Hugh Jackman meets HK fans for the "Pan" Dragon Parade

Global superstar Hugh Jackman, who plays the fearsome pirate Blackbeard in Warner Bros. Pictures' upcoming action-adventure “Pan,” was in Hong Kong Sept. 28 to meet fans and spearhead the Asian launch of the highly-anticipated film.

After a meet and greet with fans in Times Square, Jackman became the first international star ever to participate in the Chinese Mid Autumn Festival celebration in Hong Kong, the Fire Dragon Festival. As a special honor, Jackman was asked to hold the Fire Dragon’s pearl in the parade.

“Pan” is a live-action feature presenting a wholly original adventure about the beginnings of the beloved characters created by J.M. Barrie. The film stars Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard; Garrett Hedlund as James Hook; Oscar nominee Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily; newcomer Levi Miller as Peter; and Amanda Seyfried as Mary. Joe Wright directed “Pan” from a screenplay written by Jason Fuchs.

Peter is a mischievous 12-year-old boy with an irrepressible rebellious streak, but in the bleak London orphanage where he has lived his whole life those qualities do not exactly fly. Then one incredible night, Peter is whisked away from the orphanage and spirited off to a fantastical world of pirates, warriors and fairies called Neverland. There, he finds amazing adventures and fights life-or-death battles while trying to uncover the secret of his mother, who left him at the orphanage so long ago, and his rightful place in this magical land. Teamed with the warrior Tiger Lily and a new friend named James Hook, Peter must defeat the ruthless pirate Blackbeard to save Neverland and discover his true destiny—to become the hero who will forever be known as Peter Pan.

Jackman's Blackbeard is the pirate all pirates fear, the most formidable presence in all of Neverland, and master of a vast mining camp in the sky. At times grand, at others diabolically cruel, Blackbeard kidnaps children from other worlds to mine for the priceless pixie dust with properties Blackbeard has reason to covet. Blackbeard himself fears only two things: the increasing scarcity of the pixie dust and a prophecy that tells of a boy who will vanquish him – a boy who can fly.


“Peter Pan is one of those seminal stories that is known by all ages in all countries,” says Jackman. “It’s universal, and in creating an origin for Peter, I think Jason and Joe really hooked into the inner child within all of us.”

“For Blackbeard, Jason expanded on just a grain of information from the book, and then created this incredible bad guy, who is played by the nicest man in show business,” Wright smiles.
“I’ve played bad guys before, but I don’t think I’ve ever played one quite this bad,” Jackman notes. “Not only is he dastardly, but he loves to hear himself talk, to make speeches and use big words. He thinks he’s very important, and he is scary, but he’s having a good time and that made him a fun character to play.”

Another reason the actor, who is also a celebrated stage performer, enjoyed the part was that in making his entrance in the film, Blackbeard makes an entrance, one most Broadway performers would envy. “I told Joe, I’ll never get to do this again, play a pirate that sees himself almost as a rock star, and actually get to sing a rock song as a pirate. We—me, the other pirates, the kids—we sang Nirvana, we sang some Ramones, all together, in unison. It was quite spectacular.”

“Blackbeard is a troubled guy, in search of eternal youth and capricious in the extreme,” Wright adds. “One minute, he’ll be charming and funny, the next he’s throwing someone off a plank. He was once in love and lost her, and ever since has been living in a kind of self-imposed turmoil, taking it out on everybody around him, a terrifying and unpredictable force. So we had to let him have a little fun.”

Opening across the Philippines on Thursday, October 8, “Pan” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

AMANDA SEYFRIED PLAYS A GOLD DIGGER IN “A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST”

If you simply want to have a good laugh this week, go and watch this movie. This will surely tickle your funny bones.

Amanda Seyfried (“Les Miserables,” “Red Riding Hood”) stars as Louise, the woman who would break the hero's heart in, Universal Pictures' new comedy “A Million Ways to Die in the West” (opening exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide on Sept 3.)

In the film, after sheep farmer Albert (Seth MacFarlane) backs out of a gunfight, his fickle girlfriend, Louise (Seyfried) leaves him for another man. When a mysterious and beautiful woman named Anna (Charlize Theron) rides into town, she helps him find his courage and they begin to fall in love. But when her husband (Liam Neeson), a notorious outlaw, arrives seeking revenge, the farmer must put his newfound courage to the test.

The filmmakers wanted to find an actress who was right in the "Goldilocks" zone, someone who could express that artful balance between a woman whom you don't really want the guy to end up with because she's not the nicest person, but a character who still has enough redeeming qualities that you don't think the guy is an idiot for pining after her. Someone "just right."

Actor-writer-director Seth MacFarlane found everything the team wanted in accomplished actress Amanda Seyfried. He explains: "Amanda is a great example of someone who is perfectly cast. There was the scene on the log where she's talking to Albert and is about to dump him, and I remember thinking, 'God, she is nailing it. She's either the world's greatest actress, or she's cut down a bunch of guys like this.' Amanda is very sweet, so I quickly learned it wasn't the latter; she's just extremely good."

Seyfried was initially surprised at her casting. She advises: "Most of my projects haven't been comedy." Discussing her character, the performer shares: "Louise is a selfish young lady who dumps Albert in such a blunt, insensitive way because he's not getting it. She is enamored of Foy, town's most successful businessman, and how awesome she thinks he is that she can't quite see who he really is. Foy's very charismatic and he's got balls, while Albert has no balls at all... figuratively speaking of course. Foy's attractive to her because he has confidence and sex appeal, and his moustache is really hot."

Although Theron's and Seyfried's characters were at odds, that's where the similarities between the actresses ended. Theron explains that she struggled with the biting dialogue that was directed toward her on-screen nemesis: "I found myself constantly looking at Seth and saying, 'I can't say that. It's Amanda, come on.' There is a line where I have to tell her she looks bad in this dress. I was thinking that I am just not that good of an actor. I mean, look at her! She's like a little doll."
“A Million Ways to Die in the West” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Principal Photography Begins For "Peter Pan" Film

PRODUCTION BEGINS ON WARNER'S LIVE-ACTION PETER PAN FILM

Principal photography will begin April 28 on Warner Bros. Pictures’ live-action Peter Pan feature from director Joe Wright (“Atonement,” “Pride & Prejudice”).
Offering a new take on the origin of the classic characters created by J.M. Barrie, the film follows the story of an orphan who is spirited away to the magical Neverland. There, he finds both fun and dangers, and ultimately discovers his destiny—to become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan.

The film stars Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman (“Les Misérables”) as Blackbeard; Garrett Hedlund (“Inside Llewyn Davis”) as Hook; Oscar nominee Rooney Mara (“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”) as Tiger Lily; Adeel Akhtar (“The Dictator”) as Smee; and newcomer Levi Miller as Peter.

Amanda Seyfried (“Les Misérables”) rounds out the cast as Mary, alongside Jack Charles (“Mystery Road”) as The Chief/Tiger Lily’s father; Taejoo Na (“The Kick”) as Kwahu; Nonso Anozie (“Son of God,” “Atonement”) as Bishop; Kathy Burke (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”) as Mother Barnabas; Kurt Egyiawan (“Skyfall”) as Murray; Lewis MacDougall (UK TV’s “In the Name of the Children”) as Nibs; and newcomer Leni Zieglmeier as Wendy Darling.

Wright is directing the as-yet-untitled Peter Pan adventure from a screenplay by Jason Fuchs. Greg Berlanti, Paul Webster and Sarah Schechter are producing, with Tim Lewis serving as executive producer.

Filming will take place at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. The film is set for a worldwide release on July 17, 2015.