Zoe Saldana Captures the Heart of Ben Affleck in "Live by Night"

Known to global audiences as Gamora and Uhura in the Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Trek franchises, respectively, Zoe Saldana now portrays the exotic Graciela in Warner Bros. Pictures' new gangster film Live by Night.

Directed by Ben Affleck, Live by Night tells the story of Joe Coughlin (Affleck), a WWI vet who’s a self-proclaimed anti-establishment outlaw, despite being the son of the Boston Police Deputy Superintendent. Joe’s not all bad, though; in fact, he’s not really bad enough for the life he’s chosen. Unlike the gangsters he refuses to work for, he has a sense of justice and an open heart, and both work against him, leaving him vulnerable time and again—in business and in love.

"Live by Night" Main Poster Confirms Affleck's Antihero Role

Warner Bros. Pictures has just revealed the payoff poster of the crime thriller Live by Night showing a gun-pointng Ben Affleck, all-suited up as a mobster. The tagline confirms that his character is an antihero: “Joe Was Once a Good Man.”

Check out the poster below and watch Live by Night when it opens in Philippine cinemas on January 18, 2017.

Aside from directing and acting on the film, Affleck wrote the screenplay, based on the award-winning best-seller by Dennis Lehane; it marks the second collaboration for the fellow Boston natives, following the acclaimed drama “Gone Baby Gone.”

What you put out into this world will always come back to you, but it never comes back how you predict. Taking fatherly advice is not in Joe Coughlin’s nature. Instead, the WWI vet is a self-proclaimed anti-establishment outlaw, despite being the son of the Boston Police Deputy Superintendent. Joe’s not all bad, though; in fact, he’s not really bad enough for the life he’s chosen. Unlike the gangsters he refuses to work for, he has a sense of justice and an open heart, and both work against him, leaving him vulnerable time and again—in business and in love. Driven by a need to right the wrongs committed against him and those close to him, Joe heads down a risky path that goes against his upbringing and his own moral code. Leaving the cold Boston winter behind, he and his reckless crew turn up the heat in Tampa. And while revenge may taste sweeter than the molasses that infuses every drop of illegal rum he runs, Joe will learn that it comes at a price.

REEL DEAL: Star Trek Beyond REVIEW

The journey to the unknown continues with another installment of the well-loved Sci-Fi series Star Trek. With the success of the last film "Into The Darkness", they also geared up what would be next for the explorers and what lies beyond uncharted frontiers.

Now we have Star Trek Beyond which now directed by Justin Lin who is known for "The Fast and The Furious" movies which many had doubts since fast cars does not always equate to fast space ships. And with a totally different universe, the question lies on how the adventure will take them or even change them.

This is also quite a emotional movie for the cast as two members of the iconic fleet were lost namely Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin. It was really sad since Nimoy belong to the original series while Yelchin is Chekov in the new film franchise. The film did pay homage to the two in the credit scenes.

REEL DEAL: “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY” Rockets To 4-Day Gross Of P104M To Claim No. 1

The heroic misfits of the universe took the Philippine box-office by storm as Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy” opened at No. 1 nationwide with an otherworldly gross of P104-M in just four days (July 31 to Aug. 3). This was announced today by a spokesman of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International which distributed the film.

Capitalizing on solid reviews and positive word-of-mouth, "Guardians" built on its P15.94-M opening day gross July 31 to achieve the sixth-biggest opening of the year, making it ahead of recent blockbusters “Godzilla” and “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

REEL DEAL: “THE BOOK OF LIFE” Poster Reveal

Producer Guillermo Del Torro and director Jorge Gutierrez push the boundaries of animation in the upcoming “The Book of Life” where three childhood friends Manolo (Diego Luna), Joaquin (Channing Tatum) and Maria (Zoe Saldana) take on their most important journey within an enthralling landscape and larger-than-life visuals.  

As the story unfolds, all the world is made of stories but the greatest story begins in “The Book of Life,” the day when spirits pass between worlds and anything can happen.  “The Book of Life” sees the journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans three fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears. Rich with a fresh take on pop music favorites, the movie encourages us to celebrate the past while looking forward to the future.

Check out this cool poster of “The Book of Life” as it opens us up to a stunning world created with rich details in a powerful story that celebrates life and the after-life. 

“The Book of Life” (3D) opens October 16 in theatres nationwide (Philippines) from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

REEL DEAL: Pinoy Pride Dave Bautista Is Drax In “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY”

Filipino wrestling champion-turned-actor Dave Bautista takes on the role of Drax—a quiet yet physical brute, obsessed with avenging the death of his wife and child, in Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy” (opening in the Philippines, July 31).

The casting of Drax was a tough one for the filmmakers, as executive producer Jeremy Latcham explains: “Drax is a complex character. He is a man who seeks vengeance on the people that murdered his wife, his daughter, ruined his life and took everything from him. He is a big, bulky guy covered in tattoos, and he looks like a menace but over the course of the film as the layers are peeled back, it is revealed that he is a deeply sorrowful, regretful man who wants to make amends, a multifaceted guy with much more going on than his physicality implies. Finding a big, hulking actor who could pull off that nuanced performance was really hard.”

