MANILA, PhilippinesUniversal Pictures is releasing three exciting movies in the next few months, with theatrical releases soon to follow locally. The upcoming lineup consists of thrilling titles that ask bizarre questions of “what if?” and a beloved Broadway story sees its movie adaptation come to life with a star-studded cast.

“OLD”

In OLD by M. Night Shyamalan, the thriller unveils a chilling and mysterious story about a family on a tropical holiday who discovers that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly … reducing their entire lives into a single day.

The film stars an impressive international cast including Golden Globe winner Gael García Bernal (Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle), Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread), Rufus Sewell (Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle), Ken Leung (Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Jupiter Ascending), Abbey Lee (HBO’s Lovecraft Country), Aaron Pierre (Syfy’s Krypton),Alex Wolff (Hereditary), Embeth Davidtz (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Eliza Scanlen (Little Women), Emun Elliott (Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens), Kathleen Chalfant (Showtime’s The Affair) and Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit).

Watch the trailer below:

“THE FOREVER PURGE”

A widely successful thriller franchise also comes back with a new installment with The Forever Purge. Following the record-shattering success of 2018’s The First Purge, Blumhouse’s infamous terror franchise hurtles into innovative new territory as members of an underground movement, no longer satisfied with one annual night of anarchy and murder, decide to overtake America through an unending campaign of mayhem and massacre. No one is safe.

All the rules are broken as this sect of lawless marauders decides that the annual Purge does not stop at daybreak and instead should never end in The Forever Purge.

Adela (Ana de la Reguera, Army of the Dead) and her husband Juan (Tenoch Huerta, Days of Grace) live in Texas, where Juan is working as a ranch hand for the wealthy Tucker family. Juan impresses the Tucker patriarch, Caleb (Will Patton, Halloween), but that fuels the jealous anger of Caleb’s son, Dylan (Josh Lucas, Ford v Ferrari).

From a screenplay by franchise creator and narrative mastermind James DeMonaco, The Forever Purge is directed by Everardo Gout, writer-director of the award-winning thriller Days of Grace.

Watch the trailer below:

“DEAR EVAN HANSEN”

Lastly, the award-winning Broadway phenomenon “Dear Evan Hansen” is adapted to the big screen. The generation-defining phenomenon becomes a soaring cinematic event as Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age.  

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Wonder), the film is written for the screen by the show’s Tony winner Steven Levenson with music and lyrics by the show’s Oscar®, Grammy and Tony-winning songwriting team of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman).

Featuring Grammy winning songs, including the iconic anthem “You Will Be Found,” “Waving Through a Window,” “For Forever” and “Words Fail,” Dear Evan Hansen stars six-time Oscar® nominee Amy Adams, Oscar® winner Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart), Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give), Colton Ryan (Apple TV+’s Little Voice), Nik Dodani (Netflix’s Atypical), DeMarius Copes (Broadway’s Mean Girls) and Danny Pino (NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).

Dear Evan Hansen will soon open in Philippine cinemas from Universal Pictures.

Watch the trailer below: