10 secret things you never knew about “THE LION KING”

With Walt Disney Pictures' “The Lion King 3D” about to be released for the first time in theaters, we step back in time to uncover some fun facts and top secrets about the animated blockbuster…

SECRET # 1

THE ORIGINAL TITLE OF THE MOVIE WASN’T ‘THE LION KING’

“When I first started work on The Lion King, the movie was called King Of The Jungle,” reveals the film’s producer Don Hahn. “King Of The Jungle was a metaphor for this allegorical story about human behavior. We were thinking about the idea of how it’s a jungle out there and Simba has to exist in this jungle. However, there was no jungle in our story; they’re out on a savannah. Another title we looked into was King Of The Beasts, which made more sense because a lion is the king of beasts – but then we threw that out because we wanted to focus on a simple story about a lion king. At that stage we thought, ‘Why not call it The Lion King?’ The story is about a kid who wants to be king and his uncle frames him for murder, so he grows up in the wilderness and then he has to come back to claim his throne. That’s the whole story, and it’s all about a lion king, so the name stuck.”

SECRET #2

PRIDE ROCK WAS CREATED IN BURBANK!

“We took a trip to Kenya to research the animals and the landscape for the movie,” explains The Lion King co-director Roger Allers. “There wasn’t much time for sketching during the trip because the animals were always very quick, but we did a lot of photo research and we absorbed the feel of the landscape and the weather. In the movie, Pride Lands is modeled after many different areas of Kenya. There are certain things lifted from the landscape around the Samburu District, but we used a variety of inspirations. Many people try to say, “Pride Rock is based on this mountain here.” But they are wrong. An artist in Burbank invented Pride Rock.

SECRET #3

ZAZU WAS ORIGINALLY A SMALLER SPECIES OF BIRD

“In the early stages of development, Zazu was a little, pointy-beaked bird,” reveals co-director Roger Allers. “I can’t remember the exact species, but we decided to change him into something very different after our research trip to Africa. We kept seeing these wonderful hornbill birds hopping around the place and they had so much character. The upward curve of their beak suggested a sense of haughtiness to them; and at the same time they had wonderful feathery legs that looked like they were wearing pajama bottoms. They looked so funny and they had so much personality that we knew Zazu would have to be a hornbill. It really added to his character.”

SECRET#4

IT TOOK NINE MONTHS TO CONVERT THE MOVIE INTO 3D

“When I first heard that The Lion King was going to be converted into 3D, I wasn’t sure it could be done,” reveals producer Don Hahn. “However, I was blown away by the results. It looks fantastic! All in all, it took about nine months to complete the process. We spent the first three months preparing and testing the shots, followed by six months of actual production work.”

SECRET #5

THE CREATIVE TEAM BROUGHT REAL LIONS INTO THE ANIMATION STUDIO TO RESEARCH THEIR MOVEMENTS

“When Walt Disney worked on Bambi, he brought a variety of forest animals into the animation studio for research,” reveals The Lion King co-director Rob Minkoff. “The artists could see how the animals looked up close and they could observe how they moved around, so it was a great way to study the wildlife. That inspired us to bring real lions and cubs into the studio to research the animals of The Lion King. A very famous animal expert called Jim Fowler, who was the host of a television show called Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, brought the animals in for us. It was very exciting and very informative for all of the animators working on the movie.”

SECRET #6

RAFIKI WAS A VERY DIFFERENT CHARACTER IN EARLY VERSIONS OF THE STORY

“In the early stages of production, the character of Rafiki was very different to the character you see in the finished film,” admits co-director Roger Allers. “In early versions of the story, Rafiki was a serious counselor to the king. He was a very wise man, so we hired the actor Robert Guillaume to do the voice. However, by the time Robert came into record the voice, the character had completely changed. We had come up with the idea of Rafiki being more of a crazy hermit monk. He was now a wacky and mysterious character with a mystical side and a wisdom that shows through occasionally – but a very playful, nutty side too. Robert is a very dignified person and this wasn’t what he had signed up for, so we spent the first recording session trying to find the voice and the laugh of Rafiki. Robert nailed it that day and the rest is history.”

SECRET #7 

NATHAN LANE AND ERNIE SABELLA ORIGINALLY AUDITIONED FOR THE ROLE OF THE HYENAS

“The casting process for The Lion King was extremely long and very involved,” explains co-director Rob Minkoff. “We went through lots of different ideas for the various roles in the movie, but two of the great successes were Timon and Pumbaa. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella were performing in a Broadway production of Guys And Dolls in 1992, when The Lion King was being made. They came to an audition in New York and they bumped into each other in the lobby, which is when they discovered they were both auditioning for the roles of hyenas. They asked the casting director if they could audition together and they were hilarious as they read their lines, but they didn’t seem right for the hyenas. That’s when we thought, ‘What if we use them as Timon and Pumbaa?’ It was the perfect fit.”

SECRET #8

THE HAKUNA MATATA SONG WASN’T IN THE ORIGINAL SCRIPT

“In the early stages of production, we had a song called He’s Got It All Worked Out in the movie,” reveals co-director Rob Minkoff. “We wanted a fun, bug-eating song because we wanted to convey the idea that Simba is not being a lion when he meets Timon and Pumbaa; he’s giving up his lion ways and he’s moving into this new life away from his home. However, we couldn’t convince everybody that making the entire song about eating bugs was a good idea. Soon after, the research team came back from their trip to Africa with the phrase ‘Hakuna Matata’. We talked about it in a meeting with Tim Rice – and that’s when the idea struck. I remember Tim saying, ‘Hmmm… Hakuna Matata. It’s a bit like Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.’ A song was born!”

SECRET #9

PUMBAA’S BELLY-RUBBING WAS INSPIRED BY AN ANIMATOR’S WIFE

“My wife was pregnant with our first child during the time I was working on The Lion King,” explains animator Tony Bancroft. “If you watch a pregnant woman –– you’ll notice that they like to rub their bellies. It makes them feel comfortable. It’s appeasing. Well, I used to watch my wife rubbing her belly and it made me think, ‘That would be such a fun element to put into Pumbaa since he’s a big, fat guy.’ When you see Pumbaa lying on his back staring up at the stars in the movie, you’ll notice he does that gesture. I animated that scene and I had him stroking his stomach softly like a pregnant woman because it seemed so natural. It makes him more human and relatable.”

