May 1, 2015; and "Ant-Man" on July 17, 2015.

WHO'S WHO IN “CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER”: FALCON

SAM WILSON aka FALCON (Anthony Mackie) is an ex-military paratrooper who works with veterans in Washington, D.C. Secretly trained by the military in aerial combat using a specially designed wing pack, Falcon becomes an indispensable ally when he teams up with Captain America and Black Widow to run a danger-filled race to halt an impending threat in its tracks.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1941, Marvel's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a., directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, and stars Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, and Hayley Atwell, with Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is presented by Marvel Studios. The executive producers are Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Michael Grillo, Alan Fine and Stan Lee.

In addition to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Guardians of the Galaxy" on August 1, 2014; "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on May 1, 2015; and "Ant-Man" on July 17, 2015.

Bruno Mars' Animated Debut In Rio 2

There’s something that Jewel (Anne Hathaway) did not talk about with Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) in the first “Rio” family adventure outing – that is her childhood friend named Roberto (Bruno Mars).  In the upcoming adventure 3D movie “Rio 2,” Blu is suddenly pitted against Jewel’s childhood friend, Roberto who is the epitome of a Blue Macaw - a perfect specimen of a wild bird who charms everyone around him and makes Blu self-conscious.

 

                Bruno Mars joins the vividly delightful and upbeat musical world of Blu and Jewel in “Rio 2” where director Carlos Saldanha brings the adventure into the wild thick forest of the Amazon.  With the success of “Rio” the call for a sequel came quickly.  Having already teased a new life together for Blu and Jewel – and their three new arrivals – in the film’s finale, Saldanha pitched his idea for a new story.  What if Blu and his family aren’t the last Blue Macaws, he posited.  What would happen to the family dynamic?

               

                Saldanha decided to set his new story in the mammoth Brazilian wilderness.  “I wanted a setting very different from the one we explored in ‘Rio,’ he explains.  “I thought we should move away from the city.”   So, in “Rio 2,” it’s on…in the Amazon, not only visually, but musically.  “We wanted to look at different musical ‘flavors,’ sounds and exciting new beats that make the soundtrack for “Rio 2” even bigger than the first film’s,” says the director.

 

                If meeting a critical father-in-law, Eduardo (Andy Garcia) weren’t enough, Blu must also contend with Jewel’s childhood friend Roberto, played by Bruno Mars. “Roberto is pretty much the opposite of Blu – all charm and suaveness – and he can sing like an angel,” says Hathaway.  Eisenberg notes that, “Roberto and Jewel have a history and an almost secret language.  So Blu feels not only threatened by Roberto, but is frustrated because Roberto seems like the perfect guy.  Everything he does is heroic – and he’s a great singer!”

               

                Roberto owes his vocal prowess to the music icon who voices him: Bruno Mars. The Grammy winner, who has sold over 115 million records worldwide and has a catalog of 22 Hot 100 hits as a singer, producer and songwriter, enjoyed his first foray into feature animation.  “I like that Roberto has a good heart,” Mars explains. “He’s a genuine dude and he really has love for Jewel – genuine love.  They grew up together, so they have a bond that’s pretty special.”

               

                The filmmakers considered a long list of candidates for the role, but a Mars appearance on “Saturday Night Live” helped sealed the deal.  “I saw a clip of Bruno acting on SNL, and I thought he was really funny,” Saldanha remembers.  Producer John C. Donkin notes that casting Mars “transformed our thinking about the character.   He added a unique quality we initially hadn’t envisioned for Roberto, which we came to embrace, and the character really blossomed.”

 

                If Roberto’s looks, talent and friendship with Jewel weren’t intimidating enough for Blu, the songbird hosts the clan in his magnificent mansion, located in one of the Amazon’s most impressive trees.  Interweaving roots create open pockets, perfect for rooms housing Blu and his family.  As the family settles into this exciting new world, Blu finds his learning curve to be a steep one. 

 

                Bruno Mars lends his signature vocal stylings to the track “Welcome Back,” in which his character Roberto expresses his joy in reuniting with Jewel.  The song was written by Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and John Powell, and produced by Bruno Mars and John Powell.

 

                “Rio 2” (in 2D and 3D) will open April 9 (Saturday) nationwide in cinemas from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Mexican/Ca​nadian co-product​ion "The Boy Who Smells Like Fish" on CinemaWorl​d

CinemaWorld, the first and only Pan-Asia international movie channel, continues to unlock a whole new world of entertainment, offering another exclusive, Asian cable premiere.

 

Mexican Comedy The Boy Who Smells Like Fish, centers on Mica (played by Douglas Smith, from Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters and HBO's Big Love), a seemingly normal boy – until you go near him.  Mica deals with a rare disease called Trimethylaminuria, making him smell like fish.  Because of this, no one wants to be his friend.

 

Mica grows up in a suburban museum dedicated to fictitious Mexican crooner Guillermo Garibai, run with delightful enthusiasm by his loving mother Sophie (played by Ariadna Gil).  Having fans and tourists make their way around his home was something Mica never enjoyed growing up, until his mother passes away and he was entrusted the job she has left behind.

 

Life appears to be pointless – until Laura (played by Zoë Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz, and from X-Men: First Class, and TV Series Californication) walks into it.

 

Directed by Analeine Cal y Mayor, her directorial debut gave her a nomination for the Lexus Opera Prima Award at the Miami Film Festival 2013 and a win for Best Foreign Romance Trailer at the Golden Trailer Awards 2013.

   CinemaWorld is available in Metro Manila on Cable Link on channel 301 and on Sky Cable HD on channel 184.  Contact your cable operator for more details.

 

To know more about CinemaWorld, log on to www.facebook.com/CinemaWorldAsia, follow @CinemaWorldAsia, or visit www.cinemaworld.asia.