Marvel's Iron Man 3 (2013)

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Iron Man 3 is a 2013 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to Iron Man and Iron Man 2, and the seventh installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, being the first major release in the franchise since the crossover film The Avengers. Shane Black directed a screenplay he co-wrote with Drew Pearce, which is based on the "Extremis" story arc by Warren Ellis. Jon Favreau, who directed the first two films, serves as executive producer, along with Kevin Feige. Robert Downey, Jr. reprises his role as the title character, with Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, and Favreau reprising their roles as Pepper Potts, James Rhodes, and Happy Hogan, respectively. Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, and Ben Kingsley round out the film's principal cast.

Iron Man 3 was converted to 3D in post-production. The film premiered at the Grand Rex in Paris on April 14, 2013, and was internationally released on April 25, 2013 in IMAX and is scheduled to be released on May 3, 2013 in the United States. The third film is always the crucial one. Spider-Man 3 bungled it up and the series needed a reboot. The Dark Knight Rises was a glorious finale. Iron Man 3 serves up a thumping ace. Iron Man 3 is richly visualised, assorting a US President who resembles George W. Bush, a terrorist who looks like a Chinese Osama, and a smart kid who bails out the hero and who could be straight out of a Steven Spielberg sci-fi. Tony Stark’s romance with Pepper Potts gets a triangle tangle by way of an ex flame (Rebecca Hall), and the sexed-up Iron Man suit - more gold than red this time - is a gadget that can self-assemble or detach individual parts on command.

After the release of Iron Man 2 in May 2010, Favreau decided not to return as director, and in February 2011 Black was hired to rewrite and direct the film. Throughout April and May of 2012, the film's supporting cast was filled out, with Kingsley, Pearce, and Hall brought in to portray key roles. Filming began on May 23, 2012 in Wilmington, North Carolina. The film was shot primarily in North Carolina, with additional shooting in Florida, China and Los Angeles. The film's visual effects were handled by a number of companies, including Scanline VFX, Digital Domain, and Weta Digital.

Iron Man 3 is actually a sequel to last year's monstrous hit, The Avengers, rather than Iron Man 2. There is an obvious attempt at reinventing the series. Shane Black takes over from Jon Favreau, who made the first two Iron Man films. Black, best known as the director of the 2005 crime comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, banks more on old-school thrills to get the story going, though the digital effects on 3D are guaranteed to blow you away. Mandarin sure grabs the eyeballs as does Guy Pearce in his role of the sinister genetic scientist Aldrich Killian, the man who really gets the drama going. Downey Jr. does well to retain an element of freshness as the witty Tony Stark. Three films down, that is credible. Gwyneth Paltrow is lovable as ever, as Stark’s lovergirl Pepper. She sure has the presence to make even a supporting role look special.

The Angels' Share

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In the opening scenes, the protagonists are sentenced to hours of community service. During his first community service session Robbie (Paul Brannigan), under the guidance of Harry (John Henshaw), is interrupted and taken to the hospital by Harry as his girlfriend, Leonie (Siobhan Reilly), has gone into labour. At the hospital Robbie is assaulted by two of his girlfriend's uncles. Harry takes Robbie back to his house, where Leonie calls to tell Robbie that his son, Luke, has been born. Harry insists that he and Robbie celebrate, and brings out a vintage whisky.

Harry takes the group to a distillery as a reward for their good behaviour, where they learn what "the angels' share" is. Afterwards, the tour guide gives them each a dram of whisky and asks them to smell it, and Robbie is complimented on his ability to identify flavours. At the next community service session, Harry approaches Robbie and asks if he'd like to come to a whisky tasting session in Edinburgh. Robbie, in turn, invites the other members of the group, where they learn about a cask of priceless whisky, the "Malt Mill", set to go on auction soon, and Robbie is passed a card by a whisky collector, Thaddeus (Roger Allam).

After they leave, Mo (Jasmin Riggins) reveals she spotted and stole documents detailing the warehouse in which the "Malt Mill" is kept. Robbie agrees to meet with a victim of his former violent crimes, Anthony (Roderick Cowie) recollects the attack. After realising that he can't continue living under threat of assault on himself and his family, he begins planning to steal the Malt Mill, with his community service partners. They secure an invitation to the tasting and auction during which Robbie hides in the warehouse overnight and covertly witnesses Thaddeus attempting to bribe Angus Dobie (David Goodall) into selling him some of the whisky before the cask goes on auction. Dobie refuses and the two leave, after which Robbie siphons some whisky from the cask into empty Irn Bru bottles and then tops it up with cheaper whisky from an adjacent cask. At the auction, the group see Thaddeus outbid by an American, who tastes the cask, and is apparently happy with the slightly diluted blend.

