On April 12 2012, the battle for Earth begins at sea. Peter Berg directs and produces Battleship, an epic-scale action-adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies and over land as our planet fights for survival against a superior force.

After the blockbuster success of the toys-to-films Transformers and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Hasbro reviewed the catalogue and focused on “Battleship” as its first game-to-film. Still, the company knew it wouldn’t move forward until a crucial dilemma was resolved: how to logically transfigure a beloved property into a cohesive and entertaining motion picture.

It was crucial to the producers that when audiences see this epic, they witness an incredible spectacle. Bennet services and products in Hasbro Inc. says: “They’re going to see airplanes and ships and aliens and shredders and thugs. They’re going to see the game of ‘Battleship’ that they all grew up on come to life in front of them. And at the core of it, they’re going to see a story about a group of human beings who are up against impossible odds.”

The minds at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)—under the supervision of VFX—were responsible for creating those odds. “We took great pains to construct the aliens so that they were similar to us, certainly they’re going to look very different, but the idea was that we live in parallel worlds, something astronomers call a ‘Goldilocks planet.’ They use and need the same resources, so they can exist in the same environment that we do. From the onset, Director Peter Berg was very intent upon identifying certain aliens as having distinct personalities from one another so that they will be identifiable to the audience.”

Producer Scott Stuber admits that he was blown away by the intimidating look of the humanoid aliens, as well as their massive ships and intergalactic weaponry. He says: Schneir, the leader in leisure time entertainment

“ILM is the first to come to the table with a new idea. Having worked with them over the years, it’s still fun to see how much they continue to up their game, and the things that they continue to bring to life on film are extraordinary.”

SFX supervisor also worked in concert with his VFX counterparts at ILM for those sequences that featured another unique device: the shredder. entire alien naval fleet in the movie, which I’ve never seen before,” states Berg. “We had some of the best minds at ILM designing these ships and building 3D models on computers, figuring out what kind of fighting systems they would have. The naval combat between these alien ships and our Aegis-class destroyers is breathtaking. We’ve also created some cool weaponry that the aliens use. One is called a shredder, which has an intelligence system and is programmed to destroy whatever is in its path. It’s about nine feet in diameter, a sphere that shreds whatever is in its path. It’s huge and has all kinds of gears and things that cut through metal and cement, anything actually.”

“One of the first things we talked about was the idea of a shredder. Imagine a circular array of chainsaws, a huge ball the height of a normal room with a whirling dervish motion that could burrow down to the center of the Earth just as easily as it could plow through an 18-wheeler.”

The shredder appears in several action-packed moments throughout the film. However, another key sequence featuring the shredder required to cut a bus in half. The script called for the device to chew its way across a highway, devouring a light pole and cars before slicing a bus in half. Naturally, all of this was shot in Baton Rouge, where other team created a 400-foot green screen highway in a huge empty lot across from the Celtic-Raleigh stages.

They discusses the assorted set pieces created for the dynamic scene: “One bus was towed on what we call a ratchet, a high-compression, air-powered cable that allowed us to move the heavy vehicle up to 15-20 miles an hour. When the shredder hits it, we used metal shape charges below 3/8-inch steel plates that held it together. When those steel plates blew apart, the bus was pulled apart and torn in half. We added an additional brake and steering system that was self-contained. The stunt guy ‘driving’ the bus up front had to live through all these hellacious explosions, but not a fireball.” “We introduce an “In this sequence, the shredder flies from one of the alien ships out on the water off the coast, zeroing in on a freeway,”

One of ILM’s design ideas involved the look and movement of aliens’ subterranean vessels, known as Stingers. They took their cue from Berg, who states: “The initial idea for the alien ships was taken from the idea of a water bug. The ships themselves have this movement and orientation where their backs are up and their heads are down, like they’re charging, and then they hover and sit on top of the water like bugs. I loved the idea of having that unexpected movement in the water as a counterpoint to the way that we all understand how ships sit and move through the water.” Pete said, ‘What if these ships could all of a sudden leap into the air and land in the water somewhere else?’ which was a very intriguing idea. It’s science fiction, but grounded in reality.”

