WAMG’s Favorite Films of 2014… So Far

tt

Between January and August of 2014, local cinemas worldwide entertained moviegoers with themes of sci-fi, documentaries, animation, fairy tales, horror and thrillers.

Glowing up on the big screen were images of clicking colorful bricks, racing trains, mysterious creatures, superheroes – both shielded and guarded, coming-of-age tales and a fond farewell to the best Movie Geek ever.

Small and original storylines or epic stories with big stars, it’s been a good time at the movies this year and a lot for ticket buyers to choose from.

With so many to great films in the first half of 2014, including SNOWPIERCER, UNDER THE SKIN, ENEMY, LONE SURVIVOR, EDGE OF TOMORROW, and NOAH, whittling it down to a list of our “10 Favorite Movies of 2014… So Far” was a challenge.

Check out our lineup and let us know in our comments section below what your favorite movies have been this year. Some of these films are in theaters or you catch them at home on Netflix, OnDemand or a Premium Channel.

HONORABLE MENTION: THE LEGO MOVIE

LG-FP-228

Synopsis: The original 3D computer animated story follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously underprepared.

WAMG review HERE

THE LEGO MOVIE is wildly creative and often hilarious.

Opening Weekend: $69 million

10. THE RAID 2

raid 2 header

Synopsis: He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Formidable though they may have been, Rama’s opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain. His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap. And so Rama begins a new odyssey of violence, a journey that will force him to set aside his own life and history and take on a new identity as the violent offender “Yuda.” In prison he must gain the confidence of Uco – the son of a prominent gang kingpin – to join the gang himself, laying his own life on the line in a desperate all-or-nothing gambit to bring the whole rotten enterprise to an end.

WAMG review HERE

THE RAID 2 is compelling drama punctuated by fist-pumping action, and stomach-churning violence that barely gives the audience a moment to catch their breath

9. PALO ALTO

Emma-Roberts-and-Jack-Kilme

Synopsis: Shy, sensitive April (Emma Roberts) is the class virgin —a popular soccer player and frequent babysitter for her single-dad coach, Mr. B. (James Franco). Teddy (Jack Kilmer) is an introspective artist whose best friend and sidekick Fred (Nat Wolff) is an unpredictable live wire with few filters or boundaries. While April negotiates a dangerous affair with Mr. B., and Teddy performs community service for a DUI — secretly carrying a torch for April, who may or may not share his affection — Fred seduces Emily (Zoe Levin), a promiscuous loner who seeks validation through sexual encounters. One high school party bleeds into another as April and Teddy finally acknowledge their mutual affection, and Fred’s escalating recklessness spirals into chaos.

WAMG review HERE

PALO ALTO methodically paints a portrait of a generation that’s simultaneously looking for the truth and yet trying to drink enough to forget it.

8. MALEFICENT

maleficent53487af451426

Synopsis: MALEFICENT explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty” and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.

WAMG review HERE

Angelina Jolie is incredible.

Opening Weekend: $69 million

7. DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

dawn-of-the-planet-of-the-a

Synopsis: A growing nation of genetically evolved apes, led by Caesar, are threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

WAMG review HERE

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES leaves a lasting impression based on the impressive special effects, rich visual landscapes, and moving character interactions.

Opening Weekend: $72 million

6. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

BWB3810_v009.1035

Synopsis: After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off assailants sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.

WAMG review HERE

This crackling action-adventure tale may be the brightest gleaming jewel in Marvel’s dazzling movie crown.

Opening Weekend: $95 million

5. TRUST ME

551448_439901892770364_9833

Synopsis: TRUST ME tells the sharp, comic story of Howard Holloway ( Clark Gregg), a down-on-his luck agent for child actors and truly one the last good guys left in Hollywood. After discovering a 13-year-old acting prodigy (Sharbino), he is poised to close the deal of a lifetime which would catapult his tween client and, at long last, himself, into the big time. With the support of his gorgeous new neighbor (Amanda Peet), he must wrangle the actress’ volatile, overprotective father, dodge a scheming producer (Felicity Huffman), and outwit his uber-slick nemesis (Sam Rockwell). As he arrives on the brink of the Hollywood dream that’s eluded him for a lifetime, he begins to sense that his innocent young starlet may not be quite what she seems. This is the second feature film written and directed by Gregg, who made his directing debut with Choke, an adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel that starred Sam Rockwell.

