Martin Freeman Back as Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit" Sequel

Like all Hobbits, Bilbo Baggins is fond of his comfortable existence; all he needs to be happy is a full pantry and a good book. When the Wizard Gandalf and 13 Dwarves unexpectedly appear on Bilbo’s doorstep and invite him to join them on a dangerous adventure, Bilbo’s life changes forever. Initially skeptical of the invitation, Bilbo’s spirit of adventure leads him to join the Company of Thorin Oakenshield and become the “burglar” required to complete their quest to outwit a ferocious dragon and reclaim the Dwarves’ stolen treasure. To everyone’s surprise, including his own, Bilbo’s wit and courage prove that there is indeed more to this Hobbit than meets the eye.

British actor Martin Freeman returns as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

As the second film begins, Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Bilbo, Thorin (Richard Armitage) and the Company are shaken and exhausted ... but not broken.

Perhaps most changed of all is Bilbo Baggins himself. “I think, as the journey continues, Bilbo is able to look at the world a bit more square on,” says Freeman of the Hobbit at the center of the tale. “He is still the person he was; he is still frightened. He’s not a fighter or adventurer by nature, but to be among different species that want to kill him or eat him ... it doesn’t need to be said how huge a change that is. And Bilbo finds a bravery that he didn’t know he had, and, more importantly, that none of the others knew he had.”
From his encounter beneath the Goblin Tunnels in the cave of the emaciated and conniving creature known as Gollum, Bilbo has emerged with something more than his courage. He has managed to steal Gollum’s “precious” ring with the power to make its wearer invisible.

“Bilbo is beginning to have a strange relationship with this gold ring,” say screenwriter and producer Philippa Boyens. “He’s beginning to have a sense that there’s something off about it. It’s a tough choice for him to put it on and disappear, and he takes it off as soon as he can. Having such a great actor as Martin Freeman helps you find your way through this idea that this is not just a magic trinket that turns you invisible. Not every choice he had to make was a good choice down in those holes beneath the mountain.”

Bilbo chooses to conceal this new information from Gandalf, and, for McKellen, Freeman’s portrayal of Bilbo in this moment illustrates the art the actor brings to his performance. “Martin has a palette of subtlety, and it’s often unpredictable,” McKellen observes. “He doesn’t like to do the same thing twice in front of the camera, so with a multitude of takes, in every one of those takes, Martin will give you a different nuance, a different color, a different aspect of the character he’s playing. You don’t know quite what’s going to happen next, which makes your reaction all the more real. With each take, I discovered something new about Bilbo.”
A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be released in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures on Dec. 11, 2013.

Armitage Returns as Thorin in "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

He made a huge impression as the Dwarf Prince, Thorin Oakenshield in last year's “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” Now, Richard Armitage returns to play the same character in the highly anticipated sequel, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.”

As a young Dwarf Prince, Thorin witnessed the destruction and terror wrought when a great fire-breathing dragon attacked the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. When no one came to the aid of the surviving Dwarves, a once proud and noble race was forced into exile. Now, as the strong, fearless fighter and respected leader of The Company of Dwarves, Thorin is determined to reclaim his homeland and destroy the beast that brought such misery upon his people.

Question: What is Thorin like when we meet him in this movie, and how is he different from the Thorin in the first film?

Richard Armitage: I think one of the interesting things about Thorin on the Quest is that when Gandalf is present, he has to defer to Gandalf’s authority. Thorin has always understood that Gandalf’s in the driver’s seat, so there’s more time in the second film when Gandalf is absent from the Dwarves and Thorin’s really in control. But, unfortunately, they seem to stumble into greater difficulties.

Getting incarcerated in the Woodland Realm by the Elves is, I think, possibly the lowest point that they get to on the Quest. They’re stripped of all their belongings, of all their weapons and all hope is lost, really. That’s key to the center of the second film in terms of character development. I think that’s the moment when Thorin realizes that Bilbo is not just one of the men on a Quest. He’s actually going to be an asset in terms of retrieving the Arkenstone. So really that’s where we get with Thorin in this sweeping arc, which is actually a dent in his success rating, as it were.

