The directors and creative talents behind the hugely popular Ice Age movies set the pack into the most exciting film in the franchise so far, “Ice Age 4: Continental Drift” where they face a perilous adventure on the high seas.  This time, Manny, Sid and Diego face formidable foes: a crew of swashbuckling pirates.  And one feisty but crochety old sloth:  Sid’s own granny.

The drama begins when catastrophe strikes and the earth shifts.  Finding themselves adrift, our three intrepid sub-zero heroes are out on the raging seas batting pirates.

“Ice Age: Continental Drift” opens July 12 in theaters nationwide from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

“PROMETHEUS 3D” is an original epic mythology from Ridley Scott whose previous works span the reality of futuristic realms such as “Aliens” and “Blade Runner” and whose classic unforgettable works also include “Thelma & Louise,” “Gladiator,” “Black Hawk down,” “American Gangster,” “Body of Lies,” “G.I. Jane,” “Legend” and “Black Rain.”

Acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott brings us to a future not too distant from the present in “PROMETHEUS 3D” with an impressive ensemble cast starring Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Idris Elba , Guy Pearce and Logan Marshall from a screenplay by Damon Lindelof (creator of tv’s phenomenal series “Lost”).

On June 7 in theaters, “PROMETHEUS 3D” will unlock the beginning of our end as a group of only the best of the experts in the field of science and technology trek an unknown environ in space trying to find answers to man’s beginnings. As their expedition brings them further and farther to the darkest corners of the universe, they begin to encounter a terrifying and vicious battle to save themselves and the future of human race. Shot entirely in 3D, Scott recently stated that he will never shoot in any other format again. “I will never be the same again.  Even with a dialogue scene, the arena in the room grows. There is no question that you can be drawn in further by the feeling that you are there,” Scott shares.

On March 15 and 16, a short video from the film’s major stars Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron will be up onhttp://www.youtube.com/20thcenturfoxph inviting everyone to check out the film’s online trailer debut.

Finally, on March 19 – log in to http://www.youtube.com/Prometheus6812  for the latest trailer of “Prometheus” – a peek on the most anticipated sci-fi action adventure from Ridley Scott.

“Prometheus 3D” is from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. (in Phil. theaters) nationwide.

After a career that began with romantic comedies like “Princess Diaries 2” and “Just My Luck,” roles in Tony Scott’s “Unstoppable” and JJ Abrams’ re-boot of “Star Trek” as Captain Kirk have seen Chris Pine move into more action roles. With McG’s “This Means War,” he gets to combine both comedy and action as FDR, a CIA operative using all of his agency’s resources to fight a fellow agent, Tuck (Tom Hardy), over the love of a woman (Reese Witherspoon).

“This Means War” is about two of the world’s top spies who’ve been partners and best friends for many years. Through a series of circumstances even they couldn’t anticipate, they fall in love with the same woman,” says producer-screenwriter Simon Kinberg.  “FDR and Tuck decide they’re both going to date Lauren and see which one she chooses.  As each begins to fall for Lauren, they get increasingly competitive and employ their spy tactics and techniques to sabotage each other.  Lauren, who just wanted to find the right guy, has no idea that FDR and Tuck are waging war for her love.”

For the character of FDR, the filmmakers were looking for what McG calls a “rogue – somebody who was lovable, even while possessing supreme self-confidence. And when it comes to that kind of energy, someone who embodies that magical mix, Chris Pine is the heavyweight champ.”

“I play a guy named FDR, a spy who, with every ounce of his being, enjoys being a spy.  He is living the Connery-Bond version of a spy’s life until he meets Lauren Scott and his world is turned upside down. Everything he thought was important—namely guns, women, fast cars and good times with no strings attached—are maybe not so important after all. What becomes important to him is winning the love of this woman,” Pine shares of his character.

When asked which one is harder – the comedy or the action, Chris admits that doing comedy is a lot harder than the action sequences. “Though a lot of it was learning how to work the guns. We trained with a specialist who told us about close quarters combat.  Essentially the basic precept is to inflict the maximum amount of damage using the least amount of movement.  Efficiency and expediency. Conversely, in film you want to make it look grander and bigger to make it look sexier, so it was trying to marry those two things.”

