Two powerhouses in championing animal welfare and responsible pet ownership – Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) and Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF) are once again teaming up, this time, with a live return of the much-awaited Run Fur Life 2022, which is happening on September 25, 2022, 5 a.m., at Bridgetowne, Pasig City.
Now, after two years of just having a virtual run at home, Run Fur Life 2022 is set to make its return in RLC’s Bridgetowne, with much festivity as both dog owners and their furbabies run together in a beautiful open space to raise funds for a cause. There will be cute puppies in colorful leash, agile big dogs making their humans proud, a lot of giggling and laughing by pet owners while the rest of the canines scramble in their little paws—but most of all, there will be a common goal of raising funds.
Run Fur Life, which started in 2016, is a fundraising run for the benefit of maltreated, abandoned, and homeless dogs that are being rescued and rehabilitated by AKF. Aside from providing for the needs of shelter animals, it is also raising awareness about animal cruelty, ending dog meat trade, reducing the number of stray cats and dogs in the country through spay and neutering, and responsible pet ownership.
And to make the live return of Run Fur Life more exciting, what better way than to do it at Bridgetowne Destination Estate, a 30.6-hectare fully-integrated development connecting two cities, Quezon City and Pasig City, through an iconic 200-meter bridge. Bridgetowne has plenty of space for all kinds of family and community-bonding activities. Recognizing the importance of pets to every family, it is poised to be filled pet parks, pet-friendly condominiums, green spaces and other pet-welcoming establishments. It’s also soon to be the home of Bridgetowne Obstacle Park that’s said to be the biggest permanent obstacle facility of its kind in the world, as well as the 105-meter x 65-meter Bridgetowne Football Field that’s certified with the standards of Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). All these facilities are being overlooked by “The Victor,” a 20-storey -high art installation by Filipino-American artist Jefrë Manuel Figueras. The piece, undoubtedly, symbolizes the Filipinos’ victory and unity—which are also both important values in making Run Fur Life 2022 a success.
It’s time to run together for a better life. If you’re interested to join, have some quality time with your pets and fellow dog owners, or better yet, help raise funds to give other animals a better life, register and buy a race kit for only P900. This includes a drawstring bag with your race shirt, a cap, face mask, doggie bandana, alcohol dispenser, foldable water bottle, race bib, and raffle stub. Purchase of race kit includes sponsorship of a rescue cat or dog for one month.
Max’s Restaurant, the iconic Filipino restaurant chain famous for its Sarap-to-the-Bones® Fried Chicken is excited and can’t wait for its upcoming 77th anniversary this October, and that’s why it’s already bringing back the much-anticipated All-You-Can. Diners can enjoy this early celebration surprise on Sept 16-18 and 23-25.
Weekends just got better because each plate comes with the following Max’s favorites to maximize everyone’s dining experience.
Sarap-to-The-Bones Fried Chicken: Two piece Fried Chicken best enjoyed with Max’s Banana Ketchup with a dash of hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
Max’s Sizzling Tofu: Delectable tofu cubes with chopped onions and bell peppers, sauteed in a special sauce, and topped with chili.
Chicken Sisig: A flavorful mix of chopped Max’s Fried Chicken and chicken liver, topped with chili, onions, and celery.
Chicken Lumpiang Shanghai: Tasty ground chicken and select spices rolled in lumpia wrapper and deep-fried to perfection.
Each serving also comes with plain rice to complete the hefty meal. All-You-Can plate will be refilled after first serving is consumed. The offer is valid for dine-in transactions only in all stores nationwide.
For more information, visit the official Facebook page at @MaxsRestaurant and use the hashtags #MaxsAllYouCan and #EveryDayToTheMax
Always make a scene. Watch the new trailer for Paramount Pictures’ Babylon starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva. In cinemas across the Philippines January 2023.
Trailer courtesy of Paramount Pictures International
To coincide with the trailer launch, Paramount has also revealed the character posters of the principal cast. Check them out below.
