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Tag: cinema

  • IMAX CEO: When Is The Rest Of The World Going To Catch Up To China?

    IMAX CEO: When Is The Rest Of The World Going To Catch Up To China?

    “When are the rest of the countries in the world going to catch up to China?” asks IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond. “When is Hollywood going to feel comfortable releasing their blockbuster movies globally where the rest of the world is like China. In China, people feel safe and in fact, they are safe. They really want to resume their lives. They want to go back to the movies. They want to go back to restaurants. They want to do a lot of things. China in particular, but Asia in general, is ahead of the western world.”

    Richard Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, says that China and Asia, in general, are ahead of the rest of the world in feeling safe and resuming their lives including going to the movies:

    When Is The Rest Of The World Going To Catch Up To China?

    It’s remarkable that cinema capacity is constrained to 75% yet we did 25% better than our best year which was last year. That’s clearly an indication that people feel safe and in fact, they are safe. They really want to resume their lives. They want to go back to the movies. They want to go back to restaurants. They want to do a lot of things. China in particular, but Asia in general, is ahead of the western world. It hasn’t gone as smoothly in a lot of businesses as it’s gone in China but the indications are quite good that they want to get back to normal.

    I don’t think that the message in the rest of the world is survival. From the China experience, we know that there’s a pent-up demand for going to the cinema. We know that when people feel safe and healthy they’re going to go. In the United States, on the other hand, that’s the other end of the spectrum, where people just don’t feel comfortable at this point in time. I don’t believe it’s an existential issue.

    The lessons of China, not just from the National Day this weekend, you go back a few weeks ago to when the ‘The Eight Hundred’ came out and that did $115 million dollars in its opening weekend. That is in the top 10 Chinese local language movies of all time. The proof points are there. The question is when are the rest of the countries in the world going to catch up to China? When is Hollywood going to feel comfortable releasing their blockbuster movies globally where the rest of the world is like China.

    China Is Largest IMAX Market In The World

    We’ve done very well in China. We have about 700 plus screens open. We have another 300-ish in backlog. We’ve also signed a few deals this year in China, one with Wanda Cinemas and another one with a number of other operators. There’s great demand in China and as we speak we’re opening new screens there. There’s also a lot of dialogue going on. China is our largest market in the world for IMAX. It’s about 40% of our screens globally even though we’re in 82 countries. As a reference point, in North America, we have 400 screens.

    In China, we have 700 screens with several hundred still to go. So the demand is growing there. The Chinese consumer really wants to go to the movies. The Chinese consumer is also brand conscious. They also want something innovative, the next forward-looking thing. It’s a terrifically promising market for us.

    Saudi Arabia Is A Rapidly Growing Market

    Japan is another market that has gone very well for us in recent years. We have about 30 to 35 theaters open with a backlog opening. In Korea, we just signed a large deal with CGV, the largest cinema operator there. We have 16 open now and we’re opening another eight or ten in Korea. Saudi Arabia is also a rapidly growing market. There was no cinema in Saudi Arabia until about a year ago.

    Since it’s opened it’s been very successful. We have 25 theaters slated to open in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, we can’t build them fast enough. Western Europe, also once it starts to feel safe again and cinema gets back to normal, that’s a very good market as well.

    Non-IMAX Cinemas Have Short-Term Cash Issues

    What happens between now and the vaccine? For IMAX, we have a very strong balance sheet. We have over $315 million in cash and our cash burn is less than $9 million a month. But now that China’s open it’ll be significantly less than that. So for us, we have a long runway and a lot of staying power. For cinemas, in general, they tend to be much more levered than we are so there will be some short-term cash issues.

    What they’re going to have to do is just manage their spend rates until there’s a vaccine and Hollywood releases more films so they can come back in a direct way. Most of the major ones have raised capital during the last several months with the financial markets being very amenable. So I suspect a lot of them will make it through it but it’s a matter of cost control and how soon they reopens.

    America Didn’t Open Theaters Up As Quickly As China

    In China, there is a lot of local content as well as in Japan. IMAX has been in China since around the year 2000. We have lots of relationships with filmmakers and studios in China. We have 10 local language films available between now and the rest of the year. So there’s a lot of content going on there. I think movies got pushed because, in North America, it didn’t open up as quickly as China opened up.

