Columbia Pictures has just released the creepy, international trailer for director Scott Derrickson’s (“Sinister”) supernatural thriller “Deliver Us from Evil” which can be viewed here athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56_dT3eQFMo&feature=youtu.be.

In the film, New York police officer Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana), struggling with his own personal issues, begins investigating a series of disturbing and inexplicable crimes. He joins forces with an unconventional priest (Edgar Ramirez), schooled in the rituals of exorcism, to combat the frightening and demonic possessions that are terrorizing their city.

Based upon the 2001 book titled “Beware the Night” which details Sarchie’s bone-chilling real-life cases, the film also stars Olivia Munn, Joel McHale and Sean Harris.

Opening across the Philippines on July 02 2014, “Deliver Us From Evil” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Joining the cast of Columbia Pictures' new action-adventure “The Amazing Spider-Man” in the pivotal role of Harry Osborn is young actor Dane DeHaan, who has turned heads through his performances in such films as “Chronicle,” “Lawless” and the Bohol-set historical drama “Amigo.”

In this vision for the character, Harry is Peter’s (Andrew Garfield) long-lost friend. “Their fathers had been partners – but when everything went down between Norman Osborn and Richard Parker, and Richard disappeared, Peter and Harry were split. They haven’t talked to each other in a very long time – until now,” DeHaan explains.

After years at boarding school, Harry is called back to New York – to his father’s deathbed. “He thinks his father is going to say ‘I love you, goodbye,’ but instead, it’s very different. Harry finds out he has the same disease that is killing his father, and his father says, basically, ‘Deal with it,’” DeHaan continues.

“That’s when Peter comes back into Harry’s life,” says DeHaan. “At the heart of it, they remember the loving friendship they had as children.”

Harry has grown to be a very different person than Peter has. “My take going in was that Harry was a trust fund baby – a hipster New York kid,” says DeHaan. “That’s a very specific place, a very specific type of person – right down to the way he looks. Harry latches on to his material possessions, because they are the only things that he’s not afraid of showing – he can use this materialistic quality to hide what’s on the inside. [Director] Marc [Webb] was very responsive to that, and then, hearing my ideas, Marc guided me on a specific path to help create Harry.”

That path takes Harry from privileged trust fund kid to the most menacing villain in New York. In taking the reins at Oscorp, Harry – like his father before him – marshals the vast resources of the company in an effort to save his own life. Through his discovery of Oscorp’s secret lair of Special Projects, he comes to believe that Spider-Man’s blood is the answer to all his prayers – and that belief becomes an obsession that eventually leads Harry on a transformation to becoming the Green Goblin.

“Harry Osborn represents a unique Peter Parker/Spider-Man classic conflict,” says producer Avi Arad. “Harry was his best friend, and again, due to circumstances, Harry becomes an enemy who sets out to destroy Spider-Man. What makes it most difficult is Spider-Man is feeling the need to help his friend and stop him from becoming this self-destructive villain.”

“There have been many iterations of the Goblin within the Spider-Man canon,”says DeHaan. “We did the research about how these characters have become the Goblin, what the Goblin was. We had a responsibility to honor the material and to make it our own. Even though we took some liberties, it was of utmost importance to honor the classic elements of the Green Goblin that everyone knows and loves.”

Marc Webb says that in many ways, Peter and Harry face the same choices – only to have very different responses to those choices. “Harry is a foil for Peter,” says Webb. “He’s intelligent like Peter is. Peter and Harry were both abandoned by their fathers, though in different ways – one physically, and the other emotionally. But Harry didn’t have a May and Ben in his life to comfort him and guide him, as Peter did. And because of that, he’s developed a rasher, more abrasive quality. That’s how he endures his life; he’s become a little hardened. They start off as best friends, and end up as mortal enemies, driven apart by jealousy and rage.”

The sense of betrayal that Harry feels becomes very personal after Harry comes to think that Spider-Man’s blood could provide the cure he’s anxious to receive. “But Peter knows that Spider-Man’s blood turned Dr. Curt Connors into the Lizard,” says one of the screenwriters, Jeff Pinkner. “If he were to give Harry the same blood, it might do the same or worse to Harry. Peter desperately wants to do anything he can to help his best friend, but his blood might do something far worse than kill him. Of course, Peter can’t explain all of that to Harry – and even if he could, it’s not clear that Harry would accept that. It’s a real problem for Peter, and ultimately, it leads Harry to unite with Electro.”

“Harry and Electro form a deal over their mutual hatred of Spider-Man,”says screenwriter Alex Kurtzman. “That’s a great moment – two villains who hate the hero, but for different reasons. And it results in Harry turning the full resources of Oscorp against Spider-Man.”

Producer Tolmach says that when casting the role, DeHaan wasn’t necessarily the first name that Webb and the producers dreamt up. “We’d seen Dane in a couple of movies, but we just didn’t know the breadth of his work,” says Tolmach. “But something magical happened. He was wholly original and unique and different. He forced us to see the character in a way we didn’t before – an extraordinary way. We were mesmerized. There’s something about his eyes; he has a searing intensity and there’s enormous heart, but there’s also a lot of pain and room for darkness. That’s Harry Osborn.”

“Dane is a fantastic actor. He looks like no one else,” says Arad. “Those eyes are his. He’s vulnerable; he can show you his journey, or awkwardness, or insanity, or whatever the scene calls for. And he’s a perfect match for Marc Webb, who often directs his actors to let go and show him whatever comes to mind – Dane can go haywire and give you scenes that are very different.”

“It was exciting to be cast as Harry, because it’s such a full, dynamic, crazy arc of a character,” DeHaan concludes. “I knew it was something I could really sink my teeth into.”

DeHaan would spend four hours in makeup and wardrobe to transform into the villain. “The makeup designer, Sarah Rubano, and I developed together a whole evolution of the makeup,” says DeHaan. “It starts from a pimple on my neck and starts to spread to his face –something Harry tries to hide but can’t. And then, once he takes the spider venom in this desperate attempt to save himself, it accelerates the disease to an almost fatal stage – the same stage that Norman Osborn is at when he dies. I wore a few prosthetics – ears and a nose tip – but it was mostly individual sores and wounds that we fairly specifically chose. I also wore teeth and contacts – he has the Goblin’s menacing smile and those big eyes. The shape of my hair pays homage to the purple hood that the Green Goblin wears in the comics.”

Opening across the Philippines on April 30 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and 2D formats, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

BURBANK, CA, – Warner Bros. Pictures announced April 3 that Oscar®-winning actress Holly Hunter, Callan Mulvey of “300: Rise of an Empire,” and Tao Okamoto of “The Wolverine” have joined the cast of the upcoming Zack Snyder untitled Superman/Batman film. The announcement was made by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

All three actors will play characters newly created for the film.

Snyder stated, “Holly has always been one of my favorite actresses; she has immense talent and is always captivating on screen. I had an opportunity to meet her a while back and knew instantly that I had to work with her, so as we began writing the script I made sure to create a role specifically for her.

“I just had the good fortune to work with Callan on ‘300: Rise of an Empire’ and was very impressed with his incredible talent,” the director continued. “He’s a fantastic actor and I’m looking forward to having the chance to work with him again. And, quite simply, Tao is a striking presence whose beauty is aptly rivaled by her amazing abilities as an actress. I’m really excited to have her joining us on this adventure.”

Hunter received the Academy Award® and a Golden Globe Award for her starring role in Jane Campion’s “The Piano.” She also garnered Oscar® nominations for her work in “Broadcast News,” “The Firm” and “Thirteen.” She has starred in such films as the Coen brothers’ “Raising Arizona” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” Steven Spielberg’s “Always,” Lasse Halström’s “Once Around,” Jodie Foster’s “Home for the Holidays” and Brad Bird’s animated hit “The Incredibles.” Hunter was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award® when she reunited with Campion for the TV miniseries “Top of the Lake.” She next appears in David Gordon Green’s “Manglehorn” and in Terrence Malick’s upcoming feature.

Australian-born Mulvey stars in the current box office hits “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “300: Rise of an Empire,” produced by Snyder. He also appeared in Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty.”

In addition to “The Wolverine,” Okamoto also appeared in the video “The Wolverine: The Path of a Ronin,” and in the Japanese television miniseries “Chi no wadachi.”

Snyder’s film stars Henry Cavill, reprising his role as Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne, and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince. The film also stars Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons as Alfred, and reunites “Man of Steel” stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.

The new film is currently being written by Chris Terrio, from a screenplay by David S. Goyer. Charles Roven and Deborah Snyder are producing, with Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Wesley Coller, David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.

The film is set to open worldwide on May 6, 2016, and is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, Batman characters created by Bob Kane, and Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston, appearing in comic books published by DC Entertainment.

Right from the start, the filmmakers of TriStar Pictures' new mystery drama “Heaven is for Real” knew if they were going to bring the best-seller of the same title to contemporary audiences they would need a crack cast to truly bring the Burpo family's true story and their unusual predicament to life.

Todd Burpo would be especially challenging to cast, as a devoted but down-to-earth family man sent reeling by a riveting mystery when his son begins to talk of his trip to heaven. Director Randall Wallace says that the first name that came to mind was Greg Kinnear. Kinnear came to the fore in a series of sparkling comic roles in “As Good As It Gets” and “Little Miss Sunshine,” went on to portray a wide range of memorable characters and is currently starring as an outspoken lawyer on television’s “Rake.”

But for all his comic chops and affable charm, Wallace felt there was an underlying genuineness to Kinnear that was key to the role. “I had known Greg from working with him on `We Were Soldiers,'” the director explains. “I wanted someone who could embody the masculinity of Todd -- a guy who installs garage doors for the mainstay of his living -- but who could also be a loving, thoughtful, sensitive father. And I also was looking for someone who could speak with the power, conviction and charisma of a pastor. For all that, I thought Greg was just the perfect guy.”

Kinnear was drawn in by the reality of the family’s dilemma as they try to figure out what to do with this shocking information their son is telling them. “I liked the way the story is told in a very human, accessible way,” the actor says. “It’s the story of a family who experiences something extraordinary. One thing Randall is so good at is creating moments of humor, humanity and decency for this family, while also getting at the larger questions.”

As he explored Todd’s quandary with his son, Kinnear could understand his refusal to simply dismiss Colton’s words as just a boyhood dream or medication side effect. “It’s important to point out that Colton was then a four year-old kid, so there was no affectation, nothing artificial about what he was saying. It was complete innocence,” notes Kinnear. “And while children at that age can have huge imaginations, they also say things that you know they believe with all their heart. So it’s really interesting to play a father trying to sift through what’s real and what’s not in this kind of event.”

He was also intrigued by what Todd must confront within himself in the film -- as he moves from an anxiety and confusion to a man lit up by his renewed sense of purpose. “What’s interesting is that the events that take place ask Todd to go further than he ever anticipated going, to dig deeper than he had any expectation of doing, and I found that fascinating,” Kinnear says, “and even more so because of the ramifications for the whole community.”

As Todd starts to come forward with Colton’s observations of heaven, he watches as it sparks conflict and opens up rifts in the town and his church – and he wonders how he can approach this impasse both as a man of God and simply as a man. “This is a small town,” comments Kinnear. “There’s a strong sense of support, and of everybody lending each other a hand, in this kind of place -- but it also ups the stakes. So that creates some challenges for the Burpo family. When Todd starts to talk openly about what Colton saw, people have many different interpretations of it and different feelings about it. And some people don’t even want to have the conversation, but Todd increasingly feels that he has this bigger story he needs to find a way to tell.”

In the end, much like Wallace, Kinnear see the story of “Heaven Is For Real” as being not just about looking towards heaven but also about how to live in the grace of the here and now. “Whatever your feelings on the afterlife, I think this film captures the beauty that is all around us through the eyes of this little boy and what he is seeing,” he summarizes.

Opening across the Philippines on Black Saturday, April 19, “Heaven is for Real” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Gloc-9 won four major awards in the Myx Music Awards 2014 (MMA2014), the most for any artist who was nominated.

But what is more important about this win, is not so much the fact that Gloc-9 won in four out of six categories that he was nominated in, nor that he won four times more than any other artist.

It is that Gloc-9 won it for a song like “Magda.”

The idea of Magdalena is not new. The legend that is Freddie Aguilar introduced us to “Magdalena” in the early 1980’s, a folk song about the plight of a girl who was misunderstood because of the work she was forced into doing. In the Aguilar song, Magdalena is seen as “sawimpalad,” living a wretched life, where her story is one of choicelessness.

Gloc-9’s “Magda” does not point a finger at this woman’s life. The songwriter tells this story with compassion and understanding. Spoken from the perspective of her childhood sweetheart Ernesto, the story is allowed its romance, as it is allowed its heartbreak and undoing. Because Ernesto speaks of Magda, we are given the chance to see Magda as a spit of a girl, as someone who left her childhood behind. In the present she is a woman who is trapped in the cage of her own doing.

The song does not judge Magda, as it does make her human. She is treated as solitary and independent, she is allowed her own individuality, her own voice.

This is Gloc-9 at his most creative, where his decision to use another character to speak about Magda allows for a distance, a non-judgmental stance about her character. It is this creativity that was awarded by the MMA this year. But more importantly what they were honoring was this rapper-songwriter-artist’s decision to tell a story we would rather not hear, of a woman we would rather be blind to.