SECRET #10

THE FILMMAKERS ORIGINALLY WANTED CHEECH AND CHONG TO PLAY THE HYENAS IN THE MOVIE

“We had a really tough time finding the right voices for the hyenas in the movie,” reveals co-director Rob Minkoff. “Gary Trousdale, one of the directors of Beauty And The Beast, helped us out in the early stages of development and he created an entire storyboard of the hyenas as if they were played by Cheech and Chong. It was hilarious, but Cheech and Chong weren’t working together at the time, so we knew we wouldn’t be able to book the pair for the roles. Around that same time we heard that Whoopi Goldberg was interested in the film and when we asked her if she’d like to voice a hyena she said, ‘Yeah, great.’ So we got Cheech and Whoopi instead of Cheech and Chong!”

(Opening across the Philippines in Dec. 14, “The Lion King 3D” is distributed locally by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.)

HILARY SWANK, KATHERINE HEIGL, LEA MICHELE light up “NEW YEAR’S EVE”

If you can have Hilary Swank, Katherine Heigl, Michelle Pfeiffer and Lea Michele for the holidays, it won't be just another New Year's Eve. Director Garry Marshall assemble these talented ladies together for New Line Cinema's romantic comedy “New Year’s Eve” which celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts, with intertwining stories told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year.

The focal point of the film is the countdown to 2012, represented by the ceremonial “ball drop” in Times Square. Imagine one person being responsible for seeing that this spectacle goes off without a hitch, live, while the eyes of the world watch… and that would be Claire, portrayed by Hilary Swank.

Swank, who trained with her real-life counterpart for the role, admits, “I had no idea of what goes on behind the scenes. As an audience member you think someone pushes a button and it just happens, but there is so much that can go wrong. From the time you meet Claire to where the story ends there are a lot of dramatic and funny things that happen on that platform, any of which could potentially ruin the entire event—not to mention her career.”

As she struggles with the logistics of keeping it all on track, while holding the media at bay and trying to keep everyone’s midnight appointment with tradition, she is privately mindful of another important appointment she means to keep when all the hoopla is over.

Katherine Heigl plays Laura, the girl Jon Bon Jovi’s character, Jensen, let slip away. Although still hurt and angry about the way they parted a year ago, Laura has gone on with her life and earned her own measure of success, parlaying her culinary talents into a growing catering business. Tonight she’s handling her highest-profile job ever: an exclusive New Year’s Eve bash for the rich and famous… at which Jensen is scheduled to perform.

“It all comes to a head at the party,” says Heigl. “Their meeting is immediately contentious. Without warning, Laura just slaps him, out of nowhere, and storms off, and then you realize they have a history. They were serious about each other once but he moved on without any explanation. He broke her heart and she’s been harboring a lot of resentment ever since, just dreaming of the day when she could let him have it.”

Unbeknownst to Jensen, there could be more trouble ahead. Making her feature film debut, Broadway and television star Lea Michele appears as Elise, the rocker’s newly hired back-up singer, who just got unexpectedly delayed en route to the concert. It’s the worst possible luck, tonight of all nights, on the brink of her first big break. Adding insult to injury, Elise is stuck for the unknown duration with what appears to be the only guy for miles around who could make things even worse: the cynical Randy (Ashton Kutcher).

“It doesn’t start well,” says Michele of the strained exchange between Elise and Randy. “Out of the thousands of people celebrating that night, Elise can’t understand why she got stuck with this one. But as time passes they get to know each other a little. She’s a singer and he’s an artist so they discover that they have more similarities than differences. She’s also curious about what happened to make him feel the way he does.”

An expert on the subject of regrets, Ingrid is “a meek, unassuming soul who has walked the same small circuit of her neighborhood and worked the same thankless job without complaint her entire adult life,” says Michelle Pfeiffer, who takes on the role of the easily overlooked assistant. “Afraid of her own shadow, she’s carved out a simple, safe existence that won’t throw her any surprises.”

Even so, there are surprises in store for her. Ingrid has a heart-pounding brush with mortality and it turns her life around in a dramatic way. Reviewing a list of long-unfulfilled New Year’s resolutions, she finally summons the courage to quit her job, which is the first item on it, and embarks on a quest to cross off as many of the remaining items as possible before the clock strikes twelve.

Opening across the Philippines on Dec. 8, “New Year’s Eve” is a New Line Cinema presentation distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

ALECIA MOORE (aka P!NK) lends voice to Gloria in “HAPPY FEET 2”

When Warner Bros.' highly anticipated sequel “Happy Feet 2” begins, “It’s party time,” says director George Miller, “and at the center of everything are Mumble and Gloria. Gloria is singing, Mumble is dancing, and everyone is inspired by the rhythm and chemistry between the two.”

Mumble has grown up to be a respected leader within the Emperor penguin community. And if Mumble is the undisputed dance champ of Emperor Land, his mate Gloria is the undeniable diva. For the role of this powerhouse songstress, the filmmakers turned to Alecia Moore, also known as triple Grammy-winning recording artist P!nk. “P!nk was a natural for the role, and has been really superb,” says director Miller. “She had sung in the opening of the first movie and wanted to be involved again because she’s compassionate and a great animal lover. So for this one, in addition to voicing Gloria, she wrote the wonderful lullaby called ‘Bridge of Light,’ with Billy Mann.”

No stranger to a recording booth, Moore was nonetheless a little nervous about making her voice acting debut. Watching other cast members helped to change that. She recounts, “I got to watch Brad [Pitt] and Matt [Damon] not only record some of their dialogue, but they also had to sing. They just went for it, and I thought, ‘Wow, I really have nothing to fear in there.’”

Producer Doug Mitchell says, “When it came to Alecia’s turn to record, of course, she totally nailed it. She’s a great professional and a lovely person. Her song, ‘Bridge of Light,’ is wonderful and touches on one of the great themes in the movie.”

Alecia Moore (P!nk) has sold over 40 million albums and 65 million singles worldwide, winning three Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, and one World Music Award. P!nk has cemented her spot as one of the biggest female artists of the past decade, and the top five touring artist in the world with her record-breaking Funhouse World Tour, which elevated her from an arena performer to a global stadium act.