Pine has become one of Hollywood’s hottest stars with his critical and box office success portraying the young James T. Kirk in Star Trek, and an inexperienced train conductor in the heart pounding drama Unstoppable.   Pine further describes FDR as “a consumer of all things – of fine whiskey, good cigars, nice suits, fast cars, and beautiful ladies.  Not necessarily in that order.  He enjoys being a spy. He’s the guy who would have watched James Bond movies as a kid and said, ‘I want to do that.’ There’s not a lot of brooding or complication in FDR’s life.”

“What’s so appealing about it is that it resonates with anyone who has a best friend: having a best friend is kind of like having a girlfriend or a wife, you deal with the same stuff. It’s relationship politics.  Everyone deals with it. And the comedy lies in the fact that we’ve all been there.  Probably minus the guns and stuff, but yeah, it’s funny because it’s true,” concludes Pine.

“This Means War” opens nationwide (Phils.) on February 22 in theaters from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

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The epic adventure “Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace,” from visionary filmmaker George Lucas, captivated global audiences when it first came out in 1999.  The Force is back. But this time in 3D giving the film an immersive dimension and turning it into an altogether richer cinematic experience.

It’s an experience that will inevitably be thrilling: watching “Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace” 3D on the big screen. The first Star Wars movie to be presented in spectacular 3D, all the exciting elements of the original remain, with  added dimension and nuance.

George Lucas, the pioneering and brilliant filmmaker behind Star Wars, has overseen the process with his renowned attention to detail. John Knoll, the visual effects supervisor for Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) was responsible for the actual conversion. He served as visual effects  supervisor on all three of the Star Wars prequels.  The remaining five Star Wars films will be converted to 3D over the coming years.

“I think 3D makes the film more immersive,” says John Knoll. “The extra dimension makes the audience feel like they are more present in the Star Wars universe. I wanted to make sure that we were not turning this into a gimmick. It’s something that should feel natural and not cause eye-strain or cheapen the product so I was not looking for places to poke stuff out of the camera. I went for naturalistic stereo as though the movie had actually been shot in stereo. I think the film looks better than it ever looked before.”

“Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace” was released in 1999.  The movie starred Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn and Ewan McGregor as his apprentice Obi-Wan-Kenobi, a determined young Jedi Knight. Natalie Portman played Queen Amidala. Jake Lloyd starred as Anakin Skywalker. It is a fantastically exciting adventure set 32 years before the events of the original.  The film follows Anakin’s journey as he pursues his dreams and confronts his fears in the midst of a galaxy in turmoil.

In between the production of Episode II (2002) and Episode III (2005), director George Lucas first began exploring the idea of presenting the entire Star Wars saga as 3D theatrical releases. Active 3D conversion work on “Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace” began in 2010. ““I’m really excited about the new big screen release of the film.  We’ve worked very hard to get the best quality 3D we could. The big screen experience is so much better than watching it on television. It was designed to put you in the environment and surround you with the sound and the picture. There is   nothing like it. I’m so glad that we were able to bring this whole experience to the next generation. This will be the third generation that will be able to see it on the big screen and when you’re young, it’s an overwhelming and powerful event,” relates Lucas on the 3D conversion of the movie.

Lucas recalls that “Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace” underwent a painstaking frame-by-frame conversion from a 2D film to a 3D experience thanks to the efforts of Prime Focus, a global visual entertainment services company, and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the preeminent visual effects company that has produced the visuals for all the Star Wars movies.

“Originally I was not a big fan of 3D. I really thought 3D was a gimmick. Then later on I was trying to get digital projectors into the theaters. I was doing a presentation in Las Vegas. Bob Zemeckis and Jim Cameron came up to me  and said: ‘We want to get 3D into the theaters. Would you join us in showing the theater owners that you can do 3D?’   And I said: ‘That’d be good because in order to do 3D you have to have digital theaters. So it would promote my idea of digital theaters.’ Then when I saw the test that we did of Star Wars in 3D, I realized how great it was and how great it looked.  I became  fascinated with the idea of converting STAR WARS into 3D, which was  easier said than done.  It took us a long time to develop a structure in which we could actually do a really good conversion of a 2D film into a 3D film,” further shares Lucas.

“Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace” (3D) opens February 9 in  cinemas from 20^th Century Fox  to be distributed by Warner Bros.

