DECEMBER 2024 MOVIES

 

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

#GladiatorII

December 4 - Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures)

Cast: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, with Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Trailer: https://youtu.be/c0kJwlah7A8?si=u-v1v583bdw8pCy-

From legendary director Ridley Scott, “Gladiator II” continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people. 

#KravenTheHunter

December 11 - Kraven the Hunter (Columbia Pictures) 

Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott and Russell Crowe

Directed by: J.C. Chandor

Trailer: https://youtu.be/Tu1MTm4MWuU?si=cOJMAKgCQgPXeHqR

“Kraven the Hunter” is the visceral, action-packed origin story of how and why one of Marvel's most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared. 

#LOTR

December 11 - The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (Warner Bros. Pictures) 

Stars: Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, Miranda Otto

Directed by: Kenji Kamiyama

Trailer: https://youtu.be/J8-ZcT-gx54?si=XLPazXZKU_N9sRHj

Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg – a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction. 

#thechosenholynight

December 11 - Christmas with the Chosen: Holy Night (SM exclusive) 

Stars: Joshua Aaron, Sara Anne, Rom Barkhordar, Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli

Directed by: Dallas Jenkins, Jacob Schwarz, Aaron Edson

Trailer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ajwTDSVehXXfE8Fu3Y1FRjEq1P9s33-8/view?usp=drivesdk 

“Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night” is the retelling of the birth of Jesus, as seen through the eyes of Mary and Joseph, that beautifully weaves the stories of The Messengers and The Shepherd into an all-new remastered feature in time for the holiday season. 

It features a live video message from “The Chosen” creator and director Dallas Jenkins, encouraging reflection on the deeper meaning of Christmas, along with captivating performances from renowned artists, including the legendary Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo. Other musical performances include The Feast Worship, adding a uniquely Filipino touch to the celebration.

*Schedules are subject to change 

without prior notice.*

SERGEI KRAVINOFF BECOMES “KRAVEN THE HUNTER” IN BLOODY NEW VIGNETTE

“This is Sergei Kravinoff becoming Kraven,” actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson talks about his character’s journey into becoming the iconic villain, and his own adventures of stunts and training in the “Making of a Villain” vignette from Kraven the Hunter.

Watch the redband vignette: https://youtu.be/chxIFs9V7kE

“I’m so lucky I get to do the stunts. Old school, real, raw, barefoot running through the streets of London. Doing flips and running off the wall, because you needed to have that kind of authenticity,” Taylor-Johnson continues. “He’s [Kraven’s] not a superhero. He’s a man who’s been trained and is a skilled hunter and killer.”

Director J.C. Chandor also weighs in on the tragic background of Kraven: “There was some element of bloodlust that he [Kraven] seems to love,” Chandor says. “There was a justification for it, and that feels good. But he is also this very inconsistent, ethically compromised individual, but yet, still, you’re rooting for him.”

The hunt begins as Kraven the Hunter arrives in Philippine cinemas on December 11.

About Kraven the Hunter

 

Kraven the Hunter is the visceral, action-packed origin story of how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared. 

Directed by J.C. Chandor with story and screenplay by Richard Wenk, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway, based on Marvel Comics. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and David Householter.

Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott and Russell Crowe.

Opening in Philippine cinemas on December 11, Kraven the Hunter is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #KravenTheHunter

Photo & Video Credit: “Columbia Pictures”

From singing live, voice retraining, and getting matching tattoos, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo share their journey together as Glinda and Elphaba in “Wicked”

 

Wicked has always been a journey of self-discovery, and rising up against adversity, but in the heart of it all is the friendship between two young women, Glinda and Elphaba. The right actresses were critical for the film, but director Jon M. Chu and his fellow filmmakers knew instantly that Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were the perfect choices.

Check out the “Singing Live” featurette here: https://youtu.be/GMRimg3C86g

From the start, their bond was unmistakable. The pair had dinner at Chu’s house, with producer Marc Platt and composer Stephen Schwartz.  “Stephen went to the piano and said to Cynthia and Ari, ‘Shall we sing, ‘For Good’?” Chu says. “Cynthia and Ari didn’t rehearse it. They’d never done it together. They sang it, and my four-year-old daughter’s jaw dropped to the floor. No one has ever seen two powerhouses like this before. It’s been beautiful to see how well connected they are.”

