Box Office Results: 'Expendables 2' Still Reigns With $13 Million

Box Office Results

"The Expendables 2" remained at the top spot of the box office race this weekend.

Based on estimates, the star-studded action flick raked in $13 million in North America on its second week, leading a weak box office week.

Now on its third week, "The Bourne Legacy" took the second spot with $9.5 million, followed by the 2-week old "ParaNorman" with $8.7 million.

Check out the latest box office results below:

1. The Expendables 2 (Millenium/Lionsgate) Week 2, Weekend $13.0M, Total $53.8M
2. The Bourne Legacy (Universal) Week 3, Weekend $9.5M, Total  $85.6M
3. ParaNorman (Focus Features) Week 2, Weekend $8.7M, Total $29.3M
4. The Dark Knight Rises (Legendary/WB) Week 6, Weekend $7.3M, Total $422.3M
5. Odd Life Of Timothy Green (Disney) Week 2, Weekend $7.2M, Total $27.1M
6. Premium Rush (Sony) Week 1, Weekend $6.5M
7. The Campaign (Warner Bros) Week 3, Weekend $6.5M, Total $62.6M
8. 2016 Obama’s America (Rocky Mountain) Week 1, Weekend $6.4M, Total $9.2M
9. Hope Springs (Sony) Week 3, Weekend $5.7M, Total $44.8M
10. Hit And Run (Open Road) Week 1, Weekend $4.3M, Total $5.5M
12. The Apparition (Dark Castle/WB) Week 1, Weekend $3.0M

Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn Ward Off Aliens In 'The Watch'

Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn reunite in “The Watch” along with Jonah Hill and British comedian Richard Ayoade who band together in the film to uncover the mysterious events happening in their neighborhood. 

Ben Stiller’s Evan is a senior manager at the superstore Costco, having made a not-so-lightning-fast ascent to that position from assistant manager.  Evan is a dedicated employee, but his heart is with the Glenview Neighborhood Watch, of which he is the founder and CEO.   “Evan is very community-oriented,” says Stiller, “because he has so few friends, and these clubs give him the opportunity to meet new people.”

Evan’s straight-laced, buttoned-down personality is a perfect fit for organizing clubs, but it’s not paying off socially.  Stiller says he found it challenging to figure out the mindset of a man whose life is defined by a relentless pursuit of order.  “I’m not very orderly,” explains the actor, who is currently starring in and directing “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”  “It wasn’t easy getting inside the mind of a meticulous, stoic and organized guy.”
              
Regarding the role’s more physical requirements, Stiller was comfortable with the fight scenes, where The Watch takes on the would-be conquerors from a distant world, but less so with a scene that required him to drive a forklift during a climactic battle.  “There was lots of action captured on camera, but driving the forklift made for some of the most frightening times on the set – for the crew,” says the actor.
              
Evan’s polar opposite is Vince Vaughn’s Bob, who is the id to Evan’s superego, the yang to his yin, and, says Schaffer, “a fun loving family man – to the max.”  For Bob, The Watch is his fraternal Shangri-La – an escape from the everyday responsibilities of family life.  The Watch means hanging with his new friends; enjoying some titty magazines, dirty jokes, and beers; and saying things like, “We’re gonna tear up shit, boys.”
              
“Bob is longing to hang out with the guys, have some drinks, talk about guy stuff, and let off some steam,” says Vaughn.  And ground zero for all the raucous fun is Bob’s tricked-out garage/man-cave and its wet bar, massage chairs, widescreen TV, and pool table.
              
“Bob is a big Teddy bear of a guy,” says Levy, who is currently directing Vaughn, along with Owen Wilson, in the comedy “The Internship.”  “He’s boisterous and gregarious and in The Watch as much for the bromance as for the responsibilities of ensuring his neighbors’ safety.”
              
The actors and filmmakers were determined to bring an audacity and boldness to THE WATCH.  “The film’s DNA doesn’t feel familiar,” notes producer Shawn Levy (“Real Steel,” “Night at the Museum”), “so we needed a director with a fresh sensibility and who would never play it safe.”  Enter Akiva Schaffer, who directs, co-writes and edits most of the iconic “Saturday Night Live” Digital Shorts. Says Ben Stiller:  “Akiva has a comedy chip in his brain.  He’s a genius editor and a true child of the digital age.”