    There are a few reasons for that. One is people just don’t feel as good about the virus and they’re leerier about going to out-of-home experiences. It didn’t happen the same way it happened in China. Also in China, they were very intelligent about the way they reopened. They opened about a month before some of the blockbuster movies came out so people got comfortable going to theaters. Then when the movies opened it was just a natural progression.

    In the US, because of local regulation, it happened very suddenly and then the movies came out right away. People really weren’t conditioned to go. A lot of people, if you read the polling data, didn’t even know the cinemas were open. In terms of Disney’s Mulan, the results were not as good in China as was expected but I think that probably had more to do with how the movie played rather than any safety concerns.

    IMAX CEO: When Is The Rest Of The World Going To Catch Up To China?

  • Martin Scorsese Defends Kodak’s Production of Film

    In January 2012, things could not have looked worse for Kodak. After 123 years of filmmaking, the company, created by George Eastman, had applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and looked destined for ultimate failure. Surprisingly, though, Kodak was able to stay on its feet and continue production a little over a year and a half later behind the supervision of Chief Executive Jeff Clarke.

    Despite its perseverance, Kodak faced challenges from ever-improving and cheaper technologies. Film, which had been Kodak’s bread-and-butter for so many years, was falling to the wayside, being replaced by cheaper, lighter, and easier-to-access forms of HD technology. Thanks to the hard work and generous words of multiple directors and film agencies, however, Kodak is in the final stages of cementing agreements to keep film a part of the movie industry for years to come:

    “After extensive discussions with filmmakers, leading studios and others who recognize the unique artistic and archival qualities of film, we intend to continue production. Kodak thanks these industry leaders for their support and ingenuity in finding a way to extend the life of film,” stated Kodak Chief Executive Jeff Clarke.

    Among those directors who voiced their opinions in support of Kodak and its continued production of film were Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, J.J. Abrams Judd Apatow, and Martin Scorsese. Today, Scorsese released a statement expressing why his continued support of film as a medium is so important to the movie industry:

    We have many names for what we do – cinema, movies, motion pictures. And…film. We’re called directors, but more often we’re called filmmakers. Filmmakers. I’m not suggesting that we ignore the obvious: HD isn’t coming, it’s here. The advantages are numerous: the cameras are lighter, it’s much easier to shoot at night, we have many more means at our disposal for altering and perfecting our images. And, the cameras are more affordable: films really can be made now for very little money. Even those of us still shooting on film finish in HD, and our movies are projected in HD. So, we could easily agree that the future is here, that film is cumbersome and imperfect and difficult to transport and prone to wear and decay, and that it’s time to forget the past and say goodbye – really, that could be easily done. Too easily.

    It seems like we’re always being reminded that film is, after all, a business. But film is also an art form, and young people who are driven to make films should have access to the tools and materials that were the building blocks of that art form. Would anyone dream of telling young artists to throw away their paints and canvases because iPads are so much easier to carry? Of course not. In the history of motion pictures, only a minuscule percentage of the works comprising our art form was not shot on film. Everything we do in HD is an effort to recreate the look of film. Film, even now, offers a richer visual palette than HD. And, we have to remember that film is still the best and only time-proven way to preserve movies. We have no assurance that digital informaton (sic) will last, but we know that film will, if properly stored and cared for.

    Our industry – our filmmakers – rallied behind Kodak because we knew that we couldn’t afford to lose them, the way we’ve lost so many other film stocks. This news is a positive step towards preserving film, the art form we love.

    Due to pledges to continue to support film as a medium from directors such as Scorsese, and from commitments from Warner Bros, Universal, Paramount, Disney, and Weinstein Co. to buy certain amounts of film in the upcoming years, Kodak has agreed to produce 450M linear feet of film over the next year.

    The only question that remains at this point is whether or not Scorsese will film his latest project, Silence, on film. The movie has been in Scorsese’s mind since 1989 and is based on a 1966 novel of the same name from Japanese writer Shusaku Endo. The novel discusses the fate of two Jesuit priests as they travel to Japan to discover the whereabouts of their mentor and spread the word of Christianity to the Far East. Scorsese’s adaptation of the novel will star Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver and is set to be released in late 2015.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Netflix Won’t Kill the Movie Theater, Says Christopher Nolan

    Netflix Won’t Kill the Movie Theater, Says Christopher Nolan

    Acclaimed director Christopher Nolan thinks that you and I will “lay down [our] money to those studios, theaters and filmmakers who value the theatrical experience and create a new distinction from home entertainment.” Do you?