For Ariana Grande, her connection with Glinda was deep, and she was able to draw from her experiences to embody the role. “Spending this time with Glinda has been a profound journey of self-discovery and healing for me,” Grande says. “It’s remarkable how embodying her character and embracing self-trust has brought about such personal growth and inner healing. Through this experience, I’ve learned to trust myself more and have found a newfound sense of understanding and empowerment. It’s a beautiful thing—I think we all healed through these characters and through each other. This story is so important, especially now, when everything is boiled down to headlines or cherry-picked quotes. It fights for truth, humanness and the complexities of being misunderstood. It shows that a person can be good and wicked. We all have these women within us; we can all recognize pieces of ourselves in them.”

Grande put in the work to train for a role that she’s possibly been preparing for a decade.  “I had been chasing producer Marc Platt down for about ten years, wondering when this movie was going to happen and when I would have the opportunity to audition,” Grande says. “When I finally found out about the audition, I started training every day with my vocal coach Eric Vetro and my acting coach Nancy Banks. I had to retrain my voice to sing more classically and operatically, which is my range but a style I hadn’t done since I was much younger. It takes the chords a while to reacclimate, like any other muscle, which requires a lot of training.”

Meanwhile, director Chu has found the perfect Elphaba, a character who has been an outcast, whose pain has hardened her but has not touched her compassionate heart, in Oscar nominee and Grammy, Emmy and Tony winner, Cynthia Erivo. “To have Cynthia Erivo, a woman of color, play a woman who is green makes all the world of difference,” Chu says. “When she sang ‘Defying Gravity,’ she blew the roof off. We were stunned. As soon as Cynthia left the room, we said, ‘our search is finally done.’”

Cynthia Erivo also put in months of training for her role, so that she can harness the power needed for belting out Elphaba’s lyrics. She often found joy in the work, saying, “I hope that this joy keeps growing. I hope we find something to spark joy in every day. This was a long process, and I knew that it would get hard sometimes. But I knew, even on those days, that we would find something that makes us love and reconnect to what brought us here.”

At the end of the journey, Grande and Erivo honored each other and their roles by immortalizing it with tattoos. “We got tattoos together,” Grande says. “I got an ‘E’ for Elphaba in a heart on the back of my leg and she had a little ‘G’ for Glinda on the back of hers.” Erivo says that their bond is anchored by a sense of joyful exploration. “I hope that we don’t lose our love of play,” Erivo says. “That’s something that I really enjoyed—this need to keep wanting to learn and discover. Ariana and I used that to make these beings as humane and full as possible. When we worked together, something special happened.”

Tickets out now! Head to your local cinema, or check out their ticketing sites to reserve your seats for Wicked, in Philippine cinemas on November 20.

 

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

“GREAT IDEAS AND HUMAN DRAMA TAKE TIME TO CRAFT. HOPEFULLY THE RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.” FILMMAKERS TALK ABOUT MAKING THE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL “GLADIATOR II,” IN CINEMAS DECEMBER 4

Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal have a bloody battle in Gladiator II.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

Gladiator II has been under discussion since the first film’s initial success when it was released in 2000, according to director Ridley Scott. “The popularity of Gladiator just kept growing,” he explains. “The film stayed in the public’s mind. I knew we should consider a sequel, but it took years to figure out what the story was going to be.”

Producer Michael Pruss, who has been collaborating with Scott for more than a decade, adds: “The world of the Roman Empire and the unforgettable characters of Gladiator were so brilliantly crafted. Recreating that on an even grander scale [for the sequel] was a necessity. We wanted that same powerful motivation for revenge but something that was also fresh and modern and unique. It took longer than anybody anticipated, but great ideas and human drama take time to craft. Hopefully the results here speak for themselves.”

Find out how Gladiators are made. Watch the Training Featurette: 

https://youtu.be/_SPG_6hLBuo 

Connie Nielsen and Joseph Quinn in Gladiator II.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

“We knew we had to top the original’s gripping action, but also try to capture its emotional intimacy,” according to producer Lucy Fisher, who began developing the new film alongside partner Douglas Wick in 2001. “It took a long time to get a story that we thought would be worthy of being a sequel to Gladiator. But once we grabbed onto the character of Lucius [played by Paul Mescal] as an angry young man, exiled and abandoned, and committed to destroying the city that had both made and betrayed him, our story began to unfold. Lucius would be a lost prince, wanting to be anywhere but Rome, and yet all roads would lead him there.” 

That, says Wick, felt like a story worth telling. “But we soon realized that one of the biggest challenges we were going to face was a dilemma the ancient Romans knew well,” he says. “The audience has seen grand combat many times over and their thirst for MORE was unquenchable. Whatever we created had to provide captivating new thrills. A true spectacle for the ages.”  

