The complete lineup for the Metro Manila Film Festival 2022 has just been announced! With a total of eight official entries, this year’s MMFF has selected four finished films from 22 submissions, in addition to the first four entries picked based on script submissions.
The Selection Committee headed by the multi-awarded figure from our film industry, Boots Anson-Rodrigo, chose the finalists based on the following criteria: Artistic Excellence – 40%, Commercial Appeal – 40%, Filipino Cultural Values – 10% and Global Appeal – 10%.
The four new films to complete the lineup includes Deleter, a horror film from Viva Films and director Mikhail Red starring Nadine Lustre; Family Matters from Cineko Productions and Nuel Naval; Mamasapano by Borracho Film Production and Lester Dimaranan; and My Father, Myself from 3:16 Media Network and director Joel Lamangan.
The other four films that have been earlier confirmed for this year’s MMFF are Labyu with an Accent by ABS-CBN Film Productions and Rodel Nacianceno; Nanahimik Ang Gabi by Rein Entertainment Productions and director Shugo Praico; Partnersin Crime by Cathy Garcia-Molina; and The Teacher by TEN17P and Paul Soriano.
The 48th MMFF will run from December 25 to January 7, 2023, in theaters nationwide while observing the required health protocols. The Gabi Ng Parangal will be held on December 27.
I’m very tired of the antihero storylines. With the current global crises and seeing the world the way it is now – with an ongoing war in the Ukraine and populist presidents winning elections in so many countries – I feel that the antihero narrative in commercial and mainstream movies needs to take a step back as we need to somehow revitalize our sense of idealism and optimism. I would prefer to leave my thoughts on nihilism and cynicism to independent films. In these very challenging times, I don’t want to cheer for antiheroes in a big-budget blockbuster superhero movie.
This is why I was very skeptical after seeing the trailer of Black Adam. To take one of the most charismatic superstars like Dwayne Johnson and dress him up as (from the little I know about the Shazam comics) the villain Black Adam made me very resistant to seeing this film.
To my utter surprise, there’s a whole lot in ‘Black Adam’ that I really enjoyed. There are camp moments in the film – take note of a wonderful, short homage to a Spaghetti Western and the over-the-top super-heroic battles across the fictional city of Kahndaq – that are really the highlights of this movie. When the film leans into its comic book genre, the film is so enjoyable. Director Jaume Collet-Serra makes full use of long shots that helps create a feeling of scale for the sheer, immense power that the character Black Adam possesses. He also uses freeze frames, extreme close-ups, and other heavy special effects moments that for some reason remind me of Zack Snyder’s ‘300’ but done better because he doesn’t take it too seriously.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
It’s this camp aesthetic that really works in this film because the power levels of Black Adam are just through the roof. So when it makes attempts at seriousness – the relationship between a teenager named Amon (Bodhi Sabongui) and his mother Adrianna (Sarah Shahi), who awakens Black Adam from his slumber and Amon and Black Adam himself – are the weakest moments of the film. It doesn’t help that Sabongui is not the best and most engaging of actors but the characterisation of Amon runs contrary to the other aspect of the film that I really enjoyed.
Amon (and consequently the way Sabongui portrays him) feels very Americanized despite coming from Kahndaq, a fictional city of what appears to be of middle eastern origins (though the comics has Black Adam being of Egyptian origin). The film depicts Kahndaq as a city taken over by a criminal gang called The Intergang. And while the visual imagery is that of a war-torn middle eastern city, the people of Kahndaq speak English (with an accent) and Amon is very Americanized (as seen when his bag opens and you can see he grew up reading comic books of Wonder Woman and Superman).
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
While Black Adam resurfaces and begins to wreak havoc in Kahndaq, he speaks the languageof Kahndaq, that I can’t decipher, maybe Egyptian at the start but then quickly speaks in English despite having been asleep for 5000 years. There’s an underlying story of colonization and liberty that is at the undercurrent of this film. As Black Adam appears to be a global threat because of his power, members of the Justice Society fly to Kahndaq to stop him. This creates a wonderful discussion on the ideals of moral authority. Adrianna defends Black Adam, who has begun to take out the Intergang while protecting Amon, and throws back at Hawkman and Dr. Fate of the Justice Society and asks them where were they when the Intergang took their city and enslaved their people.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
The politics of this situation – is Black Adam good or bad, are his methods right or wrong (he is from a different time afterall and his ideas of justice are shaped by that), and what right does the Justice Society have to fly into whatever situation they deem is a threat but ignore other global calamities such as the taking of Kahndaq – creates a gray area that the film sort of explores (that very few other superhero films ever get to do like ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier’ and ‘Captain America: Civil War’). For these discussions alone – and not painting the Justice Society immediately as the good guys – makes ‘Black Adam’ refreshing and different and new.