In Cameron Crowe’s inspiring new film,” We Bought A Zoo,” Scarlett Johansson plays Kelly Foster, a plucky and hard working young woman who is dedicated to her job as a zoo keeper and passionate about the animals in her care.

Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) buys the zoo, Rosemoor Animal Park, in order to give his family a fresh start in life. His wife Katherine has recently died and he is looking for a new direction for himself and his two young children.  Running and restoring a dilapidated zoo is ostensibly an odd choice and Mee definitely takes on more than he bargained for. With the help of an eclectic staff  and with an assortment of adventures along the way, the family works to return the run down zoo to its former glory and to heal their own pain.

Q:        What type of woman is Kelly in this movie?

A:         “Kelly is incredibly driven and focused. She has dedicated her entire life to her job and she actually says in the film,  ‘I don’t have a life,  this is my whole life. I come here from morning to night and my friends are out enjoying themselves with different guys and going to bars.  I don’t do any of that stuff.’

Q:        What was the appeal and challenge of this character for you?

A:         “What I love about   Kelly is that she’s so totally matter of fact.  There’s nothing about her that’s vindictive.  She doesn’t really want anything from anybody except for an honest day’s work and I appreciate that sentiment. I have never had the opportunity to really play a girl who’s very pure and straightforward in her thinking.”

Q:        Did you have anything in common with Kelly and what did you bring to her?

A:         “Well I’ve always been someone who’s been a bit of a caretaker for my family and friends.  I guess for me it was about infusing the character with a softness. There can be a   tough edge to that type of female.  Often women who are running a business are portrayed in films  as tough broads and she’s not like that.”

Q:        What was it like working with Matt Damon?

A:         “I’ve always wanted to work with Matt. He is an incredible dramatic actor; there’s something very ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’ about him. He’s got a Cary Grant quality about him. He is also hysterically funny. We laughed so much on the film, we could barely get through our  takes. There’s nothing about Matt that is at all movie star-esque but he really is a true movie star.  He is warm and welcoming.”

Q:        Were there any scary moments for you with any of the animals?

A:         “Well you don’t go onto a film set knowing that you’re going to place 70 snakes in a bucket thinking  ‘this is a normal job’ (laughs).   We all had to get in there   and recapture an escaping shipment of exotic snakes: including pythons and anaconda and other non-venomous snakes. But I was fine because I had reptiles as a child. Now I do have dogs at home – a Chihuahua and a kind of Golden Retriever.

Q:        What is the film really all about do you think?

A:         “I think the story is about challenging yourself and coming out on top through hard work and perseverance.  It shows that anything is possible. I know that sounds like a bit  of a trite message, but I think there is a lot of truth in it.

Q:        Although there is bereavement, the film is very positive isn’t it?

A:         “I think this film is about human connections.  We don’t just have one big adventure in life; life is an adventure in itself, with all of its grief and surprise and romance and possibility. I’ve certainly experienced loss and most people that I know have experienced some form of loss. It causes you to be introspective and to grow. You grow from loss.”

With more than a decade of work under her belt, four-time Golden Globe nominee and BAFTA winner Scarlett Johansson is one of Hollywood’s most talented young actresses. Born and raised in New York, Johansson   won worldwide recognition at the age of 12 for her performance in Robert Redford’s “The Horse Whisperer.” She also starred in films  She received rave reviews and a ‘Best Actress’ Award at the Venice Film Festival for her starring role  in “Lost In Translation.” Her film credits also include “Ghost World,” “The Man Who Wasn’t There,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” “The Other Boleyn Girl,” “In Good Company,” “A Love Song For Bobby Long,” “Match Point,” “The Spirit,” “Girl With A Pearl Earring,” “The Island,” “The Black Dahlia,” “The Prestige” and “Iron Man 2.”

“We Bought A Zoo” opens January 18 in theaters from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

The chipmunks are at it again – bringing mayhem, music and adventure in their latest movie “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” with the returning cast Jason Lee as Dave Seville,  David Cross as Ian with the voices of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney, Anna Faris, Christina Applegate and Amy Poehler.