The script required a high level of envelope-pushing.  “We had a great script from [co-screenwriter] Jared Stern, but we didn’t want to play it safe and we were determined to make it daring and unexpected,” says Levy.  Seth Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg, who had collaborated on screenplays for “Superbad” and “Pineapple Express,” came aboard the project, and their script delved deeply into the group’s skewed dynamics. “The alchemy of the script and Schaffer’s unique voice felt like a really good match,” says Levy.  “This is the real thing, not only in its use of language but in its sensibilities, which far exceed the boundaries of good taste.”

“The Watch” opens September 5 in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Lou Diamond Phillips, Chef Fabio Viviani Rock Chow Ciao! Kitchen

Watch Fil-Am Hollywood actor Lou Diamond Phillips rocking the kitchen with renowned chef  Fabio Viviani on a recent episode of Chow Ciao! on Yahoo! Screen. The episode features the recipe for the tasty Italian dish Penne Alla Vodka.

Below is Chef Fabio Viviani's Penne Alla Vodka recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 lb. dry penne pasta
• 1 tbsp. of butter
• ½ cup chopped onion
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• ½ cup 100-proof vodka
• 1 cup 100-proof vodka
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups Fabio's Marinara Sauce (recipe below)
• Parmesan cheese, grated

METHOD:

• Cook penne pasta in boiling salted water to al dente.
• Melt butter in sauté pan.
• Add chopped onion and cracked black pepper, and caramelize.
• Add ½ cup of the vodka to the pan and flambé.
• When alcohol has cooked off, add pasta to sauté pan.
• Add cracked pepper and remaining 1 cup vodka to pasta and onions; combine and reduce.
• Add cream to pan; combine and reduce.
• Add marinara to pan; combine and reduce.
• Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Jonah Hill Stars In Another Outrageous Comedy 'The Watch'

Jonah Hill has steadily posited himself as a solid hilarious support after his debut in the comedy “I Heart Huckabees.”  Appearing afterwards in acclaimed hits like “The 40-Year Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up,” “Superbad,” “Forgettting Sarah Marshall,” “Get Him to the Greek,” “Moneyball” and the most recent “21 Jump Street” with Channing Tatum which is Hill’s highest grossing film after “Superbad.”

His latest movie “The Watch” which is about to open in cinemas this September 5 (in Phils. cinemas) allowed him to work with Ben Stiller, one of moviedom’s great comic talents.  In “The Watch,”  four suburban guys formed a patrol which they tagged as ‘Neighborhood Watch’ after a mysterious incident left a security guard lifeless in the town’s superstore Costco.  Headed by the civic minded Evan (Ben Stiller), he recruits fun-loving family guy Bob (Vince Vaughn), tough-talking ‘wild card’ Franklin (Jonah Hill) and the recent divorcé Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade).

Even with – or maybe because of – their spiffy new “Watch” jackets, which are emblazoned with fiery wings and a tiger head, the not-so-fearsome foursome initially gets no respect from the residents they’re supposedly looking out for.  A group of kids plaster them with eggs, and the local cops think they’re a joke:  the Hardy Boys…only far less savvy.

“When they formed this ‘band of brothers’, the guys thought, sure, they might encounter some weird neighborhood stuff – maybe a burglar here, or peeping tom there – but suddenly they realize they’ve facing something extraordinary,” says producer Shawn Levy, the director of such hits as “Night at the Museum” and “Real Steel.”  “And The Watch is not just unprepared or unqualified, it’s not remotely equipped to deal with this problem; yet it’s all on them to stop it.”

The youngest member of the team is Franklin (Jonah Hill), a twentysomething, militant looking tough guy with, notes Schaffer “a sweetness just underneath.”  (He still lives at home with his mom.)  Franklin has a planet-size chip on his shoulder because he’s been rejected as a candidate for the police force and all other law enforcement organizations. So for Franklin, The Watch is the only way he can legally kick ass and take names.  “Franklin is alienated from, well everything,” says Hill.  “He’s very strange and very funny.”

Coming off his Oscar®-nominated performance in the drama “Moneyball,” and executive producing and starring in the critically-hailed hit “21 Jump Street,” Hill was not looking to return to the kind of raucous comedy that had propelled him to superstardom (like “Superbad” and “Pineapple Express”), but he “couldn’t resist the chance to perform opposite alongside Ben, Vince and Richard,” notes the actor.  “It was something I had to do.”  Moreover, “if I was going to do another broad comedy, I wanted it to have no basis in reality, and portray a character that could say or do anything.  Plus, anytime you put an extreme amount of danger in the hands of irresponsible people, you know the results are going to be really wild.”

