After Earth

 

Danger is real, but fear is a choice. Father-and-son duo Will and Jaden Smith are at it again in After Earth, M. Night Shyamalan’s futuristic thriller about man’s return to the Earth after years of abandonment.

It has been a thousand years since mankind was forced off of the Earth by cataclysmic events, and the Earth’s ecosystem has evolved to become one of the most dangerous in the galaxy. So when teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his father Cypher (Will Smith) crash land on Earth, it doesn’t take them long to realize the enormity of what they’re up against. With his father in critical condition, Kitai must lead the journey to the nearest signal post in order to call for help. Facing an uncharted world whose plant and animal life has evolved to fight off the threat of humans, Kitai has to grow up quickly—or die. Father and son must learn to trust each other if they hope to get off the planet alive.

 

 

Written by Gary Whitta and M. Night Shyamalan and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, After Earth will be released on May 31, 2013. This Columbia Pictures (Sony) sci-fi film is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and some disturbing images.

 

This is the End

The end of the world has never been this funny. After the Apocalypse strikes Los Angeles, six celebrities (Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, and Jonah Hill) find themselves trapped in a house with nowhere to go. Tensions rise as the friends try to piece together what happened and how to deal with the bizarre destruction that continues to rage outside. As their supplies dwindle, the group realizes that they have been left behind. Their friendship gets put to the test as they attempt to come to terms with their current situation. Soon they must venture outside for food—and learn the true meaning of friendship.

Based on Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogen’s 2007 short film Jay and Seth vs. the Apocalypse, This Is The End unites a virtual smorgasbord of current comedic stars in a film that has taken years in the making. Will the celebrities be able to see past their differences and make the best of their end days—or will they go out in a hilarious blaze of glory?

Written and directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, This Is The End will be released in theaters on June 14, 2013. This Columbia Pictures (Sony) comedy also stars Emma Watson, Paul Rudd, Michael Cera, Jason Segel, Aziz Ansari, Mindy Kaling, Paul Krumholtz, Martin Starr, Kevin Hart, and Rihanna.

Elysium

How far would you go for equality? The year is 2159. Society has been split into two classes: the haves, who live luxuriously on a wealthy space station called Elysium; and the have-nots, who eke out a meager existence on the overpopulated remains of Earth. Jodie Foster plays Secretary Rhodes, a strict government official who will stop at nothing to keep immigrants away from Elysium and preserve the settlement’s sense of grandeur and power. Many have tried to enter Elysium, but the vast disparity between the haves and the have-nots ensures that breaking into the heavily-fortified colony is an almost insurmountable task.

When Max (Matt Damon) finds himself running out of options and his back against the wall, he agrees to attempt a mission that no one has dared to believe possible. If he succeeds, not only will he redeem his own life, but he may also bring equality to two worlds that have been polarized for far too long.

Elysium is writer/director Neill Blomkamp’s first film since his vividly original debut film, District 9. This Columbia Pictures (Sony) science-fiction thriller also stars Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, and William Fichtner; and it is scheduled for release on August 9, 2013.

Zero Dark Thirty

Fanatic. Terrorist. Public Enemy #1. Every American knows about Osama Bin Laden, head of extremist group Al-Qaida and leader of the 9/11 attacks, but few know the story behind his capture. Zero Dark Thirty tells the gripping tale of the greatest manhunt in history. An elite team of military and intelligence agents has been searching out the terrorist leader for nearly a decade – and they are running out of time. As the stakes are raised, secret intelligence operative Maya (Jessica Chastain) is brought in to follow the elusive and shadowy trails leading towards Bin Laden.

Zero Dark Thirty drops the audience into the thick of the action, and vividly brings them all of the tension, doubt, and desperation that the team faces. This film chronicles the team’s struggle to live up to Washington’s immense pressure and details Navy Seal Team 6’s eventual seizure and execution of the terrorist leader.

Helmed by the Oscar-winning team of director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal (of “The Hurt Locker” fame), this Columbia Pictures action/drama/thriller will be released on December 19, 2012. Also starring Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler, Edgar Ramirez, and Chris Pratt. Rated R for strong violence including brutal disturbing images, and for language.

Here Comes the Boom

In “Here Comes the Boom,” high school biology teacher Scott Voss (Kevin James), declares that some things are worth fighting for. Literally.

Faced with severe budget cuts, the principal of the failing high school at which Scott teaches announces that they have to cut $48,000. His solution: cancel all extra-curricular activities, cancel the music program, and lay off the music teacher, Marty (Henry Winkler). Although the 42-year-old Scott is usually quite apathetic, the realization that “everyone has quit on these kids” spurs him to action. “We’ll raise the money!” he declares – and then starts trying to figure out how he’ll do so. His rather unlikely fundraising idea: to start moonlighting as a mixed-martial arts fighter! After all, he was a wrestler in college. How hard can it be?

Of course, everyone thinks that Scott is crazy, especially Bella (Salma Hayek), the school nurse for whom Scott has the hots. Scott gets repeatedly injured, the school principal gets angry with him, and things just don’t seem to be going well. Until the unexpected happens, and Scott’s foray into the mixed-martial arts world ends up turning him into a sensation that rallies the entire school.

Directed by Frank Coraci from a screenplay by Allan Loeb and Kevin James, “Here Comes the Boom” is a sports comedy. The film is set for release on October 12, 2012 by Columbia Pictures (Sony). Rated PG for bouts of MMA sports violence, some rude humor and language.

Sparkle

Just how strong are family bonds? When dreams fall apart, can family members hold each other together? Set in the late 1960’s, Sparkle explores these questions and more.

Musical prodigy Sparkle (Jordin Sparks, American Idol season 6 winner) and her two older sisters, Sister (Carmen Ejogo) and Dolores (Tika Sumpter), live with their not-very-encouraging mother Emma (the late Whitney Houston) in an affluent area of Detroit. After singing in a church choir, the three girls are encouraged to form a girl group and quickly become a Motown sensation.

The film tells Sparkle’s story as she struggles with the changes and unexpected challenges that stardom bring. Sparkle becomes romantically involved with her music manager, Stix (Derek Luke), while one of her sisters gets lured into an abusive and drug-filled relationship with Satin, a wealthy comedian (Mike Epps). Along the way Sparkle and her family contend with a host of problems.

Directed by Salim Akil from a screenplay by Mara Brock Akil, Sparkle is a remake of the 1976 film of the same name, which was loosely based on the experiences of the musical group The Supremes. While the film is Jordin Sparks’ debut as an actress, it also marks Whitney Houston’s final feature film role, as she passed away three months after filming concluded. The film, which is set for release on August 17, 2012 by Columbia Pictures (Sony), will be dedicated to Houston’s memory. Sparkle features songs from the original film as well as new compositions from R&B artist R. Kelly.

Hope Springs

It happens to so many couples. After many years together the passion in the relationship just seems to die. Married couples start to feel like roommates, and sex becomes a distant memory. Kay Soames (Meryl Streep) and her husband Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) are a devoted couple, still very deeply in love with each other. But after 31 years of marriage things just aren’t what they used to be. Although Arnold seems content with the status quo, Kay is not – she longs to spice things up, reconnect with her husband and find the passion they once shared.

After learning about Dr. Bernie Feld (Steve Carell), a relationship therapist in Great Hope Springs who has a reputation for yielding incredible results, Kay begs Arnold to fly with her to Great Hope Springs for an intensive one-week session. Convincing him to go was difficult enough. The really exhausting work, it turns out, comes with shedding their long-held bedroom hang-ups, overcoming years of sexual repression and remembering what caused them to fall in love in the first place.

Directed by David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada, Marley & Me), this comedy is set for release on August 10, 2012 by Columbia Pictures (Sony). Written by Vanessa Taylor, Hope Springs is rated PG-13 for mature thematic content involving sexuality.

Premium Rush

Getting around the traffic-clogged streets of Manhattan is generally not something that can be rushed. Which is why when someone needs to get a delivery from point A to point B in a hurry, they rely on the services of one of the city’s bicycle messengers. For this special breed of people, weaving through traffic while dodging speeding cars, open doors and unpredictable pedestrians is all in a day’s work.

Elite among these bicycle messengers are those who ride the “fixie” – a super lightweight, single-gear bicycle that has no brakes. And elite among the fixie riders is Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the best of New York’s very aggressive bicycle messengers. When a “premium rush” package needs to reach its destination in less than 90 minutes, Wilee is the one to call.

In Premium Rush, the storyline centers on what happens when Wilee’s last delivery of the day, a “Premium Rush” envelope picked up from Columbia University, proves to be more than he bargained for. Wilee finds himself the object of a crazy life or death chase through the streets of Manhattan when dirty cop Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon) proves how desperate he is to get his hands on the contents of this mysterious envelope.

Directed by David Koepp from a screenplay by David Koepp and John Kamps, Premium Rush also stars Dania Ramirez as Vanessa and Jamie Chung as Nima. Produced by Columbia Pictures and distributed by Sony Pictures, Premium Rush is scheduled for nationwide release on  August 24, 2012. Rated PG-13 for some violence, intense action sequences and language.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an adaptation of the first novel of the late Stieg Larsson’s wildly popular trilogy and is produced by Columbia Pictures. This is actually the second adaptation of the book.  The original version was produced in Sweden, where the books are set, and became a phenomenal hit in 2009, just like the books. Both films revolve around the same story, but the endings differ.

Investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is commissioned by the uncle of Harriet Vanger to write a chronicle of their influential family.  The condition is that it must include the events surrounding Harriet’s death because her uncle believes she was murdered 40 years ago by a member of their own family.

Mikael brings on computer genius Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) as his research assistant. Lisbeth is an unusual girl and to many, her tough, dark persona is off-putting, but her investigative and technological savvy cannot be denied.  They are an unlikely pair, but together they unravel the truth behind Harriet’s death, even though some of the family members take extreme measures, including attempted murder, to set them off track.

Directed by David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is receiving a lot of opposing opinions from fans of the book and of the Swedish version of the movie. Some think that Fincher’s adaptation is an unnecessary remake of a perfectly done film. Others are thankful that a version for the English speaking world has come out. There’s a lot of anticipation, but no one will be able to determine which version is better until the film debuts.

Rebecca Wang – Producer
Rebecca Wang Entertainment