REEL DEAL: Chris Pratt Seeks Stardom With “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY”

Bound-for-stardom Chris Pratt (“The LEGO Movie”) plays a brash space adventurer named Peter Quill, who was zapped into space at the age of nine, in Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

The filmmakers’ search for Peter Quill, the leader of the Guardians was extensive. Many actors were considered as contenders for the role but it was Pratt, best known for the role he plays in “Parks and Recreation,” and who was beginning to make a significant mark for scene-stealing roles in “Moneyball,” “The Five-Year Engagement” and “Zero Dark Thirty,” who triumphed. His ability to effortlessly switch between drama, comedy and action, together with his incredible charm, made him not only a great choice but also the only choice.

REEL DEAL: The Lethal Adversaries of “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY”

After last week's in-depth descriptions of the quirky heroes of Marvel's “Guardians of the Galaxy,” let's now introduce their formidable adversaries.

The antagonists of the Guardians in this epic space adventure is led by Ronan (Lee Pace, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”), a Kree radical who continues to fight an ancient war between his people and the Xandarians. Ronan has struck a bargain with the Machiavellian Thanos—retrieve a mysterious artifact, and in exchange Xandar will finally be eradicated. Ronan leads his army to hunt down Peter Quill and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy when they come between him and his genocidal goal.

REEL DEAL: The Unique Heroes of Marvel's “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY”

“I think ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ has one of the best ensemble casts for an origin movie that Marvel has ever had because it is so eclectic,” producer Kevin Feige says on the approach to casting the unique characters in Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

We didn’t set out to cast a relative unknown for the lead nor movie stars for the voices of Rocket and Groot, it just evolved liked that, again, because we had the freedom to say ‘anybody’s on the table’ for this one.”

REEL DEAL: “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY” From Comic Book To Bug Screen

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of “Iron Man,” “Thor,” “Captain America” and “The Avengers,” comes a new team — the “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

REEL DEAL: Star Trek Into Darkness REVIEW

If you are a geek or sci-fi fan, you do know the Star Trek Universe. And for late bloomers and newbie fans like me, it would be hard to watch all of the episode of the series since they actually started way back in the 1970's which is also the era of the rise of Sci-fi movies. And Star Trek has made a mark, and even a culture among fans.

With the first Star Trek movie back in 2009, many people were hesitant that it can par with the series which made hardcore fans. Yet, it was a big hit and also got positive reviews from many. 

Thus the challenge of having a second movie gave more pressure to the cast and crew to create a movie that can at least equal the first movie. Was it successful? lets find out later.

For this film the story goes with the Star Fleet doing interplanetary missions with the crew of Jim, Spock, Scotty, Sulu, Ulura, Bones, and more. J. J. Abrams said in the preview that he loved the film when it was converted into IMAX. Star Trek Into Darkness stars Chris Pine as Jame Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock , Karl Urban as Bones, Zoe Saldana as Nyota Ulura and Benedict Cumberbatch as James Harrison.

REEL DEAL: Star Trek Into Darkness SPOTLIGHT

Star Trek Into Darkness : on a deadly manhunt to capture those who devastated the Starfleet

by Emy Abuan

The USS Enterprise is sent to observe Planet Nibiru, but finds a volcano on the verge of erupting and wiping out its primitive inhabitants. In the process of launching a dangerous mission to halt the eruption, first officer Spock's life is jeopardized, forcing Kirk to break the "Prime Directive" and reveal the Enterprise to the planet's civilisation to rescue him. As a consequence, a number of indigenous people begin to worship the ship as it leaves. After being called back to Earth, Kirk is relieved of command, and Admiral Pike re-assumes command of the Enterprise. Shortly afterward, Starfleet agent John Harrison bombs a secret "Section 31" installation in London. An emergency meeting of high ranking officers is called at Starfleet headquarters, which Kirk attends as Pike's first officer. The meeting is attacked by a gunship piloted by Harrison. Kirk takes the gunship down, but Harrison escapes and Pike dies.

After Pike's funeral, Admiral Marcus (Weller) authorizes Kirk to hunt down Harrison, who has fled to the Klingon homeworld of Qo'noS. Since Qo'noS lies deep in Klingon territory and Starfleet is on the brink of war with the Klingon Empire, the Enterprise is supplied with 72 long-range prototype photon torpedoes, and is ordered to fire them all at Harrison's location once he is found. Believing the torpedoes could be dangerous to the ship, chief engineer Montgomery Scott refuses to take them aboard and tenders his resignation when ordered to accept them. The Admiral's daughter, scientist Carol Marcus also joins the crew, under a false identity, and Pavel Chekov is promoted to Chief Engineer.

Several twists and turns of events will turn Admiral Marcus and Captain Kirk into opponents.

With Marcus in pursuit, the Enterprise is attacked by the superior starship Vengeance in Earth's orbit. Outgunned, the Enterprise is severely damaged. Ultimately Kirk agrees to hand over the Klingon Khan and the 72 bodies in cryo sleep in exchange for the lives of his crew. Marcus refuses and beams his daughter aboard to prevent her being used against him.

REEL DEAL: Star Trek Into Darkness SPOTLIGHT

Star Trek Into Darkness : on a deadly manhunt to capture those who devastated the Starfleet

by Emy Abuan

This Summer of 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes Star Trek Into Darkness.

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.