Afterwards, Robbie approaches Thaddeus and negotiates a sale of three bottles for £250,000. They plan to make the exchange in Glasgow, and so begin the trek home, but inadvertently break two of their four bottles during an encounter with the police. Robbie gets furious, but goes ahead with meeting Thaddeus, and negotiates a sale for £100,000 and a permanent job far away from Glasgow. Robbie reveals to his friends, that he didn't sell two bottles, but one. The scene cuts to show Harry coming home to find a bottle of Irn Bru sitting on his kitchen table next to an open window, with a note thanking him and presenting his "angels' share" next to a newspaper piece showing a photo of the payback group next to the cask. He smells the bottle and rejoices at the Malt Mill inside.

In the final scene, we see Robbie and Leonie leave for Stirling in an immaculate old Volkswagen Type 2, having made temporary goodbyes to the rest of the group. After they leave, the rest of the group resolve to go get wasted. The film ends with The Proclaimers' "500 Miles" playing.

Source: Wikipedia

Disconnect (2013)

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Disconnect is a 2012 drama film directed by Henry Alex Rubin. It stars Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Frank Grillo, Andrea Riseborough, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist, Alexander Skarsgard, and Max Thieriot.[1] The movie also marks the acting debut of fashion designer Marc Jacobs.

People struggle to connect using modern technology. An up and coming reporter hopes her interview with an underage chatroom worker will be her big break. A teenager faces the consequences of cyber bullying. A couple who recently lost their child struggle after their identities are stolen online.

It’s a given at film festivals as much as in multiplexes these days that despite switch-off-your-cell-phone announcements and the occasional grumbling protest, whatever’s onscreen will have to compete with tiny pockets of light from audience members unable to stay off their handhelds. Watching those glow patches come and go during Disconnect reinforces the film’s position on how desensitized we’ve become to these technological intrusions. Not that Henry-Alex Rubin’s schematic multistrand drama is at all shy about articulating its themes.

Directing his first narrative feature, documentary maker Rubin (Murderball) has assembled a solid cast and weaves together the three interconnected stories of Andrew Stern’s original screenplay with elegance and efficiency. But this is a film that voices its warning about the hazards of a wired existence with solemn self-importance. It’s also quite late in the day to be pointing out that we’re so plugged into our devices we often fail to see or hear the people closest to us.

That’s not to say Disconnect is without powerful scenes, and a thread about the heedless consequences of cyber pranks among kids on social network sites probably stands to reach more adolescents than non-fiction treatments of bullying.

Olympus Has Fallen

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Olympus Has Fallen is a 2013 American action-thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua, starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, and Morgan Freeman. The film was theatrically released on March 22, 2013.

The President of the United States in 2013, unlike his Nineties Hollywood avatars, takes quite a beating. Remember Harrison Ford in Air Force One (1997) got rid of the snarky terrorist by firmly telling him to get off his plane? There was Morgan Freeman as leader of the free world facing up to killer asteroids with dignity and panache in Deep Impact (1998) and Bill Pullman who joined the fighter pilots to lead a counter attack against the aliens in Independence Day (1994). Of course, there was Jack Nicholson as crazy President Jimmy Dale in Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks (1996), but then that was Burton and Jack.

Post-Recession and multi-trillion dollar debt, the Commander in Chief has to take several beatings and shootings and finally be rescued by a disgraced secret service agent. Olympus has Fallen is not without its guilty pleasures though. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) has crafted a fast-paced action movie with charismatic actors ensuring enough eye candy.

Gerard Butler plays Mike Banning, the demoted Secret Service agent, who takes apart a well-planned operation with nothing more than his wits and attitude. It is the kind of role Bruce Willis would’ve done in his sleep, with more wit, but never mind. There is Aaron Eckhart as the President, who looks like he is going to burst into a fit of giggles at the impossible plot. Morgan Freeman lends gravitas as acting president and also has one of the only funny lines in the movie.

This movie was amazing, it was like riding on the top thrill dragster at Cedar Point and they never stopped for a break. The director of training day did it again with the directing of this action packed suspense movie amazing actors Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Gerard Butler and Angela Basset to name a few. I havent had the chance to sit down and really get into a movie that captured your attention from the start until the end. Best movie this year for me!

