NOVEMBER 2024 MOVIES

 

Don’t miss these movies, opening in cinemas in November!

#RedOneMovie

November 6 - Red One (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons

Directed by: Jake Kasdan

Trailer, Trailer 2

After Santa Claus – Code Name: RED ONE – is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.

 

#aka #anokowadaare #classmates

November 13 - SANA: Let Me Hear (Encore Films) 

Cast: Nagisa Shibuya, Hayase Ikoi, Soma Santoki

Directed by: Takashi Shimizu

Trailer

In 1992, a rooftop confrontation between schoolgirls ends in tragedy as one girl, Sana, accidentally falls to her death. Mysteriously, a cassette recorder was found next to her body, still recording. 32 years later, a young woman named Honoka (Nagisa Shibuya) is hired to teach summer classes at the same school. History repeats itself as another student falls from the same building, witnessed by Honoka and her students, Hitomi (Hayase Ikoi) and Takeru (Soma Santoki).

#WickedMoviePH

November 20 - Wicked (Universal Pictures) 

Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Peter Dinklage

Directed by: Jon M. Chu

Trailer, Trailer 2

“Wicked” is the story of the witches of Oz when they meet as students at Shiz University. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), who stands out because of her green skin, and Glinda (Ariana Grande), a popular and ambitious woman, forge an unlikely yet profound friendship. A journey across the land of Oz and an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) tests their friendship and takes their lives on very different paths.

*Schedules are subject to change without prior notice.*

The beginning of the end; how director Kelly Marcel choreographed "Venom: the Last Dance”

 

 

Director Kelly Marcel thinks that Venom: The Last Dance is a lot of things, as she closes off the final chapter in the trilogy. “The Venom trilogy is a classic rom-com, really,” Marcel says, laughing. “Eddie Brock and Venom meet in the first film. In Venom: Let There Be Carnage, they’ve got the seven year itch and they break up. Now, as we conclude their story, they have finally learned to live with each other, they’ve finally reached symbiosis, but will they be able to stay together?”

Watch the final trailer: https://youtu.be/GEaPCApOQbM  

Marcel finally helms the film as a director, after being involved with the last two Venom films as a co-writer, executive producer for Venom, and producer for Venom: Let There Be Carnage. She’s excited to get back into the world of Venom and her longtime collaboration with Tom Hardy, who co-wrote the film and plays both Eddie and Venom. “Tom and I have a really good language with each other,” Marcel says. “He understands my writing, and I know how to build characters for him that he enjoys playing. For The Last Dance, we spent a week in a hotel in London just bashing out the story from morning ’til morning. Tom and I agreed that this movie needs to be the biggest, most amped up Venom of them all, and we’re lucky the studio trusts us to make it in the way that we see it and feel it.”

Along with the continuation of the saga is the evolution of Eddie and Venom as characters and the relationship between them. “Eddie Brock is a pretty selfish guy when you first meet him in Venom,” says Marcel. “He destroys his relationship by lying to his fiancée and ending her career. He’s a journalist who enjoys his own face and fame, and Venom completely destroys all of that and strips him down to his basic self. In Venom: The Last Dance, Eddie is older and wiser, and he’s learned so much more patience and tolerance. He’s learned how to really love someone.”

When writing Venom: the Last Dance both Marcel and Hardy had an ear out for what fans love about the films, and what made it work for the previous two movies. “We’re very inspired by the comics, and we wanted to listen to the fans and see where they want this story to go next,” Marcel says. “But we knew that we were going to be concluding this trilogy, and we wanted to make it emotional. We wanted to take Venom and Eddie’s relationship to the next level.”

Don’t miss the end of a saga as Venom

: The Last Dance arrives in Philippine cinemas on October 23. Tickets available now! Check out the ticketing sites of your local cinemas to reserve seats.

About Venom: The Last Dance

In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.