In 2010, “Raise Your Glass,” the lead single on her compilation album celebrating a decade of success, Greatest Hits…So Far!!!, became P!nk’s tenth Top 10 hit. It was her second solo number one hit, following 2008’s "So What" from the album Funhouse, which also notched an additional three Top 20 hits.

P!nk’s previous albums include the 2000 debut Can't Take Me Home; 2001’s worldwide success Missundaztood; 2003’s Try This, which earned her a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal performance for the single “Trouble”; and 2006’s I'm Not Dead, which generated five hit singles, including “U + Ur Hand” and “Who Knew,” which both went on to number one on the pop chart. Rated number 13 on Billboard’s 2000-2009 list of Artists of the Decade and number one Pop Song Artist of the Decade, she was also voted Best Recording Artist in 2009. 

Opening across the Philippines on Nov. 23 in IMAX 3D, 2D and regular theaters, “Happy Feet 2” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

House star HUGH LAURIE does animation | Voices Steve in ARTHUR CHRISTMAS

Known for possessing a keen eye for the complex characters he creates, actor Hugh Laurie currently brings that talent to his work on the critically acclaimed series, "House" and on Sony Pictures Animation Studio's upcoming 3D holiday adventure “Arthur Christmas.”

The film at last reveals the incredible, never-before-seen answer to every child's question: “So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?” The answer: Santa's exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the heart of the film is a story with the ingredients of a Christmas classic – a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero: Santa’s youngest son, Arthur. When this amazing operation misses one child out of hundreds of millions, the least capable Claus embarks on a hilarious, exciting rogue mission against the clock to deliver the last present before Christmas morning dawns.

Hugh Laurie joins the cast as Steve, Santa Claus' eldest son. “Hugh is marvelous as Steve,” says co-screenwriter Sarah Smith. “The character is incredibly cool and slightly in love with himself – the kind of character that just doesn’t quite get it. But Hugh completely gets it, and gave us a beautiful and funny performance.”

“Steve isn’t the head of the operation. As part of the Claus family, he plays a subordinate Claus,” says Laurie. “But that is a terrible joke, unforgiveable, and if you use that, I will sue.”

Steve is the hereditary heir to the Claus reign. He’s extremely qualified for the job, having introduced high-tech efficiency, military-style precision and the S-1: a mile-wide, invisible sleighship. Steve has dreamed of being Santa all his life; he’s even redesigned the Santa suit into something more akin to Versace than Saint Nick. But Steve might still have a little catching up to do in the heart department.

“For Steve, running Christmas is the biggest challenge he could ask for,” says Smith. “It’s like he’s running FedEx, UPS, and an army, all at once. But he’s frustrated, because he can’t take what he sees as his rightful place as Santa Claus.”

“Steve takes himself a bit too seriously – he’s sort of laughable at times, because he gets it so wrong,” says Laurie, “But we all do that from time to time. He’s a very confident fellow who has plans for modernizing and updating the operation – he’s looking to run a state-of-the-art Christmas and he’s impatient with the softer, fluffier sides of the holiday. He’s driven to maximize the gift-giving. He might not have all the social skills you’d want in a boss, but he’s just doing things the way he thinks they ought to be done.”

Opening across the Philippines in Dec. 08 in 3D and regular cinemas, “Arthur Christmas” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

CD Review: GAIL BLANCO "Sweet Love" - Sophisticated and outstanding!

For someone who collects easy listening, classical, jazz and opera, it's very rare that I come across an album where I don't find anything to complain about. Yeah, yeah... Purist as you might call me but I believe in remaining faithful to genres and music periods. That is why there are periods of music! Remaining faithful to the composer's intentions is very important and thus must be honored.

I remember when I interviewed Babyface during his press conference here in Manila. It was for his Playlist concert tour and my main question was about how he remained faithful to the original versions of songs like Wonderful Tonight and Longer. Quite simply he said "It's to pay tribute. And those songs are beautiful as they are."

And that day, I felt great. Because it validated my belief that a great musician does not just create music, but respects music just as much.

I've always believed in Gail Blanco even way before she released this album. A lady who sings with grace, elegance and taste. She possesses what I will call one of the most alluring voices. Sultry, sexy, smoky and unique. 

And that is exactly what she does in this much awaited album Sweet Love "16 Easy-Listening Favorites." An amazing compilation of hits that places a performer's musicianship to the test. 

The album opens with a classic hit Initial Thrill. A most interesting arrangement that introduces Gail's voice softly and allows it to be appreciated and get your attention. It is smartly followed by a Janet Jackson hit "Let's Wait A While" which automatically makes one stop in his tracks and wins one over to continue listening without pressing forward. Then comes the next track "It's You" which seals the initial impression that one is bound to enjoy not just a great playlist, but an amazing singer who will make you think if she is indeed Filipina. There is even a point in her duet with Jed Madela wherein she makes Jed sound so Pinoy. They sing together well, but somehow, she outshines her male partner and gives a more international flavor. Maybe a Chad Borja or Leo Valdez may have been better choices as partners. 

Track after track it engages you. Pleasant, such ease, such beauty, and most of all... Such confidence! Never in any part of the album will you hear Gail sing out too much. Every treatment is just right but boasts of intelligent singing. Proving that Gail's artistry is indeed of another level. I feel strongly that this is album that should be marketed to audiophile groups. Followers of Astrud Gilberto, Sergio Mendes and Carol Kidd will surely be pleased. A recording that I can confidently place alongside my international jazz and easy-listening recordings.

So much money is wasted on acts like those wannabee acoustic starlets who can barely sing. Worst, they sing rinky-dink arrangements of songs obviously not well thought of. Huge hits that they bastardize and make careers out of. No, I am not going to compare Gail to any local singer, she is a class of her own. But if you must buy a CD, then this is the one.

There is so much to love in this album. From the raw and vulnerable versions of "In My Life" (Patti Austin) and "Hiding Inside Myself" (Kenny Rankin), to a small but commanding delivery of "Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye" (Sergio Mendes), a refreshing "Follow Your Road" (Pauline Wilson) and oh so sophisticated "Through The Fire" (Chaka Khan).  

Gail Blanco deserves to be heard. I highly recommend this CD. Not just for the great songs and great singing, but for the extremely outstanding musicianship delivered by Gail. A CD I guarantee you will listen to always.

The Album

GAIL BLANCO | Sweet Love "16 Easy-Listening Favorites

Label: Universal Records 

1. Initial Thrill

2. Let's Wait Awhile

3. It's You

4. Sometimes A Love Goes Wrong

5. Fallen

6. Tonight I Give In

7. In My Life

8. You Touched My Life

9. Hiding Inside Myself

10. The Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye

11. Follow Your Road

12. Forever Blue

13. Just Because

14. Through The Fire

15. Here Comes The Sun

16. Night Bird

Ooohhh... A new Disney/Pixar film!!! BRAVE - trailer and still!!!

The new trailer for Disney/Pixar's upcoming, Scotland-set animated feature “Brave” has just been revealed by the studio.

Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In “Brave,” a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts.

Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane).

Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

“Brave” is a grand adventure full of heart, memorable characters and the signature Pixar humor enjoyed by audiences of all ages. The film takes aim at Philippine theaters on August 2012, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.

Damn! Haven't been this excited in a long time! THE AVENGERS banners - up online!

A couple of banners has just been unveiled for “Marvel's The Avengers”!

Marvel Studios presents “Marvel’s The Avengers”—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in Philippine theaters on May 2012.

New Twilight characters? Hahaha! THE MUPPETS go vampy! I love it!!!

In anticipation of the opening of the new family comedy “The Muppets,” Disney has just released new character posters taking a visual cue from “Twilight.”

Check out the hilarious images below of Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and Rowlf as Bella Swine, Vamphibian and WereRowlf, respectively.

In “The Muppets,” the world's biggest Muppet fan, Walter, his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage a telethon and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate.

Opening across the Philippines on February 2012, “The Muppets” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

 

BRAD PITT & MATT DAMON | The hilarious tiny duo Will & BIll in HAPPY FEET 2!!!

Warner Bros.' animated adventure “Happy Feet 2” introduces new characters of every dimension, from the largest scale to very tiny creatures.” In fact, the tiniest of the film’s creatures are voiced by two of today’s biggest stars: Brad Pitt and Matt Damon as Will and Bill The Krill.

One of the film's most spectacular adventures is undertaken by the small fry. “It's the journey of two tiny krill, Will and Bill,” director George Miller says. “They live in a great biomass of billions and billions of krill that move with the tides…they're the bottom and the basis of the food chain. Every animal up the chain relies on krill. And in the middle of these indistinguishable billions are Bill and Will, played by Damon and Pitt. Will decides that he feels he's different from everyone else around him and he ventures outside the swarm. Will wants to evolve higher up the food chain. Bill, on the other hand, is terrified. He just wants to stay and continue to behave exactly like all the other krill.”

Miller was happy to have the opportunity to pair Damon and Pitt in the recording studio to capture both their irrepressible banter…and their singing. “They were really very free, working off each other, because they know each other so well. Matt Damon can sing, and Brad Pitt made it really clear upfront he couldn’t. But Brad just said, ‘This is a no-shame zone; I’m just going to go out there and give it a go,’ and he did remarkably well. His singing is in the movie.”

Damon admits, “The singing was a bit of a surprise. It was fun to just go for it and say, ‘What the hell?’ It’s definitely not my strong suit, but I figured, you gotta go loud or go home.”

It was lucky for the filmmakers that both Pitt and Damon were available to record together in the same studio. And both actors agree they were fortunate to have a filmmaker like George Miller to guide them. Damon observes, “There is a contagious fearlessness that comes from George. You see a guy who loves the project that much and you realize that what made the first movie great is that spirit. Brad and I were doing stuff we’ve never done in any kind of movie, animated or not. We left there thinking, ‘Now that was cool!’”

Co-producer Doug Mitchell adds, “We learned later on that Brad’s and Matt’s kids are fans of the first film, and I think it is safe to say that they had a lot to do with them taking the roles.”

One should never undervalue the contribution of the small. Filmmakers learned that lesson, as Bill Miller comments, “Do not underestimate the power of children to pester their parents to act in a film. Matt Damon told us he hadn’t even cracked open the screenplay to ‘Happy Feet Two’ before his daughter said, ‘Dad, you’re doing it.’ Matt really had no choice.”

Opening across the Philippines on Nov. 23 in IMAX 3D, 2D and regular theaters, “Happy Feet 2” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

HAYWIRE | Features MMA superstar GINA CARANO. Is she the next Angelina Jolie?

In fairness to the trailer, this gets your attention instantly. Within the first few seconds, the characters are slamming each other on the floor and heavy martial arts is let loose.

This is not a new genre, femme fatales have been the most powerful vehicles and have launched careers of Jennifer Garner (Alias), Angelina Jolie (Tomb Raider, Wanted), Mila Jovovich (Resident Evil) and many more. But what may be offered at least for a change is someone who actually does her own martial arts and is credible.

This dynamic action-thriller directed by Oscar® winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) boasts a talented cast that includes Channing Tatum (GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra), Ewan McGregor (The Ghost Writer), Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class), Antonio Banderas (The Legend of Zorro), Bill Paxton ("Big Love"), Michael Douglas (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps), Michael Angarano (Almost Famous); and introduces mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Gina Carano as Mallory Kane, in a demanding lead role that has her performing her own high-adrenaline stunts.

Mallory Kane is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the dirtiest, most dangerous corners of the world. After successfully freeing a Chinese journalist held hostage, she is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who know her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive. 

Using her black-ops military training, she devises an ingenious—and dangerous—trap. But when things go haywire, Mallory realizes she'll be killed in the blink of an eye unless she finds a way to turn the tables on her ruthless adversary.

Love 'em or hate 'em... They're comin' at ya! Adam Sandler is both JACK & JILL!

There's a pretty good number of people that hate Adam Sandler. But! There's a waayyy bigger number that loves him, and I am on of them! Hah! Suck on that!

I don't give a flying "F" if you hate him but we've got something exciting to look forward to. Sandler's new feature showcases him in two classic nursery rhyme characters, Jack and Jill. 

This hilarious offering of Columbia Pictures presents the new comedy together with Katie Holmes and Al Pacino.

