Tag: Film Facts

Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About the Star-Studded ‘Amsterdam’ Movie

This week, the mystery comedy thriller Amsterdam, starring Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington, is coming to Philippine cinemas!

The star-studded movie follows three friends– a doctor, a nurse, and a lawyer– from the 1930s who become the prime suspects in a murder. As they try to track down the real culprit of the crime to clear their names, their investigation will lead them to uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history!

Watch the trailer for Amsterdam below:

Before Amsterdam 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. David O. Russell and Christian Bale reunite for Amsterdam.

Director David O. Russell has worked with actor Christian Bale in his films The Fighter and American Hustle. In a report from Reuters, it was revealed that the director worked closely with Bale over the years to develop the story of Amsterdam.

“He had no script. He just had a couple of ideas. We started trading music that we would listen to, bits of history that we would learn about. David would scribble all this down. And then, over years and years, came up with this story,” Bale told Reuters.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

2. The story is mixed with real historical events.

Director Russell’s screenplay mixes fact and fiction to deliver an exciting mystery caper to viewers. As for its conspiracy plot, the script takes bits of historical events from when a fascist group tried to overthrow the US government. As the film’s synopsis described it, Amsterdam is “a fascinating and richly intricate tale that brilliantly weaves historical fact with fiction for a timely, cinematic experience.”

Photo: 20th Century Studios

3. The film is packed with big stars.

While the film already has an intriguing premise, movie buffs are sure excited to see its star-studded cast on the big screen. Aside from Bale, Robbie, and Washington, Amsterdam also has Robert De Niro, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek, Zoe Saldaña, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Timothy Olyphant, Andrea Riseborough, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Alessandro Nivola.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

4. Taylor Swift returns to acting, and sings with Bale.

Following her appearance in the highly-criticized movie adaptation of Cats, Taylor Swift is returning to the big screen through Amsterdam. According to Variety, the famous singer-songwriter is set to play a mourning daughter in the film, most likely the victim of the murder in which the lead trio has been wrongfully implicated.

Photo: ‘Amsterdam’ trailer

Bale also told The Hollywood Reporter that he got to sing with Taylor Swift during filming. “I went to my daughter and said, ‘You know who I sang with today? Taylor Swift.’ And she was like, ‘Wait, what? Why would you be doing that?’ Our pitch was all over the place … and then all of a sudden, David just goes, ‘How about Christian and J.D. [Washington] just shut up for this one and let Taylor do it?’ And it was like we had been drowning out an angel’s voice all day long with our cacophony and our rough, terrible voices.”

5. Bale loved the friendship between the film’s main characters.

In the film, Christian Bale’s Doctor Burt, Robbie’s Nurse Valerie, and Washington’s lawyer Woodsman crossed paths during the war and formed a pact that they will protect each other no matter what. While the film intrigues with a historical conspiracy and social commentary that stays relevant today, Bale told THR that the reason he loves the film so much is because of the friendship in the core of the movie.

“They have all suffered absolutely crushing circumstances in their life, but they refuse to be beaten by it or defined by it. So David and I just loved those characters. We want to be around them, and we want to watch them. We want to see these friends take care of each other no matter what. Oh man, that’s a friendship that I want to have in my life,” said Bale.

Photo: 20th Century Studios

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Amsterdam opens in cinemas nationwide this Thursday, October 6. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.

October 3, 2022
Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About ‘Don’t Worry Darling’

This week, Olivia Wilde’s psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling is dropping in Philippine cinemas!

Set in the ’50s, the film stars Florence Pugh and Harry Styles as the couple Alice and Jack who live in the idealized community of Victory, which is owned by a mysterious company.

Home to the families of the men who work for the company’s top-secret project, Victory is a tight-knit utopia where the people’s daily lives are influenced by the CEO, Frank (Chris Pine), who also serves as a life coach for the community. But when Alice begins to see cracks in their idyllic life, she sets out to discover the truth behind Victory and its sinister secrets.

Before Don’t Worry Darling hits theaters this week, we’ve rounded up a few facts about the movie from behind the scenes. Check them out below.