Venom: The Last Dance stars Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach and Stephen Graham. The film is directed by Kelly Marcel from a screenplay she wrote, based on a story by Hardy and Marcel. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy and Hutch Parker.

In cinemas October 23, Venom: The Last Dance is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #Venom @columbiapicph

Photo & Video Credit: “Columbia Pictures”

Have you heard? Tickets are on sale now for “Wicked,” only cinemas Nov. 20!

 

Don’t miss the chance to be part of one of 2024’s most anticipated movies, as tickets to “Wicked” are now available! The big-screen adaptation to the  hit musical phenomenon is coming to Philippine theaters on November 20, but fans and moviegoers can now reserve tickets as early as today.

Watch the announcement, with a snippet from the songs “Popular” and “Defying Gravity” here: https://tinyurl.com/5yxax5v6

Check out the ticketing sites of your local cinemas to reserve seats for Wicked.

Follow Universal Pictures PH (FB), UniversalPicturesPH (IG) and UniversalPicsPH (TikTok) for the latest updates on “Wicked.” 

About Wicked movie

After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event.

 

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights), Wicked is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Wicked Part Two is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 26, 2025.

Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.

 

The film also stars Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University’s regal headmistress Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers) as Fiyero, a roguish and carefree prince; Tony nominee Ethan Slater (Broadway’s Spongebob Squarepants, Fosse/Verdon) as Boq, an altruistic Munchkin student; Marissa Bode in her feature-film debut as Nessarose, Elphaba’s favored sister; and pop culture icon Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz.

 

The cast of characters includes Pfannee and ShenShen, two conniving compatriots of Glinda played by Emmy nominee Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) and Bronwyn James (Harlots); a new character created for the film, Miss Coddle, played by Tony nominee Keala Settle (The Greatest Showman) and four-time Emmy winner Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as the voice of Dr. Dillamond.

 

Wicked is produced by Marc Platt (La La Land, The Little Mermaid), whose films, television shows and stage productions have earned a combined 46 Oscar® nominations, 58 Emmy nominations and 36 Tony nominations, and by multiple Tony winner David Stone (Kimberly Akimbo, Next to Normal), with whom Platt produced the blockbuster Wicked stage musical. The executive producers are David Nicksay, Stephen Schwartz and Jared LeBoff.

 

Based on the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked is adapted for the screen by the stage production’s book writer Winnie Holzman and by legendary Grammy and Oscar® winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. The Broadway stage musical is produced by Universal Stage Productions, Marc Platt, the Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

“A TRIPLE, QUADRUPLE, QUINTUPLE THREAT,” SAYS DIRECTOR PARKER FINN OF NAOMI SCOTT, STAR OF RATED R-18 PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR MOVIE “SMILE 2,” IN CINEMAS OCTOBER 16

Naomi Scott as Skye Riley in Smile 2

Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

Parker Finn, director of the breakout horror hit Smile and the upcoming Smile 2, is, well, all smiles about casting Naomi Scott (Charlie’s Angels, Aladdin) to play the lead in the sequel. “Naomi is a triple, quadruple, quintuple threat,” Finn marvels. “She is amazing.”

In Smile 2, Scott plays global pop sensation Skye Riley. About to embark on a new world tour, Riley begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and pressures of fame, she must confront her dark past before her life spirals out of control.

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/Ogxm6ITnCCQ 

For the role of Skye Riley, Finn needed a lead actor who is able to personify the emotional fragility of someone grappling with the madness brought on by the curse, but additionally, have the charisma and musical ability of a global pop star. 

When the director first met Scott – for what Scott assumed was a general meet and greet – they didn’t stop talking for over three hours. “We couldn’t speak fast enough,” recalls Scott. “I had no idea that this movie had music involved but I could see that Parker was itching to tell me about it.” Once the filmmaker revealed that the movie he was working on was about a singer, Scott thought, “Well, this sounds like me!”

