Disney, Sony strike deal to keep Spider-Man in Marvel universe

Marvel Studios will continue to produce the Spider-Man Homecoming series, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Walt Disney Studios said on Friday, heading off fans' fears that the popular superhero would disappear from the Marvel cinematic universe.

The third film in Spider-Man's current incarnation, starring Tom Holland, will now be released on July 16, 2021, the studios said.

Last month multiple media reports said that Marvel boss Kevin Feige was in a financial dispute with Sony, who holds the rights to the superhero.

"I am thrilled that Spidey's journey in the MCU will continue", Feige said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Movie review: ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’

[WARNING: This review contains spoilers.]

We all thought comic book character Spider-Man already had his definitive film version when Tobey Maguire played him in Sam Raimi's trilogy from 2002-2007. Marc Webb tried to reboot the series with Andrew Garfield in two films 2012-2014, but these were too dark to gain any lasting public favor, stopping after two episodes.

In 2016, Sony entered a special licensing agreement with Marvel to allow Spider-Man to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with "Captain America: Civil War." We got our first glimpse of then 20 year-old Tom Holland play our friendly neighborhood web-slinger. We would get to meet him more in his stand-alone movie "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017).

In "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018) and "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), we saw Spidey dusted by the Thanos finger snap and came back to witness the death of his mentor Tony Stark. In this newest film adventure, 16-year old Peter Parker will deal with the aftermath of Stark's death and his fledgling career as a superhero.

Simply wanting to enjoy the carefree joys of being a teenager, Peter Parker went for a European trip with his classmates without his Spidey costume. He just wanted to buy MJ a special gift in Venice and give it to her on the Eiffel Tower after professing his love to her. Powerful monsters of water and fire called the Elementals came along to spoil all his plans. However, Peter meets a new superhero Mysterio whom he saw to be a new mentor.

Like "Homecoming" before it, Tom Holland was such a lovable Spider-Man. He had that vulnerable high-pitched squeaky voice which immediately makes you care for him as your own son. We can feel his inner conflicts as a teenager in puppy love, who also recognized that his great power came with great responsibility. We can feel his anguish for his departed mentor and his desperation for another guide as a superhero.

Back from the Blip (as the dusting is known) were his best friend Ned (Fil-Am actor Jacob Batalon), arch enemy Flash (Tony Revolori) and lady love MJ (Zendaya), and they were all along on the grand European getaway. We meet his inept nerdy teacher chaperones (J.B. Smoove and Martin Starr) and other classmates like pretty girl Betty Brant (Angourie Rice) who had taken an unexpected fancy on Ned, and pretty boy Brad Davis (31 year-old Remy Hii), Peter's rival for MJ's attention.

Back to their SHIELD duties are Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders). Throughout the film, you sort of feel ol' Nick was not his usual cool and collected self, and you'd have to wait for the extra scene after the end credits to clear that one up. Stark's bodyguard Happy Hogan (an ever-congenial Jon Favreau) kept an eye on Peter, but he also had another eye trained on Peter's pretty Aunt Mae (Marissa Tomei). And then there is the hero on the block, Mysterio (a charismatic Jake Gyllenhaal), whose relationship with Peter made an indelible impression on the teenage hero.

Director Jon Watts continues his winning streak in telling yet another tale about our web-slinger as he matured another level in the superhero business. There was never a dull moment throughout, as the focus shifted from breathtaking Elementals action to funny classmates comedy and back, ever so fluidly and entertainingly with scintillating special visual effects. There were several surreal scenes where illusion and reality became indistinguishable from each other for both the characters onscreen and us -- this was top-notch film editing in action.

By the last frame of the movie, I rated it a 9/10. But then came that AWESOME mid-credits scene that threw me, and everyone else, completely off our tracks. This was one major super surprise twist (and cameo guest) which no one saw coming. I just could not hold my applause while catching my breath on what unfolded in those couple of quick incredible minutes. That one extra scene pushed my initial rating up one full point, making my final rating a solid 10/10.