Q: Along those same lines, in this film, Thorin does finally set eyes on the Lonely Mountain, his lost homeland. What kind of effect does it have on him?

Armitage: It’s so interesting because it’s a really complicated push and pull, which I knew from the beginning, and figuring how to play it was quite a challenge. The Quest is everything that’s driving him forward. The map and the key are catalysts that drive him forward, the promise of his Kingdom, of his throne, which is very personal, and also the promise of reclaiming all of that wealth for his people which, again, is very personal. But, at the same time, the terror and the demon that sits inside of the Mountain is so repulsive to him that he’s pushed away from it as much as he’s drawn towards it. It’s a very complicated, emotional moment for them.



Q: You have said that when you first began to play this role, director Peter Jackson’s belief in you helped you to find the leader in yourself to play Thorin. How has that been as you’ve continued this journey?

Armitage: Well, I think it’s partly finding my own love for the character because he wasn’t somebody initially that I was in love with. I was often at odds with him and disagreeing with him, and all the while I’m trying to defend him. But I think I found that place in him whereby the thing I loved about him was his loyalty to his men and the fact that he would fight to the death for them.

Q: Can you tell me about the Elves that capture Thorin and the Company in the Mirkwood Forest? How does Thorin feel about these Elves?

Armitage: It’s Thorin’s worst nightmare, really. I mean, the Dwarves and Elves in general have had a very antagonistic history. They’ve always been at war, but this is very personal. When they were annihilated and forced to leave the Mountain into exile, Thorin stood looking up at Thranduil, sort of begging for his help. And Thranduil turned his back on them and didn’t give them any sanctuary, and they had to wander Middle-earth as vagabonds, and find a new life in the Blue Mountains. I don’t think that’s something that he’s been able to forget.

So, being captured by them and forced in front of Thranduil and then locked away in his prison, that’s what I consider to be the lowest point in Thorin’s career, as it were. But before he’s locked away, he does voice his feelings to Thranduil. He says, ‘This is what you’ve done to my people. This is why there’s this antagonism between us and I’ll never forgive you for that.’ So, there’s a certain satisfaction in being able to say those things, but nevertheless, Thranduil is going to stop them from going on the Quest and he locks him in the dungeons—locks which, incidentally, had been built and designed by Dwarves, so they know that they cannot get out.



Q: Working with Peter Jackson again, was the experience the same as before or was it different?

Armitage: It was different. I think there was an increased sense of trust between both of us. It was always there, but I think it was much more evident when you go back to shoot with someone again. He would work with much more detail. We had a lot more shortcuts to get to things because I understood exactly what he meant, really, without saying things.

And sometimes it takes you by surprise. I’d go away the night before and imagine how the scene would be, and come back in and the first thing Peter would do would be to tell me exactly what I’d imagined. I was like, ‘Oh, we really are on the same page.’ So that was a brilliant thing. And certainly in the final two weeks of pickups, it was very much myself and Peter working together. We were both pushed to the limit and we really got through the last week together. All I can say is it was a relationship based on trust.

Q: Some characters are going to be showing up for the first time in the second movie, such as Legolas, Tauriel, Thranduil and Beorn. I was wondering if you could talk about working with Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace and Mikael Persbrandt?

Armitage: The only character I never really got to work with, sadly, was Evangeline, although we were in the same scene together and we share a look. But, yeah, I really enjoyed working with Mikael, and the same with Lee and Orlando.

I had a great scene with Lee, which was very, very satisfying to play because, as I’ve said before, it’s a chance to hear the voice of the Dwarves staking their claim and you don’t often get to hear that. With Orlando as well, there was a great scene where he takes Orcrist from Thorin and believes that Thorin has stolen it from the Elves because Orcrist is an Elvish blade.



Q: Since the release of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” has your life changed in any way? Do you have people come up to you and want to talk about him?

Armitage: People don’t really recognize you. But I had a really great one. We were doing the DVD release in Australia. I did a Q&A in a cinema, and I had such a great response. I really felt the enthusiasm for the movies, but also particularly for the character.

