Disney launches “Tron: Legacy” billboard art 0
Posted on
August 23, 2010 by
kankan
Disney has just launched the billboard art for the highly-anticipated TRON: Legacy!
Fun facts from “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” 0
Posted on
July 07, 2010 by
kankan
The cast and filmmakers of Walt Disney Studios’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” had a blast creating the fantasy adventure about Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage), a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan who recruits Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protégé.
Get a load of these fun trivia about the newest Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster:
· The Phantom. Balthazar Blake’s vehicle of choice is very rare 1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom. Its engine, appropriately known as the “Merlin,” helped propel Spitfire aircraft for Britain , which helped win World War II. An exact replica of the real Phantom was created for stunt sequences. During filming in the streets of New York City , the Phantom proved to be a huge tourist attraction.
· The Chrysler Eagle gargoyle comes to life in two varieties: the full-size, motion-base, computer-controlled version constructed by Academy Award®-winning special-effects coordinator John Frazier, and a CG version from visual-effects supervisor John Nelson and Asylum Visual Effects.
· Chinatown. The colorful Chinese festival sequence in which a parade dragon comes to life was filmed over the course of two weeks on Eldridge Street , in the heart of New York ’s Chinatown . More than 2,000 people from the local Chinese communities showed up for an extras casting call for 500 available spots.
· Nikola Tesla. The inventions, philosophy and spirit of controversial and brilliant inventor Nikola Tesla hung over the entire movie, and by an amazing coincidence, the last day of filming fell on what would have been his 153rd birthday. And the company also filmed at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Manhattan ’s 110th Street , where Tesla received a state funeral attended by more than 2000 people.
· The Encantus, the film’s book of spells, weighed a mighty 75 pounds. But there were other versions created, including a 10-pound duplicate and a waterproofed floating version for the so-called “Fantasia” sequence.
· Every single page of the enormous Encantus had to be aged by experts in medieval bookbinding, with methods ranging from sanding the papers to wetting them with tea.
· The seven domains in the Merlin Circle include Space-Time, Motion, Matter, Elements, Transformation, Mind, and in the center, the Forbidden domain—Love. The multi-colored flames that shoot out of the Merlin Circle in the underground lab were created by the special effects team like a gigantic stove-top burner, with fire rods six inches below the deck in a water tank.
· The Coat. Costume designer Michael Kaplan and his team created 10 exact copies of Balthazar Blake’s long leather coat, and all of Balthazar’s rings were custom made as well.
· Arcana Cabana. Set decorator George DeTitta Jr. collected no fewer than half a million objects of escalating weirdness for production designer Naomi Shohan’s Arcana Cabana set, including a prosthetic leg, disembodied doll’s heads, shrunken heads, skeletons and a “unicorn skull.”
(Opening across the Philippines on Thursday, July 15, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.)
The cast and filmmakers of Walt Disney Studios’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” had a blast creating the fantasy adventure about Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage), a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan who recruits Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protégé.
Jay Baruchel, from dragon-trainer to wizard-trainee 0
Posted on
June 29, 2010 by
kankan
Hot off providing the voice of the hero Hiccup in “How to Train Your Dragon,” young actor Jay Baruchel (“Tropic Thunder”) now portrays the nerdy Dave Stutler who suddenly learns he has magical powers in Walt Disney Pictures’ new epic fantasy adventure “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”
Dave is a college student trying to pass physics and get a date with Becky (Teresa Palmer), the girl of his dreams. Dave’s world is turned upside down when the eccentric Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) suddenly enters his life. Balthazar is a sorcerer embroiled in a centuries-long battle which pits the followers of two powerful sorcerers—the good Merlin and the evil Morgana—against each other for either the destruction or salvation of the world. When arch-nemesis and longtime Morganian rival Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina) threatens not only Balthazar and Dave but the entire world, Balthazar recruits Dave as his reluctant protégé.