1. Olivia Wilde is back in the director’s chair.

Before being credited as a director, Olivia Wilde is an actress who starred in movies like The Lazarus Effect and TRON: Legacy. She made her directorial debut in 2019 with the teen comedy flick Booksmart, making Don’t Worry Darling her second feature film as the director. Wilde also stars in the thriller as Bunny, Alice’s best friend.

Photo: ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ trailer

2. There were multiple bidders for Wilde’s script.

According to Deadline, there were 15 to 18 bidders who wanted to secure Wilde’s script with budgets of around $20M. Included in the lineup of studios that joined the bidding war were Netflix, MGM, Village Roadshow Pictures, Apple, and Universal-based Blumhouse. In the end, New Line Cinema, known for The Conjuring, IT, and the Final Destination franchises secured the rights for the film.

3. Shia Labeouf almost starred as Jack.

Harry Styles was initially meant to play Jack, but due to conflicts with his touring schedule, the role almost landed on Shia Labeouf of Transformers fame. But in an interview with Variety, Wilde said she let go of Labeouf because his process “seems to require a combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances.”

Meanwhile, Labeouf denied this in an email to Variety, saying the reason was the lack of rehearsal time. In the end, Styles was cast again to play the lead role opposite Pugh.

Photo: ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ Dinner Clip

4. Florence Pugh on her sex scenes with Harry Styles in the trailer.

In the same interview, director Wilde had been vocal about the importance of depicting female pleasure in sex scenes between a heterosexual couple, because “in hetero sex scenes in film, the focus on men as the recipients of pleasure is almost ubiquitous.”

But with the crowd’s attention being directed to the sex scenes between Pugh and Styles when the trailer dropped, Pugh has this to say in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar: “When it’s reduced to your sex scenes, or to watch the most famous man in the world go down on someone, it’s not why we do it. It’s not why I’m in this industry. Obviously, the nature of hiring the most famous pop star in the world, you’re going to have conversations like that. That’s just not what I’m going to be discussing because [this movie is] bigger and better than that. And the people who made it are bigger and better than that.”

5. Harry Styles created Alice’s “trigger song” in just 5 minutes.

In the same interview between Variety and director Wilde, the latter revealed that the seemingly romantic yet creepy song featured in the film was written by Harry Styles. In the script, it was only referred to as Alice’s “trigger song” and when the singer and actor asked about it, Wilde revealed to him that there was no specific song yet. Styles then offered to pen it himself.

“Five minutes later, he sent me a demo from his piano, and it was what ended up in the film. He called me and said, ‘What about this?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s it. That’s it. And that’s really insane that you did that in five minutes’,” said Wilde.

Photo: ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ trailer

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Don’t Worry Darling opens in cinemas nationwide this Wednesday, September 28. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.

September 26, 2022
Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About Jo Koy’s ‘Easter Sunday’

Stand-up comedian Jo Koy who is best known for his jokes about his Filipino upbringing is heading to the big screen through the film Easter Sunday. It tells the story of struggling comedian and single father Joe Valencia, who reunites with his dysfunctional Filipino family to celebrate Easter Sunday.

Watch the trailer for Easter Sunday below:

If you’re planning to see Easter Sunday in theaters this week, then we’ve got some fun facts for you to check out! Here are some details about the new comedy film you might want to know about.

1. The Steven Spielberg produced the film out of love for Jo Koy.

Steven Spielberg, who brought life to some of the biggest movie franchises in cinema history such as Jurassic Parks, JAWS, and Indiana Jones just to name a few, produced the film because he loved Jo Koy’s performance in the Netflix special Comin’ in Hot.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the comedian recalled how he walked into Amblin and was told that the director loved him. Shares Jo Koy in the interview, “[Steven] wanted to know what kind of movie idea I had and I pitched this one. From the minute he said, ‘We’ll buy it’ to this day right here, he’s had his hand in every step of the way. I love you, Steven.”

2. It’s the first film with an all-Filipino ensemble produced by a major Hollywood studio.

While there have been other US films depicting the Filipino-American experience, Easter Sunday will be the first title produced by a major Hollywood studio, Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, alongside Dan Lin’s Rideback. The latter is known for producing The Lego Movie franchise and the IT franchise. Amblin Partners and Universal Pictures share Easter Sunday’s international distribution rights.

