Apple TV+ counts its 'Luck' as fallen 'Toy Story' exec makes comeback

LOS ANGELES, United States - Like all good animated family movies, "Luck" has a thoroughly optimistic premise: that no matter how hopeless or dire your circumstances may seem, something good will eventually come of it.

Apple TV+ will be hoping the same is true for John Lasseter, the former Pixar guru who resigned under a cloud of #MeToo harassment claims, and later became head of the new Skydance Animation.

"Luck" is that studio's first film, available to stream Friday, which follows 18-year-old girl Sam and a talking black cat called Bob on their adventures in the fantastical Land of Luck.

In this land of perfect fortune, all the world's good and bad luck is produced by magical creatures including leprechauns, dragons, unicorns and goblins, who then funnel it down to Earth.

The movie features a voice cast of Simon Pegg, Whoopi Goldberg and Jane Fonda, along with Broadway star Eva Noblezada in the lead role of Sam, the world's unluckiest girl.

The cast could have been even starrier, had Emma Thompson not very publicly withdrawn in 2019 over the hiring of Lasseter, publishing her resignation letter in the Los Angeles Times.

It was a decision that other cast members have mulled over, with Pegg telling AFP he "initially" had qualms before deciding to proceed.

"It's a dangerous thing to just write people off immediately, I think, if there's some accountability, if there's some acknowledgement and acceptance," he told AFP.

- 'Complicated' -

Lasseter, who transformed Pixar from a small Lucasfilm graphics department into the world's most successful animation studio with hits including "Toy Story," was accused of misconduct at the 2017 height of the #MeToo movement.

The powerful studio president apologized to "anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug," and for "falling short" in ensuring a culture of "trust and respect." 

The following year, he resigned, acknowledging in an internal memo that he had made staff feel "disrespected or uncomfortable."

Multiple sources alleged that Lasseter was a heavy drinker at company social events who would try to kiss women, place his hands on their thighs and hug them in meetings. 

In her letter, Thompson said the case of Lasseter was "complicated."

Upon his hiring by Skydance, Thompson wrote that "any Skydance employees who don't want to give him a second chance have to stay and be uncomfortable or lose their jobs."

For Pegg, it was important that Lasseter had "admitted accountability for the things that had been aimed at him."

"We're all doomed if we are banished for stuff that we regret and apologize for, and mean that apology. That's the most important thing."

Goldberg had a more succinct take: "Everybody steps in it sometime," she told AFP.

- 'Real-world stakes' -

In the film, Sam -- an orphan who has reached adulthood without finding a permanent foster home -- follows Bob the cat (Pegg) into the Land of Luck in order to find a lucky penny.

She hopes this magical coin can help her young friend Hazel find the "forever family" she never had.

Of course, getting her hands on it is anything but straightforward, taking Sam on a physical journey through the realm's whirring Rube Goldberg machines and glittering waterfalls -- and an emotional one.

"I really love that element. It's a film which is the most outrageous environments and concepts but paired with genuine real-world stakes about friendship," said Pegg.

"Sometimes what appears to be bad luck can end up being good luck. Not least for Sam, who apparently lives an entire life of bad luck, only to go on this adventure and find exactly what she's looking for."

For the filmmakers, the withdrawal of Thompson led to the hiring of Oscar-winner and social campaigner Jane Fonda, playing an elegant dragon who is the CEO of the luck-making operation. 

"When Jane joined the cast, I looked to her as being such a legendary activist and feminist," said Pegg.

"I felt like she was a great person to take the lead from. And it was her involvement in the film that cemented my decision to do it."

Agence France Presse

Review: ‘Ant-man and the Wasp’ a hilarious return

MANILA, Philippines — Marvel’s tiniest hero returns to the big screen on a hilarious note after three long years.

The wait was well worth it as Ant-Man’s return came with the reintroduction of Scott Lang’s (Also Ant-man, Paul Rudd) love interest, Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lily), now his suited ally, The Wasp.

Ant-Man (2015) director Peyton Reed once again helms the sequel, which is considered as Marvel’s first super-heroine film. It is set in the aftermath of “Captain America: Civil War” making it a follow-up to two movies.

In "Ant-Man and The Wasp," the good-hearted ex-convict Scott was under house arrest following his exploits with the Avengers. He finds himself in conflict when he decided to once again don the Ant-Man suit while he’s on the verge of getting his life back on track and continuously become a good father to Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson).

This struggle came after Scott suddenly reached out to fugitive Hope and her father, Dr. Hank Pym who asked our hero to take on an urgent mission to save the family’s matriarch, Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer). Janet is the original wasp to Hank and is believed to be stuck in the Quantum Realm.

Aside from the mission to have a family reunion, the size-shifting heroes also face other villains–the elusive Ava/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) who wants to derail the operation due to personal reasons and Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins), who covets Hank’s newest piece of technology for billion profits.

The mission is also marred by the FBI’s interference but will Ant-Man and the Wasp succeed with their own special skill set?

As the film goes microscopic, it goes large with comedy.
There are several comedic moments featuring Scott as well as the X-Con Security crew led by Luis (Michael Peña), showing their good character connection.

As Scott and Hope’s sidekick, Luis and the crew including Kurt (David Dastmalchian) and Dave (Tip “T.I” Harris) managed to bring in themselves and elevated the laugh quotient.

While there are comedic moments, there are also poignant scenes featuring Scott and his daughter Cassie and Hope. Cassie's charm softens the action-filled film.

The film generally excites with the pile of conflicts and intriguing new characters, making it engaging from beginning to the end and even beyond credits. This is best-viewed in IMAX 3D experience.

Marvel Studio’s “Ant-man and The Wasp” opened in Philippine cinemas on July 4, Wednesday. — Rosette Adel

source: philstar.com

REVIEW | ‘The Last Jedi’ is fragmented but still an amazing cinematic experience

At two hours and thirty-two minutes, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” boasts of having the longest running time in the franchise and you can feel it. The film’s story is divided into three parts and not all of them stand on equal measure with each other.

The most interesting of the three parts is the story of Rey (Daisy Ridley) as she tries to convince Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to join the resistance and discovers a connection with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).

The second part involves rebellion pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and his reckless and daredevil heroics clashing with Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and capping the overall story of the rebellion.

Finally, the weakest of all the stories involves Finn (John Boyega), who meets ground crew member Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) and takes on a mission to help save the rebellion from destruction.

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” takes off right after the events of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and puts us squarely into a battle between The First Order and Princess Leia’s rebellion. The energy is high, the suspense is palpable, and the stakes are huge. It’s a terrific opening for the much awaited installment in the series.

