ITV

Category: Hollywood

  • Delhi to host global animation film fest in October

    Delhi to host global animation film fest in October

    NEW DELHI: Delhi will be hosting the India International Animation and Cartoon Film Festival (IIACFF) in October. The festival has roped in actor Javed Jaffrey as the brand ambassador.

     

    Being organized by the International Chamber of Media And Entertainment Industry (ICMEI) and the Asian Academy for Films and Television, the Festival will be held from 1 to 05 October.

     

    IIACFF director Soumendu Sinha entered into an agreement with ICMEI president Sandeep Marwah, who heads Marwah Studio, in this connection.

     

    Marwah said, “Multimedia has taken over not only all the mediums of media, but its intervention in all other businesses is now unavoidable. Animation has emerged as a new industry all over the world. It’s time to make people aware of its qualifications.”

     

    He said the animation industry is growing at the rate of 15 per cent every year. There is hardly an industry, which is not taking the support of animation in different presentations and programmes. “India is still the most cost effective destination to produce animated films and its allied works. We are emerging as one of the biggest animation servicing industry,” Marwah added.

     

    Sinha said, “We have designed this animation festival at Hotel Meridien. Many international and national companies have started finalizing their participation. We want it to be very exclusive. With ICMEI coming on board, we have upgraded the standard of the festival.”

  • RLJ Entertainment acquires Nicolas Cage’s thriller ‘Pay The Ghost’

    RLJ Entertainment acquires Nicolas Cage’s thriller ‘Pay The Ghost’

    MUMBAI: RLJ Entertainment, Inc. has acquired all US rights to the thriller Pay The Ghost.

     

    Written by Dan Kay and directed by Uli Edel, Pay The Ghost stars Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies.

     

    The film will be released in theaters and VOD on 23 September, 2015.

     

    RLJ Entertainment chief acquisitions officer Mark Ward said, “The intense action and scares in PAY THE GHOST will have audiences on the edge of their seats. We can’t wait to get the film into theaters this September.”

     

    One year after his young son disappeared during a Halloween carnival, Mike Cole (Cage) is haunted by eerie images and terrifying messages he can’t explain. Together with his estranged wife (Wayne Callies), he will stop at nothing to unravel the mystery and find their son—and, in doing so, he unearths a legend that refuses to remain buried in the past.

     

    Produced by Nicolas Chartier, Craig J. Flores, Ian Levy and Patrick Newall, the deal was negotiated by Voltage Pictures and Mark Ward and Grace Santos on behalf of RLJ Entertainment.

  • Steven Spielberg’s ‘Ready Player One’ to release in December 2017

    Steven Spielberg’s ‘Ready Player One’ to release in December 2017

    MUMBAI: The game is on in 2017. Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures’ Ready Player One – the sci-fi action adventure to be directed by Steven Spielberg – has been slated for release on 15 December, 2017.

     

    A three-time Academy Award winner, Spielberg is directing Ready Player One, based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name, which has become a worldwide phenomenon. The film is being produced by Spielberg; Donald De Line, under his De Line Pictures banner; Dan Farah; and Spielberg’s longtime colleague Kristie Macosko Krieger; with Bruce Berman serving as executive producer. De Line and Farah originally brought the project to Warner Bros.

     

    Ready Player One marks a return to Warner Bros. for Spielberg, who previously directed the studio’s Empire of the Sun, The Color Purple and A.I. Artificial Intelligence, in addition to producing the hits Gremlins and The Goonies.

     

    Warner Bros president, domestic distribution Dan Fellman said, “Any film from Steven Spielberg is an event film, so it felt right to date this thrilling new project from one of our greatest filmmakers for the holiday season.”

     

    Warner Bros president, worldwide marketing and distribution Sue Kroll added, “From the success of the book, Ready Player One already has a devoted following, and we’re excited for its fans and moviegoers everywhere to see this fantastically innovative story come to life. We know it couldn’t be in better hands, and look forward to working with Steven and the producers to bring it to the big screen.”

     

    Warner Bros. Pictures president, worldwide distribution Veronika Kwan Vandenberg said, “There are few directors with the global stature of Steven Spielberg, so we are thrilled to be delivering his latest adventure to audiences worldwide.”

  • Japanese production house to be honoured at Locarno Filmfest

    Japanese production house to be honoured at Locarno Filmfest

    NEW DELHI: Japanese company Office Kitano will be honoured with a tribute that recognizes the most significant players on the international independent production scene.

     

    The Locarno Festival is slated to take place from 5 – 15 August.

     

    Founded in 1988 as a theatrical agency, Office Kitano was created to answer the need to manage the TV activities of Takeshi Kitano and a group of comic actors linked to him. In 1991 it became a production company with A Scene at the Sea, Kitano’s third feature film, and since then has produced all of the actor-director’s films.

