Tag: ways to live forever

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Happy Book Lovers Day: Books That Became Major Motion Pictures

 

By Mia Miller

From paper, to hardcover, to script to film celebrating books on National Book Lovers Day - we recognize the international best-selling books that made it to the big screen by being international best-sellers. One international best-seller dating back to the 1800s was Jane Austen’s, Pride and Prejudice, which most recently was adapted to film in 2005, starring Keira Knightly. This internationally-acclaimed book is widely-known and recognizable with over 20 million copies sold, and is favored among scholars and general audiences as a classic. The romantic novel as been adapted into movies, televeision shows, and sequels, and it itself has been transformed in the past 200 years into one of the most popular novels in English literature.

In modern times, a more recent international best-selling book was a novel by author Stieg Larsson, who wrote the Swedish crime novel, The Girl with Dragon Tattoo in 2005. After being translated to English, the Swedish book was internationally sold and became a popular topic throughout the reading community. The Swedish book then became a Hollywood movie in 2009 and opened at United States box office at number three, grossing $102,514,793 domestically.

On the other hand, the Swedish crime novel Män som hatar kvinnor (English title: Men Who Hate Women), had many mixed reviews. The psychological thriller addressed political issues, the darkness in human nature, and sexual politics that provoked and angered many audiences in the way Swedish men treat women. Despite it’s themes, the crime novel captured audiences with characterization, plot, and despicable human nature.

One of our own past releases, Ways to Live Forever (2010), was turned into a movie from a book, written by award-winning author Sally Nicholls. Written and produced in the United Kingdom, Ways to Live Forever is about a young pre-teen living with the final stages of cancer and figure out life before it ends. We here at World Wide fell in love with the film and the book.

Celebrating Book Lovers Day, we have to recognize the most popular and most well-known international book sold to date, and that would be J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. This international best-seller turned into a huge franchise and a world-wide film series that influenced the 21st century and mainstreamed pop culture. The first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, was first released in 1997 and was almost immediately picked up to be produced into a film. The Harry Potter book and movie series earned over $25 billion dollars and over the course of twenty years it is known as a classic and a must read for younger generations to come. Even as the books have ended and the movies concluded, Harry Potter fans are still strong and are still Potterheads*. Spin offs have been created with films like Fantastic Beasts and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2016. To those who have not read these inspiring books or have not seen the movies, these are classics that we recommend and hope you enjoy.

From all of us at World Wide Motion Pictures happy reading and happy Book Lovers Day!

 

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Happy Birthday, Greta Scacchi!

 

On behalf of the entire staff at World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation, we would like to wish Italian-Australian actress Greta Scacchi a very Happy Birthday! She is an Emmy Award-winning actress and has appeared in over 50 films. You may recognize her from her roles in White Mischief, Presumed Innocent, The Player, and Ways to Live Forever. Greta is currently on the hit TV show Versailles and plays Lady Jane Franklin on the TV series The Terror.

In one of her more recent films, Ways to Live Forever  that was distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures (WWMPC), she combines both her acting talents and passion as a humanitarian in her role as the main character’s tutor, Mrs. Willis. In this film, she inspires Sam, the main character who is a 12-year-old boy dying from leukemia, to live his life to the best extent possible. It is a poignant and uplifting film that reminds us all to not fear the uncertainties of life, but rather embrace it.

Scacchi is an active supporter of campaigns and organisations that promote environmental causes. In October 2013, for her services to the arts she was made a knight in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. In September 2017, she was the Festival Ambassador for the three week-long Lavazza Italian Film Festival, which ran in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Hobart. Scacchi is fluent in English, French, German, and Italian. She is a dual citizen of Italy and Australia.

  

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Kanopy Successfully Releases WWMPC Films

 

We at World Wide Motion Pictures are pleased to inform our friends, associates, and shareholders around the world that the arrangement the company recently entered into with Kanopy LLC of San Francisco has resulted in successful sales of the recently released films, WAYS TO LIVE FOREVER and THE NIGHTINGALE. Kanopy is a specialized sub-distributor concentrating on the closed caption, closed circuit presentation of film and television product directly streamed into classrooms and local and national library systems around the world.

Students and faculty at several Ivy League Universities such as Yale University, Duke University, and Stanford University, have taken a liking to our feature films. Along with many other respected institutions across the country such as The New York Public Library, World Wide is connecting directly through Kanopy. “Having an additional Marketing Window specifically for universities and library systems will be a very welcome component in the company’s future,” stated Paul Hancock, CEO of World Wide.

THE NIGHTINGALE, directed by Philippe Muyl, is a heartening film that examines Chinese family values, traditions, and generational differences between a grandfather and his over indulged granddaughter. WAYS TO LIVE FOREVER, directed by Gustavo Ron, follows an inquisitive 12-year-old boy who is curious about the world and life experiences. Because he suffers from leukemia, he wants to learn more about growing up and how to deal with mortality.

As we continue to move forward into the new year, World Wide is focusing on introducing to our audiences, high quality Feature Films from around the world. Inasmuch as it has been become increasingly difficult in recent years for distributors to release feature films in the U.S. theatrically, this particular window offers a wonderful opportunity for an additional Gross Corridor. The corporation looks forward to growing its new relationship with Kanopy, and is excited to release recent foreign films to customers throughout North America. World Wide’s industry executives and board members have produced, distributed, and consulted on a wide variety of film and television projects, earning Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, and prizes from international film festivals.