The Host (2013) Film

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In the future, the human race has been assimilated by benevolent extraterrestrial psychic parasites called "Souls". Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan), a human, is captured by the Seeker (Diane Kruger) and infused with a soul called "Wanderer", in order to discover the location of one of the last pockets of non-assimilated humans. However, Melanie survives the procedure and begins to struggle for control of her body.

Wanderer discovers that Melanie was captured while scavenging for food with her brother Jamie Stryder (Chandler Canterbury) and her boyfriend Jared Howe (Max Irons), and that they were looking for Melanie's uncle Jeb Stryder (William Hurt), who lives in a cabin in the desert. Wanderer loses control of Melanie and the Seeker decides to put Wanderer in a different body and be insterted into Melanie to get the information herself. With the help of Melanie, Wanderer escapes and makes her way to the desert, eventually found by a group of humans, including Jeb. She is taken to a series of underground caves, discovering that Jared and Jamie are living there too.

Wanderer is kept isolated from the others, eventually interacting with the humans, and develops feelings for one of them, Ian O'Shea (Jake Abel), beginning to believe the Souls shouldn't steal other people's free will. Eventually, Jeb, Jamie and Ian realize Melanie is still alive, while The Seeker learns that the community is located somewhere in the desert and follows Wanderer there, but fails to locate them. After nearly being captured by the Seeker, Ian's brother Kyle O'Shea (Boyd Holbrook) attempts to kill Wanderer, but is stopped by Ian and another human, Wes, after which Jared also learns that Melanie is still alive.

Wanderer is horrified to learn that Doc (Scott Lawrence), the community's medic, has been experimenting on people infused with Souls, removing the Souls from their bodies and killing them, and isolates herself from the group, but agrees to help Jared infiltrate a Soul medical facility to steal technology to cure the ill Jamie. In the process, they are attacked by the Seeker, who is then shot and captured by Jeb. The Seeker is taken to the caves, where she is removed from her host and contained in a pod stolen by Wanderer, who then sends the Seeker to a distant planet.

Wanderer teaches Doc how to remove the Souls from people's bodies without harming them, and asks to be removed from Melanie's so Melanie can have her life back. Melanie protests, having bonded with Wanderer, but Doc goes through with the procedure. However, rather than letting Wanderer die, Doc inserts her into Pet (Emily Browning), a human who was left brain-dead after the Soul inside her was removed. Wanderer, now in Pet's body, begins a relationship with Ian, while Melanie reunites with Jared. A few months later, Wanderer and the others meet another group of humans who have been joined by Souls who have decided to live peacefully among them.

Source: Wikipedia

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) Film

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The G.I. Joes are framed for stealing nuclear warheads from Pakistan by Zartan (Arnold Vosloo) who is impersonating the President of the United States (Jonathan Pryce). The entire team is eliminated in a military strike with Duke (Channing Tatum) as one of the casualties. Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Flint (D.J. Cotrona) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) are the only survivors.

Meanwhile, Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) and ex-Joe Firefly (Ray Stevenson) rescue Cobra Commander (Luke Bracey) from a penitentiary in Germany. Storm Shadow is injured during the escape and retreats to a temple in the Himalayas to recover. Upon learning that he is alive, the Blind Master (RZA), leader of the Arashikage Clan, sends Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and his apprentice Jinx (Elodie Yung), Storm Shadow's cousin, to capture Storm Shadow so he can answer for the murder of his uncle, the Hard Master.

Roadblock, Flint, and Lady Jaye return to the United States where they set up a base of operations in a rundown gym. After Zartan announces that Cobra will replace the Joes as America's main protective unit, Lady Jaye deduces that someone is impersonating the President, and Roadblock leads them to General Joseph Colton (Bruce Willis) who provides them with weapons and helps them infiltrate a fundraising event that the President will be attending, where Lady Jaye steals a sample of his DNA and confirms that he is Zartan. They escape after a brief confrontation with Firefly and Zandar (Matt Gerald), the head of the Presidential Detail and a member of Cobra.

Snake Eyes and Jinx locate and capture Storm Shadow after a battle with ninjas and take him back to Japan where Storm Shadow reveals that Zartan murdered the Hard Master and he joined Cobra to avenge his uncle, embittered that the clan didn't believe in his innocence. Storm Shadow then accompanies Snake Eyes and Jinx as they join the Joes' efforts to stop Cobra.

Zartan invites the world leaders to a summit, where he blackmails them into disabling their nuclear arsenals, and reveals that he has created Project Zeus: Seven orbital kinetic bombardment weapons of mass destruction at his command. He destroys central London to prove his superiority and threatens to destroy other capitals if the countries don't submit to Cobra. However, Storm Shadow betrays Cobra Commander and kills Zartan, revealing Cobra's deception to the world leaders. While Snake Eyes, Jinx, and Flint fight Cobra's soldiers, Cobra Commander activates the remaining six weapons and instructs Firefly to protect the launch device. Firefly is killed in combat with Roadblock, who deactivates and destroys the orbital weapons. Meanwhile, Colton, and Lady Jaye rescue the President.

Cobra Commander escapes during the battle and Storm Shadow disappears after avenging his uncle. The President initiates a global massive manhunt on Cobra Commander, who is now considered to be a terrorist, and reinstates the Joes with Roadblock leading Flint, Lady Jaye, Snake Eyes, and Jinx, and recruiting more soldiers to join them. Roadblock swears to avenge Duke by killing Cobra Commander.

The Croods (2013) Film

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The Croods is a 2013 American 3D computer-animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It features the voices of Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman. The film is set in a prehistoric era know as The Croodaceous, A period which contains fantastical creatures, when a man's position as a "Leader of the Hunt" is threatened by the arrival of a prehistoric genius who comes up with revolutionary new inventions, like fire, as they trek through a dangerous but exotic land in search of a new home.

The Croods was written and directed by Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders, and produced by Kristine Belson and Jane Hartwell. It was released in theaters on March 22, 2013. As part of the distribution deal, this became the first film from DreamWorks Animation to be distributed by 20th Century Fox, since the end of their distribution deal with Paramount Pictures in 2012 with Rise of the Guardians.

The film starts with Eep (Emma Stone), a girl in a family of Neanderthal Cavemen (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) living in pre-historic times, talking about how her family is one of the few to survive nearby, mainly due to the strict rules of her overprotective father, Grug (Nicolas Cage). When in their cave home, Grug tells a story to the rest of the family which includes his wife Ugga (Catherine Keener), his daughter Sandy (Randy Thom), his son Thunk (Clark Duke), and his mother-in-law (Cloris Leachman) with a character that mirrors Eep's curious nature. He uses this story to warn the family that exploration and 'new things' pose a threat to their survival. This irritates the bored and adventurous Eep, and when the family falls asleep after dark, she ignores her father's advice and leaves the cave when she sees a light moving outside the cave.

Spring Breakers (2012) Film

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Story: Four sexy college girls plan to fund their spring break getaway by burglarizing a fast food shack. But that’s only the beginning… During a night of partying, the girls hit a roadblock when they are arrested on drug charges. Hungover and clad only in bikinis, the girls appear before a judge but are bailed out unexpectedly by Alien, an infamous local thug who takes them under his wing and leads them on the wildest Spring Break trip in history. Rough on the outside but with a soft spot inside, Alien wins over the hearts of the young Spring Breakers, and leads them on a Spring Break they never could have imagined.

Childhood friends Faith, Brit, Candy, and Cotty plan to go on a spring break vacation, but don't have enough money. Brit and Candy then rob a fast-food restaurant using hammers and water pistols, with Cotty as the getaway driver. Faith is taken aback by Brit and Candy's actions, but overlooks their crimes, and they travel to Florida.

During a party, they meet Alien, a rapper who later bails them out of jail when they're arrested during another Spring Break party. Faith becomes uncomfortable with Alien's surrounding and lifestyle, and decides to leave after learning he's a drug dealer. Brit, Candy and Cotty return to Alien's apartment, where Brit and Candy hook up with Alien and start to build a relationship with him, while Cotty sleeps in the next room.

Alien takes the trio to a strip club, where he runs into his rival Big Arch, who tells Alien to stop selling drugs in his territory. Alien ignores him and continues selling drugs, as well as robbing spring breakers with the girls' help. In retaliation, Big Arch executes a drive-by shooting against Alien's car. After being shot in the arm, Cotty decides to leave as well, while Alien, Brit, and Candy decide to take revenge on Big Arch. They go to his waterfront mansion in Alien's boat, but are spotted by Big Arch's men, who kills Alien before being killed by the girls.

Brit and Candy kill Big Arch and his men, leaving their signature masks in the water by the dock. The girls kiss Alien's dead body and then they leave Florida in Big Arch's Lamborghini.

Les Misérables (2012)

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Story: In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after he breaks parole, agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's daughter, Cosette. The fateful decision changes their lives forever.