Yes, he is an antihero and while the methods and morality that he uses are questionable, it is contextualized by the individual situation of Kahndaq and Black Adam’s own history. I was not expecting this at all and it made the film quite enjoyable for me. It’s not afraid to stay in the gray areas and if it leaned in more into its campy side, I think it would have balanced everything out completely.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
But for a comic book movie, I got plenty of great superhero battles (the visualization of Dr. Fate and Cyclone is just wonderful and thrilling to see on IMAX) and I got to see Dwayne Johnson evoke his charm without relying too much on dialogue. He’s using a completely different skill set here.
Don’t be bogged down by the weakness of its extended opening exposition. When Black Adam makes his first appearance, it’s all uphill from there. Enjoy the excessiveness and indulgences of the film, which is the campy aesthetic I wish it leaned into more heavily. There’s a lot to enjoy here, and most especially the mid-credit end scene. It got the most cheers and with good reason.
THE Cultural Center of the Philippines, in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, and EU Member States Embassies present FREE film screenings from October 21-28, 2022 at the CCP in celebration of the silver anniversary of the Cine Europa Film Festival. This year, there will be an outdoor public screening at the CCP Front Lawn and an extended screening indoors at the CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde.
Cine Europa is the longest flagship film festival in the country organized annually by the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines and the EU Member States which has been the hallmark cultural event of the EUDelegation to the Philippines. Beyond showing European films, this program has become a platform to strengthen EU-Philippine cultural relations and collaboration with Philippine cultural institutions and other partners.
For the line-up of films to be showcased this year, the EU Delegation, the European Union Member States Embassies together with Cultúr Éireann, Irish Film Institute, Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes de Manila, and the Philippine-Italian Association, have curated a set of award-winning films showcasing different genres that will attract every viewer, with a particular emphasis this year on youth in celebration of the European Year of Youth 2022.
Additional to this, a special film from Ukraine will be the opening film for the festival in CCP in solidarity with Ukraine and its people who were victims of an illegal war of aggression and invasion by Russia.
Screening dates are as follows:
October 21 – Tanghalang Manuel Conde (6:00 pm, 8:30 pm)
Klondike (Ukraine) The Most Beautiful Boy in the World (Sweden)
October 22 – Front Lawn (3:30 pm, 6:00 pm, 8:30 pm)
Luzzu (Malta) Mysi Patri Do Nebe [Even Mice Belong in Heaven] (Czech Republic, France Slovakia, Poland) Oskar & Lilli – Ein Bisschen Bleiben Wir Noch [Oskar & Lilli – Where No One Knows Us] (Austria)
October 23 – Front Lawn (3:30 pm, 6:00 pm, 8:30 pm)
La Vita Facile [Easy Living] (Italy) Libertad [Freedom] (Spain) Bicycle Thieves: Pumped Up (Ireland)
October 25 – Tanghalang Manuel Conde (6:00 pm, 8:30 pm)
October 26 – Tanghalang Manuel Conde (6:00 pm, 8:30 pm)
Never Gonna Snow Again (Poland) Exil [Exile] (Germany)
October 27 – Tanghalang Manuel Conde (6:00 pm, 8:30 pm)
Mysi Patri Do Nebe [Even Mice Belong in Heaven] (Czech Republic, France Slovakia, Poland) Klondike (Ukraine)
October 28 – Tanghalang Manuel Conde (6:00 pm, 8:30 pm)
The Most Beautiful Boy in the World (Sweden) The Spiders Man (Italy) [will feature a film cast appearance before the screening]
All film screenings are FREE to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, still with observance to the New Normal Health Protocols.
For more information about the event, please follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @culturalcenterph/ @ccpfbnm and the socials of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines @EUDelegationToThePhilippines/ @cineeuropaph.
The first trailer for Creed III has been released, and it packs a punch for fans!
