Finn Wolfhard, the 19-year-old star of Stranger Things teams up with his Ghostbusters: Afterlife co-star Billy Bryk in directing the film Hell of a Summer, Deadlinereports.
While details about the plot are still under wraps, the directorial debut of the two stars is described as a “contemporary horror-comedy” and is based on a script that Wolfhard and Bryk also co-wrote together. The two actors will also star in the film alongside Fred Hechinger.
Hell of a Summer is joining the lineup of projects under 30West which includes Cooper Raiff’s The Trashers starring Wolfhard’s Stranger Things co-star David Harbour; the thriller Day Drinker from The Amazing Spider-Man duology director Marc Webb; and the forthcoming remake of The Crow directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs.
More details about Hell of a Summer are yet to be revealed.
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The Shohoku team is finally back, this time with a 3D computer graphics style, in the upcoming movie The First Slam Dunk!
The first teaser trailer for the new film has been revealed, giving us glimpses of the iconic characters in court, including the well-known rivals Sakuragi and Rukawa. Watch the teaser of The First Slam Dunk below:
Days prior to the teaser’s release, the character posters for the film have been released for theaters, featuring the Shohoku’s five key players, namely Hanamichi Sakuragi, Kaede Rukawa, Takenori Akagi, Ryota Miyagi, and Hisashi Mitsui. Meanwhile, the film’s official synopsis is yet to be revealed.
Slam Dunk is a hit manga and anime series created by Takehiko Inoue, who also wrote and directed the upcoming film. 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.
Slam Dunk was first released as a manga in 1990, and was adapted into an anime series that ran from 1993 to 1996. Four films have also been released during the series’ run, with the last movie released back in 1995.
The First Slam Dunk is set for release in Japan on December 3, 2022. It has yet to be revealed if the film will also be available in Philippine cinemas. Check out the film’s official website for more details.
He’s here to electrify this mission. Diego Luna (Andor, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) is Chip in Warner Bros. Pictures’ animated action adventure “DC League of Super-Pets.”
Video: Warner Bros. Pictures
Chip is content to spend his days within the sleepy confines of Metropolis’s Tailhuggers animal shelter, terrified by life and thankful for the safety of a cold, steel cage. But when his beloved sanctuary is suddenly under attack, this scaredy squirrel suddenly gets the power to shoot lightning out of his paws! Now the reluctant hero must overcome his fears—and find the will to power up—in order to help save the Justice League.
Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures
About “DC League of Super-Pets”
Dwayne Johnson stars as the voice of Krypto the Super-Dog in Warner Bros. Pictures’ animated action adventure feature film “DC League of Super-Pets,” from director Jared Stern.
The film also stars the voices of Kevin Hart (the “Jumanji” and “Secret Life of Pets” films), Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live,” “Ferdinand”), John Krasinski (the “Quiet Place” films), Vanessa Bayer (“Saturday Night Live”), Natasha Lyonne (“Show Dogs”), Diego Luna (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”), Marc Maron (“Joker”), Thomas Middleditch (“Godzilla: King of the Monsters”), Ben Schwartz (“Sonic the Hedgehog”), and Keanu Reeves (the “Matrix” and “John Wick” films).
Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures
In “DC League of Super-Pets,” Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime in Metropolis side by side. When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a rag-tag shelter pack—Ace the hound, PB the potbellied pig, Merton the turtle and Chip the squirrel—to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the Super Heroes.
Stern, a veteran writer/consultant on the “LEGO®” movies, makes his animated feature film directorial debut, directing from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator John Whittington, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film is produced by Patricia Hicks, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia and Jared Stern. The executive producers are John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, Nicholas Stoller, Allison Abbate, Chris Leahy, Sharon Taylor and Courtenay Valenti.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A Seven Bucks Production, “DC League of Super-Pets.” The film will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in Philippine theaters July 27.
Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #DCSuperPets
Carter is an action film directed by Jung Byung-Gil (The Villainess, Confession of Murder) starring Joo Won.
“Your name is Carter. Please trust me if you want to live.”
Poster from Netflix
Two months into a deadly pandemic originating from the DMZ that has devastated the US and North Korea, “Carter” awakens, with no recollections of his past. In his head is a mysterious device, and in his mouth, a lethal bomb. A strange voice in his ears gives him orders. The bomb may go off at any time — unless he rescues the girl who is the sole antidote to the virus. But the CIA and a North Korean coup are hot on his heels.
Thrown into a mysterious operation, “Carter” must reclaim his identity and successfully complete his mission on time in this one-scene, one-cut action film.
Logline: One-scene, one-cut action film. A man wakes up in a motel room with no recollection of who he is, except for a voice in his ear that calls him “Carter.” Following the voice’s orders, Carter goes on an exhilarating mission to save a kidnapped girl.
Cinemalaya has finally announced the competing full-length films and shorts for this year’s competition. The Cultural Center of the Philippines and Cinemalaya Foundation Inc. will return to holding on-site screenings for the 18th edition of the independent film festival, happening from August 5 to 14, 2022.