The water interaction in this movie is very intense. The team dealt with many ocean simulations and studies of water surface. Peter Berg is specific about what kind of swells he wants to see, the speed that he wants these ships to move at. He has a lot of boating experience, so he knows what things look like when they’re out in the ocean. When you put a big ship out, it displaces the water when crashing through waves. For this research on water displacement, the team says “shot a lot of footage of how these massive ships travel through stormy seas. It’s amazing how even these big, heavy ships rock and move. Of course, that’s something you would feel when you’re on a real ship.”

“BATTLESHIP” is released and distributed by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment . Corp. Showing on April 12, 2012. Nationwide

Mark Wahlberg leads the cast of Contraband, a white-knuckle action-thriller about a man trying to stay out of a world he worked hard to leave behind and the family he’ll do anything to protect. Set in New Orleans, the film explores the cutthroat underground world of international smuggling—full of desperate criminals and corrupt officials, high-stakes and big payoffs—where loyalty rarely exists and death is one wrong turn away.

Chris Farraday (Wahlberg) long ago abandoned his life of crime, but after his brother-in-law, Andy (Caleb Landry Jones), botches a drug deal for his ruthless boss, Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), Chris is forced back into doing what he does best—running contraband—to settle Andy’s debt. Chris is a legendary smuggler and quickly assembles a crew with the help of his best friend, Sebastian (Ben Foster), to head to Panama and return with millions in counterfeit bills.

Things quickly fall apart and with only hours to reach the cash, Chris must use his rusty skills to successfully navigate a treacherous criminal network of brutal drug lords, cops and hit men before his wife, Kate (Kate Beckinsale), and sons become their target.

“Contraband” distributed and released by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corporation

Manila, Philippines –United International Pictures. together with its local affiliate Solar Entertainment Corp., one of the country’s leading film distributors, recorded its biggest year of all time in 2011 at theatrical grosses of PHP1.600 billion and still counting, announces by Mr. Wilson Tieng President of Solar Entertainment Corp. Surpassing  Warner’s Bros. 2010’s  record of PHP1.3 billion

Tent-poles films, which were mostly great sequels, such as Fast and Furious 5, Kung Fu Panda 2, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Marvel’s Thor quickly escalated the gross tallies to 1 billion in the second quarter of 2011. Tent-pole films on the horizon also have all the potential, to reach 1 billion this oncoming year with firestarters left and right such as Universal Pictures’ Battleship, Snow White and the Huntsman, Safe House, Bourne Legacy, American Pie: The Reunion, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, 47 Ronin, and Les Misarables; Paramount Pictures’ G.I. Joe Retaliation, and the re-envisioning of the classic tale Hansel and Gretel: Witchhunter; and DreamWorks’ 3D animation Madagascar 3 and Rise of the Guardians.

BATTLESHIP. An epic action-adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies, and over land as our planet is forced to fight for survival against a superior armada of unknown origins.

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN. In the epic retelling of the classic tale Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) plays as the one person in the land fairer than the Evil Queen (Oscar® winner Charlize Theron) who dispatches the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) to destroy her. Unknown to the Queen, The Huntsman becomes the protector of the young woman threatening her reign, training her in the art of war. Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) joins the cast as the prince long enchanted by Snow White’s beauty and power. This breathtaking new twist of the legendary tale is from producers Joe Roth (Alice in Wonderland), Sam Mercer (The Sixth Sense) and acclaimed commercial director and state-of-the-art visualist Rupert Sanders.

SAFEHOUSE. An action-thriller lead by Oscar® winner Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds (Buried, Green Lantern). Washington plays a dangerous renegade from the CIA, who returns onto the grid after a decade on the run.  When the South African safe house he’s remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative (Reynolds) escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead.