More of Jonah Hill and the movie in this interactive trailer of “The Watch” http://www.youtube.com/thewatchintl.

“The Watch” is a 20th Century Fox movie to be distributed by Warner Bros. in local cinemas (Sept. 5).

Survivor Cast Announcement: New Castaways Revealed

Survivor Cast Announcement

Majority of the cast of "Survivor: Philippines" have been revealed by CBS on Monday.

The TV network named 15 of the 18 castaways vying to outwit, outplay and outlast one another including former National League MVP Jeff Kent (San Francisco Giants), and ‘80s television star Lisa Whelchel ("The Facts of Life"). Three of the 18 castaways, to be revealed later this week, are former players who were medically evacuated from the game and are returning to finish what they started.

For the first time in eight years, "Survivor: Philippines" will be comprised of three tribes named after animals in the region: Kalabaw ("Water Buffalo"), Tandang ("Rooster") and Matsing ("Monkey"). The tribes feature individuals from different backgrounds competing for the same ultimate goal: to be Sole Survivor.

Surrounded by water, "Survivor Philippines" will prominently feature marine-based challenges where the three tribes will battle for first and second place in order to be granted immunity, while the third-place tribe will head to Tribal Council and face elimination.

Below are the names of the 15 of the 18 castaways this season:

KALABAW TRIBE:
Sarah Dawson, 28, Silver Spring, Md., Insurance Sales
Katie Hanson, 22, Newark, Del., Former Miss Delaware 2011
Jeff Kent, 44, Austin, Texas, Retired MLB Player
Dana Lambert, 32, Winston-Salem, N.C., Cosmetologist
Carter Williams, 24, Shawnee, Kan., Track Coach

TANDANG TRIBE:
Abi-Maria Gomes, 32, Los Angele, Business Student
Roberta “RC” Saint-Amour, 27, New York, Investment Banker
Artis Silvester, 53, Terry Town, La., Computer Engineer
Lisa Whelchel, 49, Dallas, Tx, Former TV Teen Star ("The Facts of Life")
Peter “Pete” Yurkowski, 24, Holmdel, N.J., Engineering Graduate

MATSING TRIBE:
Malcolm Freberg, 25, Hermosa Beach, Calif., Bartender
Zane Knight, 28, Danville, Va., Tire Repairman
Angie Layto, 20, Provo, Utah, Model/Student
Roxanne “Roxy” Morris, 28, Brooklyn, N.Y., Seminary Student
Denise Stapley, 41, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Sex Therapist

The Emmy Award-winning series will return for its 25th season with a special 90-minute edition, Wednesday, Sept. 19 (8:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Photo courtesy of CBS, Minty Brinton

Weekend Box Office Results: 'Expendables 2' Knocks Out Competition

Weekend Box Office Results:

"The Expendables 2" debuted at number 1 this weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. The star-studded action movie raked in $28.75 million.

"The Bourne Legacy," which took the top spot last weekend, is now second with $17.02 million while 3D stop-motion movie "ParaNorman" earned $14 million landing on the third place.

Coming in fourth is the comedy flick "The Campaign," grossing 13.38 million. Musical drama "Sparkle" is fifth with $12 million.

Check out below the Top 10 movies this weekend based on Box Office Mojo's report:

TW	LW	Title	Studio	Weekend Gross					Total Gross	Budget*	Week #
1	N	The Expendables 2	LGF	$28,750,000					$28,750,000	-	1
2	1	The Bourne Legacy	Uni.	$17,020,000					$69,581,000	$125	2
3	N	ParaNorman	Focus	$14,008,000					$14,008,000	-	1
4	2	The Campaign	WB	$13,385,000					$51,694,000	-	2
5	N	Sparkle (2012)	TriS	$12,000,000					$12,000,000	$14	1
6	3	The Dark Knight Rises	WB	$11,140,000					$409,916,000	$250	5
7	N	The Odd Life of Timothy Green	BV	$10,909,000					$15,187,000	-	1
8	4	Hope Springs	Sony	$9,100,000					$35,051,000	-	2
9	6	Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days	Fox	$3,850,000					$38,762,000	$22	3
10	5	Total Recall (2012)	Sony	$3,500,000					$51,782,000	$125	3

Phillip Phillips' 'Home' Goes Platinum

The debut single and coronation song of "American Idol Season 11" winner Phillip Phillips is now platinum.

