Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez presents a bold new chapter in the Predator universe, “Predators,” shot on location under Rodriguez’s creative auspices at the filmmaker’s Austin-based Troublemaker Studios, directed by Nimrod Antal. The film stars Oscar®-winner Adrien Brody (“The Pianist”) as Royce, a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors who come to realize they’ve been brought together on an alien planet… as prey.  With the exception of a disgraced physician, they are all cold-blooded killers – mercenaries, Yakuza, convicts, death squad members – human “predators” that are now being systemically hunted and eliminated by a new breed of alien Predators.

In addition to Brody, “Predators” stars award-winning actor and filmmaker Laurence Fishburne (“The Matrix” movies), Topher Grace (“Spider-Man 3”), Alice Braga (“I Am Legend”) and Walton Goggins (“The Shield”).  Also taking on key roles are Rodriguez stalwart Danny Trejo, plus UFC champion Oleg Taktarov (“National Treasure”), Mahershalalhashbaz Ali (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), and Louis Ozawa Changchien (“Fair Game”).

One of the most celebrated actors worldwide, Laurence Fishburne, portrays Noland, a recluse human found surviving on the planet.  His hidden cave contains numerous artifacts and weapons.  Noland’s very existence on the alien planet provides hints of a rich off-world history of the Predators.  “Once you’ve set up this planet, there’s a lot that can happen there, and once you’ve seen characters like Noland, you know there’s a lot of potential stories to tell,” says Rodriguez.

Screenwriter Michael Finch adds, “Noland is a guy who can give us a whole bit of the history and can perform a very specific function and that function is this: demonstrate to these guys that dying on this planet may not be the worst thing that can happen to you. Living on it might be.”

Fishburne responded strongly to the direction the filmmakers were taking with the material.  “What’s nice about this movie is that it really is a throwback to the old ‘Predator,’” comments the actor.  “The structure of it is very much the same and the archetypes of the characters are similar.  They’re different, but they’re similar enough that you get a feeling of the old movie.  My character is one of those pieces that connect to the old movie.  I think the character of Noland is a great sort of wink at the audience.

“Noland lets them in on what’s going on and why everybody’s here, but it also lets the audience in on the inside joke of the movie. When ‘Predator’ came out, we had never seen this [creature] before, and it was a really cool boogie man,” adds Fishburne.  “This is a real return to the tension and the excitement of the first movie.  We do have a new breed of Predator in this movie, but they’ve really taken the time to look at the first film, take the best elements, and try to enhance them, and to honor them in any way we can.  I think that’s been done really effectively with respect to the script and with the casting of the ensemble and the archetypes that these characters represent.”

“Predators” opens July 8 (Thursday) in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Seville, Spain –Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz’s action-comedy “Knight and Day” held its global gala last June 16 at Spain’s southern metropolis which capped the globe-trotting hopping publicity tour and press junket of the on-screen duo.

In “Knight and Day,” a woman (Diaz) learns a secret she was never meant to know when she becomes the reluctant partner to a covert operative (Cruise) on a mission he was never meant to complete.  As their globetrotting adventure erupts into a maze of double-crosses, close escapes and false identities, they come to realize that all they can count on is each other.

Directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma), “Knight and Day” also stars Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, Maggie Grace, and Marc Blucas.  The screenplay is by Patrick O’Neill and James Mangold, from a story by Patrick O’Neill. The producers are Cathy Konrad, Steve Pink and Todd Garner.

20th Century Fox releases “Knight and Day” on June 24 (Thursday) in theaters across the Philippines.

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, Fox International, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.

Brazilian beauty Alice Braga who appeared opposite Will Smith in the doomsday hit “I Am Legend” stars anew in the nerve-wracking, all-new “Predators” movie with Academy-Award Winner Adrien Brody (“The Pianist”).

In the story, ex-military man Royce (Brody) plummets through the void at terminal velocity, his parachute deploying only seconds before certain death.  Destined to be the reluctant leader of the humans in the Predators terrain, Royce initially has no idea of where he is or the circumstances that brought him there.  The group becomes unsettled on the alien planet and don’t know that they are being preyed upon.   As the mystery and terror unfold, the members of the thrown-together team of killers begin to discover their bitter selves. The human ‘monsters’ face off with one another, only to learn that there’s a bigger [alien] monster in the jungle waiting for them.

