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Archive for March, 2010


40 year-old virgin Steve Carell gets smart in “Date Night” 0

Posted on March 31, 2010 by kankan
After catapulting to international fame as the “Forty-Year Old Virgin,” Steve Carell offers more funny smarts on marriage in the upcoming “Date Night” movie with the equally multi-talented Tina Fey.
In “Date Night,” the Fosters couple Phil (Carell) and Claire (Fey) are a suburban New Jersey couple who are stuck in the day-to-day drudgery of family life. When they hear the news that friends are divorcing, they decide to take positive action to reignite the passion in their own relationship and set off on a romantic ‘date night.’ They have however failed to make a reservation in a posh Manhattan restaurant. Discovering that   another couple has not turned up for dinner, Claire and Phil Foster decide to take their table and become the Tripplehorns for the evening  - never expecting the tumultuous events that are about to unravel.  The Tripplehorns are in fact criminals involved in a complicated web of intrigue and what follows is a case of mistaken identity. As the evening progresses, they find themselves in deep trouble. Everything is suddenly at stake: their marriage and even their very lives.
The enormously talented Steve Carell in the following q&a discusses comedy and the joys of married life.
Q:        What appealed to you about the script?
A:         “I like the idea of a comedy revolving around a married couple; it is something you do not see very often. Then on top of that, these two develop a greater understanding of each other in the process, so it is both funny and moving and with any luck, it will also be relatable.”
Q:        Can you talk about the chemistry between you and Tina?
A:         “Tina is the one of those people who I believe makes anyone a better actor. She is an incredibly smart person and I think so much of her humor stems from that intelligence. I have admired her for awhile and was very excited to get the chance to work with her.  Not only is she funny but she is a really good person too, and that shines through.”
Q:        What was it like working with Mark Wahlberg?
A:         “He was incredibly funny. I had never met him before, and I honestly did not know what to expect because he seems to be a very quiet, introspective person and I think he brought that to the movie. He had a great sense of humor about himself and about the character.  I think he has drawn a very amusing and intriguing character for DATE NIGHT as being shirtless all throughout.”
Q:        How do you think people around the world will relate to the film? Is the concept of DATE NIGHT international?
A:         “Couples all over the world understand the need to have special time with each other. Date Night is a generational thing though, but these days parents are so immersed in their kids’ lives. So you tend to lose those special times with your spouse in the midst of life.”
Q:        Can you talk about your own family; do you take the time for date nights?
A:         “We don’t have any structured date nights. We truly enjoy staying in a lot when the kids are in bed. Tina and I were talking about this earlier. Sometimes the best part of a date night is just coming home and just being alone together. I think date nights do not necessarily have to involve going out anywhere fancy. I think it is really a matter of connection. The simpler the better is what works for us.”
Q:        How much are you enjoying the massive success you have experienced over the past few years?
A:         “It is great and I think that having it a little older when you have a little more maturity is a good thing because you just take it for what it is. My life is much the same as it was before. It is about my wife and my kids, and that’s what is important to me and what defines me as opposed to my work. So becoming more successful has not shifted the focus of my life.”
Born in Massachusetts, the talented and versatile Steve Carell studied at the Second City Theater Group inChicago.  He is the Golden Globe winning star of the US version of the popular TV show THE OFFICE. His film roles include “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “Bewitched,” “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Dan In Real Life.” He starred in “Bruce Almighty” with Jim Carrey and the sequel, “Evan Almighty.”  His acclaimed starring film “The 40 Year-Old Virgin” was nominated for Best Original Screenplay  from the Writer’s Guild Association which he co-wrote with director Judd Apatow.  Carell went on to star  in “Get Smart” opposite Anne Hathaway. He provided the voice   for The Mayor of Whoville in the huge animated hit, “Horton Hears A Who.”
Mark your “Date Night” when it opens April 9 (Friday) in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cagayan De Oro, Bohol, Baguio and Pampanga theaters nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

steve_carell

After catapulting to international fame as the “Forty-Year Old Virgin,” Steve Carell offers more funny smarts on marriage in the upcoming “Date Night” movie with the equally multi-talented Tina Fey.