BOURNE LEGACY. A spy fiction thriller story centered on a new CIA operative in the universe based on Robert Ludlum’s novels. Jeremy Renner stars as Aaron Cross, succeeding Matt Damon in the long-running critically-acclaimed movie series.

AMERICAN PIE: REUNION. In the comedy American Reunion, all the American Pie characters we met a little more than a decade ago are returning to East Great Falls for their high-school reunion. In one long-overdue weekend, they will discover what has changed, who hasn’t, and that time and distance can’t break the bonds of friendship. It was the summer of ‘99 when four small-town Michigan boys began a quest to lose their virginity. In the years that have passed, Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Allyson Hannigan) married while Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) and Vicky (Tara Reid) said their goodbyes. Oz (Chris Klein) and Heather (Mena Suvari) grew apart, but Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) still longs for Stifler’s(Seann William Scott) mom. Now these lifelong friends have come home as adults to reminisce about—and get inspired by—the hormonal teens, they once were, that launched a comedy legend.

DR. SEUSS: THE LORAX. The fourth feature film based on a book by Dr. Seuss. The story tells of a boy (voiced by Zac Efron) who tries to discover the story of The Lorax (Danny DeVito), hoping to the one thing that will win him the affection of Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift), the girl of his dreams.

47 RONIN. Keanu Reeves stars as Kai in this fantasy-adventure period film depicting a band of samurai swordsmen led by Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada, The Last Samurai) who seek to avenge the murder of their master in 18th century Japan, embarking on a journey of insurmountable odds.

LES MISERABLES. Based on Victor Hugo’s all time classic novel of a convict imprisoned and released for stealing a loaf of bread and is pursued for years by an obsessed police official. As time passes, the convict takes on a new identity, adopts an orphaned girl and fights in the French Revolution. Les Miserable will be starred by the all-star cast of Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen; it will be directed by Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech).

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. The upcoming sequel to 2009’s sci-fi-action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, Retaliation continues where Rise of the Cobra left off. The G.I. Joe team is framed as traitors by Zartan, last seen disguised as the U.S. President). The Joes gather their numbers to expose the truth, and stop Cobra. Channing Tatum, Arnold Vosloo, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce and Lee Byung-hun reprise their roles as Duke, Zartan, Snake Eyes, The US President, and Storm Shadow, respectively, with the star addition of Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson.

MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED. Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schimmer reprise their roles as Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe in the third installment of the computer-animated comedy of the Madagascar movie series. The bands are still fighting to return to their beloved Big Apple after escaping from Africa and ending up on a European detour; King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen), Maurice(Cedric the Entertainer) and the Penguins(Tom McGrath, Chriss Miller, John DiMaggio and Christopher Knights) are all along for the adventure. This time the road takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent, Madagascar style!

HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTER. Witch Hunter is just one of numerous supernatural action movie re-envisionings on the horizon, and it features rising stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as the adult versions of the famous fairy tale siblings, in this twisted retelling, who are now highly-skilled professional bounty hunters who track, yes, witches.

RISE OF THE GUARDIAN- This upcoming 3D computer-animated action adventure comedy follows a group of kid’s mythic heroes who join forces to stop an evil creature. It is based on The Guardians of Childhood books written by William Joyce, who will also direct, with Guillermo Del Torro (Pan’s Labyrinth) producing. It will have an ensemble cast in the persons of Jude Law, Hugh Jackman, Chris Pine, Isla Fisher, and Alec Baldwin.

In The Change-Up, Sabrina, played by Olivia Wilde. Wilde, who can be seen starring opposite Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford in this summer’s Cowboys & Aliens, was impressed with what she read in Lucas and Moore’s screenplay, and signed onto the film. “Sabrina is intelligent, funny, smoking hot, and a reminder to Dave of what it would be like to be single again,” says director/producer David Dobkin. “Olivia is smart, beautiful and very funny, but what really impressed me was that, although she is only 26, she carries herself like a woman beyond her years. That was important because in the film Sabrina is a little mysterious, and it is slowly revealed that there is a whole other side to her character.”