One of the great questions was, ‘Who was the love of Thorin’s life?,’ which is something that I had thought about. People really invest in not just the character or the story but the history of the character and the future of the character. It’s something that stimulates you to ask more questions when you’re developing a role.

A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be released in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures on Dec. 11, 2013.

A By-The-Numbers Look at "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Are you curious as to what it took to make “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” a reality? Here's a by-the-numbers look on the fun facts surrounding the production of the Peter Jackson film.

Number of crew member whose sole job on set was to look after prosthetic hands: 1

Years the textures department at Weta Digital worked on Smaug’s skin: 25

Average days shooting on a single set: 26

Inches that 15-year-old actor John Bell (Bain) grew over the length of production: 4

Tons of silicon used to generate the facial prosthetics: 4

Hours to complete hair, make-up, prosthetics and wardrobe for each of the 13 Dwarves: 5

Average number of doubles used for each main character, including scale, stunt and riding doubles: 5

Length of toupe tape used to attach beards to faces: 7 km

Weeks of location filming on the Trilogy: 9

Human hair for wigmaking: 10kg; Wigs created for the Dwarves: 91

Average days it took to renew a studio with a new set: 104

Tons of silicone used to mold all of the armor and weapons for all cultures: 14

Polystyrene trees, used in various configurations, to make the Mirkwood set: 32

People it took—including actors, doubles and stunt men—to portray 13 Dwarves: 65

Age of the oldest vintage microphone used to record the score: 80 years

Microphones used in the film’s scoring session: 88

Musicians in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra recording the film’s score: 95

Studio sets built for the Trilogy: 99

Hobbit feet for Bilbo: 100+

Drivers needed to transport the cast and crew to New Zealand locations: 115

Approximate population of the Trilogy’s art department: 250+

Beards made for the production: 263

Bottles of spirit gum used in the production: 300

Traveling weapons for the 13 Dwarves: 547

Crew traveling on location between two units: 800

Bottles of isopropyl alcohol used to remove prosthetics: 860

‘Extras’ that needed to be cast for the Trilogy: 1200

Hand-spun goblets created for Smaug’s Lair: 2000

Props recorded in the furniture catalogue for Lake-town: 3000

Approximate number of continuous hours the art department worked to build, decorate, and tear down sets. This involved different crews working 24/7: 8900 hours

Prosthetics made for the Trilogy: 11,862

Cups of coffee made by craft services throughout production: 140,000+

Punched aluminum gold plated coins trickled over Smaug’s Lair: 170,000

From Academy Award®-winning filmmakerm Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking 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.”

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous forest of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood-elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all—a creature more terrifying than any other; one which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself—the Dragon Smaug.

A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be released in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures on Dec. 11, 2013.

Seven New Posters for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Seven brand new character posters for Peter Jackson's “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” have been launched by Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and MGM Pictures. The one-sheet artworks individually showcase the characters Bard (Luke Evans), Bilbo (Martin Freeman), Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), Thorin (Richard Armitage) and Thranduil (Lee Pace).

From Academy Award®-winning filmmakerm Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking 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.”

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous forest of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood-elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all—a creature more terrifying than any other; one which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself—the Dragon Smaug.

Luke Evans as BARD

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins

Orlando Bloom as Legolas

Evangeline Lily as Tauriel

Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield

Lee Pace as Thranduil

A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be released in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures on Dec. 11, 2013.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" Gets Main Poster

The main one-sheet for Peter Jackson's “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” has just been released by Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and MGM Pictures.

From Academy Award®-winning filmmakerm Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking 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.”

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous forest of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood-elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all—a creature more terrifying than any other; one which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself—the Dragon Smaug.

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 Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, and Orlando Bloom. The film also stars (in alphabetical order) John Bell, Manu Bennett, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Lawrence Makoare, Sylvester McCoy, Graham McTavish, Dean O’Gorman, Mikael Persbrandt, and Aidan Turner.

A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be released in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures on Dec. 11, 2013.

