ANDY SANDBERG STUMBLES UPON "HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA"

With a diverse range of comedic talents, Andy Samberg (“That's My Boy,” “Friends With Benefits”) has emerged as a captivating and hilarious leading man on screens both big and small. Now, he provides the voice of cool dude Jonathan, the only human in a hotel full of monsters, in Columbia Pictures' rollicking animated comedy, “Hotel Transylvania.”

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

             Jonathan is a typical 21-year-old human, backpacking his way across Europe in his continuing worldwide travels. He’s confident, full of life, talkative, curious and good-natured—not to mention amazing on a skateboard. His motto is “just roll with it." 

             Now, in his wandering, he’s stumbled onto a hotel full of…monsters!? To help him blend in (and keep the monsters unaware of the security breach), hotelier Dracula (voice of Adam Sandler) disguises him as Johnnystein, Frankenstein’s supposed cousin. Drac's plan backfires, however, when his daughter Mavis (voice of Selena Gomez) and ‘Johnnystein’ hit it off, and Jonathan ignores his earlier promise to Drac, to run at his first opportunity. Because hey, this monster thing is kind of cool – and he’s intrigued by a cute teenage vampire girl.

             “Jonathan is high on life,” says director Genndy Tartakovsky. “He’s got a big personality, he’s energetic, and outgoing. When Andy Samberg did the first voice reading, it was like, boom, there it is. It was instant humor, instant magic between him and Adam – the contrast between Adam’s super-articulate Dracula and Andy’s free spirit was perfect. But Andy also brought a sincerity to the role – he made Jonathan who he is.”

             “Jonathan is pretty much based on who I was in high school, and on a lot of dudes I knew growing up in the Bay Area in California,” Samberg says. “He’s kind of a backpacker, really loves seeing the world, and super positive in the face of adversity, even maybe when he shouldn’t be.”

             “It was really fun to do more animation,” says Samberg, who previously voiced a role for Sony Pictures Animation’s hit film “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.” “The fact that this time I got to record with Sandler in the studio was a big plus. On other animated movies I've worked on the actors didn't really get to record together, but I think working together helped us play off each other and gave the characters the right tone.”

             Samberg recently completed his seventh and final season as a cast member on TV's “Saturday Night Live.”

             “Hotel Transylvania” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

“HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA” GROSSES P25.42-M IN 3 DAYS, OPENS AT NO. 1

MANILA, Oct. 01, 2012 – Monsters had a ball at the Philippine box office as Columbia Pictures’ animated comedy “Hotel Transylvania” opened at No.1, with a nationwide gross of a blood-curdling P25.42-million in three days for the Sept. 28-30 frame.  This was announced today by Victor R. Cabrera, managing director of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

            The family-oriented 3D crowd-pleaser now holds the distinction of having the biggest opening ever from Sony Pictures Animation whose past big hits include “Surf’s Up” and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”

In the U.S., “Hotel Transylvania” also captured the No. 1 crown at $43 million.  It's likewise the biggest hit for Sony Pictures Animation, surpassing the $31 million opening of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” back in 2009 as well as setting a new September opening record, which was previously held by Reese Witherspoon's “Sweet Home Alabama” for ten years with $35.6 million. 

The film is also Adam Sandler's second biggest opening after his 2005 remake of “The Longest Yard.” The movie is Sony's eighth No. 1 movie for the year and it pushes them back into the lead in terms of market share.

Back in the Philippines, “Hotel Transylvania” bowed in 142 screens, including 25 3D cinemas.  Power Plant Mall posted the highest sales at P1.72-M, while SM Mall of Asia and Trinoma were the runners-up at P1.43-M and P1.18-M, respectively.

Two more cinemas performed over the one million mark – Eastwood at P1,028,975 and SM North EDSA at P1,028,061.

Rounding out the Top Ten are SM Megamall (P798,386), Greenbelt 3 (P715,977), Market! Market! (P692,293), Glorietta 4 (P642,273) and Alabang Town Center (P549,087).

The 11^th to 20^th rankings are occupied are Newport Cinema (P506,802), Ayala Center Cebu (P427,720), Robinsons Manila (P410,404), Robinsons Galleria (P394,347), Robinsons Magnolia (P391,922), Greenhills (P387,860), SM Marikina (P370,900), Harborpoint (P365,392), Shang Cineplex (P359,260) and SM Fairview (P354,636).

