After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Adam Driver) quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth…65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive.
From the writers of A Quiet Place and producer Sam Raimi comes 65, a sci-fi thriller starring Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, and Chloe Coleman. Written and directed by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods and produced by Sam Raimi, Deborah Liebling and Zainab Azizi. Also produced by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.
65 is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #65movie
Experience a unique family cinematic experience with Cinema Under the Stars (CUTS), the CCP’s hybrid outdoor cinema, slated on December 17 to 18, 2022, at the CCP Front Lawn.
The hybrid cinema program will have special screenings of selected Cinemalaya and Gawad Alternatibo, as well as films from the CCP Collection. With the limitations brought about by the past year’s quarantine protocols amidst the pandemic, CCP aims to adapt and re-imagine a new and better normal for the film, art, and live-events industries and so this project was designed to be inclusive, productive, and resourcefully planned to overcome those.
On December 17, 6pm, catch the back-to-back screenings of Papetir by Darwin Alegre Noivicio, Andong by Rommel “Milo” Tolentino, and Pepot Artista by Doy del Mundo.
In the short film Papetir, a ventriloquist suddenly finds himself talking with his past during his performance. Will he continue the conversation or remain tight-lipped from a voice long kept?
Short film Andong is a story about pre-juvenile obsession, family dynamics, and the real value of a hard-fought twenty pesos. It follows an obsessed boy who goes into a mad frenzy over the prospect of finally landing the much-coveted love-of-his-life. For a poor boy who only yearns for one thing – and nothing more in his life – this break is, without a doubt, the answer to all his prayers, if only he can convince his mother to give him 20 pesos.
Pepot Artista is a full-length film that focuses on a ten-year-old boy whose dream is to become a movie star. Pepot, the dreamer, is surrounded by people who are equally dazzled by the movie world. The film explores the penchant of Pinoys for entertainment in the midst of serious social problems.
The 8:30pm screenings on December 17 features Si Oddie by Maria Kydylee Torato, Aliens Ata by Karl Glenn Barit, and Ani by Kim Zuñiga and Sandro Del Rosario.
Si Oddie follows a delivery rider who struggles to find his untraceable customer while racing against time in a life and death situation. After asking for an additional delivery to pay for his mother’s medical needs, delivery rider Oddie ends up looking for an oddly unlocatable customer and encounters several people related to her until he crosses paths with someone who will change his day-to-day life as a delivery rider.
In Aliens Ata, two young brothers deal with the sudden loss of their father. Their mother who works overseas returns home for the funeral but will have to depart for work again soon. For the kids, some things are hard to grasp and look to the sky for answers. Could it be aliens?
Sci-fi full-length film Ani is about an orphaned boy Mithi who moves to a farm to live with his estranged grandfather Mauricio. When the old man falls ill, and as the crops in their farm seem to fall ill with him, the boy embarks on a quest with his malfunctioning robot to search for magical grains that he believes can save the man’s life.
Gawad Alternatibo films take the spotlight on December 18, 4pm. Featured short films include: Wetsitales: Aponibonilayen and the Sun by Jade Dandan Evangelista; Maris by Gabb Gantala; Ang Liwanag ng Bakunawa by Alvin Gasga and Elisha Domingo; Mga Sisiw sa Kagubatan by Vahn Leinard Pascual; My Mamily by Cha Roque.
Wetsitales: Aponibonilayen and the Sun follows the unplanned trip to the heavens of a lovely maiden and how she met the man of her life, Ini-init. This story is an enchanted adventure mixed with the culture and traditions of the Tinguian Tribe.
In Maris, two bestfriends talk about their experiences in studying in private and public schools. One friend remembers his art teacher, which starts an argument between the two.
Ang Liwanag ng Bakunawa is a story of an albino girl who feels like an outcast and unwanted by her peers. One day, she chanced upon an unlikely friend who filled her days with warmth, adventure and mystery. A tale of love so steadfast, it weathers the storm.
In Mga Sisiw sa Kagubatan, a chick who lives in the forest, together with its own community, aims to live peacefully but a hungry giant keeps on lurking around their town and brings chaos and destruction.
