Showing posts with label Hercules. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hercules. Show all posts

"Hercules" and His Loyal Crew of Mercenaries (Open Jul 23)

8:29:00 PM
 


 
In the new epic action-adventure “Hercules,” “It doesn’t matter to the titular character if he’s the son of Zeus or not,” actor Dwayne Johnson reflects. “The only thing that matters to him is righting the wrongs of the past. But he has this band of brothers and sisters – and they are the ones who push Hercules to believe that he can be a better man.”
Joining Johnson in the film as his loyal crew are Ian McShane (“Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”), Rufus Sewell (“Legend of Zorro”), Aksel Hennie (“Headhunters”), Ingrid Bolsø Berdal (“Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters”) and Reece Ritchie (“Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time”).
AMPHIARAUS/Ian McShane. The soothsayer Amphiaraus joins Hercules’ band of mercenaries as a much-needed spiritual adviser. Now, having seen a vision of his own future death, Amphiaraus fights without a drop of fear because he believes it is not yet his time. Ian McShane right away was drawn to the character. “He’s someone who says don’t blame the gods for the acts of man – you must take responsibility for your own fate,” he explains.
AUTOLYCUS/Rufus Sewell. Autolycus might lack for Hercules’ astonishing strength, but he has more than made up for it with the sharp blade of his wit, ultimately becoming Hercules’ master strategist. Rufus Sewell takes on the role of Hercules’ wisecracking friend. “Autolycus and Hercules go way back, and they've got each other's backs,” Sewell explains. “They have a kind of communication that goes beyond words. They've always worked together, and that's a source of great pride to Autolycus, that he knows Hercules better than anyone else.”
TYDEUS/Aksel Hennie. Mute Tydeus, the lone survivor of an onslaught on the city of Thebes, is loyal to Hercules, but when he is unleashed, the beast within can take over. Norwegian actor Aksel Hennie was intrigued by his character’s way of dealing with the world. “I love the fact that you have this character has all these feelings, and all this rage, but he’s not able to express that verbally. It gives him a mystique,” says the actor.
ATALANTA/Ingrid Bolsø Berdal. The archer Atalanta possesses the world-famous feminine strength of an Amazon – and owes Hercules a blood debt. Says Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, “Atalanta is the icon of strong women, so it took a bit of self-confidence to take that on. But the story was so good, an epic action blockbuster full of interesting characters with their own arcs and agendas, it was irresistible. And it attracted great actors which made it even more thrilling.”
IOLAUS/Reece Ritchie. The mercenary Iolaus is Hercules’ cousin and the storyteller who has spread his legend across the land. He is played by Reece Ritchie, who made his debut in Roland Emmerich’s “10,000 B.C.” and played the role of Bis in “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.” Ritchie says of Iolaus: “He’s always followed Hercules, but I don’t think he’s ever been on an adventure this big or incredible, and it gives him lots of new material for his stories. He is someone who is full of wonder, but he wants to prove himself as a worthy warrior also.”
The most towering myth of all time meets up with the mission of a real man leading a rag-tag band of warriors in “Hercules,” this summer’s action-adventure thriller that reveals the famed symbol of lion-hearted courage as he’s never been seen before: finding the hero’s heart that beats beneath his colossal image.
Opening across the Philippines on July 23 in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D cinemas, “Hercules” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Director Brett Ratner Makes Over "Hercules" for New Audiences

5:13:00 PM

 BrettRatner_DJohnson

The immortal legend of “Hercules” -- the demigod renowned for his mighty deeds and valor – gets a high-adrenaline 21st century makeover as director Brett Ratner (“X-Men: The Last Stand”) and leading action star Dwayne Johnson bring Hercules to life in a modern incarnation . . . as a man struggling to live up to his own lore in a world of fearsome villainy.

This version of Hercules is an icon who has vanquished lions and hellhounds, and is publicly feared and revered as a super-human champion; but deep within, he remains wounded by tragedy and uncertain of his legacy. Accompanied by five faithful companions, he travels the empire selling his services for gold and using his formidable reputation to intimidate his enemies. But when the benevolent ruler of neighboring Thrace and his daughter seek Hercules' help to defeat a terrifying warlord, Hercules can no longer skate by on the folklore surrounding him.

He must learn to embrace his own myth and become the hero people believe in.

Says Dwayne Johnson: “Making a movie about Hercules has been a passion project of mine for a very, very, very long time. He’s a character who over the centuries has been an inspiration to many, myself included. But this time, we wanted to give audiences a Hercules they’ve never seen before. When we meet Hercules in this movie, he’s an exile suffering with regrets, fighting only for gold. He has to overcome his demons and find his heart to become the man people want him to be.”

h-0014

“What’s different about our Hercules is that he is a regular man who has disavowed the fact that he’s the son of a Greek god,” adds Brett Ratner. “Every legend starts with a true story and when I read the script based on the graphic novel Hercules - The Thracian Wars, what blew me away is that it was so grounded in a reality you could feel. That’s what I wanted to bring to the screen.”