Paramount Pictures Presents A Marc Platt / Wild Chickens / Organism Pictures Production A Damien Chazelle Film BABYLON.
Posters courtesy of Paramount Pictures International
From Damien Chazelle, BABYLON is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Jean Smart. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.
Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, produced by Marc Platt, Matthew Plouffe, Olivia Hamilton, executive produced by Michael Beugg, Tobey Maguire, Wyck Godfrey, Helen Estabrook, Adam Siegel
Posters courtesy of Paramount Pictures International
Starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, P.J. Byrne, Lukas Haas, Olivia Hamilton, Tobey Maguire, Max Minghella, Rory Scovel, Katherine Waterston, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Eric Roberts, Ethan Suplee, Samara Weaving, Olivia Wilde
Babylon is distributed in the Philippines by Paramount Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Connect with #BabylonMovie and tag @paramountpicsph
As it marks its 53rd year this September and emerges from the two-year pandemic, the Cultural Center of the Philippines opened the doors of the new Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box) on September 8 with an inaugural show featuring excerpts of the first performance season.
Slated at the new venue are the CCP Special Concert Series, Tanghalang Pilipino’s Anak Datu, CCP Triple Threats Series, Ang Dakilang Teatro ng Daigdig, Carousel and Ternocon.
Coming 30 years after the last building was erected in the complex, the new state-of-the-art and world-class performing arts space represents CCP’s leap into the future, keeping it relevant with the times.
At the inauguration, the new building was blessed in Christian and Muslim rites; its logo unveiled as well.
The logo, according to B + C, the company that designed it, extracted its shape and colors from Philippine indigenous weaves. “It represents the bold new works that will take place at the venue—progressive, experimental, fluid, contemporary. In effect, ‘out of the box’.”
The new building takes its name from the businessman whose generosity made it possible and from the theater term that refers to a performance space, bound by four walls, but offering both flexibility and versatility, with seats, and painted black.
Businessman Ignacio Gimenez, once a scholar of National Artist for Theater Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero, donated the building to CCP to honor his mentor as his way of giving back to the Filipino people, and to encourage local business community leaders to engage more in Philippine theater. Together with his brother Roberto Olanday, the funding for the construction of the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez was made possible.
The building took three years to finish with the support and administrative assistance of the Leandro V. Locsin Partners. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in January 2016 and construction of the building commenced in 2017.
In 2019, delegates to the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres’ Manila Conference hosted by the CCP went on a Hard Hat tour to get a glimpse of this modern theater then still in the making.
Located on the corner of Jalandoni and Sotto Streets, the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box) is a three-level structure with a flexible theater expanse that can be adjusted to artistic and technical needs of live productions of concerts, recitals, plays, and other live events, such as arts conventions, workshops, and exhibitions.
Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box) boasts of at least four flexible stage and seating configurations, a removable trap door, a portable dance floor, and a high-end sound and light technology system. Its catwalk offers provisions to accommodate lighting, sound, video equipment, and additional drapery. It also has various orchestra and choral risers, as well as aluminum trusses, which can be used for rigging stage sets and designs. The loading dock can accommodate a 20-foot container truck. A carpentry area with a high ceiling can accommodate tall scenic pieces. An acoustically treated door separates the Carpentry Area from the Performance space.
The new building is compliant with the Magna Carta for the Disabled. It is equipped with high-speed data/internet or ethernet connection that can be used to enhance audience experiences.
The inauguration of the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez is a welcome development to the Center as the CCP Main Building will be closed for rehabilitation from 2023-2024.
For more information, visit the CCP (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates.
The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar®-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for…
The Agojie warriors were made up of women with varied backgrounds from villages across the region, who came together to form an unbreakable sisterhood. As director Gina Prince-Bythewood prepared to shoot in South Africa, she sought to mirror that in her cast. “I wanted to build an ensemble that represented the incredible diversity of our Diaspora,” she says. “We have Thuso Mbedu, who is from South Africa; Lashana Lynch, who’s Jamaican; and Sheila Atim, who comes from the UK, but is also Ugandan. We have women from West Africa, and African American women. That was all intentional, to bring us all together to tell the story of us. I love the energy that it brought to set.”