Stranded with the chipmunks and the chipettes in the island is Jenny Slate who plays Zoe.  Upon the group’s unexpected destination to a deserted island from their luxurious cruise – they meet Zoe, a castaway who’ve been in the island years before they’ve arrived. Arriving in their new home is in a way a kind of homecoming for the chipmunks though not necessarily a welcome one.  Being stranded on the island takes the Chipmunks full circle.  When we met them in the first movie, they were wild – living in the forest, foraging for nuts – and that all came very naturally for them.  Then, they became domesticated, famous, pampered, and civilized.  Now, finding themselves on a deserted island after all that domestication, they cannot figure out how to find a nut, or forage for anything but room service.”

On their first encounter, Theodore mistakes Zoe for a monster.  But soon finds out that the monster is a young woman whose island pals include  ‘Spalding,’ ‘Calloway,’ ‘Rawlings’, ‘Dunlop’ and ‘Nerf — respectively, a basketball, golf ball, baseball, tennis ball, and nerf football.  She enjoys extended chats with her anthropomorphized sports gear, all of whom have faces presumably drawn by Zoe.   The inadvertent discovery of some long-buried treasure adds to the dynamic – and danger – between Zoe and the Chipmunks/Chipettes.

Talented actress Jenny Slate joins the cast as the mysterious island dweller Zoe.  “Zoe was flying cargo jets, her plane crashed on the island, she’s been here for years and has become a little crazy because of being by herself. She’s managed to create a family of friends with the objects that she had on her plane,” says Slate. ”Zoe is a really cool adventurous person, but she is definitely feeling the effects of being alone in a jungle on a desert island for nine years. I see her as a combination of rough and tough and incredibly sensitive. She is not who she appears to be. I don’t want to give it away, but she’s trying to find her place in the world and to assert that she is worth something and there’s something on the island that she feels proves her worth.”

“I was really impressed by the scale of the production.  When I walked onto the set, my heart beat faster because it reminded me of those classic family movies, like ‘Swiss Family Robinson.’  And the story – domesticated, fancy chipmunks being stranded on a crazy, mysterious island! It’s eternally exciting!” Slate shares.

Jenny Slate is a former cast member of Saturday Night Live.  In 2009, Jenny presented her one-lady show, Jenny Slate: Dead Millionaire, to sold-out audiences in New York and Los Angeles, and revived it at UCB in 2010. Last season, Jenny joined the Saturday Night Live cast as featured performer and created such memorable characters like “Tina Tina,” the doorbell saleslady. Before joining SNL, Jenny was cast in the HBO comedy series “Bored to Death,” as Stella, the stoner girlfriend to Jason Schwartzman. Jenny will soon be seen in “This Means War” with Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy and Chris Pine to be released by Twentieth Century Fox.

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” opens January 8 from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. nationwide.

Twenty twelve is shaping up to be another banner year for Warner Bros. whose upcoming line-up consists of the formidable tent-pole releases (“The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Hobbit”), blockbuster sequels (“Wrath of the Titans,” “Sherlock Holmes 2”), potential franchise-starters (“Jack and the Giant Killer,” “Dark Shadows”) and prestige titles (“Gravity,” “J. Edgar”). With all these surefire bets, what’s not to like?

The Dark Knight Rises. The epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Christian Bale again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Marion Cotillard, as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes the first of two films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.

Wrath of the Titans. A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus (Sam Worthington) —the demigod son of Zeus (Liam Neeson)—is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. But Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades (Ralph Fiennes) makes a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus.

Jack, the Giant Killer. An ancient war is reignited when a young farmhand (Nicholas Hoult) unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. “X-Men’s” Bryan Singer directs.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) has always been the smartest man in the room…until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large—Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris)—and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may give him an advantage over the renowned detective.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. In this follow-up to the 2008 worldwide hit “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” the new 3D family adventure begins when young Sean (Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist. Unable to stop him from going, Sean’s new stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson), joins the quest.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Nicolas Cage returns as Johnny Blaze who’s still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter. He is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy from the devil. At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy – and possibly rid himself of his curse forever.

Dark Shadows. Director Tim Burton brings the cult classic series to the big screen in a film featuring an all-star cast, led by Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter.

Rock of Ages. The film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical tells the story of small town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock ‘n’ roll romance is told through the heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake, and more. Tom Cruise leads the powerhouse cast.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name, this drama starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock tells the story of one young boy’s journey from heartbreaking loss to the healing power of self-discovery, set against the backdrop of the tragic events of September 11.

