CHRIS PRATT REPRISES HIS ROLE AS STAR-LORD IN “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2”

PRESS RELEASE

Chris Pratt inhabits Peter Quill aka Star-Lord anew in Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (see my non-spoiler review here), as he faces a family issue that he is compelled to resolve—his true parentage. Pratt reprises the role that propelled him into Marvel fandom and leading-man status.

Photo credit: Marvel Studios

Having now saved the galaxy once, the half-human intergalactic adventurer known as Star-Lord is newly famous and keenly aware of it. When the Guardians’ newfound notoriety brings Quill’s long-lost father back into his life, his bond with the other Guardians will be put to the test.

On casting Chris Pratt as Star-Lord/Peter Quill, director-writer James Gunn says, “When I was auditioning Star-Lord the first time around I was looking for somebody who’d come in, do everything that was on the page, do it well, do it in a funny way, but also give that a little something extra that made Peter Quill a little bit of a different character. And Chris came in and did that immediately. Chris is a very unique movie star in that he is a combination of being a big, masculine guy but also a very vulnerable guy. He has a vulnerability that the classic movie stars hint at, whether it’s Humphrey Bogart or Gary Cooper. Chris really brings that to life on the screen, and I think that’s what makes him a truly modern-day movie star.”

For Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy afforded him the vehicle to showcase both his comedic and physical talents in a way that he had not been able to do on film. “What appealed to me the most about this character was the opportunity to add my own personal brand of humor into it,” comments Pratt. “This was something that I knew I could do that was unique to me, and I had been dying for an opportunity to do that. I wanted to do something that was both comedic and physical. This role is a comfortable space to do that. What is so exciting to me is that I can just do the best version of my best stuff with Star-Lord.”

Describing where we find Peter Quill in the new story, Gunn relates, “As you know, the first ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is about Peter’s relationship to his mother and coming to terms with that. The second movie is about Peter Quill’s relationship to his father and his other fatherly figures. Yondu is obviously a fatherly figure to him. And then he meets his actual father, Ego, played by Kurt Russell, who is in a lot of ways everything he wanted. He is coming to terms with things. His feelings of abandonment, how he feels about his real father’s life, which is very different from his own, etc.”

Pratt offers insight on the importance of Peter’s quest to find his true parentage. “Quill is desperate to know who his dad is and dreamed his whole life that his dad was somebody special, somebody important, somebody cool,” says Pratt. “So when Quill finally meets his bigger-than-life father, who’s been searching for him, it fills this giant void that he’s had in his heart his whole life.”

In the course of the film, Quill finds himself reexamining his relationship with Yondu as well. “Of course, he’s always looked at Yondu, who abducted him, as being the guy who threatened to eat him or was hard on him,” Pratt says. “But he learns through the course of this film that the relationship is more of a father/son dynamic than he could’ve ever expected to get from anyone else.”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 also stars Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Michael Rooker as Yondu, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha, Chris Sullivan as Taserface, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Tommy Flanagan as Tulik, Laura Haddock as Meredith Quill, with Sylvester Stallone as Stakar, and Kurt Russell as Ego.

Opening across the Philippines on April 26, 2017, Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is distributed in the Philippines by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

COOPER, DIESEL FORM UNLIKELY ALLIANCE IN “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY”

Movie release material

Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel team up for Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy” as Rocket, a genetically altered, cybernetically enhanced talking raccoon, and his friend Groot, an advanced humanoid tree creature, respectively.

Describing the two unusual characters, director James Gunn says, “Rocket is not the happiest guy in the world. He’s a sad, malformed creature who has been taken apart and put back together again. He has experienced a lot of pain in his life and is grounded as a result and, because of that, is probably the heart of the movie in many ways, much like Groot, Rocket’s only real friend, who can only communicate with three words, yet his story breaks your heart.”

For Bradley Cooper, doing voice-over for a character was a first. “The whole process is so new to me,” says Cooper. “It’s like an education every time and it’s interesting.”

He adds, “There’s a lot of humor and a lot of heart in this movie. All the relationships are very clear and emotional and the stakes are obviously high and with the flavor of James Gunn, it has a comedic appeal to it. I think people are going to be blown away by how unique and fresh this film is.”