“It’s a story about two quests,” explains producer Jerry Bruckheimer. “Balthazar has been searching the world through the centuries for his apprentice, and Dave then has to discover his true potential as a human being. Dave is a very serious student and doesn’t need or want Balthazar in his life, or to be a sorcerer. But Balthazar is like a fly that keeps buzzing around, tormenting this poor kid until he succumbs to becoming this magical character. But if someone showed up at your door and said that you’re really a sorcerer, you wouldn’t believe them either.”
“I’m a huge, huge nerd,” confesses Baruchel. “I love any movies where guys shoot energy out of their hands, but I’m not usually the go-to guy for stuff like that. And then I read the script, and I was like, ‘wait a second…a guy like me gets to shoot energy out of his hands and stuff? Done! I’m here for the plasma bolts!’”
At the age of 10, Dave experiences a frightening incident when he encounters sorcerer Balthazar Blake after wandering into the bizarre Arcana Cabana curio shop. He’s given a dragon ring that comes to life on his finger, and he’s told that he’ll be a very important sorcerer himself. He then witnesses a furious battle between Balthazar and another sorcerer named Maxim Horvath, which made him want to forget the whole matter…until both Balthazar and Horvath re-enter his life 10 years later, forcing him to confront a destiny he would very much like to ignore!
“Dave is his own worst enemy, the architect of his own misery,” says Baruchel. “He spends his life trying to live down that moment in the Arcana Cabana when he first encountered Balthazar and Horvath. He gravitates towards physics, which is the discipline he gives his life to. When he meets up with Balthazar again, the sorcerer tells Dave that it was no coincidence that he drifted towards physics, because although illusion and magic are different, magic and science are the same thing.”
“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” was inspired by the short segment from the classic Disney film, “Fantasia” where Mickey Mouse played the bumbling apprentice. Baruchel was challenged and honored by the task at hand, but never intimidated. “It’s a huge honor and a tremendous responsibility to walk in Mickey Mouse’s shoes. Those are pretty big shoes to fill, and I wondered how to do my own thing and make it funny without stepping on or moving away from what made that sequence so iconic in the first place. For me to be in this movie, and be allowed to put my stamp on and at the same time pay homage to one of the most beloved sequences in film history, wasn’t lost on me. It was an absolute treat, incredibly fun. It was just magical. It was hard not to be a kid in that situation, man. I grew up watching that scene in ‘Fantasia,’ so after getting to do my own version of it, I could retire right now.”
Opening across the Philippines on Thursday, July 15, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.
Hot off providing the voice of the hero Hiccup in “How to Train Your Dragon,” young actor Jay Baruchel (“Tropic Thunder”) now portrays the nerdy Dave Stutler who suddenly learns he has magical powers in Walt Disney Pictures’ new epic fantasy adventure “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”
Nicolas Cage plays a sorcerer in search of his “Apprentice” 0
Posted on
June 23, 2010 by
kankan
Celebrated as one of the most versatile actors in cinema today, Academy Award®–winner Nicolas Cage has mastered the art of high drama and quirky comedy, while simultaneously conquering the worldwide box office in high-octane action adventure blockbusters. His prolific relationship with Jerry Bruckheimer has produced blockbuster films that have captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. Disney’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” will mark the seventh time that Cage and Bruckheimer have collaborated on a film, following “The Rock,” “Con Air,” “Gone in 60 Seconds,” “National Treasure,” “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” and “G-Force.”
Q: Please briefly describe the plot of your film, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”
Nicolas Cage: This is a story about a lone wizard, Balthazar Blake, my character, who has been looking for 1,000 years to find the prime Merlinian, the one sorcerer who will inherit Merlin’s power and save the world. Jay Baruchel plays Dave Stutler, who is possibly the prime Merlinian because he’s the only one that can wear the dragon ring. Once Balthazar finds Dave he must groom and train him for his battle against evil.
Q: Where did you get the idea for the film?
