Now that the summer comedy ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ is completed, the filmmakers, including Director Kirk Jones and producer David Thwaites, hope that ‘What to Expect’ succeeds in portraying the varied experience of pregnancy with genuine humor and honesty. Co-screenwriter Shauna Cross hopes the film might inject some reality back into the way pregnancy and childbirth are regarded and portrayed. “I hope that people who have gone through pregnancy feel like they can relate to it,” says the screenwriter.

“And I hope the people who are going through it go easy on themselves. Maybe they’ll opt to not judge themselves and open up to the generous spirit of the movie and just laugh a lot.”

“I think the movie really taps into the joy of having kids,” avows Chris Rock. “Being a father is the best gig I’ve ever had, and there’s really nothing anybody can do to truly prepare for everything that it is. Doesn’t matter how much money you have. Doesn’t matter what kind of job you have. Kids are great. And they love you no matter what.”

Director Kirk Jones thinks that ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’s combination of humor and emotion is something that should appeal to most moviegoers, regardless of their feelings about having children. “I believe that everyone, at one time or another, thinks about either having – or not having – children,” says Jones.

“It’s a deeply human experience that’s obviously not for everyone, and it doesn’t have to be. But I believe that whatever our thoughts are on the matter, stories about bringing new beings into the world resonate on a deeper level. I think this movie manages to look at the way things really are for expectant parents today, and to remind us all just how fun and fulfilling it really is.”

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Casting ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’, the star studded movie in theaters soon, was a daunting task – the filmmakers had to balance an ensemble cast of twelve leads – but actors were incredibly responsive to the film’s subject matter and the strength of screenwriters Shauna Cross’ and Heather Hach’s script.

Says producer David Thwaites, “You can’t ever be 100% sure about chemistry between actors until the cameras are rolling, so you have to follow your instincts. [Director Kirk Jones] and I spent a huge amount of time working out that balance. I think we have a tremendous cast – there isn’t a single role that I’d change or an actor who hasn’t exceeded my expectations.”

“It was incredible how everybody who we really hoped would be in the movie ended up in the movie,” adds author Heidi Murkoff, who also serves as executive producer on the film. “What amazed us watching the performances is how real they were. You could tell the actors wanted to be in this movie, that they were invested in it, and they were connected to the whole experience. I think that makes a big difference.”

Among the five couples in the film, the one that faces the biggest lifestyle change with the on-set of pregnancy are Jules, a celebrity personal trainer with her own weight loss TV show, and her partner, Evan, a professional dancer. Played by Cameron Diaz and Matthew Morrison, Jules and Evan have become the favored champions on the current season of Evan’s show, Celebrity Dance Factor, and their three-month run has seen both their professional and personal lives become increasingly intertwined.

“Jules doesn’t think she can get pregnant; but she does, accidentally, and it sort of speeds things up for them as a couple,” explains Diaz. “They’re both dynamic people with really busy careers, and Jules in particular is ‘Type A.’ She’s used to being in control at all times, and now that’s going to have to change.”

Morrison, currently showcased on the hit television series Glee and a veteran of musical theater, is the other Alpha parent in the power couple. “Jules and Evan are two very strong-minded people,” he says. “They butt heads all the time, and they’re challenged to find a compromise in nearly every situation or decision about the baby. From the little things up to the biggies, like circumcision.”

Jones adds, “With a baby about to enter the picture, Jules and Evan realize they have to become less selfish. They have to work with each other for the good of their child, whether that’s something that comes naturally to them or not.”

Also starring in the film are such big names as Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chris Rock, and Dennis Quaid, including a slew of others.

Actors Anna Kendrick, known for her work in ‘Up In The Air’ and The ‘Twilight Saga’, and “Gossip Girl’s” Chace Crawford are two of the freshest faces in the cast, playing Rosie and Marco, two young, ambitious chefs who operate rival food trucks and grapple with an unplanned pregnancy after a one-night stand. Crawford explains, “Marco and Rosie make a bet on who can sell the most signature items during the rush, and afterwards they have some drinks and, well, one thing leads to another.”