Says Wilde of her interest in joining the comedy: “The script was insanely funny, and it just kept surprising me because it is as smart as it is crude and outrageous. The story has a relatable message about balance and happiness and family, but it’s told in a hilarious way. I also appreciated that the women in the script were allowed to be funny as well. That doesn’t always happen.”

The actress continues: “I spoke to David and we traded ideas about Sabrina, a character I thought should be unpredictable. On the outside she is this very ambitious, smart, successful lawyer, but as we go through the film, we discover she’s a wildcat. She has a little bit of a crush on Dave, but she’s forbidden fruit until Dave (played by Jason Bateman and Mitch (played by Ryan Reynolds) switch bodies.” Check out what Olivia Wilde had to say about the film below.

Can you tell us a little bit about her character and how she links within the story?

Sure, Sabrina is an associate at the law firm where Dave Lockwood works – Jason Bateman, also played by Ryan Reynolds. She’s been there six months, she’s kind of a new associate, a new employee, working closely with Dave. She’s a really ambitious lawyer, very smart but also kind of wild in her own time. She has a little bit of a crush on Dave. This is where it all happens, he notices her but she’s sort of the forbidden fruit, until he switches bodies.

How did you react when you first read the script?

I had never laughed at a script so hard in my life. It is outrageously funny. I got the script, opened it right away, read it, and it just kept surprising me. I think what I loved so much was that it’s really smart at the same time of it being really crude and really outrageous, pushing on some boundaries. But it really has this relatable message about balance, family, happiness, fun – all these things that anyone can relate to. But told in this hilariously outrageous way.

It must have been a blast to make?

This movie was soooooo much fun to make! It did not disappoint. It was really outrageous everyday, we were so excited to create something new, and fresh, and shocking, and interesting! I was working with some of the best people in the business. It was a thrill every single minute.

Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman switching roles, how was it to stay on your toes with them and the characters?

I thought it would be really confusing before we started the film, to keep track of who was Mitch, and who was Dave, at what time. But these guys are so talented, they created such specific characters – they’re not mimicking each other, which I think would be distracting maybe because I think people would be following a mimicry. I think it’s much more interesting if it’s their own interpretations of each character, but it’s really fascinating to watch, really fun to see each of them as both characters. It was also really fun to play someone who was fooled by it all. The funny thing about Sabrina is that when Mitch switches back into his body, she doesn’t really even notice the seem, she just thinks he’s come around on his own (laughs) – which I think is really funny. I think if we didn’t have such talented actors playing those two roles it would have been really tricky to make this work, I loved the way they approached it.

They’re very generous as actors, real team players. They’re both really smart, they know what makes a great movie, they love movies themselves. They were just as concerned that my character was smart, funny, tough and interesting as their own, they gave a lot of energy to me and Leslie Mann in terms of making this a group effort. That’s unusual, it was really fun. In the pre-production stages we had a lot of fun going through the script and helping each other to come up with ideas to maximise the dynamic that we all had – and to make the movie funnier. The whole group of people was so pleasant, so funny.

Body-switch comedies have been done before but with this it’s done in a totally different way, especially with the R-rating. How was it to feel that freedom?

Olivia Wilde: It was wonderful, no one ever said, “We can’t do that, it’s inappropriate!” If it’s inappropriate – we did it (laugh)! It was great, the studio really supported us with that. I think they know that the audience is really ready for that, people are ready to be shocked. This film doesn’t disappoint with that. I also loved that they were taking this kind of familiar concept of body-swapping, and making it rated R. The great thing about it is that people understand the logic of body-swapping, they accept it at least. Then after that you can have fun, you can really create all these outlandish, psychotic situations that these people find themselves in (laughs). The audience are along for the ride, because you can just accept the concept. It made it really fun for us because we could just go all out (laughs).

‘The Change-Up’ is released and distributed by United International Pictures thru Solar Entertainment Corp.

