Narnia Talk: Mostly About Mosely

WILLIAM Moseley reprises his role as Narnia’s High King, Peter, who returns to the enchanted land with his three siblings to help Prince Caspian save Narnia from tyranny under the reign of the evil King Miraz, in “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.” The sequel represents Peter’s final appearance in the series. Moseley (now 21 years old) had his first motion picture starring role in the first “Narnia” film, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” for which he earned nominations for the Saturn and Young Artists Awards. The young actor says his anticipation and anxiety to get back in front of the movie cameras echoed what his character Peter endured in the time between his fifteen-year reign of Narnia and his return to the kingdom in the new story. Just like his character, the handsome British native returned to secondary school. “Finishing the first film was an amazing experience,” Moseley says. “Then it was all taken away. Even though I didn’t react the same way Peter does, I can really understand how he feels.” Once the senior sibling returns to Narnia, “he becomes slightly arrogant,” the actor notes of his character. “There's fighting within the group. Peter cannot accept Caspian. His plans are not set from his heart, but from his ego. Even when he doubts himself, he still is too stubborn to back down and accept that he might be wrong. And ultimately, he pays the highest price. In the process, Moseley says, his character becomes a man. “When he gets back to Narnia, it’s 1,300 years later and people don't know he's a high king. They just see a boy. Peter has to prove who he is to the Narnians.” “When we cast William as Peter, he was just 15 and had never done anything like this before,” director Andrew Adamson notes. “William’s transformation was not dissimilar to that of his character Peter in the story, from this 17-year-old boy into a young man. I don’t think he’d even been on a movie set before. He was just this really great kid you wanted to be your big brother. And now, William has turned out to be a handsome and capable young man.” Moseley believes moviegoers will see the Pevensies in a new light in “Prince Caspian.” “Peter and Susan especially. These two had challenges in the first film, but nothing on this level. I think audiences will be surprised and engaged by both the physical battles and the emotional battles endured by our characters.” "They've all grown up really well,” Adamson says, sounding like a proud parent of the young actors portraying the Pevensie clan. “A large reason for me to do this again was working with the same children. There is this wonderful relationship between the kids, how they became a family and how they let us become a part of that family. There's change in very positive ways in growing up, but I'd like to say the movie didn’t change who they are, which I'm really happy about.” Opening soon across the Philippines , “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

Wahlberg Makes His Mark

ACADEMY Award nominee Mark Wahlberg stars in the hard-hitting thriller The Happening and the action-packed Max Payne where he is both plagued with uncertainties brought about by conspiracy and the obscure.

In the heart-pounding thriller The Happening where the paranoia begins with no clear warning, Wahlberg stars as science teacher Elliot Moore whose family is on the run to escape the mysterious and deadly phenomenon. In the midst of a marital crisis, Elliot and wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel) hit the road heading for Pennsylvania where they hope they’ll be out of reach of the grisly, ever-growing deadly attacks. Yet it soon becomes apparent that no one or nowhere is safe. In a matter of minutes, episodes of strange, chilling deaths that defy reason and boggle the mind in their shocking destructiveness, erupt in major American cities.

Caught in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening is another Hollywood A-list player John Leguizamo (Ice Age).

Wahlberg’s defenses steps a notch higher in the action-packed video-game-to-movie adaptation where he plays the titular role of Max Payne. In the movie, Wahlberg is a tough New York cop whose wife and baby are killed by thugs high on a designer drug called Valkyr. Devastated, Payne joins the DEA and goes undercover with the mob to find the source of the drug. Framed for the murder of his partner and hunted down by both the mob and the police, he is forced to wage a one-man war against crime.

Helmed by Ace director John Moore, Max Payne also stars Chris O’Donnell, Mila Kunis and Beau Bridges.

The Happening opens June 11 in R.P. theaters and Max Payne opens October this year in theaters from 20^th Century Fox; to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Vegas Time! 21

Columbia Pictures gathers Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess (“Across the Universe”), Kate Bosworth (“Superman Returns”) and Laurence Fishburne (“The Matrix”) for the new action-thriller “21,” which is inspired by the true story of the very brightest young minds in America – and how they took Vegas for millions.
In the film, Ben Campbell (Sturgess) is a shy, brilliant M.I.T. student who – needing to pay school tuition – finds the answers in the cards. He is recruited to join a group of the school’s most gifted students that heads to Vegas every weekend armed with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favor.
With unorthodox math professor and stats genius Micky Rosa (Spacey) leading the way, they’ve cracked the code. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals, the team can beat the casinos big time.
Seduced by the money, the Vegas lifestyle, and by his smart and sexy teammate, Jill Taylor (Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. Though counting cards isn’t illegal, the stakes are high, and the challenge becomes not only keeping the numbers straight, but staying one step ahead of the casinos’ menacing enforcer: Cole Williams (Fishburne).
Directed by Robert Luketic, “21” is written by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb, based upon the book Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich.
Opening soon across the Philippines , “21” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Speed Racer to the IMAX

IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures announced recently that “Speed Racer,” the action-packed adventure from the creators of "The Matrix" trilogy, will be simultaneously released to IMAX® and conventional theatres across the Philippines on May 7.
“Speed Racer,” based on the hit anime series created by Tatsuo Yoshida, is written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers. The film will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology.
"'Speed Racer' combines riveting action with stunning special effects, making it an ideal choice for IMAX's format," said Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures. "We are delighted to release the film to IMAX theatres, where audiences can experience the next best thing to actually sitting in the driver's seat during this high speed adventure."
"'Speed Racer' is a fantastic addition to our 2008 film slate, and we are very pleased to welcome The Wachowski Brothers back to the world of IMAX," said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "The unique vision of these talented filmmakers has always been well suited to IMAX's format, and we're more than excited to be a part of this release."
"'Speed Racer' has all the elements for a powerful IMAX experience, with its broad appeal and spectacular effects," said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. "We are excited to be exhibiting the film internationally in this unique format."
In the film, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a natural behind the wheel, hurtling down the track, careening around, over and through the competition. Born to race cars, Spe ed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idoliz ed —the legendary Rex Racer, whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Spe ed is driven to fulfill.
Spe ed is loyal to the family racing business, l ed by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Spe ed ’s thundering Mach 5. When Spe ed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company’s maniacal owner (Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret—some of the biggest races are being fix ed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. If Spe ed won’t drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that the Mach 5 never crosses another finish line.
The only way for Spe ed to save his family’s business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Spe ed teams with his one-time rival—the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox)—to win the race that had taken his brother’s life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible.

Chris Evans Teams Up with Keanu

FLAMING on to be one of Hollywood’s next iconic actor of his generation, Chris Evans proves his mettle as he goes beyond his boy-next-door image in the hard-core action cop movie "Street Kings" with Keanu Reeves.

In "Street Kings," Evans plays Detective Paul Diskant, a homicide detective tasked to investigate on the death of Ludlow’s (Reeves) fellow officer, Washington (Terry Crews). While on the case, Ludlow and Diskant eventually teamed up as they try to uncover the obscure events surrounding the death of Washington. As they uncover more, they find out that the department’s exterior is just a door jammed with gray areas that will force them to go up against the system they’ve been a part of for years.

Director David Ayer and producer Erwin Stoff set out to put their own unique spin on the police-thriller genre. Unlike most other urban thrillers, "Street Kings" is steeped in realism and contemporary politics. "From the beginning we set out to make a movie that transcended the genre and not just hit the expected beats of the traditional police thriller," explains Stoff. "We made it a point to have the world inside this film populated with real characters with real dilemmas without being white-washed."

"What makes this story interesting to me is that there’s a nuance to these characters and everyone has a shade of gray," explains Ayer. "It’s an urban thriller, so everyone’s a little bit corrupt, but I think the same is true in real life. Nobody wakes up and thinks they’re the bad guy. In their eyes they have found themselves in situations that grew beyond their control and are trying to survive. The film is structured like a tragedy and feels like a train wreck, but there is incredible redemption there. There is a message that no matter how far gone you are, there is always a way back."

From his first feature film "Not Another Teen Movie," Evans gained following in the crime comedy "The Perfect Score" and the thriller "Cellular." Evans was catapulted into full stardom when he suited up in the action hits "Fantastic Four" in 2005 and "Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer" in 2007 as Johnny Storm a.k.a. The Human Torch with Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba and Michael Chiklis.

His other film credits include "Sunshine," "The Nanny Diaries," "Fierce People," "London" and "The Orphan King."

Non-stop cop action starts April 16 when "Street Kings" opens in local cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Matthew Fox: Hotter Than Ever

HE mesmerized worldwide audiences for playing the rugged hero Jack Shepard in the smash TV series “Lost.” Now, Matthew Fox vaults into the big screen with two back-to-back major films.

First up in February is Columbia Pictures’ explosive action-thriller “Vantage Point” where he stars with Dennis Quaid as Secret Service agents assigned to protect the American President at a landmark summit on the global war on terror. When the President is shot moments after his arrival in Spain , chaos ensues and disparate lives collide in the hunt for the assassin.

Fox follows that up with Warner Bros.’ high-octane family adventure “Speed Racer” based on the classic series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida. The film combines revolutionary visual effects and cutting-edge storytelling that have become the benchmarks of the Wachowski brothers’ films (“The Matrix” series).

The actor talks about “Vantage Point” and “Speed Racer” in the following interview:

Question: You play a secret service agent in “Vantage Point.” What attracted you to the role?

Matthew Fox: I was attracted to the project because of [director] Pete Travis. I'm fascinated with the concept of perspective and vantage point. It's amazing to me how 10 people can look at the same events and depending on the point of view that they're looking at it from, they can see it differently. I'm constantly trying to remind myself of perspective and how much control I have over how I perceive things...I can't really talk a lot about the role without giving away parts of the picture, but that was attractive to me as well.

Q: Did you study at all with actual secret service agents?

Fox: Yeah. Pete was really amazing about trying to get us [trained], and those guys are really reticent to talk about their profession. So getting that opportunity was great and Pete really pushed for that to happen and then we had some research materials as well that we studied. And then we had people on the set all the time that were sort of consultants to make sure that what we were doing jives with reality.

