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| (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines) |
Christmas is coming even earlier this year as “Red One", the star-studded action-adventure comedy led by Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, will hit local cinemas one week earlier than originally scheduled. “Red One” opens in Philippine cinemas November 6, nine days ahead of the film’s US opening. Besides “Red One", Warner Bros. Pictures’ stacked end-of-year lineup includes “Joker: Folie a Deux", “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story", “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice". The sequel to the 1988 cult classic “Beetlejuice” earned director Tim Burton, Michael Keaton and the rest of the film’s powerhouse cast a nearly four-minute standing ovation at its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last August 29.
Rounding out the studio’s 2024 Philippine lineup are new acquisitions from Asia including “I, The Executioner", a Korean action movie starring Hwang Jung-min and Jung Hae-in, opening in Philippine cinemas September 25. Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, this film is a sequel to the 2015 box-office hit “Veteran" which was also directed by Ryoo and starred Hwang. Moviegoers in search of Thai films can look forward to the sci-fi time travel epic “Taklee Genesis: Worlds Collide” in September, and fans of Japanese titles can now save the date for anime “The Colors Within” in October and horror movie “Anoko Wa Daare" from the director of “Ju-on" in November. Here are more details about Warner Bros. Pictures’ offerings for the rest of 2024.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (September 4)
Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe
Director: Tim Burton
Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), Lydia’s (Winona Ryder) life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.
TAKLEE GENESIS: WORLDS COLLIDE (September 18)
Cast: Paula Taylor, Peter Corp Dyrendal, Wanarat Ratsameerat, Nuttacha Jessica Padovan
Director: Chookiat Sakveerakul (“Love of Siam”)
During the Vietnam War, the US Armed Forces built a large Radio Research Field Station (RRFS) at Ramasun Camp. It’s believed to be a test site for the warp-speed teleporter by the name of “Taklee Genesis". Stella (Paula Taylor), a single mom experiencing a twist of fate, receives a call from her childhood friend Ith (Peter Corp Dyrendal) asking her to return to her hometown to care for her critically ill mother Duangphon (Jenjira Widner). Stella left Ban Don Hai when she was a child after testifying that her father had mysteriously disappeared in a forbidden forest, to no one’s belief. Now back in her hometown 30 years later, Stella receives a call from her missing father asking her to bring him back.
I, THE EXECUTIONER (September 25)
Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Jung Hae-in, Oh Dal-su, Jang Yoon-ju, Kim Shi-hoo
Director: Ryoo Seung-wan (“Veteran”)
The veteran detectives renowned for always getting their man are back in action! Detective Seo Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min) and his Major Crimes Investigation Division tirelessly track down criminals day and night, often at the expense of their personal lives. When the murder of a professor reveals links to past cases, suspicions of a serial killer arise, plunging the country into turmoil. As Major Crimes delves into the investigation, the killer taunts them by publicly releasing a teaser online, indicating the next victim, and intensifying the chaos. To tackle the escalating threat, the team brings in idealistic rookie officer Park Sun-woo (Jung Hae-in), leading to unexpected twists in the case’s trajectory.
JOKER: FOLIE Á DEUX (October 2)
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz
Director: Todd Phillips
“Joker: Folie à Deux” finds Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him.
SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY (October 16)
Director: Ian Bonhôte & Peter Ettedgui (“McQueen”)
The story of Christopher Reeve is an astonishing rise from unknown actor to iconic movie star. Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four “Superman” films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After becoming a quadriplegic, he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and care – all while continuing his career in cinema in front of and behind the camera and dedicating himself to his beloved family. This film includes never-before-seen intimate home movies and an extraordinary trove of personal archive material, as well as the first extended interviews ever filmed with Reeve’s three children about their father, and interviews with the A-list Hollywood actors who were Reeve’s colleagues and friends.
THE COLORS WITHIN (October 23)
Voice cast: Sayu Suzukawa, Akari Takaishi, Taisei Kido, Aoi Yūki, Keiko Toda, Minako Kotobuki, Yasuko, Yui Aragaki
Directed by: Naoko Yamada (“A Silent Voice”)
High school student Totsuko (Sayu Suzukawa) can see the “colors” of others – colors of bliss, excitement, serenity, and many others. She forms a band with fellow student Kimi (Akari Takaishi) who gives off the most beautiful color Totsuko has ever seen. Rounding out their band is Rui (Taisei Kido), a music enthusiast they meet in a far corner of town. Even though Totsuko does not play an instrument, music brings them together.
RED ONE (November 6 – NEW DATE!)
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Liu, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Nick Kroll, Kristofer Hivju, J. K. Simmons, Bonnie Hunt
Director: Jake Kasdan
After Santa Claus – Code Name: RED ONE – is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.
ANOKO WA DAARE (November 13)
Voice cast: Nagisa Shibuya, Ikoi Hayase, Soma Santoki
Directed by: Takashi Shimizu (“Ju-on: The Grudge”)
In 1992, a girl falls from the rooftop of a middle school. Beside her dead body was a cassette recorder, still recording… Thirty-two years later, Honoka (Nagisa Shibuya) is hired to teach summer classes at the same school. One day, she hears humming from the rooftop and the voice that shouts, “Listen to my sound!” followed by a thud of a student’s body. Honoka and her students, Hitomi (Ikoi Hayase) and Takeru (Soma Santoki), become suspicious that the two accidents are somehow connected. They look into the yearbook from 1992, and find a picture of Sana, their classmate who is obsessed with collecting “everyone’s sound” to write her song. Honoka, Hitomi, and Takeru soon realize that Sana is the cause of the accidents, and anyone who hears her song can be the next victim.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM (December 13)
Cast: Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, Miranda Otto
Director: Kenji Kamiyama (the “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” TV series)
Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg – a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra (Gaia Wise), the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.
With such a diverse and exciting lineup, there’s something for everyone at the cinema this year. Whether you’re into action-packed thrillers, emotional dramas, or spine-tingling horror, Warner Bros. Pictures’ 2024 offerings promise to deliver unforgettable movie experiences. Don’t miss out — head to your nearest theater and be the first to see these incredible films as they hit Philippine cinemas!
