Glen Powell rides into the eye of the storm as tornado wrangler Tyler Owens in “Twisters”

 

Glen Powell has always had an interest in joining the disaster thrill-ride, “Twisters,” since he caught wind of it. He’d been keeping close tabs on the project while working with Joseph Kosinski for “Top Gun: Maverick,” as Kosinski was developing the story for “Twisters.” “Joe told me what an exciting movie this was going to be, with all these vivid characters, including a certain wild tornado-chasing cowboy, and all these amazing action sequences with different tornadoes,” Powell says.

Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/qxxgOTQKpck

The opportunity arose as he was working on another film, Powell recalls. “I was filming ‘Anyone But You’ in Australia when I got a call asking if I’d be interested in ‘Twisters’ and whether I would be open to doing a chemistry read with Daisy, who was already cast,” he says. 

Director Lee Isaac Chung thinks Powell is perfect for playing the charming rodeo star-turned-viral stormchaser. “Glen is so charismatic, interesting, and funny, you end up loving him even when he’s playing characters like Tyler who are cocky and big showboats,” Chung says. “But he’s also an extraordinary actor with great depth and he’s so good at letting that seep through and reveal itself almost effortlessly, without forcing it,” Chung explains.

What sealed the deal was an episode of the morning show Today that revealed another side of the veteran actor.  “Glen was on ‘Today’ with his parents, talking about his parents and their impact on his life, and I saw this layer of him that I wanted for this character, someone with real heart,” Chung says. “I knew then I wanted him on board.”

Powell also drew inspiration from another personal connection: the late Bill Paxton, who starred in the original ‘Twister’ film. Powell and Paxton worked together on the 2013 western “Red Wing.” “When I was first getting to know Bill, the two movies I talked with him the most about were Apollo 13 and ‘Twister’, both of which pushed the limits of practical effects and visual effects and required a lot from their actors in terms of research,” Powell says. “Bill helped me understand what it takes to make characters like Tyler feel grounded and real, but also cool and fun and interesting, all at the same time. I thought about Bill Paxton often while making ‘Twisters.’ It’s an impossible task to follow in his footsteps. But I hope people can see a little bit of his light emanating through the movie.”

All this experience and research led Powell to find the real strength in his character.  “I wanted to start out with my character presenting as exactly the guy you think he is, this self-promoting adrenaline junkie,” Powell says. “But then you realize there’s real depth to him. His team of storm chasers seem like this traveling circus of thrill seekers, but they share this complicated fascination with the unexplainable phenomenon that are tornadoes. They seem to have a casual, devil-may-care attitude, but they’re no dummies. They have deep respect for the awesome power of tornadoes and care about the people affected by the destruction they cause. They’re a band of misfits that have grown into a family that works together and takes care of each other … and those they find on their way.”

Catch heart-racing action as “Twisters” storms across Philippine cinemas on July 17.

“IT WAS UNLIKE ANY SCRIPT I’VE BEEN READING LATELY, A MOVIE YOU DON’T SEE GET MADE ANYMORE,” SAYS CHANNING TATUM OF HIS NEW COMEDY WITH SCARLETT JOHANSSON, “FLY ME TO THE MOON,” IN CINEMAS JULY 10

Channing Tatum in Fly Me to the Moon

Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

“This movie is so much fun and, in my opinion, smart and big,” says Channing Tatum of his new comedy drama Fly Me to the Moon. “And mounting a movie of this size is kind of like shooting a rocket to the moon.”

Fly Me to the Moon is a stylish, multi-faceted comedy drama with a hint of romance set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 moon landing. Scarlett Johansson, who also produces the film, plays marketing maven Kelly Jones, tasked by the White House to stage a fake moon landing as back-up – and this mission does not sit well with launch director Cole Davis, played by Tatum. 

Channing Tatum in Fly Me to the Moon

Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

Of the story, Tatum says, “It was unlike any script that I’ve been reading lately. It’s a movie you don’t see get made anymore. It has an older tone, but it does feel modern. When I met with Greg Berlanti, the director, I thought we were going to do this very, like, pastiche sort of tone, like His Girl Friday or something like that, but he was like, ‘No, definitely I want it to be you guys and really play with it.’ He really wanted us to improv a little as well, and that kind of made it a little bit more modern and not so rigid. It just has a really strange tone that I really loved, and set in a big, epic setting of our history in time in America.”

Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum in Fly Me to the Moon

Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

One of the film’s strengths is the chemistry between its two leads, Johansson and Tatum. “Cole was a very good pilot and he always wanted to go to the moon, that’s why he came to NASA,” says Tatum about his character. “Turns out he had a medical condition that wouldn’t let him go, and now he’s going to take it upon himself to basically get all his friends that are pilots themselves [to the moon]. They’re very close and he’s going to be responsible for coaching them to get to the moon. At the time, it was really, really bad. They were not winning this race, and he was feeling the pressure. And then a saving grace angel comes in and gets him the money that he actually needs to be able to do this but kind of against his will.”

Speaking more about Johansson’s marketing maven character Kelly, Tatum says, “She definitely comes in and mixes things up in a man’s world. She just comes in like a bowling ball and just starts wrecking things –”

“ – or fixing things, I would say,” Johansson playfully interjects. 

“ – wrecking them and then putting them back together in a better way, is what I was going for,” admits Tatum with a laugh. 

Channing Tatum in Fly Me to the Moon

Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

Besides Johansson and Tatum, the film also stars Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano and Jim Rash, who play characters that are just as memorable. Johansson, who, as one of the producers had a hand in choosing the director, gives credit to Greg Berlanti, whose previous credits include Love, Simon and DC’s Arrowverse. “Greg is such a champion for all of the characters,” says Johansson. “He really loves actors and performance so much, and celebrates comedy and nuance.”  

Like Tatum, Johansson was also very impressed with the film’s story. “It’s so unusual these days that a film is offered in theaters that has an original story, and has this kind of scope,” she says. “It’s a big movie but the story itself is very intimate, it’s like a character piece that’s in this massive, huge set piece. To me, getting to experience that in the fullest, watching it on the screen with an audience and get carried away, there’s a certain kind of nostalgia, a kind of magic to that tone of film that is not common now. So being able to experience that in theaters is like a wonderful night out.” 

Will they make it or fake it? Find out when Fly Me to the Moon, also starring Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano and Jim Rash, opens in cinemas July 10. Fly Me to the Moon is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International, #FlyMeToTheMoon @columbiapicph

Photo & Video Credit: “Columbia Pictures”

WATCH THE NEW TRAILER FOR M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN’S “TRAP,” STARRING JOSH HARTNETT

 

30,000 fans. 300 cops. 1 serial killer. No escape. “Trap,” a new M. Night Shyamalan experience starring Josh Hartnett, opens only in cinemas July 31. 

YouTube: https://youtu.be/3hWIlnbadPg?si=tYAKosizpytcwI6d 

Check out the new poster below: 

#TrapMovie only in cinemas JULY 31

 

About “Trap”

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a new experience in the world of M. Night Shayamalan – “Trap” – featuring performances by rising music star Saleka Shyamalan.

A father and teen daughter attend a pop concert, where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, “Trap” stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider. 

In cinemas July 31, “Trap” is distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Discovery company.

Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #TrapMovie

Photo & Video Credit: “Warner Bros. Pictures”

A QUIET PLACE : DAY ONE - Bigger, Louder, and More Fatalities

By : Edgar Allan Yu

A QUIET PLACE DAY ONE is a thrilling prequel that ratchets up the stakes and intensity of the original film. Set in the early days of the alien invasion in New York City, the movie delivers intense action and suspense that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats.

Lupita Nyong'o (Sam) and Joseph Quinn (Eric) deliver captivating performances, with a palpable on-screen chemistry that drives the film's emotional core. But the real scene-stealer is the cat (Frodo),  whose antics add a touch of levity to the otherwise tense proceedings. Sam and Frodo, get it ? 

The action sequences are expertly crafted, with the sound design playing a crucial role in heightening the tension. Fans of the first A QUIET PLACE film will find much to love in this prequel, which expands the mythology and raises the stakes in compelling ways. It's Bigger, Louder, and there's more killer aliens. Do not miss this must-see addition to the franchise. In cinemas now ! 

