CHARLIE DAY, JASON SUDEIKIS BRING COMIC CHAOS TO “HORRIBLE BOSSES 2”

As much as they function best as a team, or what Jason Bateman calls “this three-headed monster, a sort of collective idiot,” New Line Cinema's “Horrible Bosses 2” lets Nick, Dale and Kurt also shine as distinctly individual personalities.

Says producer Jay Stern, “That’s really the strength and the secret of this kind of ensemble. There are people watching around the world who might not identify with all of them but will see a bit of themselves in Dale, or maybe Nick, or Kurt, so audiences have multiple opportunities to get drawn into it.”

For example, the needle of Charlie Day’s character, Dale, only points in one direction or the other: total fear and denial, or total gung-ho commitment. Above all, Dale’s first impulse is to avoid anything that will get him in trouble with his wife, a tendency he displayed in the first round when she was just his fiancée and is now amplified because the stakes are so much higher on the home front.

“They have triplets,” offers Day. “Though it’s not in the script, I’m assuming they got pregnant on their first attempt and then, surprise, it’s triplets! Because that’s what would happen to Dale. In one way, his dreams have come true, he got married to the woman he loves. But he’s in a little over his head with that already, and then they took this huge risk to start their own company, so Dale’s stress level is off the charts.”

Also off the charts is the lengths to which he is prepared to go to make things right.
“Dale is all over the place, flipping out one moment and being ominously quiet the next,” says director Sean Anders. “He’s the most neurotic and easily frightened of the three, and so the least predictable, and Charlie gives him the most amazing, infectious energy; he’s pitch perfect. Dale will jump head-first into some crazy idea like it’s brilliant, and then, the next moment, be screaming about how stupid it is and how it’s going to ruin their lives.”

Jason Sudeikis' Kurt, meanwhile, not one to worry like Nick, or panic like Dale, continues to sail along with full confidence that everything will work out and it’s all good, despite all evidence to the contrary, because he’s just that cool. If something goes wrong, they’ll just figure out a way around it, right?

Sudeikis’ take on Kurt is “happy-go-lucky, almost like a puppy dog. He likes to have fun, and he’s willing to go for it. He’s a bit of an adrenalin junkie, too, so long as there are no heights involved; if he can stay in the same relative longitude and latitude, he’s willing to try just about anything. I think Kurt, like his cohorts, is a product of the ‘Yes we can’ generation, and feels that anything he sets his mind to, he can accomplish.”

That attitude, combined with their checkered past, is what Sudeikis believes leads Kurt and his friends into further trouble. “The criminal activity they engaged in the first time really didn’t change their world very much,” he notes. “They got away with it. And that made them think maybe they could do things they really shouldn’t be doing, like being their own bosses.”

“Horrible Bosses 2” is the follow-up to the 2011 hit comedy “Horrible Bosses” and reunites Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis as everyone’s favorite working stiffs: Nick, Dale and Kurt.
Fed up with answering to higher-ups, Nick (Bateman), Dale (Day) and Kurt (Sudeikis) decide to become their own bosses by launching their own business. But a slick investor soon pulls the rug out from under them. Outplayed and desperate, and with no legal recourse, the three would-be entrepreneurs hatch a misguided plan to kidnap the investor’s adult son and ransom him to regain control of their company.

Jennifer Aniston and Jamie Foxx also reprise their “Horrible Bosses” starring roles, while Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz star as new adversaries standing between the guys and their dreams of success.

Opening across the Philippines on Nov. 26, “Horrible Bosses 2” is a New Line Cinema Presentation distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Chris Pine exposes his funny side in "Horrible Bosses 2"

Chris Pine plays Rex Hanson , a joyful narcissist and a handsome villain to the "Horrible Bosses 2".
Action and dramatic actor Chris Pine (“Star Trek: Into Darkness”) exposes his funny side who has to contend with the giant shadow cast by his multimillionaire father, Bert (Christoph Waltz), in New Line Cinema’s hilarious comedy “Horrible Bosses 2.”

Pine cites some of the possible reasons for Rex’s volatile mental state. “Rex wants power and he gets continually emasculated by his distant, evil father, who is never satisfied with anything he does and seems not to care much for his privileged brat of a son. Poor Rex. He makes me laugh. He’s smart but he’s not all that self-aware, and he gets stranger and stranger as the story progresses.”

“We wanted a unique villain with a lot of contradictions and a great sense of humor, and he also had to be good-looking, dapper and cool because we liked the idea that our guys kind of have man-crushes on him a little bit,” says director Sean Anders. “You also get the feeling that on some level Rex really likes these guys and has a good time with them. Of course, he has to screw them over because that’s who he is, but at the same time I think he considers them his friends, and Chris got that crazy balance beautifully.”

Pine, who had been looking to do a comedy and responded in a big way to the “Horrible Bosses 2” script, took a purposefully relaxed approach as the fourth to an already precision-calibrated threesome. “They all take it seriously but they also know how to play. My prescription was to stay loose, hang with the guys and follow the music of the scene,” he says, which gave them a different energy to play against.

Those inclined to judge Rex too harshly should just look at what he comes from: Bert Hanson, a man who, by his own satisfied admission, makes new enemies every day. “What I like about Bert,” Anders offers, “is that this guy who comes in and totally destroys their lives probably only thought about it for 11 seconds because, to him, it’s just business.”

Having cast Christoph Waltz as the quintessential villain, the director admits, “It was a bit daunting, bringing him into some of these silly scenarios, because it’s impossible not to be mindful of those amazing, Oscar-winning dramatic roles he’s most famous for. But that’s precisely why he was right for Bert. His job here was to be the heavy. Had it been someone else who didn’t have Christoph’s presence, Bert wouldn’t have been as threatening.”

Waltz didn’t need to play funny because the humor of his scenes sparked from playing it straight. After all, it’s Bert’s casual cruelty that drives Nick, Dale and Kurt to retaliation, not to mention the depths of depravity to which his heartlessness goads his own son.
“My part is fairly straightforward and serious, but it gives them the opportunity to spring into action, like the sprocket in a mechanism,” says Waltz. “Comedy is all about timing, tempo and rhythm. In this case, my character is a vehicle for these fabulously funny people, and that’s what makes the machinery work. These guys have a great energy that is constantly running. It’s a fascinating process to watch.”

“Horrible Bosses 2” is the follow-up to the 2011 hit comedy “Horrible Bosses” and reunites Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis as everyone’s favorite working stiffs: Nick, Dale and Kurt.

Fed up with answering to higher-ups, Nick (Bateman), Dale (Day) and Kurt (Sudeikis) decide to become their own bosses by launching their own business. But a slick investor soon pulls the rug out from under them. Outplayed and desperate, and with no legal recourse, the three would-be entrepreneurs hatch a misguided plan to kidnap the investor’s adult son and ransom him to regain control of their company.

Jennifer Aniston and Oscar winner Jamie Foxx also reprise their “Horrible Bosses” starring roles, while Chris Pine and Oscar winner Christoph Waltz star as new adversaries standing between the guys and their dreams of success.

Opening across the Philippines on Nov. 26, “Horrible Bosses 2” is a New Line Cinema Presentation distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

“ANNABELLE” POSSESSED THE HIGHEST-GROSSING HORROR FILM EVER IN PH

I lost my voice after watching this movie. I was horrified and palpitated to most of the  fright scenes that have shown. The demon doll was good, I slept with the lights on. Thats why it doesnt surprised me that it has the biggest-grossing foreign horror movie released here.

New Line Cinema’s supernatural thriller “Annabelle” surpassed the biggest-grossing foreign horror movie ever released in the Philippines.

The film about a doll possessed by an evil spirit has terrified the local box-office to the tune of P121.13-million as of yesterday, Oct. 13, this according to Francis Soliven, General Manager of Warner Bros. Philippines which distributed the movie.

The gross of previous record-holder “Insidious: Chapter 2” at P113-million was actually surpassed by “Annabelle” after only 12 days of release.  Going into its third week, the demonic doll is tracking to dominate the coming weekend again as audiences’ appetite for a good scare seems boundless.

“We expect to continue excellent box-office performance for `Annabelle’ as the Halloween season ushers in,” says Soliven.  “The combination of an engrossing story, great filmmaking and reliable association with last year’s hit horror film `The Conjuring’ propelled `Annabelle’ to succeed.  The film delivered in a huge way.”

About “Annabelle”:
She terrified you in “The Conjuring,” but this is where it all began for “Annabelle.”  Capable of unspeakable evil, the actual doll exists locked up in an occult museum in Connecticut—visited only by a priest who blesses her twice a month.
In the film, John Form has found the perfect gift for his expectant wife, Mia -- a beautiful, rare vintage doll in a pure white wedding dress.  But Mia’s delight with Annabelle doesn’t last long.  On one horrific night, their home is invaded by members of a satanic cult, who violently attack the couple.  Spilled blood and terror are not all they leave behind.  The cultists have conjured an entity so malevolent that nothing they did will compare to the sinister conduit to the damned that is now...Annabelle.