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Apple poaches top two Sony TV execs to boost video content

Apple Inc said on Friday it has hired the co-presidents of Sony Pictures Television, Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, to lead the iPhone maker's foray into television-style programming.

The duo, responsible for shows such as "Breaking Bad," "Better Call Saul," "The Crown" and "The Blacklist," have been Sony Pictures presidents since 2005.

"Jamie and Zack are two of the most talented TV executives in the world and have been instrumental in making this the golden age of television," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.

Van Amburg and Erlicht’s departure from Sony Pictures was announced on Thursday in a memo from Sony Pictures Entertainment Chief Executive Tony Vinciquerra, according to the entertainment magazine Variety, which said their contracts were set to expire in August.

Hollywood has been awaiting the entry of deep-pocketed Apple into the field of original television, which is studded with award-winning dramas and comedies from outlets such as Netflix and Time Warner Inc's HBO.

Apple began its move into the field last week, with a reality program called "Planet of the Apps," an unscripted show about developers trying to interest celebrity mentors with a 60-second pitch on an escalator.

The company's future programming plans include an adaptation of comedian James Corden's "Carpool Karaoke" segment from his CBS show that will begin airing in August, a documentary about Sean Combs in June, and another about Clive Davis in a few months.

Apple shares fell slightly in early trading on Friday, shedding 28 cents to $144.01 per share.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Studio denies 'Concussion' film softened to appease NFL

LOS ANGELES -- Sony Pictures on Wednesday hit back at a New York Times report saying it had "softened" the upcoming Will Smith movie "Concussion" to avoid antagonizing the National Football League.

"Today's New York Times article and headline, written by individuals who have not seen the film, contains many misleading inferences," a studio spokesman said in an e-mailed statement.

"As will become immediately clear to anyone actually seeing the movie, nothing with regard to this important story has been 'softened' to placate anyone."

The movie due for release in December tells the story of Nigerian-born forensic neuropathologist Bennet Omalu, played by Smith, and his diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the brains of deceased NFL players who suffered multiple concussions.

Omalu's work was first widely publicized in the 2013 Frontline documentary "League of Denial".

Concussions have become a major injury concern for the league, which agreed to pay $765 million to retired players to settle concussion-related health claims after accusations it long ignored evidence that head injuries posed long-term risks to players.

The New York Times, citing internal Sony emails that were made public in last year's cyberattack on the studio blamed on North Korea, reported that the studio was concerned not to condemn the NFL -- a financial juggernaut that boasts an estimated $10 billion (7.6 billion euros) in annual revenues and a combined value for its 32 teams of $45.76 billion.

The NFL's place as steward of America's most-watched game and it's links to various television networks and corporate sponsors make it an entertainment as well as a sports juggernaut.

However, in addition to Sony's statement on Wednesday, "Concussion" writer and director Peter Landesman told Deadline.com that it seemed to him the New York Times "is working for the NFL".

"It seems like a hatchet job has been done here, and came out of the NFL's offices," he told the entertainment news website.

Although the film is slated for a Christmas release, Sony released a trailer on Monday, and has screened it for some prominent figures in the sports world.

That includes sports broadcaster Bob Costas.

"I have seen the movie," Costas said in a statement issued through Sony.

"As one who has followed, and commented on, this issue, it doesn't appear to me many punches were pulled."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Global parties mark 35th birthday of Pac-Man

MANILA -- The classic video game Pac-Man celebrated its 35th birthday in style around the world last May 22.

With the character coming to the big screen this summer in Sony Pictures’ “Pixels,” the studio joined in to celebrate with a global birthday party -- from being launched to outer space, breaking a Guinness World Record for largest human image of the iconic game character, to a special greeting by tennis superstar Serena Williams from the French Open.

Watch the highlights of the celebration:



“Pixels” is set for release in Philippine theaters nationwide on August 26.

In “Pixels,” intergalactic aliens discover video feeds of classic arcade games and misinterpret them as a declaration of war. They attack the Earth, using the video games as the models for their assaults. The US president then calls on his old-school arcade friends to save the world from being destroyed by Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Centipede, and Space Invaders.

In Tokyo – the city of Pac-Man’s birth – audiences joined in the fun by successfully breaking the Guinness World Records title for the largest human image of Pac-Man on May 21. At the event at Tokyo Tower, actor Shingo Yanagisawa and popular comedian and social media sensation Naomi Watanabe joined hundreds of moviegoers to create the largest Pac-Man ever created by human beings.

In Chicago, professor Toru Iwatani, the creator of Pac-Man, and Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. was at Level 257, a brand new dining and entertainment facility created by Namco USA Inc. inspired by Pac-Man.

A special 1980s-style event included gaming industry VIPs, free game play including a chance to play the fabled 255th and 256th levels of Pac-Man, Pac-Man’s official 35th birthday cake, live performances of the 1982 hit song “Pac-Man Fever” by the original artist, Jerry Buckner of Buckner & Garcia and a personal appearance by Pac-Man himself!

In the UK, Pac-Man celebrated his birthday with a special thrill – he was launched into space. Pac-Man’s journey was captured by a special GoPro camera unit and shared on his birthday.

Finally, from Paris at the French Open, Serena Williams, who has a cameo role in Pixels, had a special birthday greeting for her co-star.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'The Interview' makes first million in roller-coaster release

LOS ANGELES - "The Interview" took in more than $1 million (642,772 pounds) in a limited Christmas Day release, a decent start for the raunchy comedy that appeared dead after Sony Pictures pulled it from theatres last week following a devastating cyberattack blamed on North Korea.

Even though the film was very much in the zeitgeist and also up for rental on YouTube and Google Play, it was unclear whether the Seth Rogan movie would recoup the $44 million it cost to make, or the additional millions spent on marketing.

The comedy, steeped in gross-out, bathroom humour that depicts a fictional plot to assassinate North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, managed to fill a few hundred theatres that made a last-minute push to screen the film.

"They (Sony) got $1 million in sales, that's a nice bit of gravy... knowing the main release isn't happening the way it should be," said Gitesh Pandya, editor of boxofficeguru.com.

"The Interview" was shown in 331 mostly independent theatres in the United States - less than 10 percent of its planned wide release - after major U.S. movie chains balked at showing the movie due to security concerns.

It was expected to gross at least $20 million over the long holiday weekend if in wide release, according to Boxoffice.com.

Sony Pictures also released the movie online via Google Inc's YouTube and Google Play, Microsoft Corp's Xbox gaming console and Sony's own dedicated website. It is looking for more partners for digital distribution, though hundreds of thousands of people have reportedly downloaded it from pirate sites.

"Considering the incredibly challenging circumstances, we are extremely grateful to the people all over the country who came out to experience 'The Interview' on the first day of its unconventional release," Rory Bruer, Sony Pictures president of distribution, said in a statement.

The controversy gave the film exposure to audiences that might never have gone to see the movie, and many who showed up on Christmas Day said they were there to support free speech.

One of those was David Humdy, 65, an entertainment industry accountant who saw the film in Los Angeles and declared it "silly, entertaining, better than I thought."

So far, Sony has not released online sales figures, but the screwball comedy was the top film on YouTube and Google Play.

Pandya believes Sony Pictures will be able to absorb losses easily, as it is not unusual for a film of its budget to fall short.

"It's hard to find a way that they recoup it all because they did end up spending a lot of money on marketing for a theatrical release that never happened," he added.

Pandya estimated that "The Interview" would have grossed about $5 million on Christmas Day had it been in wide release.

It did take in an estimated $3,142 per screen without the benefit of playing in the largest multiplexes. That is about double the amount if the film had been in wide release.

The two biggest Christmas Day releases, Universal's "Unbroken" and Disney's "Into the Woods," respectively grossed $4,980 and $6,182 per screen, according to studio estimates.

(Additional reporting by Mary Milliken; Editing by Dan Grebler)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

YouTube shows 'The Interview' before theaters

LOS ANGELES -- Sony Pictures made "The Interview" available online on Wednesday, a day before its theatrical release, after reversing a decision made a week ago to cancel the movie's release following a massive cyberattack.

The film was available for rental on Google Inc's YouTube site as of early Wednesday afternoon. Microsoft Corp and Sony itself are also showing the comedy, a day before its scheduled premiere at some 320 independent theaters.

"We chose the path of digital distribution first so as to reach as many people as possible on opening day, and we continue to seek other partners and platforms to further expand the release," Sony Entertainment chief executive Michael Lynton said in a statement.

He added that Sony had first reached out to Google, Microsoft "and other partners" on Dec. 17, the day the studio said it was canceling the movie's Christmas Day release.

The movie, which stars Seth Rogen and James Franco and is about a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, triggered the most destructive cyberattack ever to target a U.S. company, resulting in the release of hundreds of embarrassing emails and confidential data.

U.S. President Barack Obama last week blamed the cyberattacks on North Korea and added to a chorus of criticism by politicians and Hollywood actors, screenwriters and directors accusing Sony of caving to the hackers' demands by censoring itself.

In addition to YouTube Movies, Google Play, Microsoft's Xbox Video, the comedy will be available on a dedicated website, www.seetheinterview.com, to rent for $5.99 or buy for $14.99. No cable or satellite TV operator has yet agreed to make "The Interview" available through video on demand (VOD).

The showing is a chance for Google and Microsoft, which have been bit players in a VOD market dominated by Apple Inc , Amazon.com Inc and cable and satellite operators, to raise their profile.

It was unclear the extent to which the online release would dampen moviegoers' appetite to see the comedy in the independent theaters that announced on Tuesday they planned to show it.

Many Christmas Day screenings were sold out, including one that begins right after midnight at the 184-seat Silent Movie Theatre in Los Angeles.

"I need to say that a comedy is best viewed in a theater full of people, so if you can, I'd watch it like that," Rogen tweeted. "Or call some friends over."

Google said it had weighed the security implications of screening the movie - described by reviewers as "profane" and "raunchy" - after Sony contacted the company about making it available online.

'Imposing censorship'

"But after discussing all the issues, Sony and Google agreed that we could not sit on the sidelines and allow a handful of people to determine the limits of free speech in another country (however silly the content might be)," Google's chief legal officer, David Drummond, wrote in a blog post.

Google has an "enormous" infrastructure that is well tested in fighting off denial of service and other attacks, said Barrett Lyon, principal strategist with F5 Networks and an expert in Internet network security. "I wouldn't imagine seeing 'lights-out' at YouTube," he said, adding that Microsoft could be more vulnerable

Sony pulled the movie after major theater chains refused to show it. That followed threats of September 11, 2001 style attacks from Guardians of Peace, the group that claimed responsibility for the cyberattacks against Sony.

The White House on Wednesday praised the decision to release the film.

"As the president made clear on Friday, we do not live in a country where a foreign dictator can start imposing censorship here in the United States," White House spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement. "With today's announcements, people can now make their own choices about the film, and that's how it should be."

A national security official said on Tuesday that U.S. authorities did not take the hackers' threats against theatergoers seriously.

CNN, which first reported that Sony was in talks with Google's YouTube on releasing the movie, said the studio also had held talks with Apple about making the comedy available on its iTunes store but that the negotiations broke down.

Obama vowed in a news conference on Friday to respond to the cyberattack "in a place and timing and manner that we choose."

Japan, meanwhile, has begun working to ensure basic infrastructure is safe and to formulate its diplomatic response, officials said, fearing it could be a soft target for possible North Korean cyberattacks in the escalating row over the Sony Pictures hack.

And South Korea is seeking the cooperation of Chinese authorities in a probe into a cyberattack on its nuclear power plant operator after tracing multiple Internet addresses involved to a northeastern Chinese city near North Korea, a prosecution official said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Obama says Sony hack was not 'an act of war'

WASHINGTON, United States - North Korea's alleged hack of Sony Pictures was not an act of war, President Barack Obama said in an interview aired Sunday, as Pyongyang threatened reprisals if targeted with sanctions.

Obama's Republican critics have accused North Korea of waging "cyber warfare" by targeting Sony, urging the president to respond robustly to the crisis.

Obama, however, said that while his administration was planning a "proportionate" response, the hack of Sony was an act of "cyber vandalism" rather than war.

"I don't think it was an act of war. I think it was an act of cyber vandalism that was very costly, very expensive. We take it very seriously," Obama told CNN.

Obama did not elaborate on what action the US government may take but said Washington could review whether or not to put North Korea back onto its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

North Korea was removed from the US list in 2008 as part of negotiations over the nation's nuclear program.

Obama, in the pre-taped interview on CNN's "State of the Union," emphasized however that any change in that status could only happen after a careful evaluation of the facts.

"We've got very clear criteria as to what it means for a state to sponsor terrorism. And we don't make those judgments just based on the news of the day," Obama said.

"We look systematically at what's been done and based on those facts, we'll make those determinations in the future," he added.

'New form of warfare'

Obama faced fresh calls from Republican critics on Sunday to target North Korea with stiff sanctions.

"It's more than vandalism, it's a new form of warfare that we're involved in and we need to react and react vigorously, including reimposing sanctions," said US Senator John McCain, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Washington accuses Pyongyang of being behind the hack at Sony that led to the release of embarrassing emails and caused executives to halt the debut of the madcap comedy action film "The Interview."

The film about a fictional CIA plot to kill the country's leader infuriated North Korea, although Pyongyang has repeatedly denied it was behind the cyber-assault on Sony.

North Korea on Saturday called for a joint probe into the investigation with the United States into the hacking -- an offer swiftly rebuffed by security officials in Washington.

North Korea threatened Sunday to hit back at the White House and other US targets if it was sanctioned over the alleged hacking.

The North's National Defense Commission, in a statement on the official news agency, said its army and people "are fully ready to stand in confrontation with the US in all war spaces including cyber warfare space to blow up those citadels,"

"Our toughest counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole US mainland, the cesspool of terrorism, by far surpassing the 'symmetric counteraction' declared by Obama," it said.

The North, which has in the past made statements threatening the US mainland, accused the Obama administration of being "deeply involved" in the making of the "The Interview" at the center of the Sony hacking.

It again praised the "righteous action" by the hacking group, which has styled itself Guardians of Peace, but said it was unaware where they were based.

The FBI has cited "significant overlap" between the attack and other "malicious cyber-activity" with direct links to Pyongyang, including an attack on South Korean banks blamed on the North.

The North said in Sunday's statement it has never attempted or made a cyber-attack on South Korea.

"It is common sense that the method of cyber warfare is almost similar worldwide," it added.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Attack could cost Sony half a billion dollars: experts

LOS ANGELES - The devastating cyberattack on Sony Pictures could see the Hollywood studio lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and incur massive recovery costs, experts say.

The cancellation of "The Interview," which President Barack Obama called a "mistake," has significantly escalated the potential losses of last month's hack, Hemanshu Nigam of the SSP Blue cybersecurity consultancy told AFP.

In all, he said, the crisis would lead to "a loss of income of $500 million."

The film about a fictional CIA plot to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un angered Pyongyang, which called it a "terrorist act."

On November 24, Sony suffered a cyberattack claimed by a group calling itself the Guardians of Peace (GOP). The FBI blamed the assault on North Korea.

The unprecedented attack paralyzed Sony's computer systems and saw five films leaked online, some of them before their theatrical release.

In addition, the personal data of 47,000 staff and other workers were put online along with other confidential documents such as the script for the next James Bond movie.

There was also a series of highly embarrassing emails from Sony bosses.

Costly in time and money

On Wednesday, as the "GOP" threatened to attack movie theaters when the film was due to come out on December 25, most major US theater chains announced they would not show it.

Within hours, Sony announced it had canceled the Christmas Day release. With that decision, "the cost has significantly gone up," Nigam said.

Sony initially said it had canceled all release plans, though on Friday it suggested it was seeking distributors for other platforms, which could see the film released either through video on demand (VoD) or as a DVD.

But Sony's production and distribution costs were estimated at $75 million. To that should be added several hundreds of millions of dollars in unearned revenue, Nigam said.

He stressed the film got enormous media exposure thanks to the crisis, and could have earned much more than otherwise if a regular theatrical release had gone ahead.

"The movie itself could have generated several hundred millions dollars given the controversy," he said.

Nigam meanwhile said cleaning up and replacing Sony's entire computer system will cost at least a few tens of millions of dollars.

Kevin Haley, senior security advisor with Symantec, also highlighted "the loss of employee productivity because they cannot get access to their computers."

"The process of cleaning them up and getting rid of their attacker... that's going to be tremendously expensive," Haley said.

To that should be added monumental legal costs.

At least two lawsuits have already been filed on behalf of present and former staff seeking compensation for the leaking of their personal data.

Sony will have to battle with its insurers to try to get some of the costs covered.

The studio will also have to take responsibility for "potential identity theft," said Roel Schouwenberg of Kaspersky Lab, noting it would cost an enormous amount of time and money.

The experts stressed it would be hard to evaluate the damage to Sony's reputation, but agreed it would be considerable.

Sony will have to reestablish relationships with people like Angelina Jolie, who was described in one leaked email as "a minimally talented spoiled brat."

All this came as Sony Pictures was already facing multiple problems.

"Sony itself is in a difficult spot," said analyst Jeff Bock of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"Their slate of upcoming films aren't necessarily the strongest, and with everything in a state of confusion, it will take a while before their film division sees the light," he added.

"That may come at the expense of a lot of their high-level employees. But only time will tell."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sneak peek: 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2'

MANILA -- Sony Pictures and the entire the Sony family united in support of the teaser trailer for its highly anticipated film, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," which will be released in the Philippines on April 30, 2014, and in the United States on May 2, 2014.

The trailer, which will also be shown simultaneously on AXN and beTV at 8:10 p.m., and on Animax at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, is available in multiple languages including English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Chines.

The trailer also appear on numerous Sony networks, internet sites, and other Sony properties, including the movie’s official site (TheAmazingSpiderMan.com) and social pages.

In “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'The Vow' sets Valentine's Day record with $11.6 million box office

Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams' big-screen love proved to be couples' top choice on Valentine's Day, as "The Vow" sold a record number of tickets on the romantic holiday.

The tear-jerker released by Sony Pictures' Screen Gems label raked in an estimated $11.6 million on Tuesday. That's nearly double as much as Tuesday's No. 2 film, the Denzel Washington thriller "Safe House," which collected $6.1 million.

Since opening on Friday, "The Vow" has collected a very healthy $56.1 million.

The previous box office record for a weekday Valentine's Day was set by "Hitch." The Will Smith romantic comedy grossed $7.5 million on Valentine's Day 2005.

Overall, ticket sales amounted to $30.1 million on Valentine's Day this year, up 38% compared with 2011's holiday total of $21.8 million.

On Tuesday night, 20th Century Fox ran sneak previews for its romantic comedy action film "This Means War" at about 2,500 theaters, but did not report grosses for the movie. It officially opens on Friday.

Many in Hollywood are attributing part of "The Vow's" success to Sony's digital campaign for the film, which engaged fans on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. (For more, see this story in Wednesday's Times.)

source: latimes.com