When she learns she’s pregnant, Rosie is as blindsided as Marco, and her experience reflects the film’s motto: when it comes to pregnancy, expected the unexpected. Explains Kendrick, “She wants an answer. She wants a solution. And she wants him to have a great plan. But it’s never that simple.”

With the principals cast, Jones took just as much care casting the film’s supporting roles with notable talent. Those actors include Rebel Wilson as Janice, Wendy’s assistant, Wendi McLendon-Cover as Kara, Holly’s friend, Kim Fields as Holly and Alex’s social worker, and a long list of performers, many of whom appear as themselves: Megan Mullally, Cheryl Cole, Dwyane Wade, Whitney Port, Tyce Diorio and Taboo.

“It’s very easy when you’re putting a movie together with so many lead actors to lose sight of the potential of the supporting cast,” says Jones. “But it was a joy for me every day to turn up on set and be so impressed and appreciative of the contributions of the supporting cast, all of whom delivered above and beyond.”

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Soon to be in theaters everywhere, ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ initially came in the form of a help book by the same name, written by Heidi Murkoff. ‘What to Expect’ caught the attention of Phoenix Production producers David Thwaites and Douglas McKay, and afterwards the two discussed its potential for a feature film. They then contacted Alan Nevins, who in turn, approached Heidi and Erik Murkoff.

The question remains: how does a non-fiction pregnancy manual translate into a narrative film? Phoenix chairman Mike Medavoy admits, “Bringing the book to the screen might seem like a far-fetched idea, in a way. But I credit the vision of both David Thwaites and Doug McKay, who said, ‘Hey, we know how to do this, and we’re going to do it!’”

After reading the book and realizing just how diverse pregnancy experiences can be, David Thwaites imagined an ensemble film comprised of several interlocking stories. “It just occurred to me – having seen how different people are with their children, and how none of their pregnancies were the same – that this was something that would be well served by having a number of different couples who find themselves pregnant at the same time.”

Director Kirk Jones, the English director known for the films ‘Waking Ned Devine’ and ‘Nanny McPhee’, responded in particular to the comedic potential of the project. “The book has such a generous sense of humor, and I began to identify the potential of that in the film. Couples experiencing pregnancy for the first time are being launched headfirst into the unknown, and that’s always a rich place for comedy. And for pathos, too. I like to make films that feature humor and emotion, often at the same time. I think that’s a magical combination.”

Book author Heidi Murkoff admits she was initially skeptical about an adaptation, but she was soon won over by the producers’ take on the project. She says, “These guys plugged into the sensibility of ‘What to Expect’: the warmth, the friendliness, the hand-holding, and also the humor. I knew the book was in great hands.”

Murkoff’s husband and Executive Producer of the film Erik Murkoff agrees, “The further we got into the project, the better it got. But it really started with the script, along with a great director and wonderful cast, and it built and built and built. We’re very lucky.”

Faced with limitless story possibilities, the filmmakers approached screenwriters Shauna Cross and Heather Hach to fashion an appealing cast of characters whose experience might represent the diversity of the pregnancy experience. The structure itself, according to Hach, was immediately evident. “I was incredibly pregnant myself when I came aboard this project, so it was really on my brain and in my heart,” she recalls. “And it just made sense to me: there are three trimesters and there are also three acts in a movie so there was an inherent story there.”

Shauna Cross, who’s also a mother, set her sights on bringing as much humor as possible to the characters’ experiences. “While I found pregnancy touching and sweet, I also thought so much of it was funny,” she says. “I wanted to push that and make it feel modern, so that this film could be our generation’s version of how we get through this stuff now.”