My Mamily is a short animated film about the struggles and triumphs of a lesbian family as seen through the eyes of a child. It is a reflection of how children are born non-judgmental and how adults, schools, and other institutions are responsible for raising children who are accepting of differences. My Mamily provides a peek into diverse kinds of families and how above everything, love is what makes a family.
On December 18, 6pm, watch selected Cinemalaya 2022 entries See You, George! by Mark Moneda, Kwits by Raz dela Torre, and Batsoy by Ronald Batallones.
In See You, George, a group of hospital workers takes a trip down memory lane to honor the life of one of their departed colleagues. The solemn gathering suddenly turns into a recollection of dark and haunting memories.
Kwits follows a man who tries to get by in the time of COVID-19 with the simplest of goals: to get his ayuda. After the lockdown silenced the Higantes festivities, Tupe finds himself jobless and isolated. He sees a glimmer of hope when he qualifies to receive financial help from the government. But getting his hands on that money is not as easy as he thought it would be.
Batsoy tells about two young siblings who go on a fantastical adventure to satiate their much-coveted and delectable craving for batsoy. After selling firewood for their basic needs, siblings Toto and Nonoy go and buy batsoy, the food that the younger brother has been craving the most. Mt. Manaphag, which faces the town of San Dionisio, becomes the silent witness to their journey to satisfy their craving. Their adventure will ultimately bring viewers to a world of magic, fantasy and reality.
Cinema Under the Stars is free to the public. Riders, bikers, joggers, and walkers are all welcome. Follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates.
The next Spider-Man movie is coming to Philippine cinemas in 2023. Watch the new trailer for Columbia Pictures’ Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse below.
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, the screenplay is by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller and David Callaham, based on the MARVEL Comic Books.
Produced by Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Christina Steinberg.
The film’s cast is led by Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya, Jason Schwartzman, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Greta Lee, Rachel Dratch, Jorma Taccone, Shea Whigham and Oscar Isaac
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #SpiderVerse
Director Damien Chazelle’s Babylon, the lavish and provocative epic tale about early Hollywood has just received five Golden Globe nominations including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Watch the film’s “Welcome to Babylon” featurette below:
Three of its principal cast members scored major acting nominations: Best Actress for Margot Robbie (as Nellie LaRoy, an unknown actress who is trying to get her big break into show business), Best Actor for Mexico’s Diego Calva (as Manny Torres, a young dreamer who will literally do anything for a Hollywood career) and Best Supporting Actor for Brad Pitt (as Jack Conrad, a silent movie star at the top of his game).
Brad Pitt plays Jack Conrad in Babylon from Paramount Pictures.
The film’s haunting music also captured a Best Original Score nomination for composer Justin Hurwitz.
Babylon opens in theaters across the Philippines on February 1st, 2023.
Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in Babylon from Paramount Pictures.
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 Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo and Li Jun Li. 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.
Paramount Pictures presents in association with C2 Motion Picture Group, a Marc Platt / Wild Chickens / Organism Pictures Production, a Damien Chazelle Film, Babylon. Written and Directed by Damien Chazelle. Produced by Marc Platt, p.g.a., Matthew Plouffe, p.g.a., Olivia Hamilton, p.g.a. Executive Produced by Michael Beugg, Tobey Maguire, Wyck Godfrey, Helen Estabrook, Adam Siegel, Jason Cloth and Dave Caplan.
Babylon stars 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. Connect with #BabylonMovie and tag @paramountpicsph
After thirteen years since it premiered in cinemas and became the highest-grossing film of all time, James Cameron’s Avataris finally heading back to theaters through its sequel Avatar: The Way of Water.
Tailored for the ultimate immersive experience just like the first one, the epic sci-fi adventure will arrive in theaters this December 14, just a few months after the remastered version of the first movie was re-released in cinemas. This time, the sequel will follow the Sully family and the new threats they must face in Pandora, while we get to see more of their world’s seascapes and underwater splendor.
But before we take a dive back into Pandora and see once more its mesmerizing world and inhabitants, we got to be part of a virtual press conference for the film. The press conference was joined by director James Cameron, producer Jon Landau, and the film’s main cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang, who talked about the creation of the much-anticipated sequel for the film that broke blockbuster records.
Check out the highlights of the press conference below:
What was the moment that you knew we were going to go back to Pandora?