Viola Davis & John Boyega (Courtesy of Columbia Pictures)
Viola Davis is Nanisca, the Agojie general. “Nanisca is the leader, the grizzled warrior, the woman who has quietly risen in the ranks to a level of power. She understands how to play the political game in her world,” explains producer Dana Stevens. “She has the job to train younger warriors to come up under her to protect those young women as well to train them in a way that they can protect themselves on the battlefield.”
Thuso Mbedu is Nawi. In a village outside the walls of the palace is Nawi, a young, orphaned girl who has had to learn self-sufficiency, she has resisted all of her adoptive father’s attempts to have her married off. When he realizes that her fate is to never marry or have children, he delivers her to the palace, where she is handed over to the Agojie.
Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch & Sheila Atim (Courtesy of Columbia Pictures)
Lashana Lynch is Izogie. At the palace, Nawi meets Izogie, an Agojie lieutenant who also had entered the sisterhood under troubled circumstances, and – identifying with Nawi – nurtures and mentors the young girl. “In order for a Black woman to be strong – it comes from something,” says Lynch. “It comes from vulnerability, it comes from pain, it comes from trauma – and I think they did such a great job in balancing this real, strong, fierce, skilled woman, with a woman who has to advocate for herself once she’s empowered by her chosen family.”
Sheila Atim is Amenza. Once Nanisca’s captive servant, Amenza is now the general’s right hand in the Agojie army. As a result of their long-standing friendship, Amenza and Nanisca share a strong bond and a deep secret.
‘The Woman King’ Ensemble (Courtesy of Columbia Pictures)
John Boyega is King Ghezo. Having recently staged a successful coup – with the help of the Agojie warriors – which deposed his brother from his reign, Ghezo is new to the throne. “He is a conflicted young king who is dealing with the variance of decisions,” says Boyega. “This is a very complicated time in his history. After a controversial rise to the throne, he’s at a point where leadership and decision-making is going to mean everything for the future of the Dahomey people.”
The Woman King is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #TheWomanKing
When Harry Styles had his first musical fame, he could have made a smooth transition into Hollywood leading man roles. But he’s never had any interest in doing things the easy way. Instead, he made his film debut as a character actor, with a supporting role in 2017’s “Dunkirk,” the Oscar-nominated World War II drama from Christopher Nolan.
Styles says of the film, “I think, in general, this is about relationships, and trust, and betrayal, and love, and passion, and sex, and the sun, and… Palm Springs.”
Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
In “Don’t Worry Darling,” Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Styles) are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950’s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Chris Pine) anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia. But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why.
Director Olivia Wilde says, “Casting Jack was really tricky, because we wanted to find someone who would be a worthy scene partner to Florence Pugh. We also wanted someone who wasn’t what we might typically identify as a 1950s traditional man. We wanted their relationship to seem singular. That he wasn’t a stereotypical ‘master of the house,’ that their love seemed genuine, authentic and warm—you’d immediately recognize it to be special within Victory. Jack and Alice are different.”
Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Having seen “Dunkirk” and been impressed with the performance of Harry Styles, Wilde inquired after his availability for the project. “I thought, here was someone who has tremendous presence, intelligence, and honestly, fearlessness.”
After meeting with filmmakers, Styles signed on to play the role, with mutual excitement between Styles and Pugh to inhabit the couple at the center of the movie.
Styles explains, “Jack Chambers is a husband. He loves his wife, and he wants to go to work and then come home and hang out with Alice. In that way, he’s pretty run-of-the-mill. It’s the very traditional stereotype of an old-school, perfect marriage. While he works, she’s at home, cleaning and cooking. But, he loves his wife more than anything in the world. I think they’re obsessed with each other. It’s kind of an ‘us against the world’ relationship.”
Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
For Styles, that world is one of both lulling, seductive beauty and an opportunity cost: “Victory represents the sheltered kind of life that allows you to stay in your ultimate comfort zone. You can ignore all the problems in the world, and some people are okay with that. I think for everyone, it’s a safe, easy, comfortable little bubble. They think everything’s perfect, but the world isn’t like that. It has consequences. People inside those kind of bubbles, they don’t want to know about the consequences. I think that’s what Victory represents—a willingness to be ignorant to the rest of the world.”
A New Line Cinema presentation, “Don’t Worry Darling” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set to open in cinemas across the Philippines on September 28. Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #DontWorryDarling
At the center of “Where the Crawdads Sing“ is Kya Clark (Daisy Edgar-Jones) – “the marsh girl” – about whom little is known and much is assumed. When Chase Andrews, once the town’s star quarterback and now heir apparent to a successful auto shop, is found dead in the marsh, most of the townspeople are quick to blame Kya. As local defense attorney Tom Milton tries to save Kya’s life, Kya slowly reveals her mysteries – abandoned by her family and left to make a life for herself in the marsh… the two loves that shaped her past… and the lengths that creatures of nature will go to survive.
“The main thing I love about Kya is how resilient she is,” says Daisy Edgar-Jones. “Her relationship with Chase ends on bad terms. When Chase is found dead in the marsh, Kya goes on trial for his murder. All eyes are on her during the trial, yet she continues to show incredible resilience and strength, and maintains her quiet curiosity and connection with the natural world.”
Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
“Kya says there’s no dark side to nature, just inventive ways to endure,” adds Edgar-Jones. “For Kya, having suffered so much abuse from her family and people leaving her, the one thing that always stuck was nature. It always there for her and I think it became her family.”
“Daisy Edgar-Jones is a once-in-a-lifetime talent,” says producer Reese Witherspoon. “She can morph herself into so many different characters. You feel her vulnerability and her ferocity in this performance. Daisy and [director] Olivia Newman worked together to create a performance that sometimes is very, very small and internal, and other times is rage-filled and ferocious. There’s no artifice, there’s no lying, she just becomes the character. And I have to say, I’m pretty tough on Southern accents, and Daisy just fell into it so beautifully, with a real respect for the language and the way that Delia wrote.”
Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
To prepare for the role, Edgar-Jones – a Londoner by birth – would have to remake herself into Kya Clark: her physical strength, her experience boating in the marsh, her talent for drawing and painting, and, of course, her Carolina accent.
“I read the book over and over and over,” Edgar-Jones says. “When I got the script, I went through every scene I had, and I wrote out the key parts of the chapter next to the script page, which was really helpful. I learned a lot about boating and the marsh – the wildlife and the landscape.”
Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Edgar-Jones worked with dialect coach Francie Brown to hide her London accent and to speak like a mid-century American woman living on the North Carolina coast. “I love working in accents, because acting in my own voice makes me very self-conscious,” says Edgar-Jones. “Because I play Kya as she ages over several years, it was important to express the subtleties of Kya’s voice as she ages from a higher register at 15 to 20 to 23. That was a real access point for me because there’s a kind of special softness to Kya’s voice that’s different from mine, which was also a really good way to separate myself from the character.”
In cinemas across the Philippines starting September 14, Where the Crawdads Sing is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #CrawdadsMovie
Academy-award winning actress Tilda Swinton and the multi-talented Idris Elba star in “Three Thousand Years of Longing”, directed by George Miller, the film is a sweeping fantasy romantic adventure that trails the adventures of a solitary academic and the magical genie-in-a-bottle.
Swinton and Elba in “Three Years of Longing”
Swinton plays narratologist Dr. Alithea Binnie, someone who studies stories through the ages while Elba takes on the role of Djinn aka Genie. Their worlds intertwine as Dr. Binnie unknowingly picks up a magical bottle from a pile of relics to bring home from her trip. Once settled in her room, she eventually unleashes a genie from the bottle who offers her three wishes in exchange for her freedom. Desperate to gain her trust for his freedom, Djinn takes Dr. Binnie on an epic adventure recalling his 3000 years being in and out of the bottle.