By the final draft of the script, the writers and filmmakers had built a vibrant ensemble comedy around five different couples, each one incorporating unique experiences and addressing both male and female points-of-view. Producer Arnold Messer says, “We were quite conscientious in our attempts to make sure the film looked at a whole range of perspectives on child-rearing. As much as it’s a movie about babies; it’s also a movie about people who don’t want babies. As much as it’s a movie about motherhood; it’s also about fatherhood.”

Director Kirk Jones also felt strongly that the book’s candor and honesty should be reflected in the film. In keeping with his dictum, the screenplay candidly addresses many issues surrounding pregnancy, including the physical challenges of carrying a child to term, infertility and adoption. “Often pregnancy is portrayed the way people in the media talk about it: women have this wonderful glow and an amazing experience,” says Jones. “But it’s also pretty tough. And our script didn’t flinch from being truthful, honest and grounded.”

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Since its first publication in 1985, ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ has become a modern standard and the definitive bible for expectant parents. The perennial New York Times bestseller, authored by Heidi Murkoff, was named one of USA Today’s 25 most influential books of the past 25 years and is now the first book in a series that has sold 35 million copies worldwide.

The book offers exactly what it promises: a wealth of up-to-the-minute information and advice about the mysterious and unpredictable process of pregnancy. But its true appeal is its singular voice: totally frank, modern, empathetic and very funny. That’s exactly what sets ‘What to Expect’ apart from the glut of imitators and what attracted producers at Phoenix Pictures – Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer and David Thwaites – to the idea of adapting ‘What to Expect’ for the screen with Lionsgate and Alcon Entertainment.

“I think it’s very, very clever, this movie concept based on the book,” says actress Cameron Diaz, who plays one of five expectant mothers in the ensemble comedy. “I’ve always heard the title being talked about. It’s one of those books that have been around and a part of almost everyone’s life. When you read it, it feels like you’re getting advice from your best friend who’s been through it all.”

Co-star Jennifer Lopez agrees wholeheartedly. “The book is amazing, which is why it’s so popular,” she says. “It tells you exactly, week to week, what’s happening to you in the moment. I think women, by nature, when we’re pregnant, are so worried that everything’s going to go okay. And here you have this book saying, ‘This is supposed to be happening. Don’t worry. You’re supposed to feel like this.’ I think the movie does the exact same thing. It reassures you by telling five totally different stories about being pregnant and making you laugh.”

A father of two, Chris Rock admits that the book, ‘What to Expect’, is still on his wife’s nightstand…and his oldest daughter is nine. “This book’s been in my face for ten years,” he says. “But it really helped. It’s rough having a baby. My wife was pretty cool. But just imagine carrying around a seven- or eight-pound ham for nine months. Forget it even being in your body – just have it in a bag that you can’t put down – and you’ve got to sleep with that ham and swim with the ham and take a bath with the ham. No matter where you go, you’ve got to carry this ham. So, you know what? You’re allowed to complain.”

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Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel ‘The Hunger Games’, burst into theaters March 23, 2012 to thunderous success. It reaped over $152 million dollars its opening weekend, making it the highest-grossing film of the year thus far. However, unlike the film trailing its numbers, ‘The Lorax’ (2012), ‘The Hunger Games’ has a rich story, lush characters, and gut-wrenching emotional moments woven into the action and drama.

The plot revolves around the recently war-torn nation of Panem, where society is split between a capital full of rich, carefree socialites and twelve districts where the impoverished losers of a war live. Each year, the capitol holds the Hunger Games—a competition where a boy and girl, ages 12 to 18, are chosen from each district to fight in a survival tournament, until only one of them remains.

The main character, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), has a younger sister named Primrose, who is worried about getting picked for the Hunger Games, as everyone’s name is drawn at random. Coincidentally, Primrose’s name is picked at the Reaping, the ceremony where the competitors are chosen, and Katniss volunteers herself to take her sister’s place. Alongside Katniss is Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), a boy she had seen around her home before.