James Cameron: Well, that’s an interesting question, because it seems obvious to everyone, ‘oh, you just made a bunch of money, do a sequel,’ right? Well, Stephen Spielberg didn’t do a sequel to ‘E.T.,’ highest grossing film in its time, right? It’s not a no-brainer. Do you want to call down the lightning strike again in the same spot? You know, it’s a lot to live up to. But we have this amazing cast… you know, the amazing cast that returned, and we figured out a way to bring [Sigourney] back, as well, even though her character from the first film dies, obviously.
And we also had this amazing family of artists and troupe players, all the other actors. When you see a crowd scene in this movie of a hundred people, it’s the same ten actors just moved around, right? (Laughter) so it’s a small group and we kind of love each other and enjoy the process. And Kate got to join that, and feel that vibe as well. And that was a big incentive for me, to come back and do this all again.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios
How was that journey of working out where you wanted the story and these characters to go?
James Cameron: I think it’s important for a sequel to honor what the audience loved about the experience the first time. But also to get them off-balance, do things that they don’t expect. There are a lot of surprises in terms of where the story goes in this film, that we’re not putting into the trailers and the TV spots and all that. You kind of have to experience it. But it also goes a lot deeper, in terms of the heart and the emotions, I mean, wouldn’t you guys say? I mean, we were (sure), it was a much simpler story, and the characters were simpler the first time. And I was inspired by the fact that both Zoe and Sam are parents, and I’m a parent of five, and so we wanted to get into the family dynamics, and the responsibilities of having kids. And also what that’s all like from the kid’s perspective right?
What’s exciting for you, about revisiting this world and these characters, and introducing us to new ones?
Jon Landau: Well, the excitement are the themes that Jim writes into his stories. You know, themes are what you leave the theatre with, and this movie has heart, has emotion, and it also has a message again about our world, not just the environment, but about people, about accepting people for their differences. In the movie, Jim wrote in the line, (Speaks Na’vi), ‘I see you.’ And we want people to know that they’re seen, and that to see others that same way.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Can you talk about your characters Jake and Neytiri, where we find them in this sequel, and how did it feel getting back into these characters?
Sam Worthington: Well, to be honest, Jim gave me a script that was Avatar 1.5, that unto itself is amazing and detailed, and full of what they’ve kind of gone through over that gap. And I think it was part of, you know, Jim realized that story was about them being warriors, and taking on the battles of the clans and things like that. But it almost didn’t feel… as [he] said, [he] wanted to explore what this family dynamic is, the natural extension of this love story. But it gave us a good jumping-off point to understand how to fill in that gap that’s missing, you know? To be honest, most people would’ve stuck on that one, but not this guy. It was pretty amazing.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Zoe Saldana: Terrifying. It’s so funny because when something is very similar to you, you can’t see it. It’s just so close to you that it’s not in front of you. And Neytiri and I, in a way, we’ve lived parallel lives. There’s a level of fearlessness and rebellion that I have, I guess as a person, that Neytiri had. And we were able to sort of find kindred in that.
But the leap of falling in love with something outside of you, that challenges you to see something that you’ve never seen before, that has always been her dilemma. To surrender to that, and then to bring forward, you know, fruits of that love… that presents the challenge for her. Because forcing her to grow, it’s forcing her to love something that she’s been taught to hate. And it’s hard, it’s really, really hard.
Also fear. In my personal life, when I became a parent, fear entered my realm. The fear of losing something that you love so much, you know? And you just spend a great deal of your time creating these hypothetical scenarios that are just unimaginable. When I read the second script, that was her, that was Neytiri. But I didn’t see it then. I see it now, because my job wasn’t to see it, my job was to be it.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Quaritch is back but in a different way. Stephen, how was that for you to play this character this way?
Stephen Lang: Oh it was very exciting to come back and I was just so honored to be able to deepen and expand on the vision that Jim had for this character. I think in the first film he’s very, very colorful, he’s got personality, he’s got some great qualities. But essentially he moves through like a mindless shark, in a way. But in this iteration of it, first of all, there’s the absolute magnificent irony that Jim has written, of coming back as the very thing he has been trying to destroy. And having to make the adjustment to that, to adapt to that. And I think it’s just been a total pleasure for me to continue to massage this character and find the depth, and maybe some of the humanity that’s in him. He’s such a warm character, and beloved by so many… (Laughter) You should stop me.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Kate, what was it like for you coming on set, with your work history with James, but also coming on set to this world and to these characters?