    Nolan has penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal where he laments movies as content and acknowledges the “bleak future” created by this path. Although Nolan doesn’t deny that the industry is currently on that path, one that favors digital content that can be ported to any screen in any location, he offers optimism for the theater experience.

    “The theaters of the future will be bigger and more beautiful than ever before. They will employ expensive presentation formats that cannot be accessed or reproduced in the home (such as, ironically, film prints). And they will still enjoy exclusivity, as studios relearn the tremendous economic value of the staggered release of their products,” he says.

    Nolan’s argument is that instead of simply becoming “television in public” – just another place to watch the same content that people can watch from home – theaters and filmmakers must go “back to the future.”

    “As streams of data, movies would be thrown in with other endeavors under the reductive term ‘content,’ jargon that pretends to elevate the creative, but actually trivializes differences of form that have been important to creators and audiences alike. ‘Content’ can be ported across phones, watches, gas-station pumps or any other screen, and the idea would be that movie theaters should acknowledge their place as just another of these ‘platforms,’ albeit with bigger screens and cupholders.”

    And Nolan’s not the only artist to disparage the idea of art as “content.”

    Nolan offers a prescriptive take on the cinema of the future.

    “The cinema of the future will depend not just on grander presentation, but on the emergence of filmmakers inventive enough to command the focused attention of a crowd for hours,” says Nolan.

    “The audience experience is distinct from home entertainment, but not so much that people seek it out for its own sake. The experience must distinguish itself in other ways. And it will. The public will lay down their money to those studios, theaters and filmmakers who value the theatrical experience and create a new distinction from home entertainment that will enthrall—just as movies fought back with widescreen and multitrack sound when television first nipped at its heels.”

    It’s an interesting read, so check out the entire thing here. What do you think? Can the industry support a classic moviegoing experience and the convenience of “content?”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Bollywood Star Farooq Shaikh Dies at 65

    Indian actor Farooq Shaikh, 65, passed away on Friday after suffering a heart attack. The Bollywood legend was in Dubai visiting family at the time. His funeral was held in Mumbai on December 28.

    Shaikh was best known for his work in Hindi films from 1977 to 1989, as well as for his work in television between 1988 and 2002. Shaikh, also a philanthropist, returned to the silver screen 2008, and won the 2010 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for “Lahorere.” His most notable films include Satyajit Ray’s “Shatranj Ke Khiladi (Chess Players)” (1977), “Noorie” (1979), “Chashme Buddoor” (1981), Umrao Jaan (1981), Bazaar (1982), Saath Saath (1982), Rang Birangi (1983), Kissi Se Na Kehna (1983) and Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988).

    The slightly plump, unlikely leading man had in 2002 commented to the Times of India on his popularity, “I have never been commercially viable: People recognize me, smile and wave at me – but I have never received marriage proposals written in blood. In his heyday, when Rajesh Khanna drove down a street, the traffic stopped – I don’t mind not receiving this kind of adulation. But I do miss not having been able to command the kind of work I wanted. I miss not being 100 per cent commercially viable.”

    Here’s a clip from 1982’s “Bazaar,” featuring Shaikh, Smita Patil and Naseeruddin Shah, directed by Sagar Sarhadi:

    Bollywood actress Shabana Azmi, tweeted on Shaikh’s passing:

    Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan tweeted:

    Shaikh is survived by wife Rupa Jain, and daughters Shaista and Sanaa.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Nicolas Cage’s Latest Film “Tokarev” Gets An Official Trailer

    If you’re a fan the Nicolas Cage face, you’ll love the trailer for “Tokarev”. If you’re not sure what I mean by this, it’s the face Cage makes whenever he is screaming or showing pain.

    In “Tokarev” Cage plays a reformed criminal who has been living a quiet family oriented life. This all goes down the drain when a Russian kingpin to exact revenge on Maguire (played by Cage). If you’d like a little more information about the film, you can read the official synopsis below:

    “Paul Maguire (Nicolas Cage) is by all accounts, a decent man. A contractor by trade, and a pillar of his community with a loving wife Vanessa (Rachel Nichols) and a young daughter Caitlin (Aubrey Peeples) that adores him. But it wasn’t always this way, Paul is actually a reformed criminal who still keeps in touch with his old associates. One night Paul and Vanessa go out to dinner with some friends, leaving Caitlin at home with her friends. In the middle of their dinner, Detective St. John (Danny Glover) enters the restaurant and tells him that something terrible has happened. Caitlin had been killed by several Russian men seeking a long-overdue retaliation for the crimes from Paul’s youth. Which forces Paul to step back into becoming the killer he once was.”