But the moment the action splits and the story fragments into the three parts, it starts to falter. Rey, Kylo Ren, and Luke Skywalker’s story stands out because it’s rooted in each character’s personal goals but those goals are very much interwoven into the larger plot of the series.

These are three key figures in the battle between The First Order and the Rebel Alliance and they have to solve their inner conflicts first before they can make large contributions to either side of the battle.

Ridley, Driver, and Hamill are working so well off of each other. Ridley is captivating as the scavenger who discovers she has a powerful connection to the Force and she makes you believe in her desperate attempt to find her place in this war.

Driver’s intensity works to his advantage, creating a fractured Kylo Ren at the cusp of a breaking point. Hamill’s tortured Luke Skywalker is a shadow of who he was and the effect is dazzling.

Their segment in the film is the most emotional; it draws you into their personal conflicts but it clear in its place within the story. These three characters and their choices can make or break this war and it holds the most interest in the film.

Poe Dameron’s story is personal and it falters because his story uses the war to develop his character, instead of the other way around, like Rey’s, Kylo Ren’s, Luke Skywalker’s. It’s interesting because of the very high stakes involved.

Isaac and Fisher have great rapport and throw into the mix a fantastic performance by Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Holdo, who also clashes with Poe Dameron’s way of doing things, but the focus is on Poe Dameron’s lesson than it does with the battle against The First Order. This segment, while still engaging with the main plot line, feels small because the learnings here only really affect Poe Dameron.

For Finn and new character Rose, their story ends up feeling like a subplot that hardly fits into the big picture. Their mission takes them out of the main action into a world that doesn’t quite mesh with the whole movie and most of the story elements here progress because of fortunate events and not character choices.

There’s a lot of deus ex machina elements at work and Finn and Rose just seem to be getting through because of fortunate circumstances. It feels the least developed and the least connected to the overall plot.

But despite all of this, there’s a lot that is done great in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Director Rian Johnson keeps the action moving with fantastic transitions and exceptionally great use of music to heighten every scene.

There is also the clever use of dark and light to symbolize the battle between the authoritarian rule of The First Order and the rebel forces. Many times, the scenes are dark but there are always shafts of light bursting through and trying to illuminate the characters. It’s an inspired choice.

There’s a lot of action to go around and edge-of-your-seat moments. There’s humor and there’s touching moments. It’s never dull. It just seems bloated but the final thirty minutes of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is great cinema fit for the largest screen possible with the best sound system that you can avail. Despite the flaws, it’s an experience that will leave you breathless and applauding.

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is brave enough to challenge the franchise’s own ideas about the rebellion and The Force, in turn, making hard statements that are very relevant and apt for our times with regards to authoritarian governments and strict adherence to religion. It’s a brave movie wrapped up in a fun, science fiction adventure that is worth the ticket price.

source: interaksyon.com

Emma Stone honed dance skills to play tennis great Billie Jean King

LOS ANGELES | Emma Stone admits she’s never been a sports player, so when she was asked to play former world tennis No. 1 Billie Jean King in the movie “Battle of the Sexes,” the Oscar-winning actress approached it from a different direction — dancing.

King, by contrast, who pioneered the fight for equal pay in tennis more than 40 years ago, pictured herself in Stone’s position as she worked with the actress to portray her character.

“I tried to put myself in Emma’s shoes. That’s really taking a risk portraying someone who is still alive. I‘m like, ‘God, that’s a little pressure,” King said.

Stone, 28, and the 73-year-old tennis legend became good friends while making the movie that tells the story behind King’s 1973 exhibition match against former men’s champion Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) to fight sexism in the sport and society at large. It opens in U.S. movie theaters on Friday.

Stone, who won an Oscar in February for song and dance musical “La La Land,” had never played tennis so her early sessions with King focused on footwork and choreography.

“I danced, so footwork was good. (And) I had been on stage before and when Billie Jean went out onto the tennis court it felt like her stage, so she really keyed in on that,” Stone said.

Later came weeks of practice on serves and cross-court backhands, but for Stone, even the simplest things were tough.

”We went to the U.S. Open … and I was sitting next to Billie Jean, and Sloane Stephens was catching balls and tucking them in her skirt and bouncing them with the racquet.

“It’s just little in-between stuff but that took me months to learn!” Stone said.

Professional players were hired to reproduce the shots in the match against Riggs, which was watched by more than 50 million on television.

For her part, King worked for weeks with screenwriter Simon Beaufoy recalling her experience in the early 1970s, when she not only established the break-away Women’s Tennis Association and took on Riggs but also was wrestling with her own sexual identity. She came out as gay in 1981.

More than 40 years after beating Riggs, women are still fighting for equal pay and rights on and off the tennis court, not that it comes as any surprise to King.

”If you read history, you realize how slow progress is and that it’s each generation’s job to try and move the ball forward.

“We’ve come further, but we’ve a lot further to go,” King said.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Mother!’ crumbles with $7.5 million opening, ‘It’ repeats No. 1

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) | “It” continues to post terrifyingly huge numbers, while “Mother!” opens with a thud.

“It,” from Warner Bros. and New Line, expects to finish its second weekend with $60 million from 4,103 locations. That would make its domestic gross so far $218.7 million — a record for the highest earning September release ever. The old record-holder was 1986’s “Crocodile Dundee” with $174.8 million.

Broken down by day, this past weekend “It” earned $19.4 million on Friday and $26.2 million on Saturday. Sunday’s take is estimated to be about $14.5 million. 389 Imax screens are expected to account for just over $3 million of the film’s take in North America this weekend.

Overseas, “It” is pulling in an additional $60.3 million in 56 markets. That raises its international total to $152.6 million and the worldwide tally to $371.3 million.

Based on Stephen King’s novel, “It” opened last weekend with an enormous domestic pull of $123.4 million. The R-rated title, reportedly made for about $35 million, stars Bill Skarsgard as an evil clown named Pennywise who terrorizes children.

The rest of the cast includes Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Nicholas Hamilton, Jaeden Lieberher, and Jackson Robert Scott.

Meanwhile “Mother!” is struggling. The Paramount release directed by Darren Aronofsky is expected to earn $7.5 million from 2,368 locations. That’s an all-time low for wide releases starring Jennifer Lawrence.

One contributing factor to the movie’s bottom line is that audiences entirely rejected it and bestowed an F CinemaScore. That’s despite a critical split that landed the polarizing movie a generally positive 68% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Women made up the bulk of the audience (56%), and slightly more than half of the audience (52%) was over the age of 35. The launch was driven by a marketing campaign that shrouded the R-rated movie in mystery and didn’t give much away regarding plot. In addition to Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, and Michelle Pfeiffer also star.