Kate Winslet: Well I have to say, with it being Jim, I expected the absolute best of everything. Because it’s precision, it’s thought through, it is thorough, it’s meticulous, and I think the thing that pulled me in most of all, above everything else, is the characters that he’s created. You know, Jim has always written for women, characters who are not just strong, but they are leaders, they lead with their heart, with integrity. They stand in their truth, they own their power. They have physical power that is admirable, and to be part of that, and included, it was just so flattering that Jim asked me, because Jim does not suffer fools, and I knew that he was asking me because he knew I was too damn foolish not to say, ‘oh, you see that in me? Well, guess what… I’m going to show you that I can do exactly that thing, and maybe that thing, and maybe that thing, and maybe that thing.
And of course, he expected no less. So I was just thrilled to be asked. And when I got there, welcomed into this world that was created by these guys and Zoe and Sam, what they did the first time around was to create that heartbeat. You know, it’s one thing for Jim to write it, it’s quite another to find it, and to give it a life and a pulse and real blood in those veins. And it’s really, really extraordinary to be around that. It’s not a performance. It’s not things they came up with on the day. It is a universe. It is a love, it is something that is palpable, and you feel it, you step into that space, it’s an empty space, but it is absolutely loaded with truths and dynamics and pulses that these guys built. They built that, and they shared it, and it’s honestly very, very special to have been part of it.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Sigourney, how did it feel playing the character of Dr. Grace Augustine in the first film, and now the teenage character of Kiri?
Sigourney Weaver: Well, luckily there is a connection, and when we first talked about it, it was 2010, and we just had this idea, a girl who was more comfortable in the forest with the creatures and the flora and the fauna. But I think, you know, all power to Jim, he wanted to create a complex character– wonderful things about her, but she also has some deficits. And so I loved that I had the opportunity to play someone I consider a real adolescent in most ways, and then she has these other bright spots that she’s learning about.
But I was very honored, too, and thrilled, excited, and terrified. But luckily there was a long time to prepare, and I went to high school classes and a few other things, so I could hear the pitch of their voices, and there’s a big range of who an adolescent is between twelve and fifteen. And once I saw that I was like, okay, I can let Kiri come out. Whoever that is, combined with who I was at fourteen. It was sort of like a muddle. You know, I was this tall when I was eleven. So it gave me so much to work with, and by the time I got there, I just so enjoyed leaving this shell behind and becoming this, sometimes, brat. (Laughter)
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios
What can the fans expect from Jake in the sequel, now that he has found his new journey in love and fatherhood?
Sam Worthington: Well I think in the first one, he says it in the voice-over, ‘open your eyes.’ I think he’s opened his eyes to love, the love of culture, the love of the planet, and the love of Neytiri. I think in this one it is, as I said, it’s the natural extension of that. They have a family, and to be honest, it’s about the protection of that love and that world and that culture, that, I always saw it as the simplest form, you know. And his partner in crime is a very fiery person. He just tries to be the earth, and we just happen to have a lot of water. It’s very elemental.
And I think Jake’s journey has always been taking these parallels of where does he fit into this world, and finding something worth fighting for? And in one, his teenage boys are going through that as well, you know? Teenage boys are displaced, and like most teenagers they’re trying to figure out where they are in the world, and unfortunately, Jake is the perfect person to help them, but maybe as a dad, [sometimes] you can’t find that empathy, or you’re learning to find that empathy, to actually help Lo’ak played by Britain Dalton, and Jamie Flatters who plays Neteyam, and he’s trying to help these boys, and also Kiri, you know?
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios
Avatar: The Way of Waterarrives in cinemas nationwide this December 14. Book in advance and buy your tickets here.
Filipina actress Dolly de Leon has been nominated for “Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” at the Golden Globes 2023 for her role as toilet manager Abigail in “Triangle of Sadness“.
De Leon is competing against Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”), Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) , Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), and Carey Mulligan (“She Said”) .