In the film, Jack (Sandler) was living an almost perfect life, with the exception of one, annoying constant – his twin sister Jill (also played by Sandler). Every year he has to tolerate a Thanksgiving visit from his smothering sister, who doesn’t take long to turn his life upside down. As the weekend intrusion starts stretching into a month, the siblings fight, tease, and bicker in the way only twins can. When it becomes clear Jill is never leaving, Jack sets into motion several schemes that he hopes will return Jill to where he loves her most – the other side of the country.

Director Dennis Dugan re-teams with Sandler for the eighth time on “Jack and Jill.” “What I found interesting was that somewhere partway through the production I thought of Adam as playing Jack, but I thought of Jill as if she were her own person. Adam didn’t walk around off-camera acting like Jill, but after a while, it was as if Jill was a woman we hired who happened to look remarkably like Adam!”

Opening soon across the Philippines, “Jack and Jill” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visi thttp://www.columbiapictures.com.ph for trailers, exclusive content and free downloads. Like us at www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and join our fan contests.

So, will you be watching? I know I am! :o)

JAMES McAVOY | Voice of Santa Claus' son in “ARTHUR CHRISTMAS”

“Santa’s my dad!,” exclaims British actor James McAvoy who provides the voice to the title role of Arthur, Santa Claus' youngest son, in Sony Pictures Animation Studios' new, 3D family comedy “Arthur Christmas.”

“Arthur believes in Christmas, and not just because he’s been born into the family business,” says McAvoy. “He believes it in his soul – there’s nobody else in the world who cares about Christmas more than Arthur.”

“Arthur Christmas” at last reveals the incredible, never-before-seen answer to every child's question: “So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?” The answer: Santa's exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the heart of the film is a story with the ingredients of a Christmas classic – a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero: Santa’s youngest son, Arthur. When this amazing operation misses one child out of hundreds of millions, the least capable Claus embarks on a hilarious, exciting rogue mission against the clock to deliver the last present before Christmas morning dawns.

Despite living in a world devoted year-round to the business of Christmas, Arthur LOVES everything to do with the season. He is especially passionate about what Santa – who he adores as both dad and figurehead – means to children, whose identities sometimes get lost in the huge logistics of the operation. Trouble is, in the ultra-efficient, high-tech delivery operation of Christmas, Santa’s youngest son is a spare part. Allergic to snow and suffering from a fear of heights, reindeer, and high-speed travel, Arthur isn’t exactly a natural Claus. The family loves him – but has never quite known what to do with him. And although Arthur’s office in the Letters Department is a chaotic mess of snow globes and pictures of Santa, it’s a magical little corner where Arthur alone revels in the joy of it all.

“Arthur reads every single letter that comes to the North Pole, because he believes that every child deserves to receive a present at Christmastime,” says McAvoy. “You know, he’s relegated to the mailroom, because he’s caused a lot of accidents at the North Pole, but it’s just perfect for him – he gets to read these letters about the importance and the essence of Christmas, every second of every day.”

“Arthur cannot bear the idea of a kid waking up on Christmas morning and finding out that Santa didn’t come,” says co-screenwriter Sarah Smith. “Arthur sees the world through that kid’s eyes – it would be the end of the world.”

“Arthur is a fanboy and a workhorse for Christmas,” McAvoy continues. “He wouldn’t want to do anything else – he lives for Christmas. It’s exciting to play somebody that fulfilled because you get to keep increasing the energy, as the character tries to maintain that fulfillment.”

“The movie is really funny and very clever,” McAvoy concludes. “It’s ingenious, inventive, irreverent, different, and funny – I suppose that’s what drew all of us to do it.”

Opening across the Philippines in December, “Arthur Christmas” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

Get into the Circle Of Life of “THE LION KING 3D”

Set against the breathtaking natural beauty, mysticism and diversity of the African landscape, captured and stylized by a team of top artistic talents, Disney’s 32nd full-length animated film “The Lion King” is a uniquely entertaining coming-of-age allegory based on an original story that has since joined the ranks of classic fairy tales and literary favorites. And now, the popular classic is in 3D for the first time ever.

“‘The Lion King’ is essentially a love story between a father and son,” says producer Don Hahn. “It’s about that moment in life when you realize that your father is going to pass on to you his wisdom and knowledge. The Circle of Life. Someday we all become adults. The baton will be passed on to us and we’re going to have to grow up.”

An original story, breathtaking animation, beloved characters and award-winning music set the stage for “The Lion King,” a Disney classic that follows the adventures of Simba, the feisty lion cub who “just can’t wait to be king.” But his envious Uncle Scar has plans for his own ascent to the throne, and he forces Simba’s exile from the kingdom. Alone and adrift, Simba soon joins the escapades of a hilarious meerkat named Timon and his warmhearted warthog pal, Pumbaa.

Adopting their carefree lifestyle of “Hakuna Matata,” Simba ignores his real responsibilities until he realizes his destiny and returns to the Pride Lands to claim his place in the Circle of Life. The all-star vocal talents—including Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Ernie Sabella, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Robert Guillaume, Cheech Marin and Moira Kelly—plus the rip-roaring comedy and uplifting messages of courage, loyalty and hope make this a timeless tale for all ages.

According to co-director Roger Allers, “The real heart and emotional underpinning of the whole story is the father-son relationship. At one point in the film, Simba steps into his father’s paw print and we see this image of his little paw in an enormous print. It is very symbolic. When his father is taken away from him too soon, he feels unworthy and inadequate. My favorite part of the film is when his father returns in ghost form and tells him that his spirit lives on in his son.”

Co-director Rob Minkoff adds: “We set out to do something very different from the things that had been done before. ‘Aladdin,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’ were all basically love stories, and this one is more about the relationship between a father and a son. It is just as crucial and interesting in its own way, but a real different subject and a change of pace from other Disney films.”

Recalls actor Nathan Lane, who provides the voice of Timon, “They showed us two clips from the movie and I thought to myself, ‘Well, not only is this good, there’s something very special about this.’ Obviously, there’s something in [the film] that touches people—it’s why it was hugely successful and why it stays with people. [The filmmakers] worked for a long time to get the story right and that’s why these films work and why they’re considered classics.”

Matthew Broderick (voice of Simba) remembers the first time he saw the film with an audience. “There’s nothing like sitting with a real audience,” he says. “I thought, ‘Wow, these children will take their children [someday].’ I could tell I was part of ‘Snow White.’ It felt like we were part of those movies that seem to live years and years through generations.”