Annabelle Wallis (“X-Men: First Class”) and Ward Horton (“The Wolf of Wall Street”) star as the Forms. Oscar nominee Alfre Woodard (“Twelve Years a Slave”) stars as Evelyn, a neighbor who owns a bookstore.

“Annabelle” reunites the filmmakers behind 2013’s hugely successful supernatural thriller “The Conjuring.” John R. Leonetti, who served as cinematographer on “The Conjuring,” directed the film.   James Wan, director of the global hit, produced “Annabelle” with Peter Safran. Gary Dauberman wrote the script.

            Still showing across the Philippines, “Annabelle” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

The craft of making the horror-thriller "Annabelle" from Director Leonetti

“ANNABELLE” DIRECTOR LEARNS CRAFT FROM MENTOR JAMES WAN


“The Conjuring” and “Insidious” cinematographer John R. Leonetti makes his feature directorial debut with New Line Cinema's upcoming horror-thriller “Annabelle.”

The new film begins before the evil was unleashed in “The Conjuring.” John Form (Ward Horton) has found the perfect gift for his expectant wife, Mia (Annabelle Wallis)—a beautiful, rare vintage doll in a pure white wedding dress. But Mia’s delight with Annabelle doesn’t last long.

On one horrific night, their home is invaded by members of a satanic cult, who violently attack the couple. Spilled blood and terror are not all they leave behind. The cultists have conjured an entity so malevolent that nothing they did will compare to the sinister conduit to the damned that is now...Annabelle.

The first-time director talks about his inspiration, mentor James Wan and the craft of making horror films, in the following interview.

Question: You have been working with James Wan as a cinematographer on a number of films. What was it about “Annabelle” that made you want to make the switch to director on this film?

John Leonetti: It’s fun doing these movies with James, like “Insidious” and “The Conjuring.” I love crafting these films as a cinematographer. But this script was so amazing, first of all. When they approached me about it—it just came out of the blue; I didn’t solicit it—I said, ‘Well, let me read the script.’ So I did. It was so good that I couldn’t believe that [screenwriter] Gary Dauberman had written the first draft in just six days.

It’s kind of a throwback to the past in terms of older movies like Polanski’s “Rosemary’s Baby.” It’s birthed by “The Conjuring,” I guess you could say, but the structure of this movie is different and one thing I really love is female protagonists. I’m a fan of women, and I’ve always been attracted to stories that are about women. And, honestly, as weakened as our heroine Mia becomes in the events surrounding this doll and the demon she has to confront, she is a very strong and has a very powerful soul in her own right.

But, really, it was the script, and then knowing that the family—I guess you could call it “The Conjuring” family from New Line—would be involved.

Q: When you’re directing, do you have to fight the urge to set up shots like a cinematographer or do you see it as more of a collaboration?

Leonetti: I do separate myself from it. However, having [cinematographer] Jimmy Kneist on the film, who’s really talented, was great. He’s someone that is open enough to let me add my three cents, yet he gets my vision and my sensibility enough to be able to just make it happen. I’m very specific about how I set up my shots. I didn’t storyboard the movie before we started, but I literally visualized, shot-listed, edited and cut the whole movie before we even started shooting. I’m very visual, obviously. That’s my day job. [Laughs] But when you’re working with a filmmaker like James Wan, you analyze how he’s directing these movies. He’s very visual as well. And we’ve been a pretty awesome team for five movies in a row.

Q: You’ve got like mind-meld going on...

Leonetti: Yeah, we do. [Laughs] So, when he visualizes something, I know I can give it to him. For someone else to come in and be me while I’m being James, if you will, it would be difficult for anybody because I know where I want to cut, where the transitions are, all those things.

It’s not to say that Tom Melkins, our editor, won’t be making variations on that, as he should, and make it better. That’s awesome, because the movie is not just about how it looks, but what the camera is doing at every moment and why. It’s building up suspense by getting inside Mia’s world, and following the characters and that freaking doll as well. [Laughs]

We’re so lucky to have such a great cast. They’re all amazing actors. But the thread throughout the movie is Mia and that demon and the suspense that builds around this conflict she’s facing essentially alone. And designing that, shot by shot, tasting each element as it comes, has to be very, very specific.