“Triangle of Sadness” is likewise nominated in the “Best Picture – Musical/Comedy” category alongside “Babylon”, “The Banshees of Inisherin”, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, “Glass Onion A Knives Out Mystery”, and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”
The Golden Globe nominations came only hours after De Leon won Best Supporting Performance at Los Angeles Film Critics Awards 2022. She is also nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Satellite Awards.
Triangle of Sadness is still playing in 11 cinemas in Metro Manila:
1. Ayala Malls the 30th 2. Ayala Vertis 3. Bonifacio High Central 4. Fisher Mall Q.C 5. Gateway 6. Glorietta 7. Greenbelt 8. Trinoma 9. Power Plant Makati 10. Greenhills 11. Cinema ’76
Triangle of Sadnesswill also have a limited run in Cinematheque Centres of the Film Development Council of the Philippines in Manila, Iloilo, Davao, Bacolod City (Negros Centre), and Nabunturan, Davao de Oro:
In Variety’s year-ender story, “The Best Films of 2022,” resident film critic Owen Gleiberman described I Wanna Dance with Somebody as “the kind of lavish impassioned all-stops-out pop-music biopic you either give in to or you don’t — and if you do, you may find yourself getting so emotional, baby.”
Gleiberman continues, “As Whitney Houston, Naomi Ackie is far from the singer’s physical double, yet she nails the hard part: channeling her incandescence. She shows you the freedom that made Houston tick and the self-doubt that ate away at her, until she fell from the mountaintop she’d scaled.”
The film’s director, Kasi Lemmons, is also cited for creating “a portrait of Houston’s dilemmas and demons that’s bracingly authentic, from the drugs to the family backstabbing to the love relationship with Robin Crawford (Nafessa Williams) that a homophobic society made her feel compelled to repress, from the attacks she weathered for her music being “not Black enough” to the self-destructive refuge she sought in her relationship with the sexy scurrilous lightweight Bobby Brown (Ashton Sanders). As Clive Davis, Stanley Tucci captures the Arista mogul’s bone-dry dictator-mensch savoir faire.”
The citation concludes with the ravishing acclaim — “Whitney gets dragged down by forces both in and outside her. Yet through it all, her voice, her songs, her artistry of faith shines like a rapturous light.”
I Wanna Dance with Somebody opens exclusively in cinemas across the Philippines on Sunday, January 08, 2023.
About I Wanna Dance With Somebody
I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a powerful and triumphant celebration of the incomparable Whitney Houston. Directed by Kasi Lemmons, written by Academy Award® nominee Anthony McCarten, produced by legendary music executive Clive Davis and starring BAFTA Award® winner Naomi Ackie, the film is a no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice. From New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time, audiences are taken on an inspirational, poignant—and so emotional—journey through Houston’s trailblazing life and career, with show-stopping performances and a soundtrack of the icon’s most beloved hits as you’ve never heard them before. Don’t you wanna dance?
Directed by Kasi Lemmons, written by Anthony McCarten, produced by Anthony McCarten, Pat Houston, Clive Davis, Larry Mestel, Denis O’Sullivan, Jeff Kalligheri, Matt Jackson, Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill, Thad Luckinbill, Matt Salloway, Christina Papagjika.
The film stars Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams and Clarke Peters.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #IWannaDanceMovie
This December, get pulled back into the immersive world of Pandora which has just become more expansive in the upcoming film Avatar: The Way of Water.
James Cameron’s sequel to his record-breaking blockbuster is hitting Philippine cinemas this December 14. As the trailer reveals, we’ll get to see Jake Sully and Neytiri as they raise their family in Pandora, but when a new threat looms close, their tribe must once again band together to protect their precious home.
Before the film arrives in cinemas this week, we’ve rounded up some interesting facts about the movie that you might want to know about! Check them out below:
1. It took thirteen years for the second film to come out, but with three more sequels in tow.
The first Avatar film came out in December 2009, so it took about 13 years for its follow-up to arrive in cinemas. But while it took that long, fans of the first movie are also promised three more sequels, with each sequel releasing every two years, expanding the franchise into a five-part film series.
However, director Cameron also noted that they might cut off this five-part film franchise into a trilogy if the sequel underperforms. “The market could be telling us we’re done in three months, or we might be semi-done, meaning: ‘OK, let’s complete the story within movie three, and not go on endlessly,’ if it’s just not profitable,” Cameron told TOTAL FILM.