"Home," which received gold certification back in July, earned more downloads after it was sampled in the segment on US women gymnastics during the 2012 United States Olympic Trials, then again during the 2012 London Olympics coverage on NBC.

The song was also featured on the trailer for the upcoming Clint Eastwood movie, "Trouble With The Curve."

"Home" became an immediate hit when Phillips won the "American Idol" title back in May. The hit even broke an American Idol record when it surpassed David Cook's single "The Time Of My Life" for selling the most downloads in its first week.

Check out the recently released music video for the single below:

Rihanna Cries, Opens Up To Oprah (Video)

Rihanna cries while being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in the preview video for the next episode of the latter's show, "Oprah’s Next Chapter."

In the preview, the singer tears up as she opened up about her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.

"I lost my best friend," Rihanna tells Winfrey. "Like, everything I knew switched — switched overnight. And I couldn’t control that, so I had to deal with that, and that’s not easy for me to understand or interpret. And it’s not easy to interpret on camera. Not with the world watching."

Winfrey then asks the 24-year-old "Where Have You Been" songstress if she understands the velocity of the incident to the world.

"Absolutely, absolutely, but nobody could feel that more than me," Rihanna says. "I was hurt the most. Nobody felt what I felt."

Rihanna adds: "It became a circus and I felt protective. I felt like the only person they hate right now is him. It was a weird, confusing space to be in because as angry as I was, as angry and hurt and betrayed, I just felt like he made that mistake because he needed help… Nobody’s gonna say he needs help. Everybody’s gonna say he’s a monster."

Rihanna’s full interview with Oprah is set to air on OWN this Sunday, at 9 p.m. EST.

Check out the said preview video below:

'Michael J. Fox Obituary' Trends Online

Michael J. Fox  (Photo: michaeljfox.org)

"Michael J. Fox Obituary" is among the widely searched keywords in the interwebs right now.

It is not certain as to why "obituary" is being added by netizens in their searches.

There is, however, an entry on Necropedia.org for Michael J. Fox's "anticipated" obituary which says the actor will die on August 18, 2012. The entry reads:

Death of Michael J. Fox.

Michael J. Fox, born on June 9, 1961 in Edmonton, was an American actor of Canadian origin. He died on August 18, 2012, at the age of 51.

The news has left the world shocked and saddened.

But the website also has "anticipated" obituaries for several other living stars.

"It is common for news agencies to keep pre-written obituary for public figures, famous and high-profile people who are still alive." the site writes. "It is by no means a death announcement nor an anticipation of death."

No, Michael J. Fox is not yet dead. In fact, he is preparing for his TV comeback. The TV project is reportedly in the works at Sony Pictures Television and is slated to be released in 2013.

Fox, 51, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, prompting him to reduce his workload. He has since become an activist for research toward finding a cure.

Ruby Sparks: Real-life Couple Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan Tackle Surreal Love In New Movie

Real-life sweethearts Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan star in an upcoming romantic comedy film, "Ruby Sparks."

"Ruby Sparks" is the story of a novelist’s vision who inexplicably comes to life, only to prove far more complicated than even he could have imagined.  With a light touch and a dash of magical realism, the first screenplay from actress and playwright Zoe Kazan attracted the attention of Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris, the married team who directed the run-away hit “Little Miss Sunshine.”  The film takes an unpredictable route into fantasy, identity and the ways we invent love – and how love can re-invent us.

Paul Dano plays Calvin, a celebrated author in his younger years who hasn’t had a follow up novel years after his first breakthrough novel.  Struggling with writer’s block, disappointed and unfulfilled, his close relationships are with his dog and his brother. Calvin who is cut off and isolated is constantly being urged by his married brother Harry (Chirs Messina) to get out, live, date and write. Finally finding in his imagination a muse for his novel and with his old typewriter, he creates the perfect girl he named Ruby.  Barely done with his first chapter, to his astonishment that his character, Ruby (Zoe Kazan) has magically sprung to life and arrived in his kitchen where she is cooking eggs.
              