To see the film in a cinema is the filmmakers’ greatest hope for audiences. “When we go into the cinema, it’s a kind of public dreaming,” says Miller. “You are invited into the story, and hopefully caught up in it. Sharing dreams with strangers, on the big screen. We worked so hard on the images and sounds, making them congruent. We tried to tell a story that keeps you leaning forward in your seat and, if it’s any good, to follow you out of the cinema.”
Tilda Swinton as Dr. Binnie in “Three Years of Longing”
“Three Thousand Years of Longing” is not just giving us a good story, it’s also about the importance of stories,” adds Elba. “I’m hoping that we continue to find ingenious ways to engage an audience in a story. You could quite easily sit around the tree, or a fire and tell the story of Alithea meeting the Djinn, and it would still be compelling, but with what George and our team created around it, visually, sonically, is amazing.”
For Tilda Swinton, “even though George wanted to make this film years ago, there’s never been a better time to make this film and for audiences to reconsider how important narrative is in our lives. What happened to us with the pandemic, and other global forces, there’s been a threat to the possibility of us being able to create narratives. We’re getting used to finding a way to renegotiate how we create narratives. Being story-less is not a good place for human beings to be. It is a threat to our mental health. This film is a real opportunity for people to re-evaluate and re-worship story as an essential part of how we work. So, bring on Three Thousand Years of Longing, to reboot the narrative drive in our systems.”
Swinton, Miller & Elba in “Three Years of Longing”
From Go Asia Entertainment, experience wonder in cinemas once again when Three Thousand Years of Longing opens September 14.
The Walt Disney Studios turned up the volume in Hall D23 at the Anaheim Convention Center where thousands of fans gathered at D23 Expo 2022 to be the first to hear big announcements, new details and future plans for Disney Live Action, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. The showcase began in true Disney style with a look back at special moments in Studio history and Cynthia Erivo’s breathtaking performance of the classic Disney song “When You Wish Upon a Star.”
“What a way to kick off the show,” said Alan Bergman, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. “Of course, ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’ was first heard in the animated film ‘Pinocchio’ in 1940. It’s a motto about dreaming big, dreaming the impossible and making those dreams come true. And that’s something we try to do each and every day at the studio.”
Fans in Hall D23 were among the first to see a brand-new logo introduction of the iconic Disney castle—now platinum in honor of Disney’s 100 Years of Wonder celebration. Created by Disney Studios and Industrial Light & Magic, and featuring an all-new arrangement of “When You Wish Upon a Star” by award-winning composer Christophe Beck (“Frozen,” “WandaVision”), the new Disney castle introduction will play in front of all Disney theatrical and streaming releases starting this fall.
Bergman called on Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production (Disney Live Action); Pete Docter, chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios; and Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios to walk fans through a powerful lineup of streaming and theatrical titles. The event included the following theatrical titles’ highlights.
DISNEY LIVE ACTION
· “HAUNTED MANSION” director Justin Simien—who actually used to work at Disneyland—joined Bailey to discuss the ghostly adventure. Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, “Haunted Mansion” is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters. They shared a sneak peek of the film exclusively with the D23 Expo crowd, then welcomed the queen of scary movies, Jamie Lee Curtis, who made an unforgettable entrance aboard a Haunted Mansion doom buggy. Curtis plays Madame Leota in the film, which releases next year.
· “MUFASA: THE LION KING,” a prequel to “The Lion King,” won’t release until 2024, but director Barry Jenkins was on hand to show a never-before-seen sneak peek and share a little about the film, which is currently in production. Told in flashbacks—Rafiki, Timon and Pumbaa tell the story of Mufasa to a young lion cub—“Mufasa” reveals the rise of one of the greatest kings of the Pride Lands.