In 2021, Scott approached screenwriter David Scarpa, who wrote the director’s 2017 true-crime drama All the Money in the World, to craft a compelling tale based on a story by Peter Craig (writer of Top Gun: Maverick). It is 15 years after the death of Maximus Decimus Meridius, Russell Crowe’s character in the original. Combat in the Colosseum has become more deadly, violent and spectacular as bloodthirsty crowds urge the half-mad emperors Caracalla and Geta (Fred Hechinger and Joseph Quinn, respectively) to new heights of cruelty. The Roman Empire continues its relentless march across the world, expanding its borders, pillaging every culture in its path and forcing the survivors to fight for their lives in the ring. 

“I knew and loved the original,” says Scarpa. “When Ridley approached me, I was extremely excited. Gladiator is such an esteemed classic and a touchstone for historical action films. I was both honored and a little apprehensive about working with the people who created that world. Ridley has a very strong directorial voice, and his vision is central to the movie.”

Denzel Washington in Gladiator II.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

Filmmakers, actors and everyone else who worked on the film are excited for movie audiences around the world to watch it. “Ridley is at the top of his game with Gladiator II,” says Wick. “Imagine coming to the movies after a tough day of work and having Ridley Scott as your tour guide to Ancient Rome. He will transport you into another world that’s vibrant, emotional, dangerous and extremely theatrical, a world full of corruption and deceit. And in his own unsentimental way, he will lead you to last vestiges of strength and honor and you will watch them prevail. It will be a unique and satisfying experience that engages all the senses, but most of all the heart.”

For Scott, one of cinema’s masters of the period picture, Gladiator II is at once specific and timeless. “This film is about the Roman Empire, obviously,” he says. “But it’s also about the way humanity never learns its lesson. We keep repeating history again and again and again.”

In cinemas December 4, Gladiator II is distributed in the Philippines by Paramount Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Connect with the hashtag #GladiatorII and tag @paramountpicsph

Photo & Video Credit: “Paramount Pictures”

EVERY CHOICE HAS LED TO THIS. WATCH THE BRAND NEW TRAILER FOR “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING,” IN CINEMAS MAY 21, 2025

 

Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

Our lives are the sum of our choices. Watch the brand new trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. As seen in the trailer, Tom Cruise wears the same wardrobe as “Ethan Hunt” in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning that he did performing the epic stunt for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games closing ceremony on August 11, 2024. 

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning opens only in cinemas May 21, 2025. 

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/qepAxxbCFP4 

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Present

A Tom Cruise Production

Tom Cruise 

“MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING”

Synopsis: Our lives are the sum of our choices. Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

Executive produced by: David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Chris Brock

Produced by: Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie

Based on the television series created by: Bruce Geller

Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Angela Bassett, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Frederick Schmidt

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning opens only in cinemas May 21, 2025. Join the conversation with the hashtag #MissionImpossible and tag @paramountpicsph

Photo and Video Credit: “Paramount Pictures International”

“CHRISTMAS MOVIES BRING US BACK TO THAT WARM FEELING OF BEING WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY,” SAYS DWAYNE JOHNSON, STAR OF “RED ONE,” IN CINEMAS NOVEMBER 6

 

Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans lead the Christmas action-comedy “Red One,” in cinemas November 6

“We love all holiday films,” says Dwayne Johnson, who stars as Santa Claus’s head of security in the Christmas action-comedy “Red One.” 

“The classics like ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ as well as the contemporary favorites like ‘Elf’ and ‘Bad Santa,’” he continues. “We all love them for the same reason: they bring us back to that warm feeling of being with friends and family, the time of year when life slows down for a minute. And there’s nothing better than watching a great Christmas movie with the people you love.”

In “Red One,” Johnson teams up with Chris Evans in a globe-trotting action-packed holiday adventure to save Christmas after Santa Claus (Oscar winner J.K. Simmons) – Code Name: RED ONE – gets kidnapped.

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/3Ji7vN5aUvs 

Johnson plays Callum Drift, head of Santa’s security team, the E.L.F., which stands for Enforcement, Logistics and Fortification. “Callum is to Santa Claus what the head of the Secret Service is to the president of the United States,” explains Johnson. “They’ve been working together for between three and four hundred years.” All that time, Cal has helped Santa bring inspiration, joy and happiness to the world each year and loved every minute of it. But the world has changed, and though Cal still loves the enthusiasm of kids, the adults are getting on his nerves.

Enter Jack O’Malley, Cal’s mission partner – who also represents everything Cal despises about grown-ups. “Jack is the world’s greatest tracker,” says director Jake Kasdan. “But he’s also a mercenary who will work for anybody but is loyal to nobody. And on top of everything else, he’s on the Naughty List.” 