Life changed as Calvin believes that he willed the perfect woman into his life by the sheer power of his imagination. Ruby leaps off the page and into the kitchen of his house, filling it with her warm and joyful personality. Is he hallucinating? Is this a fantasy?  Or is the lovely Ruby Sparks a flesh and blood girl: the girl he has been waiting for? Whether real or imaginary the delightful Ruby turns into a muse who helps Calvin rekindle his passion for writing and his passion for life.

Joining the incredibly talented couple Dano (“Little Miss Sunshine,”“There Will Be Blood”) and Kazan (“Revolutionary Road,” “It’s Complicated”) in the movie are Annette Bening who plays Calvin’s free-spirited hippy mother and Antonio Banderas plays her artistic and flamboyant lover.

Find out what will happen to “Ruby Sparks” when it opens September 19 in select theaters from 20th Century Fox (Fox Searchlight Pictures) to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Check out its trailer below:

'Fast Times At Ridgemont High' Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh Joins 'Revenge' Cast

"Fast Times At Ridgemont High" star Jennifer Jason Leigh

Award-winning actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, best known for her role in the 1982 comedy film "Fast Times At Ridgemont High," will be joining the cast of the hit TV series "Revenge" for its second season.

Leigh, 50, is set to portray the role of Kara Wilkins, mother of  Emily Thorne (the main character played by Emily VanCamp).

"What you're going to discover about the woman who was Emily's mother is the circumstances under which they were separated, and you're going to find that there's some deep psychological issues with her, which I think is going to be fun for us to explore," show creator Mike Kelley previously told EW.com.

"For Emily," he said, "she's going to start seeing some of the psychological damage that her mother has in herself."

"Revenge" returns on ABC this September.

Below will be the plot of "Revenge" Season 2 according to Wikipedia:

"The season opens with a flash forward to a wedding, to Emily’s wedding, with the groom obviously mysterious.

Discoveries will be made about the woman who is Emily’s mother being the circumstances under which they were separated and that she has some deep seeded psychological issues. For Emily, she’s going to start seeing some of the psychological damage that her mother has in herself which obviously leads to a lot of soul-searching about who she is, what part DNA has played in her life choices and how she’s going to move forward, whether or not this person is going to be part of her life or if this is going to be someone that is going to disappoint and hurt her.

Although one would think that it doesn’t get much darker than jail time, Daniel is going to do his best to continue down that path in Season 2 though he will fall short of becoming a full-blown Grayson."

Photo courtesy of IMDB

'Resident Evil: Retribution' Trailer: Alice's Legacy

Resident Evil: Retribution Poster

A new teaser trailer for the highly anticipated "Resident Evil: Retribution," has made its way online.

In "Resident Evil: Retribution," the Umbrella Corporation’s deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. The human race’s last and only hope, Alice (Milla Jovovich), awakens in the heart of Umbrella's most clandestine operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex.

Without a safe haven, Alice continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak; a chase that takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow, culminating in a mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything that she once thought to be true. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, Alice must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion. The countdown has begun.

Opening across the Philippines in September 2012, “Resident Evil: Retribution” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Check out  its newest trailer titled "Alice's Legacy" below:

'Trouble With The Curve' Trailer Starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams And Justin Timberlake

Trouble With The Curve Trailer Screencap (Yahoo!)

The first teaser trailer for "Trouble With The Curve" Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake has debuted online.

"Trouble With The Curve" follows the story of Gus (Eastwood), an aging baseball scout in his twilight years, takes his daughter Mickey (Adams) along for one last recruiting trip. Timberlake plays as a young rival scout who respects Gus and develops feelings for Mickey.

The Robert Lorenz film hit theaters on September 21, 2012. With the release date, "Trouble With the Curve" will compete with the Jake Gyllenhaal crime drama "End of Watch" and the Jennifer Lawrence film "House at the End of the Street."

Check out its trailer below:

Bieber Slams Prince William's Thinning Hair

Bieber Slams Prince William's Receding Hairline

Justin Bieber is completely baffled as to why Prince William has not fixed his long noted slight hair loss.

"I mean, there are things to prevent that nowadays, like Propecia. I don't know why he doesn't just get those things, those products. You just take Propecia and your hair grows back. Have you not got it over here?" Bieber told Rollercoater magazine, which featured the teen sensation on the cover of its latest issue.

Unsurprisingly, Bieber received quite a bit on backlash from the Brits after the "Boyfriend" singer made the comments about UK's future King.

