sneak peek: THE TOURIST

From Oscar-winning director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (“The Lives of Others”) comes Columbia Pictures’ highly anticipated romantic thriller “The Tourist” starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp.

In the film, Johnny Depp stars as an American tourist whose playful dalliance with a stranger leads to a web of intrigue, romance and danger. During an impromptu trip to Europe to mend a broken heart, Frank (Depp) unexpectedly finds himself in a flirtatious encounter with Elise (Jolie), an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path. Against the breathtaking backdrop of Paris and Venice, their whirlwind romance quickly evolves as they find themselves unwittingly thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

“The Tourist” is written by Academy Award® winning screenwriters Julian Fellowes (“Gosford Park,” “The Young Victoria”) and Christopher McQuarrie (“The Usual Suspects,” “Valkyrie”), and Jeffrey Nachmanoff (“The Day After Tomorrow”).

Asked of his strategy in directing two of the biggest stars in the world today, director von Donnersmarck said, “What I tried to do was tailor the parts so Angelina and Johnny could use more of their acting muscle. They’re great movie stars, but more than that, they are great actors, and I wanted to give them roles in which they could really show what they can do. Elise is charming and delicate and feminine and strong all at the same time; Frank is winning, and charming and funny, just like Johnny is in real life.”


Opening soon across the Philippines, “The Tourist” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

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JEFF BRIDGES talks about TRON: LEGACY

Fresh from winning his first Best Actor Oscar for “Crazy Heart,” Jeff Bridges now returns to the screen in the dual roles of Kevin Flynn and Clu in Walt Disney Pictures' high-tech 3D adventure “TRON: Legacy.”

In the film, brilliant videogame designer Kevin Flynn always wanted the best of both worlds—digital and real. After he became the first human being to enter the astonishing digital world of the Grid, he decided that the best way to achieve that was to combine the two. So, he created the sophisticated CLU 2.0 program and used it in secret to help him design a Utopian existence that combined the highest ideals of the human and digital worlds. The daytime corporate wunderkind became the nighttime builder of the Grid. Then, one day in 1989, Kevin Flynn mysteriously disappeared.

Now, he has discovered first-hand how true the warning ‘be careful what you wish for’ is—trapped in the world of his own creation, all he can do is wait and hope that something will change and he will once again have a chance to return to his home and son.

Q: What's it like to approach a character 27 years later?

Jeff Bridges: I never thought of it in those terms, really. I never thought of it as playing the same guy. He hasn’t changed all that much. Well, maybe some of his enthusiasm for technology has been dampened a little bit. After all, he’s trapped inside a computer, so perhaps some of that fondness he had for his technology…maybe reflecting on it, he might think, “Perhaps there are some other things in life that I should have been paying attention to.”

Q: With all of that technology, what's the human story of “TRON: Legacy”?

Bridges: Well, one of the elements of the story is just what we were talking about, technology. It’s so exciting to come to realize all the things that you can do. And what's happening with technology is that it is developing so fast that we haven’t really developed any ethics to go along with it, or knowledge of what some of the ramifications of this technology will be.

Q: What about this project that attracts such attention from the sci-fi world?

Bridges: The fans have been so wonderful, they've really given birth to the film “TRON: Legacy.” Two years ago we showed a small portion of what this film might be, a test reel, and it got such a great reaction from the fans that Disney got behind the project. One of the things that I know attracted me to the first “TRON” and this one as well is that it’s really creating a myth for modern times. Myths can help us to navigate some of our challenges in our life. And as we were talking before, technology is a tremendous challenge, because we're so attracted to things that give us instant gratification.

Q: What's the biggest difference in filming the original “TRON” and now “TRON: Legacy”?

Bridges: Well, 27 years ago, the original was a very cutting-edge movie. Of course looking back, it looks like an old black-and-white TV show. But at the time we were making the original “TRON,” there was no Internet. Our cell phones were these things we carried around in big suitcases. We shot that movie in 70 millimeter black-and-white, and then it was sent to Korea, where a bunch of technicians hand-tinted all the frames to make the suits glow. Now in “TRON: Legacy,” again it’s cutting-edge technology. We're the next-generation of 3D cinematography after “Avatar.” It takes the technology that Jim Cameron came up with to the next level. Now, our suits actually do glow, and they throw light on the other actors, so they’re practical. I think one of the really great things that director Joseph Kosinski, being an architect, brought with him was the ability to marry actual sets with CGI sets. It’s very hard for the audience to tell where one ends and one begins.

Q: Through film technology, you act opposite your younger self. How did that work? As an actor, is that liberating?