    “Tokarev” also stars Rachel Nichols, Danny Glover, Peter Stormare, Aubrey Peeples, Pasha D. Lychnikoff, and Max Ryan among others.

    At the time of this writing an official release date for “Tokarev” was not available, but let’s be honest… were you really going to see it in the theater? Let us know in the comments section below.

    (Image: YouTube)

  • “Pompeii” Full-Length Trailer Released

    Before John Snow can resume his fight against the White Walkers, he must first fight for his life in the Roman arena and ultimately against the famed volcano eruption that destroyed the city of Pompeii.

    The film, which will get a 3D release, was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (form your own judgments about this). If you’d like a little more information about the film, you can read the official synopsis below:

    “Set in 79 A.D., POMPEII tells the epic story of Milo, a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him.”

    “Pompeii” stars Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Kiefer Sutherland, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Carrie-Anne Moss, Paz Vega, Jessica Lucas, Jared Harris, and Sasha Roiz among others. The film will be released on February 21, 2014.

    If you never saw the initial teaser trailer for “Pompeii” that was released, you can watch it below:

    (Image: YouTube)

  • “The Monuments Men” International Trailer Released

    One film that I personally was looking forward to this Holiday season was, “The Monuments Men”, which was based on Robert M. Edsel’s non-fiction bestseller. It’s the story of eight ordinary art experts who are sent behind enemy lines to save some of history’s greatest works of art before being destroyed by Hitler’s army.

    Sadly, the film has been pushed back into early 2014… but before you go getting all down about it, you can check out the newly released international trailer for the film above. If you’d like even more information on the film, you’ll find the official synopsis below:

    “Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, ‘The Monuments Men’ is an action-thriller focusing on an unlikely World War II platoon, tasked by FDR with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. It would be an impossible mission: with the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell, how could these guys – seven museum directors, curators, and art historians, all more familiar with Michelangelo than the M-1 – possibly hope to succeed? But as the Monuments Men, as they were called, found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind’s greatest achievements.”

    “The Monuments Men” stars George Clooney, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, and Hugh Bonneville. After a small delay, which bumped it from the award season, the film is scheduled for wide release on February 7, 2014.

    Below you can watch the domestic trailer for the film:

    (Image: YouTube)

  • Watch Joaquin Phoenix Fall In Love With His Smartphone in “Her”

    In the same vein as Ryan Gosling’s “Lars and the Real Girl” comes Spike Jonze latest film, “Her”. The film sees Joaquin Phoenix meet the woman of his dreams… she’s funny and sympathetic to his needs, the only probelm is he’s fallen in love with his smart phone, specifically the artificial voice of his phones operating system.

    If you’d like a little more information about “Her”, you can read the films official synopsis below:

    “Set in Los Angeles, slightly in the future, HER follows Theodore Twombly, a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive entity in its own right, individual to each user. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet “Samantha,” a bright, female voice, who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other.”

    The film is garnering praise from various critics, especially Scarlett Johansson, although only her voice is featured in the film. It should be noted that the voting committees for both the Oscars and the SAG awards are allowing her performance eligible for consideration, so prepare to see a marketing campaign pushing Johansson for both awards.

    “Her” also stars Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, and the voice of Scarlett Johansson. The film is set to release on December 18, 2013, with a wider release on January 10, 2014.

    (Image: YouTube)

  • “I, Frankenstein” Hits Theaters Next Year

    “I, Frankenstein” Hits Theaters Next Year

    Early next year we’re going to be “treated” to another outing from the producers of Underworld, this time they’re applying their unique style to Frankenstein’s monster in the film “I, Frankenstein”.