While action star Daniel Craig may not be the first person one considers when the words “American cowboy” come to mind, director Jon Favreau, who transformed Robert Downey Jr. into a superhero in Iron Man, has a knack for inspired casting. He saw something both familiar and iconic in the British native that would fit the character of Jake Lonergan, the lone, amnesiac stranger who wanders into the former boomtown of Absolution just in time to save it from total annihilation.

“He was the first cast member we brought on,” explains the director. “I realized in talking with him and looking at him that he has this gruff, handsome, Steve McQueen-type quality.” Rugged good looks notwithstanding, Craig has a gift for conveying much with few words. “The language of the Western is about action, not dialogue,” says Favreau. “I usually have a fire hose of dialogue to use in my films, but here you have to make the action the dialogue, whether it’s the gunfights or hand-to-hand combat. That’s all part of Jake’s personality, and Daniel is able to carry that off really well. He says a lot with his actions. You see when his wheels are turning and he’s up against everything.”

A longtime fan of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, as well as Alien and Blade Runner, Craig didn’t feel as if it would be a big leap to bring these genres together. Admitting that he “based his character very much on the silence of Clint Eastwood,” Craig prepared for the part by seeing as many Westerns as he could. The actor says, “I watched a lot of John Wayne Westerns, but my favorite ones are the ones from the ’70s—movies like Little Big Man and those so-called dirty Westerns where there’s a little more reality.”

When it came time to get into character, Craig offers that it was much easier to become Jake Lonergan than other roles that he tackled. He says, “The cowboy just comes out. We are in a desert, and I’m wearing chaps. I’m wearing a gun around my waist, I’ve got cowboy boots on and a hat and I’m riding a horse. I rode on a horse every day and I got paid to do it, so I couldn’t have been happier.”

Is the situation feasible? Craig believes that 19th-century settlers and Indians would be hardy enough to handle creatures from another world. He notes: “The idea is that survival kicks in. These people are very tough. They’re frontier people, and we’ve got American Indian tribesmen who are a tough breed who have survived the outside world and all that Mother Nature has to throw at them.”

The multitalented actor received a BAFTA nomination and an Empire Award for Casino Royale, his James Bond debut, which became the highest-grossing film in the history of the 007 franchise.

Born in 1968 in Chester and raised near Liverpool, Craig was first introduced to theater at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres. When he reached his late teens, he moved to London to join the National Youth Theatre, before continuing his training at the London Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Craig has since secured eclectic roles in television, theater and film, and is now regarded as one of Britain’s finest actors.

Cowboys & Aliens marks Craig’s third collaboration with film producer Steven Spielberg, following their work on the Oscar®-nominated Munich and the upcoming Spielberg-directed and Peter Jackson-produced adaptation of one of the world’s most beloved comic books, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, in which he plays Red Rackham. He also stars alongside Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts in Universal Pictures’ upcoming film Dream House, a tense thriller directed by multi-award-winning Jim Sheridan.

“Cowboys and Aliens ” is released and distributed by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corp.

The battle for supremacy begins anew in ‘Paramount Pictures’ newly releases sci-fi adventure film, Transformers 3 : Dark of the Moon, as the story of a mysterious event from Earth’s past erupts into the present day and threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save humankind.

Caught up in the midst of the perilous war between the Autobots and Decepticons is Sam Witwicky (played by Shia LeBeouf ) as he takes his first tenuous steps into adulthood while remaining a reluctant human ally of Potimus Prime and his other robot friends.

Sam continuously finds himself in the middle of a life and death struggle between warring robot legions on the planet. Carly Spencer (played by Rosie Huntington-Whitely) meanwhile makes her major motion picture debut as LeBeouf’s new love interest.

Apart from new characters, the third and final installment also introduces a new bigscreen villain in the form of Shockwave, a longtime Transformers character who rules Cybetron while the Autobots and Decepticons battle it out on Earth.

