Cinema Bravo Cast

Eric Bana makes toughest choices in rescue tale ‘The Finest Hours’

Australian actor Eric Bana (“Hulk,” “Lone Survivor”) plays Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff, the commanding officer of the Coast Guard station when the storm hit, in Walt Disney Pictures’ gripping sea rescue tale, “The Finest Hours.”

The film is based on the extraordinary true story of the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard history in the U.S. Presented in Digital 3D, the film transports audiences to the heart of the action, creating a fully-immersive cinematic experience on an epic scale.

“Cluff is new to this particular region of Amercia, and while being an outsider in a small town is always a struggle, it’s even more difficult when you are in a position of power and have to command people who are local and have been there much longer than my character has,” Bana says.

He continues, “Cluff is from the South and everything about him is different, from the way he commands to how he sounds, and he anticipated having a level of respect from his men which is just not there. He’s uncomfortable and unsure of himself, and definitely has his work cut out for him in terms of short-circuiting the disconnection.”

This difficult situation is the backdrop in which Cluff must make the tough, potentially fatal decision to order Chris Pine’s character, Bernie, to choose a crew and take the lifeboat out into the storm. After making the decision he is confronted by Bernie’s fiancee, Miriam, and has the opportunity to rescind it before it’s too late, but doesn’t.

“It’s an interesting predicament,” explains Bana. “He could be responding to his authority being questioned by Miriam, but I think deep down he’s sending the men out because it’s the right thing to do—it’s their job. They didn’t have the checks and balances system in place back then like they do now, so he’s making a judgment call, but I don’t think there was ever any doubt that he was going to send them out.”

“Cluff is a guy whose back is against the wall and he has to make some very difficult decisions,” says director Craig Whitaker. “There is some uncertainty in those decisions that he has to make which reveals his character’s true humanity, and it’s really incredible to witness on screen. It was great to see Eric make him a more insecure and unsettled person.”

Bana starred in Ridley Scott’s “Black Hawk Down” as Delta Sgt. First Class “Hoot” Gibson, one of a group of elite U.S. soldiers, opposite Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and Tom Sizemore. The war epic, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer for Sony, is based on journalist Mark Bowden’s best-selling account of the 1993 U.S. mission in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Shortly thereafter, Bana starred as Bruce Banner in “Hulk,” based on the Marvel Comics character, for director Ang Lee and Universal Pictures. He was also featured as Hector the Prince of Troy in Warner Bros.’ “Troy” for director Wolfgang Peterson. The film was based on Homer’s “The Iliad,” and co-starred Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom. The following year he starred in Steven Spielberg’s critically acclaimed “Munich” about the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics.

He played the title role in Warner Bros.’ “Lucky You,” opposite Drew Barrymore. Following “Lucky You,” he starred as Henry Tudor opposite Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson in “The Other Boleyn Girl.”

Bana co-starred in J.J. Abrams’ blockbuster hit “Star Trek” as the villain Nero. He was also featured in: “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” opposite Rachel McAdams, based on the best-selling novel by Audry Niffenegger; and the action-thriller “Hanna,” opposite Saoirse Ronan and Cate Blanchett.

Bana’s recent film credits include: “Lone Survivor” opposite Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch and Ben Foster; and “Deliver Us from Evil” from producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

Opening across the Philippines on March 2, 2016, “The Finest Hours” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.

Follow the official social media accounts of Disney in the Philippines, namely, (FB) WaltDisneyStudiosPH, (Twitter) @disneystudiosph and (Instagram) @waltdisneystudiosph and use the hashtag #FinestHoursPH.

Cinema Bravo Cast

Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau leads colossal action epic ‘Gods of Egypt’

In the spectacular action-adventure “Gods of Egypt,” the survival of mankind hangs in the balance as an unexpected mortal hero Bek (Brenton Thwaites) undertakes a thrilling journey to save the world and rescue his true love. In order to succeed, he must enlist the help of the powerful god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) in an unlikely alliance against Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless god of darkness, who has usurped Egypt’s throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict. As their breathtaking battle against Set and his henchmen takes them into the afterlife and across the heavens, both god and mortal must pass tests of courage and sacrifice if they hope to prevail in the final battle.

Writers Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless sought to give audiences a thrilling, elaborate adventure that is part homage, part invention and fully inhabitable as a transporting experience. Using the Osiris myth as a blueprint – Gods of Egypt re-imagines the tale of the sun god Ra, his vengeful son Set and Ra’s dutiful grandson Horus, folding several classical narratives into one adrenaline-pumped film following the journey of a mischievous mortal who joins forces with a fallen god to save all of creation from chaos and tyranny.

Meet the gods of Egypt: Ra (Geoffrey Rush) is the father of Osiris and Set, Ra is the Lord of Light and the Cosmos. It is his duty to pull the sun over mythological Egypt at the end of each day. As he does so, he passes into the chaos of the underworld where he fights the demon Apophis. After he beats Apophis back each night, Ra returns to the living world bringing with him the light of a new day. Ra is the creator of this world and its ultimate guardian. He possesses insight beyond any living god or mortal, and views the gift of life as a lesson and a journey. In his eyes, both Osiris and Set were equal.

Set (Gerard Butler) is son of Ra and god of the Desert, Set is plagued by jealousy. In Set’s eyes, his father apparently favors his brother Osiris, the God of Nature and Life, who is deemed to be a wise ruler and merciful facilitator of human souls into the Afterlife. Set believes that mortals are dispensable and far inferior to the gods. Set puts his pursuit of power, authority and material wealth above all else.

Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is the lord of the Air. While his ego is initially inflated by his status as a god, through his association with mortal Bek, Horus slowly learns to respect mortals, and even develops a liking of them. It’s a change of heart he’ll need if he’s going to avenge the death of his father Osiris and retake the throne from the usurper Set. Horus’ deity is a winged and armored form with a falcon-shaped head. His power resides in his eyes.

And the mortal who seeks Horus’ alliance is Bek (Brenton Thwaites), an affably mischievous mortal comes from modest beginnings and has little to offer the woman he loves, Zaya, aside from his heart. Having lost faith in the gods, Bek relies on his own zeal and ingenuity to make his way in life.

Coster-Waldau has has created a strong foothold in Hollywood, and continues to rise, starring on a critically-acclaimed television series and a vast array of film projects. Coster-Waldau will return for the sixth season of HBO’s epic, award-winning series “Game of Thrones,” starring as ‘Jamie Lannister.’ After leaving his handprint on the European Film and Television industry, Coster-Waldau quickly made his transition to American Cinema. His previous films include “Black Hawk Down,” “Enigma,” “Kingdom of Heaven” and “Firewall.”

Bringing to life a complex array of fictional characters, “Gods of Egypt” is an original story unlike anything viewers have seen as it has opened February 24, 2016 in cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.

Cinema Bravo Movie

Chadwick Boseman plays man on mission in ‘Message from the King’

In the first-look photo from his new action-thriller Message from the King, Chadwick Boseman is a man on a mission.

The movie, directed by Fabrice Du Welz, stars Boseman as a man from South Africa who has suddenly lost all contact with his younger sister, and travels to Los Angeles only to find evidence that she has gotten involved in the city’s dark underbelly. He then takes it upon himself to avenge her.

Fabrice Du Welz directed the film featuring the ‘Black Panther’ actor, which also stars Luke Evans and Teresa Palmer.

Luke Evans, Teresa Palmer and Alfred Molina star alongside the Black Panther actor in Message From the King, which is now in post.

Stepehn Cornwell and Oliver Butcher penned the script, with Cornwell also producing. The movie is produced by Entertainment One Features, Rumble Films and The Ink Factory. Sierra/Affinity is overseeing international sales, while Solar Pictures is releasing for Solar Entertainment.

After suddenly losing all contact with his younger sister, Jacob King arrives in Los Angeles determined to track her down. Trying to piece together her last known movements, King finds unsettling evidence of a life gone off the rails – drugs, sex and secrets in the sleazy underbelly of the City of Angels. Undeterred by warnings to go home, King proves to be more than a match for the violence he is confronted with as he relentlessly pursues the truth about what happened to his sister. 

“Message From The King” opens soon in Philippine cinemas from Solar Pictures.