Opening across the Philippines in December 2011, “The Lion King 3D” is distributed locally by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

“UNDERWORLD AWAKENING” U.S. poster revealed

Columbia Pictures' upcoming action horror-thriller “Underworld Awakening” brings a stunning new dimension to the epic battle between Vampires and Lycans, as the first movie in the franchise to shoot in 3D.

Take your first look of the film's first domestic (U.S.) poster which Columbia Pictures has just released.

Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

Also starring Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley and Charles Dance, “Underworld Awakening” is directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein and co-written and co-produced by original director Len Wiseman.

Opening across the Philippines in January 2012, “Underworld Awakening” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.

ASHTON KUTCHER, ZAC EFRON, JOSH DUHAMEL | How about these men for “NEW YEAR’S EVE”?

A formidable line-up of A-list actors have enlisted for the party of the year in New Line Cinema's romantic comedy “New Year's Eve.” They are Jon Bon Jovi, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron and Ashton Kutcher.

Director Gary Marshall reunited with his “Valentine’s Day” screenwriter Katherine Fugate to bring audiences the quintessential film about the beloved holiday, “New Year's Eve.” “We wanted a story of first love and one of forgiveness, as well as stories about taking a risk, letting things go, revisiting an old flame, making amends, having a baby, starting fresh… with love being the mitigating force through all of them,” explains Fugate.

The focal point for all this “New Year’s Eve” action is the countdown to 2012, represented by the ceremonial “ball drop” in Times Square. But the ball drop is only part of the show. The evening’s headline act, rock superstar Jensen, is set to kick off the festivities at 12:01 following an earlier gig at a private party nearby. Jensen is played by the multi-talented Jon Bon Jovi.

But even single-named international rock stars have problems and what’s troubling Jensen on this festive night is a heartache he’s been carrying too long, over a woman he left behind for the wrong reasons. “Now he’s trying to think of a way back into her life, a way to get back into her good graces, if that’s even possible,” Bon Jovi explains.

Ashton Kutcher plays Randy, a too-cool-to-care killjoy who has nothing good to say about anything, and especially about New Year’s Eve, against which he seems to hold some kind of grudge. Kutcher admits, “He’s a bit of a jerk. His holiday plan is to stay home and avoid the whole celebration because all the amateur partiers are crowding the streets—all those guys who don’t go out all year and then suddenly go bananas on New Year’s Eve—and he thinks he’s above all that.”

The story then moves to a man who has reason to feel even more cynicism. Confined to a hospital bed, Stan, played by Robert De Niro, is an acclaimed photojournalist who spectacularly cheated death in war zones around the world throughout his hard-driving career but is now coming to terms with an enemy he can’t evade. Stan admits to having alienated everyone he’s ever known. Now, refusing treatment, he is determined to hold on just long enough to watch the ball drop in Times Square one last time. Alone.

Zac Efron plays a confident young bike messenger named Paul who shares an adventure with Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer), an overlooked assistant who finally summons the courage to quit her job. If Paul provides the wheels and resourcefulness Ingrid needs to beat the clock, then she, in turn, can offer him the one thing he covets most on this night of revelry: tickets to the hottest party in town, the Ahern Records Masked Ball. Intended for her ungrateful boss, the tickets were the last thing Ingrid purposefully picked up on her way out the door.

Efron sees Paul as “an energetic, fun-loving guy who prides himself on being a wheeler-dealer, a guy who gets things done and nothing breaks his stride. When Ingrid strikes this deal with him, he knows he’s definitely the man for the job. But along the way, the party becomes secondary to what turns out to be an amazing New Year’s Eve, and he spends every minute of it helping her and making her happy. It’s a real testament to the power of spreading joy.”

Meanwhile, as these stories unfold, one New Yorker is desperately trying to get back into the city for two very important appointments. Sam, played by a tuxedoed Josh Duhamel, has just attended his best friend’s wedding in Connecticut and is driving back, pondering the direction of his life, when he collides with a road sign. Out of towing distance and with no body shops or rental agencies available on this special day, he’s forced to take an unconventional route home that could turn out to be the course-correction he needs most.

The evening is especially meaningful as it’s the first New Year’s Eve his family is commemorating since losing Sam’s father, and Sam is set to speak in his place at their annual gathering. As much as this weighs on his mind, he also can’t help thinking about the fascinating woman he met by chance on this very night one year ago.

“She wouldn’t give him her number. She said things were complicated for her and that if he was still interested next year they could meet at the same spot, same time,” Duhamel reveals. “As much as he thinks it’s crazy and tries to dismiss the idea, he wonders if she’ll be there now… and if she’ll be looking for him.”

Opening across the Philippines on December 2011, “New Year’s Eve” is a New Line Cinema presentation distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

ELIJAH WOOD & ROBIN WILLIAMS return in “HAPPY FEET 2!” See voice trailer here!

Original “Happy Feet” castmembers Elijah Wood and Robin Williams return to breathe life to beloved Penguin characters in Warner Bros.' adorable sequel, “Happy Feet 2.” (Watch the video featurette on the film's cast below)

In the film, Mumble -- The Master of Tap – has a problem because his tiny son, Erik, is choreo-phobic. Reluctant to dance, Erik runs away and encounters The Mighty Sven—a penguin who can fly! Mumble has no hope of competing with this charismatic new role model.

Elijah Wood reprises the role of the masterful tap-dancing penguin, whose unique talents have captured the hearts of so many. “I knew that George would never do a sequel unless it was something that he felt was true to the original story and that there was another compelling story to tell.”

In fact, the same things that attracted the actor to the original film have been reprised in the sequel. “There are beautiful environmental themes throughout, pointing to the change that is occurring in our world now, and how it’s affecting our precious animals,” Wood continues. “George handles it so well, just as he did in the first film. It’s woven into the piece in an organic way, along with the themes of love and identity. I think it’s especially good for young people to see a film like this and recognize that it’s ultimately the things that differentiate us from others that are our strongest defining characteristics. Those are qualities to be celebrated, not ashamed of.”

Mumble’s best friend also returns in the sequel: Ramon, the talkative Adelie penguin, who has been drawn to Emperor Land because he finds the senoritas altas alluring. Too bad they find him alarming.

