Movies: “Fast & Furious” Spinoff “Hobbs & Shaw” Unleashes Trailer

The world of Fast & Furious just got bigger. Watch the brand new trailer for Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw which has just been released by Universal Pictures.

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YouTube: https://youtu.be/m1JNaA5dBFA

Movies: “The Meg” Devours P63.4-M In 5 Days, Opens At No.1 In PH

MANILA, Aug. 13, 2018 -- Warner Bros. Pictures’ giant shark thriller “The Meg” took the biggest bite off the Philippine box office this weekend to open at No.1.

The Jason Statham actioner grossed a splashy P63.4-million for the five-day opening weekend (Aug. 8 to 12) in only 274 screens, becoming Warner’s best opener for the year todate after “Rampage” (P59.7-M) and “Tomb Raider” (P57.6-M).

The slasher film’s above-expectations performance bodes well for its anticipated robust second frame.  “The Meg” will continue playing in IMAX and 4D screens this week, enabling moviegoers to still enjoy the ocean-bound adventure’s escapist fun.

Movie Review: The Meg

(c) Warner Bros. Pictures

When I first saw the trailer for "The Meg" I didn't know whether to take the movie seriously, I mean its a HUGE prehistoric Shark versus Jason Statham! As I was watching the film though, it sure gave me a lot to think about. Aside from the wheels in my head turning (in a good way) I was also at the edge of my seat with jump scares and going into one exciting scene to the next. 

Its interesting to note that the movie is actually based on a 1997 Science Fiction book by Steve Alten, which means there's plot to it. Its not just a "Sharknado" wannabe, its not just sharks eating people. There are actually a lot of themes (if you know where to look for them) in the film which I appreciated. 


Let's not get ahead of ourselves though, "The Meg" knows what it is-a glorious B-movie with a creature feature that will bring back all those fears and doubts about going into the ocean. I remember when I was a kid, my dad would chase us around the swimming pool with pretend shark fins and humming the "Jaws" theme.  While "The Meg" will never be at par with "Jaws" it is something that this generation can enjoy being frightened of, or you know, just enjoy it for the popcorn flick that it is. Its funny how audiences anticipate "something" is about to happen and end up either feeling silly if they are wrong or completely vindicated when the big bite does come. 

(c) Warner Bros. Pictures

The film opens with a deep sea underwater rescue headed by Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) and a couple of colleges, who try to rescue a submarine with a number of injured victims in it. As they attempt to escape, an unknown entity threatens to kill all of them if Taylor does not make the call-save his friends or let everyone else die? 


Five years later, an underwater research facility called "Mana One" is leading a mission to discover the possibility of an even deeper depth than the Marianas trench. The research is led by Dr. Minway Zhang, along with his oceanographer daughter Suyin Zhang (Li Bingbing). The project is financed by Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson). The mission goes well until the submersible, which has three crew members in it is attacked by an unknown creature and loses contact with Mana One. 


Jonas (I only realized now, is the perfect name for this character ~ you know? Jonas and the whale? Get it?) is asked to help rescue the trapped crew members and possibly come face to face with the Megalodon, a prehistoric shark, long since thought of to be extinct.  

(c) Warner Bros. Pictures

"We do, what we always did. We discover and we destroy". 

Yes, man, who is supposedly the steward of the earth can get really selfish and really stupid at the same time. 

There's a scene which points out to the issue of shark pouching and how cruel it is. Pouchers would cut off the fins of the shark and throw them back in the ocean for them to die - "just for a bowl of soup" and the Megalodon destroying a "shark boat" is just poetic justice. 

"Its not about the people you left behind, it's also about the people you saved."

Lots of personal sacrifices and survivor's guilt in this film. 



Probably my favorite Jason Straham movie to date (loved the "Finding Dory" reference by the way). It was so nice to see him interact with audience favorite, child actor Shuya Sophia Cai who played Meiyin, the daughter of Suyin. I thought they had better chemistry than Jonas with Suyin. Who were unfortunately the subject of some ill timed flirting and something that the film could have just left off. 

I thought that maybe it was too "Chinese" for me? Produced and distributed alongside China's Gravity Pictures, we all know making the film appealing to Chinese audiences is a technique to break into their coveted market. 


Also why no Philippines when they raised the alarm for the Megalodon? Warn Australia but not us? (LOL). I know, I know. Given the political climate we weren't going to get a mention, unlike in "Jaws".

(c) Warner Bros. Pictures

"The Meg" is more than just a shark movie. There are fun plots, lots of relevant themes, a character with a drive and a purpose. Jason Stratham wasn't just a macho dude who was going to take on a giant shark. He also has excess baggage and issues and its nice to see that vulnerable side of him. Although that was only there for an instant and he's back to his steely-eyed, heavy accented self (deeeeym those abs sure got me distracted for a second).


There is stills some cheesy and corny dialogue ("That living fossil ate my friend!") but that's forgivable.  

Lots of complaints about the film being PG and not being bloody enough. Well, look at it this way, at least the kids can go see and enjoy it right? Granted of course, they are accompanied by adults. One officemate was asking me about the film, since her son has shown great interest, correcting his mom with "Megalodon" instead of "The Meg".  I assured her of its rating and if kids can watch Jurassic World then they can watch "The Meg". 


Also, given the ratio and proportion of the Meg and a human adult, you really won't see much tearing flesh and blood, its just all one big gulp. Its the chase and the question of survive or snack that becomes important.   



5.5/10 - "The Meg" is one fun creature feature popcorn flick, just leave your expectations at the door and enjoy it for what it is- entertainment best enjoyed in the big screen. 

Movies: Its Jason Statham VS “The Meg” In Epic Monster Shark Thriller

In Warner Bros. Pictures’ new pulse-pounding action thriller “The Meg,” only three people have ever attempted an ocean rescue below 10,000 meters.  But only one is still alive to tell the tale: Jonas Taylor. 

Global action star Jason Statham plays Jonas Taylor in the sci-fi spectacle. “I think this is the ultimate popcorn film,” he says.  “It gives you what people go to the cinema for: entertainment, suspense, action, and even a few laughs—all of the things audiences want from a big moviegoing experience.”

“I have always had a fascination with the underwater world and have been scuba diving for almost 20 years,” says Statham.  “The oceans are so vast, and, rationally, I think most people have a fear of what’s down there and automatically assume the worst, especially about sharks.  Sharks are one thing that take no prisoners.  A great white would put the fear of God into any swimmer, so you can only imagine what something three or four times that size would do to you.  You wouldn’t want that chasing you down.”

Movies: “The Meg” Chomps Its Way To New Trailer

Warner Bros. Pictures has unveiled the new international trailer for its sci-fi action thriller “The Meg” from director Jon Turteltaub and starring Jason Statham.

Check it out below and watch “The Meg” in Philippine cinemas August 08.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/warnerbrosphils/videos/2130017300361133/

YouTube:  https://youtu.be/UMi8L-yYyyM

In the film, a deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific…with its crew trapped inside.  With time running out, expert deep sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer (Winston Chao), against the wishes of his daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing), to save the crew—and the ocean itself—from this unstoppable threat: a pre-historic 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon.  What no one could have imagined is that, years before, Taylor had encountered this same terrifying creature.  Now, teamed with Suyin, he must confront his fears and risk his own life to save everyone trapped below…bringing him face to face once more with the greatest and largest predator of all time.

Rounding out the international main cast of “The Meg” are Rainn Wilson (TV’s “The Office”), Ruby Rose (“xXx: Return of Xander Cage”), Winston Chao (“Skiptrace”), Page Kennedy (TV’s “Rush Hour”), Jessica McNamee (TV’s “Sirens”), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (“The BFG”), Robert Taylor (“Focus”), Sophia Shuya Cai (“Somewhere Only We Know”), Masi Oka (TV’s “Heroes”) and New Zealander Cliff Curtis (TV’s “Fear the Walking Dead”).

“The Meg” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Movies: Dwayne Johnson Takes On Jason Statham In “Fast & Furious 8”

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham reprise their iconic rival characters Hobbs and Shaw in Universal Pictures' Fast & Furious 8, the newest chapter in one of the most popular and enduring motion-picture serials of all time.

In the film, Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are married and Brian and Mia have retired from the game—and the rest of the crew has been exonerated—the globetrotting team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of crime he can’t seem to escape and a betrayal of those closest to him, they will face trials that will test them as never before.