Photo: Universal Pictures website

3. Other stand-up comedians join Jo Koy in the new film.

Jo Koy isn’t the only veteran comic to star in the film, as other popular stand-up comedians join him on Easter Sunday. These include Brandon Wardell who plays his son, Joe Valencia Jr.; Tiffany Hadish who plays Vanessa, a police officer that Joe shares a history with; and Jimmy O. Yang, who stars as the hustler Marvin on top of being an executive producer for the film.

Speaking about producing the movie, Yang told Slash Film in an interview: “Of course, I’m like, ‘What about else I can do to bring value to help as an actor?’ And I wanted to play an even bigger part, but I couldn’t because of my schedule with Space Force, so I ended up, still able to do this cameo and was there on the first day of the shoot, which is very special.”

4. Even the director is a stand-up comedian.

The film’s director, Jay Chandrasekhar, is also a stand-up comedian and is best known for directing the Super Troopers film franchise, The Dukes of Hazzard, and episodes of Community and The Goldbergs. Aside from being in the director’s chair, Chandrasekhar is also part of the cast. In an interview with Collider, the director shared how he approached the movie.

“I’m a standup, [Jo Koy] is a standup. So I said to him, ‘We got to make a really funny movie because people are going to expect it to be …’ They’re not like, ‘Hey, Filipinos are in it, it’s great.’ They’re going to want to be a really funny movie. Then we’ll also have all these Filipinos in it, and then that part will advance the cause. So we agreed to just make sure we’ve made a full-on, funny movie,” explained Chandrasekhar.

5. Veteran Hollywood actors Lou Diamond Phillips and Tia Carrere are also part of the cast.

Also joining Joe Valencia’s Filipino cast in the film are veteran actors Lou Diamond Phillips and Tia Carrere. Phillips has starred in multiple movies and shows since the ’80s including La Bamba, Miami Vice, Criminal Minds, and Courage Under Fire just to name a few. He also voiced Mayor Sancho Santamaria in Netflix’s animated series Trese. Meanwhile, Tia Carrere has starred in films and shows such as Wayne’s World, True Lies, Rising Sun, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

“I’ve played Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, everything under the sun, including the silent Asian girl in the corner that looks lovingly at her white boyfriend and says nothing. It’s been a long road to where we get to be front and center,” Carrere told EW in an interview about the new film.

Photos: Easter Sunday on Twitter

Also part of the cast are Eva Noblezada, Lydia Gaston, Elena Juatco, Rodney To, Eugene Cordero, Melody Butui, and Joey Guila.

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Easter Sunday opens in cinemas nationwide this Wednesday, August 31, 2022. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.

August 29, 2022
Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About ‘DC League of Super-Pets’

The newest DC superhero team is coming to the big screen this week! The new animated film DC League of Super-Pets brings together a ragtag team of heroic animals from the DC universe, voiced by an all-star ensemble!

Watch the trailer for DC League of Super-Pets below:

The film follows Superman’s reliable superpowered pet, Super-Dog who fights crimes alongside him in Metropolis. But when Superman and the Justice League are kidnapped, it is up to Krypto and a group of shelter animals– Ace the hound, PB the potbellied pig, Merton the turtle, and Chip the squirrel– to master their newfound powers, rescue the heroes, and ultimately save the day!

If you can’t wait to see the superhero film land on the big screen this week, then here’s a list for you! We’ve rounded up some interesting facts about the movie that you might want to know about!

1. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson currently headlines two DC films.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson leads the pack as the voice of Krypto the Super-Dog in DC League of Super-Pets. But Johnson is also joining DC’s movie universe as the anti-hero Black Adam in his own titular film. Unlike the friendly white hound, Black Adam is a DC character you wouldn’t want to mess with, because he uses his Shazam-like superpowers to uphold his twisted sense of justice.

Photos: ‘DC League of Super-Pets’ and ‘Black Adam’ trailers

2. It’s the Rock and Kevin Hart’s third film as onscreen buddies.

In the past, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart have already shown their chemistry in the films Central Intelligence, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and Jumanji: The Next Level. In Central Intelligence, Johnson played the bullied-kid-turned-CIA-rogue-agent Robbie while Hart played a high school star athlete who ended up dissatisfied in his office job. Johnson and Hart also played the in-game characters Bravestone and Finbar respectively in the Jumanji films. Hart also made a cameo in Johnson’s Fast & Furious spinoff film Hobbs & Shaw.