Robin Williams again voices Ramon. “He is basically still the same incurable romantic. He still loves las chicas, but he has not found the bird of his dreams. And yet, he still has an image that he is a gift to all females, that they want him in the worst way. The Adelies all are very, very machismo; so though he is small, he is fierce.”

According to co-screenwriter Gary Eck, “Robin Williams just brought so much to the table. He came up with these lines, and we sit there and you say, ‘That’s great! We’ll use that! Sure, we spent eight months coming up with that line, but you just made it even better in two seconds. So, thank you!’” he laughs.

No matter how macho he is, a penguin can only take so much rejection from the opposite sex. Realizing he’ll have no luck with the Emperor ladies, Ramon journeys back to Adelie Land, where he finds that things have changed. Not only is the ‘New Adelie Land’ full of many different species of penguin, the place is more colorful—with patches of green peeking through the snow. And so is Lovelace, the guru Rockhopper Penguin who now sports a crazy rainbow sweater.

Lovelace is also voiced again by the multi-talented Williams, who points out, “Lovelace was rescued from an oil slick. A penguin loses buoyancy in a slick, so he was scrubbed up by humans—who the penguins refer to as ‘the aliens.’ But after being cleaned up, penguins lose some of the warmth of their feathers, so there are folks who knit little sweaters for rescued penguins. They can’t swim in them, but until they’re ready for release, they wear them. Lovelace’s is striped; he looks like a tiny colorful Rasta penguin.”

Opening across the Philippines on Nov. 23 in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and regular theaters, “Happy Feet 2” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Box office update: 'IMMORTALS' slashes competition with $15 million!!!

Could it be? It looks like some Greek gods, a cross-dressing comedian, and a Spanish kitty cat are actually breathing life into the dismal box office!

Relativity’s Tarsem Singh-directed 3-swords-and-sandals action flick Immortals easily topped the box office on Friday, fighting its way to a better-than-expected $15 million. That puts the picture on pace for a $37 million weekend, about half of what 300 opened to in 2007. Still, considering the rut the box office has been in this fall, a $37 million debut is pretty impressive.

In second, Adam Sandler’s latest comedy Jack and Jill laughed up (actually, there probably wasn’t much laughing involved) $9.9 million on its first day. Sony’s Adam Sandler comedy could earn $27 million over the Friday-to-Sunday period, but considering his other films typically open in the $40 million range, Jack and Jill will have to work hard to join the $100 million club.

Puss in Boots finished in third with $9 million. The Shrek spin-off will lose some of its audience to the family-friendly Jack and Jill, but it still has a good shot at passing that picture and reaching second place. In all likelihood, it will earn a similar $27 million.

Brett Ratner’s terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad week gets just a slight bit better thanks to Tower Heist dropping by an alright 40 percent to $4.9 million on Friday. The Eddie Murphy/Ben Stiller comedy may fall by 35 percent for the weekend to $15 million, lifting Tower Heist’s total to $45.5 million.

Rounding out the top 5 is J. Edgar, which earned $4.3 million and looks like it’s headed for an opening right in the same range as Clint Eastwood’s last picture, Hereafter, which found $4.1 million on its first day of wide release and earned $12 million over the entire frame.

Check back tomorrow for the full box office report.

1. Immortals – $15 million

2. Jack and Jill – $9.9 mil

3. Puss in Boots – $9 mil

4. Tower Heist – $4.9 mil

5. J. Edgar – $4.3 mil

THE REVIEW (by Adam Markovitz)

The ''producers of 300'' have gotten high billing in ads for Immortals, another swords-and-sandals mini-epic in which men dressed like Hellenic gay pride paraders wrestle and preen and cross swords (in a perfectly hetero-virile way, of course).

But once you've spent two hours watching amber waves of abs ripple across the screen, you might think bigger credit really ought to go to the actors' personal trainers. After all, it's the size of his pecs — and certainly not his personality — that designates Theseus (Henry Cavill) as this story's hero. He's a stonemason from a small village, and his single definable character trait — a hot temper — only serves to move him from one bicep-flexing fight to another with minimal dialogue in between.

The focus of most of his anger is King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke, chewing the scenery like a four-course meal), a tyrant out to conquer both the earth and Olympus by dint of a magical bow. Helping Theseus fight him are a sensual oracle (Freida Pinto) and the Olympians themselves, including fiery, brawny Zeus (Luke Evans) and fierier, brawnier Poseidon (Kellan Lutz). The gods of Homer and Virgil these ain't; Immortals' shaved-chest-thumping mythology owes more to Men's Health than to Bulfinch's.

Plot machinations ensue, though you won't much care — or understand, since the dialogue is all muttered in a Babel of pan-U.K. accents to underscore its pointlessness. But what saves Immortals as a moviegoing experience is the exuberant, kid-in-a-candy-store virtuosity of its director, former music-video wunderkind Tarsem Singh (The Cell). He has no apparent love or patience for storytelling, but Singh is a visualist on par with Julie Taymor and Tim Burton. He makes images of such overblown, pop-baroque splendor that the eyes have no choice but to gorge. Every landscape is a canvas for cartoon-crazy architecture, every body a mannequin for inhuman costumes, every battle blow a candidate for slo-mo glory. Without any narrative heft, these sights don't last in the mind much longer than they linger on screen. And yet they thrill in short-lived bursts that Singh doles out carefully, keeping pace with the audience's appetite. It's his name that ought to be above the title. B

Source: Inside Movies | Grady Smith

Fil-Am Hollywood actor and gay dad ALEC PAPA says goodbye to glamorous

Alec Mapa hosts the Fashion's Night Out celebration
in September at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.

America’s Gaysian Sweetheart talks about life as a new dad and how circuit parties prepared him for fatherhood.

Having a kid can change your life, and for gay comedian Alec Mapa, it can change your bathroom too.

Mapa has appeared on virtually every popular show on television, including Roseanne, Seinfeld, Friends, Dharma & Greg, and more recently, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, and Gossip Queens. Mapa is now appearing in a one-man show centering on his biggest accomplishment — becoming a father. Baby Daddy runs February 9 to 11 at the Laurie Beechman Theater in New York City.

He spoke with The Advocate about life as a new dad, why his home’s glam has turned to grime, and how circuit parties helped prepare him for fatherhood.

