“THIS MEANS WAR” BASED ON PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF WRITER MARCUS GAUTESEN

At the heels of the most unforgettable and most action-packed films “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “X-Men: First Class” and “X-Men: The Last Stand” comes “This Means War” - the latest romantic-action comedy making hilarious waves screening after screening starring Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy and Chris Pine.

Recent (and all) screenings of “This Means War” yielded outstanding scores, which revealed that it plays to men, women, singles, and couples.

Collaborated by filmdom’s most creative talents, director McG, scribes Simon Kinberg and Timothy Dowling and producers Will Smith, Robert Simonds and James Lassiter – “This Means War” is an original story by Marcus Gautesen based on his personal experience. While attending Putney School in Vermont, Marcus was living with his best friend in a two-bedroom apartment in New York City’s Little Italy. Both unemployed, they decided to move into one bedroom and rent out the other. A beautiful French woman took the second room, and the guy’s friendship quickly went south as they repeatedly submarined each other’s attempts to win her over – it was war.

Hence, “This Means War” came about involving childhood friends and CIA agents/partners FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy). Inseparable since childhood, Tuck and FDR’s friendship suddenly goes from best to worst as they fall for the same woman, Lauren (Witherspoon). They are the world’s top spies who’ve been partners and best friends for many years. FDR and Tuck decide they’re both going to date Lauren and see which one she chooses. As each begins to fall for Lauren, they get increasingly competitive and employ their spy tactics and techniques to sabotage each other. Lauren, who just wanted to find the right guy, has no idea that FDR and Tuck are waging war for her love.

Director Mc (Joseph McGinty Nichol) shares on making “This Means War,” “ I approach filmmaking with a great sense of what I want to accomplish, but also a great effort to stay fluid. I come from the world of music where you go into the studio to write a song, and you have to stay fluid. I haven’t had the opportunity to be that loose with a film, to be that artistic. That's the irony: because it's comedy you think the artistry is not at the highest level. I would say to the contrary: you have to be working to your absolutely sharpest instincts. I wanted the action to be on point and I wanted the romance to be sexy and welcoming, but I also wanted the comedy to be sharp.”

A must-see post-Valentine’s date movie –“This Means War” opens in Philippine cinemas (nationwide) on February 22 from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.