Movie News: PH BOX-OFFICE “CRAZY” FOR “RICH ASIANS” AS MILESTONE FILM OPENS AT NO.1

Earns P82.7-M in Five Days, Marks the Biggest Opening Ever for a Foreign Rom-Com

MANILA, August 27, 2018 -- The Philippine box-office laid out the red carpet for Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Crazy Rich Asians” as Filipino movie fans rushed to the cinemas and gave the romantic comedy a record-breaking P82.7-M gross in five days, victoriously opening at No.1.

This was announced today by Francis Soliven, General Manager of Warner Bros. Philippines.

The contemporary love story based on the global bestseller by Kevin Kwan broke two box-office records, namely the All-Time Biggest Opening Weekend for a Foreign Romantic Comedy (surpassing 2002’s “Maid in Manhattan” with P24-M), and the Biggest Opening of the Year for a Warner Bros. Title (outgrossing “The Meg” with P63.4-M).  

The most talked-about film in the country for the past several weeks, “Crazy Rich Asians” rode a tidal wave of goodwill and positive anticipation from fans, resulting to Warner’s biggest opening weekend of the year, as well as the biggest opening weekend for a romantic comedy.

Reviews for the Jon M. Chu were phenomenal and audiences have been spreading emotional word-of-mouth which has been key in getting a broader audience in.  

The inclusion of Filipino actress Kris Aquino and US-based Pinoy comedian Nico Santos to the film’s cast also drove upbeat interest and curiosity.  And based on post-screening reactions, both stars did their countrymen proud.

In North America, “Crazy Rich Asians” had a crazy good second weekend at the box office.

Warner Bros. acclaimed romantic comedy generated another $25 million in 3,526 locations, meaning it made almost as much during its second outing as it did its first weekend. Jon M. Chu’s movie, which has been lauded as the first studio film in over 25 years with a predominately Asian-American cast, dropped just 6% — marking one of the best holds in recent history for a wide release in any genre. In two weeks, its domestic total sits at $76.8 million.

Rated PG by the MTRCB, “Crazy Rich Asians” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Entertainment Company.

You can click here for my "Crazy Rich Asians" movie review. 

About “Crazy Rich Asians”

 “Crazy Rich Asians” is a contemporary romantic comedy based on the acclaimed worldwide bestseller by Kevin Kwan.  

The story follows New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore.  Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick’s family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life.  Not only is he the scion of one of the country’s wealthiest families, but also one of its most sought-after bachelors.  Being on Nick’s arm puts a target on Rachel’s back, with jealous socialites and, worse, Nick’s own disapproving mother (Michelle Yeoh) taking aim.  


It soon becomes clear that the only thing crazier than love is family, in this funny and romantic story sure to ring true for audiences everywhere.  

Directed by Jon M. Chu, “Crazy Rich Asians” features an international cast of stars, led by Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, and Awkwafina, with Ken Jeong and Michelle Yeoh. The large starring ensemble also includes Sonoya Mizuno, Chris Pang, Jimmy O. Yang, Ronny Chieng, Remi Hii, and Nico Santos. 

Movie News: Kong Skull Island Thunders To The Top Of PH Box Office

Warner Bros. Pictures’, Legendary Pictures’ and Tencent Pictures’

Epic Action Adventure Grosses P77.86-M in 4 Days

MANILA, March 13, 2017 – Kong: Skull Island, Warner Bros. Pictures’, Legendary Pictures’ and Tencent Pictures’ epic reimagining of one of cinema’s mightiest monster myths, thundered to the top of the Philippine box office, earning a total of more than P77.86-M across 290 screens, with no signs of slowing down. The announcement was made today by Francis Soliven, General Manager of Warner Bros. Philippines.

Opening virtually day-and-date across the globe, the action adventure from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts brings Kong stomping back to the big screen at a whole new scale, alongside an acclaimed cast led by Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson and John C. Reilly.

In making the announcement, Soliven stated, “Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and his extraordinary cast and filmmaking team have delivered the crowd-pleasing monster movie that audiences across the Philippines have been waiting for. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the film’s incredible debut, and the responses of both critics and moviegoers promise that Kong will roar well into the season.”