Bridges: I love going to movies myself, and whenever I see a big epic film where the character has aged from being a young boy to an old man, traditionally there are different actors playing him in those stages. That’s always a little bump for me as I’m sitting there, when they change from one actor to the next. But now as an actor myself, it’s very gratifying to know that I can play myself or the character that I'm playing at any age, from an infant to an old man. That’s really exciting, especially to be part of this groundbreaking technology.

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Philippines, “TRON: Legacy” will open across the country on Dec. 17 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular formats.

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GARRETT HEDLUND interview for TRON: LEGACY

Young actor Garrett Hedlund stars as Sam Flynn in Walt Disney Pictures' new high-tech 3D adventure “TRON: Legacy.” In the film, Sam – a rebellious 27-year-old – is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer.

When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the old Flynn’s Arcade—a signal that could only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a digital world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. Father and son embark on a life-or-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe—a universe created by Kevin himself that has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons, landscapes and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape.

At 18, Hedlund made an auspicious motion-picture debut in the pivotal role of Patrocius, the young cousin of Achilles (Brad Pitt) in Wolfgang Petersen’s “Troy.” He talks about “TRON: Legacy” in the following interview:

Q: What is the human story at the center of “TRON: Legacy”?

Garrett Hedlund: At the core of it, it’s a father and son story. My character, Sam, has been without his father for 20 years, and he finally gets to find out where he’s been. Although Alan Bradley, his father’s partner, has been there for Sam, he’s always wanted to know what became of Kevin Flynn. And in “TRON: Legacy,” he finally gets to do that.

Q: How has the overall world changed inside “TRON”?

Hedlund: The world of the original “TRON” was fascinating, but what they've added to the world in “TRON: Legacy” is a grander sense of geography. There are lightning storms and the weather, and there are also the cliffs and the mountains. Add to that the off-grid terrain where a lot of these vehicles can’t perform, and it’s an incredible sight to fathom.

Q: Talk about the light cycle.

Hedlund: The new bike is incredibly flashy and cool, and it’s much more dangerous. It’s faster and it doesn’t have to move in 90 degree angles. It has a lot more tricks.

Q: What did you do to prepare for the role of Sam?

Hedlund: The benefit I had on this film was going through an intense amount of training, not just for the physical benefits, but overall, for the character. I had training in Capoeira and parkour, and motorcycle training. But basically, when I step into playing that character, all of those skills have to be ‘new,’ from day one. The first moment Sam gets into this world, he doesn’t suddenly know how to do all of this stuff. There have to be the slight mistakes that he overcomes, and learning from that. Like the disk game sequence—there is something very unfamiliar with everything that he has to do, from the rules to the skills. He’s got to observe and the wheels have to be constantly turning in order for him to excel. When he sees another program ‘de-res,’ he thinks, ‘Well, I can’t let that happen.’ He has to find it within himself to become that hero. He has to have the strength and the defensive skills to keep proceeding from one level to the next.

Q: What was the hardest part of shooting?

Hedlund: You know, everybody always likes to talk about how difficult it is working with blue or green screen, dealing with just the imagination. But this film actually, to our benefit, there were a lot of grand sets, so we didn’t have to pretend so much. We had a lot of the physical things, such as the disks and the swords. When it was blue and green screen, we had great direction from Joseph Kosinski, the wonderful director, because he knew exactly what he wanted to do with what we were just approaching. When we were reading it from the text, we may have had a foggy notion, imagining what it could be, but he was always ten steps ahead of us. It was a game of trust, and we were never let down.

Q: What is your memory of the original TRON?

Hedlund: My memory of the original starts off with a very energetic and youthful Jeff Bridges, smiling and laughing. He had this crazy youthful side to him, in comparison to how we see him now, as the wise, older and incredible actor that he is. In the very first “TRON,” he’s a mad wiz with all this new technology that deals with the creation of video games. He’s also been perfecting a shiva laser, which ultimately ends up sucking him into the computer in the same fashion that Sam is in the beginning of “TRON: Legacy.”

Q: What about the original film inspires such a following?

Hedlund: I think from the original it was Jeff’s character Kevin Flynn getting pulled into the game grid and going on all of these adventures—it was incredible to imagine. Having to fight his way from one level to the next to complete the objective and find his way back out…it really was unlike anything else.

(Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Philippines, “TRON: Legacy” will open across the country on Dec. 17 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular formats.)

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DIANE LANE to inspire other women in SECRETARIAT

Oscar-nominated actress Diane Lane (“Unfaithful,” “Nights in Rodanthe”) stars as the extraordinary Penny Chenery, the real-life owner of a champion horse whose Cinderella-like story is recounted in Touchstone Pictures' inspiring film “Secretariat.” The critically acclaimed drama will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 & Trinoma) starting Dec. 1.

Based on the remarkable true story, the film chronicles the spectacular journey of the 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. In the film, housewife and mother Penny Chenery (Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father’s Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing experience. Against all odds, with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich), she manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time.

Director Randall Wallace (the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of “Braveheart”) explains, “What Diane Lane brings to this role is authenticity. She is breathtakingly beautiful, and yet, you feel that she could be someone you know. She is accessible as well as inspiring, ideal, and yet she seems so tangible. I think those dualities were important aspects in bringing Penny as a character to the screen.”

Much of Lane’s research involved spending time with Chenery. “Penny is straight ahead,” says the actress. “She is comfortable in her own skin, certainly with the passage of time. And, wow, at first, I was really nervous to meet her — in a healthy way. I knew that it must be unbelievably surreal to meet the person who is going to portray you in a film. We wound up really enjoying each other’s company. The stories we got into — mother stories, daughter stories, sibling, wife, all the roles women play in life that Penny is and was at that time of her life. I felt very empowered by her trust in me.”

Chenery was certainly a fan of Lane’s. “I am honored and delighted to be portrayed by such a skillful, perceptive actress who is also a lovely person,” she says.

A confessed horse-racing novice, Lane soaked up all as much as she could from Chenery, even sitting with her to watch the footage of Secretariat’s Triple Crown races. “The name Secretariat immediately conjured up the excitement and uniqueness of that horse,” says Lane. “I remember him from my childhood. It was so much fun to do the research, to talk to the people who were part of his life, to feel the glory of the presence of that horse. What’s nice about it too is that humans can be ambitious, greedy and desirous of victory and accolades. But all judgment is removed with Secretariat—his triumphs are pure.”

Lane adds that as a child, she was a huge equine fan — and the little girl inside her was thrilled to be a part of the movie. “I always had a fascination with horses, from the time I was a little girl, to the point of having a fantasy life that involved horses. Some people have an imaginary friend; I had an imaginary horse. Dad would spend the 13 bucks to drive me out to Queens so I could ride some barn sour nag in a circle, which was the thrill of my month. I fell in love with horses as a little girl and I still love them.”

“Secretariat” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

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CHRIS BROWN shows his extreme acting skills in TAKERS

Grammy®-nominated recording artist Chris Brown, already the star of the musical hit “Stomp the Yard,” plays Jesse, one of the suave outlaws in Columbia Pictures' new action-thriller “Takers.”

A recent No. 1 box-office hit in the U.S., “Takers” also stars Matt Dillon, Jay Hernandez and Hayden Christensen.

In the film, a group of young criminals bankroll their extravagant lifestyle with a series of painstakingly planned bank robberies while a dedicated police officer makes it his personal mission to stop them. After years of meticulously planned heists, the crew is convinced by one of their own to risk it all for one last big score, but pulling off the job of a lifetime with a dogged detective and a vicious rival gang on their tail is a tall order, even for these seasoned pros.

For Chris Brown, “Takers” was a chance to break away from his image as a musical artist who sometimes acts. “This role is different from any of the others I’ve played,” he says. “The earlier movies played to my strengths, which is cool, but it’s also good to be able to use your other abilities.”

The film marks producer Will Packer’s third project with Brown, who was only 19 when the film was shot. “I may not be able to krump like he can, but nobody produces a Chris Brown movie like me,” laughs Packer. “He was in his element in the first two films. In “Stomp the Yard,” he was a kid who was part of a dance crew, which was like breathing for Chris. In “This Christmas,” he was a kid who could sing, which is also not much of a stretch. He dances, runs, jumps, plays basketball. Anything athletic, this kid can do and with boundless energy.”

Which made him perfect, in Packer’s view, for the action genre. “He gets an opportunity to really showcase another side of his talent in this film,” says the producer. “He’s jumping from moving cars, jumping off a building, bouncing off the roof of a taxi and loving every minute of it. There is nothing that he does not believe he can do, so of course he insisted on doing his own stunts.”

That didn’t always sit well with the producer. “One of my responsibilities is to protect our key talent. There definitely were times on set when we wanted to have a trained stunt man, someone who does this for a living every day as opposed to one of our main actors, do it. Chris didn’t always agree. Sometimes he would push back, but it’s great when you have an actor that wants to give a hundred and ten percent.”

Brown’s headlong dash though downtown Los Angeles to escape the police is one of the film’s most thrilling set pieces. Using elements of parkour, a highly athletic, acrobatic sport, Brown surmounts seemingly impossible obstacles without any outside assistance. “I had to jump from one story to the story below on a building by scaling a wall,” he says “It was difficult because I had to grab while I was free-falling. It actually came out great.”

But even more fun than the stunts for Brown was the opportunity to work with so many actors of such high caliber. “I’m a fan of all these people,” he says. “I watched them work while I was growing and wanted to be like them. To be a part of that magic is incredible.”

Opening across the Philippines on Nov. 24, “Takers” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit http://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

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DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 movie review

the last book of the generation phenomenon, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS is for everyone to see. Warner Bros. is providing the first installment of the 2-part movie experience in cinemas worldwide starting November 18.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is ready for his battle with his allies, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) against the wrath of the evil wizard Voldemort. aside from the protection Harry Potter is getting from his friends, he encounters a lot of problems. his friendship was nearly shattered as Ron suspected that Harry and Hermione are getting along well. just because Harry needs all the attention now.

it's nice to see how the three main stars grew in front of our eyes. they are now pretty much capable for battle in this movie. i can still remember about 8 years ago how Daniel, Emma and Rupert look like and the buzz of how they got the legendary parts.

this is one movie that you really don't have to miss. even though that it will be in 2 parts, you might not want to leave your seats because of the hanging and exciting cut. but readers of the book and movie fans will surely be satisfied of this installment.

also, Part 1 tells us the Tale of the Deathly Hallows - a legend famous with the magical world and why it makes a wizard powerful and invincible. i like how they treated the legend in animation bringing you back into its time with the dark motifs.

speaking of dark, this movie is not really formatted for kids. it's very dragging and a lot of despair is portrayed throughout the story. cinematography is quite good and this is another cinematic achievement. wait for part 2 in 2D and 3D formats in July 2011.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is brought to us by Warner Bros.

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VOLDEMORT wants HARRY POTTER killed by himself

In Warner Bros.’ “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” -- the seventh and final adventure in the Harry Potter film series told in two full-length parts -- Lord Voldemort is on a mission: to end the life of “the Boy Who Lived.”

Director David Yates says, “Voldemort is on the cusp of absolute power. He’s been hiding in the shadows, biding his time until he could come back and impose his will on the rest of the world. Everything else in his master plan has come together; he just needs to deal with this one tiny detail. Voldemort doesn’t understand how this ‘child’ has become his strongest adversary, but he does know he must be the one to kill Harry Potter. First of all, it was destined and, secondly, there is the sheer satisfaction of it after being thwarted so often. It’s beyond personal at this point.”

Ralph Fiennes, who is virtually unrecognizable in the role of Lord Voldemort, says that his character is “driven by a deep rage. The only thing that fires him up is power and more power—the ability to control, to manipulate and to destroy people. It’s his addiction.”

Yates remarks, “Ralph is very scary when he’s playing Voldemort. He has the capacity to tune into some very dark places as an actor; you can literally feel the temperature in the room drop as he inhabits the character.”

The Death Eaters regard the Dark Lord with a mixture of reverence and fear, knowing he needs little provocation to turn on even his most loyal followers. If they need a reminder of that threat, it is there in the companion always at Voldemort’s side—and the only living creature Voldemort treats with actual tenderness—the great snake named Nagini.

Voldemort has summoned his most elite Death Eaters to Malfoy Manor to plan when, where and how to ambush Harry Potter. The last to arrive is Severus Snape, played by Alan Rickman. Snape informs those assembled when Harry will be leaving his Privet Drive home, warning them that he will be “given every protection” by the Order of the Phoenix. Nevertheless, Fiennes states, “Voldemort believes he is finally going to defeat Harry Potter. He is enjoying his rule, emperor-like.”

However, Voldemort has discovered that he cannot kill Harry Potter with his own wand. He has extracted from wand maker Ollivander (John Hurt) that his and Harry’s wands are “twins,” possessing the same core and thereby robbing them of their power against each other. In a voice dripping with thinly veiled malice, he suggests that Lucius Malfoy have the “honor” of giving up his wand to Voldemort.

Jason Isaacs, who again assumes the role of Lucius Malfoy, says the loss of his wand may be only the latest comeuppance to befall Lucius, but it is, by far, the worst. “To take a wizard’s wand is to completely undermine him, and not only does Voldemort take it, but he also snaps off the snake head—a flashy, personal family adornment—and flings it on the table like a piece of dirt, which emasculates Lucius in front of all the other Death Eaters. Lucius had always been an incredibly vain and arrogant peacock; he’d always assumed he’d stand with Voldemort as his right-hand man. But after being broken by prison, after Draco failed in his mission to kill Dumbledore, and after this public humiliation, he has no idea what the future holds for him…if he has a future. All-in-all, a just reward.”

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1” will be released worldwide starting November 18, 2010, and “Part 2” starting July 15, 2011.

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