    In the upcoming 3D film, Aaron Eckhart stars as Mary Shelley’s iconic horror character… though it’s hard to tell he’s Frankenstein, considering he only has a few facial scars. The real “monsters” in the flim are the winged Gargoyle demons that Frankenstein has vowed to vanquish for the good of mankind. If you’d like a little more information on the film, you can read the official synopsis below:

    “200 years after his shocking creation, Dr. Frankenstein’s creature, Adam, still walks the earth. But when he finds himself in the middle of a war over the fate of humanity, Adam discovers he holds the key that could destroy humankind.”

    “I, Frankenstein” also stars Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Miranda Otto, Bill Nighy, Aden Young, Caitlin Stasey, and Kevin Grevioux among others. The film is slated to hit theaters on January 24, 2014.

    (Image: YouTube)

  • “The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty”: Extended Trailer

    If you haven’t seen any previews for Ben Stiller’s imaginative film adaptation of the James Thurber classic “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, you’re in luck as an extended trailer was recently released.

    The new trailer comes in at a little over six-minutes, and pretty much lays out everything you need to know about the comedy. If you’d like a little more info on the film, you can read the films official synopsis below:

    “Walter Mitty, a timid accountant with an overprotective mother, has elaborate daydreams of himself as the hero of great adventures. His dreams come to life when he meets a mysterious woman who gives him a little black book that supposedly contains the location of the Dutch crown jewels that we hidden during World War II, and Walter finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy.”

    “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” also stars Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, Sean Penn, Kathryn Hahn, Shirley MacLaine, and Patton Oswalt among others. The film is set to release nationwide on Christmas Day.

    You can view the theatrical trailer for the film below:

    (Image: YouTube)

  • New Teaser Trailer For “The Boxtrolls”

    Laika Studios, the genuises behind “Coraline” and “ParaNorman”, are currently hard at work on their next 3D animated feature, “The Boxtrolls”. The films tells the story of some odd little critters that live in the sewers of a Gothic-style Victorian City.

    If you’d like a little more information about the film, you can read the official synopsis below:

    “The new 3D animated feature from Laika Studios tells the tale of the Boxtrolls, monsters who live underneath the charming streets of Cheesebridge, who crawl out of the sewers at night to steal what the townspeople hold most dear: their children and their cheeses. At least, that’s the legend the townspeople have always believed. In truth, the Boxtrolls are a community of lovable oddballs who are raising as one of their own an abandoned and orphaned human boy named Eggs. When the Boxtrolls are targeted by a villainous exterminator who is bent on eradicating them, Eggs must venture aboveground to save them, where he teams with an adventurous young girl to save not only the Boxtrolls but the soul of Cheesebridge.”

    “The Boxtrolls” features the voice talents of Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Elle Fanning, Jared Harris, Toni Collette, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan, and Simon Pegg. The film will release nationwide on September 26, 2014.

    Image: (YouTube)

  • New TV Spot for “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”

    In the new spot for the eagerly-awaited sequel we get a glimpse of how Ron Burgundy is cutting in the so-called “big leagues” of the 24-hour news network world. One who may not be handling so well is Brick (Steve Carrell).

    We also get to see the dynamic of Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) versus fellow anchor Jack Lime (James Marsden), as well as Burgundy’s current boss/girlfriend Linda Jackson (Megan Good) and his former co-anchor/wife Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate). If you’d like a little more info on the film, you can read the films official synopsis below:

    “With the 70’s behind him, San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), returns to the news desk in “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.” Also back for more are Ron’s co-anchor and wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), weather man Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), man on the street Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) — All of whom won’t make it easy to stay classy … while taking New York’s first 24-hour news channel by storm.”

    “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” opens nationwide on December 20, 2013

    You can view the full trailer for the film below:

    Image: (YouTube)

  • New Trailer For “The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty” Released

    We’ve seen a number of trailers for “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty“, but today one was released that focuses on Mitty’s globe-trotting adventure.

    The trailer offers a glimpse of of Sean Penn, who plays the famed Life Magazine photographer whose missing photo negative sends Mitty on his around the world adventure, where he ultimately finds himself. We also see a few new shots of Kristen Wiig’s character. If you’d like to read a little more about the movie, you can read the official synopsis below:

    “Walter Mitty, a timid accountant with an overprotective mother, has elaborate daydreams of himself as the hero of great adventures. His dreams come to life when he meets a mysterious woman who gives him a little black book that supposedly contains the location of the Dutch crown jewels that we hidden during World War II, and Walter finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy.”