Another fresh R-rated launch, “American Assassin” — a joint production between CBS Films and Lionsgate — is expecting an opening of $14.8 million from 3,154 locations. The audience breakdown was 55% male and 29% under the age of 35.

The film is an adaptation of Vince Flynn’s 2010 novel, and stars Dylan O‘Brien as a CIA black ops recruit who is trained by a Cold War veteran (Michael Keaton). The film’s opening is comparable to 2014’s “John Wick,” which opened to $14.4 million on its way to launch a franchise with $43 million in domestic earnings.

“We feel that we’re off to a very solid start,” Shaun Barber, Lionsgate’s EVP and general sales manager of domestic theatrical distribution, said, pointing to the A CinemaScore the movie earned from the under 25 audience, and a strong September box office so far. As for plans to make the movie a franchise, he said “it’s very early in the run” and “too soon to call.”

Open Road’s “Home Again” should land in fourth this weekend with $5.3 million from 3,036 locations (only a 38% drop from last weekend). “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” from Lionsgate, continues to stay in the top five with about $3.6 million from 3,272 spots.

The rest of the top ten is made up of “Annabelle: Creation” ($2.6 million); Taylor Sheridan’s “Wind River” ($2.6 million), which has now out-grossed “Hell of High Water” in North America; “Leap!” ($2.1 million); “Spider-Man: Homecoming” ($1.9 million); and “Dunkirk” ($1.3 million).

In limited release, Annapurna and Amazon’s “Brad’s Status” is tracking to earn $100,179 this weekend from four locations. Mike White wrote and directed the movie starring Ben Stiller as a man who is constantly comparing his life to those of his college friends.

Austin Abrams, Jenna Fischer, Luke Wilson, and Michael Sheen also star in the flick, which has been generally well-reviewed (83% on Rotten Tomatoes). The film is expected to expand to 100 locations next weekend.

Amazon Studios’ head of marketing and distribution Bob Berney noted that “fathers are really relating to the film” and Stiller’s performance.

After a catastrophic summer of moviegoing, a strong September so far (39.4% better than last year, powered by “It”) is leading a gradual recovery. The year to date box office is now 4.9% behind last year — up from 6.5% behind at the end of the summer. The domestic box office so far this year has earned $7.9 billion.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Hitman’s Bodyguard’ leads slowest Labor Day weekend in about two decades

LOS ANGELES | A disastrous domestic summer box office is ending on a low note.

Without any fresh competition in wide release, “Hitman’s Bodyguard” appears the be the holiday weekend’s movie of choice. The Lionsgate release with Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson at the center should earn $13.4 million from 3,370 locations over the four-day weekend.

Its seemingly imminent win would make “Hitman’s Bodyguard” the only flick this summer to retain the top spot on the domestic box office charts for three consecutive weekends. “Dunkirk,” “Wonder Woman,” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” each stayed first for two frames.

But while the action comedy is certainly profitable at this point, its threepeat is less due to the movie’s overwhelming popularity, and more attributable to the lack of alternatives. This — the first Labor Day weekend in recent history without a new wide release — is tracking to have the lowest four-day total for the holiday in nearly two decades.

The 28 movies currently in release are tracking to bring in about $95.5 million, according to ComScore. Not since 1998 has the Labor Day domestic box office dropped below a $100 million four-day total. The last time there were no wide releases over Labor Day weekend was in 1992.

Of the weekend’s medium-sized launches, Sony’s re-release of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” is faring best. The 40th anniversary theatrical event is set to take in $2.3 million for the four-day holiday weekend from 901 locations.

Meanwhile, TWC’s long-delayed release “Tulip Fever” is not finding its audience. The historical drama starring Alicia Vikander is expected to earn $1.4 million from 765 locations.

A unique collaboration between Marvel Television and ABC Studios brought “Marvel’s Inhumans” to 393 Imax screens in North America, where it is expected to earn $1.5 million. And Pantellion’s “Do It Like an Hombre” is looking at about $1.4 million for the four days at 382 locations.

Otherwise, “Annabelle: Creation” should remain in the two slot for Warner Bros. The horror sequel has an estimated three-day tally of $7.3 million from 3,358 locations, and is tracking for $9.3 million with the extended holiday.

While “Tulip Fever” might fail to crack the weekend’s top 20, TWC has the third and fourth highest-grossing movies of the weekend. “Wind River” is expecting an $8 million four-day total from 2,602 spots.

The animated adventure “Leap!” should follow close behind with $6.6 million from 2,705 locations. “Logan Lucky” should round out the top five with a reported $4.4 million three-day and estimated $5.6 million for the entire holiday.

The summer box office, which ends after this coming Monday, is still on track to end with less than $4 billion in North America for the first time since 2006. Major flops including “King Arthur” and “Valerian,” as well as several big-budget sequels that underperformed should serve as a wake up call to studios that are used to splashy features with familiar faces equaling ticket sales.

While this Labor Day weekend is especially low for overall grosses, the frame has not historically been an especially huge source of revenue — August and September are traditionally thought of as a dumping ground for the industry between summer blockbusters and awards season contenders.

Last year, for example, “Don’t Breathe” led the pack during its second weekend with just under $20 million. The year prior, “War Room” landed in first with $13.4 million.

Still, the month of August has been especially slow for the industry, especially with nothing to match last year’s record-breaking “Suicide Squad.”

So the film business looks ahead to next weekend when “It” is expected to enter the scene with a bold statement, and potentially reignite what is a marketplace in a dire state.

source: interaksyon.com

Tom Cruise breaks ankle in stunt, halts production on ‘Mission’ film

LOS ANGELES | Tom Cruise broke his ankle while performing a stunt on the set of the upcoming “Mission: Impossible 6,” causing production on the film to go on hiatus while the actor recovers, Paramount Pictures said in a statement on Wednesday.

Paramount, a unit of Viacom (VIAB.O), said the action movie, which is one of it biggest franchises, remains on schedule to open on July 27, 2018.

Cruise, 55, who is known for doing his own stunts, was seen in a video on celebrity news website TMZ trying to jump between the roofs of two high-rise buildings and landing hard against a wall during filming in London at the weekend. He was later seen limping off the set.

“During production on the latest ‘Mission: Impossible’ film, Tom Cruise broke his ankle while performing a stunt. Production will go on hiatus while Tom makes a full recovery,” Paramount said. “Tom wants to thank you all for your concern and support and can’t wait to share the film with everyone next summer.”

Paramount did not say how long production would be delayed. Hollywood trade paper Variety said filming could be halted anywhere from six weeks to three months while Cruise recovers. Variety said the actor also injured his hip.

“Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” in which Cruise reprised his role as agent Ethan Hunt, made more than $680 million at the worldwide box office in 2015, according to movie tracker BoxOfficeMojo.com.

Cruise has carved a career as one of Hollywood’s top-earning and longest-running action stars, much of it built on his reputation for doing his own stunts, including swinging around a Dubai skyscraper and hanging off a plane as it taxied down a runway and took off.

“I just don’t sleep, I just keep going,” he told Reuters in 2015 while promoting “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.”

“Mission: Impossible 6” director Christopher McQuarrie told Britain’s Empire magazine in an interview posted on Wednesday that the production schedule would be rearranged to shoot around Cruise while he recovers.

McQuarrie said he did not know how long the immediate hiatus would be and said there are still seven or eight weeks left of filming.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ opens to franchise low $69.1 million

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) | It seems the “Transformers” franchise is rusty.

As of Sunday morning “Transformers: The Last Knight,” the fifth installment directed by Michael Bay, looks to bring in $69.1 million from 4,069 domestic locations during its five-day opening weekend.

That’s a franchise low for the sequel from Paramount and Hasbro, behind the first in the modern series, which earned $70.5 million in 2007. “The Last Knight” carries an estimated $217 million production budget.

This makes “Transformers: The Last Knight” the latest summer blockbuster to bank on overseas ticket sales to have a shot at turning a profit. In China, the big-budget action sequel made $41 million in its opening day alone. The projected international come through Sunday is $196.2 million, powered by $123.4 million in China.

“The Last Knight” comes at a time when Paramount could have used an all-around hit, following recent misses “Baywatch” and “Ghost in the Shell.”

While the latest “Transformers” movie has been advertised as “the final chapter” and Bay’s last go-around, the franchise will continue — Paramount has at least two more movies slated, including a spinoff that could star Hailee Steinfeld. The franchise has historically been massively profitable and seen solid multiples for the studio. Together, the first four earned over $1.3 billion domestically and well over $3.5 billion worldwide.

The latest take on the series centers on an alliance between Bumblebee, Cade Yeager — who Mark Wahlberg also played in 2014’s “Age of Extinction” — and roles played by franchise newcomers Anthony Hopkins and Laura Haddock. Together, the team works together to save the world. Audiences have earned the film a B+ CinemaScore, while critics have mostly dismissed it — it currently holds a 15 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“The Last Knight” was uncontested at the box office this weekend, but a few indie releases showed traction. Sofia Coppola’s “The Beguiled” remake from Focus Features played at four theaters this weekend, and should gross $240,545 with a strong per screen average before it expands to over 500 locations next weekend.

“We’re thrilled by this opening,” said Lisa Bunnell, Focus Features’ distribution president. “This is Focus’ third collaboration with Sofia and she’s created an entertaining, atmospheric thriller featuring strong female representation in front of and behind the camera.”

And Kumail Nanjiani’s critically adored romantic comedy “The Big Sick” should earn $435,000 during its opening weekend in five locations — that would give the Lionsgate and Amazon Studios release the highest per screen average of any film that has opened this year so far.

“Kumail and Emily’s true story provided audiences of all ages a much-needed alternative to the summer blockbusters,” said Bob Berney, Amazon Studios’ distribution chief.

Otherwise, “Wonder Woman” continues to post impressive numbers, and holds onto second place during its fourth weekend in theaters. This weekend, it should earn an additional $25.2 million, bringing its domestic total to $318.4 million. Earlier this week, the film became the highest-grossing live-action movie to be directed by a woman — a major distinction for Patty Jenkins.

Disney and Pixar’s “Cars 3” also looks to earn $25.2 million domestically during its second weekend. Some estimates have the film slightly lower, just below $25 million. The family film, which won last weekend’s box office, is expected to pass the $100 million mark in North America by Monday.

“Transformers: The Last Knight’s” performance is a tough break for the summer box office’s bottom line domestically.

For the past two years, this weekend has seen monster grosses for “Jurassic World” and “Finding Dory.” Now, attention is turned toward a trio of releases next weekend, as the box office hopes for a shot in the arm from “Despicable Me 3,” “Baby Driver,” and “The House.”

source: interaksyon.com

Disney hits industry-first $7 billion at box office

LOS ANGELES | A huge debut for “Rogue One” has seen Walt Disney Studios become the first distributor in history to hit $7 billion in annual global box office receipts, it said Monday.

The $290 million worldwide opening for the “Star Wars” spinoff puts Disney’s haul for 2016 at $2.7 billion in North America, also an industry record, and $4.3 billion elsewhere.

It is the first year in which all five of Walt Disney Studios’ top brands — Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm — have released movies.

“This historic achievement is possible because all of our film studios are bringing their absolute best to the table, telling great stories of all kinds that resonate with audiences across borders, gender and generations,” said Alan Horn, chairman of Walt Disney Studios.

“These films work because each one has not only something for everyone, but everything for someone. It’s our honor to be able to create these experiences for audiences, and we’re thankful to them for continuing to come out to the theater with us.

Even before “Rogue One” came out, hits such as “Finding Dory,” “Captain America: Civil War” and “Zootopia” ensured the studio had beaten last year’s record $5.8 billion by the end of October and was comfortably on track to pass the record of $6.9 billion set by Universal in 2015.

Disney has set several records this year, becoming the fastest studio ever to hit $2 billion domestically and $5 billion at the global box office, both in July.

It has not been entirely plain sailing, as “Alice Through The Looking Glass” and “The BFG” were deemed commercial flops.

Coastguard drama “The Finest Hours” also sank without a trace, with Variety magazine reporting that Disney was expecting losses of around $75 million from the film.

On the other side of the ledger, the studio had three hits in 2016 that passed the illustrious $1 billion global mark — “Captain America” ($1.2 billion), “Finding Dory,” ($1.03 billion) and “Zootopia” ($1.02 billion).

“The Jungle Book” made $967 million, while “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which debuted in December last year, brought in $737 million of its $2.1 billion global take in 2016.

Those five films scored an average 94 percent rating on RottenTomatoes.com, which aggregates the reviews for all releases.

“Rogue One,” which is yet to open in the vast Chinese market, is expected to do better than all of these, although much of its global take will come in 2017.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Miles Ahead’ plumbs mute years of jazz icon Miles Davis

LOS ANGELES | Miles Davis, one of America’s most iconic and prolific musicians, went musically mute for several years in the 1970s, and actor Don Cheadle plumbed that silence in his visually jazzy directorial film debut “Miles Ahead.”