They are taken into the capitol to be trained and prepare for the games. They meet Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), a former winner of the Hunger Games and their mentor, and Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), who mentally prepares them for the vigor of the Game. Haymitch and Cinna emphasize the importance of Katniss and Peeta becoming memorable players in the Game in order to get sponsors, who will drop off food, medicine, and weapons for them if they grow to like them.

This leads to Peeta revealing that he has a crush on Katniss, thus creating an underdog couple for the citizens to root for. Katniss is angered by this revelation at first, but she eventually learns that there is more to Peeta than she thought. Then, the Game begins and everything in both their worlds becomes chaos.

‘The Hunger Games’ is directed by Gary Ross, who some will know for his work directing ‘Pleasantville’ (1998) and ‘Seabiscuit’ (2003). Ross’ direction is excellent, as every moment during the game feels tense and brutal. However, there will be a problem from viewers who suffer from motion sickness, because of the jittery camera movements at certain intense sequences of violence during the film. Otherwise, the camera work of the film is nothing short of brilliant.

The true appeal of this film is its characters. Katniss is a strong girl with enough flaws to keep the audience interested, and a will that just won’t quit. The most interesting emotional aspect of the film is her reaction to Peeta’s feelings for her. She begins feeling uninterested in him romantically, but the vicious deaths in the Game eventually bring them closer together.

However, the audience is left pondering if her feelings are genuine or if she is only obligated to stay with him due to them being the “star-crossed lovers” of District 12. Further complications come from a friend of hers back home named Gale (Liam Hemsworth), who may have been interested in her before she volunteered to take her sister’s place. The script leaves these relationships open to interpretation and thus all the more intriguing for the next film, ‘Catching Fire.’

There are only two detractors I noted in the film. First, the aforementioned character Gale does not receive adequate time to have a real emotional impact. He spends about five or six minutes with Katniss, and while their friendship is established efficiently, the lack of focus on him for the remainder of the movie leaves things too ambiguous.

Katniss’ relationship with Peeta would have better impact if the film had spent more time with her and Gale interacting because it would show the awkwardness Katniss feels when returning home, knowing that Gale saw them together. Granted, I have not yet read the novels and so this may be intentional, but strictly from a moviegoer’s perspective, it could have been done a little better.

Second, the violence of the film needs to be brought to the potential audience’s attention. These are children forced to murder each other, and some of them enjoy killing one another, so the PG-13 rating should be noted at all costs. Any unwitting parent bringing a child into the film would be horrified by the first sequence and everything after it.

I worry that the trailers do not do the brutality of the deaths enough justice, and thus warn anyone with a weak constitution to consider staying away.

Overall, ‘The Hunger Games’ deserves every cent it has taken in since the premiere. It proves that a great story about young adults can break box office records, without the help of sparkling vampires or teenage wizards. Whether it’s the novels or the film, ‘The Hunger Games’ will leave you wanting more.

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When Katniss and Peeta are whisked away to the Capitol for the Hunger Games, their lives are overtaken by a team devoted to turning them into both TV superstars and shrewd warriors.

This entire process is supervised by Effie Trinket, their jack-of-all-trades escort and PR campaigner. To play the outrageous but equally desperate Effie, Ross chose Elizabeth Banks. The director had worked with her in ‘Seabiscuit’, but she caught his attention for Effie when she wrote him an impassioned letter asking for the role.

“I read the book right when it was published and immediately fell in love,” Banks recalls. “I called everyone I knew the minute that I heard they were making a movie of it. It was a dream of mine to be in it from the get-go, and Effie was the one character I knew I could play.”

Ross was impressed by her enthusiasm but continued going through his usual rigorous casting process, considering a wide range of people. Yet, as time went on, the choice became evident. “Eventually, as I began to really think about the part and what it requires, I saw that it had to be somebody who has comedic sensibilities but, at the same time, isn’t just interested in the comedy,” Ross says. “Liz really understood that and she was able to see Effie in a context that was incredibly important to the story.”