Screenwriter Chris Morgan again worked closely with Dwayne Johnson to flesh out additional backstory for elite DSS agent Hobbs, the ultimate lawman whose own strict moral code has grown more flexible…thanks to the détente that he and Dom established years ago. Very few are able to pierce business-only Hobbs’ veneer, but as the team earned his respect and trust, a burgeoning camaraderie grew.

Movie News: Do Your Own Virtual Car Stunt In “F8 Greenscreen Event”

Ever wondered how car stunts in Fast & Furious films are made? You may stop imagining now, and experience it instead!

To mark the April 15 release of Fast & Furious 8 in the Philippines, Universal Pictures will mount the “F8 Greenscreen Event” – a playful and highly shareable initiative that celebrates the FAST franchise and allows the fans to become part of the FAST family.
Universal Pictures has created a unique mini green screen studio for fans to star in their very own Fast & Furious stunt scene experience which offers the thrill of hitting the accelerator in one of the movie’s supercars.

Fans can enter the mini studio, take the driver's seat and join the Fast family in an immersive experience to create their own personalized video which can be shared across Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Check out the promo video here: https://www.facebook.com/uipmoviesph/videos/1467743259966736/

Visit the #F8 Greenscreen at the following locations and star in your own Fast stunt for the ultimate #F8Experience.

APRIL 1 - 2: Uptown Mall Cinema Lobby
APRIL 8 - 9: Robinsons Galleria Cinema Lobby
APRIL 15 - 16: SM Mall of Asia Music Hall

For details on how to participate, visit https://www.facebook.com/uipmoviesph.

About Fast & Furious 8

On the heels of 2015’s Fast & Furious 7, one of the fastest movies to reach $1 billion worldwide and the sixth-biggest global title in box-office history, comes the newest chapter in one of the most popular and enduring motion-picture serials of all time: Fast & Furious 8.

Now that Dom and Letty are married and Brian and Mia have retired from the game—and the rest of the crew has been exonerated—the globetrotting team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of crime he can’t seem to escape and a betrayal of those closest to him, they will face trials that will test them as never before.

From the shores of Cuba and the streets of New York City to the icy plains off the arctic Barents Sea, our elite force will crisscross the globe to stop an anarchist from unleashing chaos on the world’s stage…and to bring home the man who made them a family.

Fast & Furious 8 features a returning all-star cast, as well as a star-studded array of newcomers to this world – Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Helen Mirren, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Pataky, Scott Eastwood with Kurt Russell and Charlize Theron.

Opening across the Philippines on Black Saturday, April 15,  Fast & Furious 8 is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Movies: Charlize Theron Is Cipher, Lethal Villain Of “Fast & Furious 8”

Mad Max: Fury Road's Furiosa herself, Oscar®-winner Charlize Theron joins the cast of Universal Pictures' Fast & Furious 8 for a ride of a lifetime.

When it came to developing another worthy villain who could make Dom (Vin Diesel) betray his team, the filmmakers had an ace up their sleeves. Namely, the globally popular actress Charlize Theron, whose on screen cred alone would bring a new pedigreed threat to the team, while interweaving more of the “holy #%$@” plot twists that smack of the Fast franchise reveals.

“We’ve always had this idea that we wanted one of our villains to be this amazing woman, and honestly we had our eye on Charlize Theron,” confesses producer Neal Moritz. “We’ve been talking with her for a number of years about becoming part of the franchise, and when we came up with this idea for what her character could be, we went to her.”

MOVIES: INSANE, EXPLOSIVE ACTION IN NEW “FAST & FURIOUS 8” TRAILER

Multitude of cars gone rogue, switching alliances, insane action sequences – Universal Pictures' Fast & Furious 8 has pulled all the stops for its newly-launched trailer which may be viewed at https://youtu.be/CauLB6pD6Ls.

The film is the follow-up to Fast & Furious 7, one of the fastest movies to reach $1 billion worldwide in box-office history and the sixth-biggest global title of all time.

Fast & Furious 8 below opens in Philippine cinemas starting on Black Saturday, April 15, 2017.

In the film, now that Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are on their honeymoon and Brian and Mia have retired from the game—and the rest of the crew has been exonerated—the globetrotting team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman (Oscar® winner Charlize Theron) seduces Dom into the world of crime he can’t seem to escape and a betrayal of those closest to him, they will face trials that will test them as never before.

From the shores of Cuba and the streets of New York City to the icy plains off the arctic Barents Sea, our elite force will crisscross the globe to stop an anarchist from unleashing chaos on the world’s stage…and to bring home the man who made them a family.