“We wanted to find a way to tell the story that would give us the latitude and the license to show a creative person trying to figure out how to be creative again,” said Cheadle, who also stars in and co-wrote the independent film.

In “Miles Ahead,” opening in New York and Los Angeles movie theaters on Friday, Cheadle’s Davis is stuck in creative block.

Set roughly a decade after the 1959 release of Davis’ “Kind of Blue,” which remains the best-selling jazz album of all time, the film finds the mercurial trumpeter burrowed in his New York home following the demise of his marriage to his muse, dancer Frances Taylor, played by Emayatzy Corinealdi.

He’s at war with his record company, hobbled by a deteriorating hip, alternately fueled and numbed by street and prescription drugs, and haunted by history when a reporter of dubious skill (Ewan McGregor) literally bursts through his front door.

Honed during the decade it took to raise the $8.5 million budget, the film’s narrative is a lean, tumbling mix of present, past and reverie punctuated by cocaine and testosterone-fueled high jinks, historical events and Davis’ iconic horn.

“He didn’t know what he was going to say, if he was going to say it, what it was going to sound like when he said it,” Cheadle said of Davis, who worked with musicians from Dizzy Gillespie to Prince before his death in 1991.

Cheadle, who nabbed a best actor Oscar nomination for 2004′s “Hotel Rwanda” and stars in Showtime’s satire “House of Lies,” said he aimed to make a film with “free form and good flow.”

He channeled the musician, known for prodding bandmates to “play what’s not there,” devoting years to learning the trumpet so his fingering would be a match when Davis’ music was dubbed into the film, and choosing actors in the same way that Davis would put together a band.

“It’s like Don Cheadle cast Miles Davis in a movie that Miles Davis might have liked to have been in,” said co-star McGregor. “As a result, the film feels like Miles Davis, it feels like a piece of his music.”

source: interaksyon.com

No red carpet for ‘Batman v Superman’ London premiere after Brussels attacks

Movie studio Warner Bros went ahead with Tuesday’s London premiere of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” its new superhero movie, but skipped the traditional red carpet press interviews following the attacks in Brussels.

“Our hearts go out to the victims of recent terrorist attacks, their families and the communities impacted around the world. Rather than yield to terror, we’ve decided to join the film’s fans and move forward with the London premiere of ‘Batman v. Superman’ this evening,” Warner Bros. said in a statement.

The movie, which stars Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, is due to open in movie theaters around the world this weekend.

It is one of the biggest movie launches so far this year and is expected to bring in some $300 million at the global box office on its opening weekend, according to analyst predictions.

The London premiere took place in the city’s Leicester Square entertainment hub where Affleck, Cavill and other stars turned up, posed for photos, and signed autographs for hundreds of fans.

At least 30 people were killed and some 230 injured in suicide bomb attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train in the Belgian capital. Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Britain, along with other European states, announced extra security measures on Tuesday following the Brussels attacks.

source: interaksyon.com

New ‘Star Wars’ sets $57 million opening night record

LOS ANGELES | “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has set a new opening night record in the United States and Canada and was poised to become one of the biggest grossing movies ever, industry experts said Friday.

The latest instalment of the highly anticipated space epic raked in $57 million dollars for its opening night Thursday, beating the previous record — $43.5 million — held by “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ in 2011.

“This represents a new record for the industry and portends a massive and potentially record-breaking opening day and weekend for the film,” said Paul Dergarabedian, of box office tracker Rentrak.

The “Harry Potter” film holds the all-time record for opening day at $91 million, but the new “Star Wars” is expected to also force it out of that slot.

Overall, “The Force Awakens” has grossed some $130 million dollars worldwide since it opened overseas on Wednesday, setting records in Britain, Germany, Norway and Sweden.

Analysts predict that the seventh instalment of the iconic space saga, which cost Disney an estimated $200 million to produce, could score the biggest opening weekend ever and could even become the biggest film of all time.

The opening weekend record is currently held by “Jurassic World” which premiered earlier this year to $208.8 million at the box office.

As far as all-time box office sales, two films by James Cameron hold the record — “Avatar” ($2.78 billion) and “Titanic” ($2.18).

“The potential for ‘The Force Awakens’ to ultimately break into the $2 billion club worldwide is certainly in the realm of possibility,” Dergarabedian said.

Added Jeff Bock, box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations: “As far as breaking records go, it’s the strongest candidate weve seen in a long, long time.

“It might join the $2 billion club worldwide, and maybe, just maybe, be the highest grossing film of all-time.”

Disney, which bought the rights to the “Star Wars” franchise from its creator Georges Lucas for $4 billion in 2012, has built up the hype around “The Force Awakens,” rolling out a well-orchestrated marketing campaign that has left fans wanting more.

Early reviews of the movie have given it a thumbs up, and three more instalments are due in the coming years.

“The Force Awakens” picks up the intergalactic story of good versus evil 30 years on from “The Return of the Jedi,” the finale of the original trilogy.

The trio of heroes who appeared in the first of the blockbusters in 1977 — smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and her twin brother Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) — are all back and played by the actors that Star Wars first made famous.

The film is being screened in 4,134 theatres in North America, a record for a December opening.

source: interaksyon.com

Harrison Ford returns ‘home’ in new ‘Star Wars’ film

SYDNEY | He has starred as the U.S. president, swashbuckling Indiana Jones and a heroic CIA analyst, but Harrison Ford says it was when he stepped back on the new “Star Wars” set that he really felt at home.

“It felt like being home, to an extent. It felt good. I like to work. It was fun,” the Hollywood legend said in Sydney where he is promoting the hotly anticipated new installment of the franchise, “The Force Awakens”.

The 73-year-old, who was 35 when the first “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope” movie was released in 1977, reunites with original cast members Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) in resuming his role as Han Solo.

Ford said while Solo was “much the same in aspect”, new elements of his character would be revealed in the latest addition to the saga, directed by J.J Abrams.

“Well there’s a bit of story that’s been invented that I think is very satisfactory that allows the audience to have an understanding of the — of how the time’s been passed between — in relationships of characters,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“And then it produces an emotional context which is really very useful. So, Han Solo is much the same in aspect, but if you were to cut through the trunk, you’d see a lot more rings in the tree.”

The veteran — also renowned for headlining the “Indiana Jones” franchise — said he enjoyed working with Abrams, who chose to build plenty of physical sets rather than heavily utilise computer-generated imagery.

“Certainly there are a lot of effects shots which are populated with computer effects. But, having a physical set really is of great advantage for not just the actors who don’t have to pretend that they’re in a place that they’re not,” Ford said.