Braga plays the group’s solo female, Isabelle, a central figure among this unholy alliance of killers.  Isabelle, like her new cohorts, is on a journey to find out why they’ve been brought together on this massive killing ground. “As a sniper in the Israeli Defense Force, I’ve never played this type of character before,” says Alice Braga.  “Isabelle is really a tough woman, but isn’t harsh with everyone.  I think she has some things in her life that make her stronger, but at the same time she’s soft and is just trying to survive.  She’s figuring out a lot about herself in this situation.”

“In my opinion, each character discovers why he or she was chosen,” Braga continues. She wonders if they are being punished for past crimes?  We were always the ones that are killing people and now we are the ones that are being hunted.”

Braga’s research led to a kind of “guidebook” for snipers. “I learned that snipers must be precise, methodical, organized, and you cannot have different feelings,” relates Braga.   “You need to be really specific about what you want, what you do, and what your mission is.  She’s a tough cookie and in that gang, Isabelle is a really important piece because she knows a lot about wind movement and everything else in the jungle. Her skill is really needed.”

Producer Robert Rodriguez was thrilled to have Braga in the movie.  “I love really strong females in my movies. I have five sisters!  I wanted the female character to have real strength, not just movie strength, where they would just write it as a male character and then change the name.  And I was ecstatic at the possibility of having Alice Braga grace our set, she’s such a tremendous talent. When she did her audition, I just looked at (director) Nimrod and said, ‘Could we just hire her, please? Do we even need to see anyone else?’  She was so terrific, you could feel the movie’s quality jump ten notches with that single choice.  You could feel what she would bring, that she’d be the real heart of the movie. Nimrod said, ‘Absolutely. Let’s get her.’”

“Predators” opens July 8 in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

20th Century Fox releases the latest trailer of “Knight and Day” that tracks Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz in a superlative of stunts as they play a fugitive couple racing across the globe.

“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.

An action-comedy that 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.  Also starring in “Knight and Day” 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 and Day” opens in the Philippines on July 7 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

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.

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.

Mark Wahlberg goes shirtless in all scenes, gorgeous gal Leighton Meester turns up as babysitter, James Franco is a clumsy drug dealer and Ray Liotta looks like an unlikely crime lord in the upcoming action-comedy “Date Night” starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey.

“Date Night” sets out when Phil (Carell) and Claire (Fey) Foster venture into the heart of Manhattan for a romantic date intending to spice up their relationship. There is nothing exactly wrong with their marriage. They love each other but the passion has faded. They decide to leave the New Jersey suburb where they live with their two children for an evening of fun and splash out on a night  inManhattan. They impulsively take a table belonging to another couple who haven’t turned up for dinner. The Fosters become “The Tripplehorns” played by James Franco and Mila Kunis, which leads to a host of problems  that  rapidly begin to unravel.

Along their night-from-hell journey, Phil and Claire encounter a cavalcade of characters on both sides of the law. And getting high-powered stars to join the DATE NIGHT team wasn’t just a matter of coincidence for director Shawn Levy.  “So many people were so keen to find a way to work with Steve and Tina – they just found a way to make it work,” says Levy.

Mark Wahlberg portrays a former real estate client of Claire’s, the pair turns to in the middle of the night.  “I play a guy named Holbrooke Grant, who is a security expert who Claire and Phil come to for help,” Wahlberg explains.  Wahlberg had the simplest costume in the entire cast.  “There is no wardrobe – just a pair of silk genie pants,” he recalls, noting that he regularly found himself freezing on the air-conditioned set. “Mark was shirtless for three or four days,” Fey says, prompting an increase in women who suddenly had additional tasks to address on set on the days he was on the job.

Ray Liotta plays the formidable boss gangster Joe Miletto, from whom the Tripplehorns have apparently stolen something of importance that he wants back.  The casting of acclaimed actor Ray Liotta as Miletto delighted Carell and Fey.  “We were shooting a scene with Ray one night,” recalls Carell, “and Tina looked over and said, ‘I feel like I am in a 3D version of ‘Goodfellas.  Ray Liotta is actually walking up and talking to me.’  It was like a ride at a theme park.”