In the US, Kong: Skull Island emerged victorious after a battle of the beasts that pitted the giant ape movie against Logan. Cresting a wave of good reviews, Kong: Skull Island topped the domestic box office, racking up a mighty $61 million which is above expectations. Early estimates had Kong debuting to between $45 million and $50 million.

The producers of Godzilla reimagine the origins of one the most powerful monster myths of all in Kong: Skull Island, from Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures and Tencent Pictures.

A compelling, original adventure from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer), the film tells the story of a diverse team of scientists, soldiers and adventurers uniting to explore a mythical, uncharted island in the Pacific, as dangerous as it is beautiful. Cut off from everything they know, the team ventures into the domain of the mighty Kong, igniting the ultimate battle between man and nature. As their mission of discovery becomes one of survival, they must fight to escape a primal Eden in which humanity does not belong.

Vogt-Roberts directed the film from a screenplay by Dan Gilroy and Max Borenstein and Derek Connolly, story by John Gatins. Kong: Skull Island is produced by Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, Jon Jashni and Alex Garcia, with Eric McLeod and Edward Cheng serving as executive producers.

Now playing across the Philippines in 2D, 3D in select theatres, and IMAX, Kong: Skull Island is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Check out our Kong: Skull Island Movie Review! Click here. 

Movie News: OPENING AT NO.1, “FANTASTIC BEASTS” FINDS P126.42-M IN JUST4 DAYS

MANILA, Nov. 22, 2016 – Magical creatures, new heroes to root for and a jaw-dropping big reveal lured audiences back  to a new era of magic.

The wizarding world of Harry Potter triumphantly returned to Philippine cinemas as Warner Bros.’ “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” opened at No.1 with a spellbinding P126.42-million in only four days for the Nov. 17-20 frame.  This was announced today by Francis Soliven, General Manager of Warner Bros. Philippines.

The Harry Potter spinoff posted the Biggest November Opening Weekend for a Warner Bros. Film All-Time surpassing             2005’s “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’s” P105-million bow. 

The solid opening of “Fantastic Beasts” has launched a new franchise for Warner, justifying an expansion of the series into five films.  Reviews are generally positive.

In the U.S., “Fantastic Beasts” debuted to a boisterous $75 million, and likewise got off to a roaring start at the international box office, taking in $143.3 million for a global total of $218.3 million.

Next weekend will see big launches in the key markets of China and Japan. A projection towards the $800M mark seems possible if it holds up moderately well in coming weeks.

Back in the Philippines, top-grossing cinemas are led by SM Megamall (P5.56-M), SM Mall of Asia (P5.28-M) and SM North EDSA (P4.99-M).

They are followed by Trinoma (P4.22-M), Power Plant (P3.34-M), Greenbelt 3 (P3.17-M), Glorietta 4 (P2.44-M), SM Cebu (P2.33-M), Alabang Town Center (P2.23-M) and Shang Cineplex (P2.20-M).

Performing significantly well are Ayala Cebu (P2.13-M), Greenhills Theatremall (P2.08-M), SM Ilo-ilo (P2.06-M), SM Aura (P2.04-M), Gateway (P1.96-M), U.P. Town Center (P1.94-M), Uptown (P1.91-M), Bonifacio High Street (P1.87-M), Eastwood (P1.79-M) and SM Bacolod (P1.59-M) .

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” takes us to a new era of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, decades before Harry Potter and half a world away.

Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything,” “The Danish Girl”) stars in the central role of Magizoologist Newt Scamander, under the direction of David Yates, who helmed the last four “Harry Potter” blockbusters.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” opens in 1926 as Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident … were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.

           

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is now playing nationwide in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX, and is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

© 2016 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.

Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts Publishing Rights © JKR.

Movie News: “DON'T BREATHE” TOPS U.S. BOX OFFICE WITH $26.1-M, OPENS INPH AUG 31

Augus 29, 2016 – Columbia Pictures' gripping suspense thriller “Don't Breathe” – which Variety hails as“a muscular exercise in brutal, relentless peril” – spooked the U.S. box-office with a chilling $26.1-million, easily opening at No.1 for the Aug. 26-28 weekend.