“I find that it adds a lot to the reality context,” he added in the interview late Wednesday, referring to the ability to experiment with physical sets.

Ticket pre-sales in Australia for “The Force Awakens” has exceeded all previous records, cinema chain Event Cinemas said, including those set by “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2″, “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2″ and “The Avengers”.

The movie is released globally next week.

source: interaksyon.com

The rise of Coleen Garcia

MANILA, Philippines - She was nowhere, then suddenly everywhere, much like glitter at a Katy Perry fete. In what most people would deem as a relatively short time, Coleen Garcia has become the quintessential face of rising stardom. But much like every seemingly “overnight” success, it’s taken a lot more than a pretty face and a killer bod to be crowned a box office sensation.

“I’ve been working since I was two,” says Garcia. “I did commercials. It actually never crossed my mind to try acting; the road just kind of presented itself to me. I wasn’t chasing it, but when I got the chance, I had to try it. It was kind of a leap of faith.”

It was in 2014 that she hit a real turning point. After a slew of smaller roles and co-hosting It’s Showtime, Garcia landed the supporting role of Janna in the independent film #Y, directed by Gino M. Santos. The film dealt with a complex subject matter — the occurrence of suicide among youth, dabbling in drugs and alcohol, the pressures young people have to deal with. The film enjoyed success on the independent circuit, enough to draw an equally successful distribution deal from Star Cinema. Santos says of Garcia, “I’ve learned that limiting her to a supporting role is just limiting potential that she has as an actress. She’s ready to take on any role given to her.” Spotlights were lit, and they were just waiting to shine on a star like Coleen Garcia.

In 2015, she was added to the main cast of Pasion de Amor, a local adaptation of the original Spanish telenovela Pasion de Gavilanes. Here, she plays Jamie Elizondo, who is the very picture of naiveté. “The show itself is understood to be sexy because of the original series. But I’m the bunso who’s always covered, always in pants, never really doing anything you could ever call sexy,” Garcia says with a laugh. Fresh, cleanly scrubbed, and hemlines all within a conservative measure, Garcia seemed destined to ride the Sweetness Express, the stereotype that is the death of most promising young actresses.

‘Ex with benefits’

But come September 2015, Garcia would once again team up with Santos to headline the Star Cinema release Ex With Benefits, starring opposite Derek Ramsey. She plays Arkie, whose foremost talent is being able to use her body to get what she wants — a grave and risqué departure from the girl next door selling us Skin White and Nestea.

Audience reception of the film was truly unprecedented — it earned P8 million on opening day alone. “Coleen went beyond expectations,” says Kriz Gazmen, creative director of Star Cinema. “She has proven that there is infinitely more to her than her beauty and sexiness. She is smart, sensitive and talented. We are excited with our next projects with Coleen and to groom her into the star that she is destined to be.”

Naturally, the spotlights turned up the heat, and news outlets wanted to know if Garcia was the next sexy starlet to watch. Garcia takes in all the hoopla and laughs it off. “I don’t want to be typecast. After this movie, I plan on doing other projects and exploring different things. The reason I did this movie was because the story had heart. Something caused Arkie to be that way, and it reinforces the fact that everyone goes through their own kind of pain. Even if the way she deals with things is unique, it’s very relatable. The sexiness of (the film) doesn’t take away from the story and won’t eat up what it has to say.”

Breaking convention

What makes Garcia remarkable is that she stands out in an industry that sanctifies the formula above else: She breaks convention. Most stars of recent years have risen to fame as half of a duo, or the classic marketing style of a love team. Most women are given roles that are either the girl next door, the best friend, or the minx — never all at once, and certainly not breaking the stereotype once it’s been established. She approaches her choices in acting roles with an admirable level-headedness, a belief in the story, and an undercurrent of true, raw talent that cannot be beat. And what makes her a real trailblazer is that her success is not a mere product of being at the right place at the right time; it is the consistency of hard work and the willingness to make sacrifices for greater opportunity.

For instance, fame inevitably puts pressure on one’s personal privacy. There’s been major focus on Garcia’s ongoing romantic relationship with fellow celebrity, Billy Crawford. With the release of Ex With Benefits, there is a lot of interest in his reaction to her sexier work, but Garcia says he’s much cooler than most people realize. “It definitely makes a difference that we’re both in the same industry. But it makes an even greater difference that he’s been here in this industry for 29 years. He’s seen how hard people work, he’s seen how hard I work, and he understands how much work it takes to make things happen. He really understands me and I’m so grateful for that.”

Then, there is the huge shift in the day-to-day. Wrangling the star for an interview involved competing with taping for Pasion, barely an hour of sleep, and several talk show guest spots (one of which involved the star having to take the MRT in heels just to make the show in time). “It’s a good feeling to realize that your work is being recognized,” says Garcia. “But it’s something that’s really overwhelming. There are so many things I can’t do myself anymore. I’m used to managing my own things, my own schedule, being able to call people myself and have conversations with them and set my own appointments. But now, there’s just not enough time. I suddenly have to ask for help with even just simple tasks, and I’m not used to that. Also, I barely get enough sleep, and it really eats up a lot of time. It’s been an adjustment.”

But in understanding the meaning behind the statement, “Everyone has the same hours in a day as Beyoncé,” Garcia says, elaborating on what helps her find balance in this freshly broken ground of success. “Do what you love and always make time for yourself. If you love what you’re doing, it won’t feel like work. That’s advice that a lot of people have given, but it’s true. You can go without sleep and be working nonstop, but you don’t feel how hard it really is when you finally see the results. You still have to make time for yourself, though, even just to read or to relax. You have to give yourself a moment to find peace.”

So what’s first on Garcia’s list of things to do the minute she gets a moment of peace? “I will sleep,” she exclaims with a laugh. “I think I need that.”

source: philstar.com

Zac Efron says new ‘Baywatch’ movie to be raunchy comedy

LONDON | Former teen idol Zac Efron, who rose to fame in the Disney “High School Musical” franchise, says the upcoming “Baywatch” movie in which he will co-star with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be almost nothing like the 1990s TV series about lifeguards.

Although the movie is in preliminary stages, Efron said he was looking forward to it departing from the TV show that starred David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson and almost always featured a rescue at sea, no matter how tangential to the plot.

“It’s going to be R-rated and it’s going to be badass,” Efron told Reuters, referring to the Hollywood classification for movies containing adult material.

Efron, who was in London for the European premiere on Tuesday of his new movie “We Are Your Friends”, in which he plays a DJ who gets caught up in the drug-and-booze-fuelled world of the California party and club scene, said the evolving “Baywatch” movie would skew towards comedy and raunch.