WAMG review HERE

Clark Gregg bucks his beloved SHIELD Agent typecasting by writing, directing and starring in this smart, sincere, darkly comic tale of Hollywood extremes that proves he has much more to offer than playing a guy in a suit with a gun.

4. GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

image-ba17b169-ecc7-4b04-8a

Synopsis: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune — all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.

WAMG review HERE

Thanks in part to his terrific script but mostly to a magnificent central character played by Ralph Fiennes, Wes Anderson pulls out his best film yet.

3. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Guardians_Of_The_Galaxy_NK_

Synopsis:  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.

WAMG review HERE

It’s original, smart, it doesn’t talk down to audiences, and it’s above all, an emotional film about outsiders finally finding a place to fit in.

Opening Weekend: $94 million

2. LIFE ITSELF

life itself header

Synopsis: Acclaimed director Steve James (Hoop Dreams) and executive producers Martin Scorsese (The Departed) and Steven Zaillian (Moneyball) present LIFE ITSELF, a documentary film that recounts the inspiring and entertaining life of world-renowned film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert – a story that is by turns personal, funny, painful, and transcendent. Based on his bestselling memoir of the same name, LIFE ITSELF, explores the legacy of Roger Ebert’s life, from his Pulitzer Prize-winning film criticism at the Chicago Sun-Times to becoming one of the most influential cultural voices in America.

WAMG review HERE

LIFE ITSELF is a heart-wrenching love story, a witty tale of news hounds, a glitzy jaunt through “Tinsel Town”, mixed together with great warmth, skill, and affection.

1. BOYHOOD

Still4

Synopsis: Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (a breakthrough performance by Ellar Coltrane), who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason’s parents and newcomer Lorelei Linklater as his sister Samantha, BOYHOOD charts the rocky terrain of childhood like no other film has before. Snapshots of adolescence from road trips and family dinners to birthdays and graduations and all the moments in between become transcendent, set to a soundtrack spanning the years from Coldplay’s Yellow to Arcade Fire’s Deep Blue. BOYHOOD is both a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past and an ode to growing up and parenting. It’s impossible to watch Mason and his family without thinking about our own journey.

WAMG review HERE

Richard Linklater has transcended the “coming-of-age drama” and has in fact achieved a cinematic marvel.

As to what’s coming up in the remaining months of 2014, MY OLD LADY starring Maggie Smith and Kevin Kline, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s BIRDMAN (Oct. 17), Graham Annable’s and Anthony Stacchi’s THE BOXTROLLS (Sept. 26), Christopher Nolan’s INTERSTELLAR (Nov. 7), Tim Burton’s BIG EYES (Dec. 25), David Ayer’s FURY (Nov. 14), Bennett Miller’s FOXCATCHER (Nov. 14) and David Fincher’s GONE GIRL (Oct. 3) are just a few of the films we can’t wait to see. How about you?

Big Eyes Gone Girl FOXCATCHER INTERSTELLAR

THE RAID 2 – The Review

raid2car

In the original Indonesian action film RAID: THE REDEMPTION from 2011, Welsh writer/director Gareth Evans didn’t bother much with story or character development, instead making his film a kind of videogame-inspired siege. Rookie cop Rama (Iko Uwais) powered his way through a 15-story tenement infested with killers, gangsters, and mobsters in a war that left bodies literally piled in the halls. Though RAID: THE REDEMPTION had a slight story, it was an unbelievably violent and excitingly frenetic film, a non-stop orgy of brilliantly choreographed fight scenes that scored on so many levels. With the sequel, THE RAID 2, Evans has applied the same high-impact directorial style to a sprawling, more complex, THE DEPARTED-like story about crime family dynamics, corrupt politicians, moral dilemmas and mixed loyalties. The result is a 2 ½ hour epic of compelling drama punctuated by fist-pumping action, and stomach-churning violence that barely gives the audience a moment to catch their breath. It’s a richer and more ambitious film than the original and it features my two new favorite villains: Hammer Girl and Bat Boy!

THE RAID 2 picks up just after the first film. After battling his way out of that building, Rama thinks he’s done and can resume a normal life, but his opponents there were just the tip of the criminal iceberg.  His family at risk, Rama must go undercover and enter prison to connect with Uco (Arifin Putra), the hotheaded son of crime boss Bangun (Tio Pakusadewo). Once he’s released, he works his way into the mob and attempts to use his position to uncover their police connections. His greatest challenge comes in Uco, who betrays his father and sets off a bloody gang war with Rama in the middle.

THE RAID 2 is everything you’d want in a police action thriller: powerhouse characters, Grade A production values, a decent script and suspenseful direction. But most people will see the film for its action scenes and they won’t be disappointed. A bloody, muddy free-for-all in a prison yard kicks things off, faces are blasted to hamburger with shotguns, an extended car chase results in motorcycles sliding underneath the wheels of speeding cars (the complexity of this sequence boggles the mind), and there are several close-quarters brawls – one in a kitchen, another in a toilet stall, and another in a taxi – that have to be seen to be believed. The carnage is extreme and cruel and each blood-soaked action sequence is one-upped by the next. Yayan Ruhian, who played rabid villain Mad Dog in part 1 is back as a different character, a homeless, machete-wielding martial arts master. Hammer Girl and Bat Boy, the hoodie-wearing assassin who inflicts massive carnage with lumber and the deaf woman who gouges her prey with a claw hammer are minor characters, but when they show up, they send THE RAID 2 into a kind of insane overdrive and I’d like to see them featured in their own movie.

For some THE RAID 2 may just be too much; a blur of fists, blades, severed arteries, smashed faces and bullet-riddled bodies that run together into a hard-to-take bloody mess. It is as violent as any movie you’ll see outside (maybe) of some ‘torture porn’ horror and anyone remotely squeamish should steer far, far away. There may be a few too many dialog scenes that break the momentum but THE RAID 2 is presented with such assured direction and brutal fight choreography, it’ll leave you wide-eyed and gasping. Part 3 (filming now!) can’t get here soon enough!

4 1/2 of 5 Stars

THE RAID 2 Opens in St. Louis Friday, April 11th at (among other places) Landmark’s Tivoli Theater

raid-2-poster2

THE RAID 2 Opens In St. Louis April 11

SONY-XROS-01_MPAA_030614.indd

Director/Writer Gareth Evans’ THE RAID 2 arrives in U.S. theaters today (March 28th) and Sony Pictures Classics’ will release the film in St. Louis on Friday, April 11.

After having an early look at Evans’ film, my fellow Movie Geeks are raving about it.

Tom Stockman, calls the R-rated movie, “a hyper-violent, adrenaline-fueled epic!” Jim Batts says, “RAID 2 is a non-stop thrill ride that will have your heart pumping almost from the first fade-in to the final fade-out! It’s an action film lover’s fever dream!” Look for WAMG’s review in the coming weeks.

Here’s what goes down in THE RAID 2 –

He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Formidable though they may have been, Rama’s opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain. His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap.

16

And so Rama begins a new odyssey of violence, a journey that will force him to set aside his own life and history and take on a new identity as the violent offender “Yuda.” In prison he must gain the confidence of Uco – the son of a prominent gang kingpin – to join the gang himself, laying his own life on the line in a desperate all-or-nothing gambit to bring the whole rotten enterprise to an end.

THE RAID 2 was produced by Ario Sagantoro for Merantau Films, and Aram Tertzakian and Nate Bolotin of XYZ Films. The film was executive produced by Rangga Maya Barack-Evans for Merantau Films, Irwan D. Mussry, Nick Spicer and Todd Brown on behalf of XYZ.

Matt Flannery (THE RAID: REDEMPTION) and Dimas Imam Subhono served as cinematographers.

20 raid 2

To get the look on THE RAID 2, Evans and the behind-the-scenes team focused their efforts on balancing the old and the new. They wanted to make sure the audience recognized the familiar setting from the original, while exploring new parts of this environment.

The sequel focuses on of Rama entering Jakarta’s underworld, where the stakes are higher. The sequel was shot in cinemascope in order to provide a wider frame and give the story a more epic feel. The photography also explored a wider range of the color palette, using different lighting for each character. The film opens with similar tones as the first one and shifts as Rama enters the criminal organization.

Shooting the film was a learning experience. On MERANTAU, the team learned to shoot martial arts. On THE RAID: REDEMPTION, they learned to shoot gunfights. And on THE RAID 2 they went one step further, adding car chases to the mix.

