“EDGE OF TOMORROW” HOLDS SNEAK PREVIEWS JUNE 2 & 3

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Warner Bros. Pictures' new exhilarating sci-fi thriller “Edge of Tomorrow”starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt will have special sneak previews on Monday and Tuesday, June 2 & 3 in selected theaters across the country.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

The Doug Liman-directed action-adventure will be available for previews in cinemas starting at 7PM on the aforementioned dates. Regular ticket prices will apply.

Hailed by U.S. critics as Cruise's “best movie in years,” “Edge of Tomorrow” currently has a 92% fresh rating at the review-consensus site Rottentomatoes.com. Variety's Justin Chang described the film as “cleverly crafted and propulsively executed sci-fi thriller,” while Edward Douglas of ComingSoon.net praised it as “The best action movie of the summer.”

The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world.

Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again.

But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

The international cast also includes Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Jonas Armstrong, Tony Way, Kick Gurry, Franz Drameh, Dragomir Mrsic and Charlotte Riley.

Liman directed “Edge of Tomorrow” from a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth, based on the novel entitled All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka.

Opening wide across the Philippines on June 5, “Edge of Tomorrow” will be distributed in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Ansel Elgort in The Fault In Our Stars

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ANSEL ELGORT: STARS SHINING BRIGHT

                One of this generation’s most remarkable heartthrob, multi-talented young actor Ansel Elgort takes his most challenging role yet in the most-awaited love story of the year in “The Fault In Our Stars.”

Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

                 “The Fault In Our Stars” celebrates the power of young love in all its magic, power and complexity where Elgort takes on the role of Augustus ‘Gus’ Waters, a teenager who is in remission from his osteosarcoma who met Hazel (Shailene Woodley) at a cancer support group in their community.  Based on the bestselling novel by John Green, the movie is the story of two remarkable teenagers who fall in love and embrace life despite the strong odds against them. Both are smart, funny and sarcastic. When they meet at a support group, Hazel Grace Lancaster is instantly smitten with Augustus Waters. The feeling is mutual. Despite dealing with serious health concerns on a daily basis, health doesn’t dominate life for Augustus and Hazel. Far from it. They are normal teenagers, excited about first love and getting to know each other. It’s clear from the start that there is strong chemistry between this attractive pair. They don’t see eye to eye on everything, but their connection is powerful and they both have a great sense of humor about their circumstances.   

               

                Gus, played by Elgort, is someone who believes in big, heroic gestures.  He’s brash and tough, but also possesses an appealing intelligence.   According to John Green, Hazel and Gus’ attraction to one another stems from the fact they possess a similar wit and intelligence. “There’s a line in the Philip Roth novel The Human Stain, where a character says, ‘The pleasure isn’t  in owning the person. The pleasure is this.  Having another contender in the room with you.’  I think Hazel is someone who doesn’t have a lot of contenders in the room with her, and when she meets Gus she realizes, ‘Oh, this guy can hang with me.’  For Gus it’s the same thing. He’s used to being able to attract women, but he’s never encountered someone like Hazel before.”

                Gus is a complicated figure: he’s a former high school basketball star, and his favorite book – until meeting Hazel – is based on a videogame.  At the same time, he’s an intellectual who enjoys giving long, thoughtful monologues.

Ansel Elgort already had a connection with Woodley, with whom he stars – as her brother – in Divergent.  Woodley notes that this previous onscreen pairing was “a blessing for our work together in “The Fault In Our Stars” because we already knew each other and had this on-screen chemistry, so it was easy to connect as Hazel and Gus. Ansel’s like my brother; he’s so curious about the world and everything excites him.”

“With love stories it’s all about chemistry,” adds producer Wyck Godfrey.  “Shailene dominated many of the actors we had tested with her, because she has that kind of intimidating strength of character.  But then Ansel came in and he had this charisma, exuberance and energy that put Shailene back on her feet a little bit, which is exactly what you want her to feel.”

For Elgort, Gus was exactly the part he was looking for.  Like so many others, he was a fan of the novel.  “Above all, the book is full of beautiful ideas that make you think about life and love,” he notes. 

“The Fault In Our Stars” opens June 5 in cinemas from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

First Look: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

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Judith Viorst’s 1972 illustrated children’s classic. The trailer may be viewed at Disney's Studios Philippines Youtube video above.