Photo: ‘Central Intelligence’ trailer

3. Ace and Krypto debuted in the comics in 1955.

Krypto first appeared in Adventure Comics #210 in March 0f 1955. Krypto was the dog of Superman/Kal-El’s family in Krypton. When Kal-El’s father Jor-El was testing a prototype of the rocket that would bring his son to Earth, he first used their dog Krypto. However, on its trip to Earth, Krypto’s rocket went off course and only landed on Earth when Kal-El, now Clark Kent, was already a teenager. When they reunited, Krypto turned out to have the same powers Superman has, and it soon became a crimefighting companion for the superhero.

Meanwhile, Ace debuted a few months later in Batman #92, where it was introduced as a German Shepherd with a star-shaped marking on its forehead. When its master, John Wilker was kidnapped, Batman used Ace to locate and rescue its owner. When Wilker no longer had time to take care of Ace, the dog was left in the care of Batman and Robin, assisting them as the Bat-Hound in their fight against criminals.

Photo: ‘DC League of Super-Pets’ poster

4. All the Super-Pets aside from PB actually exist in the comics.

While Krypto and Ace have always been popular pet sidekicks of DC’s biggest heroes, the film’s Merton the turtle and Chip the squirrel actually exist in the comics as well. Merton the turtle, or Merton McSnurtle, debuted in DC’s Funny Stuff #1 where it became the speedster Terrific Whatzit in a world of anthropomorphic animals. Meanwhile, Chip or Ch’p in the comics is not a sidekick but an actual member of the Green Lantern Corps. As for PB the Pot-bellied Pig, she was created for this film to become Wonder Woman’s animal counterpart.

Photo: ‘DC League of Super-Pets’ trailer

5. Keanu Reeves debuts as the Batman.

Whenever a new Batman comes to the big screen, fans are sure to look forward to the actor behind it. Despite being an animated film, DC League of Super-Pets made sure that there will be an A-lister actor behind his voice, casting Keanu Reeves for the role.

In an interview with Extra, Reeves also shared that he is open to the possibility of playing an older, live-action Batman. “It’s always been a … it’s been a dream,” the actor said. “Pattinson’s got Batman right now, and he’s doing awesome. Maybe down the road. Maybe when they need an older Batman.”

DC League of Super-Pets opens in cinemas nationwide this Wednesday, July 27, 2022. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.

July 25, 2022
Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

After the events of Avengers: Endgame, Thor is back for his fourth solo film but this time, another Thor wields Mjolnir!

Chris Hemsworth and director Taika Waititi have teamed up yet again to bring us Thor: Love and Thunder, chronicling the God of Thunder’s latest space adventures with the Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as his new quest to put a stop to Gorr the God Butcher. Alongside him in his mission is Jane Foster as the new Thor, Valkyrie, and the lovable Korg.

Watch the trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder below:

Excited to see Thor: Love and Thunder on the big screen? On this list, we’ve rounded up some interesting facts that you might want to know about the new Marvel movie.

1. Taika Waititi directs the fourth Thor film.

Thor is now the superhero with the most number of solo films in the MCU with the release of this fourth installment. This is also the second film directed by Taika Waititi, following his successful direction of Thor: Ragnarok. In case you didn’t know, Waititi also gives life to Thor’s trusted ally, Korg.

“That’s a wrap on Thor Love and Thunder, it’s also national don’t flex day so I thought this super relaxed photo was appropriate… Lots of love, lots of thunder!” (via @chrishemsworth on Instagram) pic.twitter.com/sVblCZ4VnC
— Thor (@thorofficial) June 1, 2021

2. Jane Foster wields the Mjolnir.

It has long been revealed that Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster will become the female Thor in the next film, but the story behind this turn of events has yet to be revealed. If you’re wondering how this happened in the comics, it was after Thor realized that gods were not worthy of humanity’s adoration– thanks to Gorr the God Butcher toying with his mind. This makes him incapable of lifting his mighty hammer. Jane Foster, who had cancer at the time, found that she was worthy and transforms into the goddess Thor, taking the place of the then powerless Odinson.