Q: In May, you play Racer X in the Wachowski Brothers' highly anticipated “Speed Racer.” How did that come about?

Fox: I'm a cartoon and comic book fan, and I love anime. [But] I didn't know anything about “Speed Racer.” I grew up without a television. So when I found out that the Wachowskis were doing “Speed Racer” and were interested in me for it, I immediately went on the Internet, and as soon as I saw Racer X, I was like, I think that looks like me. I kinda think I would be a good Racer X. [Laughs] So then I was like, Dammit, I'm going to win this role! I went and read for it, and then waited quite a while.... It was the project last spring that I was dying to do, and I would have been so incredibly disappointed if I didn't.

Q: What can you say about your interpretation of Racer X?

Fox: Racer X is all about mystery. And it's all about not just disguise of suit, but it's disguise of voice — he's, like, impenetrable.... Part of the fun that I had was that I got to be a badass, and work with the most insane stunt guys. I'm proud I did it all. They didn't double me. The stunt guys were like, ''We think you can do everything. Do you want to do everything?'' ''Damn right I want to do everything. I want to do everything to the point where you think it looks like crap. That's when I need you to step in and help me out.'' [During] some of it I was just dying. I would do these fight sequences in this leather thing, and the amount of sweat was extraordinary. I was coming home ultra-dehydrated.

Q: Is your goal to make the leap into movies full-time?

Fox: There's no question. For me, it's more about my own quality of life. It's better for me to do films because it gives me much more flexibility in my life. I love the idea of becoming all-consumed in this one thing for four months, and then it's done, and I'm just floating around going, I don't know what I'm doing next. You're in that process of looking, and then you're like, Oh, this is the inevitable next thing. Then you dive into that. Also, I love to play new roles. [But] the beautiful thing about “Lost” is that even though I'm playing Jack Shephard, I get all these new things to do with him. It's not like playing Charlie Salinger on “Party of Five.” It was tough to play that same character for six years because I don't think I got to evolve that character and play new elements of him and have him be as many different things as Jack Shephard can be.

Twice the Terror in AVP2

IN ALIENS VS. PREDATOR – 2, the iconic creatures from two of the scariest film franchises in movie history wage their most brutal battle ever -- in our own backyard.

The science fiction-action-thriller captures the magic of the “Alien vs. Predator” comics, novels and videogames that established the “AVP” brand – while paying homage to the hallmarks of the film series that preceded it: Ridley Scott’s seminal work of science fiction and horror, “Alien”; James Cameron’s masterpiece of intense action, “Aliens”; and John McTiernan’s thriller about an extra-terrestrial warrior wreaking havoc in the jungle, “Predator.” At the same time AVP2, introduces an intriguing element new to the franchise, by having the Aliens and Predator wage war in a small American town.

Bringing these elements together are directors The Brothers Strause, Colin and Greg, whose visual effects house, Hydraulx, is renowned for its computer-generated wizardry on films such as “300,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” and “Fantastic Four.”

It’s no accident that the Strause brothers are making their feature film helming debut on a story featuring Aliens and Predators – they’re unabashed fans of both film series. “Colin and Greg live Aliens and Predators,” says John Davis, who produced this film, as well as the original “Predator” and 2005’s “Alien vs. Predator.” “They’ve seen the movies countless times, know the [AVP] comics and played the [AVP] videogames. They really understand these characters.” Adds AVP2 screenwriter Shane Salerno: “The Strause brothers live, eat and breathe these films. The specificity they’ve given AVP2 is remarkable. They’re passionate about this material.”

The brothers’ passion extends to the film’s central notion of placing warring creatures in the middle of a small American town. To them, this idea heightened the stakes – and the scares. “What’s more frightening – a menace happening millions of miles away, or a threat in your own backyard,” says Greg Strause. “Obviously, we thought it was time to bring the Predator and Aliens into the thick of things here. It gets very primal; you’ve never seen anything like it on film. No one is safe in this movie!”

“The creatures are literally on our streets,” adds John Davis: “The idea to set the story in ‘Anywhere, U.S.A.’ – in a nice, recognizable town that is suddenly thrust into the middle of an epic battle and mounting carnage they can’t begin to fathom.”

The town under siege is Gunnison, a real-life locale situated in the mountains of central Colorado. “It’s small – but not too small,” says Shane Salerno who set the story in Gunnison after searching a U.S. map for a fresh take on the warring creatures. (Vancouver, British Colombia stood in for Gunnison.)

AVP2 exists in a familiar landscape – a town’s dark sewers, its rain-soaked streets, the concrete jungle of its electrical plant, and a hospital maternity ward – that become battlefields beyond the townspeople’s worst nightmares.

“While writing the script, I was constantly thinking about how regular people respond to the most extreme situations,” Salerno continues. “I looked at things like hurricanes and fires, where ordinary people – firefighters, police officers, teachers – become heroes.”

“We wanted to explore the lengths to which people would go to protect their families,” elaborates Colin Strause. “Who would they fight for… and die for?”

AVP2 is a 20^th Century Fox release, distributed by Warner Bros. Now showing in Philippine theaters.