Category: Movies

Blue Carpet Premiere Held for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’

Sonic fans, celebrities, and members of the entertainment press attended the exclusive ‘blue carpet’ premiere Paramount Pictures’ comedy-adventure Sonic the Hedgehog 2, held March 26 at SM North EDSA The Block Cinema in Quezon City.

Guests brought their families and children along to celebrate everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog and witness his much-anticipated showdown with Knuckles and the returning Dr. Robotnik. Sonic saves the day with a little help from his friend Tails.

Check out the `blue carpet’ photos below and watch Sonic the Hedgehog 2 now showing across the Philippines.

Blue Carpet Premiere

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Blue Carpet Premiere at at SM North EDSA The Block
Photo Credit: Paul Vincent Cheng | Paramount Pictures International

Photo Credit: Paul Vincent Cheng | Paramount Pictures International

Photo Credit: Paul Vincent Cheng | Paramount Pictures International

Photo Credit: Paul Vincent Cheng | Paramount Pictures International

Paramount Pictures would like to thank SM Cinema and SM North EDSA for their support in mounting the premiere.

Watch the film’s latest trailer below :

The world’s favorite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.

From the filmmakers behind The Fast and the Furious and Deadpool, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 stars James Marsden, Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, and Jim Carrey returning, alongside new additions Shemar Moore, with Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails.

Directed by Jeff Fowler. Screenplay by Pat Casey & Josh Miller and John Whittington. Story by Pat Casey & Josh Miller, based on the SEGA Video Game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is distributed by Paramount Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Connect with #SonicMovie2

March 31, 2022
New Movies This Week: Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Morbius

Plan your week ahead and choose which among these movie openings this March 29, 2022 you’ll see on the big screen first.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Action, Adventure, Animation | 2hrs 2mins

Directed by Jeff Fowler, it is the sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog in 2020. It follows Sonic and Tails teaming up to find the Master Emerald before Dr. Eggman and Knuckles do. The film features the voices of Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Idris Elba, Jim Carrey, and more.

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Morbius

Action, Adventure, Drama | 1hr 44mins

Directed by Daniel Espinosa, it centers on biochemist Michael Morbius who tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease. But, when his experiment goes wrong, he inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism instead. It stars Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson.

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March 30, 2022
BOOK NOW: ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ Advance Ticket-Selling Starts Today!

Good news, Wizarding World fans!

Warner Bros. Philippines just announced that ticket selling for “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” is starting TODAY — more than two weeks before its grand opening on Black Saturday, April 16!

You can now buy tickets online and reserve seats via ClickTheCity through this link, and tickets will also be available via www.fantasticbeastsmovie.com.ph

Warner has also released a fresh vignette about the new creatures and old favorites featured in the upcoming film. Check out the video titled “Even More Fantastic Beasts” below:

In ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,’ Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Knowing he cannot stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead team of wizards, witches, and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?

© 2022 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved

The film features an ensemble cast led by Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”), two-time Oscar nominee Jude Law (“Cold Mountain,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley”), Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Katherine Waterston, and Mads Mikkelsen.

© 2022 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved

ALSO READ:
WATCH: The Cast of ‘The Secrets of Dumbledore’ Goes to Hogwarts
LOOK: Dumbledore’s First Army in ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’
WATCH: The Wizarding World is at War in the New ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ Trailer

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films Production, a David Yates film, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” in Philippine theaters on April 16. The film will be distributed worldwide in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #SecretsOfDumbledore

March 30, 2022
WATCH: Feel the Rush of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ in This New Trailer

Guaranteed adrenaline rush. Paramount Pictures’ Top Gun: Maverick is FINALLY coming to cinemas across the Philippines May 25. Watch the NEW official trailer now!

About Top Gun: Maverick

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”.

Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.

ALSO READ:
WATCH: Check Out ‘Top Gun: Maverick’s Behind-The-Scenes Video
Here are Tom Cruise’s Recruits in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Top Gun: Maverick stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Charles Parnell, Bashir Salahuddin, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, Greg Tarzan Davis with Ed Harris.

The film is written by Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie, based on the characters created by Jim Cash & Jack Epps, Jr. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, and David Ellison.

Top Gun: Maverick is distributed in the Philippines by Paramount Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Connect with #TopGun and tag @paramountpicsph

March 30, 2022
Young women filmmakers lead IKLI film festival winners

Female student filmmakers from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) dominated the winning circle of the recently concluded IKLI: Super Short Film Festival.

Diana Galang’s “Classroom 2022” emerged the big winner when it bagged both the “So Short But So Good – Best Picture” and the “You Have to Watch This – Fan Favorite” awards in the Super Shorts (films which run between two minutes and 21 seconds and five minutes) category of the new online film festival.

Giulia Saavedra’s “Looooongest Line” topped the IKLI Micro Shorts (60 seconds or less) division while Alecx Literal’s “Recurring Dream” took home the fan favorite prize among IKLI Mini Shorts (films with running time between one minute and two minutes and 20 seconds) group.

Galang, Saavedra, and Literal are all film students from DLS-CSB’s School of Design and Arts.

The other IKLI festival winners are Maria Del Carmen Villapol’s “Bitin,” Best Picture in the Mini Short category, and Francis Ner Marañon’s “Submit,” Fan Favorite among the Micro Shorts. Villapol is also a woman and a member of the film and theater organization SineDulaang Agustino of La Consolacion College Manila.

“Classroom 2022” depicts the country’s political environment in a comedy-drama that follows a classroom election after the end of the global pandemic. In the first week of face-to-face classes, Ms. Pallan, adviser of Grade 10 Section Maharlika, asked the students to elect their new class president.

Meanwhile, “Looooongest Line” focuses on the long lines of people waiting for “ayuda,” or government assistance during the quarantine, by representing them with household items in a parlor game. The idea came to Saavedra at the time relief was distributed to her neighborhood after Typhoon Ulysses struck.

In “Recurring Dream,” a woman falls into a deep dream-like cycle, unsure of what the future brings. It follows the character accomplishing her daily routine within the confines of her home. Days seem to go by quicker, yet she still finds herself in the same place, forced to do the same routine and practices.

IKLI, which aims to highlight stories that focus on the idea that Filipinos deserve better, is organized by the ticketing and video platform Ticket2Me in partnership with the Movement for Good Governance (MGG), Rappler, Youth Leadership for Democracy (YouthLed), and YouthVote Philippines.

“We wanted to use the platform and the inaugural film festival as an opportunity to showcase the creativity of these young filmmakers to tell and be able to support the message ‘We deserve better’,” Atty. Darwin Mariano, founder of the ticketing company and one of the founding members of MGG.

“When we think of short films, there’s also a gateway into the larger world of Philippine cinema. Creating a new generation is really important in showcasing those works,” Tristan Zinampan, Head of Brand Integration of Rappler Inc. and one of the founders of Act One, Rappler’s online platform for Filipino short films, stressed.

Ching Jorge, YouthLed’s Chief of Party, commended the young filmmakers during the awarding ceremony last March 18. “We are amazed that the creativity, quality, and content of all the entries shared the realities of our citizens and sent the message that the Filipino people truly deserve better.”

“I hope our film – as short as it is – serves as a wakeup call to people who don’t realize what we deserve yet. In the upcoming elections, let’s line up to a path towards a better governance,” Saavedra shared.

March 29, 2022
Jim Carrey Returns for Dr. Robotnik’s Revenge in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’

For Jim Carrey, the role of Dr. Robotnik in Paramount Pictures’ comedy adventure sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 provided the opportunity to return to his legendary film comedy roots. He says, “Robotnik hit the absurd energy that people really love – and the vibe of films like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. Playing Robotnik, I just let the floodgates open!”

The floodgates remain open – perhaps even wider – for Robotnik’s return in the sequel. The chrome-domed, mega-mustached madman with an I.Q. measuring over 300 is bigger, badder, and funnier, and still getting around in his patented flying ship, the Eggmobile.

And he has a score to settle with Sonic, who bested Robotnik at the end of the first film, leaving the madcap maniac stranded on a mushroom planet, light years away from Earth. In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, we see that Robotnik has spent months alone on the planet. “And if he was crazy in the first movie, he’s absolutely insane in this one, which fits Jim Carrey’s style of acting perfectly,” says producer Toby Ascher.

Carrey agrees, noting that returning to Robotnik was a chance to go even bigger with a character who, in the first film, was already an ultimate uber-villain. “He just gets bigger and bigger, and more and more of an egomaniac,” he confirms. “He’s also become increasingly frustrated about being bested by puny minds, like Sonic’s. Now, vengeance is job one for Robotnik,” Carrey continues. “Number two, of course, is world domination and the enslavement of humanity. With the help of the Master Emerald, Robotnik wants to transcend his totally dysfunctional, if brilliant mind, and become a demi-god.”

Robotnik’s newly enhanced mustache, which has achieved magisterial proportions, is, says Carrey, “yet another manifestation of Robotnik’s ego. You know, the bigger the ego, the bigger the chip on his shoulder, the bigger resentment of Sonic – and the bigger the mustache! The ‘stache gives him power, like Samson’s hair. It becomes a manifestation of his megalomania.”

Director Jeff Fowler is even more impressed by what Carrey brings to the new film, marveling, “Jim loves getting lost in the character. He has doubled and tripled-down on all the things you love about Robotnik – and about Jim – including the humor, mania and intelligence.”

In cinemas across the Philippines March 30, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is distributed by Paramount Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/paramountpicsph/; Twitter at www.twitter.com/paramountpicsph/; Instagram at www.instagram.com/paramountpicsph/ and YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsZ7igjHZB-5k8DDM7ilVJw. Connect with #SonicMovie2

March 28, 2022
Marvel’s ‘Morbius’ Brings Out a Dark, Unforgettable Side of Jared Leto

“I’m attracted to roles where there’s an opportunity to transform – physical transformation, but also mental, emotional, any and all,” says Jared Leto, who is indeed renowned for his transformations. From his Academy Award®-winning performance as Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club to his portrayal of Paolo Gucci in House of Gucci, Leto disappears into his roles, bringing characters to life in ways that can be moving, or terrifying, or enigmatic, but always unforgettable.

In his new film Morbius, based on the Marvel antihero, Leto brings all of these together for his performance as Dr. Michael Morbius, a brilliant doctor with a rare and fatal blood disease, determined to find the cure. Morbius’s genius finds a way not only to cure the illness but to give him unimaginable strength and powers, but at a terrible cost: an uncontrollable thirst for human blood.

“I played Dr. Michael Morbius from his most frail, to his most powerful, to his most monstrous,” Leto continues. “There’s a lot of range in there, so that was really fun to tackle. Not only does the movie have action, stunts, and fighting, but the role itself was taxing. Whenever he is fighting the affliction, he is caught in a crossroads between different parts of the character. It’s like a withdrawal process, a full body experience.”

“Jared Leto was the only actor that could really play the part of Morbius. That wasn’t really a choice – it was predestination,” says Daniel Espinosa, who directs the film.

“Jared is a beautiful actor to work with – he comes to set fully prepared, completely immersed in his character,” adds the director. “He’s become known for his approach to his characters, but it was truly surprising to see how much emotionality he could wrest out of Dr. Michael Morbius. He has a strong dedication, beginning to end, and more than just an actor. He’s a colleague, a partner.”

“I was excited about taking on the challenge of putting a character on screen that had never been on screen before,” says Leto. “It gets harder and harder to find, and that was unique about this – a Marvel character that had never been portrayed outside of a couple of episodes of a Spider-Man cartoon.”

Leto was drawn to the character by the idea that the audience would discover the character as he transforms, and by the challenge of portraying those unusual transformations. “I liked that he had this lofty goal while being frail. But then, he finds the cure and becomes incredibly powerful and strong – he succeeds in that mission only to have everything go wrong,” he concludes. “There’s a lot to discover about this character.”

Exclusively in cinemas across the Philippines starting March 30, Morbius is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #Morbius

March 28, 2022
Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About Marvel’s ‘Morbius’

A new legend from Marvel will rise. Jared Leto returns to the realm of superhero movies with Sony’s Marvel anti-hero film, Morbius!

The upcoming movie follows the story of Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Michael Morbius, who suffers from a rare blood disease. Determined to cure not only himself but other people like him, Morbius tests a dangerous cure involving bats on himself. This causes him to develop vampiric superhuman abilities– but also a thirst for blood.

Before Morbius lands in Philippine theaters this March 30, we’ve rounded up some interesting facts about the film and character that you might not know yet! Check them out below:

1. Vampires were prohibited to appear in comics

The Comics Code Authority was formed in the 1950s to regulate content in comic books. They initially banned vampires in comic books along with other supernatural beings. In 1971, they finally eased this restriction which resulted in the creation of Morbius by Marvel’s Roy Thomas and Gil Kane.

2. Morbius first fought a six-armed Spider-Man

Morbius The Living Vampire debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #101, during a time when Peter Parker faced a bizarre dilemma. Wanting to have a normal life with Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker drank a potion that was supposed to get rid of his spider powers, but instead, he grew two more pairs of arms. It was during this time that the friendly neighborhood superhero crossed paths with Morbius, who wants to feed on Peter’s blood.

Photo: Marvel website

3. Morbius once worked for Doctor Strange

Fresh from his appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange is set to return to the big screen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Speaking of the Sorcerer Supreme, Morbius was once part of The Midnight Sons, a team of heroes with mystical powers who were gathered by Dr. Strange to protect Earth from the Mother of Demons, Lilith, and her children, the Lilin.

4. From a DC villain to Marvel antihero

Before Tom Hardy landed the role of Edward Brock in Venom, he played Bane in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. But Hardy isn’t the only actor to make such a switch in Sony’s Marvel universe. Before Morbius, Jared Leto played the Joker in DCEU’s Suicide Squad and Justice League.