In “Date Night,” the Fosters couple Phil (Carell) and Claire (Fey) are a suburban New Jersey couple who are stuck in the day-to-day drudgery of family life. When they hear the news that friends are divorcing, they decide to take positive action to reignite the passion in their own relationship and set off on a romantic ‘date night.’ They have however failed to make a reservation in a posh Manhattan restaurant. Discovering that   another couple has not turned up for dinner, Claire and Phil Foster decide to take their table and become the Tripplehorns for the evening  - never expecting the tumultuous events that are about to unravel.  The Tripplehorns are in fact criminals involved in a complicated web of intrigue and what follows is a case of mistaken identity. As the evening progresses, they find themselves in deep trouble. Everything is suddenly at stake: their marriage and even their very lives.

Read the rest of this entry →

Iron Man 2 0

Posted on March 31, 2010 by kankan
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster film based on the legendary Marvel Super Hero “Iron Man,” reuniting director Jon Favreau and Oscar® nominee Robert Downey Jr.
The sequel in the planned trilogy of the Marvel Comics superhero will have Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man reprising his original role, with Don Cheadle replacing Terrence Howard as Colonel James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes aka War Machine. The film would have Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko / Whiplash – the villain, a composite of both Blacklash and Crimson Dynamo.
After confessing his identity as Iron Man to the world, Stark comes under fire from the United States Government who demand he hand over the powerful weapon that is the Iron Man suit.
As the Government attempts to create a duplicate suit with the assistance of Stark’s rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), Tony’s long time friend Jim Rhodes (Cheadle) is put center stage in the conflict.
Hammer who seems to be a direct counterpoint to Tony Stark is an eccentric weapons manufacturer, charismatic, but the difference is that Hammer has no moral compass whatsoever.
Meanwhile, a mysterious and dangerous foe emerges in Ivan Vanko (Rourke), who creates an alternate and powerful persona known as  Whiplash in order to exact revenge on the Stark family once and for all… it isn’t long before he unites with Hammer in an effort to destroy Iron Man.
With the arrival of his shady new assistant (Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow), and persistent recruitment attempts from S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Stark needs all the help he can get in order to overcome the obstacles.
IRON MAN 2 is released and distributed by United International Pictures thru Solar Entertainment Corp. In Cinemas 30 April 2010 (Friday)

ironman2

Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster film based on the legendary Marvel Super Hero “Iron Man,” reuniting director Jon Favreau and Oscar® nominee Robert Downey Jr.

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Cruise-Diaz’s “Knight and Day” trailer debuts online via Clickthecity.com 0

Posted on March 31, 2010 by kankan
Silver screen’s much missed high-adrenaline, ear- deafening and star-powered action film is back in the upcoming film “Knight and Day” starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.  “Knight and Day” begins when a small-town woman (Diaz) has a chance encounter with a mysterious man (Cruise).  He is either the man of her dreams or perhaps, her nightmares.  Amid shifting allegiances and unexpected betrayals, they are swept up in a whirlwind of globe-hopping adventure and world-changing secrets.
“Knight and Day” was briefly introduced to the movie viewing public months back when its first trailer played in theaters and on the blogosphere depicting Tom Cruise as a mysterious man clad in jeans, shirt and a jacket stalking the panic-stricken Cameron Diaz who had been thrown in a cycle of cutthroat events that threaten her life.
20th Century Fox has brewed yet another explosive follow up (2nd) trailer of “Knight and Day” as its theatrical playdate nears (to open July) that will be exclusively seen first at www.clickthecity.com at 7:00pm, March 30, 2010. Following the debut a minute after10:00pm, check out 20th Century Fox (Philippines) fanpage in Facebook for more news on “Knight and Day.”  The latest trailer ups the ante once more in the action-comedy genre as it mounts Cruise and Diaz in the deadliest adventures where nothing and no one are what they seem – even themselves.
Also starring are Peter Sarsgaard (“An Education”) as a federal agent relentlessly pursuing the couple; Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as a CIA director trying to decipher the true purpose of their high-wire activities; Paul Dano (“There Will Be Blood”) as an eccentric genius behind a revolutionary technology; and Olivier Martinez (“Unfaithful”) as a ruthless arms manufacturer.  Co-starring are Maggie Grace (“Taken”) and Marc Blucas (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”).
The movie is directed by James Mangold (“3:10 to Yuma,” “Walk the Line”) from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Frank (“Minority Report,” “Out of Sight”). The film’s executive producers include blockbuster makers Joe Roth (“The Great Debaters”), E. Bennett Walsh (“Kill Bill”) and Arnon Milchan (“Mr. and Mrs. Smith”).
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox Filmed Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world.  These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of FFE: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.

knight&day

Silver screen’s much missed high-adrenaline, ear- deafening and star-powered action film is back in the upcoming film “Knight and Day” starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.  “Knight and Day” begins when a small-town woman (Diaz) has a chance encounter with a mysterious man (Cruise).  He is either the man of her dreams or perhaps, her nightmares.  Amid shifting allegiances and unexpected betrayals, they are swept up in a whirlwind of globe-hopping adventure and world-changing secrets.