Cooper describes how he approached getting a handle on Rocket: “I talked a lot to James to figure out who Rocket is. I was really mining his brain and looking at images he showed me. I also read tons of stuff but it was just really trial by error and just finding him based on what they had already shot.”

The friendship between Rocket and Groot is certainly a unique one as Cooper explains: “It’s a very old-school male friendship where no one’s feelings are talked about. Rocket is protective of Groot but at the same time you feel like maybe it’s a means to an end because Groot’s his protection too. Rocket’s a raccoon; he doesn’t have the ability to do things that this huge tree can.” Cooper laughs, adding, “You guys understand what I’m saying, right? You know what trees can do that raccoons can’t. Wait, what?”

Gunn is enthusiastic about casting Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot and says, “As far as I’m concerned, Vin brings as much to his role and to the movie as any other performer. With just a handful of lines and hundreds of grunts he creates a character completely out-of-this-world that we still love. I can’t imagine anyone able to balance gruffness and sweetness like Vin—and that’s really what’s at the core of Groot. Sometimes I watch Groot on screen and—even though I stood beside Vin through every moment of his recording—I can’t believe the voice is coming out of a human being. He truly channels the character in an almost supernatural way.”

Diesel admits that Groot’s one line of dialogue sold him on the character. He explains, “How they were able to reinforce the theme, the meaning and the message of the whole movie in one line of character dialogue impressed me. And how that line translates in the third act is really going to be something that allows the audience to feel like they are part of this world and understand the stakes and what the characters are going through.”

Diesel had previously voiced the Iron Giant in the film by the same name a few years back and found voicing Groot to be a fun process as well. “Breathing life into a character is priceless because it’s timeless,” comments the actor. “Iron Giant has been with me for 15 years and even now when I pick my kid up from school all the kids say, ‘Oh, hi, Iron Giant.’ So I can imagine that by next year I will be my kid’s Daddy slash Groot.”

Diesel describes working with director James Gunn as “incredible,” and adds, “You can see his enthusiasm about taking this film and going beyond expectations. It’s amazing how successful the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been and to see someone like James, who is committed to trying to break the mold, is inspiring and always a blessing as an artist to work with.”

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team--the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits--Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon; Groot, a tree-like humanoid; the deadly and enigmatic Gamora; and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand--with the galaxy's fate in the balance.

Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which first appeared in comic books in MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #18 (Jan. 1969), stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime Rael and Benicio del Toro as The Collector.

In addition to "Guardians of the Galaxy," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on May 1, 2015; "Ant-Man" on July 17, 2015; and the untitled "Captain America 3" on May 6, 2016.

“GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY” FROM COMIC BOOK TO BIG SCREEN

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of “Iron Man,” “Thor,” “Captain America” and “The Avengers,” comes a new team — the “Guardians of the Galaxy.” 

 

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

Directed by James Gunn (“Slither”) from his screenplay, with a story by Nicole Perlman and Gunn, the all-star cast includes Chris Pratt (“Zero Dark Thirty”) as Peter Quill, Zoe Saldana (“Star Trek Into Darkness”) as Gamora, Dave Bautista (“Riddick”) as Drax the Destroyer, featuring Vin Diesel (“Fast and Furious”) as Groot, two-time Academy Award® nominee Bradley Cooper (“American Hustle”) as Rocket, Lee Pace (“The Hobbit”) as Ronan the Accuser, Michael Rooker (AMC’s “The Walking Dead”) as Yondu, Karen Gillan (BBC TV’s “Doctor Who”) as Nebula, two-time Academy Award® nominee Djimon Hounsou (“Gladiator”) as Korath, with Academy Award® nominee John C. Reilly (“Chicago”) as Rhomann Dey, six-time Academy Award® nominee Glenn Close (“Fatal Attraction”) as Nova Prime Rael, and Academy Award® winner Benicio Del Toro (“Traffic”) as The Collector. 

Created by Arnold Drake and Gene Colan, the Guardians of the Galaxy were introduced in 1969 as a team of heroes in the 31st century—each member the last of his kind. The idea of creating a cinematic project from that concept had much going for it—not only a remarkable group of characters, operating within an amazing universe, but also an opportunity to explore another side of the Marvel Universe, contemporaneous with The Avengers, maintaining the scope, action and humor, as well as a sense of the high stakes at its core, which made that film such a success. 