     

    Under its president Masayuki Mori, the company also started producing other Japanese directors, starting with Hiroshi Shimizu’s Ikinai (1998). During those same years, Shôzô Ichiyama joined forces with the company; Ichiyama had already worked with Kitano on his first feature, Violent Cop (1989) and co-produced three films by Hou Hsiao-hsien.

     

    In 2000 the company began an inspired collaboration with JIA Zhang-ke. The first film was Platform (2000), which was followed by Unknown Pleasures (2002), The World (2004), 24 City (2008), A Touch of Sin (2013) and Mountains May Depart (2015).

     

    In 2001 the company produced Delbaran, a film by the Iranian director Abolfazl Jalili, which was selected for Locarno’s Concorso internazionale where it won the Special Jury Prize.

     

    In addition to producing and distributing a range of films, in 2000 Office Kitano launched Tokyo FILMeX, a film festival created to raise the profile of independent production.

     

    Festival artistic director Carlo Chatrian said, “With the decision to pay tribute to Office Kitano’s twenty years of activity, the Festival is choosing a territory and a company in which it has a particular interest. Not only because we love the Japanese actor-director’s productions but also because of the studio’s stated desire to support young Japanese filmmakers, and work with other major directors, such as JIA Zhang-ke. An award is both a recognition for the work they have done and an encouragement to continue in the path they have chosen: both are completely appropriate in the case of Office Kitano, to whom we wish a brilliant future.”

     

    Office Kitano president Masayuki Mori and producer Shôzô Ichiyama will be at Locarno to receive the award.

     

    Three films will be shown at the Festival to mark this tribute: Hana-bi (1997) and Dolls (2002), both directed by Takeshi Kitano, and JIA Zhang-ke’s Unknown Pleasures. 

  • Warner Bros. & Hasbro partner on ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ movie

    Warner Bros. & Hasbro partner on ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ movie

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Pictures, Hasbro’s Allspark Pictures and Sweetpea Entertainment are moving forward on a feature film franchise based on Dungeons & Dragons, the popular role playing game.

     

    Hasbro’s Brian Goldner and Stephen Davis, Courtney Solomon and Allan Zeman of Sweetpea Entertainment, and Roy Lee are attached as producers.

     

    Highlighting the priority being given to the project, Warner Bros. Pictures already has a script, written by David Leslie Johnson.

     

    “We are so excited about bringing the world of Dungeons & Dragons to life on the big screen. This is far and away the most well-known brand in fantasy, which is the genre that drives the most passionate film followings. D&D has endless creative possibilities, giving our filmmakers immense opportunities to delight and thrill both fans and moviegoers new to the property,” said Warner Bros. Pictures president, creative development and worldwide production Greg Silverman.

     

    “This is such an enormous opportunity to bring the rich fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms to life and, together with the creative powerhouse of Warner Bros., use movies to tell the stories that have enchanted passionate D&D fans for decades. D&D is the role-playing game that started it all and now we have the opportunity to ignite a franchise for its legions of avid fans in a way never done before,” added Hasbro, Inc executive vice president and chief content officer Stephen Davis.

     

    Dungeons & Dragons first became popular in 1974, and since then has amassed millions of players and fans worldwide. The property has also influenced numerous writers, directors, game designers, and other creative professionals throughout its four decades.

     

    “We are thrilled that this beloved property can finally make its way to the big screen after 20 years, and that it can be realized by Warner Bros., which has been responsible for the biggest fantasy franchises over the past two decades,” said Sweetpea Entertainment’s Courtney Solomon.

     

    The announcement also reflects the resolution of Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast LLC’s complaint against Sweetpea Entertainment, Inc. and Sweetpea BVI, Ltd. and the counterclaims filed by Sweetpea against Hasbro in May 2013 related to the Dungeons & Dragon brand.

     

    All rights for future Dungeons & Dragons productions have been unified and returned to Wizards of the Coast, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hasbro.

  • BAFTA names Krishnendu Majumdar as TV Committee chair

    BAFTA names Krishnendu Majumdar as TV Committee chair

    MUMBAI: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has named the newly elected chairs and deputy chairs of its Sector Committees (Film, Television and Games), who will also sit on the Academy’s Board of Trustees.

     

    Krishnendu Majumdar has been elected as chair of the Television Committee alongside Emma Morgan, who has been elected as deputy chair.

     

    Majumdar is an award-winning producer and director and was trained on the BBC Production Trainee scheme, the ITN News Trainee scheme and the BBC Drama Series Directors Academy. He is the co-founder of an independent production company called Me + You Productions with partner Richard Yee and is developing a slate of factual, comedy and drama projects.