GOOD OR BAD? MEET THE NEW CHARACTERS (AND THE VOICES BEHIND THEM!) THAT WILL MAKE LIFE EVEN MORE COMICALLY CHAOTIC FOR GRU AND HIS GROWING FAMILY IN “DESPICABLE ME 4,” IN CINEMAS JULY 3

 

Photo credit: Universal Pictures International

It’s been seven years since the last “Despicable Me” movie hit theaters. What’s everyone’s favorite villain-turned Anti-Villain League (AVL) agent been up to? 

In this latest installment of the beloved franchise, Gru’s (Steve Carell) life is turned upside down with the arrival of his and Lucy’s (Kristen Wiig) new baby, expanding his role to a father of four and a dedicated AVL agent. While on a mission with the fan-favorite minions, Gru comes face to face with the villain Maxime Le Mal and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run. 

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/w6zvCQDLqKw?si=PMMiFwEnT1JgvXkq 

Find out more about Le Mal and Valentina, and the other new characters to watch for in “Despicable Me 4.” 

Photo credit: Universal Pictures International

Maxime Le Mal

Maxime Le Mal, voiced by Emmy winner Will Ferrell (“Anchorman,” “The Lego Movie”), is Gru’s longstanding high school nemesis. After Gru embarrasses Maxime by having him arrested at the class reunion for their shared high school alma mater, Lycee Pas Bon School of Villainy, Maxime’s resentment towards Gru festers into an all-consuming vendetta. After escaping from prison, he pursues Gru and his family, determined to settle the score once and for all.

For Ferrell, the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with Steve Carell’s Gru was too good to pass up. “Who wouldn’t want to be part of the ‘Despicable Me’ universe?” Ferrell says. “I approached Maxime with a mix of suave sophistication and deep-seated insecurity, blending those layers to create a villain you love to hate, but also kinda feel sorry for. It’s a delicate balance, but one that was incredibly fun to explore.”

Valentina

Valentina, voiced by Emmy nominee Sofía Vergara (“Modern Family”), was the most popular femme fatale at Lycee Pas Bon School of Villainy and is now Maxime’s girlfriend and pilot of his giant ship. “I was drawn to Valentina’s confidence and allure,” Vergara says. “I was excited to play a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it, no matter the obstacles in her path. When I first started to think about the voice, I focused on her fierce determination and confidence, and exploring the character further allowed me to find softer, more vulnerable moments for her, too. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a force to be reckoned with, but there are more nuances of her personality than first meet the eye… It’s a different kind of acting experience, but one that allows for creativity and imagination.”

Photo credit: Universal Pictures International

Poppy Prescott

To protect Gru from the vengeful Le Mal, the AVL relocates Gru and his family to the picturesque town of Mayflower, complete with new identities. Poppy, voiced by Joey King (“Bullet Train,” “The Kissing Booth”), is Gru’s new teenage neighbor who dreams of becoming a supervillain. Poppy is obsessed with all things villainous. After Gru and his family move to Mayflower, Poppy promptly identifies Gru’s true identity and blackmails him into helping her pull a heist at Gru’s alma mater, the Lycee Pas Bon School of Villainy. 

“Recording voice-over for an animated movie is one of my favorite things to do because you have to give everything using just your voice,” King says. “The freedom to let loose and not worry about appearances is what I love most, especially when I get to play such a fun, over-the-top yet endearing character like Poppy. I can really go for it, do some wild stuff and there’s no wrong way to do it. Poppy’s voice differs from mine because I added a cute little lisp to her voice, which is one of my favorite things about the character. I love when kids try to be all serious and make a point with that innocent, childlike voice, and in Poppy’s case, with her lisp. And although it wasn’t really my intention, somehow her lisp makes her come off even scarier.”

Photo credit: Universal Pictures International

Perry Prescott

Perry, voiced by Emmy winner Stephen Colbert (“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”), is Poppy’s father and Gru’s new neighbor. As the face of Prescott Motors, the largest auto dealer in Mayflower, Perry exudes a blend of confidence with a hint of arrogance. “I think Perry is loosely based on every blonde bad guy in every ’80s teen comedy,” Colbert says. “He’s the head of the country club, the captain of the football team, the boss at his office.” Colbert continues, joking: “I based Perry mostly on my own innate sense of self-importance and pretentiousness. I just looked in the mirror every night and said, ‘Just let them see the real you. Just stand in front of that mic and let the real Stephen out.’”