The third installment in the franchise, Creed III brings Adonis Creed back to the boxing ring as he carries the legacies of Rocky Balboa and his father, Apollo Creed. Watch the trailer for Creed III below:
In the latest trailer, we get to see Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis preparing for a big fight against Jonathan Majors’ Damian, a friend from Creed’s past. As Damian begins dominating the ring, it is up to Creed to put a stop to this merciless foe.
Directed by Michael B. Jordan from a story by Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler, and Zach Baylin, Creed III also stars Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad. The film is set for a US release on March 3, 2023.
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A new poster for The First Slam Dunk has been revealed!
The iconic anime series is set to make its comeback, this time on the big screen where the Shohoku team also gets a 3D treatment, as it was revealed in the film’s teaser trailer. Before the film hits cinemas this December, a new poster has been revealed where we finally see the team together.
Check out the new poster for The First Slam Dunk below:
Slam Dunk is a hit manga and anime series created by Takehiko Inoue that was first published in 1990, and was adapted into an anime series that ran from 1993 to 1996. The series tells the story of Hanamichi Sakuragi, a high school delinquent who goes head over heels for the girl Haruko Akagi. Upon learning that Haruko likes watching basketball, Hanamichi joins the school’s basketball team despite his lack of knowledge about the sport. But since Haruko is already obsessed with the ace rookie, Kaede Rukawa, the arrogant Sakuragi does not waste a second in creating a rivalry between himself and his own teammate.
Inoue has also written and directed the upcoming film, which will begin its release in Japan this December 3, 2022. Check out the film’s official website for more details.
This week, more DC heroes will land on the big screen through the film Black Adam!
Starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in the titular role, the new movie features the rise of the popular antihero. After being given the powers of the almighty gods, Teth-Adam uses his newfound abilities for vengeance and is imprisoned for this, earning himself the title of Black Adam. Five thousand years later, he is freed and is determined to uphold his own form of justice.
Watch the trailer for Black Adam below:
Before Black Adam hits theaters this week, we’ve rounded up a few facts about the movie that you might want to know. Check them out below.
1. Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam already appeared on the big screen.
Even before the release of Black Adam, The Rock has already debuted as Black Adam on the big screen. The antihero appeared in a post-credit cameo in this year’s animated movie DC League of Super-Pets, where Black Adam greets Superman while his dog Anubis interacts with Krypto. In that scene, Johnson voiced Krypto, Anubis, and Black Adam.
2. Black Adam was supposed to be a part of the Shazam! movie.
As comic book fans know, Black Adam is directly linked to Shazam or Captain Marvel in the comics, with the two characters receiving their powers from the same wizard, but using these powers for different purposes and being archenemies. According to The Rock, the two characters were supposed to be in one film, but the actor suggested otherwise.
“The original plan, maybe five or six years ago I think, was to tell the two origin stories of Shazam and Black Adam in the same movie. That’s what we had worked on,” Johnson told Comicbook.com in an interview. “The script was delivered. When we all read the script, I immediately felt like, ‘We have to separate these two movies. We have to honor Shazam! and that origin story and what that is and what that can be for the fans and then we also have to tell our story, too, as well.’”
3. Black Adam received his powers from Egyptian Gods.
Billy Batson received his powers from the Wizard who had selected him as the champion to wield the powers of the ancient gods and deities Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury– whose first letters in their names make up the word Shazam. While Black Adam underwent the same process, his powers were from the Egyptian gods Shu, Heru, Amon, Zehuti, Aton, and Mehen. This also ties to his origin as an ancient Egyptian slave.
Photo: Black Adam trailer
4. The Justice Society of America also makes its big screen debut.
As the trailers have revealed, Black Adam will also feature the Justice Society of America which consists of Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo). In the comics, the JSA is a wartime group of superheroes and is considered to be the first superhero team to appear in comics, predating the Justice League by 20 years.
DC Comics will also be releasing prequel one-shots for the upcoming film, featuring separate stories about the JSA members in the film.
Photos: DC Comics
5. The real evil in Black Adam.
Being an antihero who wants to uphold his brutal form of justice in a world where the likes of the JSA exist, one would expect that the film’s main conflict is between Black Adam and the JSA. However, there is a bigger evil coming to the film that Black Adam would have to face: Sabbac.
In the comics, Sabbac is the antithesis of those who received the powers of Shazam. Instead of getting his powers from six powerful gods, Sabbac draws power from six of the most dangerous demons in the DC universe.