Cage: I had been very interested in the mythology of King Arthur—the legend and lore. And it occurred to me that I wanted to make movies that could resonate that in some way; that would be healing and positive. I wanted to see if I could use magic and the imagination to entertain audiences without facilitating bloodlust and having to resort to violence. At the same time I was doing a picture called “Next” and I was playing a magician of sorts in that movie but I really wanted to play a wizard or sorcerer. Todd Garner was the producer on “Next” and I told him about my idea. Todd said, “I’ve got it. You should be the Sorcerer’s Apprentice from ‘Fantasia.’” Just like that. [SNAPS FINGERS] I thought that’s great. So we started to expand the story and find ways we could lengthen this little eight-minute segment from the Goethe poem in “Fantasia” and make a big two-hour, live-action film.
Q: As a child did you see the classic Disney animated film “Fantasia”?
Cage: I was very young when I first saw “Fantasia.” I think it may have even been the first movie that my parents took me to see, so it was my first introduction to movies. It was also my first introduction to Disney animation and also my introduction to classical music. The imagery throughout the whole film, not just the Sorcerer’s Apprentice sequence, but the whole film transported me. It influenced my life and everything about it inspired me. I still watch “Fantasia” once a year. I lower the lights, put the movie on and I just sort of lose myself in it. I go into those animated forests and see the little fireflies and mushrooms dancing and it’s just a trip. [LAUGHS] I can’t help but love it.
Q: Although “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” is not a remake of the classic Disney film, audiences may initially associate it with “Fantasia.” Did you keep this in mind when making the film and did you feel any pressure?
Cage: Some people have asked me if I was nervous because we were tampering with a Disney classic. I wasn’t. We made a film I think Walt would approve of and I believe that I was in the right place at the right time to make this movie in my life and to make it in such a way where I have faith in it. I don’t really have any expectations other than that I hope to make some children smile. That’s the best way I can apply my abilities as an actor.
Q: Can you expand a bit on the tricky relationship between your character, Balthazar Blake, and Jay Baruchel’s character, Dave Stutler?
Cage: The relationship between Balthazar and Dave is almost like a paternal one. I care about him because I’m out there all on my own trying to stop evil forces from taking over. So when I find him, it’s with great affection and it’s an enormous relief because I have found the prime Merlinian. I want to guide him; I want to instruct him and train him for a larger purpose. But it is very overwhelming for Dave and he doesn’t quite know how to take it. Imagine if someone walked into your life and said that you are the descendent of Merlin, you have all this power and you are destined to save the world. You are going to tell the guy that he is nuts. So it is a very complicated relationship, but there is a lot of comedy coming out of it particularly as Dave begins to deal with this completely preposterous information.
Q: What is the secret to your successful working relationship with Jerry Bruckheimer?
Cage: This is my seventh movie with Jerry, so we have a comfort level together. He has his process and he understands my sort of algebraic addition to the process—the X factor, if you will. I trust that Jerry will make movies that will be entertaining for people because that is his priority. And he trusts that I will come up with the X-factor that will somehow make sense of it all in terms of the character and will fit within the narrative. I think that’s why he hires actors with an alternative point of view, because it does add an extra dimension to his formula. So it is a happy marriage where there is a shorthand. I know how he works and vice versa.
Q: “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” is the third time you have collaborated with director Jon Turteltaub. Can you describe your working relationship?
Cage: Jon is very good with comedy and he knows how to get humor out of a scene. I have an interest in the darker and more edgy things, so Jon looks to me to go into more of the mystical aspect of the character and I look to him to help bring in more of the comedy that can connect with audiences. So it’s a good mix and we balance each other out.
Q: As a child did you believe in magic?
Cage: Absolutely, I don’t really think I ever stopped. It is very important. I don’t think that any of us in the arts can succeed if we don’t try to keep something of the child’s mind alive. When you think about magic, it is not hocus-pocus. It is really very simple. It is imagination plus willpower focused in such a way that you can create a conscious effect in the material world. So, any painting is a work of magic. Any book is a work of magic. Any science experiment is a work of magic. Any speech that moves people is a work of magic. The question that we face is how do you use those works of magic? Do you use them to help others or do you use them just for selfishness? And that is the root of what the story’s about in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”
(Opening soon across the Philippines, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.)