Banks wanted to bring out not only Effie’s perky humor but also her complexity as she juggles her precarious position in the Capitol with the eerie realties of her job.

She’s a very flamboyant person, but I also think she’s scared,” Banks observes. “She sees firsthand the oppression that is going on around her, whereas I think most of the Capitol’s citizens live in ignorant bliss. But she also has the knowledge that, as much as these lives are at stake, her lifestyle is at stake as well, and if she ever pisses anyone off, they could take all this away from her.”

Another beloved character found in the Capitol is Haymitch Abernathy, District 12’s only living Hunger Games victor – now middle-aged, bitingly sarcastic and rarely sober – who becomes the official mentor to Katniss and Peeta. Haymitch may believe the Games are all just a show and winning is as futile as losing, yet he slowly but surely becomes Katniss’ advocate.

He is played by two-time Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson, known for his wide-ranging screen characters in such films as ‘The Messenger’, ‘The People Vs. Larry Flynt’,‘No Country For Old Men’, and the recent ‘Rampart’.

Harrelson was seduced by the sly rebel within Haymitch’s celebrity-savvy soul. “You might say he’s a bit anti-authoritarian, which I can relate to,” remarks Harrelson. “He was a kid who won this thing and then suddenly, he was making money, people were nice to him and he had a nice place to live but he just found it all to be a fraud and absurd.

He starts out not wanting to become emotionally invested in Katniss, because as far as he’s concerned, she’s not going to be around long, but as things go along, he starts to think maybe, just maybe, she has a shot.”

Harrelson and Lawrence embodied the tricky relationship between Haymitch and Katniss. “Haymitch has a lot of friction with Katniss because they’re so similar,” notes Nina Jacobson.

“They’re both scrappy survivors and he can’t help but develop a grudging respect for her. In Woody, you can see the man who has seen and experienced it all and has that weariness. But you can also see that subversive, fiery man who has the intelligence to help Katniss through the Games.”

Ross watched Harrelson not only find the comic side of Haymitch but the disillusionment that drives his savage wit and is upended by Katniss. “There’s a truth and kind of sadness and anger underneath what Woody does in this role,” the director observes. “Even though Woody is amazingly funny, he also brought a real smoldering subtext to Haymitch.”

While Haymitch attends to Katniss’ strength and strategy, her appointed stylist Cinna forges her image, revealing not only his artistic skill with such head-turning outfits as the “Girl on Fire” dress, but a caring heart as well. Taking on the role is Lenny Kravitz, the rock star and actor who gave a memorable performance in ‘Precious’.

“We needed somebody for Cinna who could be strong, sexy and have great appeal without a lot of adornment,” Jacobson observes. “This is a character who is handsome on his own terms and a rock star in his own right. So we got a guy who’s a rock star in real life.”

Kravitz found the character riveting. “Cinna helps Katniss create her vibe and teaches her how to attract viewers during the Games so that she can get sponsors,” he explains. “I think he falls for Katniss as a person, and he not only wants to help her with her styling but as a human being.” He also says working with Lawrence made that easy. “She plays Katniss as someone who really knows who she is and for someone so young, that’s a beautiful thing.”

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‘Man on a Ledge’ begins with an unidentified man in a business suit, coming out of New York City’s subway and getting a room at an upscale hotel in midtown and ordering an ostentatious meal, complete with champagne and lobster. He then writes a note and steps out onto the ledge of his hotel room. To the audience this appears to be a desperate man, perhaps answering a desolate economy with the only solution he knows: ending it.

“There’s something gripping about the idea of a man on a ledge,” says the movie’s producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. “Is he going to jump? Is he not gonna jump? And you know we talked to a lot of veteran cops and people who have been in this situation. And they say in general the people down below about are 50/50 for them to jump or not jump, which is kind of sick and yet I guess it is human nature.

I think it’s what attracted us to the script is that impending catastrophe and in this case we wanted to have this very strong interactivity between the ledge and what’s going on there.”

Executive Producer David Ready adds, “it really had a romantic quality to it. A redemption story of a guy who’s putting it all on the line in one day to get his life back. And so it just sort of hit all the buttons, for me and for the group.” Cut to a prison scene where we again meet our “jumper,” Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) once a New York City police officer now a convict, sentenced to 25 years for a crime he didn’t commit.

Cassidy admits to being suicidal to the prison’s shrink and unable to handle his time for the crime for which he was found guilty of. While doing a moonlighting gig, escorting the rare and expensive Monarch Diamond, it is stolen and businessman David Englander (Ed Harris) frames Cassidy for its disappearance, putting him behind bars for 25 years and allowing Englander to collect the insurance on the diamond.

Englander’s motto, di Bonaventura says, is “if somebody takes something from you, you take more back, ‘because that’s America.’” Cassidy is furloughed to attend his father’s funeral where an elaborate escape plan and heart pounding chase scene ensue, bringing us back to the ledge. “Cassidy,” di Bonaventura explains, “has an agenda, which is to prove that he was framed, and as an audience member, you still believe that maybe he is suicidal.”

Explains Ready, “it’s a prison escape that turns into a heist movie that sort of results in a love story.” Worthington agrees, “it’s got something that is different to other action movies…I get to stay still and act for a bit, not just go around yelling.”

The love story comes into play through the relationship between Cassidy and NYPD negotiator, Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) whom Cassidy asks for by name. Mercer is a controversial figure within the police force, having recently lost a jumper who was one of their own. “Cassidy chooses Mercer,” explains di Bonaventura, “because he feels that she’ll understand what has happened to him. He was ostracized for something he didn’t do, as she was for something she had no control over.”

Man On A Ledge was a spec script written by Pablo F. Fenjves that Lorenzo di Bonaventura hoped to option while he was the president of Warner Bros. He later acquired it under the di Bonaventura Pictures umbrella. As Mark Vahradian further explains, “the script got stuck along the way at MGM Studios, where they asked to take it out.

It then went to Paramount and was set up at Paramount Vantage. Three months later Paramount Vantage went out of business and so the script was dead again.” di Bonaventura and Vahradian didn’t give up on it, though. They had just finished Red with Summit Entertainment, so they sent the studio the script. “They fell in love with it,” says Vahradian. Suddenly there was interest from Sam Worthington, and Summit bought it that same week. “From there it went very, very fast,” explains Vahradian.

Director Asger Leth, whose background is in documentaries, was brought on to steer Man on a Ledge as his first feature film. It’s a decision the producers were especially excited about because the qualities he’d used to tell real-life stories were what they were after. Explains Vahradian, “what Asger brought was that awareness of details that you have to have as a documentary filmmaker. You have to be able to pick out what’s interesting in this grand gigantic frame of reality and move there.”

di Bonaventura describes Leth as gutsy, an attribute one would probably want from a director who was going to film a 14-inch ledge, 225 feet above midtown Manhattan. Leth’s fearlessness was made initially apparent at his first meeting with di Bonaventura. As Leth recalls, “I went to meet with him about another script, but on the way there I was thinking, ‘he’s also got that other script that I really like, that I’ve been talking to my agent about for a while.’

So I went there and said, ‘Lorenzo I know we’re having a meeting about this script, but that other script, Man On A Ledge, I read that. I really like that.’” di Bonaventura was impressed by Leth’s willingness to tackle a big entertainment movie as his first film. “He’s not risk averse,” says the producer. “And that’s a great thing, to find somebody like that.

So much is unfamiliar that you want somebody who’s gutsy. Also, stylistically, doing documentaries is really interesting, so we were hoping to bring that style and gutsiness to our movie.” Within a week of that first powwow, Leth and di Bonaventura were meeting with Summit and Sam Worthington. “Worthington had a really short calendar,” Leth explains, and it was decided if they were going to do this, they had to get started immediately.

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