Photo: Thor: Love and Thunder trailer

3. Thor meets Zeus.

Norse mythology has long been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but shortly after Moon Knight featured Egyptian gods, the latest Thor film will also be bringing in the Greek gods into the MCU. Russell Crowe plays Zeus, who makes an appearance in the film’s trailer after Thor and the gang find themselves in Olympus.

Photo: Thor: Love and Thunder trailer

4. Gorr the God Butcher’s long nails almost incapacitated Christian Bale.

Fans were awed by Christian Bale’s latest transformation as the film’s Gorr the God Butcher, a terrifying vilain who is hellbent on killing all of the gods. In an interview with Deadline, the actor shared how the character’s long nails became a problem for him.

“It rendered me completely incapable of everything. I was pathetic,” said Bale. “I found myself thinking things like, ‘I don’t think I can walk because I’ve got long nails.’ It affected my brain. I was like, ‘I can’t eat, I’ve got long nails.’ I was trying to type. I couldn’t do anything.”

Photo: Thor: Love and Thunder trailer

5. Matt Damon will be back as actor Loki.

In Thor: Ragnarok, fans were surprised to see Matt Damon make a cameo appearance in a play happening within the film. Damon played the actor starring as Loki, while Chris Hemsworth’s brother Luke played Thor in the play. In an interview with Jess Cagle on Sirius XM, Damon confirmed that he will also be returning as actor Loki in the upcoming film.

Thor: Love and Thunder opens in cinemas nationwide this Wednesday, July 6, 2022. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.

July 4, 2022
Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’

Dive into the crazy worlds of the multiverse with A24’s new movie Everything Everywhere All At Once! Starring Michelle Yeoh, this movie from Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively known as the Daniels) combines action and comedy in one high-energy, multiversal adventure.

The film follows the aging Chinese immigrant Evelyn, who is facing struggles from all corners, from her business to her marriage. Evelyn seems to be a failure in every aspect of her life, but when an interdimensional rupture threatens the safety of the multiverse, only she could restore balance to her world and all the alternate realities. To do this, she must tap into the acquired skills of a variety of Evelyns hailing from the different parts of the multiverse.

Watch the trailer below:

Before you see the movie on the big screen, we’ve rounded up some interesting behind-the-scenes facts about Everything Everywhere All At Once that you might want to know!

1. Jackie Chan was the first choice for the lead role.

It is no secret that the Daniels really tailored the lead role of the film for Jackie Chan while Yeoh would star as his wife. When Chan was unavailable, something clicked and the directors realized that the story would be better with the wife as the protagonist.

In an interview with The Guardian, Yeoh shares her fun banter with Jackie Chan: “Jackie actually texted me and he says: ‘Wow, I hear amazing things about your movie. Did you know that the boys came to see me in China?’ And I said: ‘Yes, your loss, my bro!’”

Photo: ‘Police Story 3: Super Cop’ on Netflix

2. The directors almost had to explore the Marvel’s multiverse as well.

As it turns out, the Daniels had the choice between working on the Marvel’s cinematic multiverse or on their own multiverse. The Daniels were offered to direct Loki, MCU’s spinoff series where the God of Mischief is introduced to his other variants across the multiverse. But the directors decided to focus on their film, thus, the director’s chair was given to Kate Herron. Given that both titles received great praises, it seems that everything worked out well in both multiverses.

Photo: ‘Loki’ trailer

3. Yeoh’s husband in the film is an iconic Indiana Jones ally.

Starring as Waymond, the husband of Michelle Yeoh’s Evelyn, is Ke Huy Quan. If you think his face is quite familiar or his name rings a bell, that is because he is an iconic child actor. Ke Huy Quan played the ever-dependable Short Round in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom and as Data in The Goonies. In his new film, the actor even had a quick reference to his popular role in The Temple of Doom, which you’d want to see for yourself.

Photos: ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once‘ and ‘Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom‘ trailers.

4. Jamie Lee Curtis wanted her character Deirdre to look real in the film.

In Everything Everywhere All At Once, Halloween icon Jamie Lee Curtis stars as the eccentric IRS inspector named Deirdre Beaubeirdra. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Daniel Scheinert reveals how Curtis was so enthusiastic about portraying the character, saying she’d send them photos of weird outfits and hairdos for Deirdre right after signing up.

It was also important for Curtis to make the role realistic. “I wanted to just be truthful to this woman. In the world, there is an industry — a billion-dollar, trillion-dollar industry — about hiding things. Concealers. Body-shapers. Fillers. Procedures. Clothing. Hair accessories. Hair products. Everything to conceal the reality of who we are. And my instruction to everybody was: I want there to be no concealing of anything,” said Curtis.

Photo: ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once‘ trailer

5. The indie film’s eye-popping visual effects were worked on by just five people.

The film has a lot of visual effects given its surrealistic and high-energy multiversal premise. In an interview with WIRED— which you can watch below– the Daniels revealed that there were only five people working on the movie’s visual effects. They even shared how they put together some of the sequences in the film.

Everything Everywhere All At Once opens in cinemas nationwide this Wednesday, June 29, 2022. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.

June 27, 2022
Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’

Visionary director Baz Luhrmann is returning to the big screen to give us a cinematic take on the life and music of Elvis Presley with ‘Elvis.’

Starring Austin Butler and Oscar winner Tom Hanks, ‘Elvis’ is an exploration of the life and music of the King of Rock and Roll (played by Austin Butler), through the complex relationship he had with his manager Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks). The film will highlight over two decades of Elvis’ life, his rise to fame, and feature significant people in his life.

If you’re planning to see this movie on the big screen, here are some fun facts about ‘Elvis’ that you might be interested to learn before it opens in cinemas!

1. Many notable actors auditioned for the role of Elvis Presley, but the role was ultimately given to Austin Butler

Photo Credit: Hugh Stewart
© 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

According to this article, among the actors gunning for the role of Elvis back in 2019 were Ansel Elgort (West Side Story), Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick), and Harry Styles (Dunkirk). All of them, including Austin Butler, auditioned and tested for the role of Elvis Presley.

2. Denzel Washington actually played an important role in Butler’s casting

Austin Butler on finding a mentor in Denzel Washington: https://t.co/iDLJLh5uau pic.twitter.com/0ILG24AcND
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) May 25, 2022

The Oscar-wining actor co-starred with Austin Butler in The Iceman Cometh, a 2018 Broadway revival of the play. According to several articles, Denzel Washington was impressed with Butler’s work ethic, and he himself called director Baz Lurhmann to praise the actor.

3. This is Baz Luhrmann’s sixth feature film

Photo Credit: Hugh Stewart
© 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

After almost a decade since ‘The Great Gatsby,’ the visionary director is back at it again with ’Elvis.’ Known for his theatrical, glamorous style and impressive movie soundtracks, the Australian director was onboarding on the ambitious Elvis Presley biopic back in 2014 but it was only in 2019 when it had a more solid footing, after announcing Tom Hanks was cast as Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’ manager.

4. ‘Elvis’ premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and received a 12-minute standing ovation

It was unanimous – the critics and audiences alike were nothing but praises for Austin Butler’s performance (we have Denzel Washington to thank for that!). In addition, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has rated it fresh, garnering 80% on the Tomatometer.

ALSO READ:
‘Elvis’ Gets 12-Minute Standing Ovation at Cannes

5. The musical biopic has also the gotten the seal approval from Elvis Presley’s daughter, Priscilla

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Priscilla Presley (@priscillapresley)

In her Facebook post, Priscilla Presley shares that the film ‘is a true story told brilliantly and creatively that only Baz, in his unique artistic way, could have delivered.’ She also praises Austin Butler’s outstanding performance as Elvis.

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Elvis opens in theaters across the Philippines on June 22, 2022.

June 20, 2022
Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’

“To infinity and beyond!”

For years we’ve seen Buzz Lightyear as half of Toy Story‘s leading duo, alongside the cowboy Woody. But Disney and Pixar are set to change our view of the iconic character in the upcoming Toy Story spinoff film, Lightyear.

The new film is set to explore the story that inspired the toy. It will follow the legendary Space Ranger, as he travels through space and time to find a way back home after getting stuck on a hostile planet. But it’s not that easy, especially with the evil emperor Zurg trying to thwart the mission.

Watch the trailer below:

Before you see this exciting spinoff film on the big screen, we’ve rounded up some fun facts about Lightyear that you might find interesting!

1. Chris Evans is the new voice of Buzz

In the Toy Story franchise, Buzz has been consistently voiced by Tim Allen, but for this film, Chris Evans is lending his voice to the character. In an interview with IGN, producer Galyn Susman answers why they decided to cast a different actor for the “meta” film: “There was so much initial confusion about our pitch, that it became really clear that we needed to have some clear delineators. We needed a different voice. And our Buzz had to have hair. We needed some things that made it clear that this is not the Toy Story Buzz.”

2. Zurg’s previous appearances

In case you forgot, Zurg has also been a recurring character in the Toy Story franchise, being Buzz’s archenemy even as a toy. In Toy Story 2, Zurg is also oblivious about himself being a toy and tries to stop Buzz in his mission to save Woody from the toy dealer Al McWhiggin. At the end of Toy Story 3, Zurg is also seen being added to the toys at Sunnyside Daycare. But in Lightyear, we can expect a more menacing Zurg as the trailer teased.

Another fun fact about this new Zurg: he will be voiced by James Brolin, the father of Josh Brolin. So in a way, we’ll see Captain America fight Thanos’ dad.

Photo: Lightyear trailer

3. A cute robot cat joins Buzz in his mission

Joining Buzz on his mission is a robot cat named SOX. The adorable character can talk and accompanies the Space Ranger throughout his journey across time and space. If the voice sounds familiar, he is voiced by Peter Sohn, a Korean-American animator and director who has voiced the likes of Emile in Ratatouille, Forrest Woodbush in The Good Dinosaur (which he also directed), and Ciccio in Luca. Sohn is also directing the upcoming Disney film Elemental.

4. The sets and ships took inspiration from NASA

In an interview with Variety, set art director Greg Peltz shared how NASA’s real ships and structures inspired the ships and sets in Lightyear. “We looked at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA, that huge structure where they build the giant space rockets,” Peltz says. “Take the car crawler, it’s a rail vehicle and it has these giant clamps that grasp it and lock it into place. When you’re ready to launch, the steam comes off it, and you see these moving parts.”

Photo: Lightyear trailer

5. NASA took Buzz Lightyear to space once

We know that Buzz Lightyear’s name was inspired by Apollo 11’s Buzz Aldrin. But did you know that Buzz the toy also had his time in space in real life? Back in 2008, a Buzz Lightyear toy was taken by NASA to the International Space Station with the crew of the STS-124 space shuttle mission. The toy returned to Earth 15 months later.

Lightyear opens in cinemas nationwide this Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.

June 13, 2022
Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About ‘Jurassic World Dominion’

‘Jurassic World Dominion‘ is the sixth and final installment to the Jurassic era, uniting two generations. In this new adventure which takes place four years after Isla Nublar was destroyed, the dinosaurs now live and hunt alongside humans.

Whether you’re a fan of this popular franchise or just excited to catch a new action-packed adventure film on the big screen this week, here are some facts about ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ you should know about before you see it in the theaters!

1. Jurassic World Dominion reunites the stars from the first Jurassic Park film in 1993

Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum reunite in the upcoming film and join the ‘new generation’ Jurassic World stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. The OG Jurassic cast reprise their roles: Sam Neil is Dr. Alan Grant, a famous paleontologist, Laura Dern is Dr. Ellie Sattler; a Palaeobotanist who formerly was in a relationship with Dr. Grant; and Jeff Goldblum is Dr. Ian Malcolm, a gifted mathematician specializing in chaos theory. In the 1993 film, the three doctors were hired to oversee the safety of a theme park that featured cloned dinosaurs in a tropical island.

2. This is the longest film in the ‘Jurassic’ franchise, with a runtime of 146 minutes

Get cozy in your cinema seats (and take that toilet break before entering the theater), as Jurassic World clocks in at nearly 2 and a half hours! According to this article, the upcoming movie runs for 2 hours and 26 minutes – and we’re guessing this is the case since it’s an epic conclusion to the Jurassic saga. Actor Chris Pratt explains in the interview below that it’s the sixth film in the franchise and thinks that it is the final story.

Chris Pratt is live with us on the plaza! 🦖 pic.twitter.com/DkitwygiuP
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 5, 2022

3. There is a 5-minute prologue of the movie featuring new dinosaurs never before featured in any of the ‘Jurassic’ films.

Entitled ‘The Prologue,’ the special preview takes us back 65 million years ago to the time

humans were not yet existing on earth. This special peek of the Cretaceous period also seems to show us the iconic amber-cased mosquito’s origins. The prologue features a mosquito that drinks a T-rex’s blood, revealing how it was able to carry the dinosaur DNA. To refresh your memory, here’s a clip of the ‘Mr. DNA’ informational video from the 1993 film!

4. ‘Jurassic Park’ is one of the highest-grossing film franchises in history

With five films under its belt and one more coming up, the ‘Jurassic’ series is included in the lists of the greatest film franchises and highest-grossing film series of all time, along with franchises like Harry Potter/Wizarding World, Star Wars, and the MCU. According to this article, the 2015 installment of Jurassic World had the largest worldwide opening for a movie, and the only one to hit the $500 million mark for its first weekend!

5. Director Colin Trevorrow shares that ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ is a ‘big globe-hopping adventure’

In this interview, the director mentions they shot on location in Mata, the UK, and British Columbia, and that audiences can expect all different sorts of environments that make the film exciting to watch. In his words, Jurassic World Dominion is a ‘Spy movie, science thriller with dinosaurs.’

ALSO READ:
Epic Conclusion in ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ Blurs Line Between Prey & Predator

Jurassic World Dominion opens in cinemas nationwide this Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Book your seats in advance and buy your tickets here.

June 6, 2022
Film Facts: 5 Things to Know About ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Tom Cruise returns to one of his earliest Hollywood roles in the long-awaited sequel film, Top Gun: Maverick. As Navy aviator Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Cruise is back to cruising the skies, but this time he also has to train a new generation of aviators while facing the uncertain future and a piece of the past that haunts him to this day.

Before you see the epic sequel to Top Gun this May 25, here are some facts about the film that you might find interesting.

1. It’s been 36 years since the first film premiered.

Top Gun first hit theaters in 1986 and Tom Cruise was in his early 20s when he first played the role of Maverick. Today, the actor is 59 years old, and his role as a respected aviator turned mentor to the rookies is really fitting given the huge gap between the first film and the sequel. Top Gun is also one of the franchises with the longest gaps between its films, running second to Bambi which took 64 years to have a sequel.

Photo: Netflix

2. Maverick meets the son of his late friend Goose.

Goose is such an important character in the first film, and his impact remains in this sequel. In fact, his son Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw becomes one of Maverick’s mentees, but the past will raise conflict upon their encounter. Rooster is played by Miles Teller, who has appeared in the 2015 Fantastic Four remake and War Dogs.

Photo: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ trailer

3. The Iceman is back.

Val Kilmer also returns in the sequel as Maverick’s rival-turned-ally, Lt. Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. As the trailer reveals, it was actually Iceman who requested for Maverick to lead the Navy’s new roster of promising aviators. In an interview with People, Top Gun producer Jerry Bruckheimer said that Cruise really wanted to have Kilmer back for the sequel. Top Gun: Maverick was filmed after Kilmer recovered from throat cancer.

Photo: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ trailer

4. Tom Cruise & the cast were really filmed from inside the cockpit.

In the original movie, the cast members were filmed in the cockpit of an F-14 Tomcat, but only Tom Cruise had usable footage because the other actors struggled with that setup. But this time, the actors are now able to film in the cockpits of the F/A-18s in flight, acting and speaking their lines of dialogue, thanks to months of training.

Photo: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ trailer

5. Convincing Tom Cruise to star in Top Gun wasn’t easy.

In an interview with Variety, Bruckheimer said that Tom Cruise was always their choice to play Maverick, but convincing him to star in the film wasn’t easy. But when the Blue Angels at a Naval Air Facility in California took him for a ride, doing all kinds of stunts in an F-14, Cruise was convinced that he had to be in the movie.

Photo: Paramount Pictures

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ opens in Phillippine cinemas on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Book your seats ahead and buy your tickets here.

May 23, 2022