Celebrated as one of the most versatile actors in cinema today, Academy Award®–winner Nicolas Cage has mastered the art of high drama and quirky comedy, while simultaneously conquering the worldwide box office in high-octane action adventure blockbusters. His prolific relationship with Jerry Bruckheimer has produced blockbuster films that have captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. Disney’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” will mark the seventh time that Cage and Bruckheimer have collaborated on a film, following “The Rock,” “Con Air,” “Gone in 60 Seconds,” “National Treasure,” “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” and “G-Force.”
“Toy Story 3″ escapes with P55.9-M in 4 days 0
Posted on
June 23, 2010 by
kankan
MANILA, June 21 – Families and toy lovers propelled Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story 3” to a No. 1 opening in the Philippines — garnering a buzz-worthy P55.9-million, four-day debut weekend gross nationwide for the June 17 to 20 period. This was announced today by Victor R. Cabrera, managing director of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Philippines which distributed the film.
Powered by overwhelmingly positive word-of-mouth, “Toy Story 3” broke the national, all-time biggest Saturday and Sunday box office records for an animated feature, scoring P20.2-million on Saturday, June 19 and P22-million on Sunday, June 20. (Previous record holder was “Shrek Forever After” with P17.5M Saturday and P19M Sunday.
Studio-wise, the film posted the highest Saturday and Sunday grosses for a Disney feature (live action or animation), overtaking last month’s “Prince of Persia’s” P17.1-million Saturday and P18.8-million Sunday milestones.
The Tom Hanks-Tim Allen-starrer also shattered Disney/Pixar’s opening weekend record in the Philippines, beating the P46-M five-day bow of 2009’s “Up” by 21 percent and in only four days.
Post-screening feedback for “Toy Story 3” has been upbeat across-the-board, with audiences responding emotionally to the film’s heart-tugging conclusion. Reviews from local critics and movie bloggers have all been raves and clearly encouraging repeat viewership.
Hauling in the biggest receipts are SM Mall of Asia (P5.12-M), SM North EDSA (P3.96-M), Trinoma (P3.67-M), Power Plant (P2.61-M), SM Megamall (P1.90-M), Greenbelt 3 (P1.86-M), Glorietta 4 (P1.80-M), Shangri-la (P1.69-M), Eastwood (P1.48-M), and Alabang Town Center (P1.26-M).
Also showing impressive sales are Robinsons Ermita (P1.209-M), Gateway (P1.205-M), Festival (P1.152-M), SM Marikina (P1.151-M), Market! Market! (P1.09-M), Robinsons Galleria (P1.05-M), Sta. Lucia East (P 953,966), SM San Lazaro (P 940,062), SM Fairview (P 934,374) and SM Cebu (P 890,064).
In the U.S., “Toy Story 3″ scored the biggest-ever opening for Disney/Pixar, with an estimated box office haul of $109 million. It was the second biggest opening ever for a 3D film after “Alice in Wonderland’s” $116.1-million last March and the second highest for an animated film trailing “Shrek the Third’s” $121.6 from 2007. Woody and Buzz also tied the $109M opening of last summer’s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” for number ten on the list of all-time biggest debuts.
Now playing across the Philippines in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular format, “Toy Story 3” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.
MANILA, June 21 – Families and toy lovers propelled Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story 3” to a No. 1 opening in the Philippines — garnering a buzz-worthy P55.9-million, four-day debut weekend gross nationwide for the June 17 to 20 period. This was announced today by Victor R. Cabrera, managing director of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Philippines which distributed the film.
First-look image from Dreamworks’ “Real Steel” 0
Posted on
June 18, 2010 by
kankan
In this first-look photo from DreamWorks Pictures’ “Real Steel,” which began shooting live-action scenes recently, Hugh Jackman isn’t throwing the punches — the guy to the left is.
The movie, directed by Shawn Levy (“Date Night”), imagines a world in which human boxing is non-existent, replaced by leagues of mechanized pugilists. It’s expected to arrive in theaters in November 2011.
“The moment of walking in and seeing these robots, my jaw was on the floor,” Jackman said. That’s because the robot in this image is a real device, not a digital visual effect.