Q: “The Conjuring” has such a distinct look and feel to it. Was that a touchstone for you for “Annabelle”?

Leonetti: Oh, no question. Visually, it’s in the same zone as “The Conjuring” in terms of inspiration, conception and execution. Jimmy has been kind enough to embrace my cinematography on “The Conjuring,” to help maintain that continuity for a very specific reason. Not just the way the camera moves, but the way the film looks. Both stories take place around 1970, so the period is the same.

The way we manipulate the color in the post process is very similar. So it’s going to have very much the same look and feel and, by the way, it’s just as beautiful.

Q: Can you talk about building the tension and mood of the film, and also engineering the scares in the film? Were those fun for you to devise?

Leonetti: Definitely. The script is written in a way that creates a template for how we pace the movie. And my motto on this movie is ‘less is more,’ patience in suspense, and James Wan knows about that as well, obviously. So it’s always about keeping a balance between the ticking Hitchcock bomb and a jump scare, and you don’t give anything away. So you have to carefully set things up and then it’s how you pay them off throughout the movie, and there are many layers to that. Sometimes it’s just disorienting the audience enough to create the environment to be scared, or to let them know what Mia doesn’t to the point where they say, ‘Oh, no, don’t go down those stairs!’ Whatever it is.
The other thing that we did, which was so wonderful, is to shoot the film almost entirely in continuity. We were able to watch it grow, so that by the third act, everybody emotionally and dramatically can know where we are, from me to the actors.

But, even more importantly, it’s Annabelle’s performance as Mia. I believe that as strong as the demon is, so is she. As much as it knocks the wind out of her sails and tries to take the legs out from underneath her, every time that happens inside, she puts up another pillar of strength. We don’t see it, but it’s there. And then it’s a matter of gauging and varying performance, all the way through the movie, where she’s really vulnerable and becomes stronger.

Opening across the Philippines on October 01, 2014, “Annabelle” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

FINAL FILM IN “THE HOBBIT” TRILOGY NOW CALLED “THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES”

Warner Bros Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and New Line Cinema jointly announced today that the much-anticipated final film in Peter Jackson’s trilogy adaptation of the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, has now been titled “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” The film, previously titled “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” will be released worldwide (including the Philippines) on December 17, 2014.

Peter Jackson stated, “Our journey to make ‘The Hobbit’ Trilogy has been in some ways like Bilbo's own, with hidden paths revealing their secrets to us as we've gone along. ‘There and Back Again’ felt like the right name for the second of a two-film telling of the quest to reclaim Erebor, when Bilbo’s arrival there, and departure, were both contained within the second film. But with three movies, it suddenly felt misplaced—after all, Bilbo has already arrived ‘there’ in the ‘The Desolation of Smaug.’ When we did the premiere trip late last year, I had a quiet conversation with the studio about the idea of revisiting the title. We decided to keep an open mind until a cut of the film was ready to look at. We reached that point last week, and after viewing the movie, we all agreed there is now one title that feels completely appropriate. And so: ‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’ it is.”

“The Hobbit” Trilogy tells a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson and his team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. The international ensemble cast is led by Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Fry, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, and Orlando Bloom.  The film also stars, in alphabetical order, John Bell, Manu Bennett, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Billy Connolly, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton,  Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Lawrence Makoare, Sylvester McCoy, Graham McTavish, Dean O’Gorman, Mikael Persbrandt, Aidan Turner.

The screenplay for “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Philippa Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

The creative behind-the-scenes team is led by director of photography Andrew Lesnie, production designer Dan Hennah, editor Jabez Olssen and composer Howard Shore. The costumes are designed by Richard Taylor, Bob Buck and Ann Maskrey. Taylor is also overseeing the design and production of armour, weapons, creatures and special makeup, which are once again being made by the award-winning Weta Workshop. Oscar-winning visual effects studio Weta Digital is again handling the visual effects for the film, led by senior visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri. The hair and makeup designer is Peter Swords King. The conceptual designers are John Howe and Alan Lee. Eric Saindon is the visual effects supervisor, with David Clayton serving as animation supervisor.

Under Jackson’s direction, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” was shot in 3D 48 frames-per-second and will be released in High Frame Rate 3D (HFR 3D) in select theaters, other 2D and 3D formats, and IMAX. Production took place at Jackson’s own facilities in Miramar, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand. Post production took place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.

New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Present a Wingnut Films Production, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” As with the first two films in the Trilogy, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the final film is a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM. www.thehobbit.com