Chris Evans, who plays Jack, describes his character as a bit of a rascal. “And it’s always fun to play a rascal! But in his personal life he’s struggling,” says Evans. “He has a son that he neglects. Aside from his family struggles, he’s lost that Christmas spirit. He works by himself and moves through the world by  himself. That loneliness has made him a bit ossified.”

Cal and Jack are both irrepressible Alphas who can’t resist butting heads, says screenwriter Chris Morgan. “When we put Dwayne and Chris together for the first time, that energy was immediate. They sparked off each other. They just started riffing and cutting on each other, one-upping and generally having fun at each other’s expense. We knew we had a special dynamic right there.”

“This one is really special to us,” shares Johnson. “From a bunch of filmmakers that love Christmas, we’re thrilled to be telling a story that lets us celebrate the holidays with audiences all over the world.”

Directed by Kasdan, who has previously teamed up with Johnson on the blockbuster “Jumanji” movies, “Red One” also stars Lucy Liu (the “Charlie’s Angels” franchise), Kiernan Shipka (“Twisters”), Bonnie Hunt (“Cheaper By the Dozen”), Kristofer Hivju (“Game of Thrones”), Nick Kroll (“Big Mouth”) and Wesley Kimmel (“The Mandalorian”).

Get in on the Christmas spirit and watch “Red One,” distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Discovery company, opening in Philippine cinemas November 6. Book your tickets via www.redonemovie.com.ph, or visit the websites of your favorite cinemas! #RedOneMovie

Photo & Video Credit: “Warner Bros. Pictures”

“EVERYWHERE YOU TURN, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE IN THAT WORLD… I LOVE THAT,” SAYS DENZEL WASHINGTON ABOUT STEPPING INTO THE COLOSSEUM IN “GLADIATOR II,” IN CINEMAS DECEMBER 4

 

Paul Mescal, who plays Lucius in Gladiator II, says that working on the sequel is one of the standout moments in his life.

Time to return to the Colosseum. Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington talk about their excitement about being part of Gladiator II, the highly anticipated sequel to 2000’s Gladiator, in newly released featurettes.  

Paul Mescal | Standout Moments: https://youtu.be/r3KfuAF2ycE?si=cuAR421JaK7GAvyj 

Pedro Pascal | Next Chapter: https://youtu.be/7fbEgXmaJaw?si=Ims967uNz1E3HNP7v

Denzel Washington | Biggest Movie Ever: https://youtu.be/qLXQfWROHBQ?si=FNV8SHKhdiyXYDNA 

And check out these new character posters! 

Paul Mescal is Lucius in #GladiatorII

Pedro Pascal is General Marcus Acacius in #GladiatorII

Denzel Washington is Macrinus in #GladiatorII

Connie Nielsen is Lucilla in #GladiatorII

Joseph Quinn is Emperor Geta in #GladiatorII

Fred Hechinger is Emperor Caracalla in #GladiatorII

In cinemas December 4, Gladiator II is distributed in the Philippines by Paramount Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Connect with the hashtag #GladiatorII and tag @paramountpicsph

Photo & Video Credit: “Paramount Pictures”

Step into the enchanting world of “Wicked” in the newest featurette. Casting a spell in PH cinemas Nov. 20

 

“Oz represents a place of magic, so to be able to invite an audience into this beautiful world is exciting.” Jon M. Chu welcomes fans and moviegoers to the wonderful world of Oz, in the highly anticipated adaptation of the hit musical Wicked, in the newest featurette.

Watch the featurette here: https://youtu.be/t0ThC9wKIn8

Cynthia Erivo, who stars as Elphaba, feels that Oz is the land of endless possibilities. “The things you think are impossible, the things you are dreaming about, aren’t impossible at all,” she says.

In the world of Oz, nothing is as straightforward as reality. “Nothing is just one dimension, in the world of Oz,” Erivo explains. “That special magic is palpable,” Jonathan Bailey, who plays Fiyero, adds. 

Alongside Erivo is Ariana Grande, who stars as Glinda, and she talks about how their characters both search for their inner magic within this world. “Glinda, just like Elphaba, just wants to find her magic,” she says. Erivo also talks about the power within Elphaba. “It isn’t about relying on someone else, it really is about harnessing the power she has, and figuring out how to use that to do good the way she needs to,” she says.

“That’s the most magical part of the whole thing,” Grande adds.

Tickets out now! Head to your local cinema, or check out their ticketing sites to reserve your seats for Wicked, in Philippine cinemas on November 20.

 

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.