In the film, “Hotel Transylvania” is Dracula’s lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them. On one special weekend, Dracula (voice of Adam Sandler) has invited some of his best friends – Frankenstein and his bride, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Werewolf family, and more – to celebrate his beloved daughter Mavis’s 118th birthday. In the vampire world, that signals the time to break out from the sanctuary. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem – but everything could change for the overprotective dad when one ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis (voice of Selena Gomez).

            Now playing across the Philippines in Digital 3D, 2D and regular theaters, “Hotel Transylvania” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads.  Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

Hotel Transylvania review

Story: There is a secret place were all monsters go to stay away from humans and just be normal called Hotel Transylvania. Operated as a regular hotel exclusively for monsters by Dracula and  also a safe haven for his fellow monsters especially his daughter, Mavis.

Review: The animated fantasy gathers all the monsters from classic horror films as major characters as well as the mythological monsters. Dracula takes his vampire appearance from the classic Dracula movies starring Bela Lugosi. Adam Sandler did justice to make a comic out of Dracula and he was so in character mimicking Bela Lugosi that he even made punch lines out of it. I think Adam Sandler made the best spoof of Dracula since "Dracula: Dead and Loving It", a spoof of Bram Stoker's Dracula starring Leslie Nielsen playing the title role.

For the other classic monsters, the major ones include the Frankenstein monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy and the Invisible Man. Steve Buscemi played the Wolfman, Kevin James played the Frankenstein monster, David Spade played the Invisible Man. Kevin James did well to play the part of Frankenstein because his voice sounded strong and there is also his style of comedy.

Steve Buscemi and David Spade's voices can easily be identified from their characters, the Wolfman and Invisible Man respectively. Nevertheless, the comedy they did was essential for their characters. Sharing the part of that comedy is Fran Dresher, who played the bride of Frankenstein, which is in case of this movie, his wife. Hearing Ms. Dresher's trademark voice already made me laugh because she fits the character.

Selena Gomez plays the part of Mavis, the daughter of Dracula. Ms. Gomez is no stranger to comedy so she is not out of place in this ensemble of veteran comedians. Andy Sandberg did well playing the part of Jonathan. He really sound like an average backpacker. The story itself is wholesome. It is the type of film that can be watched for the whole family. This is the second wholesome movie of Adam Sandler since Bedtime Stories and also his second animated flick. Besides of being wholesome, there are lessons that can draw insights from this movie like parenting and family.

As for the animation, it suits well with the story thanks to Genndy Tartakovsky. Tartakovsky is known for his creations, Dexter's Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack. He is also behind the animation of Star Wars:Clone Wars series. Hotel Transylvania is a Columbia Pictures presentation.

SELENA GOMEZ IS DRACULA'S DAUGHTER IN “HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA”

Teenage actress SelenaGomez (“Monte Carlo”) provides the voice of Mavis, Dracula's sheltered but free-spirited daughter, in Columbia Pictures' new hilarious, 3D animated comedy “Hotel Transylvania.”

             In the film, Mavis is totally pampered by her father (voice of Adam Sandler); however, she is headstrong and smart, and in many ways, a typical 118-year-old teenage girl. She’s grown slightly bored with the domain of her childhood—she has lived within her father’s hotel and its grounds all her life—and she longs to travel, experience life and see the world. Now, she’s met a newcomer who could make that a real possibility: but should she leave and risk breaking her father’s heart, or remain, and break her own? 

             “Selena found a way to play the character that can be sweet and loving to everyone – and also be the only one who can put Dracula in his place,” says producer Michelle Murdocca. “Dracula is a softy who’d do anything for his daughter – and doesn’t she know it. Selena makes her a regular teenage daughter who knows what she wants and she’s gonna get it from her dad.”

 

             “Mavis is like a lot of teenagers,” says Gomez. “She’s got the cute hairstyle, dresses stylishly, has a little bit of an attitude, but she’s really sincere and cares about her dad – she just kind of wants to have a little bit of independence. It’s the same thing a lot of girls my age are going through – she’s very relatable in wanting to have freedom, to see what the world is like. Everybody tells her these stories but she wants to experience it for herself and meet new people and be independent.”

             Mavis is Gomez’s first starring role in an animated movie. “I really wanted to do a fun, family movie – not to mention that I grew up watching Adam Sandler, so working with him was super exciting. I’m glad to be a part of it – it’s a great movie,” she says.

             The last several years have been a whirlwind for actress-singer Selena Gomez as she has wrapped up her hit Disney Channel series, released three albums and launched a film career – not to mention created her own fashion line and fragrance. 