Jason Sudeikis Gets Leading-Man Status in "We're the Millers"

“Saturday Night Live” breakout star Jason Sudeikis (“Horrible Bosses,” “The Bounty Hunter”) plays David, a small-time drug dealer who's suddenly sent on a mission to retrieve a huge amount of pot across the Mexican border, in New Line Cinema's wacky comedy, “We're the Millers.”

His solution as to how to accomplish that forces him to live out his worst nightmare: to be stuck in a confined space with a bunch of people he doesn’t really like, even if he’s the one who convinced them to come along in the first place as his fake wife and kids.

Sudeikis responded to the humor of “We're the Millers,” and also to the story’s heart, stating, “There’s a little bit of that squeezed in there, an underlying theme about family not necessarily having to be the one you’re born into, but one that you choose…even if my character does it solely out of convenience and desperation.”

When we first meet David Clark, he is a friendly neighborhood marijuana dealer, going from place to place selling his wares to his regular customers in the Denver, Colorado area. “He’s a guy who gets calls or texts asking him to come over, versus the guy that just sells on the street,” Sudeikis explains. “He delivers pot to cooks, businessmen, housewives, mothers of babies—a different clientele than most people associate marijuana with…unless you know the kind of people that really smoke marijuana.”

The actor goes on to note that the lifestyle, while not something most would aspire to, suits David. “He’s fine just doing his thing, paying the rent, being his own boss and making his own schedule, keeping to himself and getting by unnoticed.”

That all changes when he uncharacteristically steps in to help a damsel in distress—a young street punk being hassled by a group of guys trying to swipe her smart phone. Under the heading of no good deed goes unpunished, David himself gets robbed. His product and profits gone, it’s only a matter of time before his supplier gives him an ultimatum, making him the kind of offer David can’t refuse.

Now obliged to go south of the border and bring back a “smidge” of pot in exchange for $100,000 and his life, David comes up with the idea of creating a pseudo-family to smooth the way. Sudeikis says, “He realizes that he might fly under the radar a bit better under the guise of a family vacation, but he’ll need to hire a fake family first.”

David’s relationship with the woman he eventually hires to be his pretend wife is a contentious one from the start, before he ever concocts his crazy scheme. Early in the film, he and Rose (Jennifer Aniston), his neighbor and a neighborhood stripper, trade barbs in the lobby of their building, making it clear that the two of them have never exactly been friendly. Director Rawson Marshall Thurber says that was not the case with Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston.
Not liking each other couldn’t be farther from the truth when it comes to the pair who has worked together several times before, but this was the first time they would star opposite each other.

“When we finished working on ‘Horrible Bosses,’” Aniston offers, “we both wanted to find something really great to do together again—and for the full length of the film, not just little snippets. Jason is so much fun and a friend, and the script was so funny, it was easy to say yes to this one.”

New Line Cinema’s “We’re The Millers” opens across the Philippines on Sept. 18 and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

THE CONJURING Review

Reviewing THE CONJURING from Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. Stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga and directed by James Wan.

I've reached my quota for Horror Movies this year as I only promised myself that I'll only catch "The Conjuring" and "Mama" and now I'm through and what a send off the former is.

The movie follows the story of the Perron family who moves in to their new home and start to experience a lot of weird stuff going on such as clocks stopping at 3:07 in the morning, the family dog dying all of a sudden and much, much more. The haunting goes on until the mother Carolyn (Lili Taylor) decides to seek the help of Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren in their case to save her family.

Let's play "Hide and Clap"

I'm not entirely sure where the POV comes from as details are contradicting. Some claim that the film was based on the Warrren's POV while others claim that it's the Perrons. What's clear though is that they experienced the same things and they witnessed the same horror that tormented the family for days.

Effects wise, the movie did not scrimp on anything. It's nice that they still use practical effects and makeup in a few scenes and not rely solely on CGI. Much props for making Bathsheba a really scary force of demonic nature. The same thing can be said for possessed Carolyn who makes a big splash at the film's climax. Her's is also a source of inspiration for future collectible figures soon.