    “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” opens nationwide on Christmas Day.

    You can view the films full trailer below:

    Image: (YouTube)

  • Ralph Fiennes Is Charles Dickens In “The Invisible Woman” [TRAILER]

    With the Holiday’s fast approaching, most of will probably watch a version of “A Christmas Carol”, but how much do we know about the man behind the classics, Charles Dickens. With that in mind, you can checkout the trailer for Ralph Fiennes’ “The Invisible Woman”, a film that he also stars in.

    “The Invisible Woman” follows the legendary English writer who enters into an extramarital affair with a young female admirer named Nelly Ternan, played by the very talented Felicity Jones. In the trailer we see that Ternan is a schoolteacher that has fallen madly in love with Dickens, but she is conflicted due to the fact that he wants to keep their romance a secret. You can check it out for yourself below:

    The relationship between Ternan and Dickens was the subject of Claire Tomalin’s book, which the film is based. If you’d like find out a little more about “The Invisible Woman” you can read the official synopsis below:

    “Nelly (Felicity Jones), a happily-married mother and schoolteacher, is haunted by her past. Her memories, provoked by remorse and guilt, take us back in time to follow the story of her relationship with Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes) with whom she discovered an exciting but fragile complicity. Dickens — famous, controlling and emotionally isolated within his success — falls for Nelly, who comes from a family of actors. The theatre is a vital arena for Dickens — a brilliant amateur actor – a man more emotionally coherent on the page or on stage, than in life. As Nelly becomes the focus of Dickens’ passion and his muse, for both of them secrecy is the price, and for Nelly a life of “invisibility”.”

    “The Invisible Woman” will open in the States in limited release before releasing wide in the UK in February.

    Image: (YouTube)

  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Featurette [WATCH]

    We’re about one month away from the next chapter in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit movie franchise. With that in mind, we’re sure to see the films marketing go into overdrive. Recently a featurette was released which focuses on another beastly character from Middle Earth: Beorn. I would describe it for you, but I believe Sir Ian McKellen does it better: a Beorn is, “”a man who’s sometimes a bear … or a bear who is sometimes a man.”

    The featurette really shows the amazing care and meticulous work that goes into every detail of the movie. If you’d like more information about the film, you can read the official synopsis below:

    “The second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.”

    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will release nationwide on December 13, 2013. You can checkout a trailer for the film below:

  • Check Out The Trailer For Akiva Goldman’s Winter’s Tale

    In his first foray into directing, Akiva Goldsman, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of “A Beautiful Mind”, takes on “Winter’s Tale”, a film based on the beloved book from 1983. “Winter’s Tale” is a fantasy romance drama that sees Peter Lake (played by Colin Farrell) magically transported nearly a century into the future, to modern day New York, where… you guessed it, falls in love. You can watch a trailer of the film below:

    If you’re interested in the film, you kind the official synopsis and other details below:

    Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, “Winter’s Tale” is a story of miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil.

    The film stars Colin Farrell (“Total Recall”), Jessica Brown Findlay (TV’s “Downton Abbey”), and Oscar® winners Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”), William Hurt (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”), Eva Marie Saint (“On the Waterfront”) and Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”). “Winter’s Tale” also introduces young newcomers Ripley Sobo and Mckayla Twiggs (both from Broadway’s “Once”).

    Winter’s Tale will hit theaters this Valentine’s Day.

    Image: (YouTube)

  • WATCH: The Lego Movie Main Trailer

    WATCH: The Lego Movie Main Trailer

    Two things come to mind when I think of Lego’s: childhood fun and the pain they can cause if you unknowingly step on one barefoot.

    It hurts to even think about it. Well at least when The Lego Movie comes out we won’t have to worry about that, as all of the Lego’s are computer generated.

    The Lego Movie stars the vocal talents of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman and Alison Brie, with Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman.

    Below is the films official synopsis:

    The original 3D computer animated story follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously underprepared.

    The Lego Movie, the first-ever, full-length theatrical Lego adventure, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, opens in theaters February 7, 2014.

    Below you can check out the initial teaser trailer that was launched:

    Image: (YouTube)

  • Classic Cartoon “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” Heads To The Big Screen [TRAILER]

    Are you familiar with “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show”? If so, then you probably know “Mr. Peabody & Sherman”, they were an interlude cartoon during the misadventures of “Moose and Squirrel”, as Natasha would say. Soon the famed time traveling duo will make their way to the big screen in a new film from Dreamworks.