We invite you to enjoy our films through Kanopy or any of our platforms such as Vimeo and the company’s Indie Movie Store.

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Happy Birthday, Robbie Kay!

 

World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation would like to wish Robbie Kay a Happy 22nd Birthday.  He started acting at a young age and has never looked back. Robbie has had a busy year, appearing in multiple hit TV shows, a horror film, and several other upcoming movies.

Robbie was born in Lymington, England but moved to Brussels, Belgium at an early age. He had several small roles before being cast as young Jakob in the 2007 Canadian drama film Fugitive Pieces. He attended one of Britain's Stagecoach theatre schools, where he spent a year studying acting, dancing, and singing. In 2006, he and his family moved to Prague in the Czech Republic where he attended the International School of Prague.

In 2010, Robbie played a boy diagnosed with cancer in the film Ways to Live Forever. The film chronicles the life a 12-year-old leukemia patient who has a list of things he wants to do before he dies.

  ( Robbie Kay in the 2010 film Ways to Live Forever)

Robbie also appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the 2016 horror film Cold Moon, and will be in the upcoming drama film Blood Fest.

Robbie has held notable parts on several popular television shows. He played Peter Pan on the hit ABC television series Once Upon a Time. He also had roles on Heroes Reborn, Grey's Anatomy, and Sleepy Hollow.

     (Robbie Kay playing Peter Pan on Once Upon a Time)

In 2014, he was nominated for a Teen Choice award for his work on Once Upon a Time. Robbie currently resides in Houston, Texas. He has two older sisters, Camilla and Fiona.

 

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From Child Star to Successful Actress: Our Top 5 Ella Purnell Films

 

Happy 21st Birthday, Ella Purnell! Since beginning her acting career in 2010, Ella Purnell has starred in over 10 films and shows before her 21st birthday. With her breakout roles in Never Let Me Go and Ways To Live Forever in 2010, Ella has launched herself into the movie spotlight. From heartfelt dramas to whimsical fantasies and horror, Ella proves that she is capable of playing a wide assortment of roles in both British and American films.

  1. Ways To Live Forever (2010)

Ella Purnell plays Robbie Kay’s romantic interest in Ways To Live Forever as she helps her cousin and friend complete a “bucket list” for their terminal illnesses. Ella is charismatic and open-minded in the film as she watches and helps her friends through their leukemia and entering their teenage years.  

  1. Intruders (2011)

Ella Purnell stars in Intruders, a horror film, and early on shows her versatility as an actor. As a creature named Hollow Face torments her and her family, Ella’s mental state and sanity go out with a bang. Ella breaks out of her typical teen and adolescent roles after her performance in Intruders.

  1. Wildlike (2014)

Wildlike is an amazing drama showcasing the emotional turmoil of a broken home and sexual abuse. As Ella’s character, Mackenzie, tries to run away from her abusive uncle, she joins Bruce Greenwood's character as he travels across Alaska. With her ultimate goal of reaching her mother in Seattle, Ella showcases her skills in a mature drama; bringing her character and traumatic experiences to the big screen.

  1. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

In Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ella Purnell plays the mischievous and eccentric Emma Bloom. With the ability to manipulate air and breathe underwater, Ella helps her fellow orphan “peculiars” to fight against the evil forces hunting them down. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was directed by Tim Burton and is an exhilarating dark fantasy film.

  1. Churchill (2017)

Ella Purnell plays Winston Churchill’s secretary in Churchill. Based on Churchill’s experiences during World War II, the film goes in-depth to portray Churchill’s private moments and mental sanity during the war. Ella’s strong character, Helen, brings courage and insight to Churchill’s sensitivity in the war room during the war.

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Happy Birthday, Ben Chaplin and Emilia Fox!

 

Back in 2010, Mr. Gustavo Ron brought to the screen Sally Nicholls debut 2008 novel, Ways to Live Forever. Documenting the life of a boy suffering from leukemia, the films stars many talented individuals, two of which are celebrating a little something special today. Actors Ben Chaplin and Emilia Fox not only star in this heartfelt film but also share the same birthday!


Born Emilia Rose Elizabeth Fox, this lovely English actress became widely known for her role as Dr. Nikki Alexander on the BBC crime drama, Silent Witness, after joining the cast in 2004. Fox has continued to have a very successful career in both TV and Film having starred in Merlin as Morgause, Flashbacks of A Fool as Sister Jean, and of course in our very own Ways to Live Forever as the mother. These are but a few projects that Fox has taken part in!

Mr. Ben Chaplin was born Benedict John Greenwood on July 31st of 1969 in England. After being applauded for his performance as Tom Wingfield in Sam Mendes’ stage production of The Glass Menagerie (1995), he went on to star in both TV and film productions, some of his most recent being, Mad Dogs as Joel, Little Boy as Ben Eagle, and like Ms. Fox, Ways to Live Forever as the father.

From all of us at WWMPC we would like to wish you both a very happy and joyous birthday, cheers to you, Ben and Emilia!