"The Brits are viewing Justin Bieber's diss about Prince William's challenging hair problem in the same way you view an annoying fly buzzing around you. He needs to be swatted away," British journalist and author of "Wicked Whispers," Jessica Callan, told the Huffington Post. "Wills and Prince Harry may joke about William's thinning hair, but that doesn't mean a kid like Justin can come sauntering in and join in the joke. It's like inviting someone over for dinner and they tell you how awful your carpet is. Even if you agree, how dare they say it? So the Biebs had better watch out! Wills may be thinning on top but he is one cool royal and landed himself the hottest future queen England has ever had. How can Justin and his girly hairstyle possibly compete with that?"

What do you think of Bieber's comments?

'Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3': Straight From The Ever Dependable Rowley

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3 Movie:

Rowley, wimpy kid Greg Heffley’s best friend, has given friendship a cool and solid splash since appearing in author Greg Kinney’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series and movies.

Typifying an epitome of an ideal best friend in today’s crazy-cut hub of growing teens, Rowley played by Robert Capron in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” movies is back the 3rd time in “Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days.”   Rowley, a parent-abiding teen leads his best friend Greg Heffley with their other friends out of trouble in and out of school.  The very dependable and charming Rowley takes in all the fun with a wise twist to keep out of the punishment radar from parents and school authorities alike.
               
In the movie “Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days,” the filmmakers and writers based the story from Kinney’s third and fourth books – The Last Straw and Dog Days.

 In the latest film, school’s out and Greg is looking forward to enjoying the best summer of all time.  But when his dad decides that some father-son bonding is in order, Greg must do everything he can to keep him from ruining his vacation.  So he hatches a plan along with Rowley to pretend he has a job at a ritzy country club – but even that fails to keep Greg away from the season’s dog days, including embarrassing mishaps at a public pool and a camping trip that goes horribly wrong.

Robert Capron again brings his signature charm to the role of Rowley. 

“He walked in and he was Rowley,” producer Brad Simpson remembers of Capron’s audition for the first picture.  “He has a huge heart, is excited about life and the world, and has some of the same qualities that Rowley has.”

 Meanwhile, check out these safety tips from Rowley on how to deal with adults to save yourself from the ordeals of being grounded.

Produced by 20th Century Fox and to be distributed by Warner Bros., “Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days” will open in local cinemas on August 15.

'Taken 2' Trailer: Liam Neeson Reprises Role As Bryan Mills (Video)

Taken 2 Trailer Debuts

The 2008 hit action-thriller “Taken” took the multi-faceted actor Liam Neeson’s career in a new milieu as a relatable action hero. The role of Bryan Mills, the embittered former CIA man forcing his way into a dark sex cartel to save his kidnapped daughter, became iconic, resonating with audiences all over the globe.

Back for more carnage, Neeson reprises the role of Bryan Mills in “TAKEN 2” shot in Istanbul which also stars Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace.  “Taken 2” reunites Neeson with his co-stars Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace, who play Bryan 's estranged wife and his precious daughter. “ Bryan 's a total superhero,” says Janssen, weighing in on what made audiences connect with the first film. “TAKEN really came at a time when people needed that in their lives, because it's about family and protecting your family. He's a very American hero.”

In this latest action-packed reel set against the backdrop of Istanbul , Mills is being followed by the Albanian goons   determined to exact revenge on him and his family.  In the lead to exact revenge on Mills is Murad (Rade Sherbedgia) who is the father of the kidnapper that Mills killed in the first movie.  With Mills and his wife taken, Kim (Maggie Grace) is left to save her parents.

Without giving away too much of the movie- Neeson teases that in the movie, “I’m able to, in a very covert way, instruct her to find out where I am being held because a sack’s been put over my head and I’m in the middle of a dungeon.  It’s highly impossible yet equally possible,” says Neeson from an interview with Empire magazine.

“Taken 2” opens in the Philippines on October 4, 2012,  under 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros.

Check out the latest trailer of “Taken 2” below:

Eminem Facebook Page Amasses Over 60 Million Likes

Eminem Facebook Page Profile Photo

Eminem's Facebook fan page has attracted 60,151,381 likes as of posting time, setting the record for the most popular page by a living person on the social networking site.

Slim Shady's Facebook page breached the 60 million mark on Wednesday, a first for a living person and beating out competition.