Skye Riley (Naomi Scott, foreground) with her backup dancers in Smile 2

Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

Scott’s ability to do it all astounded Finn and the rest of the creative team. “We had a pretty significant audition process for the role of Skye,” admits Finn. “When I met Naomi, I was familiar with her work, but she had never done anything quite like this before. She had appeared in some big movies, but the characters she had played were the polar opposites of who Skye is. When we met, it was clear she had this other side to offer that nobody had had the opportunity or the fortune to put on screen yet.”

Skye is certainly a complex, troubled character. She’s a pop star making a triumphant return to the global stage after battling substance abuse issues and deep trauma following a tragic accident. But her life is about to take an even darker turn. “We meet her and although she’s sober, she’s incredibly numb,” explains Scott. “I don’t think she’s present in her body and she hasn’t dealt with a lot of the things she needs time and space to deal with. There’s a lot bubbling under the surface. But for someone who has to deal with everything she’s dealing with – it’s interesting that when she gets the curse, it activates this survival instinct of someone who really wants to live. She wants to survive.”

Scott also relished the opportunity to explore the simultaneously precocious nature and arrested development of a person who found fame so young. “She’s not someone who was born into any kind of privilege,” Scott says. “She’s someone who has had to fight for everything. And there was a version of herself that was projected back to her from the world. I think she felt a need to run with that and therefore didn’t have the space to discover who she was. When it comes to her music and her art, she’s very self-assured and is one of those artists who knows what they want. But outside of that, there’s a stunted maturity and a stunted growth with relationships. And as she relates to herself, I don’t think she knows who she is. So that was interesting and fun to play.”

It was this ability to dial into emotion and intensity, vacillating between extremes, that particularly impressed Finn. “Naomi is so unbelievably talented,” he says. “She can do everything. There are moments where she needs to be able to play a very elegant Grace Kelly-type in her public persona, and other moments where we see her at absolute rock bottom, at her worst. And Naomi did both with aplomb.” 

Smile 2, distributed in the Philippines by Paramount Pictures through Columbia Pictures, is rated R-18 and will haunt Philippine cinemas – uncut – starting October 16. Join the conversation with the hashtag #Smile2 #SmileMovie and tag @paramountpicsph

About Smile 2:

The film is written and directed by Parker Finn. Produced by Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, Parker Finn, Robert Salerno

Starring Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Ray Nicholson, Dylan Gelula, Raúl Castillo and Kyle Gallner

Photo and Video Credit: “Paramount Pictures International”

JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX : So Much Style, So Little Substance

By : Edgar Allan E. Yu 

In the realm of cinematic experiences, JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX certainly dazzles with its great cinematography, complemented by a soundtrack that features some good songs. Joaquin Phoenix delivers another compelling performance, where he got an Oscar Best Actor for the first film. Lady Gaga's presence is an intruiging addition, but she proves that she's a good actor and a great singer. However, despite these aesthetic achievements, the film ultimately falls short in its narrative depth. 

While it’s visually captivating and showcases impressive talent, the sequel struggles to offer anything new to the audience. The plot lacks sufficient engagement and often feels meandering, making it difficult for viewers to stay invested. This sequel picks up where the first movie ended, where Arthur Fleck was taken to jail, and goes through the courtroom scenes, where nothing much really happens. Additionally, the song numbers—though well-produced—often serve as distractions rather than enhancements to the storyline.

In conclusion, while JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX boasts an abundance of style and flair, it regrettably lacks substance. This sequel raises questions about its necessity in a franchise that could have thrived on fresh ideas instead of just extending what was already there. I get that the studio wanted this sequel since the first one made a billion  dollars, but a proper sequel should be better, or at least equal to the impact of the first one.  Ultimately, this is one film that perhaps should not have been made at all.  

BOLDER, NASTIER AND BLOODIER” – PROMISES DIRECTOR PARKER FINN OF “SMILE 2,” RATED R-18, UNCUT, OPENING IN CINEMAS OCTOBER 16

 

Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

“The sequel goes bigger, it goes bolder,” promises writer/director/producer Parker Finn of Smile 2, follow-up to breakout psychological horror hit Smile. “It’s way more off the rails, it’s nastier, it’s bloodier. Everything you loved about the first film, we do that ten times bigger.”