And this is really the value of Gloc-9’s quadruple wins in this year’s MMAs. He won for the song “Magda” in the context of mainstream original Pilipino music that makes hits out of repetitive lovesongs and novelty. He won for “Magda” at a time when the originality and relevance of original Pilipino pop music is being questioned.

Each MYX Music Award is composed of 60% audience votes and 40% artist or peer votes. And on a year when Gloc-9 wins big for a song like “Magda,” we are being told how the audience and the members of the industry as well, are in fact ready for difficult stories and complex songs.

Winning those four MMAs for “Magda,” as such, is not just a measure of Gloc-9 as artist. It is a measure of what the audience of local music is ready for. One hopes original Pinoy mainstream music heeds this call for creativity and relevance.

The spooky new one-sheet for Alien Abduction, a horror thriller from the producers of Hostel and Inglourious Basterds.

Aliens used to abduct us all the time in the 1980s and 1990s. These days, it seemed like they had lost all interest in humanity… until now. Captive Cinema is proud to premiere the creepy new Alien Abduction poster, from a film produced by Mike Fleiss (Hostel) and Lawrence Bender (Inglourious Basterds), and directed by Marty Beckerman

A terrifying sci-fi story inspired by dramatic found footage, ALIEN ABDUCTION preys on our fear of the unknown as we follow an average American family who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time.

While driving to a campsite in the Brown Mountains of Noth Carolina, the Morris family’s GPS malfunctions and they are led to a remote tunnel surrounded by abandoned vehicles. The father, Peter Morris, is abducted leaving his traumatized wife and children to flee and seek refuge in a nearby cabin. There they are horrified to learn that strange lights in the nearby mountains have been linked to alien abduction and human sacrifice for centuries.

When their attempts to alert the authorities are intercepted by the deadly extraterrestrial threat, the surviving members of the family find themselves under siege. A brutal and bloody attack unfolds as we witness the horrors through the lens of the youngest child’s video camera.

‘’Alien Abduction” is released and distributed by Captive Cinema.

An imperfect man fights for survival during an uncertain time in America. Inspired by true events, Ron Woodroof's story of strength is told in DALLAS BUYERS CLUB.
Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey is Ron Woodroof an electrician and rodeo cowboy. In 1985, he is well into an unexamined existence with a devil-may-care lifestyle. Suddenly, Ron is blindsided by being diagnosed as H.I.V.-positive and given 30 days to live. Yet he will not, and does not, accept a death sentence.

An imperfect man fights for survival during an uncertain time in America. Inspired by true events, Ron Woodroof's story of strength is told in DALLAS BUYERS CLUB.
Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey is Ron Woodroof an electrician and rodeo cowboy. In 1985, he is well into an unexamined existence with a devil-may-care lifestyle. Suddenly, Ron is blindsided by being diagnosed as H.I.V.-positive and given 30 days to live. Yet he will not, and does not, accept a death sentence.

His crash course of research reveals a lack of approved treatments and medications in the U.S., so Ron crosses the border into Mexico. There, he learns about alternative treatments and begins smuggling them into the U.S., challenging the medical and scientific community including his concerned physician, Dr. Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner).
An outsider to the gay community, Ron finds an unlikely ally in fellow AIDS patient Rayon (Academy Award winner Jared Leto), a transsexual who shares Ron's lust for life. Rayon also shares Ron's entrepreneurial spirit: seeking to avoid government sanctions against selling non-approved medicines and supplements, they establish a buyers club, where H.I.V.-positive people pay monthly dues for access to the newly acquired supplies. Deep in the heart of Texas, Rons pioneering underground collective beats loud and strong. With a growing community of friends and clients, Ron fights for dignity, education, and acceptance. In the years following his diagnosis, the embattled Lone Star loner lives life to the fullest like never before.

‘Dallas Buyers Club’ is released and distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA.

His crash course of research reveals a lack of approved treatments and medications in the U.S., so Ron crosses the border into Mexico. There, he learns about alternative treatments and begins smuggling them into the U.S., challenging the medical and scientific community including his concerned physician, Dr. Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner).
An outsider to the gay community, Ron finds an unlikely ally in fellow AIDS patient Rayon (Academy Award winner Jared Leto), a transsexual who shares Ron's lust for life. Rayon also shares Ron's entrepreneurial spirit: seeking to avoid government sanctions against selling non-approved medicines and supplements, they establish a buyers club, where H.I.V.-positive people pay monthly dues for access to the newly acquired supplies. Deep in the heart of Texas, Rons pioneering underground collective beats loud and strong. With a growing community of friends and clients, Ron fights for dignity, education, and acceptance. In the years following his diagnosis, the embattled Lone Star loner lives life to the fullest like never before.

‘Dallas Buyers Club’ is released and distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA.

Nigel, the smart villainous cockatoo that was left flightless in the worldwide hit “Rio” has caught the eye and heart of a toxic frog named Gabi (voiced by Kristin Chenoweth) in the latest family adventure “Rio 2” from Blue Sky Studios. Our favorite “Rio” characters Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Sergio Mendes, Jemaine Clement, George Lopez, Tracy Morgan and Jamie Foxx are joined by Oscar nominee Andy Garcia, Grammy winner Bruno Mars, Tony® winner Kristin Chenoweth and Oscar/Emmy®/Tony winner Rita Moreno. RIO 2 also features new Brazilian artists and original music by Janelle Monáe and Wondaland.

Now, Saldanha returns to Brazil and reunites his beloved characters in “Rio 2.” In the new film, it’s a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids, after they’re hurtled from Rio to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful and villainous Nigel, and meets the most fearsome adversary of all…his father-in-law.

When Jewel decides the kids need to learn to live like real birds, she insists the family venture to the Amazon. Blu tells his buddies of his travel plans, but Nico, Pedro and Luiz warn him of the myriad dangers that could lie ahead in the wild. But the ever-positive Rafael encourages Blu, reminding him that “a happy wife means a happy life!”

Meanwhile, the treacherous cockatoo Nigel plots his revenge on Blu, aided by Gabi (Kristin Chenoweth), a cute poisonous frog who is fiercely loyal to Nigel and though small in stature, possesses a huge villainous heart. While Blu deals with rigors of jungle life, a disapproving father-in-law, and a potential rival for Jewel’s affections, yet another threat looms. Nigel, who suffered the most undignified of indignities at the end of “Rio,” is back. He’s followed Blu and Jewel to the Amazon, and now he’s hungry for payback. For Nigel, revenge is a dish best served cold…and with lots of blue feathers.

In “Rio,” Nigel was defeated by what he calls “the pretty birds,” including Blu, with the wily cockatoo losing his feathers in the process. Now he flies like a chicken and works as fortune-teller’s assistant at a third-rate street fair. Nigel isat the lowest point in his life, and he’s not happy about it. So when he sees the blue birds that have caused him so much misery, he seeks vengeance. “He’s had some bad luck, professionally,” says Jemaine Clement, who returns as Nigel.