For Ratner, no stranger to high-octane screen action from the “Rush Hour” series to “X-Men: Last Stand,” taking on “Hercules” would mean working on his most epic scale yet – but also zeroing in on Hercules’ place in an era of potent anti-heroes. “This is a story full of constant action, humor and kickass battles, which everyone loves seeing. But I hope people will also walk out of the movie feeling the power of Hercules’ belief,” says the director.

The inspiration for re-imagining Hercules began with the Radical Studios comic book series Hercules: The Thracian Wars, in which British comics writer Steve Moore thrilled readers with the story of a self-doubting fallen hero seeking redemption. Even in the earliest stages, Radical co-founders Barry Levine and Jesse Berger hoped the visually ambitious graphic novel would make the leap to the screen – and break the mold of movies based on classic mythology, which are so often steeped in fantasy or even animated.

The graphic novel first spiked the interest of Johnson during a visit to the Radical offices. “Their comic book was a unique take on Hercules that grabbed all of our attention,” recalls the star. “They took all the cool mythologies of Hercules and tweaked them in a way that gave the story a contemporary power. It was a Hercules audiences aren’t yet familiar with.”

Soon after, Ratner joined the project and Radical Comics was thrilled with the synergy. “It turned out that Brett was a Hercules fan from since he was a little kid,” Levine recalls. “He brought in an unbridled enthusiasm and passion, and started coming up with incredible ideas.”

Summarizes Johnson: “For me, the tone of ‘Hercules’ had to be right on the money, it had to find that balance between humor, heart, and big, epic action – and I think we were able to do that and ground the story in characters who are a lot of fun. I wanted Hercules to have a cool charm, and to be everything physically that people always imagined he would be.”

Opening across the Philippines on July 23 in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D cinemas, “Hercules” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Dwayne Johnson Feels He's Born to Play "Hercules"

4:25:00 PM

Hercules_01

Action superstar Dwayne Johnson experienced a massive jolt on the set of Paramount Pictures' epic adventure “Hercules” during a scene when his Greek hero was chained to stone pillars.

"It's when Hercules breaks through the chains and becomes the demi-god he was born to be," says Johnson. "I was actually yelling with all the power I could muster, 'I am Hercules!' I gave it my all and made myself pass out every time we did it. But I honestly felt in that moment that I was born to play this role."

From the looks of it, he might be right.

Even as a child, Johnson, 41, idolized the Herculean legend — "He was the first superhero." But with his 6-foot-5 frame and his famously heroic stature, Johnson is one of the few actors who could legitimately portray his hero onscreen. The effort has taken a decade, and came into focus when director Brett Ratner came onboard four years ago. Johnson took eight months to sculpt his body to demi-god status and maintained it during the taxing shoot in Hungary.

"It's incredible, he's up every morning at 3:45 right on the treadmill, then it was right to the gym for hours," says producer Beau Flynn. "And then it was to the makeup chair, then shooting all day in the heat. And repeat that for 90 days."

h-0017

Johnson's first transformation into his character took 41/2 hours after being adorned with a wig, beard, makeup and wardrobe. "It looked incredible, we had succeeded," says Johnson. "But it was like, how the hell can we cut the time down?"

Eventually they whittled the daily process to 3 1/2 hours, though the lush yak-beard ("Yes, real yak hair," says Johnson) alone took 2 1/2 hours of application.

"The No. 1 goal is to make the definitive version of Hercules," says Johnson. "We know we're going to be under a microscope." But he's confident moviegoers will accept his "passion-driven" project based on the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars.

The story finds Hercules after he has endured his famous 12 Labors (which included slaying a nine-headed hydra and the fearsome Nemean lion), punishment bestowed on him after killing his family in a fit of insanity.

Hercules is still in a dark place mentally, with scars from his many battles. But now he is traveling with a group of mercenaries and cashing in on his famous name until he's hired to train an army for an epic battle.

The setting allowed Johnson, wearing Hercules' Nemean lion headpiece and wielding a massive oak club (with the lion's claws), to lead war scenes featuring more than 1,000 soldiers.

"Green screen and effects can be fantastic. But when you have real men, real sweat and even real blood, it's very gratifying," says Johnson. "You feel the substance."

After he was done with some serious clubbing, Johnson would recover in modern Hercules style.

"I had the club of Hercules and the Nemean lion's head in my room," says Johnson. "I'd come home to that and catch something on the BBC with a glass of tequila."

From Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, "Hercules" stars Dwayne Johnson as both man and myth, leading a band of mercenaries to help end a bloody civil war in the land of Thrace and return the rightful king to his throne. A tormented soul from birth, Hercules has the strength of a God but feels the suffering of a human. Unimaginable villains will test the mythical power of Hercules in director Brett Ratner's gritty take on one of the most epic action heroes of the ages.

“Hercules” also stars Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan, Aksel Hennie, Ingrid Berdal, Reece Ritchie, Tobias Santelmann, Rebecca Ferguson, Isaac Andrews and John Hurt.

The film is produced by Beau Flynn, Barry Levine and Brett Ratner. Based on Radical Comics' "Hercules" by Steve Moore, with a screenplay by Ryan J. Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulos. Directed by Brett Ratner.

Opening across the Philippines on July 23 in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D cinemas, “Hercules” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

"Hercules" Storms Into IMAX Theaters in PH July 23

6:10:00 PM

h-09288-dj

IMAX Corporation, Paramount Pictures, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures recently announced that Brett Ratner's action epic, “Hercules,” will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® 3D format and released by Paramount Pictures and MGM in IMAX® theatres worldwide, including the Philippines on July 23, 2014.

"Hercules deserves a platform like the IMAX 3D format," said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. "We are excited to team up with our partners Paramount and MGM to bring this epic tale to life as never before for IMAX fans around the world."

"There is no better format on earth than IMAX 3D to see an anamorphic widescreen epic such as 'Hercules,' said Ratner. "It is the first film I have directed being exhibited in IMAX 3D and definitely a dream come true for me. Now audiences around the world will have the viewing experience I have always dreamed of for one of my films."

h-00181c

Megan Colligan, President, Domestic Marketing and Distribution of Paramount Pictures commented, "We are pleased to once again partner with our friends at IMAX, and with MGM, we look forward to giving audiences around the globe the opportunity to experience the action and excitement of Brett Ratner's 'Hercules' in IMAX 3D."

From Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, "Hercules" stars Dwayne Johnson as both man and myth, leading a band of mercenaries to help end a bloody civil war in the land of Thrace and return the rightful king to his throne. A tormented soul from birth, Hercules has the strength of a God but feels the suffering of a human. Unimaginable villains will test the mythical power of Hercules in director Brett Ratner's gritty take on one of the most epic action heroes of the ages.

“Hercules” also stars Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan, Aksel Hennie, Ingrid Berdal, Reece Ritchie, Tobias Santelmann, Rebecca Ferguson, Isaac Andrews and John Hurt.

The film is produced by Beau Flynn, Barry Levine and Brett Ratner. Based on Radical Comics' "Hercules" by Steve Moore, with a screenplay by Ryan J. Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulos. Directed by Brett Ratner.

The IMAX 3D release of Hercules will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

For more information about Hercules, please visit the film's official website at http://www.mightyhercules.com.

Opening across the Philippines on July 23, “Hercules” will be distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

New "Hercules" Epic Casts Light on Hero of the Ages

5:32:00 PM

h-04398r

Based on Radical Comics' Hercules: The Thracian Wars By Steve Moore, Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures present the fantasy action adventure “Hercules” from director Brett Ratner and starring Dwayne Johnson.

Both man and myth, Hercules (Johnson) leads a band of mercenaries to help end a bloody civil war in the land of Thrace and return the rightful king to his throne. A tormented soul from birth, Hercules has the strength of a God but feels the suffering of a human. Unimaginable villains will test the mythical power of Hercules in this gritty take on one of the most epic action heroes of the ages.

Written By Ryan J. Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulos, the film also stars Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan and John Hurt.

The story finds Hercules after he has endured his famous 12 Labors (which included slaying a nine-headed hydra and the fearsome Nemean lion), punishment bestowed on him after committing a tragic act in a fit of insanity.

Hercules is still in a dark place mentally, with scars from his many battles. But now he is traveling with a group of mercenaries and cashing in on his famous name until he's hired to train an army for an epic battle.

The setting allowed Johnson to lead war scenes featuring more than 1,000 soldiers. "Green screen and effects can be fantastic. But when you have real men, real sweat and even real blood, it's very gratifying," says Johnson. "You feel the substance."

Opening across the Philippines on July 23, “Hercules” will be distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Dwayne Johnson's "Hercules" Reveals One-Sheet Art

3:23:00 PM

Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ new epic adventure “Hercules” starring Dwayne Johnson in the title role, have revealed its teaser and main poster art.

Hercules_Teaser1SHT Hercules-Main1SHT

Directed by Brett Ratner and based on Radical Studios graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars by Steve Moore, this ensemble-action film is a revisionist take on the classic myth set in a grounded world where the supernatural does not exist. The screenplay is by Ryan Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulos.

The epic action film also stars Golden Globe Winner Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan and Academy Award®-nominee John Hurt.

Everyone knows the legend of Hercules and his twelve labors. Our story begins after the labors, and after the legend. Haunted by a sin from his past, Hercules has become a mercenary. Along with five faithful companions, he travels ancient Greece selling his services for gold and using his legendary reputation to intimidate enemies. But when the benevolent ruler of Thrace and his daughter seek Hercules' help to defeat a savage and terrifying warlord, Hercules finds that in order for good to triumph and justice to prevail... he must again become the hero he once was... he must embrace his own myth... he must be Hercules.

Opening across the Philippines on July 23, “Hercules” will be distributed in the Philippines by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

[featured][carousel][5]

Copyright Notice

All work on this site is copyrighted and cannot be reprinted without express consent of the blogger.

Recent Posts

Recent Posts Widget

Random Posts