“I think we’re going like pretty big with it and I don’t think it’s going to be much like the old ‘Baywatch’ to be honest. I think we’re going to kind of reinvent it in a big way, and he (Johnson) has big plans for it. I know he’s very ambitious.”

Efron also responded to a tweet sent by Johnson, who doubles as a producer for the film, which read: “BIG NEWS: Welcoming my dude @ZacEfron to #BAYWATCH. Our movie will be big, fun and RATED R… Like me when I drink.”

Efron replied saying: “So stoked brother – baby oil for 2 plz.”

source: interaksyon.com

The ‘Afghan Bruce Lee’ dreaming of Hollywood

KABUL | Framed by the dramatic backdrop of Kabul’s ruined Darulaman palace, Abbas Alizada throws kung fu punches, kicks and spins, watched by an eager young crowd.

Dressed in a white vest, black trousers and light shoes despite the bitter Afghan winter, Alizada bears a striking resemblance to his idol — legendary martial arts movie star Bruce Lee.

Alizada twirls his nunchuks in front of the shell-blasted walls of the former royal palace, an evocative monument to the 35 years of war that have ravaged Afghanistan.

Then he leaves the enclosure, smiling, sunglasses on his nose, his fans can finally meet him, shake his hand — and take selfies with him.

He is a member of Afghanistan’s Hazara community, an ethnic group with distinctively Central Asian features that add to his resemblance to Hong Kong star Lee.

With more than 50,000 followers on Twitter and 40,000 likes on Facebook, Alizada has become quite a celebrity in Afghanistan, known locally as “Bruce Hazara”.

He has become a familiar face on local media and now he is dreaming of Hollywood stardom.

“When I was eight years old I saw the Bruce Lee movies, and I was hooked,” he told AFP in his brother’s office in Kabul, sitting round a traditional “sandali” stove for warmth.

“I said I will be the Bruce Lee of Afghanistan one day. I know I cannot be Bruce Lee, but I follow in his path,” he said.

LOCAL HERO

Alizada is the youngest of 10 children and his older brothers have followed his career closely. One of them, 25-year-old Ahmad Zia, works as his manager, coach and secretary.

“I’m very hopeful that my brother will become a member of Hollywood,” Zia said.

Alizada dreams of working with Hong Kong martial arts movie star Jackie Chan — who he respectfully refers to as “Mr Jackie”.

He also idolizes action stars such as “Mr Rambo” — Sylvester Stallone — Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

But his biggest ambition is to complete “The Game of Death”, the film Lee left unfinished when he died in 1973.

“Bruce didn’t finish his last movie, he did half of the movie. My project is to complete this movie,” Alizada said.

Hollywood or no, Alizada is already the pride of the Kabul district where he lives.

“Abbas is a hero, he’s a superstar for us,” engineer Mohammad Ali Mokhtar, 25, said.

“Our country faces difficult problems, like drugs, security, and so on. We hope Abbas will raise the name of our country.”

Apart from the country’s reputation, Mokhtar also hopes Abbas can fly the flag for the Hazaras, a largely Shiite Muslim community that has suffered sectarian discrimination and violence in the past from Sunni hardliners.

“It’s important for us Hazaras especially, because we like to live in a peaceful environment,” he said.

Fellow fan Ramin, a politics student, said the first time he saw him on the TV, “I was shocked how much he looked like (Lee). I’m so pleased that we have such a character in Afghanistan.”

When he’s not training at Darulaman or in his martial arts club, Alizada looks after his father, who is paralyzed down his left side.

The old man encourages his youngest son and hopes he can become a Hollywood star.

source: interaksyon.com

Could ‘American Sniper’ sneak up in two-horse Oscar race?

LOS ANGELES | With only a week to go before the Oscars, the all-important Best Picture prize appears locked in a two-horse race between dark comedy “Birdman” and coming-of-age drama “Boyhood.”

But as Hollywood counts down the days to next Sunday’s show, some are suggesting that controversial blockbuster “American Sniper” could yet surprise, and best the two indie films.

“‘Boyhood’ and ‘Birdman’ are the frontrunners, and ‘American Sniper’ is the dark horse,” Matthew Belloni, executive editor of industry journal The Hollywood Reporter, told AFP.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘American Sniper’ had a last-minute surge, because of how well it’s doing at the box office,” he added, referring to the movie’s $365 million-plus global box office haul so far.

The Academy Awards have traditionally favored more independent, art-house fare for Best Picture, handed out at the climax of Hollywood’s annual December-to-February awards season.

WASHED-UP SUPERHERO STAR

“Birdman” — about a washed-up superhero film star battling to revive his career on the stage — is definitely more along its usual lines, as is “Boyhood,” which took 12 years to make as the actors aged in real time.

Both have fared well in pre-Oscars shows, with “Boyhood” taking the Golden Globes’ best film, while “Birdman’ won a string of awards including top prizes at the Screen Actors Guild and Directors Guild of America.

But Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper” has unexpectedly stirred up the race, grabbing headlines both for its massive box office success and a row over its portrayal an Iraq war warrior.

Filmmaker Michael Moore claimed it hero-worships former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, while Tea Party firebrand and former vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin said leftists were “not fit to shine Chris Kyle’s combat boots.”

The question is, how many of the 6,000-odd voting members of the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the industry’s elite body, will be swayed at this late stage?

They began casting ballots on February 6, and voting closes on Tuesday at 5:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday) — after which only two PriceWaterhouse Coopers staff will know the results before the envelopes are opened on stage next Sunday.

While the Best Picture race is too close to call, several of the other key categories are seen as much easier to predict.

Julianne Moore is almost universally expected to win best actress for playing a professor suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease in “Still Alice.”

Patricia Arquette is the favorite for best supporting actress as the mother in “Boyhood.”

Best actor is between “Birdman” star Michael Keaton and Britain’s Eddie Redmayne as astrophysicist Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything,” while J.K. Simmons is tipped for supporting actor for jazz drama “Whiplash.”

Belloni said his personal forecast for best director is Mexico’s Alejandro Inarritu for “Birdman” — with the best picture going to “Boyhood.”

“So the Academy will split… much like it did last year,” he said, referring to “12 Years a Slave” taking the best film prize in 2014, while “Gravity” helmer Alfonso Cuaron — also Mexican — took best director.

ALL-WHITE NOMINEES

Talking of “12 Years a Slave,” there was uproar last month when Oscar nominations were announced, over the fact that every single one of the 20 acting nominees are white.

While Martin Luther King Jr movie “Selma” is among the eight Best Picture nominees, eyebrows were raised that neither its British star David Oyelowo nor director Ava DuVernay were shortlisted individually.