Photo: Black Adam trailer
— Black Adamopens in cinemas nationwide this Wednesday, October 19. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.
From New Line Cinema, Dwayne Johnson stars in the action adventure “Black Adam.” The first-ever feature film to explore the story of the DC antihero comes to the big screen under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”).
In ancient Kahndaq, the slave Teth Adam was gifted the almighty powers of the gods. But he used those powers for vengeance and was imprisoned. Now, 5,000 years later, he is freed and once again wields his dark sense of justice onto the world.
Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Black Adam’s return is quickly noted by Carter Hall – a.k.a. Hawkman, portrayed by Aldis Hodge – who immediately puts out the call to his friend Kent Nelson, a.k.a. Doctor Fate, played by Pierce Brosnan; Al Rothstein/Atom Smasher, played by Noah Centineo; and Maxine Hunkel/Cyclone, played by Quintessa Swindell. Re-forming the Justice Society, the team is swiftly galvanized into action to contain the antihero’s destruction halfway around the world.
Aldis Hodge was cast in the dual role of Carter Hall/Hawkman—a longtime DC fan-favorite. In the film, Carter puts out the call for other Super Heroes to join him in the newly re-formed Justice Society. Instilling years of knowledge and experience into the younger members of the burgeoning team, Carter fights to protect global stability, and won’t let anything or anyone, including Black Adam, stand in his way.
Photos Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Standing firmly on Hawkman’s side is Kent Nelson (Pierce Brosnan), a mild-mannered archeologist and longtime friend, as well as the wise, moral anchor for the Justice Society. When he dons the ancient alien golden Helmet of Fate, he transforms from kindly academic into the formidable sorcerer Doctor Fate, an agent of good for the Lords of Order, able to use his powers to wield magic, conjure illusions, see the future, multiply himself and teleport, allowing Kent to live well beyond his years.
With little time to prepare before they take flight to deal with Black Adam’s return, Kent joins Carter at his mansion, where they welcome the two newest members of the Justice Society. The veterans will do their best to initiate 20-year-old Al Rothstein (Noah Centineo), a.k.a. Atom Smasher, and 19-year-old Maxine Hunkel (Quintessa Swindell), a.k.a. Cyclone, into the Justice Society, while simultaneously facing the biggest fight of their lives against an unimaginably powerful opponent.
Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Nervous about his first outing as a Super Hero, Al can transform his molecular structure to grow in size to towering heights to become Atom Smasher. What he lacks in experience, he makes up for with brute force and an endless well of youthful optimism.
Al is also thrilled to meet fellow newcomer to the JSA Maxine Hunkel, a force of nature— literally. After being subjected to nanotechnology experimentation by an evil scientist when she was just 15, Maxine has the ability to control the wind with her mind as the Super Hero Cyclone who brings a social justice attitude and a unique power set to the team.
“Black Adam” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #BlackAdam
I was charmed by ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ and was totally floored by ‘American Hustle’ and so I’m very interested in David O. Russell’s work before I found out about his controversial working habits and problematic personal life. Despite what I know of David O. Russell behind the camera, when I saw the cast list for this latest film ‘Amsterdam,’ I was very much intrigued by the movie. I’d watch anything with Margot Robbie or Christian Bale and then you add Anna Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldana, and Robert De Niro to the list and it’s just too good to pass up.
The film opens with a tongue-in-cheek mention that the events of the movie “actually happened” and the story brings us to America in 1933 where we are introduced to Christian Bale’s one-eyed doctor and veteran of World War I Burt Berendsen and his best friend, lawyer and also WWI veteran Harold Woodsman, played by John David Washington. Burt lives in his clinic where he tends to the medical needs of war veterans and provides plastic surgery and prosthetics to cover their scars and wounds from battle. Burt meets with Harold to meet a client played by Taylor Swift. She wants Burt to perform an autopsy on her father, a retired general who is suspected of having been murdered instead of dying by natural causes as was reported.
Photo: 20th Century Studios
What unfolds is a grand conspiracy that touches upon fascism, racial discrimination, and big business. Kept light, at times almost dream-like, and an uneven touch of whimsy, ‘Amsterdam’ tries to draw out the mystery of the murder and the grandness of the conspiracy as much as it can while introducing an ever-expanding cast that includes Margot Robbie, as a French nurse that the two friends meet during WWI, Zoe Saldana, a forensic nurse, Rami Malek and Anna Taylor-Joy, who play a couple in high society that may help the two friends escape the trouble they have found themselves in, Andrea Riseborough, who plays Burt’s estranged wife, and Robert De Niro, who plays a retired general, whose connection to the deceased general may hold a clue to what is going on.