Photo: Avatar: The Way of Water trailer
2. A new clan and a human kid in Pandora.
Two interesting details have been unveiled about The Way of Water. One is that there will be a new clan to be introduced, the Metkayina Clan who are reef-dwellers and are distinguishable with their slightly different skin colors.
Photo: Avatar: The Way of Water trailer
Another interesting detail is that there’s a human child running around Pandora alongside the Na’vi. In an interview between Empire Magazine and Cameron, it was revealed that the boy’s name is Spider, a human orphan that Jake and Neytiri had taken in to join their family.
3. Familiar faces and new characters.
The sequel has brought back many of the lead cast, such as Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang. Also joining them are new members of the cast such as Cliff Curtis who plays Metkayina’s leader Tonowari; Kate Winslet as Tonowari’s wife Ronal; Michelle Yeoh as Dr. Karina Mogue; Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore; Jemain Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin; and Brendan Cowell as Mick Scoresby.
Meanwhile, the young cast includes Jack Champion as Spider, Jamie Flatters as Neteyam, Britain Dalton as Lo’ak, Trinity Bliss as Tukterey, Bailey Bass as Tsireya, and Filip Geljo as Aonung.
Photo: Avatar: The Way of Water trailer
4. Stephen Lang Sigourney Weaver have returned.
Those who can clearly remember the first film might have some questions about Stephen Lang and Sigourney Weaver’s return since they were supposed to be dead by the end of Avatar. Lang explains the return of his character, now inside an Avatar, and how the film addresses his resurrection.
“He’s a genetically-engineered autonomous avatar,” Lang told Empire Magazine. “He has been downloaded with the mind, the emotions, and even more interestingly, possibly the spirit of Quaritch. Now, that’s all pretty esoteric stuff. He comes with a full memory bank up until the time he actually undergoes the DNA transfer. So there are certain things that he doesn’t have any memory of at all. He has no memory of his death.”
Photo: Avatar: The Way of Water trailer
Meanwhile, Weaver who played Dr. Grace Augustine in the first film is back as Jake and Neytiri’s adopted teenage daughter Kiri, who was born of Grace’s Avatar and has a continued connection with her.
“There’s definitely a transfer of the curiosity and the love of nature,” Weaver told Screen Rant. “Grace much prefers to be in Avatar form and be out in the forest and studying things, and I think Kiri has a different way of expressing all that. She is just one with nature. And where that comes from, I’m not sure. But it’s very much in the script, and luckily in the movie, you will get to see her try to make more of a connection with Grace.”
5. The cast had to train in free diving, and Kate Winslet lasted the longest underwater.
It has been revealed that while filming The Way of Water, the cast had to perform inside giant water tanks frequently to make the underwater scenes appear more realistic on the big screen. As director Cameron told The New York Times, they hired the world’s best breath-hold specialists to help the cast learn how to “free dive” and stay underwater during takes.
And the cast delivered. Kate Winslet, particularly, held her breath for seven minutes underwater, beating Tom Cruise’s six-minute breath-hold stunt when filming Mission: Impossible– Rogue Nation.
Avatar: The Way of Wateropens in cinemas nationwide this Wednesday, December 14. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (collaborators on Teen Titans Go!, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies) from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel (The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, Minions: The Rise of Gru), the film stars Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.
The film is produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. The film is co-produced by Universal Pictures and Nintendo and released worldwide by Universal Pictures.
Footage and stills are now available from the star-studded World Premiere of 20th Century Studios’ ”Avatar: The Way of Water” held in London’s Leicester Square earlier this evening. Attendees included cast members Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Joel David Moore, Jamie Flatters, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion,Brendan Cowell,Bailey Bass,director/producer/writer/editor James Cameron and producer Jon Landau. The film opens in Philippine cinemas on Wednesday, December 14, best seen in 3D, 4D, and IMAX formats. Tickets are now on sale. Check showtimes available here.
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, the Lightstorm Entertainment Production stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang and Kate Winslet. Screenplay by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver. Story by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver & Josh Friedman & Shane Salerno. David Valdes and Richard Baneham serve as the film’s executive producers.
