"Moana" & Maui Set Sail to Uncharted Waters in Main Trailer‏

The main trailer for the new animated adventure “Moana” – starring Dwayne Johnson as Maui and Auli'i Cravalho in the titular role – has just been released by Disney and may viewed at http://youtu.be/waB4U9Wc3x4.

The film sails into Philippine theaters Nov. 30.

Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast South Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one today knows why.

"Moana" Masters the Seas in Newly Launched Payoff Poster‏

Disney has just released the payoff poster for the new, seafaring animated adventure “Moana” starring Dwayne Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho. The film sails into Philippine cinemas Nov. 30.

Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast South Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one today knows why.

From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Moana,” a sweeping, CG-animated adventure about a spirited teenager who sails out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder and fulfill her ancestors’ unfinished quest. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demi-god Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), and together, they traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous fiery creatures and impossible odds. The film is directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (“The Little Mermaid,”, “Aladdin,” “The Princess & the Frog”) and produced by Osnat Shurer (“Lifted,” “One Man Band”).

“Moana” is distributed in the Philippines by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Like us on Facebook, WaltDisneyStudiosPH; follow us on Twitter, @disney_phil; follow us on Instagram, @disney.ph and use the hashtag #MoanaPH.

Child Actor Gets "Pete's Dragon" Lead Role By...Being a Kid‏

For the crucial role of Pete, the young boy found in the woods who was separated from his parents six years ago, the filmmakers of Disney’s “Pete’s Dragon” were looking to cast a boy with natural acting abilities who could let his guard down and just be a kid.

Opening in Philippine cinemas on Sept. 07, “Pete’s Dragon” is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon.

Redford, Bentley, Urban: The Men of "Pete's Dragon"‏

When Disney’s “Pete’s Dragon” hits Philippine theaters on September 7th, it is sure to charm and thrill audiences, creating a whole new generation of life-long fans.

More than the adventure, “Pete's Dragon” will also showcase the talents of legendary actor Robert Redford and two of today's most sought-after character actors – Wes Bentley (“The Hunger Games”) and Karl Urban (“Star Trek” trilogy).

In “Pete's Dragon,” old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Redford) has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales…until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley). Pete is a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliott. And from Pete’s descriptions, Elliott seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham’s stories. With the help of Natalie (Oona Laurence), an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack (Bentley) owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon.

“The dragon is a symbolic creature from mythology and mythology was a big deal for me as a kid growing up, so I’m a big believer in its importance,” says Redford. “I grew up in a working class environment where there were not a lot of options for entertainment, so you had to kind of create your own. And it was about a greater world and greater characters and greater creatures than I knew, so therefore, it was very, very attractive to me.”

The screen legend, who has appeared in such classic films as “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Way We Were,” “The Sting” and “All the President’s Men,” has been very selective in recent years as to the roles he chooses, so director David Lowery tailored the part to fit Redford’s strengths as an actor, which encouraged him to commit to the role.

“I think the story crafted here is very human and quite interesting,” says Redford. “It is an intimate story of a father, a daughter and a boy who has survived an accident and gone into the woods, and it has a lot of magic, but at its core, it’s a very emotional, human story.”

Wes Bentley (“American Horror Story: Hotel”) was cast as Jack, the owner of the local lumber mill who is in a relationship with Grace. The idea of a forest ranger dating someone who destroys the very woods in which she works and the dichotomy it created, appealed to the actor, as it dealt with an issue that is, in fact, a real problem in the world.

Bryce Dallas Howard Follows Up "Jurassic World" with "Pete's Dragon"‏

Bryce Dallas Howard goes from one big adventure to another as she follows up the global blockbuster “Jurassic World” with Walt Disney Pictures’ new, re-imagining of “Pete’s Dragon,” based on the ‘70s classic and cherished family film of the same title.

Opening in Philippine cinemas on Sept. 07, the new “Pete’s Dragon” is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon.

Howard’s journey with “Pete’s Dragon” is almost as magical as the film itself. The actress thinks of the original film as a fundamental part of her childhood. “It was one of my favorite films as a child,” Howard says. “One of my earliest memories of watching a movie is watching ‘Pete’s Dragon.’ There’s something singular about that film…I don’t know what it is, but it immediately touches the inner child in me.”

See the World Through a Child's Eyes in "Pete's Dragon"‏

Walt Disney Studios' classic 1977 live-action/animated musical “Pete’s Dragon” – the endearing tale of a young boy and his friendship with an animated, green dragon – is re-imagined for today's generation with the new family adventure bearing the same title.

In Philippine cinemas starting Sept. 07, the new “Pete’s Dragon” is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon. The film stars Bryce Dallas Howard (“Jurassic World”), Oakes Fegley (“This is Where I Leave You”), Wes Bentley (“The Hunger Games”), Karl Urban (“Star Trek”), Oona Laurence (“Southpaw”) and Oscar® winner Robert Redford (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”).

Disney had been eager for some time to introduce “Pete’s Dragon” to a whole new generation of film goer’s and brought on producer Jim Whitaker to shepherd the project. “There are so many people who grew up with the original film, and the idea of that movie became a leaping-off point for us,” says Whitaker. “We knew that this very simple idea about a boy and his dragon still had the potential to become a really special film.”

Watch "Moana" Extended TV Spot for the Olympics‏

An extended TV spot for the new animated adventure “Moana” has been released by Disney and may be viewed at http://youtu.be/mxhI4sh85wc. “Moana” sails into Philippine theaters on Nov. 30.

The TV spot was created intentionally to run during the Olympics, and gives a longer exposure to an original song composed by the Tony Award-winner, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Meet the Other Giants in Disney's "The BFG"‏

Not all giants in Disney's “The BFG” are friendly. Based on the beloved book by Roald Dahl, the film tells the imaginative story of a young girl named Sophie and the Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country. But Sophie’s presence in Giant Country has attracted the unwanted attention of nine fearsome giants – the brothers of the BFG himself -- who have become increasingly more bothersome.

The cannybull and murderful motley group of mythical beasts who roam the earth gobbling up human beans provided all kinds of opportunities for invention, creativity and frightening fun for Steven Spielberg, his actors and his creative team.

Marvel's “DOCTOR STRANGE” Casts Spell With New Poster

Marvel's "Doctor Strange" has unleashed its new international, payoff poster and a second trailer which may be viewed at http://youtu.be/HSzx-zryEgM.

Marvel’s Doctor Strange follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Marvel cinematic universe.

Directed by Scott Derrickson, “Doctor Strange” stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams and Michael Stuhlbarg with Mads Mikkelsen and Academy Award® winner Tilda Swinton.

Meet The Charcaters of Moana!

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana,” which opens in theaters across the Philippines on Nov. 30, 2016, features a dynamic roster of characters brought to life by a talented group of actors. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, who were behind “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin,” “Moana” showcases the life-changing journey of a tenacious 16-year-old who teams up with the mighty demigod Maui to fulfill an ancient quest.

Oscar-Winner Mark Rylance Inspires Love, Friendship as "The BFG"‏

Three-time Tony Award® and Oscar® winner Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”) stars as the Big Friendly Giant in Disney and Amblin Entertainment's new fantasy adventure “The BFG.” Based on the beloved book by Roald Dahl, the film tells the imaginative story of a young girl and the Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country.

It was on the first day of filming “Bridge of Spies,” Steven Spielberg’s dramatic Cold War thriller, that the director realized he had found his BFG. Renowned stage actor Mark Rylance was playing convicted Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, a character far removed from that of the sweet, but simple giant depicted in “The BFG.” While the director was aware of Rylance’s profound range as an actor, and in fact had been following his career for some time, something else clicked that day.

Newcomer Ruby Barnhill Walks Tall in "The BFG"‏

The central heartbeat of Disney and Amblin Entertainment's new fantasy adventure “The BFG” is the relationship between the Big Friendly Giant and young girl, Sophie.

Director Steven Spielberg has selected newcomer Ruby Barnhill to play Sophie, the curious and compassionate young orphan who is whisked out of her bed and taken to Giant Country.

Roald Dahl's Beloved Book "The BFG" Comes to Life‏

Disney and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Walden Media, present the fantasy adventure film “The BFG,” the first-ever motion picture adaptation of Roald Dahl’s resonant tale of childhood, the magic of dreams and the extraordinary friendship between a young girl and a big friendly giant.

Roald Dahl’s seminal tale of the friendship between a young girl and a mysterious giant seemed perfectly aligned with director Steven Spielberg's own body of work, and while it may have seemed destined that Sophie and the BFG would one day find their way into Spielberg’s care, it would be decades following the book’s publication before the journey would actually begin.

Dahl’s “The BFG” was first published in 1982, the same year Spielberg’s own story about an unusual and transformative friendship, “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” captured the hearts and imaginations of children and adults alike. The British author is one of the world’s most creative, mischievous and successful storytellers, someone who understands the inner lives of children and has a knack for creating characters that kids could relate to and storylines which kept them involved.

"The BFG" -- First Disney Film to be Directed by Steven Spielberg‏

Disney and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Walden Media, present the fantasy adventure film “The BFG,” the first-ever motion picture adaptation of Roald Dahl’s resonant tale of childhood, the magic of dreams and the extraordinary friendship between a young girl and a big friendly giant.

Directed by three-time Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, the film reunites the director with his Oscar-nominated collaborator on “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” Melissa Mathison, who adapted the childrens author’s timeless adventure for the big screen.

The film stars Oscar® winner Mark Rylance as the Big Friendly Giant; newcomer Ruby Barnhill as Sophie, the orphan who befriends him and is swept into a world of rampaging giants; Penelope Wilton as the Queen; Jemaine Clement as Fleshlumpeater, the most fearsome giant from Giant Country; Rebecca Hall as Mary, the Queen’s handmaid; Rafe Spall as Mr. Tibbs, the Queen’s butler; and Bill Hader as Bloodbottler, another unruly giant from Giant Country.

“The BFG” marked somewhat of a departure for Steven Spielberg. He explains, “I've been very blessed to have had all kinds of beautiful experiences telling stories. I'm hesitant to emphasize one story over the other because they have all had tremendous value to me. But I think the number of historical movies that I've been making—films like ‘Lincoln,’ ‘Bridge of Spies’ and then going further back to films like ‘Amistad’ and ‘Schindler’s List’—have kept me fettered to the accuracy of telling a historical story.”

“So being able to escape into the world of dreams and imaginations has been a dream in itself,” he continues. “That makes ‘The BFG’ special, because it was my escape into what I think I kind of do best, which is just let my imagination run away with itself.”

According to Spielberg, he was raised on Grimm fairytales and they were very dark and very frightening with no redeeming social value, whatsoever. “They were almost object lessons for kids, but Dahl and Disney both subscribed to the precepts of children's folklore and embraced the darkness, because what is a fairytale without a dark center?” he says. “Without that dark center, where is the redemption, and how do you bring all of us out from the bowels of a nightmare into the most beautiful, enchanting dream we'd ever seen?”

The fact that Dahl chose a young girl as his protagonist in “The BFG” was something the director appreciated as well. Sophie is a strong girl who does not take no for an answer and is not intimidated by someone who is six-times bigger than her, and the character is similar to strong females who are at the center of many Walt Disney films.

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” has always been Spielberg’s favorite Disney film. “I saw it in a movie theater during its ninth revival when I was only seven or eight years old and it really stuck with me. I can still remember being so frightened and terrified, but at the same time, so satisfied with that amazing ending.”

Roald Dahl and Walt Disney actually met in April of 1943 to discuss a number of projects, one of which was “The Gremlins,” one of Dahl’s first stories. The film was eventually shelved, but was later released as a book by Disney and Random House with all proceeds going to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. The book did go on however, to serve as inspiration for the 1984 film “Gremlins,” which, coincidentally, was produced by Spielberg.

The filmmakers were all in agreement that “The BFG” felt like a hybrid between a classic Disney film and a movie from Amblin Entertainment (the production company Spielberg, Kennedy and Marshall founded in 1981), so they were thrilled when the studio green lit the film in the spring of 2015, making “The BFG” the first Walt Disney film to be directed by Steven Spielberg.

Opening across the Philippines on Aug. 10, “The BFG” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through Columbia Pictures. Like us on Facebook, WaltDisneyStudiosPH; follow us on Twitter, @disney_phil; follow us on Instagram, @disney.ph and use the hashtag #TheBFGPH.

Enchanted Rose Takes Spotlight in "Beauty and the Beast" Teaser Poster‏

Disney has just revealed the teaser poster of its live-action “Beauty and the Beast,” shining a light on the magical rose that's pivotal to the story.

Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is a live-action re-telling of the studio’s animated classic which refashions the classic characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs.

“Beauty and the Beast” is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within.

The film stars: Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Oscar® winner Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle’s eccentric, but lovable father; Josh Gad as Lefou, Gaston’s long-suffering aide-de-camp; Golden Globe® nominee Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, the candelabra; Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, the feather duster; six-time Tony Award® winner Audra McDonald as Madame Garderobe, the wardrobe; Oscar nominee Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and two-time Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.

Mia Wasikowska Back in Wonderland Through "The Looking Glass"

In Disney's new fantasy adventure “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” Mia Wasikowska (“Crimson Peak,” “Alice in Wonderland”) is back as Alice Kingsleigh, the head-strong young woman raised in Victorian London who is a dreamer and a noncomfortist. Now on the cusp of adulthood, she continues to struggle with balancing her inherent curiosity and conforming to other people’s expectations.

“Alice is a great character because she’s very much her own person, and after returning from her travels where she was captain of her own ship has gained more confidence and is filled with a sense of inspiration and excitement,” says Wasikowska.

Adds director James Bobin, “Alice, as written by Lewis Carroll, was very forward-thinking for the time and almost out of place because she’s a strong female character in a very patriarchal, Victorian society…sort of a modern woman in an old-fashioned society.”

"Pete's Dragon" Elliott in Full View in New Trailer‏

The newest trailer for Disney’s “Pete's Dragon,” the live-action reimagining of the cherished family film, is now online, revealing Elliott, the titular character. Watch the trailer here at http://youtu.be/fPOamb6d_20.

In Philippine cinemas starting Sept. 07, “Pete’s Dragon” is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon. The film stars Bryce Dallas Howard (“Jurassic World”), Oakes Fegley (“This is Where I Leave You”), Wes Bentley (“The Hunger Games”), Karl Urban (“Star Trek”), Oona Laurence (“Southpaw”) and Oscar® winner Robert Redford (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”).

Q&A with Anne Hathaway for "Alice Through the Looking Glass"

Anne Hathaway returns as Mirana, the mild-mannered, kind White Queen, and the beautiful younger sister to the spiteful Red Queen, in Disney's fantasy adventure “Alice Through the Looking Glass” in Philippine cinemas July 6th.

In the film, Alice (Mia Wasikowska) returns to the whimsical world of Underland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp).

Disney Welcomes "Wreck-It Ralph" Back to the Big Screen for a Smashing Sequel‏

Wreck-It Ralph is heading back to the big screen, and this time, he’s wrecking the internet. The Oscar®-nominated Walt Disney Animation Studios team from the original film is reteaming for the follow-up, including director Rich Moore (“Zootopia,” “The Simpsons”) and producer Clark Spencer (“Zootopia,” “Bolt”). Phil Johnston (writer, “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Zootopia,” “Cedar Rapids”) joins Moore as director and a writer on the project. John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman return as the bad-guy-turned-good, Ralph, and the girl with the game-winning glitch, Vanellope von Schweetz. The untitled sequel will hit theaters—literally—on March 9, 2018.

REEL DEAL: Alice Through The Looking Glass REVIEW

It was years since this long awaited sequel of live-action adaptation of Alice in Wonderland has finally made the next story of Underland, but indeed worth it as it was able to build a new story. The visually appealing and adventure-laced journey of Alice will open up the imagination of many with Alice Through The Looking Glass.

This retelling of the story of Lewis Carol, brings in more stories and adversaries to the unusual yet colorful world beyond realty. I remember that Alice in Wonderland was one of the earliest movies I reviewed back then. It was way back in 2010, now it has been 6 years since the last movie and it can observed that some of the original cast have aged. But since fantasy would give an interesting turn and texture for the characters, the visuals helped in keeping the vibe of Underland alive.

Since there are new characters introduced such as Time (Sacha Baron Cohen), and it does involve going back and forth time to fix something that is affecting the jolly Mad Hatter which has turned completely not himself lately. This is also one of the last films of Alan Rickman who played Absalom.