For Fast & Furious 8, Vin Diesel is joined by a returning all-star cast that includes Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Pataky and Kurt Russell. In addition to Theron, the series welcomes newcomers Scott Eastwood and Oscar® winner Helen Mirren. The film is directed by F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton) and produced by returning producers Neal H. Moritz, Michael Fottrell and Diesel.

“Fast & Furious 8” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures

MOVIES: “FAST & FURIOUS 8” NEW POSTER IS ICE-BOUND!

Universal Pictures has just released the new one-sheet art for Fast & Furious 8, the follow-up to Fast & Furious 7, one of the fastest movies to reach $1 billion worldwide in box-office history and the sixth-biggest global title of all time.

Catch the new poster of Fast & Furious 8 below and watch the film in Philippine cinemas starting on Black Saturday, April 15, 2017.

In the film, now that Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are on their honeymoon and Brian and Mia have retired from the game—and the rest of the crew has been exonerated—the globetrotting team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman (Oscar® winner Charlize Theron) seduces Dom into the world of crime he can’t seem to escape and a betrayal of those closest to him, they will face trials that will test them as never before.

From the shores of Cuba and the streets of New York City to the icy plains off the arctic Barents Sea, our elite force will crisscross the globe to stop an anarchist from unleashing chaos on the world’s stage…and to bring home the man who made them a family.

For Fast & Furious 8, Vin Diesel is joined by a returning all-star cast that includes Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Pataky and Kurt Russell. In addition to Theron, the series welcomes newcomers Scott Eastwood and Oscar® winner Helen Mirren. The film is directed by F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton) and produced by returning producers Neal H. Moritz, Michael Fottrell and Diesel.
“Fast & Furious 8” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Movie News: SHOOTING BEGINS ON WARNER BROS.' SCI-FI FILM “MEG”

BURBANK, CA – October 12, 2016 – Principal photography is underway in New Zealand on the science fiction action thriller “Meg,” being directed by Jon Turteltaub (the “National Treasure” movies). The film stars Jason Statham (“Spy,” “Furious 7,” “The Expendables” films). Award-winning Chinese actress Li Bingbing (“Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Forbidden Kingdom,” “The Message”) has been set to star opposite Statham.

In the film, a deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific…with its crew trapped inside. With time running out, expert deep sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Statham) is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer (Winston Chao), against the wishes of his daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing), to save the crew—and the ocean itself—from this unstoppable threat: a pre-historic 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon. What no one could have imagined is that, years before, Taylor had encountered this same terrifying creature. Now, teamed with Suyin, he must confront his fears and risk his own life to save everyone trapped below…bringing him face to face once more with the greatest and largest predator of all time.

Rounding out the international main cast of “Meg” are New Zealander Cliff Curtis (TV’s “Fear the Walking Dead”), Rainn Wilson (TV’s “The Office” ), Ruby Rose (“xXx: Return of Xander Cage”), Winston Chao (“Skiptrace”), Page Kennedy (TV’s “Rush Hour”), Jessica McNamee (“The Vow”), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (“The BFG”), Robert Taylor (“Focus”), Sophia Shuya Cai (“Somewhere Only We Know”), and Masi Oka (TV’s “Heroes”).

Turteltaub is directing the film from a screenplay by Dean Georgaris and Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber, based on the New York Times best-selling book by Steve Alten. Lorenzo di Bonaventura (the “Transformers” films), Belle Avery (“Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead”) and Colin Wilson (“Suicide Squad,” “Avatar”) are producing the film, with Wayne Wei Jiang, Randy Greenberg, Barrie M. Osborne and Gerald R. Molen serving as executive producers.

Turteltaub’s behind-the-scenes team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Tom Stern (“Changeling,” “Sully,” “American Sniper,” “The Hunger Games”), Oscar-winning production designer Grant Major (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”), editor Steven Kemper (“Salt”) and costume designer Amanda Neale (“Pete’s Dragon”).

In addition to New Zealand, filming on “Meg” is also being accomplished on location in China.

“Meg” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Gravity Pictures. It is production of di Bonaventura Pictures, Apelles Entertainment, Maeday Productions, Inc., and Flagship Entertainment, in association with Beijing Digital Impression (BDI) Film, Inc.

Opening across the Philippines on March 2018, “Meg” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company.