As he did in “Rio,” Clement focused on the character’s less unsavory qualities. “Nigel’s predominant passions are Shakespeare, alliteration, revenge, and attention,” he notes. “He is still evil but Nigel really wants to return to acting. Sometimes that can affect his focus on evil-doing.”

Nigel’s dreams of show business glory take flight in a particularly telling moment. As he prepares to deal with Blu once and for all, Nigel instead ends up taking center stage, in disguise, at the auditions overseen by Nico, Pedro and Rafael. Nigel comes up with an act, on the fly, which sparks his inner artist. His rendition of the Gloria Gaynor standard “I Will Survive” (with special parody lyrics by Clement and co-screenwriter Yoni Brenner) is a big hit. In fact, Nigel is told he’s made the cut for the musical extravaganza!

Nigel’s henchperson – hench-frog, that is – is an amorous amphibian named Gabi, who is deeply in love with Nigel – “understandably so, of course,” says Clement. The tragedy of their love is that they can’t canoodle because Gabi is highly toxic – and Nigel has no interest in her, anyway. Indeed, he often finds her to be quite annoying.

Venomous adoration doesn’t prevent Gabi from trying to bond with her wannabe soul mate. “Gabi wants to make Nigel proud of her,” says Kristin Chenoweth, who voices the role. “That is why she’s always by his side and hoping he notices her in the way she wants to be noticed, which of course he doesn’t. Gabi will do whatever it takes to keep Nigel safe and happy and where he belongs, which is on the stage.”

“Poisonous Love,” with music by Carlinhos Brown and John Powell, lyrics by Randy Rogel, and performed by Kristin Chenoweth and Jemaine Clement, is one of Powell’s favorites. The scene has the toxic amphibian proclaiming her love for the cocky cockatoo. “I must admit that every time we get to ‘Poisonous Love,’ I always end up laughing,” says Powell. “There’s something about the passion with which Kristin sang, as well. She just goes for it and when performed with that much belief, you’re on the edge of laughing and crying simultaneously.”

Another show-stopping musical moment comes with Jemaine/Nigel and Kristin/Gabi’s impromptu rendition of the classic Gloria Gaynor hit “I Will Survive,” during the Amazon auditions. The parody lyrics are by Jemaine Clement and co-screenwriter Yoni Brenner.

Powell was initially surprised, if not shocked by that song choice, but he notes, “When they showed me the scene, I suddenly realized, oh, they’re on to something here. And when Jemaine performed the song and added a rap section he had written, which happened, literally, while we were recording his vocals, it really came together. He started coming up with these incredibly funny lines. The hardest thing with Jemaine is to pick the lines you want, because there were so many great ones. And Kristin was the perfect partner, adding her own special touches and fun to the tune.”

“Rio 2” in 3D and 2D will open nationwide in theaters on April 9 from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

MANILA, March 31, 2014 – The patriotic superhero led the Philippine box office to victory as Marvel's “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” opened at No.1 with a nationwide, five-day opening weekend gross of a staggering P155.51-million.

This according to Victor R. Cabrera, Managing Director of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Philippines which distributed the film.

Propelled by through-the-roof, positive reviews from critics and excellent word-of-mouth, the record-breaking bow claimed the biggest opening weekend for the year for a foreign title (dethroning “300: Rise of an Empire”) as well as the biggest March opening ever in the industry.

The debut of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” also glaringly surpassed the openings of previous Marvel titles, specifically its predecessor, 2011's “Captain America: The First Avenger” (P90.8-M), 2010's “Iron Man 2” (P104.9-M) and 2011's “Thor” (P59.5-M).

Overseas, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” grossed a stellar $75.2 million from 32 territories (incuding UK, France, Germany, Italy, Korea and the Philippines), representing approximately 57% of the overseas market place. By comparison, the original “Captain America” grossed only $40 million from the same group of countries in 2011. The film opens in the U.S. and North America on April 4.

Back in the Philippines, “The Winter Soldier” rolled out in 453 screens, including 8 IMAX theaters. The SM Group claimed the three biggest opening receipts, led by SM North EDSA (P8.41-M), SM Mall of Asia (P8.33-M), SM Megamall (P7.62-M).

The top four to ten slots are occupied by Trinoma (P5.16-M), Glorietta 4 (P4.90-M), SM Cebu (P4.36-M), Alabang Town Center (P3.96-M), Greenbelt 3 (P3.87-M), Power Plant (P3.79-M) and Greenhills Promenade (P3.70-M).

Rounding out the top 11 to 20 rankings were SM Aura (P3.63-M), Newport (P3.39-M), SM Southmall (P2.83-M), Shang Cineplex (P2.72-M), Robinsons Magnolia (P2.543-M), Gateway (P2.541-M), Eastwood (P2.53-M), Ayala Cebu (P2.46-M), SM Fairview (P2.34-M) and SM Marikina (P2.15-M).

Marvel's “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” which continues the big screen adventures of Steve Rogers aka Captain America, picks up after the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, and finds Steve Rogers living quietly in Washington, D.C., and trying to adjust to the modern world.

But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue and mystery that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off assailants sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable new enemy—the Winter Soldier.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1941, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” returns Chris Evans as the iconic Super Hero character Steve Rogers/Captain America along with Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow, Emily VanCamp as Agent 13, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, with Academy Award® winner Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce, a senior leader within the S.H.I.E.L.D organization, and Samuel L. Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is now playing across the Philippines and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

In addition to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Guardians of the Galaxy" on August 1, 2014; "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on May 1, 2015; and "Ant-Man" on July 17, 2015.

The teaser posters for Warner Bros. Pictures' new romantic comedy “Blended” starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore are now out. The humor-filled one-sheets individually feature Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore in acts of wackiness. His has the tagline “Single Dad, No Clue” while hers “Single Mom, Flying Solo.”

“Blended” marks the third comedy collaboration between Sandler and Barrymore, following their successful onscreen pairings in the hit romantic comedies “50 First Dates” and “The Wedding Singer.”

In the film, after a disastrous blind date, single parents Lauren (Barrymore) and Jim (Sandler) agree on only one thing: 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.

“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, 2014, “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.

Randall Wallace, the Oscar®-nominated writer of “Braveheart” now directs TriStar Pictures' mystery film “Heaven Is For Real” which is based on a non-fiction book that has inspired millions across the globe.