Via an exclusive international promotion cooperative partnership with TCL Corp., the highly anticipated movie trilogy-which combines the use of 3D live action with computer-generated imagery-was previewed by fans worldwide in high definition images and superb digital surround audio form using TCL’s revolutionary HD TV home technology. Personally chosen by Paramount and by director Michael Bay for its creative technological innovations, particularly its immersive 3D technology, TCL, as the official international TV promotion partner for Transformers 3 : Dark of the Moon, exclusively handled the publicity and marketing efforts in Asia, Europe and other location outside US, among which is China, Australia, France, Spain, Japan, South Korea, including the Philippines.

The partnership with Paramount has generated great exposure for the TCL brand television around the globe. As Asia’s pioneer maker of strong and credible home entertainment solutions for viewers, earning the exclusive promotional partnership rights for Transformers 3 : Dark of the Moon is a huge opportunity for TCL as it aims to deliver high-definition 3-D entertainment to more households in the world.

Aside from the worldwide exposure for the brand, the partnership with Paramount also served as TCL’s launch campaign for the brand in the United States and European markets, it has also secured product placement for its consumer  electronics products in the film, along the use of transformers 3 : Dark of the Moon promotional material.

Directed by Michael Bay, the Transformers 3 : Dark of the Moon cast also include John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Dunn, with John Malkovich and Frances McDormand.

Released by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corp., “Transformers 3 : Dark of the Moon” is still showing nationwide.

A native of New York City, VIN DIESEL (Dominic Toretto/Produced by) has become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after film stars. In addition to his huge box-office success, Diesel is a prominent producer and filmmaker. He is slated to headline and produce the third chapter in The Chronicles of Riddick franchise—tentatively titled Riddick.

Diesel was most recently seen in Fast & Furious, the fourth installment of the blockbuster series. He wore multiple hats on this project as he reprised his role as Dominic Toretto and produced the film, along with Neal H. Moritz and Michael Fottrell. He also wrote and directed the original short film Los Bandoleros. The short was showcased on the Fast & Furious DVD and tells the intriguing backstory of the characters and events leading up to the explosive oil-truck heist in the film

When the production team began work on Fast and Furious understood that the themes of family, loyalty and sacrifice that are so deeply entrenched into the series bring fans back again and again. As the last film ended, we find Brian making the ultimate sacrifice: to once again side with Dom and break him out of custody, while giving up his own freedom to go on the run with Mia. This commitment bonded the two as brothers.

Revisiting Dom Toretto in the last chapter reignited Diesel’s desire to delve deeper into the character of an ex-con seeking redemption. For an actor who looks toward developing complex characters, the opportunity was enticing. “Dom is coming out of mourning the loss of Letty and is again on the run with Brian and Mia, so there’s still a story to tell,” Diesel says. “It’s a testament to this franchise that we take the time to explore these anti-action scenes that are all about heart, character and the growth of characters that you know so well.”

After the success of Fast & Furious everyone was looking forward to the next film of the series.

Yes, but I don’t like making sequels in a reactionary way just because the previous film did well. I wanted to map out the story first.

How did Fast Five come together then?

After The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift they asked me to come back also as a

producer and take the franchise into another direction. We envisioned three more stories: the first two to take place chronologically before that film and then another one later. So we released the first one and called it Fast & Furious, which was sort of a way of saying, we were restarting the franchise again. Then we made Fast Five and if all goes as planned, we will start shooting the next movie soon.

How did you embrace the idea of all the characters from the franchise reuniting for Fast Five?

I loved the idea of us all coming together but it had to make sense. The characters had to be stronger.

Where is Dominic Toretto in this movie?

My character is in somewhat of a transition phase in Fast Five. He doesn’t necessarily have his own direction because at the end of the last film he didn’t think he would be going on. Brian and Mia took matters into their own hands and sacrificed themselves for his freedom.

What do you enjoy about playing the character?