It’s actually hard to keep track of the film’s direction as, right at the midst of the premise opening up, we are then thrown into a flashback of WWI, the time when Burt is assigned to an all-black regiment of the US and meets Harold and then later, Margot Robbie’s Valerie. Broken by their injuries from the war, the three take a trip to Amsterdam where they live a life that is meant to evoke some idea of liberty – a place where they are not judged for how they live or love and are free from the ravages of war and the societal restrictions of 1918 America.
Photo: 20th Century Studios
And then it goes back into the present to continue on with the conspiracy while also juggling Burt’s own marital issues with his wife and her disapproving family and war veteran gala that Burt and Harold are very keen to stage and produce.
By keeping it humorous and odd, it gives all the star-studded cast so much room to really play and have fun with their roles – most especially for Robbie and Taylor-Joy, who seem to have a blast with their characters – but at the same time, none of the emotional beats of the film really end up landing where they should. The love story between Harold and Valerie doesn’t seem as intense or as inevitable as the story positions it, and the impending danger that the conspiracy is foreshadowing doesn’t provide any real sense of urgency.
Photo: 20th Century Studios
What happens is that we are flitting along to every scene and just watching the cast have a ball with their eccentric situations. When the elements of fascism start to play out, the idea of the Amsterdam scene becomes the counterpoint now to everything that fascism is against – that liberty and freedom to live and love the way you want – becomes the central theme of the film. By not taking any of it seriously, the film ends up not really saying much.
In fact, there’s a heavy use of narration from its three main cast and then a long-winded narration by Burt at the very end, there’s a feeling that ‘Amsterdam’ and its anti-fascist messages are more of the director’s manifesto than it is an actual movie with a grounded, solid story. And I use purposefully use the word “grounded” because after watching the movie, I did a little Google search and discovered from an article by the LA Times, that a journalist who did research and wrote a book about the events that are alluded to in the film said that “only 10% of what happens in this movie is based on fact.” He said everything else is fiction.
Photo: 20th Century Studios
While there are some really amusing moments in the movie, some that actually got me laughing out loud, and the spectacular performances from the star-studded cast, I ended up leaving the theater wondering what it was that I just saw and if there was anything deeper to this film than the monologue at the end that sort of spoon feeds the film’s message.
This is not the work of David O. Russell, who I have come to admire from the energy and urgency that he was able to infuse into ‘American Hustle.’ Sure, ‘Amsterdam’ is pretty to look at but that’s about it.
Johnson, who also produced the film via his Seven Bucks banner, has tackled roles in almost every genre, and stepping into a super suit was always something he considered.
“Black Adam actually came onto my radar when I was really young,” Johnson relates. “I loved comic books and I was always a DC kid. I gravitated towards Black Adam because he was one of the very few of the superheroes, supervillains, antiheroes—however you want to categorize him—who had brown skin and looked like me. Plus, he was always a badass,” he grins. And while the road to the big screen was long—more than ten years, in fact—Johnson’s connection to the character and his story remained strong. “Black Adam is something that has been a part of my DNA and my soul for many, many years.”
For the filmmakers, the goal was to tap into Black Adam’s legitimate comic book street cred and couple it with heart, a bit of dark humor and big cinematic action. For them, there was only one director who could capture it all in epic fashion, and he was already at the helm of one of their films.
The team turned to Johnson’s collaborator on “Jungle Cruise,” Jaume Collet-Serra, to direct “Black Adam.” Though new to the DC universe, he was intrigued by the reluctant hero with unparalleled super powers and an exacting viewpoint – he subsequently did a deep dive into the wealth of material in the canon, and also quickly honed in on the script’s timely themes. Remarks the director, “I’m attracted to characters that walk that fine line between doing the right thing and doing what needs to be done, and I immediately saw a character that was very similar to those who, when the system breaks down, are able to bring justice in ways that other people were not able to do. I felt like I hadn’t seen that in the superhero space and that to me was very exciting.”
Collet-Serra’s visions of Black Adam as the stranger rolling into town and becoming the principled rulebreaker, a staple of the western and lone cop genres, was an inspired game-changer for the producers, who felt his original take would satisfy both moviegoers and diehard comic book fans.
Observes Collet-Serra, “One of the more interesting parts of Black Adam is the thematic exploration about what makes a hero and who has the right to define what justice is. I wouldn’t call Black Adam’s moral code questionable, but perhaps his moral code is just not up to date with the times that we live in. He’s a no-nonsense guy; he does things his way for what he believes is right.”
For Johnson, everything in front of and behind the camera came together to create a version of Black Adam that was not only the role of a lifetime, but one that he felt would reverberate throughout the DC universe. “It’s rare to get the opportunity to introduce something completely brand new, from scratch, into the superhero mix and that’s what ‘Black Adam’ is. When I say, ‘The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change,’ it sounds audacious, but I mean that with real reverence and respect for the DC Universe. True fans know the qualities that Black Adam has been blessed with, powers that change the balance of power, and when you break down these qualities and these powers that Black Adam has, you realize it’s rooted in truth.”
In Philippine cinemas October 19, “Black Adam” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #BlackAdam
Top of the World is one of the original songs from the musical comedy with Mendes as the singing voice of Lyle, the croc with a heart of gold.
Espanto said he “had so much fun” shooting the video and invited fans to sing along, and go on top of the world too.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is now showing in cinemas across the Philippines.
Check out the video below and avail of the original motion picture soundtrack now, also featuring the track “Heartbeat.”
Trailer Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Based on the best-selling book series by Bernard Waber, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a live-action / CGI musical comedy that brings this beloved character to a new, global audience.
When the Primm family (Constance Wu, Scoot McNairy, Winslow Fegley) moves to New York City, their young son Josh struggles to adapt to his new school and new friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle – a singing crocodile (Shawn Mendes) living in the attic of his new home. The two become fast friends, but when Lyle’s existence is threatened, the Primm’s must band together with Lyle’s charismatic owner, Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem), to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places and there’s nothing wrong with a big singing crocodile with an even bigger personality.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile features original songs performed by Shawn Mendes and written by the songwriting team behind The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul.
Lyle’s solo ballad, Top of the World, was written by Pasek, Paul and Joriah Kwamé. In the scene where the song was featured, Lyle shows Josh the wonders of New York City. “Even though Lyle has to sneak out in the middle of the night, because the world is afraid of him, he finds refuge on the top of a theater,” says Paul.
Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Suddenly, with Josh, Lyle has someone to experience everything that magical city has to offer – including how to eat at the best restaurants in New York for free (a trick taught to him by Hector P. Valenti). “He’s just taught Josh how to dumpster dive, they’re walking through the city, and music pours up through the grate from a Broadway show downstairs,” says Pasek. “It’s Lyle’s favorite song, and he can’t wait to share it with Josh and celebrate this moment of finding someone to share his life with.”
“There is a certain magic and comfort to nightlife in New York City, especially as an artist,” says Kwamé. “It was an absolute treat to put ourselves in the mind and heart of Lyle, who at this moment on that Broadway theater roof, knows that he belongs. I hope the song gives hope to people worldwide who are still looking for that safe space,” he concludes.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #LyleLyleCrocodile
About Darren Espanto
DARREN ESPANTO is a Fil-Canadian artist, actor & influencer with over 10M+ social media followers. He first joined a competition at the age of 10, where he won the Masters Finals of the Pinoy Singing Sensation competition in Edmonton. He made his first TV appearance at the same age when he joined YTV’s reality television The Next Star in 2012; he became the youngest finalist in the history of the show to be included in the Top 6. However, he rose to prominence after joining the first season of The Voice Kids Philippines in 2014. He’s been a prominent performer on ASAP Natin ‘To, the country’s longest running musical variety show.
Espanto released his first full-length self-titled studio album, “Darren” in 2014. It debuted at number 1 on the PH charts of Apple’s iTunes store & is now a certified Double Platinum. He was handpicked by Disney to perform the rendition of “A Whole New World” as part of the Philippine promotion of the movie Aladdin in May 2019. In May 2021, Espanto released his latest single, “Tama Na”, which reased number 3 of Apple’s iTunes store PH in the first two hours of its release. In November 2021, Espanto represented the Philippines in the world renowned Expo 2020 Dubai along with December Avenue and has been seen in the movie, “The Hows of Us” alongside TV series like “Your Face Sounds Familiar.”