Portraying the “real” Tripplehorns – actually a drug dealer named Taste and his wacky stripper girlfriend, Whippit – are James Franco and Mila Kunis. Kunis describes the pair as “very passionate – when they’re angry, they’re very angry, and when they’re happy, they’re madly in love.”  “Gossip Girl’s” Leighton Meester also takes on the key role as the Fosters’ babysitter Katy.

“Date Night” opens April 9 (Friday) from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

The bestseller book “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” for young adults from author Jeff Kinney isn’t just a journal anymore, it is now a movie! “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” chronicles the adventures of wisecracking pre-teen Greg Heffley (played by Zachary Gordon), who must somehow survive the scariest time of anyone’s life….middle school along with his all-time best friend Rowley (Robert Capron).

In order to survive the never-ending ordeal and attain the recognition and status he feels he so richly deserves, Greg devises an endless series of can’t-miss schemes, all of which, of course, go awry. And he’s getting it all down on paper, via a diary – “it’s NOT a diary, it’s a journal!” Greg insists, preferring the less-sissyfied designation – filled with his opinions, thoughts, tales of family trials and tribulations, and (would-be) schoolyard triumphs. “One day when I’m famous,” writes Greg, “I’ll have better things to do than answer peoples’ stupid questions all day.”  So was born the Wimpy Kid’s diary.

In all of Greg’s journal pages is his omnipresent best friend Rowley who had been with him since the beginning of their milk teeth days.  Kinney’s book provided all the essential ingredients for the film, but its episodic nature – it’s a diary (journal!), after all – necessitated that the filmmakers come up with a stronger narrative drive.  So they focused on the friendship between Greg and Rowley Jefferson.  Having known each other since elementary school, Greg and Rowley are connected by their shared experiences. On the other hand, they’re polar opposites: Greg is battle-weary and hyper-ambitious.  He has a harsh view of the world, yet is optimistic about his ability to work the system to his advantage. Rowley is the omega to Greg’s alpha – and happily so, at least to a point. He’s an innocent kid without an agenda, whereas Greg is all agenda.

The character of Rowley is one of the most popular among the book’s fans, including the filmmakers.  “He’s certainly one of my favorites,” admits Jeff Kinney.  “Rowley just wants to enjoy the world and his school experience.” Adds film producer Nina Jacobson: “We all love Rowley’s humor and innocence and freshness. One of my favorite Greg-Rowley exchanges is when Rowley tells his friend that ‘My mom told me that people will like me if I am just myself.’  To which Greg responds, ‘Well, that would be good advice, if you were someone else.’ That pretty much sums up their dynamic.  Greg feels that Rowley has to be molded, improved, shaped and finessed, but Rowley’s pretty comfortable in his own skin – and that ends up translating into something that looks a lot like confidence.  And confidence is the key to surviving middle school.”

Robert Capron, as Greg’s best pal Rowley, was cast before Zachary Gordon.  “There weren’t many (would-be) Rowleys,” says Nina Jacobson. “Robert was Rowley.  In his first audition, he was Rowley.”  But Capron, too, had an unusual journey to Wimpy-dom.  Once attached to the project, he participated in three different screen tests with six different “Gregs.”

At age eight, Robert, who hails from Rhode Island, began to take after-school acting classes at the Trinity Repertory Company.  He enjoyed the classes, and after auditioning for a role in “A Christmas Carol,” Robert knew he wanted to pursue and acting career.

Robert appeared in several Trinity productions before landing a small role in director Lasse Hallstrom’s motion picture drama “Hachiko: A Dog’s Story,” starring Richard Gere and Joan Allen. His first speaking role was in “Bride Wars,” starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson.

Robert loves reading, especially American History, the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and James Bond book series, mysteries, ghost stories, and Spider-Man comics.  He also enjoys writing stories and in the course of filming DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Robert wrote his first film treatment.

After finishing DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Robert began his first year of middle school.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” is just a few nights’ sleep away – opens April 3 (Saturday) from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.