Photo: Columbia Pictures

5. Morbius joins Sony Pictures’ universe of Marvel characters

Before Disney got to own Marvel Studios, some of its characters have already been sold to Sony in 1998, long before the boom of superhero movies. After sharing Spider-Man with Marvel Studios for the MCU, Sony has also started growing its own movie universe of Marvel characters, which includes Venom, Carnage, the Vulture, and Morbius. Since Spider-Man: No Way Home, more opportunities have opened up to bring together these characters on the big screen.

Photo: Columbia Pictures

Don’t miss Morbius on the big screen! Buy your tickets here and enjoy a more convenient cinema experience on your next trip to the movie theaters!

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Sources:
1. “A Brief History of Vampires in Comics” by Jessica Plumber for Book Riot
2. Morbius The Living Vampire, Marvel.com
3. “Who Owns The Movie Rights To Marvel Characters: A Comprehensive Guide” by Ben Pearson for Slashfilm
4. Midnight Sons, Marvel.com

March 28, 2022
New Movies in Philippine Cinemas this April 2022

Planning your movie night with the fam and barkada this April? Here’s a lineup of films hitting the big screen soon! From the exciting adventures of Dumbledore’s First Army to an epic journey in the jungle in search of ancient treasure, here are the new movies in Philippine cinemas for the month of April.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Saturday, April 16

Professor Albus Dumbledore needs to prevent the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald from seizing control of the wizarding world. Unable to do this alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander to steer a group of wizards, witches, and a brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission.

Clifford the Big Red Dog

Saturday, April 16

A girl meets a magical animal rescuer who gives her a red puppy, who to her surprise transforms into a giant ten-foot dog.

The Lost City

Wednesday, April 20

A reclusive author is on tour promoting a new book with her cover model and is kidnapped by a billionaire in hopes that she can lead him to an ancient lost city’s treasure from her latest story.

The Bad Guys

Wednesday, April 27

A gang of animal outlaws cut a deal to avoid going to jail and it proves to be their biggest challenge yet: becoming good guys.

[Note: release dates subject to change without prior notice.]

March 28, 2022
‘Morbius’ Expands Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters

One of the most compelling and conflicted characters in Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters comes to the big screen in the action-thriller Morbius as Oscar® winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic antihero Michael Morbius.

Watch Morbius’ Universe Vignette below:

Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first it seems to be a radical success, a darkness inside him is unleashed. Will good override evil – or will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges?

“Morbius is searching for goodness – the cure for a disease. He’s going to find it, disregarding the cost on himself or on society,” says director Daniel Espinosa. “And in his search for goodness, he transforms into something he detests. He has to accept the ugliness he has within him, and that there’s something beautiful about it. It will be his strength, what makes him unique.”

Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) in Columbia Pictures’ MORBIUS.
Photo: Columbia Pictures

Morbius’s increasingly desperate research leads him to combine human DNA with that of the vampire bat – the only mammal that survives solely on blood – which has evolved to develop anticoagulants… a genetic mutation that Morbius is convinced will cure him and others with his disease. Not only does the treatment cure him, but gives him superhuman strength, the agility of an Olympic athlete, even the echolocation powers of the bat – to “see” objects in space by harnessing the sounds around him. But the cure also transforms Morbius into a (literally) bloodthirsty monster – a hideous creature with cravings that he is only somewhat able to control.

Morbius (Jared Leto) in Columbia Pictures’ MORBIUS.
Photo: Columbia Pictures

According to Espinosa, it’s the character’s inner humanity, his duality between virtuous man and brutal creature, that makes him so compelling. “Michael Morbius is one of the most altruistic characters of the Marvel Universe,” he says. “He’s one of the few that really believes in good. This good man has a horrible disease, and in his trials to save himself and the people that he cares for, he turns into a monster.”

Photo: Columbia Pictures

As a man who has spent countless hours reading and thinking about comic books, Espinosa says that it isn’t so surprising that Morbius’s duality has earned him a following. “Most great heroes are antiheroes,” he says. “Most of us are resistant to accept that we are the chosen one, and Morbius is the same. The most interesting characters in the Marvel universe have always been those that have had one foot on each side: Magneto, Rogue, Wolverine, in his own way, Venom. All of these characters are the ones that are fundamentally the most fascinating for us as moviegoers and comic book readers.”

Columbia Pictures presents in association with MARVEL, an Avi Arad / Matt Tolmach production, Morbius. Starring Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson. Directed by Daniel Espinosa. Produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and Lucas Foster. Screen Story and Screenplay by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless. Based on the MARVEL Comics.

Exclusively in cinemas across the Philippines on March 30, Morbius is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #Morbius

March 24, 2022