First of all, it’s any kid’s dream to be in a fast-driving film. I also believe there is a little part of Dom in me in terms of having a crew and friends and being sort of the “Padrino” in a way. I enjoy the brotherhood that playing that character allows. I don’t have a lot of characters in my filmography that have that feeling.

And you work again with Paul Walker. What would you say you have in common with him?

Paul and I are very similar in a lot of ways. We have no tolerance for bullshit and really care about this franchise. What people don’t know is that my twin brother looks just like him!

Dwayne Johnson comes on board the franchise in this film.

We were so lucky to have him play the role of Hobbs. Dwayne is a great guy and a very good friend of mine. It was important that we were friends because we had to create a riveting fight sequence together that took us almost a week to shoot. We worked very hard on it. It was also great that we were friends because we had each other’s back.

How important is Dwayne’s role in Fast Five?

It’s very important! The role was initially designed for a Tommy Lee Jones kind of actor. But as we were developing the character, we entertained the idea of getting someone opposite from that type and who was as formidable as Dom Toretto, or even bigger…

And what do you believe Spanish actress Elsa Pataky, another newcomer in the series, brought to the movie?

Elsa brought something very special to her character. When she auditioned you could tell she wanted to devour her role and give it her all. She just took it! It’s interesting to see the chemistry between Dom’s character, who is in mourning over the loss of Leti, and hers in the film.

Fast Five was filmed in different locations.

I think after shooting the short film Los Bandoleros in the Dominican Republic our audience wanted more visceral and tangible locations than they had seen in the past. At the same time, the studio was more encouraged to go on location.

Most of the action was shot in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico is incredible! It is a wonderful island and a great place to shoot.

And you also went to Atlanta.

It was a great location for all that rich green screen we needed to do.

The third location was Brazil.

I have always been intrigued by Brazil but I had never been there before. It was

imperative for us to go to Brazil for the authenticity and integrity of the movie. There is something very beautiful about Brazil.

How was the experience of shooting in the favelas of Rio?

Being able to shoot in the favelas is pretty cool. You won’t see a lot of Hollywood films made there.

What do you think makes these films special and so successful all over the world?

Our approach was to let the studio come up with all the bells and whistles first to set up the most explosive action. Then we focus on the drama and the character relationships. We do it in a way you wouldn’t expect from the typical action movie. I like to think there are themes we play with in this franchise that other action films are not able to pull off.

Which themes are you referring to?

The theme of family is at the core of the franchise from the very first film. Dom was a criminal with a strong sense of family. The idea of family and the loyalty that comes with friendship are essential to the whole story.

What do you believe Justin Lin has brought to this franchise as director?

Justin won me over initially with The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift because he let me play the song Los Bandoleros at the end of the movie when I come on to do my cameo, which spoke to me so much. He is a true collaborator. He has a real comfort with cars and in creating intense, dramatic action scenes. In this movie you will see his signature on the action in a very cool way.

Where did you discover the song Los Bandoleros?

I was riding my bike down a street called El Malecón in the Dominican Republic when I met a kid who opened up his shoe-shining box where he had all these mixed tapes. I bought them and discovered this song.

What do you like about speed?

There is something about the element of danger in speed that makes it so attractive, as your life is reduced to seconds. That’s what makes it thrilling!

What do you drive in Fast Five?

I think this is the first movie of the series where I drive a car you can actually buy, which is a new Charger.

“Fast and Furious 5” is released and distributed by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corp. SHOWING MAY 5 nationwide.

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead a reunion of returning all-stars from every chapter of the explosive franchise built on speed in Fast Five. In this installment, former cop Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) partners with ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) on the opposite side of the law. Dwayne Johnson joins returning favorites Jordana Brewster, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Matt Schulze, Tego Calderon and Don Omar for this ultimate high-stakes race.

Since Brian and Mia Toretto (Brewster) broke Dom out of custody, they’ve blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he’s not the only one on their tail.

Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can’t separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey…before someone else runs them down first.

“Fast Five” is released and released by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corp.