The film stars Greg Kinnear as Todd Burpo, a small-town businessman, volunteer firefighter and pastor struggling to make ends meet in a tough year for his family. After his bright young son Colton (newcomer Connor Corum in his feature film debut) is rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, Todd and his wife Sonja (Kelly Reilly) are overjoyed by his miraculous survival. But they are wholly unprepared for what happens next -- Colton starts to matter-of-factly recount what he says was an amazing journey to heaven and back. As Colton innocently tells his parents details of things he couldn't possibly know, Todd finds himself colliding against a wall of mystery and doubt, until he breaks through to rediscover hope, wonder and the strength of purpose.

While millions of readers have come away from the book Heaven Is For Real with a thrilling sense of deepened convictions, Randall Wallace is well aware that not everyone will interpret the things Colton saw during his surgery the same way – and the script wrangles with those very same doubts.

“There are going to be people who will be immediately skeptical,” Wallace acknowledges. “I certainly have been skeptical of different elements of the story -- what the characters said happened, what they believed happened, what they reported experiencing . . . I questioned everything. But one of the features of any great story is that it has mystery and suspense. It’s that questioning that keeps us moving forward in this story . . . and in life.”

For Wallace, the full power of “Heaven Is For Real” comes down not only to what Colton says he saw in heaven, but even more so to how his story has touched, and changed, so many lives here on earth. “Ultimately the issue every person faces in this world is what am I going to do with this breath that I am taking now, with this heart I have, with these thoughts I have? What am I going to do with this life? What happened to Colton makes us think about these things,” he concludes.

As the script progressed, Wallace also began to develop a ground rule for the production. “When we started this process, the one thing that I said to everybody who came aboard the film was, ‘remember the title: Heaven Is For Real.’ I always felt this needed to be a real story about real people -- so it was vital that every scene, every action and every word feel a part of everyday life.”

While the film is destined to bring Colton’s disarming message about heaven to many more people, the Burpos also know the film’s release will also raise more questions they’ll have to tackle – something they don’t mind doing. (Colton himself is now in high school and continues to speak openly about his experiences.)

“We feel we’ve planted a seed, or at least presented it, and people have an opportunity to believe it or not,” explains Todd Burpo.

For Wallace, the bottom line was presenting the Burpo’s story in an authentic, compelling way, and leaving the rest open to personal contemplation and community conversation in the aftermath. “What I think will draw people to `Heaven Is For Real' is the idea that they’re going to be captivated by a story. People want to be moved, they want to be grabbed, and they want to be spoken to from the heart,” he summarizes.

Opening across the Philippines on Black Saturday, April 19, “Heaven is for Real” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Meet Zero, a lobby boy who became the proprietor of the Grand Budapest Hotel. Follow his funny rags-to-riches story in the thrilling caper comedy movie “The Grand Budapest Hotel” to be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide starting April 19 (Black Saturday).

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” is a thrilling caper in constant motion, kinetic and comic; a timeless tale of friendship, honor and promises fulfilled. Director Wes Anderson says his eighth feature film comes from a mix of inspirations including the pre-code comedies of the 1930’sand the stories and memoirs of Viennese writer Stefan Zweig.

At the beginning of “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Jude Law portrays the role of “the Young Writer” who finds himself in conversation with the enigmatic Mr. Moustafa, who from his earlier years is known as Zero, the hotel’s owner, who sets about relating the story of how he rose from the ranks of junior lobby boy to become the proprietor of the Grand Budapest.

Playing Zero Moustafa in his youth, during the period when he first arrives at the hotel, is newcomer Tony Revolori. Since Zero was intended to hail from a fictional Middle-Eastern country, director Anderson originally started seeking out actors in Lebanon and Israel, as well as North Africa, and various European immigrant communities – but eventually he found Revolori, who has a Guatemalan background, during auditions in Los Angeles. As soon as he met him, Anderson recognized the same open earnestness that characterizes Zero. And when he introduced Revolori to Fiennes, the comedic chemistry was immediately clear.

Fiennes was impressed not only by Revolori’s preparation, but also by his strong natural instincts. “Tony as Zero brings this wonderful quality of intelligent innocence. He’s innocent but he’s also very smart,” says Fiennes.

For Revolori, working with Anderson was “an experience unto itself, unlike any other.”He continues: “I felt like a part of his family, and immediately everyone – actors, crew – helped bring me in and started teaching me and giving me advice, which was a fantastic thing.”

This was especially true of Fiennes. “He really helped guide me. He’s become an older brother in a way,” Revolori muses.

Their rapport was obvious to everyone on the set. Observes Willem Dafoe: “Ralph has his British reserve, his dry humor and his beautiful sense of language, and Tony is just so fresh and easy. The minute I saw them together, I thought it was a fantastic combination.”

Playing Zero as an older man is F. Murray Abraham, who, as he details the history of his character’s rise to his current stature, comes to serve as the story’s main narrator. Abraham was thrilled to take on the role of raconteur. “One of the things that I do well is tell stories,” he notes. “I have a granddaughter, I’m very close to her, and telling her stories and listening to her tell me stories is one of the joys of my life. I also believe that’s a tradition upon which films are based – storytelling – although those great tales that really say something seem to have been lost somewhere. Wes insists on saying something, and in this film, which I believe to be his best, he tells a story that will have you smiling the whole way through.”

Especially interesting to Abraham was the notion that the adult Zero Moustafa has weathered both war and personal tragedy, and yet manages to maintain a lightness of spirit. “Zero has led a very full life and lost everyone who was dear to him, but he’s not cynical. To me that’s a very important facet of Zero, and it happens that I share that facet. I believe in the future of humanity and I believe that people are basically really good at heart. I do.”

Zero found the love of his life in Mendl’s, the best and most famous bakery in Zubrowka. Amidst the rolling-pins and puff-pastry, that Zero meets Agatha, a striking young apprentice with a birthmark on her face, who makes the town’s favorite pastry of all, the “Courtesanau chocolat.” To play Agatha, Anderson cast Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, who received an Academy Award® nomination at age 13 for her supporting role in Joe Wright’s adaptation of “Atonement.”

Ronan jumped in without reservation. The actress recalls her first day on the set, her first time working with Anderson: “I came in, and the whole place was just kind of buzzing,” she remembers. “There were loads of people running around; and you could see everyone was at the top of their game because Wes is so specific about what he wants when it comes to the look and the style. You could see that everyone was really tuned into his way of working.”

Agatha, in spite of her better judgment, eventually winds up at the center of Zero and Gustave’s criminal exploits. Ronan explains: “She brings emotion to the story because Zero is so motivated by his love for her in everything he and Gustave are doing. I think Agatha doesn’t at first realize what she’s gotten herself into but she follows them all the way through because she loves them and believes in them.”

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” is an Ayala Malls Cinemas exclusive and will open on April 19 nationwide.

Sunday, March 30, 2014 – WWF's Earth Hour broke all records of participation in its eighth year, as Spider-Man last night joined millions of everyday Super Heroes from across the world in the world's largest celebration for the planet.