The full-length films in the competition were the finalists selected for 2020 and 2021 editions of the film festival, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, they could not finish their filming. Below are the 11 full-length films competing in this year’s Cinemalaya:
12 Weeks by Anna Isabelle Matutina
Angkas by Rain Yamson
Bakit ‘Di Mo Sabihin? by Real S. Florido
Batsoy by Ronald Espinosa Batallones
Blue Room by Ma-an L. Asuncion-Dagńalan
Bula Sa Langit by Sheenly Gener
Ginhawa by Christian Paolo Lat
Kaluskos by Roman S. Perez, Jr.
Kargo by TM Malones
Retirada by Milo Alto Paz and Cynthia Cruz-Paz
The Baseball Player by Carlo Obispo
For the short feature main competition, the 12 finalists are:
Ampangabagat nin Talakba ha Likol by Maria Estela Paiso
Black Rainbow by Zig Dulay
City of Flowers by Xeph Suarez
Dikit by Gabriela Serrano
Distance by Dexter Paul de Jesus
Duwa-Duwa by Nena Jana Achacoso
Kwits by Raz de la Torre
Mata Kang Busay by Nińo B. Maldecir and Cypher John T. Gayorgor
Mga Handum nga Nasulat sa Baras by Arlie Sweet Sumagaysay and Richard Jeroui Salvadico
See You, George! by Mark Moneda
Si Oddie by Maria Kydylee Torato
Roundtrip to Happiness by Claudia Fernando
The competing films will also be screened at select partner cinemas nationwide from August 10 to 17, followed by regional screenings in selected communities from August 22 to 29. The films will also have an online run from October 17 to 31 via the CCP Vimeo account.
The Cinemalaya Awards Night will be held on August 14 at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).
A major component of the film festival, the Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video, considered the longest-running independent film competition of its kind in the ASEAN region, also gathers some of the best films out there which will compete in various categories such as Short Feature/Narrative, Experimental, Documentary, and Animation. Finalists from the different categories will be screened from August 6 to 8, 2022 at the CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde, with the awarding happening on August 13.
For more updates and information, visit the CCP and Cinemalaya websites.
When director Taika Waititi took over Thor and gave us the enjoyable ‘Thor: Ragnarok,’ the character had already been established in two solo movies and two Avengers movies. He had a lot to work with: a troubled relationship with his brother Loki, experience working with a team like the Avengers, and so on. In ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ he had carte blanche to change the tone of the movie and infuse Waititi’s own brand of humor, which breathed new life into the character and the franchise. It was carried over into the succeeding Avengers movies such as ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame.’
But in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ most of Thor’s storylines were given closure. He had relinquished his throne to Valkyrie and left the remaining Asgardians to start anew on Earth. He had lost his brother and the loss he experienced in ‘Infinity War’ found a sort of resolution by the end of ‘Endgame.’ He had redeemed himself.
Where can the character go now?
And this is where ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ ends up being a mixed bag for me. The first half of the movie depicts Thor once again as the blonde himbo, whose massive god-like ego is the crux of a lot of the humor. It’s good for a few laughs but it seems that the character is stuck in some cartoonish version of himself. This film is Thor’s eighth appearance in the MCU and while this iteration only really came to the fore in ‘Thor: Ragnarok,’ it feels tired. It is as if the events of the previous movie didn’t have any effect on him and sometimes, he even seems dumber than before. Sure, it’s great for a few laughs but there’s just so much of it.
The first half of the film feels more like a sequence of plot points and funny gags that are interspersed with the actual story of this film. The more important parts of the story – that of the villain, Gorr, the God Butcher, and that of Jane Foster – don’t get as much screen time and that’s what I’m looking for as I come in watching a superhero movie. The jokes and the gags are great but not at the expense of the struggle and tension and the stakes.
Photo: Marvel Studios/Jasin Boland
Taika Waititi can definitely balance out tragedy and comedy in equal measure. ‘Jojo Rabbit’ does this exceptionally well. Even with all the jokes and gags of ‘Thor: Ragnarok,’ we were able to see the bonds between Loki and Thor heal and Thor making the ultimate sacrifice by allowing Asgard to fall to save the Asgardians.
In ‘Thor: Love and Thunder,’ the romantic comedy aspects of the film undermine the pulsing heart at the core of Jane Foster’s story, which could have been a nice space for Thor’s character growth. Instead, Waititi leans deeper into the whimsy, which is unexpected and surprising, but it doesn’t help build up the love story of its two lead characters that when it hits the final act of the film, the resolutions of their character arcs don’t have as much weight as it could.
Because the latter half of the film is definitely far better than how the film starts, it’s only then that Waititi emphasizes the stakes. It doesn’t have the urgency or the drama that the scenes ask for. It’s such a shame because Christian Bale looks like he is having fun playing Gorr, and Natalie Portman nails each dramatic beat. In fact, Jane Foster has such an interesting character arc and shows great agency but the depth of Jane’s situation – taking the mantle of Thor and why – has no time to really build.