Motion-capture animation is used in the film when the machines are brawling (with boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard working as an adviser on those), but 19 real-life animatronic giants were created for scenes with the human actors.
Levy says that blend was encouraged by Steven Spielberg, an executive producer. (This is a DreamWorks film being released by Disney’s Touchstone Pictures.)
“There are some things only visual effects can pull off,” Levy says. “But when you give an actor a real thing, in this case a real 8-foot-tall machine, to interact with and do dialogue opposite, you get a more grounded reality to the performance.”
A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future, where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech, “Real Steel” stars Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.
“Real Steel” is a DreamWorks Picture to be distributed locally by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.
In this first-look photo from DreamWorks Pictures’ “Real Steel,” which began shooting live-action scenes recently, Hugh Jackman isn’t throwing the punches — the guy to the left is.
Disney launches “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” character posters 0
Posted on
June 17, 2010 by
kankan
Walt Disney Pictures has just released the character posters of its new, fantasy adventure “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” an innovative and epic adventure about a sorcerer and his hapless apprentice who are swept into the center of an ancient conflict between good and evil.
The new individual posters feature the film’s five leading characters, namely The Sorcerer, The Apprentice, The Wizard, The Villain and The Sorceress. Below are their character descriptions:
THE SORCERER aka Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) is a student of Merlin. More than 1,000 years old, Balthazar has been searching the globe until he finds the Prime Merlinean, the descendent of Merlin and inheritor of his great powers. When Balthazar finally discovers him in 10-year-old Dave Stutler, he finds himself with a very reluctant sorcerer’s apprentice.
THE APPRENTICE aka Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel) is a nerdy NYU physics major, lacking confidence and poise, not very popular with girls or even his fellow students. At the age of 10, he experiences a frightening incident when he encounters sorcerer Balthazar Blake after wandering into the bizarre Arcana Cabana curio shop. He’s given a dragon ring that comes to life on his finger, and he’s told that he’ll be a very important sorcerer himself. He then witnesses a furious battle between Balthazar and another sorcerer named Maxim Horvath which made him want to forget the whole matter…until both Balthazar and Horvath re-enter his life 10 years later, forcing him to confront a destiny he would very much like to ignore!
THE SORCERESS aka Veronica (Monica Bellucci) has had the great fortune of being loved by Balthazar Blake—and the misfortune of being loved by Maxim Horvath.
THE VILLAIN aka Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina) was, along with Balthazar Blake and Veronica, a disciple of Merlin and a force of good more than a thousand years ago. But their mutual love for Veronica split the colleagues apart. He and Balthazar have battled through the ages, finally bringing their conflict to modern-day New York City.
THE WIZARD aka Drake Stone (Toby Kebbell) is a long, lean, punked-out illusionist who is actually a dark sorcerer assisting Maxim Horvath in his battle against Balthazar Blake and Dave Stutler. He’s a stage performer with an ego to match his popularity, but with no fan bigger than himself.
Opening soon across the Philippines, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.
Walt Disney Pictures has just released the character posters of its new, fantasy adventure “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” an innovative and epic adventure about a sorcerer and his hapless apprentice who are swept into the center of an ancient conflict between good and evil.
First-Look: “Tangled” 0
Posted on
June 16, 2010 by
kankan
Walt Disney Pictures presents the first-look photos from one of the most hilarious, hair-raising tales ever told – “Tangled.”
In the film, when the kingdom’s most wanted—and most charming—bandit Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) hides out in a mysterious tower, he’s taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a beautiful and feisty tower-bound teen with 70 feet of magical, golden hair.
Flynn’s curious captor, who’s looking for her ticket out of the tower where she’s been locked away for years, strikes a deal with the handsome thief and the unlikely duo sets off on an action-packed escapade, complete with a super-cop horse, an over-protective chameleon and a gruff gang of pub thugs.
In Philippine theaters soon in Disney Digital 3D™, “Tangled” is a story of adventure, heart, humor and hair—lots of hair
Walt Disney Pictures presents the first-look photos from one of the most hilarious, hair-raising tales ever told – “Tangled.”