It joins a long list of recent horror films such as “The Purge: Election Year,” “The Conjuring 2,” “Lights Out” and “The Shallows” that have all found success with audiences.

“Don’t Breathe” cost less than $10 million to produce, but it more than doubled its production budget in a single weekend, after rolling out across 3,051 locations. The film follows a trio of friends breaks into the house of a blind recluse confident of an easy score only to find themselves in a terrifying life-or-death struggle.

“This film is going to be a big moneymaker for us,” said Rory Bruer, Sony’s distribution chief. “We knew we had something special here. This is a film that’s all about keeping people jumping out of their seats and holding onto the person next to them.”

The No.1 launch of “Don't Breathe” in the U.S. bodes well for the thriller's box-office prospects in the Philippines as the film rolls out in local cinemas starting Wednesday, Aug. 31.

The Filipino audience are great horror fans, and the film's favorable R-13 rating from the MTRCB will likely boost the attraction core genre moviegoers.

“Don't Breathe” created a thunderstorm of excitement and wild buzz when it premiered at the recent South By South West (SXSW) film festival, with some critics describing it as “the best suspense thriller in the last decade.” Now, Philippine audiences will discover why the film has driven reviewers at the edge of their seats.

John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter writes, “the lean and mean pic offers scares aplenty and at least a couple of game-changing twists.”

Meanwhile, Edward Douglas, of the New York Daily News underscores that the film “takes you into far darker territory than anticipated.”

“Don’t Breathe” stars Jane Levy (“Evil Dead”), Dylan Minnette (“Goosebumps”), Daniel Zovatto (“It Follows”) and Stephen Lang (“Avatar”). Fede Alvarez (“Evil Dead”) directs from a script co-written with Rodo Sayagues (Evil Dead). Producers are Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Fede Alvarez.

In his sophomore feature, Alvarez goes for the jugular with an unapologetically brutal and twisted horror-thriller that pits a trio of thieves against an unexpectedly dangerous adversary. Shocking and enthralling, Alvarez’s masterful, visually stunning thriller maintains a frenzied pace to the last chilling minute.

“Don't Breathe” is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Check out my movie review for "Don't Breathe" here. 

Movies: “SUICIDE SQUAD” SOARS TO MORE THAN HALF A BILLION DOLLARS,P276-M IN PH Warner Bros. Pictures’ Band of Antiheroes Hits the $500Million Mark at the Global Box Office After Just 13 Days in Theaters

BURBANK, CA, August 18, 2016 – Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “Suicide Squad” flew past half a billion dollars after 13 days in theaters around the globe, with a cumulative total of $509 million and counting.  Having set records in its first two weeks in release, the film will help drive the overall August box office to a record high.  The announcement was made today by Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of Worldwide Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Kwan Vandenberg stated, “It is incredibly rewarding to see audiences around the world coming out in such a big way for ‘Suicide Squad.’  We have several major markets yet to open, and expect to continue seeing strong returns at the box office for the weeks to come.”

Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and Distribution, added, “We’re thrilled with the huge numbers on ‘Suicide Squad,’ and to be coming out of an already highly successful summer with such a big win for our slate.  The film is in position for another terrific weekend as our overseas expansion continues.”

The U.S. box office total now stands at more than $238 million; the international figure is $271 million, with the film opening in Germany this weekend and in Japan on September 10.

In the Philippines, “Suicide Squad” continues to dominate the box-office with current gross receipts at P276 million, and still counting.

            From writer/director David Ayer comes “Suicide Squad,” starring Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman and Viola Davis.

            It feels good to be bad… Assemble a team of the world’s most dangerous, incarcerated Super-Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do.  However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it’s every man for himself?

            Written and directed by Ayer based on the characters from DC Entertainment, the film also stars Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood, Cara Delevingne, Adam Beach, and Karen Fukuhara in her feature film debut.  It is produced by Charles Roven and Richard Suckle, with Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Colin Wilson and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.

            Now showing across the Philippines, “Suicide Squad” is  distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.  

You can check out my review on #SuicideSquad here.