On MERANTAU we felt we were focusing on the narrative drama scenes. For the action scenes, the takes were too long. We learned from that and fixed things on THE RAID: REDEMPTION. THE RAID: REDEMPTION had a majority of action scenes. We got to play a lot with camera angles and fluidity. Finding a new way to shoot action scenes. THE RAID 2 is a much bigger project. What we chose to do is a combination of the two elements we learned from MERANTAU and THE RAID: REDEMPTION: dynamic, edgy and fluid camera movements, while at the same time knowing when to go for more classical and sophisticated compositions (when to use jimmy jib, steady cams and dolly track). Combining those two different styles was an interesting challenge in that respect. (Evans)

Because this was the first time a car chase of this scale was shot in Indonesia, a lot of time was spent on logistics. Unlike places like Hong Kong or the UK, where they have been shooting car chases for years, Indonesia did not have a particular set-up for this. The production team had to build the structure itself to achieve specific shots:

“We had to have a shoot from the inside of one car going down a highway with the camera moving to another car straight away ,then have the back window to blown out for the camera to follow through the back window and out again. To do that, we discussed different combinations of computer-generated imagery, visual effects, green screens and so on. After a long discussion, we felt like we would be technically limited if we were to use too many special effects. In the end we decided to do it for real, meaning moving the camera from one camera operator to the other.

This is something we had done on THE RAID: REDEMPTION when we went through a hole on the floor. It was done in a controlled environment and the only issue was the person passing the camera to another. But the difficulty here was to pass the camera between moving cars on a highway. It was risky shot, but thankfully after a number of takes it was done well”. (Evans)

Camera moves were carefully integrated into the martial arts choreography. The fighters’ moves were choreographed to the slightest detail, and so were camera movements. Camera angles were designed before the shoot, so it never feels like the camera interferes with the action. A constant mantra during shooting was to highlight the actors’ performances.

1609563_298607446960924_1385425311_n

Additionally, Madison Gate Records and SpaceLab9 have announced the worldwide release of THE RAID 2 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The album hit digital retailers on March 25th, with the CD format coming April 29, 2014, followed by a deluxe vinyl LP edition early summer 2014.

Composer Joseph Trapanese (The Raid: Redemption, Oblivion, TRON: Uprising) returns along with Aria Prayogi and Fajar Yuskemal to provide a score equal parts electronic and orchestral, deeply layered and breathtaking, all while perfectly complimenting the frenetic on-screen action of THE RAID 2. The 24-track album features original motion picture score with over an hour of music, plus the original song “Hush” written and performed by Indonesian jazz artist Arti Dewi.

“It is with great pleasure that I share with you the original soundtrack to ‘THE RAID 2,’ a creative collaboration with director Gareth Evans that was equal parts inspired, fun, and satisfying,” says composer Joseph Trapanese. “I’m thrilled that Madison Gate Records and SpaceLab9 are releasing the album so that all the fans can relive this film’s brutality and beauty.”

Track List:

  • 1 Alarm
  • 2 The Equation
  • 3 Toilet Nightmare
  • 4 Suck It Up
  • 5 Prison Riot
  • 6 Ball Inspection
  • 7 Phone Call
  • 8 Porn Den
  • 9 Prakoso
  • 10 Undercover
  • 11 Club Battle
  • 12 Reog
  • 13 Punch It
  • 14 SIM Card
  • 15 Betrayal
  • 16 The Assassin
  • 17 Pursuit
  • 18 Motor Chase
  • 19 Wasteland
  • 20 Warehouse Stomping
  • 21 Uco Dining
  • 22 Hammerballs
  • 23 Showdown
  • 24 Hush

Running Time: 67 Minutes

Digital album is now available for download on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/raid-2-original-motion-picture/id843428951?ls=1)

CD edition is available for preorder now at Amazon.com (http://amzn.com/B00IQFC0JK)

http://www.sonyclassics.com/theraid2/
https://www.facebook.com/TheRaidUS
https://twitter.com/TheRaidUS
http://instagram.com/theraidmovie

Photos by Akhirwan Nurhaidir and Gumilar Triyoga, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

10

9 raid2

19

THE RAID 2 Gets A New Poster

SONY-XROS-01_MPAA_030614.indd

Here’s a look at the brand new poster for director Gareth Evans’ THE RAID 2. Starring Iko Uwais, Arifin Putra, Tio Pakusadewo, Oka Antara, and Julie Estelle, this action-packed feature film will hit theaters on March 28.

He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Formidable though they may have been, Rama’s opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain.

3

His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap.