Patsy Prescott

Gru’s new neighbor, Patsy, portrayed by Chloe Fineman (“Saturday Night Live”), is Perry’s wife and Poppy’s mother. When she’s not living the life of a Mayflower socialite, Patsy is working on her tennis backhand. “Playing Patsy was such a delight for me, and I was especially excited to be able to join the iconic ‘Despicable Me’ franchise,” Fineman says. “Patsy’s this wonderful blend of suburban charm and socialite sophistication, which I found incredibly intriguing. What attracted me most to the role was the opportunity to explore Patsy’s dynamic with her husband, Perry, and her role within the neighborhood. She’s not just your typical suburban mom; she’s got this whole other layer to her character that I found fascinating to delve into.”

Photo credit: Universal Pictures International 

Mega Minions

While Gru and his family are trying to live a new life with new identities in the beautiful little town of Mayflower, some of the Minions find themselves with new identities of their own back at the Anti-Villain League (AVL) Headquarters. When Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan), the leader of the AVL, selects five Minions to receive a super serum that will help them go head-to-head against Maxime, the result is the world’s newest and most chaotic superheroes: the Mega Minions (all voiced by Pierre Coffin, one of the creators of the Minions and the voice behind all of the Minions in the “Despicable Me” and “Minions” franchises). 

Mega Dave has the power of super strength, Mega Tim can stretch over a mile long, Mega Mel can unleash an unstoppable laser blast capable of slicing through a planet, Mega Gus can take flight and Mega Jerry has assumed the shape and indestructible nature of a boulder, able to chow down on anything in his path.

Says director Chris Renaud, “Their powers were deliberately kept simple and archetypal – strength, flight, lasers, rock-like invincibility and stretching – rooted in classic superhero tropes for instant recognition. We anticipated the delightfully chaotic outcomes of their newfound abilities, but we also crafted a narrative arc that allowed them moments of unexpected heroism.”

Packed with non-stop action and filled with Illumination’s signature subversive humor, Despicable Me 4 opens in Philippine cinemas July 3. #DespicableMe4PH 

“A Quiet Place: Day One” roars to record-breaking franchise best, and 2nd biggest opening weekend for 2024 in the PH

 

A Quiet Place: Day One sets the biggest opening weekend in the history of the franchise, with a global tally of $98.5M. The film is also making noise locally as the 2nd biggest opening weekend in the Philippines for 2024.

Watch the newest trailer here: https://youtu.be/kshP9EQX-Ss

Set in one of the loudest cities on Earth, the third installment of the A Quiet Place franchise takes audiences back to the day the world went quiet, putting the city of New York on a standstill against hostile creatures that attack anything that makes noise.

IGN praises A Quiet Place: Day One, as the best in the series, writing “It’s impressive just how great A Quiet Place: Day One is. Not that the first two Quiet Place movies weren’t good – they’re both strong films in their own right. But this spinoff/prequel to those earlier films introduces new characters in a new setting that successfully elevates both the tension and the emotional impact of John Krasinski’s nearly dialogue-free horror films. The result is the series’ best movie to date.”

The Guardian affirms the strength and impact of the film, lauding the cast and choice of setting. “It could be the idea of setting the Quiet Place prequel in New York, one of the noisiest places on Earth. Or perhaps it’s because the intimate, taut horror premise of the first two pictures is beefed up with some robust city-smashing disaster movie muscle. Maybe it’s the casting of the always excellent Lupita Nyong’o in a textured and complex role – she plays Sam, a poet and a terminal cancer patient who just wants to live a little before she dies. All of this combines to ramp up the impact of A Quiet Place: Day One considerably, compared with its immediate predecessor.”

The Los Angeles Times notes the unique premise of the film. “It’s a refreshing, near-radical concept to build a studio film around, and as Sam sets off, a tote bag on her arm and her black-and-white support cat Frodo beside her, you may be reminded of that other woman-and-feline survival story, Alien, stripped to the bone,” they write.

Don’t miss out on the spine-tingling thrills as A Quiet Place: Day One is now showing in Philippine cinemas.