· “SNOW WHITE” is a live-action reimagining of the classic tale starring Rachel Zegler in the title role and Gal Gadot as Snow White’s Stepmother, The Queen. The film’s two stars joined Bailey to talk about their roles and to share a very early glimpse at the iconic characters in the 2024 film, which is directed by Marc Webb, produced by Marc Platt and features new songs by Tony®-, Grammy®- and Oscar®-winning songwriters Pasek and Paul.
· “THE LITTLE MERMAID” director Rob Marshall took a break from post-production under the sea to share more about the live-action version of the beloved tale. He played the “Part of Your World” sequence for fans in Hall D23 and invited on stage Ariel herself, Halle Bailey, who shared her excitement about her new role. Marshall concluded by introducing the new teaser trailer, available worldwide today. Featuring fan-favorite songs plus four new songs penned by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the feature film also stars Melissa McCarthy as Ursula and Javier Bardem as Triton. “The Little Mermaid” swims onto the big screen next summer.
PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS
Pixar’s Pete Docter was excited to share the upcoming slate for the Emeryville-based animation studio. “These last few years have been a time of great change in the world,” said Docter. “And it’s led us at Pixar to think about the future. Or, if I’m channeling my inner Joe from ‘Soul,’ I’d ask: ‘Why are we here? What’s our purpose?’ Well, for us, it’s to tell great animated stories. Whether those are theatrical feature films, streaming series or shorts, we think telling stories is foundational to who we are as people. They really define us. And we believe in the power of animation to capture and reflect the stories of our own lives.”
First up, filmmakers Peter Sohn and Denise Ream joined Docter on stageto discuss “ELEMENTAL,” an all-new, original feature film releasing in June 2023. Sohn, who directs the film, shared the personal inspiration behind the film—a story of immigrants pursuing dreams in beautiful neighborhoods where language and cultures come together. Filmmakers introduced the characters in “Elemental,” which is set in a city where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together. Ember is a tough and fiery young woman, and Wade is a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy. Helping bring them to life are Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie, who were warmly welcomed to the Hall D23 stage. Audience members got an exclusive look at the film and received a mini-poster featuring Ember and Wade.
Before Docter could wrap Pixar’s portion of the show, he heard a voice from inside his head. Fortunately, it was actually the voice of Joy, Amy Poehler, who arrived on stage to huge applause—especially when she informed the audience that “INSIDE OUT 2” is in the works at Pixar. Director Kelsey Mann, producer Mark Nielsen and writer Meg LeFauve are hard at work on the all-new adventure inside the head of now-teenager Riley—who may or may not be feeling all kinds of new Emotions. “Inside Out 2,”the follow-up to 2015’s Oscar®- and Golden Globe®-winning feature film, is slated for release Summer 2024.
WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee received a warm welcome from fans who were delighted to hear details about the studio’s plans for the yearlong 100-year anniversary celebration. “At Walt Disney Animation Studios, the studio that started it all, on the eve of our 100th anniversary, we see today as a moment of privilege and promise,” said Lee. “A privilege to be stewards of a studio and a dream that Walt and his brother, Roy, started a century ago. And a promise to continue to take risks in our storytelling—and to explore and expand and turn the possible into the actual, just as Walt did.”
Lee then set the tone for Disney Animation’s next feature film, introducing the filmmakers behind “STRANGE WORLD.” Director Don Hall and co-director/ screenwriter Qui Nguyen revealed their personal connections to the film that’s about an incredible family who must get past their differences to save a strange world full of danger and surprises. The audience was treated to an all-new trailer from Disney Animation’s 61st feature film before voice cast members Jake Gyllenhaal (Searcher Clade), Dennis Quaid (Jaeger Clade), Jaboukie Young-White (Ethan Clade) and Lucy Liu (Callisto Mal) joined the festivities. Fans also got a glimpse at an action-packed sequence from the film and received an exclusive poster. Produced by Roy Conli, “Strange World” also features the voice of Gabrielle Union (Meridian). The film opens in theaters Nov. 23, 2022.