             A Dallas native, Gomez made her mark playing Alex Russo in the hit Disney Channel series “Wizards of Waverly Place,” which premiered in 2007. With the success of the series, Gomez became an internationally known actress with a legion of fans. Gomez and her castmates won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Children’s Program in 2009 and 2010. 

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

             She landed her first feature film in 2003, when she was cast in “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over.” Other films include Fox’s “Ramona and Beezus” and “Monte Carlo” directed by Thom Bezucha. She recently wrapped “Spring Breakers” opposite James Franco and Vanessa Hudgens for director Harmony Korine, in a role that will be her most challenging to date. Gomez is currently filming The Getaway opposite Ethan Hawke for producer Joel Silver. 

             “Hotel Transylvania” is in Digital 3D and regular theaters and is distributed by Columbia Pictures,  local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

THE ACTORS BEHIND THE FRIENDLY MONSTERS OF HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA

An aspect of the making of Sony Pictures Animation's new family comedy “Hotel Transylvania” that set it apart was the chance to bring several of the actors together into the recording studio to voice their roles together – responding to each other as they would in a live-action film. 

             After all, several of the actors, including Adam Sandler, Kevin James, David Spade, and Steve Buscemi, have known each other for years and acted together in several films, and all were excited by the prospect of working together on a film that everyone in their families could enjoy. “It really doesn’t happen all that often in animation that you are able to bring your voice actors together,” says producer Michelle Murdocca. “It was really fun to see Adam Sandler playing off of Kevin James, and Kevin playing off of David Spade. It was the beginning of them creating these characters and personalities together – it helped make the characters really funny and really emotional.”

Kevin James as Frankenstein. Photos courtesy of Columbia Phils.

             Kevin James voices the role of Dracula’s best friend Frankenstein—an oversized working man with an even bigger heart. It’s been a long time since this monster stormed through the countryside, frightening villagers and constables alike. Now, he’s an unassuming married man who loves his adoptive family, Dracula (Sandler) and Mavis (Selena Gomez). 

             “He can be funny and loving and endearing and sweet – he shows us the true Frankenstein, who he is at heart,” says Murdocca. “But make no mistake – he is also a big guy who you do not want to mess with. That doesn’t come out too often in our movie, but when it does, you better watch out.”

             “Frank seems like a big, tough guy, but there are times when he goes to pieces,” says James. “I mean literally. Like to travel, he actually comes apart and gets packed in several suitcases... which is not fun at baggage claim.”

Steve Buscemi as Wayne

             Steve Buscemi lends his voice to Wayne the werewolf, a miserable data processor by day and a put-upon father by night. He and his wife Wanda have produced litter after litter of pups, and as a result, he barely has the energy to get through a day and has lost most of his sense of smell from a barrage of poopie diapers. So even though he arrives with his misbehaved children and pregnant wife in tow, Wayne can’t wait for his vacation at Hotel Transylvania to begin. 

             “Wayne is the classic dad – the guy who works all day and just wants to come home to a little peace and quiet, only to find that the kids are just getting started and ready to jump all over him,” says Buscemi. “OK, that’s one thing, if you’ve got one, two, three kids – but fifty-something?”

David Spade as Griffin.

             The infamous Invisible Man has a name, and it’s Griffin. He’s good at lurking, and because no one can see him, he has a frustrating habit of blindsiding his friends. He’s always ready with a funny quip… but while he can dish it out, he can’t take it – he’s really sensitive, especially about his curly red hair. 

             “Griffin’s problem is that he’s often overlooked. But it’s not his fault – it’s just that he’s invisible,” says Murdocca. “He’s perfect for David Spade – acerbic, dry, witty, but also really good-natured.”

             “Griffin loves going on vacation. He’s extremely handsome and has a killer body. At least, that’s what he tells me, and I’m not gonna disagree,” says Spade.

CeeLo Green as Murray

             Recording artist CeeLo Green voices Murray the Mummy, a big bandaged guy, who’s actually larger-than-life. As a former entertainer to the great Pharaohs of Egypt, Murray is extremely likable, boisterous and always the center of every party. Living most of the year deep inside an Egyptian tomb, every time he arrives at Drac’s hotel, he is ready to PARTY! He’s a ball of fun, and uses humor to avoid confrontations, which he stays away from at all costs. 

             “CeeLo Green killed it, right from the first day,” says Murdocca. “He’s a really honest, sweet guy, and that comes across in his performance and his character. He’s just a big, cuddly, loveable mummy, looking for love.”

              “Hotel Transylvania” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.