    The film will center around Mr. Peabody (voiced by Modern Family’s Ty Burell) and his adopted orphan companion Sherman (voiced by Max Charles, The Amazing Spiderman). Utilizing the WABAC machine the duo time travels to experience various events in history, and if need be, correct said events.

    You can read the films official synopsis below:

    “Mr. Peabody (voiced by Ty Burrell) is a business titan, inventor, scientist, Nobel Laureate, gourmand, two-time Olympic medalist, and genius… who also happens to be a dog. Using his most ingenious invention, the WABAC machine, Mr. Peabody and his adopted boy Sherman (Max Charles) hurtle back in time to experience world-changing events first-hand and interact with some of the greatest characters of all time. But when Sherman breaks the rules of time travel, our two heroes find themselves in a race to repair history and save the future, while Mr. Peabody may face his biggest challenge yet – being a parent.”

    “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” was directed by Rob Minkoff (Sturart Little, Lion King) and also features the voice talent of Ariel Winter, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann, Patrick Warburton, Stanley Tucci, Allison Janney, Mel Brooks, Lake Bell, Zach Callison, Dennis Haysbert.

    The film will hit theaters on March 7, 2014.

  • WATCH: Josh Brolin’s Transformation For Spike Lee’s Oldboy

    For his role in Oldboy actor Josh Brolin had to go through a transformation of both mind and body. He was asked to rapidly gain weight, then turnaround and lose it over a weekend. You can view his transformation in a new featurette below:

    If you not familiar with Oldboy, it’s the English-language remake of a South Korean cult classic about a druken businessman who is basically kidnapped and held captive for 20 years. Below you will find the official synopsis for the film:

    “An advertising executive is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his punishment, only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment.”

    Oldboy was directed by Spike Lee and also stars Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley, Michael Imperioli, Samuel L. Jackson, Lance Reddick, Rami Malek, James Ransone. The film is slated to hit theatres on November 27, 2013.

    Below you’ll find a behind the scenes look of the film:

    (Image: YouTube)

  • Tom Hardy Cast As Elton John In “Rocketman”

    Tom Hardy Cast As Elton John In “Rocketman”

    Early this year a rumor began to float around that Tom Hardy was being considered to play Elton John in the biopic entitled “Rocketman”. Well, now it has been confirmed that the Dark Knight Rises star will play the title role in the film.

    After Justin Timberlake played Sir Elton John in the music video for “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore — (You can see the video below)”, Elton stated that he would like to see Timberlake play him in a movie. I mean, Timberlake has proven himself as a decent actor (The Social Network, Runner Runner), but at the end of the day it seems the studio to go with Hardy has he can play ANYTHING.

    You can read the full synopsis of Rocketman below:

    “The film follows John’s journey from 5-year old musical prodigy who by age 11 won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, to a young man who rebelled against his strict upbringing, wore outrageous costumes and became a global icon who teamed with songwriter Bernie Taupin to sell more records than just about any musical artist of his era.”

    Rocketman will be directed by Michael Gracey, who is currently directing Hugh Jackman in the P.T. Barnum biopic, “The Greatest Showman On Earth”. At the moment there is no release date set.

    (Image: Wikipedia)

  • Watch Seth Rogen Battle Zac Efron In “Neighbors” – Green Band Trailer

    Seth Rogen was willing to give Zac Efron and his frat brothers a chance, but they just went too far in the latest green band trailer for “Neighbors”. The film, directed by Nicholas Stoller, seems to be on par with his earlier work: Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek.

    Judging by the trailer below, you’ll get a heavy dose of adolescent tomfoolery, which in all honesty, is exactly what this movie is going for. Checkout the trailer below to see Efron dressed as the Taxi Driver, bush fondling, unexpected E.R. visits among other funny scenariios.

    If you’d like a little more information on the film, you can find the official synopsis below:

    “Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne lead the cast of Neighbors, a comedy about a young couple suffering from arrested development who are forced to live next to a fraternity house after the birth of their newborn baby.”

    The film also stars Rose Byrne, Dave Franco and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. “Neighbors” is slated for a May 9, 2014 release.

    Below you can see a video discussing Zac Efron’s look for the film:

    (Image: YouTube)