     

    On the other hand, Pippa Harris has been elected as chair of the Film Committee, having held the position of deputy chair for four years. Pippa serves alongside Marc Samuelson, who has been elected as deputy chair.

     

    Harvey Elliott enters the second half of his two-year term as chair of the Games Committee. All Sector Committee chairs and deputy chairs are directors of the Academy, and sit on the Board of Trustees.

     

    Anne Morrison continues as chair of the Academy for the remainder of her two-year term alongside Jane Lush, who was elected to deputy chair earlier this month.

     

    BAFTA chief operating officer Kevin Price said, “I’m delighted to welcome three new members to our Board of Trustees as a result of our recent Sector Committee elections this month. These committees – Film, Television and Games – represent a BAFTA membership of around 7,500 industry professionals and experienced practitioners in the UK and around the world, and they help us, as an Academy, develop and promote the art forms of the moving image, inspire practitioners and benefit the public.”

     

    BAFTA’s Board of Trustees comprises:

    • Chair of the Academy: Anne Morrison

     

    • Deputy chair of the Academy: Jane Lush

     

    • Chair, Film Committee: Pippa Harris

     

    • Deputy Chair, Film Committee: Marc Samuelson

     

    • Chair, Television Committee: Krishnendu Majumdar

     

    • Deputy Chair, Television Committee: Emma Morgan

     

    • Chair, Games Committee: Harvey Elliott

     

    • Chair, Learning & Events Committee: Sara Putt

     

    • Two co-opted Trustees: Medwyn Jones, Samir Shah

     

    Samuelson, Majumdar and Morgan are new Board members in 2015.

     

    BAFTA’s Sector Committees recommend to the Board of Trustees how best to carry out the Academy’s mission in their respective industry sectors, while the Board itself manages the business of the Academy and is the ultimate authority on its affairs.

     

  • Dan Fellman steps down from Warner Bros; Kroll named president worldwide distribution

    Dan Fellman steps down from Warner Bros; Kroll named president worldwide distribution

    MUMBAI: Hollywood’s theatrical distribution legend Dan Fellman is all set to leave Warner Bros. Pictures at year’s end. As Warner Bros. Pictures enjoys its unprecedented 15th consecutive billion-dollar-plus year at the US box office, Fellman, who serves as president, domestic distribution, will hang his boots at the studio at the end of the year, capping a 37-year career with Warner Bros.

     

    In the light of this development, Warner Bros has consolidated the studio’s domestic and international film distribution into a global function, wherein Sue Kroll has been promoted to Warner Bros. Pictures president, worldwide marketing and distribution. Kroll will report to Warner Bros chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara.

     

    Additionally, Veronika Kwan Vandenberg has been promoted to Warner Bros. Pictures president, worldwide distribution.

     

    Speaking on Fellman, Tsujihara said, “While Dan’s role was to run domestic distribution for Warner Bros., he really helped shape and lead the entire theatrical distribution business. It goes without saying he’s been an invaluable asset to the company, and he’s also been incredibly important and helpful to me personally. A couple of years ago, I asked him to stay on to help me – and Warner Bros. – through the executive transition. He graciously agreed, and now we’re at a place where we both feel the time is right to make this change. We will miss him tremendously.”

     

    Under Fellman’s leadership of domestic distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures has become the only studio to gross more than $1 billion domestically for 15 consecutive years (including 2015) as well as to have more than 70 movies earn more than $100 million domestically.

     

    He was instrumental in the industry’s conversion to digital cinema and the development of the satellite delivery system DCDC. In 2003, he pioneered the theatrical release of feature films in the IMAX format. The division recently handled the strategic rollout of Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper, with a domestic gross of $350 million, the highest of 2014.

     

    Eastwood opined, “I’ve known and worked with Dan for years, from Unforgiven to American Sniper and everything in between. He’s been a great partner on my films and helped us find the right audiences for our greatest success. Dan’s a fantastic film executive and a close friend, and I look forward to working with him on my projects in the future.”

     

    Speaking on Kroll and Kwan Vandenberg’s appointments, Tsujihara said, “Entertainment is a global business, and combining domestic and international film distribution is the logical evolution of our operations. Sue and Veronika are great executives with global perspectives and expertise that will serve this new structure well. Veronika has headed up our international distribution for the last 15 years and we know she’ll bring the same thoughtful, strategic management to our domestic film operations. And, Sue is widely known and respected for her acumen and success in marketing and distribution in the global film marketplace. Dan has been a formidable force in the distribution world, and there’s no one better to continue his great work on our behalf than Veronika and Sue.”

     

    “Veronika and I have been partners for years, and I look forward to this next chapter in our professional relationship. I’d also like to acknowledge the legacy of excellence and achievement that Dan and his team have established. There’s a high bar set for us, and I’m confident that working together as a global team, we’ll continue this success,” said Kroll.

     

    “I am very fortunate to have worked closely with my colleague and dear friend Dan Fellman throughout these years. Our domestic film team is the best in the business, and I’m excited to be working with Jeff Goldstein (EVP and general sales manager) and the entire domestic distribution group. Bringing all of our talented executives’ distribution expertise together into a worldwide organization will help us to maximize every opportunity for success,” said Kwan Vandenberg.

     

    Kroll most recently served as Warner Bros. Pictures president, worldwide marketing and international distribution, a role she’d held since 2013. On the other hand, Kwan Vandenberg most recently served as Warner Bros. Pictures president, international distribution, a post to which she was promoted in November 2000. 

  • Universal Pictures to release ‘Everest’ across India in September

    Universal Pictures to release ‘Everest’ across India in September

    MUMBAI: Universal Pictures is all set to release the epic adventure Everest across India this September.

     

    This movie showcases the spine-chilling journey of a group of mountaineers who embark on a journey to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Everest.

     

    It is based on the real life incidents that took place in the 1996 Mount Everest disaster and stars Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson and Jake Gyllenhaal. Everest has been directed by Baltasar Kormákur.

     

    Inspired by the incredible events surrounding an attempt to reach Mount Everest, the movie documents the awe-inspiring journey of two different expeditions challenged beyond their limits by one of the fiercest snowstorms ever encountered by mankind. Their mettle tested by the harshest elements found on the planet, the climbers will face nearly impossible obstacles as a lifelong obsession becomes a breathtaking struggle for survival.   

     

    Shot across the locales of Nepal, Rome and UK, Everest will focus on the challenges faced by two groups, the one that was led by Scott Fischer (played by Gyllenhaal), and the one led by Rob Hall (played by Clarke).

     

    The movie has been co-written by William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy.   

  • Universal Pictures preps for ‘Jurassic World’ sequel

    Universal Pictures preps for ‘Jurassic World’ sequel

    MUMBAI: Universal Pictures is all set to make the sequel to the recently release Jurassic World.

     

    Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard have been confirmed for the sequel.

     

    Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly, who did a rewrite on Jurassic World, will write the script for the sequel.

     

    Jurassic World, which opened in theatres in June this year, has been one of the biggest successes in the history of Universal and has broken a slew of box office records. The movie has earned $1.5 billion worldwide to date.

     

    Trevorrow dished about the Jurassic World 2 plot and teased that the movie will not be limited to theme parks.

     

    Jurassic World ended with the Indominus Rex getting pushed to the Mosasaurus and being dragged and eaten by aquatic lizards.

  • Essel Vision bags distribution rights of Lionsgate’s ‘The Last Witch Hunter’

    Essel Vision bags distribution rights of Lionsgate’s ‘The Last Witch Hunter’

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited’s (Zeel) content studio, Essel Vision Productions has acquired the distribution and marketing rights of Lionsgate’s supernatural thriller The Last Witch Hunter starring Vin Diesel.

     

    Essel Vision recently revealed the first look of the movie to moviegoers in India.

     

    The company will release the film in theatres across India a day prior to its worldwide release on Thursday, 22 October, 2015. The Last Witch Hunter features an ensemble cast led by Diesel, Academy Award-winning Michael Caine and Rose Leslie, widely acclaimed for her role as Ygritte in the blockbuster series Game of Thrones. The film is directed by Breck Eisner.

     

    Essel Vision Studio business head Akash Chawla said, “We’re always looking to collaborate with the most successful content companies in the world as well as to give new filmmakers an opportunity to showcase their work. Following our successful ventures into television, short form content, Bollywood, regional cinema and music, our exclusive deal with global content leader Lionsgate to handle all the marketing and distribution of The Last Witch Hunter in India cements our leadership in handling Hollywood blockbusters as well.”

     

    “Vin Diesel is one of the biggest action heroes on the planet. Following the record-breaking success of Furious 7, his next film is breathlessly anticipated by his fans here in India and around the world. Today’s sneak peek marks the first step in our innovative and aggressive marketing campaign to ensure that the film receives the mammoth reception it deserves,” added Chawla. 

     

    “The Last Witch Hunter showcases action superstar Vin Diesel at his exciting best, and we’re delighted to partner with our friends at Zee Entertainment to bring his latest thriller to Indian moviegoers,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-chairs Patrick Wachsberger and Rob Friedman.

     

    “The large and fast-growing Indian marketplace offers tremendous opportunities. With their marketing prowess and distribution expertise, Zee Entertainment is the right partner, The Last Witch Hunter is the right film and Vin Diesel is the right superstar to help us conquer the box office there,” they said.

     

    Essel Vision will also make its foray into Hindi motion pictures in October with the release of Jazbaa, starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Irrfan Khan, which is being directed by Sanjay Gupta.