In the finale moment of the presentation, Lee returned to the stage to officially unveil Disney Animation’s next original feature film, “WISH,” set to release Fall 2023, during the Studio’s 100th year. A film that could only come from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the epic animated musical is inspired by the legacy of films from the studio and asks the question: “How did the wishing star, upon which so many characters wished, come to be?” Directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn outlined the story, which is set in Rosas, the kingdom of wishes where wishes can literally come true. Attendees were introduced to 17-year-old Asha—an optimist with a sharp wit who cares endlessly about her community. In a moment of desperation, Asha makes an impassioned plea to the stars, which is answered by a cosmic force, a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, they face the most formidable of foes to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen. Disney Animation good-luck-charm Alan Tudyk joined filmmakers on stage to share an animation test for his newest character, a goat named Valentino. Buck, Veerasunthorn and Lee then introduced the voice of Asha, actress Ariana DeBose, who brought down the house singing an all-new original song written by Julia Michaels, who’s writing all of the songs for “Wish.” DeBose’s captivating performance of “More for Us” closed the showcase in signature Disney style. Lee is a writer on the film, Peter Del Vecho produces and Juan Pablo Reyes co-produces.
The Max Original series, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin has been renewed for a second season. Co-created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lindsay Calhoon Bring, the ten-episode first season, which debuted in July of this year, is currently available to stream on HBO GO.
From Warner Bros. Television and Alloy Entertainment, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin has been called “one of the best horror TV shows of the past two decades” by Bloody Disgusting and Collider has praised it as “incredibly thrilling and exciting.” Variety says, “It quickly asserts itself as a visceral nightmare of a teen slasher” and The Wrap notes the show’s “greatest strength, outside of the casting and characterization: it wears its horror roots on its sleeve.”
Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max quote: “We are so proud of the incredible response both critically and from fans that Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin has received. Viewers have embraced our new generation of Liars, and Roberto and Lindsay’s brilliantly dark, horror-fueled take on this iconic franchise. Along with Alloy and Warner Bros. Television, we are thrilled to continue the Pretty Little Liars legacy.”
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lindsay Calhoon Bring quote: “We are beyond excited to continue telling stories with our amazing group of little liars — exploring their friendships, their romances, their secrets, and their status as scream queens supreme! Eternal thanks to the fans who have embraced this new, horror-version of Pretty Little Liars — which we’ll be continuing, of course — as well as our partners at HBO Max, Warner Bros. Television, and Alloy Entertainment. As Tabby would say, “There’s a sequel in the offing!”
Season 1: Twenty years ago, a series of tragic events almost ripped the blue-collar town of Millwood apart. Now, in present day, a disparate group of teen girls — a brand-new set of Little Liars — find themselves tormented by an unknown Assailant and made to pay for the secret sin committed by their parents two decades ago…as well as their own. In the dark, coming-of-age, horror-tinged drama Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, we find ourselves miles away from Rosewood, but within the existing Pretty Little Liars universe — in a brand-new town, with a new generation of Little Liars.
Season 1 cast: Bailee Madison, Chandler Kinney, Zaria, Malia Pyles, Maia Reficco, Mallory Bechtel, Sharon Leal, Elena Goode, Eric Johnson, Alex Aiono and Lea Salonga.
Season 1 credits:Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin is from executive producer/writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and co-executive producer/writer Lindsay Calhoon Bring (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina). The series is produced by Aguirre-Sacasa’s Muckle Man Productions and Alloy Entertainment (Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, The Vampire Diaries) in association with Warner Bros. Television. I. Marlene King (who developed the original Pretty Little Liars), Michael Grassi, Caroline Baron, and Alloy’s Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo are also executive producers of the series, which is based upon Alloy’s bestselling series of books by Sara Shepard. Jimmy Gibbons serves as a producer for Muckle Man Productions.
Stream or download Season 1 of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin on HBO GO. All seven seasons of the original Pretty Little Liars are also available on HBO GO. Subscribe to HBO GO online at https://www.hbogoasia.ph/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store. Or access HBO GO via Cignal, Globe and Skycable. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