Go behind the scenes of Smile 2 with writer/director/producer Parker Finn and star Naomi Scott (Skye Riley): https://youtu.be/mfd5rX9Lk3g 

In the Smile universe, the entity or curse transfers from one victim to another by taking control of the current host and compelling them to end their own life in front of a witness – while sporting a frighteningly creepy smile, an unsettling image that has now become iconic in the world of horror movies. That witness then becomes the next victim and once inside them, the entity infiltrates the crevices of the victim’s mind, weaponizing their thoughts against them and gradually exerting greater control over their reality, manipulating their perceptions and actions. 

“We watched that happen in the first film, and I wanted to find new ways to trick both Skye and the audience,” says Finn.

The gore and the scares are not the only things bigger about the sequel. Smile 2 tells the story of Skye Riley, a global pop sensation about to embark on a world tour. The stage (literally) is bigger, the stakes are higher. And as Skye begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events, the pressures of fame and her upcoming tour intensify.

 

Naomi Scott plays global pop star Skye Riley in Smile 2.

Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

For the role of Skye, Finn and his team needed someone with an incredible amount of range – someone who could embody a megawatt public persona while simultaneously exposing their private, vulnerable self, and also have the chops to sing and dance like an artist who can sell out stadiums. And they found their perfect Skye in Naomi Scott (Aladdin, Charlie’s Angels). “She can do everything,” says Finn.

“What I love about Parker was how confident the filmmaking was,” says Scott. “It really does run the gamut of a more internal movie to just being completely unhinged.”

Producer Wyck Godfrey says that Smile 2 continues the same twisted and terrifying narrative of the first film while raising the stakes to an even more devastating level. “Parker designed Smile to be experienced entirely through Rose’s (main character in the first film, played by Sosie Bacon) point of view. As a result, every element of the look and feel of the film stemmed directly from that character,” shares Godfrey. “Smile 2 takes a similar approach but with a troubled, world-famous pop star in Skye at the center, it’s all turned up to 11.”

 

Smile 2, distributed in the Philippines by Paramount Pictures through Columbia Pictures, is rated R-18 and will haunt Philippine cinemas – uncut – starting October 16. Join the conversation with the hashtag #Smile2 #SmileMovie and tag @paramountpicsph

About Smile 2:

The film is written and directed by Parker Finn. Produced by Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, Parker Finn, Robert Salerno

Starring Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Ray Nicholson, Dylan Gelula, Raúl Castillo and Kyle Gallner

Photo and Video Credit: “Paramount Pictures International”

The Wild Robot: The Best Animated Film From DreamWorks In Years

By : Edgar Allan E. Yu

The Wild Robot is gearing up to be one of the best animated films of 2024, and for good reason. From the moment you enter its vibrant world, you're greeted with stunning animation that brings every scene to life in a way that captivates both young and old. Those cute animals, the colorful wilderness, and that intelligent robot. The visual artistry is nothing short of breathtaking, making it a feast for the eyes.

But it's not just the animation that sets this film apart; there's a heartfelt story at its core. The narrative weaves themes of friendship, resilience, and understanding in a way that resonates deeply with audiences. It’s a tale that encourages viewers to reflect on their own connections with nature and technology.

The voice cast members elevate this experience even further. With standout performances by Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, and Kit Connor, each character feels alive and relatable. Their portrayals add depth to the story, making it all the more engaging.

Parents are rest assured knowing that The Wild Robot will provide an entertaining experience for both kids and adults alike. This film promises laughter, heart, and valuable lessons wrapped up in an enchanting package—making it a must-see for every family member. Don’t miss out on what could very well be one of the highlights of your family movie nights in 2024 , and one film that might even win an Oscar ! 

Photo credits :  Universal Pictures International 

#TheWildRobotPH