Read the rest of this entry →

De Niro, Rockwell are father and son in “Everybody’s Fine” 0

Posted on March 31, 2010 by kankan
Compelling actors Robert De Niro and Sam Rockwell star in Miramax Films’ heartwarming drama-comedy “Everybody’s Fine” as estranged father and son who suddenly reconnect.  The film will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma) starting April 7.
In the film, widower Frank Goode (De Niro) realizes his only connection to his family was through his wife. Despite a strict warning from his doctor, Frank sets out on a journey across the US with the intention of surprising each of his children (Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Rockwell) with an impromptu visit.
Most influential on De Niro’s work in the film was his own deeply personal experience as a father.  “I can identify with this stuff, to say the least,” De Niro remarks.  “I can understand what Frank is going through with his kids and that’s what was so interesting to me.”
The tiniest details in De Niro’s performance brought out Frank’s underlying need and hunger for his children’s affection. Notes producer Glynis Murray:  “When you watch De Niro in the supermarket walking along with his bag or taking his photographs and then carefully putting his camera back into the right place in his little bag, a lot of people instantly feel, ‘that’s my dad!’ He has that massive relatability.”
Sam Rockwell, who plays Frank’s son, Robert, was compelled by the story’s probing of the scattered modern family.  “It seems these days almost everyone is pretty estranged from their parents,” he observes.  “It’s a common thread, so this is kind of a soul-searching movie.”
Rockwell, known for his iconoclastic performances in such films as “Match Stick Men” and “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” was intrigued by Robert – who has made it well in to adulthood without his father even really knowing what he does for a living.  “Robert has kind of kept his whole life secret,” he muses.  “He has been trying pretty successfully to stay aloof from his family for years when Frank arrives.”
Robert is also the first of the Goode children to tell his father that they don’t exactly view their childhoods as ideal.  “He’s the first one to spill the truth to Frank and confront him in a real way,” he says.  “They are all trying to protect their dad from what they fear could destroy him. But I think they begin to see there is also a point when trying to protect your parents goes too far.”
Says Glynis Murray of Rockwell’s performance:  “We’ve seen him be funny and scary and be very, very powerful, but I don’t think we’ve ever seen him do this kind of introspective role, playing a person who is so sensitive.  It’s pretty different and I think it’s a great part for him.”
“Everybody’s Fine” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.

deniro01

Compelling actors Robert De Niro and Sam Rockwell star in Miramax Films’ heartwarming drama-comedy “Everybody’s Fine” as estranged father and son who suddenly reconnect.  The film will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma) starting April 7.

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Jennifer Lopez explores her maternal instincts in “The Back-Up Plan” 0

Posted on March 30, 2010 by kankan
Absent from the silver screen since 2006, Jennifer Lopez now returns to acting with an upbeat, comedic performance in Columbia Pictures’ funny love story “The Back-Up Plan.”
Lopez plays Zoe who, after years of dating, has decided waiting for the right one is taking too long.  Determined to become a mother, she commits to a plan, makes a fertility doctor’s appointment and decides to go it alone.  That same day, Zoe meets Stan (Alex O’Loughlin) – a man with real possibilities.  Anyone can fall in love, get married and have a baby but doing it backwards in hyper-drive could be proof positive that they were made for each other.
Producer Todd Black recalls his realization after the filmmakers’ first meeting with Lopez that she was the perfect match for Zoe.   “She literally embodied Zoe and she completely got the script.  She understood the humor involved in this character becoming a new mom, and the humorous and scary nature of her having a new lover in her life at the same time.”
“Zoe is very strong, brave and independent,” describes Lopez, “but in a very different way than I am, as she didn’t grow up with a family like I did. But precisely because I grew up with a lot of love I also need it and rely on more people, whereas Zoe is different. And she is strong enough to make the decision to have kids on her own. I don’t think I could do that.”
“The script definitely rang true to me, having just gone through my own experience of having babies for the first time,” continues Lopez. “All the little jokes about what it is to be pregnant – being tired, insatiably hungry and the hormonal changes.  I could really relate.”
Lopez’s grasp of the material was important but she also had the right chops for a role that requires the ability to play comedy, as well as more tender moments.  “Jennifer can convey the perfect amount of emotion and comedy all at the same time,” says Black.  “She’s an all around solid actress.  Most times you find an actor who can just do the comedy or just the drama.  It’s rare to find someone who is strong with both.”
Director Alan Poul, who most recently produced and directed such television hits as “Swingtown” and “Six Feet Under,” was particularly impressed by Lopez’s fearless approach to the physical comedy.  “Jennifer has an extraordinary gift; she can go very far with physicality – with slapstick – while still keeping it grounded in the reality of the character.”
Opening soon across the Philippines , “The Back-Up Plan” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.  Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

back_up01

Absent from the silver screen since 2006, Jennifer Lopez now returns to acting with an upbeat, comedic performance in Columbia Pictures’ funny love story “The Back-Up Plan.”

Lopez plays Zoe who, after years of dating, has decided waiting for the right one is taking too long.  Determined to become a mother, she commits to a plan, makes a fertility doctor’s appointment and decides to go it alone.  That same day, Zoe meets Stan (Alex O’Loughlin) – a man with real possibilities.  Anyone can fall in love, get married and have a baby but doing it backwards in hyper-drive could be proof positive that they were made for each other.

Read the rest of this entry →

Butler takes Aniston to jail in “The Bounty Hunter” 0

Posted on March 30, 2010 by kankan
Taking his ex to jail makes a bounty hunter’s job the most satisfying in the world, in Columbia Pictures’ new action comedy “The Bounty Hunter” starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler.
In the film, Milo Boyd ( Butler ), a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter, gets his dream job when he is assigned to track down his bail-jumping ex-wife, reporter Nicole Hurley (Aniston).  He thinks all that’s ahead is an easy payday, but when Nicole gives him the slip so she can chase a lead on a murder cover-up, Milo realizes that nothing ever goes simply with him and Nicole.  The exes continually one-up each other – until they find themselves on the run for their lives.  They thought their promise to love, honor and obey was tough – staying alive is going to be a whole lot tougher.
Directed by Andy Tennant (who previously gave us the hit comedies “ Sweet Home Alabama ” and “Hitch”), “The Bounty Hunter” is “not just a romantic comedy,” says producer Neal Moritz.  “It’s an action comedy that has romance in it as well.  Andy does all of those things – comedy, romance, and action – really well.”
What attracted Tennant to the project was a script that would prove to be an action-packed story as well as production. “Here was a movie that was so subversive and funny.  It’s a take-no-prisoners marital comedy,” Tennant remarks.
Though “The Bounty Hunter” has romantic elements, the filmmakers were clear from the very beginning about the movie they would be making – one in which the action elements were as strong as the romantic chemistry between the actors.
With Gerard Butler, an action-movie vet, as the male lead, it was certain that he would do as many of his own stunts as was feasible. “Everybody associated with the movie gets very nervous when the movie star decides they’re gonna jump off the building or they’re gonna do those things.  But Gerry did.”
“I was smashing into people, running up and down stairs, hitting people, climbing ladders, jumping off roofs,” says Butler .  “I probably did 40 takes where I jump off a roof and smash on the ground and roll over.  But it’s magical when you see it in the movie.”
What was more surprising was that Aniston was just as ready, willing, and able as her co-star.  “I’ve never really done something that had so much action,” says Aniston.
Aniston recalls the physical challenges wryly. “I was dumped into a trunk.  I ran for miles and miles in four-inch Manolos.  I got covered in pond scum.  Gun shots, car chases, crashes.  It was so much fun!” she deadpans.
Opening soon across the Philippines , “The Bounty Hunter” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.  Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

bounty_hunter02

Taking his ex to jail makes a bounty hunter’s job the most satisfying in the world, in Columbia Pictures’ new action comedy “The Bounty Hunter” starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler.

In the film, Milo Boyd ( Butler ), a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter, gets his dream job when he is assigned to track down his bail-jumping ex-wife, reporter Nicole Hurley (Aniston).  He thinks all that’s ahead is an easy payday, but when Nicole gives him the slip so she can chase a lead on a murder cover-up, Milo realizes that nothing ever goes simply with him and Nicole.  The exes continually one-up each other – until they find themselves on the run for their lives.  They thought their promise to love, honor and obey was tough – staying alive is going to be a whole lot tougher.