“The real snub here is that David Oyelowo… I think a lot of people were surprised that he did not get a nomination for that,” said Belloni.

More broadly, he said, Academy members “feel bad” that only white actors were nominated this year, but added: “I think the problem goes deeper than that.

“The Academy nominates the films that are put up for contention, and other than ‘Selma’ there really weren’t films that featured minority actors in leading and hefty roles,” Belloni added.

“It goes to the kinds of movies that are getting green-lit in Hollywood, and the kinds of people who are making those decisions. Hollywood has made strides in recent years to rectify the diversity problem, but it still exists.”

source: interaksyon.com

Disney’s ‘Big Hero 6′ delights with new kind of Marvel star

LOS ANGELES | The huge cuddly white robot in “Big Hero 6″ could hardly be less like a typical Marvel superhero — and yet the Michelin man-style star could be a sure winner for studio giant Disney.

The movie, to be released on Friday in the United States, is Disney’s first based on Marvel comic book characters since it bought Marvel Entertainment Inc. in 2009.

Set in fictional San Fransokyo, the Japanese-themed film tells the story of young Hiro Hamada, a robot-obsessed nerd who is devastated when his older brother Tadashi dies in an accident.

Baymax is the inflatable robot Tadashi was working on before his death. He is designed to care for sick humans, which he promptly does for the depressed teenager.

Along with six friends, Hiro and Bymax embark on a dangerous mission to hunt down the thief who stole Hiro’s latest creation: tiny microbots which can form themselves into any shape and be controlled telephathically.

Hiro’s friends are voiced by a star-studded cast, with Jamie Chung voicing for GoGo Tamago, Damon Wayans Jr for Wasabi, Genesis Rodriguez for Honey Lemon and T.J. Miller for Fred.

The movie is directed by Don Hall, whose past credits include “Winnie the Pooh,” and Chris Williams, who co-directed “Bolt.”

It is produced in part by the team which won Disney’s first animated Oscar with princess blockbuster “Frozen.”

MANGA, KARATE AND KABUKI

The filmmakers submerged themselves in the world of manga, karate and kabuki theater to create “Big Hero 6,” and the cast is clearly proud of what they have made.

“It’s nice to see two very strong male Asian protagonists, characters, in an American production,” said Daniel Henney, who voices Tadashi and whose mother is American-Korean.

“It makes me very proud because for a long time I feel like we can be misrepresented at times in the media, and this movie is not doing that.”

At a roundtable discussion in Los Angeles before the film’s release, the cast underlined the strength of both its male and female characters.

“It’s very empowering for little girls. I remember I was a Disney princess my whole life… I was one of them, I wanted to be a part of that world,” said Rodriguez.

“I hope that this world is a little bit more attainable for them. These kinds of skills are realistic for a girl to want to be like.”

The film also unashamedly takes the side of tech geeks.

“These kids are not born with any superpowers, they’re just born like any normal kid. But they are just very studious and they fall in love with science,” Rodriguez added.

“They have very curious minds… so I hope that inspires kids to want to be curious and to want to explore the science and technology and to want to create and invent something new,” she said.

The band of diminutive heroes eventually hunts down the evil thief, but not without some plot twists, and plenty of cute action involving the bumbling Baymax, voiced by Scott Adsit.

Audience in preview screenings have been won over — the movie has a whopping 98 percent approval rating on film review site Rotten Tomatoes, while 87 percent of critics are positive.

“East meets West to immensely satisfying effect in the vibrant mash-up of an animated romp,” said the Hollywood Reporter.

Others were equally as glowing.

“It’s a movie that’s as fun to watch as it is funny,” said the Washington Post.

“(It) is fresh and inventive enough in every important way… to satisfy even the most jaded animation fan.”

source: interaksyon.com

British-Brazilian film ‘Trash’ wins top prize at Rome filmfest

ROME | British director Stephen Daldry, of “Billy Elliot” and “The Reader” fame, won the Rome Film Festival’s top prize Saturday with his adventure thriller “Trash” set in Brazilian favelas.

The film about children who forage in landfills for a living until they come across a wallet and key sought after by a corrupt police officer edged out 17 other contenders at the ninth edition of the festival, with prizes decided for the first time by the viewing public.

Starring a trio of youngsters with no previous acting experience, the film sees the boys race to try and solve the riddle before the police can, helped along by an American priest and an aid worker, played by Martin Sheen and Rooney Mara.

Richard Curtis, the man behind “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Notting Hill”, wrote the script, based on Andy Mulligan’s novel of the same name.

Chinese director Xu Ang scooped the People’s Choice Award for Cinema Today with his latest film “12 Citizens”, inspired by the 1957 Hollywood classic “Twelve Angry Men”.

The Genre Award went to “Haider”, a 2014 Hindi drama directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, who completes his Shakespearean trilogy with this flick, a modern-day adaptation of Hamlet, set against the Kashmir conflicts of 1995.

The annual festival this year hosted 51 feature-length films from 21 countries, 24 of them making their international premieres.

Festival-goers were asked to vote for the top awards for the first time this year in a bid to cut down the cash-strapped festival’s expenses.

source: interaksyon.com

Christian Bale to play Apple’s Steve Jobs

LOS ANGELES | Oscar-winner Christian Bale — best known for his star turn as Batman in the blockbuster “Dark Knight” films — will play Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in an upcoming biopic.

“We needed the best actor on the board in a certain age range and that’s Chris Bale,” the film’s screenwriter Aaron Sorkin said, in an interview with Bloomberg Television posted online Thursday.

Sorkin, who won an Academy Award for his screenplay for “The Social Network” about Facebook and its co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, said giving the lead role to Bale was an easy call.

“He didn’t have to audition,” said Sorkin, although the writer said “there was a meeting” before the British-born actor was given the part.

“He has more words to say in this movie than most people have in three movies combined,” said Sorkin, who is writing the script for Sony Pictures based on the 2011 biography “Steve Jobs,” by Walter Isaacson.

“There isn’t a scene or a frame that he’s not in. So it’s an extremely difficult part and he is going to crush it,” Sorkin said.

The Apple inventor’s storied life already has been rendered on the big screen in last year’s drama “Jobs” starring Ashton Kutcher, which received lukewarm reviews.

Bale received a best supporting actor Oscar in 2011 for his role in the “The Fighter,” in which he plays the older brother of a washed-up boxer struggling to revive his career.

The actor had a breakout performance as the lead actor in the 2000 movie “American Psycho,” and also earned a lead actor Oscar nomination for his turn in last year’s “American Hustle.”

source: interaksyon.com