There was strong interest at Marvel Studios to do a space epic and to expand their Cinematic Universe in a new direction, despite the risks involved. Says Producer Kevin Feige: “‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is the riskiest movie we’ve done since ‘Iron Man’ but in many ways that makes it the most exciting movie we’ve done since ‘Iron Man.’ It means we can surprise people and exceed expectations. I love the notion of being able to introduce some originality, although all of it is based on the great work that was done in the comics yet few people are aware of them. I hope it feels like something very new and very fresh.” 

Getting the tone right was of paramount importance to the filmmakers, who wanted a balanced mix of humor, emotion and action. This desire informed their search for the right director for the material. Explains Feige, “It is important to us that a filmmaker bring a vision and have a handle on the characters and be able to bring them to life in an unexpected and unique and three-dimensional way. We wanted a director who could bring those elements and a slightly skewed sense to the film, and James Gunn has that voice and that vision.”

After meeting with Kevin Feige, director James Gunn was hooked. “I could see the film in my head, how it would look, what the shooting style should be,” says Gunn.

Gunn was also excited at the prospect of introducing the characters into Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, and introducing a global audience to the Guardians. Acknowledging the freedom he had since they were relatively unknown, Gunn remarks, “I think ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ gave me more freedom simply because there aren’t as many rabid fans of Guardians as there are of say The Avengers, or as many Guardians comic books, and so I have been able to recreate the Guardians more for the screen without worrying that the audience will have a different expectation of the characters.” 

While there have been several incarnations of the Guardians over the years, Marvel had planned from the early development stages to draw from the Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning run of the comic 2008 for the film. Gunn embraced that direction and comments, “We’re using the characters that Abnett and Lanning used and their tone is both humorous and dark, an interesting mix, which I think we have in the film too.”

Dave Bautista Invites You to Watch "Guardians of the Galaxy" in IMAX!

Half-Pinoy professional wrestler Dave Bautista stars as Drax the Destroyer in this Marvel Comics movie adaptation of Guardians of the Galaxy(see my movie review here). In this video, he addressed the movie audience in the Philippines to see it IMAX. Here are the reasons why.

Guardians Of The Galaxy is digitally remastered in IMAX format. Director James Gunn "consulted with IMAX on how to make this space epic in later conversion" even though it was not shot using an IMAX camera.

Action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy's fate in the balance.

Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which first appeared in comic books in Marvel Super-Heroes, Issue #18 (Jan. 1969), stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime Rael and Benicio del Toro as The Collector.

James Gunn is the director of the film with Kevin Feige producing, and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Alan Fine and Stan Lee serve as executive producers. The story is by Nicole Perlman and James Gunn, with screenplay by James Gunn.

Check the IMAX schedule of Guardians of The Galaxy  at this link: http://smcinema.com/movies/details?movie-code=GOTG-IMAX . For more movie updates and reviews, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY AT AYALA MALLS CINEMAS

Watch Guardians of the Galaxy in Ayala Malls Cinemas and enjoy joining the exciting promos! 

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

Book and buy your movie tickets at www.sureseats.com.  For updates on events and promos, like us on Facebook: Facebook/ayalamallscinemas or Tweet us at @mysureseats.com.

CHRIS PRATT SEEKS STARDOM WITH “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY”

Bound-for-stardom Chris Pratt (“The LEGO Movie”) plays a brash space adventurer named Peter Quill, who was zapped into space at the age of nine, in Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

 

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

The filmmakers’ search for Peter Quill, the leader of the Guardians was extensive. Many actors were considered as contenders for the role but it was Pratt, best known for the role he plays in “Parks and Recreation,” and who was beginning to make a significant mark for scene-stealing roles in “Moneyball,” “The Five-Year Engagement” and “Zero Dark Thirty,” who triumphed. His ability to effortlessly switch between drama, comedy and action, together with his incredible charm, made him not only a great choice but also the only choice. 

 

Says producer Kevin Feige, “We auditioned many actors for the role, and conducted a number of really detailed screen tests, and Chris Pratt, by far just won the part. He was cool, he was sexy, he was ridiculously hilarious in certain aspects—which he has to be—and when he puts on the costume and he puts on the mask and he’s holding his space guns, he is badass and you believe it.” 

 

Director James Gunn concurs: “We had screen tested a lot of people before we saw Chris and then, boom! I knew within a minute of his audition we’d found our guy.”