The suspense and horror aspect is fresh. Director James Wan knows that we're all sick and tired of all the mindless, useless CGI effects to scare the hell out of moviegoers so he takes a step back and employ all the tactics and strategies he used in films like "Saw" and "Insidious" to bring out the gasp factor. And it works brilliantly. Wan knows better that a film will work if you go and screw with the audience's minds before bringing out the A-Game.

Allow me to elaborate through this trailer...



Consider it mindblowing foreplay before sex. The subtle use of creepy music, the building of dread and the sense of doom and gloom made THE CONJURING such a great win for the horror movie genre.

The casting was great and Patrick Wilson shows why he's kicking ass in this genre (Wilson also appeared in that other massively popular flick INSIDIOUS as well as playing Night Owl II in Zack Snyder's WATCHMEN adaptation). Vera Famiga was also beautiful here. I don't know why she's suddenly this cute. Her other films sort of didn't cast her in the spotlight I guess.

James Wan knows what he's doing and crafted a brilliant horror movie that's BASED on a true story. There might be a few inaccuracies in the film's depiction from the Warren's case files and from the books that the Perrons released but this is as close as we could get to the actual events that occured with the Perrons and the Warrens and from Bathsheba...

Those moments when I can only ask "WHY?"

... unless of course you want her to stay by your side tonight.

Perhaps one of the best scenes here in the movie was the teaming up between the ghostly Bathsheba with the rest of the spirits locked away in the Warren's home particularly the sinister Anabelle doll which is used heavily in marketing the film.

The unholyalliance of Bathsheba and Annabelle 

Great movie. Great, creepy, scary movie.

VERDICT: "A" 

THE CONJURING is such a great movie but be sure to leave the lights on before you sleep and chuck away your old dolls at home. Oh and no matter how 'brave' you are you will let out a loud scream with all the creepy stuff in the movie.

Photos appear courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Special thanks to WB Philippines for the passes. The Conjuring opens AUGUST 21. 

Crew of Misfits Pretends to Be a Family in "We're the Millers"

What do you get when a drug dealer, a stripper, a runaway and a virgin go on a marijuana run to Mexico? In addition to an RV stuffed to the gills with pot, an angry drug lord, a vicious tarantula, a pornographic game of Pictionary and an impromptu sing-along, you get the Millers…if anyone asks.

From New Line Cinema comes the action comedy “We’re the Millers,” starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis.

Director Rawson Marshall Thurber says, “It's a really clever take on the tried-and-true family road trip comedy—a wild ride that kind of keeps you guessing a bit which is what immediately appealed to me about the story.”

The filmmaker liked the rationale that unites this group of outsiders. “A white male in his mid-30s traveling alone across the border in a Hyundai is going to get searched, nine times out of 10,” he reasons. “But a giant RV, with your basic all-American family inside on the July 4th holiday weekend—nobody’s going to be the wiser, right?”

It sounds like a great plan that turns out to be a not-so-great plan at all…and not just because of all the laws they’re breaking and the crazed drug kingpins hot on their heels.

“David Clark is a small-time drug dealer who peddles his wares out of a backpack, and is being sent on a mission to retrieve this huge amount of pot,” says producer Chris Bender. “His solution as to how to accomplish that forces him to live out his worst nightmare: to be stuck in a confined space with a bunch of people he doesn’t really like, even if he’s the one who convinced them to come along in the first place as his fake wife and kids.”

Twisting the arms of his neighbors, cynical stripper Rose (Aniston) and wannabe customer Kenny (Will Poulter), as well as streetwise teen Casey (Emma Roberts), David (Sudeikis) devises a foolproof plan. One fake wife, two pretend kids and a huge, shiny RV later, the “Millers” are headed south of the border for a Fourth of July weekend that is sure to end with a bang.

The idea for “We’re The Millers” was actually born at the border. Writer Steve Faber remembers, “I used to take ponderous drives down to Mexico, just to clear my head, and at the border, I'd see the same guy getting busted: hair down to his ass, driving a VW bus, drug-sniffing dogs tearing at him. I thought, ‘Why not clean up? Age yourself, cut your hair, even rent a motorhome and smuggle the weed over the border, if that's your intent?’ Not that I approve.”