Pop star Rihanna is just a hair behind her "Love The Way You Lie" collaborator, falling 700,000 Facebook fans short. "Hips Don't Lie" singer Shakira takes the third spot with 53.4 million while Mother Monster Lady Gaga is 4th with 53.09 million. Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo's 47.3 million Facebook likes earned him the fifth place, just ahead of Justin Bieber (45.7), Katy Perry (45.5 million), Linkin Park (44.3 million), Akon (41.2) and Lil Wayne (39.8 million).

The rapper's Facebook milestone also allowed his page to land 5th on list of top Facebook pages, trailing behind YouTube (61.2 million), Texas HoldEm Poker (63.8 million), Facebook itself (70.3 million) and the Facebook for Every Phone page (117.5 million).

Eminem might be the King of Facebook but it is Lady Gaga who still rule the Twitterverse. Gaga, who has been the most followed on Twitter since August 2010, has 27.8 million followers on the popular microblogging site. Within spitting distance of Gaga  is Justin Bieber, who has 25.9 million followers. Completing the Top 10 are Katy Perry (24.2 million), Rihanna (23.5 million), Britney Spears (19.1 million), Barack Obama (18 million), Shakira (17.5 million), Taylor Swift (16.9 million), Kim Kardashian (15.5 million) and Youtube (14.5 million). Eminem is at number 19 with 11.8 million.

Chanel Celaya, Girl In Justin Bieber's 'ALAYLM' Music Video, Trends On Twitter

Chanel Celaya on Glamour Spain cover

Chanel Celaya, the love interest of Justin Bieber in his newly-released music video for his single "As Long As You Love Me," is among the trending topics on the popular micro-blogging site Twitter, today.

Many Beliebers are tweeting that they have found the name of the girl in the music video and are talking about how lucky the girl is.

Here are some of the tweets:

"Chanel Celaya is possibly the luckiest girl ever. She was in 21 Jump Street with Channing Tatum and she got to kiss & touch Justin. Wow." - @CantBeliebIt

"It's been an hour since the #ALAYLM video has been out & Beliebers found the video girl's name is Chanel Celaya. WE'RE BETTER THAN THE FBI! " -@AdmirinBiebers

"THE GIRL ON AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME VIDEO IS CHANEL CELAYA! beliebers are better than the FBI. TRUST ME ;)" @BieberFocus

"beyond jealous of Chanel Celaya right now....... " @Mo5566

"Chanel Celaya has to be the luckiest girl ever. EVER. " @KissMyKidrauhl

Other tweets also reveal that Chanel Celaya is a 20-year-old model from California and of Mexican and Russian descent. Her IMDB page says she has starred in the comedy movie "21 Jump Street," alongside Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. She is also set to appear on an episode of the American remake of the hit British series "The Inbetweeners." She has also graced the cover of Glamour Espanol and Ocean magazines.

'Cloud Atlas' Trailer Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry

"Cloud Atlas" trailer screencap

An extended version of the first teaser trailer for "Cloud Atlas" movie has made its way online.

The trailer shows Tom Hanks and Halle Berry inhabiting multiple roles to bring to life the screenplay penned by Tim Tykwer and brothers Lara and Andy Wachowski.

The film is based on an award-winning 2004 novel of the same title by David Mitchell.

In addition to Hanks and Berry, the cast includes Jim Sturgess, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon and Jim Broadbent.

"Cloud Atlas" will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and will hit commercial theaters starting October 26, 2012.

Check out its trailer below:
The official synopsis for "Cloud Atlas" describes the film as "an epic story of humankind in which the actions and consequences of our lives impact one another throughout the past, present and future as one soul is shaped from a murderer into a savior and a single act of kindness ripples out for centuries to inspire a revolution."

'Life Of Pi' Trailer: Ang Lee Brings Bestselling Novel To Life

'Life Of Pi' Trailer Debuts

The first teaser trailer for Ang Lee's adaptation of Yann Martel's bestselling novel "Life of Pi" has been released on Wednesday.

The trailer shows breathtaking scenes from the movie, which follows the story of a young man who survives a tragic disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery.

"Life of Pi" is based on a screenplay by David Magee, who adapted it from the 2001 novel by Yann Martel.It stars newcomer Suraj Sharma, Gerard Depardieu, Irrfan Kahn, Tobey Maguire, among others.

The film is scheduled to be released on November 21, 2012, being positioned by studio Fox as an Oscar contender. It will be screened in both conventional and 3D cinemas.

Check out its first trailer below courtesy of Yahoo! Movies UK: