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Category: Hollywood

  • Jackie Chan film to be highlight of Far East Film Festival in Italy

    Jackie Chan film to be highlight of Far East Film Festival in Italy

    NEW DELHI: Legendary martial arts exponent Jackie Chan’s movie will be the opening film at the 17th Far East Film Festival in Udine in Italy.

     

    The event opens with the international festival premiere of Dragon Blade. The period epic about exiled Chinese soldiers partnering with Roman soldiers to protect China’s borders also stars John Cusack and Adrien Brody along with Chan.

     

    The Festival will be held from 24 April to 2 May and will screen around seventy feature films from eleven countries. The festival will see six world premieres, 13 international premieres, 25 European premiers and 14 Italian premieres.

     

    A highlight will be a live concert by Joe Hisaishi, the composer best known for his soundtracks to films by Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano, a day before the formal opening.

     

    The festival’s closing film is Tsui Hark’s The Taking of Tiger Mountain, a period action-adventure in which Communist soldiers infiltrate and raid a bandit group’s mountain base. It stars Zhang Hanyu, Tony Leung Ka-fai and Lin Gengxin. The festival will screen the 2D version of the film.

     

    Five other films will have their international festival premiere in Italy namely Parasyte: Part 1 from Japan, Miss Granny from China and gangster epic Gangnam Blues 1970 from South Korea, romance thriller My Ordinary Love Story and palace drama The Royal Tailor.

     

    This year’s films include Hong Kong thriller Helios, Chinese romance The Old Cinderella, Japanese boxing drama 100 Yen Love and Yubari award-winning comedy Make Room.

     

    Other films include China road movie The Continent, Vietnamese horror Hollow and Cambodian youth drama The Last Reel. It is the first time that a Cambodian film will be screened at the Italian festival.

     

    The programme includes a six-film retrospective dedicated to Hong Kong martial arts films from the 1970s and 1980s. The festival will also screen two restored classics, China’s Two Stage Sisters (1964) and samurai dramatic The Tragedy of Bushido (1960) from Japan. 

  • Wiz Khalifa’s tribute song to Paul Walker in ‘Furious 7’ goes viral

    Wiz Khalifa’s tribute song to Paul Walker in ‘Furious 7’ goes viral

    MUMBAI: After garnering an astounding response at the box office in its opening week, the action thriller Fast & Furious 7 also saw a glowing tribute to late actor Paul Walker paid through a song See You Again.

     

    The heart touching track featured in the movie, which was launched under the Sony Music label, ranks number one on iTunes and has also become the most downloaded track in its genre. The track by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth is produced by Brian Tyler for the film.

     

    Sony Music India head of international music Arjun Sankalia said, “Not only are we were excited about the success of the movie Fast & Furious 7 but also for the title track See You Again, which is featured in the movie in memory of Paul Walker. The song is setting records across different platforms in India. As we speak, it’s no. 1 on iTunes, the most streamed and downloaded song in the English genre and also the most Shazamed song in the country. A perfect tribute to Paul Walker, the fans couldn’t have asked for more.”

     

  • ‘Furious 7’ clocks opening weekend collections of Rs 70 crore in India

    ‘Furious 7’ clocks opening weekend collections of Rs 70 crore in India

    MUMBAI: Universal Pictures India release Fast & Furious 7, has created history at the Indian box office and has broken all time records.

     

    Being the seventh installment of the franchise and Paul Walker’s last silver screen appearance, Fast & Furious 7 took an extraordinary opening, thus grossing the highest opening weekend collection for a Hollywood movie in India with Rs 70 crores. The movie was released in 2600 screens across the country.

     

    The movie, which has been dubbed in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu opened to positive reactions from the audiences.

     

    Universal Pictures India general manager Sarabjit Singh said, “Fast and Furious is undoubtedly one of the world’s biggest franchises. We expected huge numbers to come from India in the first weekend itself. This is a huge achievement for a Hollywood movie in India. Hopefully, the will continue to go strong and attract more audiences to the theatres in the coming weeks.”

     

  • ‘Star Wars’ movies available for digital download for first time ever

    ‘Star Wars’ movies available for digital download for first time ever

    MUMBAI: As anticipation builds for the December release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first new film in the Star Wars Saga in a decade, The Walt Disney Studios, Lucasfilm Ltd., and 20th Century Fox are gearing up to release The Star Wars Digital Movie Collection.

     

    For the first time ever, all six epic films in the saga, from The Phantom Menace to Return of the Jedi, will be available on Digital HD globally from 10 April.

     

    “Since the debut of the first film nearly 40 years ago, Star Wars has become a worldwide phenomenon with legions of fans from every generation. It’s only fitting that audiences enjoy this legendary Saga and its many fascinating behind-the-scenes stories on a wide variety of platforms, and we’re very excited to finally bring all six films to Digital HD for the first time,” said The Walt Disney Studios president Alan Bergman.

     

    “We’re thrilled that fans will be able to enjoy the Star Wars Saga on their digital devices wherever they go. These films broke new ground in technology, design, sound, and visual effects, and we’ve created some very special bonus material which delves into the Saga’s rich history, including new and never-before-released conversations between legendary Star Wars artists – the masters who helped George bring his iconic universe to life,” added Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.

     

    With Star Wars: Episodes I-VI available for purchase as a complete digital movie collection and individually, viewers will have the Rebel forces at their beck and call across their favorite devices anywhere – sunbathing at the beach, relaxing in their living room with friends, or waiting to board a flight to Endor (or elsewhere).

     

    Enhancing the movie collection are a host of never-before-seen special features including Star Wars: Discoveries from Inside and insightful Conversations between key contributors from across this celebrated film franchise, plus a curated collection of classic Star Wars extras from each film.

     

    The six movies in the Star Wars saga are: The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

  • ‘Furious 7’ production generated $47 million for Georgia’s economy

    ‘Furious 7’ production generated $47 million for Georgia’s economy

    MUMBAI: The production of Universal Pictures’ Furious 7 contributed over $47 million to Georgia’s economy in payments to local businesses and workers, according to new data released.

     

    The movie opened in theaters on 3 April. The economic impact figures also detail that the production hired 7,500 local Georgians. 

     

    Universal Pictures’ Furious 7 is the latest high-profile film to call Georgia home during production, benefiting a wide-array of local businesses across a number economic sectors. The overall spend for Furious 7 includes over $15 million for hotels and nearly $5 million for hardware and lumber supplies. In particular, the production built a number of interior sets along with exterior green-screen sets in Norcross, Georgia. This includes sets used to shoot scenes taking place at an opulent Abu Dhabi penthouse, a cement factory, federal law enforcement headquarters, and even scenes featuring a stealth helicopter.

     

    “The entertainment industry in Georgia has experienced exceptional growth, which in turn has created a sustainable environment for the industry to continue to thrive here. Offering a pro-business environment with competitive incentives and investing in our workforce are just two of the ways that Governor Deal and the Georgia legislature have committed to the growth of the entertainment industry,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Chris Carr.

     

    “The highly-skilled local crew and competitive production climate make Georgia an attractive filming location, allowing the local businesses and workers to reap significant economic benefits. The continued support and leadership of Governor Deal and the state’s lawmakers on this issue has truly enabled Georgia’s motion picture and TV industry to flourish,” said MPAA chairman and CEO Senator Chris Dodd. 

     

    Key economic impact figures from the production of Furious 7 in Georgia: 

     

    – Spent over $47 million dollars towards local businesses and wages

     

    – Hired over 7,500 local Georgians

     

    – Paid over $15 million on hotels and nearly $5 million on hardware and lumber supplies.

  • 18th Latin American films to compete in Havana Filmfest in New York

    18th Latin American films to compete in Havana Filmfest in New York

    NEW DELHI: Eighteen films will be competing to receive the Havana Star Prize for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay, as well as the Havana Star Prize for Best Documentary at the 16th Havana Film Festival in New York

     

    The awards will be announced at the festival’s Closing Night Ceremony on 17 April at the Directors Guild Theatre. The Festival commences from 9 April.

     

    Prominent members of Latino culture and film industry will choose the winning films. In the fiction category, the jury includes director and screenwriter Alberto Ferreras (HBO’s Habla series, Que Viva la Musica); film producer and director of Festival International del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de la Habana Ivan Giroud; and actress and singer Cristina Morrison.

     

    In the documentary category, the jury will include director and producer Catherine Murphy (Maestra); director and cinematographer German Gutierrez (Coca-Cola Case, Who Shot my Brother) and Assistant Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, Fairfield University, Michelle Farell.

     

    The films in competition come from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.

     

    Many of the filmmakers will be in New York to present their films. A majority of the films will have their American premieres at the Festival.

     

    The films competing for the Havana Star Prize in Fiction are: Refugiado (Diego Lerman, Argentina); Road 47 (Vicente Ferraz, Brazil), Natural Disasters (Bernardo Quesney, Chile), Wasting Time (Alexander Giraldo, Colombia),Boccacio in Havana (Arturo Sotto, Cuba), The Wall Of Words (Fernando Perez, Cuba); His Wedding Dress (Marilyn Solaya, Cuba); Venice (Kiki Alvarez, Cuba – Colombia); Open Cage (Maximiliano Zunino, Mexico); and Kaplan (Alvaro Brencher, Uruguay).

     

    The documentary films competing for the Havana Star Prize in Documentary are: A Matter of Land (Patricia Ayala, Colombia); Omara: Cuba (Lester Hamlet, Cuba); Another Island (Heidi Hassan, Cuba – Switzerland); You and Me (Natalia Cabral and Oriol Estrada, Dominican Republic); All of Me (Arturo Gonzalez Villasenor, Mexico); The Troublemaker, Behind the Scenes of the United Nations (Roberto Salinas, Nicaragua – US – Italy); Havana Curveball (Marcia Jarmel & Ken Schneider, US – Cuba); and The Silence Of The Flies (Eliezer Arias, Venezuela).

     

    HFFNY is made possible with public funds from the NYS Council on the Arts, a state agency, and supported, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.

     

    The Havana Film Festival New York is a project of American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba (AFLFC), a non-profit organization that builds cultural bridges between the U.S. and Cuba through programmes in the arts. 

  • Actress Abigail Breslin signs publishing debut with Harper Collins

    Actress Abigail Breslin signs publishing debut with Harper Collins

    MUMBAI: Award winning actress Abigail Breslin, best known to millions for her Academy Award-nominated breakthrough role in Little Miss Sunshine, has solidified herself over the years as one of the rising stars of young Hollywood. Breslin will soon be making her publishing debut with her book called This May Sound Crazy, which will be published by HarperCollins.

     

    She will also be seen in her upcoming television debut role on Fox’s highly anticipated Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens, has multiple films on the horizon, and a solo album titled The World Now scheduled for release 15 June, 2015.

     

    Written with Breslin’s wit and honesty, This May Sound Crazy is full of cautionary tales and clever advice ranging from why you should stop stalking your ex to how to survive your very own Halloween horror story. In this collection of nonfiction essays, Breslin brings her hilarious and heartfelt voice to the page as she explores the things nearest and dearest to every teen—love, loss, and Tumblr.

     

    “I started my tumblr Mixtapes and Winter Coats because I wanted to share my late night ramblings and feels, such as talking to my cat at 2 am, with all of you. That blog evolved into my book, This May Sound Crazy. I hope when you read it, you’ll see that you are not alone even when you’re wondering when it’s ok to text your crush first, which is the most terrifying situation ever,” says Breslin.

     

    “I’m so thrilled to be working with Abigail Breslin on This May Sound Crazy. She channels the angst of her generation with a fearlessness that’s at once hilarious and deeply moving. Anyone who’s ever had a broken heart or felt lost or who just wished for a perfect Christmas Day will feel instantly understood in these pages,” adds HarperCollins executive editor Dave Linker.

     

    World rights for This May Sound Crazy were sold to Linker from CAA and will be published in October 2015.

     

  • Robert Downey Jr. urges ‘Avengers’ fans to donate for kids with terminal diseases

    Robert Downey Jr. urges ‘Avengers’ fans to donate for kids with terminal diseases

    NEW DELHI: Ironman Robert Downey Jr has appealed to his fans to attend the world premiere of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, to help his charity, which helps children suffering from terminal diseases. 

     

    His post on his Facebook page is imploring fans to donate for such children with a charity event that is supporting Julia’s House, a hospice that provides care and support for life-limited children and their families.

     

    Downey Jr reached out to his fans on social media saying, “Hi folks, here’s the skinny: we’ve raised $1.3 MILLION for kids with terminal diseases. That’s incredible, but I think we can do better. Our goal is to reach $2M to help build a brand spanking new wing for Julia’s House. There’s just one week left to enter to win the chance to go to the premiere of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron with me. Click the pic and assemble!”

     

    Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is based on Marvel comic book seriesThe Avengers, first published in 1963. The movie is set for release on 24 April.

     

    Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Downey Jr. along with Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsg?rd, Samuel L. Jackson, James Spader, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany.

  • Paramount Pictures to stream ‘Interstellar’ on UltraFlix streaming network

    Paramount Pictures to stream ‘Interstellar’ on UltraFlix streaming network

    MUMBAI: Paramount Pictures and NanoTech Entertainment have inked a licensing agreement that will bring the award-winning movie Interstellar to UltraFlix, NanoTech’s streaming network. Under the agreement, the film will be available on UltraFlix from 31 March.

     

    Named as one of the Top Films of 2014 by The American Film Institute, Rolling Stone, Esquire, the New York Post and more, director Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow and Michael Caine. A breathtaking filmmaking achievement, Interstellar follows an ex-pilot-turned-farmer who must leave his family and a foundering Earth behind to lead an expedition traveling beyond this galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars.

     

    In addition to Interstellar, UltraFlix now offers subscribers the largest selection of crystal-clear content, reinforcing its lead as the source for the world’s biggest and most diverse library of VOD entertainment. To appeal to a broad audience, offerings range from sci-fi, action/thriller, comedy, drama and family movies to extreme sports videos, concerts, TV shows, and special events. UltraFlix also offers over 100 hours of free content.

     

    To enhance the viewing experience, UltraFlix uses a variety of proprietary technologies with video compression, adaptive streaming and intelligent bandwidth management. These technologies enable UltraFlix to stream visually lossless video with uninterrupted viewing at under 8Mbps, making it available to most North American and European internet subscribers today.

     

    “We are delighted to bring one of the best and most critically-acclaimed films of 2014 to our UltraFlix subscribers,” said NanoTech executive vice president of sales & marketing Aaron Taylor. 

  • Madame Tussauds to unveil five wax figures of Jimmy Fallon

    Madame Tussauds to unveil five wax figures of Jimmy Fallon

    MUMBAI: Madame Tussauds will unveil five new, never-before-seen wax figures of TV host Jimmy Fallon.

     

    Fallon, who hosts NBC’s The Tonight Show, will join Merlin Entertainments at their New York attraction for the special launch. The event will take place at Madame Tussauds New York in Times Square and will mark Fallon’s one year anniversary behind The Tonight Show desk. 

     

    For the first time in history, Madame Tussauds will unveil not one, but five, unique wax figures of a single celebrity. Fallon’s figures will be housed in Madame Tussauds U.S. locations spanning the country: New York, Washington DC, Hollywood and San Francisco. His fifth figure will be featured in the newest Madame Tussauds U.S. location in Orlando when it opens on 4 May, 2015.

     

    “We are thrilled to welcome Jimmy Fallon to five of our U.S. Madame Tussauds attractions, including our newest Orlando attraction opening in May this year. Jimmy is beloved by fans across the world and we look forward to offering so many of our visitors the opportunity to engage with such an entertainment icon,” said Merlin Entertainments Group divisional director, Midway North America Janine DiGioacchino.

     

    “I’m honestly floored! These artists did an amazing job. I guess I’ll have to stop with the plastic surgery for at least a few years so these figures stay relevant,” said Fallon.

     

    Dressed in his classic yet laid back style, each figure was meticulously made by Madame Tussauds studio artists over the course of four months. Fallon worked closely with the Madame Tussauds team, who spent hours sitting with the star taking over 250 measurements, identifying exact eye color, and detailing each strand of hair.