Writer Bob Fisher made similar observations, noting, “Meanwhile, motorhomes filled with vacationing families sailed through without a search. That brought about the idea for a movie about a small-time pot dealer who rents a motorhome and hires a fake family to help him get a pile of weed across the border.”

Screenwriting team Sean Anders and John Morris was keen to flesh out the concept even further. “We were drawn to the idea of four broken, lonely people who inadvertently become a family. Watching them fight it, kicking and screaming, while deep down longing for it seemed like the perfect bedrock for comedy."

“What the writers did in creating the foursome that make up the Millers, and the terrific characters that surround them on this fun and frenetic adventure, I thought was pretty delicious,” Thurber smiles.

New Line Cinema’s “We’re The Millers” opens across the Philippines this September and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

"The Conjuring" Has Record-Breaking Opening in U.S.

The Warner Bros. Pictures release conjures up $41.9 million weekend

BURBANK, CA – July 22, 2013 – New Line Cinema’s “The Conjuring,” from director James Wan, rode a wave of strong critical and audience acclaim to an extraordinary $41.9 million opening weekend at the domestic box office.

The film broke records for:

The largest opening for an original horror film
Warner Bros.’ largest 3-day opening for a horror film
The largest opening for director James Wan, who created the “Saw” franchise.

In addition, “The Conjuring” earned an A- CinemaScore, one of only three horror movies in the last 10 years to earn such a high mark from moviegoers (with no horror movie ever receiving a higher grade).

Based on the true life story, “The Conjuring” tells the tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives.

From New Line Cinema comes a feature film drawn from the case files of married demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. “The Conjuring” stars Academy Award® nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air,” TV’s “Bates Motel”) and Patrick Wilson (“Insidious”) as the Warrens, and Ron Livingston (“The Odd Life of Timothy Green”) and Lili Taylor (TV’s “Hemlock Grove”) as Roger and Carolyn Perron, residents of the house.

Joey King, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Mackenzie Foy and newcomer Kyla Deaver play the Perrons’ five daughters, and Sterling Jerins is the Warrens’ little girl, Judy. Rounding out the cast are Marion Guyot, Steve Coulter, Shannon Kook, and John Brotherton.

James Wan (“Saw,” “Insidious”) directed the film from a screenplay by Chad Hayes & Carey W. Hayes (“The Reaping”). The film is produced by Tony DeRosa-Grund, Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Walter Hamada and Dave Neustadter serving as executive producers.

New Line Cinema presents a Safran Company / Evergreen Media Group Production of a James Wan Film, “The Conjuring.” The film is being distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

(“The Conjuring” will open across the Philippines on August 21.)

Horror Master Director James Wan Prepares "The Conjuring"

Truth is stranger than fiction…and a lot more frightening. No one knew that better than Ed Warren and his clairvoyant wife, Lorraine, whose lifelong personal experiences combating inhuman forces garnered them respect in the field of demonology long before the immense popularity of the paranormal on the screen. And long before Ed and Lorraine tackled the foreboding menace in a little place called Amityville, they encountered the most perilous evil even they would ever come up against. This terrifying case is the subject of the new horrror film “The Conjuring” from New Line Cinema.

James Wan, who had known of the couple’s work prior to taking the directing reins of “The Conjuring,” relates, “I've always been a big fan of the Warrens. I really admire them. They pioneered the modern-day style of ghost hunting with technical equipment, capturing evidence on film and audiotape. Since they've inspired so many stories, books and films, it was cool to actually make a movie where who they are is as much the focus as the family’s home they are investigating.”

The film reveals the real horrors lurking within a secluded centuries-old farmhouse in the seemingly peaceful countryside of Harrisville, Rhode Island, bought in 1970 by Carolyn and Roger Perron. However, the couple and their five daughters soon find themselves directly in the path of extreme, yet indefinable, danger. When Ed and Lorraine meet the family and the unnatural enemy waging war against them, they know they are in for the battle of their career...and lives.

Producer Peter Safran believes the case was seminal for the Warrens because they wanted not only to safeguard the Perron children, but their own young daughter, Judy. He conveys, “I think what they went through with those girls really laid the groundwork for their life path, including Amityville and beyond. I was particularly drawn to the events because I also have a daughter, and I can't even think of a limit to what I would do to protect her.”

