Clint Eastwood's JERSEY BOYS Starts Screening in Asia Today

In the Asia Pacific, Philippines, Singapore, and Japan are set to release the film today, July 16, July 17, and September 27, 2014, respectively.

Manila, Philippines--Distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company, the screen to stage adaptation of Tony Award winning musical Jersey Boys, directed by Hollywood luminary Clint Eastwood, will start screening in Ayala Cinemas (Manila, Cebu, Davao, Olongapo, Cagayan de Oro, Cavite, and Pampanga) starting today, July 16.

JERSEY BOYS, the story of legendary American recording artists Frankie Valli, who hails from Belleville, New Jersey, and the Four Seasons (Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi), is still playing strong at the August Wilson Theatre (245 West 52nd St. New York NY), after nine years since the show officially opened on Broadway.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, whose phenomenal hit "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," first released in 1967, has spawned numerous cover versions, and which for me is the best musical number from both Tony winner Des McAnuff-helmed musical theater genesis and director Eastwood's mixedly reviewed film adaptation, is a group of social misfits who becomes one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. Besides, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," which was first to record a pop song with a red hot horn section, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons also made popular "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Oh What A Night," "Walk Like A Man," "Working My Way Back to You," and the romantic ditty "My Eyes Adored You."

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times says, "JERSEY BOYS is a strange movie, and it's a Clint Eastwood enterprise, both reasons to see it. For those with a love of doo-wop, it also provides a toe-tapping, ear-worming stroll down rock 'n' roll memory lane that dovetails with that deeply cherished American song and dance about personal triumph over adversity through hard work, tough times and self-sacrifice. It's a redemption narrative that's got a good beat, and you can dance to it."

"...by the time it hits its first real Broadway-style production number over the closing credits, "Jersey Boys" doesn't seem to have gotten any closer to deciding what kind of movie it wants to be. Embracing neither the fizzy energy of a Vegas-ready tuner, nor the grit of a warts-and-all biopic, the film nonetheless has its own peculiar charms, and should be able to capitalize on the source material's enduring popularity for a respectable if modest B.O. Haul," notes Andrew Barjer of Variety.

Budgeted at $38M, Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys, which highlights the performances of Tony winner John Lloyd Young as Valli and "Boardwalk Empire's" Vincent Piazza as DeVito, opened in the United States in nearly 3,000 theaters over the weekend of June 20, 2014, which took in a disappointing $13.5M. According to a previous report on BroadwayWorld, the film's storytelling is skewed toward a much older cinema-going demographic. Warner Bros. also faced criticism over its decision to debut the film during the summer months.

However, the film's soundtrack appeals the most to both the fans of the musical and curious cinemagoers; its soundtrack album reached the top 3 on Amazon.com on the week of June 28, 2014.