EntertainmentNews (04/25/23)
Boy band A1 coming to PHL
POP boy band, A1, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a concert, A1: TWENTY FIVE – MANILA, at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City’s Araneta City, on Oct .14. Tickets will go on-sale starting Friday, April 28, at noon. They will be available at all Ticketnet outlets or by logging on to www.ticketnet.com.ph. Call (02) 911-5555 for more information. The popular British-Norwegian boy band is going on tour — aptly called TWENTY FIVE — to celebrate their 25th anniversary in the music industry. A1 last performed in the Philippines in 2018. A1 has been performing with its original line-up — Paul Marazzi, Christian Ingebrigtsen, Mark Read, and Ben Adams — since Marazzi re-joined the group in 2018 for their 20th Anniversary Reunion Tour. Presented by Concert Republic, tickets to A1: TWENTY FIVE – MANILA range in price from P2,750++ to P5,250++.
SB19’s Josh Cullen gives hip-hop twist to new love song
AFTER debuting as a solo star with the song “Wild Tonight,” SB19’s Josh Cullen has released a follow-up single under Sony Music Entertainment. Titled “Pakiusap Lang,” the love song is meshed with trap-laden beats and hip-hop verses. “The lyrics came from my heart, and I wanted to make sure the arrangement and sonic vibe reflected my Filipino hip-hop side,” Mr. Cullen said in a release. “My cousin and his friends helped out with the chorus, and we all had a good time putting it together.” An accompanying music video will soon be released. Directed by frequent collaborator Toothless (who also helmed the MV of SB19’s “Bazinga), it also stars KAIA members Angela and Charice, who play the main characters in the music video. “Pakiusap Lang” will be included in Josh Cullen’s upcoming debut EP, which will be released sometime this year. “Pakiusap Lang” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.
Love Again opens only in SM Cinemas on May 10
“I LOVE LOVE STORIES,” says Jim Strouse, writer and director of the new romantic comedy Love Again, in a statement. Starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, and Celine Dion (playing herself in her first film role), and featuring multiple new songs from Ms. Dion, Love Again opens exclusively in SM Cinemas on May 10. “This felt like a fantastic opportunity to tell a classic, romantic story that was hugely relevant,” said producer Erica Lee. “I loved the idea that for these characters, these text messages sent into the ether become the magical thing that brings them together.” In Love Again, Mira Ray (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), a children’s book author and illustrator, deals with the loss of her fiancé by sending a series of romantic texts to his old cell phone number. What she doesn’t know is that those texts are being received by Rob Burns (Sam Heughan), whose new work phone has inherited that old number. Rob, a music journalist, is skeptical about love. He is struck by the emotional honesty of the texts, which begin just as he is trying to wrap his cynical mind around the heartfelt, emotional music of Celine Dion for a profile he’s been assigned. He finds that the legendary singer just might hold the key to all the answers he’s been looking for. Love Again is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.
Fast X coming to local cinemas on May 17
FAST X, the 10th film in the Fast & Furious franchise, launches the final chapters of one of cinema’s most popular global franchises, now in its third decade and still featuring the same core cast and characters. From Universal Pictures International, Fast X is coming to Philippine cinemas on May 17. Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have outsmarted and outdriven every foe. Now, they confront a terrifying threat emerging from the shadows of the past who’s fueled by blood revenge. Directed by Louis Leterrier, Fast X stars returning cast members Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, John Cena and Scott Eastwood, with Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron. Joining the cast are Brie Larson, Alan Richston, Daniela Melchior, and Rita Moreno as Dom and Mia’s Abuelita Toretto.
ANIMA Short Film Lab’s Hito joins Vienna Shorts
FRESH off the reels of the Berlinale’s Generation14plus, ANIMA Short Film Lab entry Hito is set to screen at another international film festival, the 20th edition of Vienna Shorts happening from June 1 to 6. cinematic experience for film enthusiasts around the world. In Hito, director Stephen Lopez weaves together elements of science fiction, drama, and action to tell the story of Jani, a young girl living in an alternate version of Manila, who develops an unlikely bond with Keifer, a rehabilitated catfish-shaped bioweapon. Their odd friendship leads Jani to confront the harsh realities of her violent society and the authoritarian regime that governs it. ANIMA Short Film Lab guides aspiring filmmakers to balance the occupational realities of filmmaking and their unique perspective as artists. Every year, Vienna Shorts features around 300 films from all over the world to reach global audiences.
Duo Sofi Tukker releases new single
SOFI Tukker, the Grammy-nominated duo comprised of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern, have released their new single, “Jacaré,” on Ultra Records. Accompanying the track is the colorful new music video filmed on location in Rio de Janeiro. “Jacaré” is simultaneously a tribute to both the beauty of Brazil and the LGBTQ+ community at large. With elements of electronic, house and jazz influences, “Jacaré” was penned as an ode to Brazil and its inherent sensuality. The lyrics were written by Sophie who is fluent in Portuguese, and longtime collaborator and Brazilian poet Chacal. “‘Jacaré’ means alligator in Portuguese but it’s also a derogatory word for women who like women. We wanted to take the word and flip it into something positive and joyful rather than a term used as an insult or threat,” the duo said in a statement. “This song is super fun and sexy and inspired by our time in Brazil… It’s a celebration of Brazil, of women and the LGBTQ+ community.”
HBO’s limited series White House Plumbers opening May 2
FROM David Mandel, Alex Gregory, and Peter Huyck (HBO’s Veep) and starring Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux, the five-episode limited series White House Plumbers debuts May 2 on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO GO. White House Plumbers takes the audience behind-the-scenes of the Watergate scandal as Nixon’s political saboteurs, E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux), accidentally topple the presidency they were zealously trying to protect… and their families along with it. Chronicling actions on the ground, this satirical drama begins in 1971 when the White House hires Hunt and Liddy, former CIA and FBI, respectively, to investigate the Pentagon Papers leak. After failing upward, the unlikely pair lands on the Committee to Re-Elect the President, plotting several unbelievable covert ops — including bugging the Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate complex. Proving that history can sometimes be stranger than fiction, White House Plumbers sheds light on the lesser-known series of events that led to one of America’s greatest political crimes. Cast includes Lena Headey, Judy Greer, Domhnall Gleeson, Toby Huss, Ike Barinholtz, Kathleen Turner, Kim Coates, Yul Vazquez, Alexis Valdés, Nelson Ascencio, F. Murray Abraham, and John Carroll Lynch.
Clara Benin releases new song
FILIPINO singer-songwriter Clara Benin drops a song about leaving the past behind, and embracing the newness that comes with it. On her new single “small town,” the artist acknowledges that the world is changing and that unlearning people and places could be an enriching way of taking control of one’s life and destiny. “[The song] was inspired by my high school experience living in the province, where it was inevitable to bump into someone you know when you’re out in public,” Ms. Benin said in a statement. “It’s a post-breakup song about trying to find yourself again and struggling because everything around you reminds you of your ex.” The pensive pop-rock lullaby was written by Ms. Benin and Gabba Santiago and produced by Sam Marquez and Tim Marquez of One Click Straight. The song serves as Ms. Benin’s last single before she releases her first studio album in eight years. According to Benin, the up-and-coming record reflects her growth as a singer-songwriter whose work displays vulnerability and versatility in equal measure. Clara Benin’s “small town” is out now on all digital music platforms via OFFMUTE.