Les Misérables is a 2012 British musical drama film produced by Working Title Films and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film is based on the musical of the same name by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg which is in turn based on Les Misérables, the 1862 French novel by Victor Hugo. The film is directed by Tom Hooper, scripted by William Nicholson, Boublil, Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer, and stars an ensemble cast led by Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried. The film tells the story of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who becomes mayor of a town in France. Soon exposed, Valjean agrees to take care of Cosette, the illegitimate daughter of the dying Fantine, but as a fugitive must also avoid being captured again by police inspector Javert. The plot spans 17 years and is set against a backdrop of political turmoil, which in the film culminates in the June Rebellion of France.

Development of Les Misérables based on the stage musical began in the late 1980s. After the musical's 25th Anniversary concert in October 2010, producer Cameron Mackintosh announced that the film resumed development. Hooper and Nicholson were approached in March 2011 and the main characters were cast in 2011. Principal photography commenced in March 2012, and took place in various English locations, including Greenwich, London, Chatham, Winchester and Portsmouth,as well as in Gourdon, France.

Les Misérables premiered in London on December 5, 2012, and was released on December 25, 2012 in the United States, on December 26, 2012 in Australia, and on January 11, 2013 in the UK. The film received divided, but generally positive[11] reviews, with many critics praising the cast, especially Jackman and Hathaway, while most criticized Crowe's performance. The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Jackman and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for Hathaway. It has also won four BAFTA Awards, including the Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Hathaway). It received eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture (the first musical nominated since 2003's winner Chicago) and Best Actor for Jackman, and won three, for Best Sound Mixing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Supporting Actress for Hathaway.

Source: Wikipedia

Ted (2012)

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Ted is a 2012 American comedy film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Seth MacFarlane, with Mark Wahlberg, MacFarlane, and Mila Kunis in leading roles. The supporting cast includes Joel McHale and Giovanni Ribisi.

The film is the feature-length directorial debut of MacFarlane, produced by Media Rights Capital and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was released on June 29, 2012, to critical and commercial success, becoming the 12th highest-grossing film of the year, the highest-grossing R-rated film of the year, and the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time. The film also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, it was announced that there were plans for a sequel.

Story: As the result of a childhood wish, John Bennett's teddy bear, Ted, came to life and has been by John's side ever since - a friendship that's tested when Lori, John's girlfriend of four years, wants more from their relationship.

In Boston, Massachusetts in the year 1985, John Bennett is a lonely boy who can't make any friends, one Christmas he receives a teddy bear from his parents and immediately grows attached to it. John names him Ted, and wishes one night that Ted could be alive; inexplicably, a shooting star passing overhead causes his wish to come true and Ted is alive the next morning, much to the fear and eventual jubilation of his parents. Due to his sentience, Ted becomes a star for a short period of time.

27 years later in 2012, John works at a car rental place and has continued a strong bond with Ted, which his girlfriend Lori doesn't like as she thinks their friendship, which includes mass consumption of alcohol and drugs, is keeping John mentally a child. On their four year anniversary, John and Lori come home to find Ted with a quartet of hookers one of them having defecated on the floor during a game of Truth or Dare.

Evil Dead (2013) - Horror

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Synopsis: In the much anticipated remake of the 1981 cult-hit horror film, five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin. When they discover a Book of the Dead, they unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival.

The 2013 version of Evil Dead faced a LOT of hate when it was initially announced – and not without reason. The original 1981 film from Sam Raimi (Spider-Man Trilogy) has been a cult-classic for the 30+ years since its release – as has the film’s star, the iconic Bruce Campbell.

When the new Evil Dead came to NYCC 2012, it faced a room full of hardcore skeptics but managed to turn the tide through a combination of gruesome footage and the overpowering charisma of Bruce Campbell; that footage was later premiered in the Evil Dead teaser trailer, and support for the remake has been building ever since. This latest red-band trailer attempts to continue the positive buzz, by drowning viewers in the full depth of horror and gore Evil Dead fans want.

So it’s not surprising that horror and gore are exactly what we get. It’s hard for me to enjoy every moment of that trailer with my eyes open – but I saw enough to notice the many Easter-eggs that connect this new version with Raimi’s original. From the severed limbs to the iconic book of the dead (Necronomicon) to that sexually aggressive tree and familiar swooping woodland camera shots, it seems that many of what people liked about the original film will be at least acknowledged.

Oz The Great and Powerful - Sam Raimi

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The Story: Disney's fantastical adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful" directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking-that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity-and even a bit of wizardry-Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful wizard but into a better man as well.

"Oz The Great and Powerful" is produced by Joe Roth, with a screenplay by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire (credit not final). Grant Curtis, Palak Patel, Philip Steuer and Josh Donen are serving as executive producers. "Oz The Great and Powerful" opens in U.S. theaters on March 8, 2013.