Steve Carell (“The Way, Way Back,” “Little Miss Sunshine” ) and Jennifer Garner (“Dallas Buyers Club, “Juno”) star as Alexander’s upbeat parents. The veteran performers are joined in the film by a trio of young talents that includes 16-year-old Dylan Minnette (“Lost,” “Prisoners”) as Alexander’s older brother, Anthony; 15-year-old Kerris Dorsey (“Moneyball”) as sister Emily; and 12-year-old Australian native Ed Oxenbould (Oz TV’s “Puberty Blues”), who makes his big-screen feature debut as the film’s title character, Alexander.

Emmy® winner (and Golden Globe® nominee) Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”) also joins the cast, along with Jennifer Coolidge (“American Pie,” “Legally Blonde”) and Bella Thorne (“Shake It Up!,” upcoming “Blended”).

Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” follows the exploits of 11-year-old Alexander (Oxenbould) as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life—a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by one calamity after another. But when Alexander tells his upbeat family about the misadventures of his disastrous day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him. He soon learns that he’s not alone when his mom (Garner), dad (Carell), brother (Minnette) and sister (Dorsey) all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Anyone who says there is no such thing as a bad day just hasn't had one.

“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” directed by Independent Spirit Award-winner Miguel Arteta (“Youth in Revolt”) from a screenplay by Rob Lieber, is a 21 Laps Entertainment/Jim Henson Company production.

Opening across the Philippines on Oct. 15, 2014, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

SANDLER, BARRYMORE “BLENDED” AGAIN AFTER TEN YEARS

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Nearly ten years after Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore’s second hugely successful romantic comedy, “50 First Dates,” the two reunite on the big screen with Warner Bros. Pictures new romantic comedy “Blended.”

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Written by Ivan Menchell & Clare Sera, “Blended” tells the story of Lauren (Barrymore), an over-protective, recently divorced mother of tween boys thrown into an unexpected African adventure with Jim (Sandler), a loving but overwhelmed widower doing his misguided best to raise three daughters. 

 

The screenplay came to Sandler courtesy of producer Mike Karz, who slipped the script to the actor after a weekend camping trip with their kids. “I saw him playing with his daughter during one of the camping activities,” Karz recalls, “and it just hit me: Adam reminds me of Jim. Like Jim, Adam is such a loving and caring father. His family is the most important thing in his life and he would do anything for his kids.”

“A big part of why Jim and Lauren fall in love is their ability to see what great parents they are to their kids and to each other’s kids,” says director Frank Coraci. “That’s what sets this movie apart. They don’t fall in love over the typical romantic comedy clichés. They fall in love over how devoted they are to their kids.”

As Barrymore sees it, “Jim and Lauren are just trying to do the best they can for their kids. When they’re forced to spend time together in this exotic place, they begin to discover how great life can be when you meet someone who is a like-minded parent and shares the same core values.”

Coraci believes the timing of Sandler and Barrymore’s reunion couldn’t be better. “The Wedding Singer was a very pure, un-jaded first love kind of movie that we made when we were younger and more naïve,” he muses. “Now that Adam and Drew have kids, and he’s become an amazing dad and she’s become an amazing mother, they really understand what it is to love your kids unconditionally and be a great parent, and the sacrifices that have to sometimes be made. So their experience was really appropriate for `Blended.' They haven’t lost their ability to have fun and poke fun at each other, but they definitely brought that new wisdom to their roles.”

“Blended” also stars Joel McHale (NBC’s “Community”) as Lauren’s ex-husband, Mark, and Wendi McLendon-Covey (“Bridesmaids”) as her best friend, Jen; Kevin Nealon (“Weeds”) and Jessica Lowe (funnyordie’s “RobotDown”) as an overly romantic couple also vacationing at the resort; and Terry Crews (“The Expendables 2”) as the resort’s singing host.

Opening across the Philippines on June 11, “Blended” is a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation of a Gulfstream Pictures/Happy Madison Production and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company.

TORNADO THRILLER “INTO THE STORM” REVEALS TEASER TRAILER

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From New Line Cinema, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, comes the tornado disaster film “Into the Storm” starring Richard Armitage (Thorin in “The Hobbit” films). Watch the film's just-released teaser trailer here.

In the film, the town of Silverton is ravaged by an unprecedented onslaught of tornadoes in the span of a single day. The entire town is at the mercy of the erratic and deadly cyclones, even as storm trackers predict the worst is yet to come. Most people seek shelter, while others run towards the vortex, testing how far a storm chaser will go for that once-in-a-lifetime shot.

Told through the eyes and lenses of professional storm chasers, thrill-seeking amateurs, and courageous townspeople, “Into the Storm” throws you directly into the eye of the storm to experience Mother Nature at her most extreme.

Steven Quale (“Final Destination 5”) directed the film from a screenplay by John Swetnam. The executive producers are Richard Brener, Walter Hamada, Dave Neustadter, Mark McNair, Jeremy Stein and Bruce Berman.

Joining Richard Armitage in the cast are Sarah Wayne Callies (TV’s “The Walking Dead”), Matt Walsh (“Ted”), Alycia Debnam-Carey (“Where the Devil Hides”), Arlen Escarpeta (“Final Destination 5”), Nathan Kress (TV’s “iCarly”), Jon Reep (“Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay”) and Jeremy Sumpter (“Soul Surfer,” TV’s “Friday Night Lights”).

Opening across the Philippines in August 2014, “Into the Storm” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

BELLA THORNE PLAYS SANDLER'S DAUGHTER IN “BLENDED”

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Teen actress Bella Thorne, star of the hit Disney Channel original series “Shake It Up,” crosses over to the big screen in Warner Bros. Pictures' new comedy “Blended” where she plays the eldest daughter of Adam Sandler's character.

Photo courtesy of Happy Madison Productions

Thorne stars as Hilary, a 15-year-old who is clearly emerging as a beautiful young woman, despite having a dad who calls her Larry, dresses her like a boy, and encourages her to protein-load at the buffet.

As Thorne explains, “Hilary is a tomboy but that doesn’t mean she isn’t a girl too. She’s a little shy and self-conscious and just wants to jump out of her skin sometimes. Her hair is kind of a curly, frizzy bowl and she’s always in track suits, which doesn’t help.”

In “Blended,” single parents Lauren (Drew Barrymore) and Jim (Sandler) agree on only one thing after a disastrous blind date: they never want to see each other again. But when they each sign up separately for a fabulous family vacation with their kids, they are all stuck sharing a suite at a luxurious African safari resort for a week.

As the two families settle into their safari holiday, it’s Hilary who reaches across the aisle first, enlisting Lauren’s help in the style department while trying to catch the attention of her new crush – fellow teen vacationer Jake, played by Zak Henri. In the process, she makes a transformation that is at once amazing and perfectly natural, bringing out some of her more feminine qualities while not compromising any of the strengths and skills that could conceivably earn her a basketball scholarship.

The young actress shares that she has a lot in common with Hilary. “Even though I’m wearing pink right now, I am very much a tomboy,” Thorne says. “I really like to just eat chicken wings and slurp Ramen. I have the stains all over my shirt to prove it. And I think that every girl would feel for this character because there are a lot of times when you’re wanting to get out of your own skin, and she just wants to be noticed. She just wants this boy to notice that she’s a girl and he doesn’t. [Laughs] And it’s the worst.

“Also, I think she’s looking for a new mother figure and she gets put in this position with her father because she really is like his best buddy, like his little guy friend that he’s just chilling on the couch with.”

“Bella was brilliant,” director Frank Coraci attests. “Here’s a young woman who is known for being stylish and beautiful on red carpets and in magazines, and she has to shed her make-up, have bad hair and wear horribly fitting outfits. But she committed to it completely. She’s funny, she’s engaging, and she can dance, and, fortunately, she gets to showcase all of that in this movie.”

When asked what was the transition like for her from television to film, Thorne reveals “The only thing I miss about TV is that the people you work with see you every day. They see you in your worst mood and your best mood, so sometimes they’re really much closer to you than even your best friends. And when you work on a film, you get so close to your cast and your crew. And then three months later, you have to leave them and you wonder if you’re ever going to see them again, which is a little depressing. So that sucks.”

Bella Thorne sky-rocketed to fame with her tween/teen fans playing aspiring dancer Cece Jonesin “Shake It Up” which originally premiered with 6.2 million viewers.