Photo: Marvel Studios
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ has all the components of a proper comic book movie. It has the action and the special effects but they don’t really seem to be at par with ‘Thor: Ragnarok.’ It’s only really impressive and refreshing when Thor, Jane Foster, and Valkyrie take on Gorr. The choreography in those scenes are spectacular.
What ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ has proven is that Thor doesn’t seem to do too well on his own. As a character, he’s a team player who needs Loki or the other members of the Avengers for him to realize his own narrative potential. It isn’t until he meets Jane that Thor becomes remotely interesting, outside his whimsical, buffoonery. A character this powerful needs something to ground him otherwise there aren’t many places to go narratively.
Photo: Marvel Studios
Interestingly enough, the ending addresses this narrative demand but it didn’t need half of its 119-minute running time to get to that point. It’s fun. I had fun. But it’s not up there amongst the other MCU films.
Bow down to the most exceptional female warrior to ever live. Check out the first trailer of Columbia Pictures’ epic action-adventure The Woman King, rising soon exclusively in cinemas across the Philippines.
About The Woman King
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…
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, story by Maria Bello, screenplay by Dana Stevens and Gina Prince-Bythewood. The film is produced by Cathy Schulman, Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Maria Bello and executive Produced by Peter McAleese.
Nanisca (Viola Davis) in TriStar Pictures’ THE WOMAN KING.
The cast is led by Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Hero Fiennes Tiffin and John Boyega.
In Philippine cinemas soon, The Woman King is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #TheWomanKing
Directed by Taika Waititi, it is the direct sequel to the 2017 film Thor: Ragnarok, and the 29th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film follows Thor who attempts to find inner peace but must return to New Asgard to recruit Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster who is now Might Thor, to stop Gorr the God Butcher from eliminating all gods. It stars Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Jaimie Alexander, Taika Waititi, Russell Crowe, and Natalie Portman.
The next highly-anticipated Marvel film, Thor: Love and Thunderfinally arrives in Philippine theaters tomorrow! To further excite the fans who are ready for the return of Thor and the arrival of Jane Foster’s Mighty Thor, Marvel Entertainment has released the ‘Army’ teaser clip showcasing more footage from the film.
Watch the teaser video below:
As seen in the clips, Thor Odinson declares to his fellow gods that he is raising an army. We then see Thor together with the Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as a “superhero landing” from Jane Foster’s Thor. We also get to see glimpses of the battle between Odinson and Gorr the God Butcher, where the former uses Zeus’ lightning bolt.
In Thor’s fourth solo film, the God of Thunder goes on a quest to put a stop to the villain, Gorr the God Butcher, who aims to destroy
Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Love and Thunder stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Russell Crowe, Chris Pratt, and Waititi himself. The movie opens in cinemas nationwide this Wednesday, July 6, 2022. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.
He won’t sit or stay, but trust that he’ll save you any day. Kevin Hart is the voice of Ace in Warner Bros. Pictures’ animated action adventure “DC League of Super-Pets.”
In the film, Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime in Metropolis side by side. When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a rag-tag shelter pack—Ace the hound, PB the potbellied pig, Merton the turtle and Chip the squirrel—to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the Super Heroes.
The leader of the shelter pack, ACE is a sarcastic hound who’s spent most of his life in a Metropolis animal shelter planning his escape. Strong and seemingly invulnerable, he employs a tough guy attitude that masks his soft underbelly. Ace may act like he’s fine flying solo, but he’ll join the others in battle if it means not only saving the Justice League but getting Krypto to lead them all to greener pastures.
About “DC League of Super-Pets”
Dwayne Johnson stars as the voice of Krypto the Super-Dog in Warner Bros. Pictures’ animated action adventure feature film “DC League of Super-Pets,” from director Jared Stern.
The film also stars the voices of Kevin Hart (the “Jumanji” and “Secret Life of Pets” films), Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live,” “Ferdinand”), John Krasinski (the “Quiet Place” films), Vanessa Bayer (“Saturday Night Live”), Natasha Lyonne (“Show Dogs”), Diego Luna (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”), Marc Maron (“Joker”), Thomas Middleditch (“Godzilla: King of the Monsters”), Ben Schwartz (“Sonic the Hedgehog”), and Keanu Reeves (the “Matrix” and “John Wick” films).
In “DC League of Super-Pets,” Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime in Metropolis side by side. When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a rag-tag shelter pack—Ace the hound, PB the potbellied pig, Merton the turtle and Chip the squirrel—to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the Super Heroes.
Stern, a veteran writer/consultant on the “LEGO®” movies, makes his animated feature film directorial debut, directing from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator John Whittington, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film is produced by Patricia Hicks, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia and Jared Stern. The executive producers are John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, Nicholas Stoller, Allison Abbate, Chris Leahy, Sharon Taylor and Courtenay Valenti.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A Seven Bucks Production, “DC League of Super-Pets.” The film will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures in Philippine theaters July 27.
Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #DCSuperPets