J. Edgar. During his lifetime, J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio) would rise to be the most powerful man in America. As head of the FBI for nearly 50 years, he would stop at nothing to protect his country. The Clint Eastwood film explores the personal and public life and relationships of a man who could distort the truth as easily as he upheld it during a life devoted to his own idea of justice, often swayed by the darker side of power.

The Apparition. When frightening events start to occur in their home, young couple Kelly (Ashley Greene) and Ben (Sebastian Stan) discover they are being haunted by a presence. Their last hope is an expert in the supernatural (Tom Felton), but even with his help they may already be too late to save themselves from this terrifying force…

The Lucky One. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive—a photograph he found of a woman he doesn’t even know. Learning her name is Beth (Taylor Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door. Despite her initial mistrust, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm.

Gangster Squad. A colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time. The film stars Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling as the LAPD’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters; Sean Penn as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen and Emma Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s moll and the object of Wooters’ attention.

Rivals. Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis play rival politicians in a small congressional district in South Carolina.

Argo. Based on true events, the film chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis—the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. Ben Affleck stars and directs.

Burt Wonderstone. Steve Carell and Jim Carrey star in this comedy that deals with rival stage magician teams in Las Vegas. The titular Wonderstone, is one half of a two-man group who has to rediscover his love of magic after the loss of his partner.

Prisoners. A desperate father (Michael Fassbender) turns vigilante and abducts the man he suspects is behind the disappearance of his eight year old daughter and her best friend, after cops fail to find the little girls.

Gravity. A 3D space film about the leader of a team posted at a remote space station. While he (George Clooney) and a female colleague (Sandra Bullock) are traveling outside the space station, the other team members are decimated by debris from an exploded satellite.

A heartwarming, fun adventure about the healing bonds of family, both human and animal, Warner Bros.’ “Dolphin Tale” introduces the screen’s cutest, most adorable mammal star yet – the dolphin Winter.

In the film based on real events, a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap, severely damaging her tail.  She is rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, where she is named Winter.  But her fight for survival has just begun.  It will take the expertise of a dedicated marine biologist, the ingenuity of a brilliant prosthetics doctor, and the unwavering devotion of a young boy to bring about a groundbreaking miracle.

Playing the title role—as only she could—is Winter herself.  Director Charles Martin Smith recounts, “When we were prepping, there was the obvious question of how to depict Winter.  Because of the distinctive side-to-side wiggle that she developed to swim, which is also integral to the story, the best solution was to use the real Winter. The results were above and beyond our expectations.”

Before Winter could make her film debut, the production needed the cooperation of her real-life “family” at Clearwater Marine Aquarium or CMA, which came with certain ground rules.  The CEO of the Aquarium, David Yates, confirms, “I had many conversations with Charles and the producers because, first and foremost, I had to protect Winter; we wanted it to be a positive experience for her.  They also had to understand who we are and what we’re about because they were pretty much going to be dropping into the middle of our operations, and we had to make sure we didn’t, in any way, put any of our animals at risk.  From day one, they all said, ‘This is your call; whatever you say is how it’s going to be done.’  It turned out to be a fantastic partnership.”

Protecting Winter, as well as the other animals who call CMA home, was also imperative to the filmmakers.  Producer Broderick Johnson attests, “In certain scenes, we incorporated some CGI and animatronics because Winter’s safety came first.  But, whenever possible, what you’re seeing is her because the true essence of this amazing animal could only be conveyed by Winter herself.”

The filmmakers made another important decision to better capture Winter’s habitat on the screen.  Says Smith, “There are two environments in this movie: one on land and another underwater.  I wanted a way to pull people into that second world, so we decided to shoot the film in 3D.  In the opening sequence, where we meet Winter swimming free in the ocean with her pod, it gives you the sense of gliding through the water with the dolphins.  The ability to share that with audiences was the main benefit of 3D.  And I tried to recreate that feeling later in the movie, when Sawyer swims with Winter.”

Producer Andrew Kosove concludes, “I think one of the best things about this film is that moviegoers can meet and fall in love with Winter, as we all did.”

Without exception, the human cast of “Dolphin Tale” did fall in love with their aquatic co-star. “I was looking forward to getting to work with Winter,” Morgan Freeman says. “I know she’s the real star of the movie, so I just tried to ingratiate myself,” he laughs.

Opening across the Philippines on Oct. 5 in 3D and regular theaters, “Dolphin Tale” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.