Most recently, she wrapped production on the feature films “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” “Big Sky,” opposite Kyra Sedgwick,” and “Home Invasion.” She also signed a three book deal with Random House titled Autumn Falls, with the first book scheduled for late 2014, and was recently named the new Candie’s girl, following in the footsteps of Britney Spears, Carly Rae Jepsen, Vanessa Hudgens and Lea Michele.

The triple threat also recently expanded her talent in the music arena with her first solo single, “TTYLXOX,” which was included on the “Shake It Up” soundtrack and not only made the Billboard 100 but has sold over 300,000 copies to date. She has been topping the charts at Radio Disney with “Bubblegum Boy,” and collaborated with IM5 on the single “Can’t Stay Away.”

Opening across the Philippines on June 11, “Blended” is a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation of a Gulfstream Pictures/Happy Madison Production and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company.

JOURNEY OF FOREVER STARTS ON JUNE 5 IN CINEMAS: “THE FAULT IN OUR STARS”

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“The Fault In Our Stars,” this generation’s widely read story of love and its infinities from scribe John Green will finally unfold on the big screen on June 5 in the Philippines from 20^th  Century Fox.   The “The Fault In Our Stars” celebrates the power of young love in all its magic, power and complexity. 

 

Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

                The film follows Hazel and Gus, played by today’s well-loved pair – Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, as their relationship develops from their first meeting at a cancer support group until the time they set off on a surprising and exciting journey to Amsterdam.

                For all the characters, it was paramount that every aspect of their lives felt authentic.  Producer Wyck Godfrey notes that, “John Green said the reason he loves writing about teenagers is that they are not yet that cynical.  In some ways they live very openly, haven’t yet been become jaded, and it’s a beautiful time for them.  Teens are impulsive and will say and do anything.  One of the most fascinating things about Gus, Hazel and Isaac is that their illnesses don’t change that.”

                The filmmakers’ insistence on verisimilitude led them to visit cancer support groups.  “When Josh Boone and I got together with the actors, the first thing we said is that we must represent this experience and situation in an honest way,” Godfrey explains.“The only way to do that was to spend time with young people who are patients and meet with the doctors treating them, as well as with the parents going through it all with them. When we got to our shooting locations in Pittsburgh, we reached out to the hospitals and the cancer centers and asked for their help with this.”  The production made contact with several patients either going through treatment or in remission, many of whom became a valuable part of the production, appearing in scenes set at the story’s cancer support group. “These young people have been so important to the movie not only because they lent their talents on screen but because it’s given all of us an opportunity to talk about their experiences,” says Green.“What we found is that what started off as research questions, like, ‘Tell me what it’s like …”ended up with us talking about movies, cars, girls and whatever else.  It was a joy just getting to hang out with them.”

                Prior to and during production, Green’s book was a touchstone for everyone connected with “The Fault In Our Stars.” “My favorite thing about the book,” Godfrey says, “is when you put it down you feel like, ‘Every one of us should attack life with the energy that Hazel and Gus do.’ At their core, Hazel, Gus and Isaac are experiencing many of the same things that teenagers have gone through for generations.” 

                Adds Shailene Woodley: “It is an honor to have brought to the big screen one of the most powerful fictional characters I’ve ever met.  “The Fault In Our Stars” rewrote the way I look at each breath.”   Woodley’s views on the story, themes and characters mirrored those of her director and the producers.  “The Fault In Our Stars” is a love story about two kids with cancer, but it’s not about cancer,” she explains.“I was so deeply moved by Hazel and Gus, who are able to see things that a lot of us are too busy living our lives to see.”

               

                The object of Hazel’s affections, Gus, played by Ansel Elgort, is someone who believes in big, heroic gestures.  He’s brash and tough, but also possesses an appealing intelligence.  Gus is a complicated figure: he’s a former high school basketball star, and his favorite book – until meeting Hazel – is based on a videogame.  At the same time, he’s an intellectual who enjoys giving long, thoughtful monologues.

                For Elgort, Gus was exactly the part he was looking for.  Like so many others, he was a fan of the novel.  “Above all, the book is full of beautiful ideas that make you think about life and love,” he notes.  Tackling his most challenging role yet, Elgort credits Woodley as a source of strength.  “I’ve had some moments in this film that have been harder for me than any in my career, so having Shailene by my side made it a lot easier.”