And so Rama begins a new odyssey of violence, a journey that will force him to set aside his own life and history and take on a new identity as the violent offender “Yuda.” In prison he must gain the confidence of Uco – the son of a prominent gang kingpin – to join the gang himself, laying his own life on the line in a desperate all-or-nothing gambit to bring the whole rotten enterprise to an end.

https://www.facebook.com/TheRaidUS

5

Action-Packed Trailer For Gareth Evans’ THE RAID 2 Debuts

1
Julie Estelle as Hammer Girl. Photo by Akhirwan Nurhaidir and Gumilar Triyoga, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

Sony Pictures Classics has released the new trailer for the upcoming film THE RAID 2. The sequel had it’s world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

This is what those in attendance at the screening had to say:

Devin Faraci ‏(Badassdigest) tweeted: “Gareth Evans is the greatest living action director. THE RAID 2 is spectacular. #sundance14” and “Can’t even imagine the money every studio will be throwing at Gareth Evans now. This movie is just so much bigger and better than THE RAID.” Read his review HERE.

Russ Fischer (Slashfilm) ‏tweeted: “THE RAID 2 sets a spectacular new benchmark for vehicular action. The Fast and the What, again?” and “THE RAID 2 has some incredible action and a “more is more” mindset. Drama aspires to THE GODFATHER, achieves only a pale homage.”

He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Formidable though they may have been, Rama’s opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain. His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap.

And so Rama begins a new odyssey of violence, a journey that will force him to set aside his own life and history and take on a new identity as the violent offender “Yuda.”  In prison he must gain the confidence of Uco – the son of a prominent gang kingpin – to join the gang himself, laying his own life on the line in a desperate all-or-nothing gambit to bring the whole rotten enterprise to an end.

Starring Iko Uwais, Arifin Putra, Tio Pakusadewo, Oka Antara, Julie Estelle and directed by Gareth Evans, THE RAID 2 will hit theaters on March 28, 2014.

https://www.facebook.com/TheRaidUS

Raid2_Still3

Raid2_Still1

THE RAID 2 Begins Production; Check Out The 7 New Photos From Gareth Evans’ Film

Raid 2 - BTS 1

PT Merantau Films and XYZ Films have announced the start of production for THE RAID 2 (Indonesian title, THE RAID 2: BERANDAL), the sequel to the wildly popular international hit THE RAID (aka THE RAID: REDEMPTION). They also sent us these behind the scenes production photos.

The film reunites writer/director Gareth Evans with actor Iko Uwais, who will be reprising his starring role. Ario Sagantoro is producing for PT Merantau Films, along with Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, Aram Tertzakian and Todd Brown for XYZ Films. Executive producing are Rangga Maya Barack-Evans and Irwan D. Mussry.

Raid 2 - BTS 5

In addition to Uwais, the international cast includes Tio Pakusadewo, Putra Arifin Scheunamann, Julie Estelle, Alex Abbad and Roy Marten. The film is currently lensing in Jakarta, Indonesia and is scheduled to shoot for over 100 days. Line producing the film is Daiwanne Ralie, with Matthew Flannery and Dimas Imam Subhono serving as directors of photography.

Picking up right where the first film ends, The Raid 2 follows Rama (Uwais) as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and uncover the corruption in his own police force.

Raid 2 - BTS 2

The Raid premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, where it took home the Audience Award in the Midnight Madness section. It went on to play at Sundance and SXSW, before enjoying a theatrical release in the United States through Sony Pictures Classics. The film is approaching $15M in global box office.

XYZ and PT Mereantau Films are also in post-production on KILLERS, which is co-directed by Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel, with Gareth Huw Evans and Rangga Maya Barack-Evans executive producing . Evans and Tjahjanto recently collaborated on SAFE HAVEN, a celebrated segment in the horror anthology film S-VHS, which just premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

XYZ Films recently premiered Calvin Lee Reeder’s THE RAMBLER at Sundance as well.

Raid 2 - BTS 3

“We’re incredibly excited to start the next chapter of The Raid story,” said XYZ Films. “Gareth introduced a rich and fertile world in the first film, and we’re eager to see him expand on that vision with Berandal.”

“To all our fans thank you so much for your support. We can’t wait to come back and show you what we have been working on,” said writer/director Gareth Evans. “We’ll be there in 2014 with a film bigger, better and bloodier! Wish us luck.”

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) acquired the film for the United States, Spain, Latin America and South Africa, and Sony Pictures Classics will once again release the film theatrically in the United States.

Raid 2 - BTS 4

Raid 2 - BTS 6

Raid 2 - BTS 7