Read the rest of this entry →

Sergio Mendes’ Bom Tempo: A Celebration Of Life  0

Posted on March 30, 2010 by kankan
Legendary Brazilian Musician Returns May 2010
With Stunning New Collection on MCA Music
Sergio Mendes, producer, composer, arranger pianist, band leader and cultural sage, continues his magical ride with Bom Tempo, a beautiful slice of rhythmically fresh inspiration from the internationally celebrated artist. He remains as vibrant and vital today as he was when leading Brasil ’66 to international superstardom. Mendes’ modern sensibilities and ultra sensitivity to the intricate and beautiful Brazilian musical language he himself helped create has always been his focus. Bom Tempo expands the maestro’s use of color, texture and street derived energy, highlighting his mastery of authentic Brazilian rhythms and composition.  In the end, Bom Tempo is a brilliant summer day celebration.
“This is bom tempo music, good times music,” says the Brazilian-born, U.S.-based Mendes, who sought to sum up the CD with a succinct Portuguese title. “It’s all about the good times, good weather, good tempos. The album is about the diversity, joy and sensuality of Brazilian music—songs I previously recorded and some that I never have—played by Brazilian and American musicians.”
Bom Tempo showcases songs from the crème de la crème of Brazilian songwriters (including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Joao Donato, Carlinhos Brown, Jorge Benjor, Milton Nascimento and Moacir Santos) and a song from his old friend Stevie Wonder, written especially for Mendes in 1977, the simmering “The Real Thing” (first recorded on Sergio Mendes and the New Brasil ’77 album). While many of Mendes’ friends and long time collaborators are present on the album (including drummers Mike Shapiro and Vinnie Colaiuta, bassists Nathan Watts and Alphonso Johnson, guitarists Paul Jackson Jr. and Kleber Jorge, percussionist Gibi, vocalist Gracinha Leporace—the bandleader’s wife—and songwriter-arranger-vocalist Carlinhos Brown, who was integral to the success of the Brasileiro album), newcomers are also in the mix.
Most prominent is Milton Nascimento, who contributes his own “Caxanga,” a moody, mysterious children’s song that he had only recorded once. He sings the lead vocal in his singular style and plays the acoustic guitar. Other standout musicians include Seu Jorge, one of Brazil’s most promising singers, who is featured on two songs—“Maracatu Atomico” and “Maracatu Nation of Love”; young and talented singers Katie Hampton and Nayanna Holley and the brilliant horn section of Andrew Lippman and Bill Churchville all beautifully arranged by their colleague Scott Mayo. Prominent guitarist Jack Majdecki joined Mendes on this latest project as did gifted, versatile Brazilian rhythm designer, musician Mika Mutti.
Bom Tempo opens with a spirited, chant-like take on the Gil/Donato song “Emorio,” featuring Holley and Brown on lead vocals. The latter contributes a funky rap that pays tribute to Brazil’s songwriters. In the Afro-Brazilian mix are allusions to such Mendes’ hits as “Mas Que Nada” and “The Frog.” The second track, another dance-oriented jewel, “Maracatu Atomico,” was a first-time rendering, complete with a great horn section and percussive beat, based on the Afro-Brazilian maracatu rhythm. Another song on the CD with the rhythm, “Maracatu (Nation of Love)” is a samba-infused beauty, featuring a gorgeous Jorge/Leporace conversation-like duet and luminous horns.
Bom Tempo features new interpretations of some Brazilian classics, including a fresh spin on “Ye-Me-Le”, with a cool rap performed by new band member H2O and a remake of “Magalenha” (from the Grammy-winning Brasileiro album) that features great steel guitar, rap and body percussion contributions from Brown. Says Mendes: “Carlinhos was in Los Angeles for two weeks, so we decided to work on a new, special version of the song he wrote. I said, let’s do a 2010 version that not only exhibits great Brazilian music but also pays tribute to the World Cup games this year. Because those soccer games will be played in Cape Town, South Africa, I had the idea of using some Zulu words as part of the song.”
Proud of his Brazilian heritage and aware of the magic and seduction of his homeland’s music, Mendes notes, “It started with Jobim, being played by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd with Astrud and Joao Gilberto; then it was myself with Cannonball Adderley; Ron Carter, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald recording with Jobim, and later David Byrne putting those compilation albums of a variety of Brazilian musicians playing all kinds of styles. He adds, “More recently (with Timeless and Morning In Rio) the attraction continues, with  will.i.am , John Legend, India.Arie, Fergie, and so many more, who love the music so much and were instrumental in helping to expose it to people in their audience. Even for Bom Tempo, when I met the 20-year-old DJ guys Bimbo Jones in London, they were totally into watching YouTube videos of Brasil ’66. It just goes to show you that Brazilian music has a universal appeal and it IS timeless… ” And so is Sergio Mendes.
Sergio Mendes – Bom Tempo out May 2010 under MCA Music.