The event that has evolved into the world’s largest movement for the planet began its journey across more than 154 countries and territories from New Zealand, now sweeping across Asia with Spider-Man and the cast from the upcoming blockbuster “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” including Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Jamie Foxx, sending a message to the world that anyone can be a Super Hero for the Planet from the global flagship Earth Hour event from WWF-Singapore.

WWF's Earth Hour event in Singapore saw lights switched off across the famous Marina Bay skyline, joining the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, the Bird’s Nest in Beijing, Taipei 101, The Wat Arun Buddhist Temple in Bangkok, the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur and more that have already taken part in the global celebration for the planet.

In The Philippines, official Earth Hour representatives, celebrities and Spider-Man fans gathered at the Eastwood Mall Open Park and SM Mall of Asia’s by the Bay to lead the switch-off.

In Australia, a massive candle lit display on the lawn of Parliament House in Canberra spelt out, ‘It’s Lights Out For The Reef’ as thousands across the country witnessed a special documentary about the impact of climate change on the threatened natural wonder the Great Barrier Reef.

As the lights now switch off at India Gate, the beyond the hour focus for children will be felt with WWF-India’s year-long education campaign for a monumental 15,000 schools across India who are switching off for Earth Hour and switching on to more energy efficient practices.

Lights also went off at Swayambhunath Temple in Kathmandu where WWF-Nepal will begin targetting 500,000 people in the country to lead environmental change through a Generation Green Campaign.

Jamie Foxx who plays Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, said “It’s time to conserve, protect, and enjoy this planet of ours. Never underestimate your power, never underestimate what you can do.”

This year, WWF-Nepal also has the enlisted the help of none other than Spider-Man himself to support their Earth Hour Blue crowdfunding project, ‘A Flame Called Hope’. This project supported by Andrew Garfield aims to provide clean biogas energy to villages in Nepal’s Terai Arc.

“Earth Hour is a fantastic movement that has been created about conservation of our planet, which is something that should be on the top of our list as human beings. Let’s remember that the Earth is not ours, we are of this Earth. We all have a responsibility to each other in preserving our home, so it’s amazing to be a part of Earth Hour to help send that message,” said Andrew Garfield.

Earth Hour trended worldwide, with participants sharing their event experience and commitment for the planet across social media platforms that connect the world.

At the heart of the movement’s digital growth is Indonesia, where Earth Hour has become a massive, year-round youth led movement enlisting the support of more than 1.5 million people across more than 31 cities in the country. Creating simple and creative environmental actions through film, performances, social media and public gatherings, the teams promote environmental activities related to saving electricity, reduction in use of plastic, using less paper and tissue, planting more trees and using public transportation throughout the year.

“Earth Hour is much more than an hour. Every person can do their part no matter how big or small to save the planet,” said Emma Stone.

Meanwhile, The Philippines – one of the movement’s staunchest supporters – has since 2009 topped town and city participation levels to earn the title of Earth Hour Hero Country. Last 14 March, over 40 local government officials, city planners and environmental officers attended the Liga Para sa Klima, a multi-year WWF, Smart Communications and ArthaLand initiative to help local communities deal with climate-spurred storms, floods and droughts. The participants pledged not just to switch off their lights this Earth Hour – but to strive towards energy, water and food security. Other national and local government arms, plus corporations and communities have committed to support the switch off.

This year sees Earth Hour launch a new crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platform for the Planet, asking people to use their power to back a project or add their voice to solution based environmental projects across the world.

From donating to build climate smart fiberglass boats for Typhoon Haiyan affected fishermen in the Philippines, to giving Rangers in Indonesia better equipment to protect the forests and wildlife of Borneo and Sumatra and even helping fund indigenous communities in Colombia to generate sustainable means of livelihood that prevents deforestation in the Amazon – Earth Hour is calling on participants across the world to be Superheroes for the Planet by getting involved in Earth Hour Blue when the lights come back on.

Earth Hour next hit the Middle East, Africa and Europe, where the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) turned off its lights for the first time, joining the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow, South Africa’s Table Mountain, St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, The Eiffel Tower in Paris, La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Buckingham Palace in London, Edinburgh Castle in Scotland before the hour of inspiration made its way across the Atlantic to South America.

There, the Christ the Redeemer (statue) in Rio de Janeiro, The Angel of Independence in Mexico City are key landmarks taking part in the continent, and The Empire State Building and Times Square in New York City, Niagara Falls, Los Angeles International Airport, the Las Vegas Strip and more joined in the world’s largest celebration for the planet from North America, before Earth Hour wrapped up on the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia.

Earth Hour in 2014 sees the completion of the shift from event to movement status across the world, with the celebration cementing its place as a platform for beyond the hour activities for amazing environmental outcomes to protect parts of the planet including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Arctic in Finland and the Amazon Rainforest in Colombia.

The focus on outcomes was inspired by Earth Hour’s success in past years that led to better legislation through the Russian Parliament to protect seas from oil pollution, the creation of a 3.4 million hectare marine protected area in Argentina and the world’s first Earth Hour Forest in Uganda to fight against massive deforestation in the country. All of these outcomes were powered by the crowd, showing that change for the planet can be achieved when the individual and collective realises their power.

People are encouraged to use their power by backing a project or add their voice at www.earthhour.org and sharing their #EarthHour activities on Instagram.

From script to screen, the environmental efforts in the making of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” have been supported at every level and made the film the most eco-friendly tentpole in the studio’s history. Sony Pictures has extended these efforts in making the production and publicity tour carbon neutral, as well as “EcoSpidey” external outreach with a sizzle reel, game and Twitter campaign. Internally, the studio co-developed a unique online experience for employees to learn about Earth Hour and take action with the partnership, which has been made available to hundreds of thousands of employees at over 14 of the world’s largest corporations, powered by Practically Green.

Warner Bros. Pictures has just unveiled a new trailer and two character banners for “Jupiter Ascending,” an original science fiction epic adventure from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski of “The Matrix” trilogy.

Watch the trailer here at http://youtu.be/g2f-JGPmwG8.

In the film, Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.

From the streets of Chicago to far flung galaxies whirling through space, “Jupiter Ascending” is written and directed by the Wachowskis. Award-winning producer Grant Hill, with whom they have collaborated since “The Matrix” Trilogy, is producing, together with Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski. Roberto Malerba and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers.

The international cast that also includes Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, Doona Bae, James D’Arcy and Tim Pigott-Smith.

Set for release across the Philippines on July 17, 2014, “Jupiter Ascending” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

It’s a dream team pairing in the upcoming romantic caper, “The Love Punch,” starring ever-sassy Emma Thompson and always-charming Pierce Brosnan as ex-couple who reunite to steal back the money stolen from their retirement fund.

“The Love Punch” sees middle aged and divorced, company owner Richard Jones (Brosnan) looking forward to a worry-free existence as he arrives at his office on his last day of work. Much to his dismay, he discovers that the management buyout of his company was fraudulent. The company is now bankrupt and the employee pension fund - including his own - has been embezzled. Enlisting the help of his ex-wife Kate (Thompson), Richard sets out to track down the shady business man behind this, Vincent Kruger. Before they know it, Richard and Kate are caught up in a cat and mouse caper across Europe in a whirlwind of intrigue, mad chases and jewelry theft during which they rekindle their romance.

Five years after “LAST Chance Harvey’s” international success, screenwriter and director Joel Hopkins wished again to team up with Emma Thompson. Straight away, the actress was excited about the story of a couple, divorced for eight years, who embark on a roller-coaster journey. And just as she came up with the name of Dustin Hoffman for “Last Chance Harvey,” it was she who thought of Pierce Brosnan for this new project.

"I got excited by the idea of this ‘classic’ movie couple," Hopkins explains. "The starting point is to find a pairing that really excites me even before writing the script and then build a story around them. I really like to cast the movie in my head while I'm writing.” Nicola Usborne, Hopkins's wife and producing partner, agrees: "We've worked together for fifteen years and Joel always begins with characters or preferably with actors and then builds an arc around them".

Pierce Brosnan is enthusiastic about the filmmaker: "Joel as a director has a very good ear for the rhythm of comedy and for the articulation of speech and pacing of dialogue", he says.

Emma Thompson compares the way Hopkins directs actors to the careful making of a dessert: "It's very delicate and it's all about finding the right balance of ingredients", she comments. "It's really like a soufflé doing this kind of work - you have to get the air into the mix just to make something that really rises. That's what you want in a director – someone who absolutely collaborates and lets you try things but who also tells you 'I want it like this and not like that'.”

The director will look back fondly on the production of the film: "I've always had a relationship with France", he admits. "I found the crew very invested in the project as a whole, not just in their departments, but interested in the whole project, helping the whole film come together. Perhaps in England, people are a little more inside their departments and less interested in the process as a whole".

Emma Thompson agrees: " In France, I noticed that the camaraderie existed between all the partners. You'll be at lunch, which is like a family thing, and everybody sits down to eat and talk with each other, and even have a glass of wine. Not me, though. I live like a nun when I’m shooting".

Pierce Brosnan is just as excited about France as the director: "I've come here over the years with James Bond, but this has been the most in-depth experience with a 100% French shoot", he contends. "You're surrounded by this sense of cinematic history, and it permeates your being.”

Producer Clément Miserez concludes: "I dream of doing “Love Punch 2” and “Love Punch 3” any time, and of working again with Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson, because they're both nice and humble, and the whole crew would tell you just the same!"

“The Love Punch” will open at a cinema near you on April 19 (Saturday) from Axinite Digicinema (with media partners Inquirer , 105.1 Crossover and GNN - Global News Network).

  A new trailer for Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow's futuristic thriller “Edge of Tomorrow” is now online and may be viewed at http://youtu.be/WoMbJjm0i_c. Starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, the film is directed by Doug Liman (“The Bourne Identity,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”).

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

Opening across the Philippines on June 5, 2014 in 3D, 2D and 35mm formats, “Edge of Tomorrow” is distributed Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Who initially does not know how to fly in the first Rio movie? The world witnessed when a Blue Macaw named Blu domestically grew up with his companion Linda who never learned to fly in the global blockbuster “Rio” from Blue Sky Studios. Blu is voiced by Jesse Eisenberg and reprises his voice act in “Rio 2” where we see him comfortably living in the city with his own family within Linda’s home.

In “Rio 2,” Blu spreads his wings wider, farther and higher as he and his family, along with their friends Luis, Pedro, Nico and Rafael, take a trip into the Amazon. Jewel (Oscar winning actress Anne Hathaway) and Blu (Oscar nominated Jesse Eisenberg) are now living happily in Rio, with their three kids. It’s a life that suits the thoroughly domesticated Blu, who only discovered he could actually fly in the first film. He enjoys nothing more than human comforts: TV, iPhones and pancakes for breakfast. Jewel’s heart lies in the wild though. This beautiful and feisty bird feels that Blu and the kids are becoming complacent and accustomed to their human comforts. In her mind, birds are meant to be wild and free.

On hearing the news from Blu’s human friends, Linda (Leslie Mann) and Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro) that they may not be the only birds of their kind, Jewel decides that the family should take a trip to the Amazon, search for others of their species, thought to be almost extinct, and learn to live in their natural environment. Less than happy at the prospect of leaving behind his home comforts, Blu agrees and they embark on an expedition to the Brazilian rainforest.

Director Carlos Saldanha returns to Brazil and reunites his beloved characters In “Rio 2,” where it’s a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids, after they’re hurtled from Rio to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful and villainous Nigel, and meets the most fearsome adversary of all…his father-in-law.

Hurtled into the wilds, full of lush foliage, strange animals, dazzling flowers, Brazil nut trees, butterflies, and of course fabulous birds, the adventurers discover an entire flock of Blue Spix Macaws in a wonderful rainforest sanctuary. Incredibly, Jewel is reunited with her dad, Eduardo, voiced by Oscar nominated actor Andy Garcia, her Aunt Mimi, played by Rita Moreno and her childhood pal, the charismatic and overachieving Roberto (Grammy award-winning musician and producer Bruno Mars) who happens to be a great singer! While Jewel and the kids are thrilled, Blu feels like an outsider. Blu is worried he may lose the love of his life, and the kids in the jungle. All he wants to do is get everyone back to Rio as fast as possible.

“Blu has gone from being a domesticated city bird to being back in his natural environment,” says animation supervisor, Jim Bresnahan. “The stakes of going wild have been raised and he has a whole new set of obstacles to face. He will always be a domesticated bird at heart, but he has to deal with the wild. Jewel also has a conflict: Does she do what Blu wants? Or does she follow her heart, which is in the wild, even though she knows Blu isn’t comfortable there? That’s the conflict we explore in the movie. It’s more wild, and it’s fun.”

Blu is a little reluctant to make the journey, and for good reason: “In the first film, Blu thought the city of Rio was wild, but he hasn’t experienced the true meaning of wild until he travels to the Amazon,” Saldanha explains. “It’s a big trip for Blu and Jewel and the children. He’s not comfortable with it, but he’ll do it for the good of his family.”

Additionally, “Blu is concerned about raising the kids in this environment, because it is Jewel’s side of the family, and he is not part of it,” adds Carlos Saldanha. “So he asks: how is that going to work out? He had thought he had it all under control, under his wings, but now he has to fight for his family and living in the wild is not his idea of home.”