Producer Rob Cowan comments, “Everybody identifies with the notion that something’s under your bed or in the closet, but this really happened, so it makes it all the more chilling.”

Screenwriters Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes had a unique take—telling the story via the tandem points of view of the Warrens and the Perrons. Chad remarks, “What we loved about writing this script is the contrast between two couples: there are the Warrens, who are devout Catholics and respected demonologists, and the Perrons, who aren’t at all religious. And then their lives collide. Who fixes what and how does it get fixed?”

“These strangers crossed paths over some very ugly entities,” Carey adds. “They took a very daunting journey, and going through their steps, we just got hooked. It became an obsession.”

Wan remembers, “When I read the script, I said, ‘Wow, this is great, here is a chance to do something different.’”

During the project’s development, Wan and the Hayes brothers went through the Warrens’ files—some 4,000 cases. “We found a lot of great material,” says Wan. “My goal was to incorporate some of the wildest things they'd encountered in their lifetime, yet still stay true to this particular family’s story. We drew a lot of inspiration from the Perrons’ recollections as well. I thought it was even more frightening to show the scares through the eyes of the pros along with the perspective of this family that has no inkling of the supernatural world.”

“We wanted to honor both families,” says Cowan, “so it was really rewarding when they said we’d achieved a genuine level of accuracy.”

Wan concludes, “Most people will, at some point, relate that they know someone who has, or that they themselves have, experienced something paranormal. On my other films, it was comforting to tell myself those things weren’t real, I’d just made them up…but for ‘The Conjuring’ I didn't have that luxury.”

Opening across the Philippines on August 21, “The Conjuring” is a New Line Cinema production and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

First Poster for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Here's our first look at the poster for THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG featuring our return to Middle Earth and were we left off Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the rest of his dwarf party. 

This is only the first salvo as Warner Bros. will be releasing the teaser trailer together with MAN OF STEEL which opens this week here in the Philippines.

First Trailer for Comedy Film "We're The Millers' with Sudeikis and Aniston

From New Line Cinema comes the action comedy “We’re The Millers,” starring Jennifer Aniston (“Horrible Bosses”) and Jason Sudeikis (“The Campaign”). Catch the film's newly released teaser trailer HERE

In the film, David Burke (Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer whose clientele includes chefs and soccer moms, but no kids—after all, he has his scruples. So what could go wrong? Plenty. Preferring to keep a low profile for obvious reasons, he learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished when he tries to help out some local teens and winds up getting jumped by a trio of gutter punks. Stealing his stash and his cash, they leave him in major debt to his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms).

The Conjuring Has a New Poster and a New Trailer, Scarier than Insidious

New Line Cinema has released the main poster and second trailer of its upcoming horror thriller “The Conjuring” starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. Catch the poster below and the trailer at http://youtu.be/ajGDL21ijhw.

Based on a true story, “The Conjuring” tells the horrifying tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.

New Line and Warner Release Poster and Trailer for The Conjuring

New Line Cinema has rolled out the teaser poster and trailer of its upcoming horror thriller “The Conjuring” starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.

Based on a true story, “The Conjuring” tells the horrifying tale of how world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.

Olivia Wilde Casts a Spell in "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone"

Olivia Wilde (“Cowboys & Aliens,” “TRON: Legacy”) stars as Jane—the assistant who bailed on superstar magician Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell), in New Line Cinema’s highly anticipated comedy, “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.”

Though she never once succumbed to what Burt assumed was his irresistible charm, and she didn’t have the kindest words for him at their last parting, Burt hopes she still feels enough loyalty to the old act to prevent her from slamming the door in his face.

In the film, magicians Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have ruled the Las Vegas Strip for years, raking in millions with illusions as big as Burt’s growing ego. But lately the duo’s greatest deception is their public friendship, while secretly they’ve grown to loathe each other.