Legendary Brazilian Musician Returns May 2010

With Stunning New Collection on MCA Music

sergio_mendez

Sergio Mendes, producer, composer, arranger pianist, band leader and cultural sage, continues his magical ride with Bom Tempo, a beautiful slice of rhythmically fresh inspiration from the internationally celebrated artist. He remains as vibrant and vital today as he was when leading Brasil ’66 to international superstardom. Mendes’ modern sensibilities and ultra sensitivity to the intricate and beautiful Brazilian musical language he himself helped create has always been his focus. Bom Tempo expands the maestro’s use of color, texture and street derived energy, highlighting his mastery of authentic Brazilian rhythms and composition.  In the end, Bom Tempo is a brilliant summer day celebration.

Read the rest of this entry →

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, from “Watchmen” to “The Losers” 0

Posted on March 29, 2010 by kankan
He previously starred as the Comedian in the blockbuster film “Watchmen.”  Now, Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays Franklin Clay, the ad-hoc leader of a renegade group of operatives in Warner Bros.’ new action-adventure “The Losers.”
An explosive action tale of betrayal and revenge, “The Losers” centers around the members of an elite Special Forces unit sent to the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission.  But the team soon find that they have become the target of a deadly double cross, instigated from inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max.  Now presumed dead, the group makes plans to avenge themselves and clear their names.
Morgan leads a diverse ensemble cast that includes Chris Evans as Jensen, the gadget and computer expert; Idris Elba as Roque, Clay’s trusted right-hand man; Columbus Short as expert driver and vehicle specialist Pooch; and Zoe Saldana as Aisha, a lethal operative who comes to the Losers’ aid.  Each member of the team contributes with a unique set of skills to form a lethal, if underestimated, fighting machine.
Clay, says Morgan, is as tough as they come but not without his flaws.  “Clay is pretty straightforward and his men trust him, but he does make some mistakes during the course of the story,” Morgan explains. “They have been together for a while and he has pulled them through time and time again, so they are willing to stay by his side even though things get a little rough here. There are cool relationships that develop over the course of this film between the different characters.”
Making the film has been a joy for the actor, who calls it “a kind of throw-back action movie,” he says.  “It’s what I grew up watching—a movie with a ton of action and a sense of humor about it as well.  The theme of the story is kind of hell-bent revenge.  I just feel really incredibly lucky to be a part of it.”
Having a graphic novel as the source material provided both cast and crew with a reference to find additional dimensions to the film, a phenomenon Morgan likewise experienced on “Watchmen.”  “There are a lot of things that Clay does in the comics that I try to remain true to,” he says.  “These things range from the way he points his gun to his whole posture.  To be able to build from that is something that I find invaluable. I have to admit that `Watchmen’ was the first graphic novel I had read in 20 years and it threw me into the world of comic books, which is a great place to be as some of the most original and best stuff that I am drawn to is all from that world. And they also have the best stories and characters. I am really happy to be in that universe, and if it makes me geeky I don’t care.”
With director Sylvain White’s encouragement, and the screenplay as well as the graphic novel to inform the characters, the cast led by Morgan, immersed themselves in the characters of “The Losers.” “They became the characters,” says producer Joel Silver.  “They did a tremendous job finding the chemistry and camaraderie and really brought these people to life.  They brought excitement to it.  They are all fun, great people, and that comes through onscreen.  You really feel the fun of their experience.”
It’s immediately apparent on-set that an extraordinary chemistry exists amongst the group of actors that have been working together for the past several months, playing the Losers—a title that Morgan’s character gives to the group at some point in the film.  Working with these actors, White engendered an atmosphere where improvisation was always welcome.  “When you have a lot of scenes that depend on the chemistry of the group, it’s normal for them to improvise,” explains the director. “I’m always open to trying new things. The script is the guideline, but if you can get more truth from improv or ad-libs that work, why not welcome it?”
Opening soon across the Philippines , “The Losers” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

jdMorgan

He previously starred as the Comedian in the blockbuster film “Watchmen.”  Now, Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays Franklin Clay, the ad-hoc leader of a renegade group of operatives in Warner Bros.’ new action-adventure “The Losers.”

Read the rest of this entry →



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