The Advocate: November is National Adoption Month. Did you ever think that you would become a spokesperson for gay parenting? 

Alec Mapa: Never. You have to understand that my role models as a kid were Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, Bette Midler, Cher, Lily Tomlin, and Carol Burnett. I was gonna be a glamorous, funny lady. I like to think that I achieved some semblance of that. But in all my daydreams I really didn't think I was going to be a parent or married. It just wasn't on my radar as a gay kid. Driving down Sunset and seeing my family on a banner promoting LGBT parenting is an experience so bizarre and surreal. I'm still processing it. Having said that, as a little boy I always played with dolls and all my imaginary play was about keeping house, so my life right now makes perfect sense. 

Is parenting as glamorous as it sounds? Any tips for new parents on how to stay fabulous while raising a toddler? 

If there's a way of making poop, barf, and pee glamorous, let me know. There's no parenting manual, class, or piece of literature that fully illustrates what a mess one little boy can make. My husband always ran a fairly tidy house, but now the effort of keeping things neat is sisyphean. We used to have a super-gay bathroom with gorgeous towels and bubble baths and cucumber water. It was like a spa at the Four Seasons. Now it's like a Porta Potti at Mardi Gras. Zion was 5 when he came to live with us, but his frustration level was infantile. As a gay man who's been on a lot of gay cruises and circuit parties, I'm no stranger to infantile behavior. Talking a toddler through a tantrum is pretty much the same thing as talking a circuit queen out of a K hole. Keep a calm, cool voice, maintain eye contact, and get them some place where they can't hurt themselves. 

Is “America’s Gaysian Sweetheart” strict? 

Yes. I'm not doing my son any favors by letting him act like a brat. It's not natural for little boys to have manners or sit still. They have to be taught — unless they're gay. 

Your character from Desperate Housewives, Vern, knew a thing or two about pageants. Do you think you would make a good pageant dad? 

Seriously, I think kiddie pageants are bad for everyone. 

If there was an “Adopt a Celebrity” program and you got Kim Kardashian, what fatherly advice would you give her? 

“If you want privacy, turn off the fucking camera.” I once saw Britney Spears at a Starbucks being besieged by the paparazzi and thought, Lady, do you really need a frappuccino every goddamn day? Buy a blender.

You grew up gay in a traditional and Catholic household. It sounds like the makings of a successful comedian. Was comedy always an outlet? 

Humor always defuses tense situations, and I found early on I was always able to get away with murder if I made people laugh. Consequently, my son has also learned that cracking me up is the quickest way to get out of trouble. I yelled at him in a grocery store because he was running into people. "Be considerate, this isn't a playground. You're not the only person here." He sighed and said, "And the Oscar goes to ... " It was hard to stay mad after that. 

My favorite tweet of yours lately is, “I wouldn't count Rick Perry out just yet. You can totally be an incomprehensible idiot from Texas and become President. Twice.” Which GOP candidate do you fear most? 

I grew up with Anita Bryant, Dan White, and John Briggs on the TV telling people that gays were evil. I lived through the callous disregard of Ronald Reagan and the smiling maliciousness of Jerry Falwell when all my friends were dying of AIDS. The political pendulum will always swing from the left to the right, but each time it swings back it seems like homophobia is less socially acceptable. It's getting harder and harder to equate any kind of hatred with intelligence. So, in answer to your question, I'm not all that afraid of anybody. What did Gandhi say? “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” I like to think we're about to win. 

You just shot a pilot for a new show. Can you give us a tease? 

I just shot a reality show pilot. It's a runway fashion show competition for dogs. It's going to be a huge.

Source: Jami Smith | Advocate

First-look: Poster and trailer of Dwayne Johnson's “JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND”

Warner Bros. jumpstarts the buzz for “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” as it launches the film’s poster and trailer online.

In this follow-up to the 2008 worldwide hit “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” the new 3D family adventure “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” begins when young Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson, reprising his role from the first film) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist. It’s a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret. 

Unable to stop him from going, Sean’s new stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson), joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

“Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” also stars Michael Caine as Sean’s grandfather, Alexander Anderson, and Kristin Davis as Sean’s mom, Liz Anderson.

Opening in theatres beginning January 2012, “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” is a New Line Cinema presentation, will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

“THE LION KING” roars into Philippine cinemas in 3D!!!

Simba, Mufasa, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa are back and better than ever this December when Disney’s “The Lion King” roars into Philippine theaters in breathtaking 3D!

When “The Lion King” first ruled the cinemas in 1994, the story of Simba and his father touched the hearts of an entire generation—its pioneering soundtrack, unexpected humor and compelling characters captivated audiences worldwide. The film, which followed “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” propelled The Walt Disney Studios’ animation renaissance, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time. (In the U.S., it continues to be the highest-grossing hand-drawn animated film ever.) “The Lion King” won the Oscar® for Best Original Score (Hans Zimmer) and Best Original Song (Elton John/Tim Rice, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”) and earned Golden Globes® in both categories as well as for Best Motion Picture—Comedy or Musical. It is the best-selling home entertainment release of all time and inspired a Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical that became the seventh-longest-running musical in Broadway history in January 2011.

And now, the popular classic is in 3D for the first time ever.

Nearly a decade since “The Lion King” last appeared on the big screen, the upcoming theatrical release invites new generations into the Circle of Life. The two-week, 3D presentation is a planned wide domestic release—the biggest since the film’s 1994 debut—and the film’s first-ever 3D release.

An unforgettable story, breathtaking animation, beloved characters and award-winning music set the stage for “The Lion King”, a Disney classic that follows the adventures of Simba, the feisty lion cub who “just can't wait to be king.” But his envious Uncle Scar has plans for his own ascent to the throne, and he forces Simba's exile from the kingdom. Alone and adrift, Simba soon joins the escapades of a hilarious meerkat named Timon and his warmhearted warthog pal, Pumbaa. Adopting their carefree lifestyle of “Hakuna Matata,” Simba ignores his real responsibilities until he realizes his destiny and returns to the Pride Lands to claim his place in the “Circle of Life.”

The all-star vocal talents—including Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Moira Kelly—rip-roaring comedy and uplifting messages of courage, loyalty and hope make this a timeless tale for all ages.

Produced by Don Hahn and directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff from a script by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton, “The Lion King” is distributed locally by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.