More a fan of comic-book artwork than the stories as a child, often painting his heroes on his bedroom wall, Pratt was at first reluctant to audition for the role of Peter Quill as he felt he was not in the best physical shape for the demanding role. But it was his performance in “Zero Dark Thirty” that made him re-think the niche he had begun to carve out for himself as the funny sidekick and consider action hero roles. Says Pratt: “People are seeing ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ and their response to it was that I was believable as a SEAL Team 6 member, so I spoke with my management and told them I was ready to audition for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’”

After landing the role, Pratt readily accepted the fact that getting into shape was a prerequisite of the job. He was confident that he would be able to do it and the filmmakers were ready to give him whatever support he needed—especially after seeing a photo of Pratt tweeted by his brother taken during production of ‘Zero Dark Thirty.’ 

 

During five months of preproduction, Pratt demonstrated his impressive work ethic as he collaborated with, and was closely monitored by, a team of trainers and nutritionists, training for four hours a day, sticking to a strict diet, taking the right supplements and vitamins, all of which he continued throughout the five-month shoot as well. “He worked his butt off every single day and got himself into amazing physical shape,” says producer Jeremy Latcham. “It has paid off in spades because he looks awesome.”

The story is told from Quill’s perspective, and Pratt reveals that he immediately resonated with the youthful aspects of the character he plays. “He’s very much a kid at heart. He’s never known his father, he’s sucked away into space just as his mother dies and is raised by a blue-skinned humanoid [Michael Rooker’s Yondu]. He has spent all his life being told to toughen up and has a false sense of bravado as a result. But deep down he is lonely, and while he’s a guy traveling in space getting to do whatever he wants, he misses his family, his community, and through the course of the story he learns to care again and that there’s more to life than just taking and doing exactly what you want.”

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team--the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits--Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon; Groot, a tree-like humanoid; the deadly and enigmatic Gamora; and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand--with the galaxy's fate in the balance.

Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which first appeared in comic books in MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #18 (Jan. 1969), stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime Rael and Benicio del Toro as The Collector.

James Gunn is the director of the film with Kevin Feige producing, and Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Alan Fine and Stan Lee serve as executive producers. The film is written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman. Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" releases in Philippine theaters on July 31, 2014. 

 

In addition to "Guardians of the Galaxy," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on May 1, 2015; "Ant-Man" on July 17, 2015; and the untitled "Captain America 3" on May 6, 2016.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Rogues Gallery

Continued from my geek blog, The Knight of The Old Code

After last week's in-depth descriptions of the quirky heroes of Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy,” let's now introduce their formidable adversaries.

Korath (Djimon Hounsou, “Gladiator”), a powerful ally of the villainous Ronan, is a feared intergalactic hunter. Korath is a pursuer who is dedicated to the kill and focuses only on one thing—his target.

Rhomann Dey (John C. Reilly, “Wreck-It Ralph”) is a Corpsman in the Nova Corps, the planet Xandar’s military force. Dey is a loyal and trusted officer but his by-the-book attitude takes a detour when he develops an unlikely rapport with Peter Quill.

Nova Prime (Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”). Nova Prime Irani Rael is in charge of Nova Corps operations throughout the galaxy. From her base of operations on Xandar, the principled and efficient Nova Prime leads her forces with confidence. She defines her mission above all to protect the citizens of Xandar and keep peace.

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

The Collector (Benicio Del Toro, “Traffic”). Taneleer Tivan, aka The Collector, is the obsessive keeper of the largest collection of interstellar fauna, relics and species in the galaxy. An enigmatic figure, The Collector operates out of a place in space aptly named Knowhere. When he encounters Peter Quill and his band, The Collector attempts to strike a dubious bargain.

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team--the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits--Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon; Groot, a tree-like humanoid; the deadly and enigmatic Gamora; and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand--with the galaxy's fate in the balance.

Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which first appeared in comic books in MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #18 (Jan. 1969), stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime Rael and Benicio del Toro as The Collector.

James Gunn is the director of the film with Kevin Feige producing, and Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Alan Fine and Stan Lee serve as executive producers. The film is written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman. Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" releases in Philippine theaters on July 31, 2014.

In addition to "Guardians of the Galaxy," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on May 1, 2015; "Ant-Man" on July 17, 2015; and the untitled "Captain America 3" on May 6, 2016.