“The filmmakers and Carlos set a high bar with ‘Rio,’ but they’ve just blown the sky open with RIO 2!” exclaims Hathaway. Adds Eisenberg, who recently made headlines with the announcement of his casting as super-villain Lex Luthor in the “Man of Steel” sequel: “Rio 2 doesn’t feel like an extension of the first film; it’s something totally different. And I love playing Blu because he’s such a funny and sweet guy.”

“Rio 2” in 2D and 3D opens April 9 (Saturday) in more than 100 screens nationwide from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

For the first time ever, Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang we know and love from Charles Schulz's timeless "Peanuts" comic strip will be making their big-screen debut; like they've never been seen before in a CG-Animated Feature film in 3D.

Its first trailer and photo have just been released, trailer link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI7QEvNxoBE&list=UU-JrjBL_iZAn5wjEsw9nRYA

The comic strip, Peanuts, read everyday by 355 million people since its debut, will mark its 65th anniversary upon the release of the movie in November 2015.

In previously released related news, Steve Martino will direct the “Peanuts” feature; previously, he brought to the big screen (with Jimmy Hayward) Fox/Blue Sky’s “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” Martino also directed (with Michael Thurmeier) Fox’s recent box-office smash “Ice Age: Continental Drift.” The screenplay is by Craig Schulz and the writing team of Bryan Schulz & Cornelius Uliano. Craig Schulz and Bryan Schulz, respectively Mr. Schulz’s son and grandson, along with Uliano are producing.

Also playing a key role in the deal was Neil Cole, chief executive officer and president of Iconix Brand Group (NASDAQ: ICON), which, in a joint venture with Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, formed Peanuts Worldwide in 2010, the home to the global “Peanuts” property.

Twentieth Century Fox Animation director of development Ralph Millero worked closely with Morrison and with the Schulz estate in securing the rights to the property.

“This is a momentous step for the Peanuts brand. The beloved characters, Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the whole gang resonate with multiple generations all over the world,” commented Neil Cole, CEO, Iconix Brand Group. “This film will give us a new medium in which to engage consumers globally and showcase the power of the Peanuts brand, ” added Cole.

Chris Evans reprises his role as the iconic Super Hero Steve Rogers in Marvel's “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

“In this film a good amount of time has passed since the events with The Avengers, so Steve Rogers has had time to process what has happened to him,” says director Anthony Russo. “As the world’s greatest soldier, Cap moves on from the U.S. Army and goes to work for S.H.I.E.L.D., which creates a conflict in him because S.H.I.E.L.D. is a complicated spy organization that deals in grays and clandestine motivation, and that’s not who Cap really is.”

For Chris Evans the grounded and gritty tone of the script played to the strength and sensibilities of the title character. “Cap doesn’t fly; he doesn’t shoot lightning bolts,” informs Evans. “He punches and kicks, so with that type of combat, to make it cool you have the liberty to get grittier. It feels a little more voyeuristic, a little more documentary style, and it just has a rougher feel as opposed to most Super Hero films that tend to be a bit glossier.”

Evans continues, “As far as the character goes, Steve Rogers is now entrenched in the modern world. All of the people he knew are gone and there are many things that he struggles to understand. I always have interpreted Captain America as having a certain sense of loneliness given the fact that everyone knows who he is, but he doesn’t know anyone. Because of that dynamic, I think he’s a little suspicious of people’s motives when they approach him.”

Producer Kevin Feige comments on having Evans suit up again as Captain America: “It’s great because Chris Evans is such a good actor and is growing into this part and is embracing this part in such a great way that we get to see those other sides of Steve as he navigates this world of grays when he came from a place where it was very clear who the good guys were and who the bad guys were.”

“Chris Evans is one of the more technically gifted actors we’ve ever worked with; he’s easy to direct because he’s a self-corrector,” comments director Joe Russo. “He’s extremely vigilant about the truthfulness of his performance. What I think is almost impossible to convey about Steve Rogers, which I think Chris does amazingly well, is he layers the character with a combination of machismo and morality. He’s made the character very complex; Steve craves a simple code, but it’s difficult for him to find clarity in the modern world. Chris brought in wonderful layers of confusion and pathos, without losing any of the grit and purpose of the character.”

Chris Evans has equal praise for his directors, whose knowledge of both comic books and films impressed him. “They have a real healthy knowledge and love for comic books, which I think is a good foundation, and they have an encyclopedic knowledge of film. When you watch playback and they reference other films in comparison to what this shot looks like, it is spot on. These guys really know their movies and that’s comforting.”

New Stealth Suit

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” gives the Captain a new stealth suit which for Evans was a big improvement from “Marvel’s The Avengers.” “The new suit is great and I really love it,” says Evans. “It’s this kind of cool navy blue that looks really utilitarian and moves very well, which really makes shooting the film a much more enjoyable experience.”

“We wanted Cap’s outfit to feel like it had a Kevlar component to it that would protect him; functional body armor, not a costume,” adds Anthony Russo. “If he were going into combat situations in the real world, what would he be wearing? Military armor.”

Marvel’s internal visual developer Ryan Meinerding elaborates on the process of bringing Captain America stylistically into present day. “For Captain America’s stealth suit, a lot of it came down to taking another suit from the comics—the super soldier suit —and just trying to make that into a reality,” says Meinerding. “We don’t usually try to take too many liberties with the costume design, so when the comics present a more realistic take on a look, we just usually jump on that and make it a reality. The stealth suit is a little bit easier in terms of design because it’s not as brightly colored and it’s a little darker.”

Meinerding continues, “With a traditional Captain America suit you’re dealing with red white and blue and stars and stripes and it really becomes all about the midsection which makes it’s hard to draw your eyes anywhere else. With the stealth suit you have stripes and the star across the chest, which really makes him look broad and big without really having to work too hard at it. It’s actually kind of an easier costume to work on than a traditional Captain America costume and I think it’s a really great look for him.”

Commenting on Captain America’s look this time around, Kevin Feige says, “We like giving him an unmistakably contemporary outfit for much of the movie to represent his new role in the new era in which he’s found himself and is forced to live in, working alongside the other agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. It’s sleeker; it’s a little tighter and it’s much more modern.”

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier" opens in the Philippines on March 26, 2014, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

In addition to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Guardians of the Galaxy" on August 1, 2014; "Avengers: Age of Ultron" on May 1, 2015; and "Ant-Man" on July 17, 2015.

The final international trailer for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” has just been launched by Columbia Pictures which can now be viewed here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG8wODEpR3c&feature=youtu.be.

Synopsis: We’ve always known that Spider-Man’s most important conflict has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” Peter Parker finds that his greatest battle is about to begin.

It’s great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there’s no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: Oscorp.

The film, directed by Marc Webb from a screen story and screenplay by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & Jeff Pinkner based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach.

(Be the first to see the defining moment in Peter Parker’s journey! Opening across the Philippines on April 30, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.)