WARNER BROS' MOVIE LINE UPS ofr 2011

Warner Bros. Pictures proudly announces its enviable slate of films for 2011. Highlights include a new screen incarnation of comic book hero “Green Lantern,” a compelling re-imagining of “Red Riding Hood,” an all-girl, kick-ass action fantasy in “Sucker Punch” and the shocking conclusion to the “Harry Potter” saga in “Deathly Hallows – Part 2.”

Green Lantern. Each sector of space is protected by a Green Lantern, possessing a power ring that uses a powerful green energy to do anything within the limits of the user's imagination and will power. When the Green Lantern assigned to this sector of space finds himself dying on planet Earth, he tells the ring to find a suitable successor. The chosen replacement, hot-shot test pilot Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), finds himself with a new job he never expected...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. In this epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the Wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

Sucker Punch. Director Zach Snyder's epic action fantasy takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl (Emily Browning) whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what’s real and what is imaginary.

Red Riding Hood. Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) is in love with a brooding outsider Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Max Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie’s older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. Panic grips the town as Valerie discovers that she has a unique connection to the beast—one that inexorably draws them together, making her both suspect…and bait.

Happy Feet 2. The sequel to the Academy Award®-winning animated smash hit, Happy Feet 2 returns audiences to the magnificent landscape of Antarctica, reuniting us with the world’s most famous tap-dancing penguin, Mumble (Elijah Wood), the love of his life, Gloria (Alecia Moore aka Pink) and their old friends Ramon and Lovelace (Robin Williams).

Sherlock Holmes 2. Guy Ritchie helms a new action-packed adventure, following the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.), and his longtime trusted associate, Dr. Watson (Jude Law), as they match wits with their arch-nemesis, the criminal genius Moriarty (Jared Harris).

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. The follow-up to the 2008 hit Journey to the Center of the Earth. The new journey begins when young adventurer Sean (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist. Unable to stop him from going, Sean’s new stepfather (Dwayne Johnson) joins the quest.

Hereafter. This Clint Eastwood film tells the story of three people who are haunted by mortality in different ways: a blue-collar American (Matt Damon) who has a special connection to the afterlife, a French journalist (Cecile de France) who has a near-death experience that shakes her reality, and a London schoolboy who loses the person closest to him. Each on a path in search of the truth, their lives will intersect, forever changed by what they believe might—or must—exist in the hereafter.

Yogi Bear. Everyone’s favorite pic-a-nic basket-stealing bear comes to the big screen in a live-action/CG animated adventure in 3D!

The Rite. Inspired by true events, this psychological thriller follows skeptical seminary student who meets an unorthodox priest (Anthony Hopkins), who introduces him to the darker side of his faith, uncovering the devil’s reach even to one of the holiest places on Earth.

Unknown. Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones) suddenly doesn’t recognize him and another man (Aidan Quinn) has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired and on the run.

Crazy, Stupid Love. When fortysomething, straight-laced Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) learns that his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his “perfect” life quickly unravels. Worse, in today’s single world, Cal, who hasn’t dated in decades, stands out as the epitome of un-smooth. Now spending his free evenings sulking alone at a local bar, the hapless Cal is taken on as wingman and protégé to handsome, thirtysomething player Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling).

The Hangover Part II. Best friends Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don’t always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined.

Horrible Bosses. For Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day), the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses (Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston) into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con (Jamie Foxx), the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers…permanently.

Final Destination 5. Death makes a killing in the next installment in the horror series which once again proves that no matter where you run, no matter where you hide…you can’t cheat death.

The Apparition. When frightening events start to occur in their home, young couple (Ashley Greene and Sebastian Stan) discover they are being haunted by a presence that was accidentally conjured during a university parapsychology experiment.

Dolphin Tale. This 3D family adventure is inspired by the remarkable true story of a courageous dolphin named Winter and the compassionate people (Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd) who banded together to save her life.

Contagion. Steven Soderbergh's thriller follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself. At the same time, ordinary people (Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law) struggle to survive in a society coming apart.

Hall Pass. When the two best buddies (Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis) begin to show signs of restlessness at home, their wives (Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate) take a bold approach to revitalizing their marriages: granting them a “hall pass,” one week of freedom to do whatever they want…no questions asked.

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sneak peek: THE GREEN HORNET

Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) and Kato (Jay Chou) break the law – in order to protect it – in Columbia Pictures' new 3D action-adventure “The Green Hornet.”

Directed by Michel Gondry (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), the film also stars Cameron Diaz (“Charlie’s Angels”), Tom Wilkinson (“Valkyrie”), and recent Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds”).

In the film, Britt Reid is the son of LA’s most prominent and respected media magnate and perfectly happy to maintain a directionless existence on the party scene – until his father (Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, leaving Britt his vast media empire.

Striking an unlikely friendship with one of his father’s more industrious and inventive employees, Kato, they see their chance to do something meaningful for the first time in their lives: fight crime. But in order to do this, they decide to become criminals themselves. Protecting the law by breaking it, Britt becomes the vigilante The Green Hornet as he and Kato hit the streets.

Using all his ingenuity and skill, Kato builds the ultimate in advanced retro weaponry, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car equal parts firepower and horsepower.

Rolling in a mobile fortress on wheels and striking the bad guys with Kato’s clever gadgets, The Green Hornet and Kato quickly start making a name for themselves, and with the help of Britt’s new secretary, Lenore Case (Diaz), they begin hunting down the man who controls LA’s gritty underworld: Benjamin Chudnofsky (Waltz). But Chudnofsky has plans of his own: to swat down The Green Hornet once and for all.


Opening across the Philippines on January 2011, “The Green Hornet” 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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BATIBOT to air on TV5 this Saturday

favorite children's TV show in the 80's, Batibot, is going to start airing in the Kapatid channel, TV 5, on November 27.

the local version of Sesame Street will again bring out values-filled stories and educational tools like counting, reading and writing which captured the hearts and minds of the generation that grew up with it in the 80's.

catch the sisters, Ningning and Gingging; the fortune teller, Manang Bola and reading superhero, Kapitan Basa together with Koko Kwikwak. unfortunately, Batibot icons, Kiko Matsing and Pong Pagong weren't able to join the cast. joined by Kuya Fidel and Ate Maya, they will bring good and fun things children and their parents will truly love.

catch the first episode of Batibot at TV5 on November 27 2010 at 8:30AM.

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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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