Facing cutthroat competition from guerilla street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey), whose cult following surges with each outrageous stunt, even their show is starting to look stale. But there’s still a chance Burt and Anton can save the act—both onstage and off—if only Burt can get back in touch with what made him love magic in the first place.

A magicians’ assistant by default, Jane was plucked from the show’s backstage crew one night after Burt and Anton’s previous eye-candy associate quit during intermission. “She’s literally tossed off her feet, her clothes are ripped off in the wings and they throw a costume on her, slap on a blonde wig, and push her out on stage so she’s totally out of her depth the first second we see her,” offers director Don Scardino.



Adds producer Chris Bender, “She’s actually an aspiring illusionist who used to admire Burt Wonderstone very much. Of course, that was before she met him.”

Seeing the character as smart and confident, but with a kind of awkwardness that was fun to play with, Olivia Wilde says, “The way Jane is thrust into the act completely unprepared gave me a chance to play up the comedy of the situation, which was something new for me. I like the idea of her having to overcome her stage fright on the job, being nervous and not wanting to get into that ridiculous spangled outfit but having no choice.”

In those few frantic seconds before the curtain goes up, it’s Anton who calmly applies Jane’s lipstick, a personal touch that, Wilde says, “Steve Buscemi came up with at the last second, and it really helps to establish their camaraderie right off the bat.”



Jane’s relationship with Burt, though, was not nearly as intimate, in any sense of the word. “He experiences a different dynamic with her,” co-star Steve Carell admits. “She’s tougher and more intelligent and focused than the women he’s accustomed to dating. Frankly, any woman who dates or sleeps with Burt Wonderstone immediately regrets it and hates herself, and Jane certainly wouldn’t do that because she’s better than that.”



Surprisingly, Jane believes Burt is better than that, too. A fan since childhood, she credits him with inspiring her interest in the many facets of magic and, despite her disappointment, still shares that affinity with him. “She’s horrified to see how lazy and entitled he’s become and how he’s lost his way, but also believes that, somewhere inside, he’s still brilliant,” Wilde concludes.

Opening across the Philippines on March 20, “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” is a New Line Cinema presentation and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Meet the Giants from Jack the Giant Slayer

New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. have released five new posters for its upcoming 3D epic action-adventure “Jack the Giant Slayer” featuring the giants Fee, Fye, Foe, Fumm...and Fallon.

The 3D fantasy adventure is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Bryan Singer (“X-Men”) and starring Nicholas Hoult (“X-Men: First Class”).

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Main Poster Revealed

Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures have just unveiled the main one-sheet art for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the first of Peter Jackson's trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking 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.”

Peter Jackson's Long Awaited Adaptation of the Hobbit Now Becomes a Trilogy

New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Warner Bros. Pictures Announce Third Film in The Hobbit Trilogy

The Hobbit Gets a Comic-Con 2012 Poster

Just sharing a cool looking poster for New Line's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" which will be exclusive to San Diego Comic-Con 2012.

Tom Cruise Will Rock Your World in "Rock of Ages"

Tom Cruise, one of filmdom's brightest superstars, plays the fictional Stacee Jaxx, one of music’s biggest stars, in New Line Cinema's epic musical “Rock of Ages.”

In the film, Stacee Jaxx is the rock god that every guy wants to be and that every woman wants to bed. The lead singer of Arsenal, Stacee is at a turning point in his career, and in his life. He’s about to go solo, and his final show with the band is at The Bourbon Room. It’s a homecoming of sorts, as he played his first gig there back in the day. But fame and fortune may have come too easily to the front man who, after years of indulgence, has become boozed up and blasé to the point of bored, and less than reliable when it comes to showing up for his own shows.

The casting of Stacee Jaxx turned out to be somewhat serendipitous. “I was thinking to myself, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we got one of the biggest movie stars in the world to play one of the biggest rock stars in the world?’” Shankman reflects. “And, as luck would have it, I ran into Tom Cruise, told him I was directing this movie, that it was a musical, and that I was going to offer him this part. He said, ‘Are you serious?’ I said I was. Then I described Stacee to him and he laughed really hard. The next thing I knew, he was in, and I was making a musical with Tom Cruise.”