ITV

Category: Hollywood

  • Warner Bros and Sky Deutschland extend movie rights contract

    Warner Bros and Sky Deutschland extend movie rights contract

    BENGALURU:  Sky Deutschland and Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD) announced that they have agreed to an early extension of their cooperation for several more years. The long-term contract between Sky and Germany’s top film distributor includes on demand rights for all current new movies during the pay-TV window as well as exclusive pay-TV rights to all Warner movies across several platforms. Film fans will be able to continue enjoying exclusive access to the most recent cinema blockbusters from Warner as television premieres on Sky. Upcoming highlights include films such as “Interstellar”, “Horrible Bosses 2”, “Magic in the Moonlight”, “Mad Max: Fury Road” , and “Der Nanny” from Matthias Schweighöfer.

     

    Content will also be available whenever and wherever subscribers want it via non-linear services Sky Go and Sky Anytime. In addition to current first broadcasting rights, Sky is acquiring exclusive pay-TV rights to a comprehensive package of high quality library films including rights for Sky Go and Sky Anytime.

     

    Sky Deutschland executive vice president, programming Gary Davey said, “Warner Bros. has been one of Sky’s closest and strongest partners for years. And now we’re pleased to announce a multi-year extension. We would like to thank Warner for its trust and look forward to continuing this successful cooperation. In the future, film fans will be able to keep on enjoying the wide-ranging movie offering that is only available on Sky.”

     

    “We are incredibly pleased to be continuing our long-standing relationship with Sky Deutschland,” said WBITD president Jeffrey R. Schlesinger. “As our television business continues to evolve and consumer behaviours shift to include more options for viewing our content, it is important to have a smart, sophisticated and marketing-savvy partner like Sky in Germany and Austria to showcase our films in the first pay TV window. “

     

    Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox is in the process of selling its majority stake in Sky Deutschland to UK based BskyB which is also taking full control of Fox’s Sky Italia and will combine the three pay-TV groups to form Europe’s largest pay-TV service with 20 million subscribers.

  • Third ‘Avengers’ movie to be split into two parts

    Third ‘Avengers’ movie to be split into two parts

    MUMBAI: After creating a buzz with the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer, Marvel Studios have announced the third Avengers film with a surprise for the fans; the movie will be broken into two parts.

     

    Named Avengers: Infinity Wars, the first part will release on 4 May 2018 while the final part will hit the theatres on 3 May 2019.

     

    The production house also laid out a nine-film roadmap that starts with Captain America 3: Civil War, which will be released on 6 May 2016 and ends with Avengers: Infinity War part II in 2019. Marvel also announced a slate of new titles, including Thor 3: Ragnarok, which is scheduled for release in 2018, and Inhumans, which is also due to hit cinemas in 2018.

     

    The studio’s first female-led superhero film, Captain Marvel, and a film based on the popular comic book character Black Panther were also announced.

     

    The complete schedule for Marvel studio releases is as follows:

     

    1 May 2015 –     Avengers: Age of Ultron

     

    17 July 2015 –   Ant-Man

     

    6 May 2016 –     Captain America: Civil War

     

    4 November 2016 –   Doctor Strange

     

    5 May 2017 –     Guardians of the Galaxy 2

     

    28 July 2017 –   Thor: Ragnarok

     

    3 November 2017 –   Black Panther

     

    4 May 2018 –     Avengers: Infinity Gauntlet part I

     

    6 July 2018 –     Captain Marvel

     

    2 November 2018 –   Inhumans

     

    3 May 2019 –     Avengers: Infinity War part II

     

    The second installment of the Avengers franchise, Avengers: Age Of Ultron, follows the first one, which grossed $1.52 billion worldwide after its May 2012 debut.

  • Benedict Cumberbatch to play Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’

    Benedict Cumberbatch to play Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’

    MUMBAI: After months of speculations, the Sherlock famed Benedict Cumberbatch is the final choice for the titular role in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange, according to media reports.

     

    Slated for release on 8 July 2016, the feature will be directed by Scott Derrickson. Cumberbatch will play Dr Stephen Strange, a former neurosurgeon who, after losing the use of his hands, turns to the mystic arts and the occult. He will serve as the Sorcerer Supreme — the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats.

     

    Doctor Strange made his first appearance in the Marvel Universe in 1963, and was first created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in the pages of Strange Tales No 110. He has also been a longtime member of superhero teams like Avengers, and wielded a significant influence as a member of the Illuminati, which included the likes of Professor X, Mister Fantastic, and Iron Man.

     

    For the past few months, some of big Hollywood names have been linked to the role including Joaquin Phoenix, Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto, Tom Hardy, Justin Theroux, Ethan Hawke and Keanu Reeves.

     

    Marvel also plans to release the third Captain America movie along with the feature.

     

    In addition to his well-received ‘Sherlock’ series, for which he won an Emmy this year, he’s earned a great deal of Oscar buzz for his performance as cyberpioneer Alan Turing for The Imitation Game.

  • ‘Fast and Furious 7’ retitled

    ‘Fast and Furious 7’ retitled

    MUMBAI: All set to launch the new edition of the famous Fast and Furious series, Universal Studios announced the latest installment will be renamed to Furious 7 and that the first trailer of the movie will  be premiered on 1 November.

     

    The trailer launch will be a part of ‘The Road to Furious 7: Trailer Launch Event at Universal Studios’ which will be held in Los Angeles. The event will also be live streamed exclusively on the Fast & Furious official Facebook page and E! Network.

     

    Fans can also attend the event by purchasing ticket available on 27 October on the official Fast and Furious social pages.

     

    The new synopsis posted reads, “Continuing the global exploits in the unstoppable franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of ‘Furious 7.’ James Wan directs this chapter of the hugely successful series that also welcomes back favorites Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black.”

     

    “They are joined by international action stars new to the franchise including Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey and Kurt Russell. Neal H Moritz, Vin Diesel and Michael Fottrell return to produce the film written by Chris Morgan.”

     

    The movie will hit US theaters on 3 April 2015, after being pushed back a year due to Paul Walker’s untimely death. Also it is rumoured that Paul’s character will be retired rather than killed in the film. His final scenes have been created using his brothers Caleb and Cody as stand-ins and with the help of body double’s to recreate his voice and face.

     

    Meanwhile, the pic’s official YouTube page posted two new videos. One titled ‘The Road to Furious 7’ contains footage from the franchise’s previous films while the other one titled ‘7 Seconds of 7’ is a short behind-the-scene video featuring the cast.

  • ‘Back to the Future’ to return after three decades

    ‘Back to the Future’ to return after three decades

    NEW DELHI: The film Back to the Future will mark its 30th anniversary next May in a manner that will make it sound like new.

     

    Select concert venues will present Robert Zemeckis’s time-jumping blockbuster along with a live orchestra performing Alan Silvestri’s memorable score in sync with the film.

     

    The film made in 1985 showed how a young man is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr Emmett Brown, and must make sure his high-school-age parents unite in order to save his own existence.

     

    The classic was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale and starred Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and Lea Thompson in lead roles.

     

    The world premiere of the live-music cinematic event—a joint collaboration between Universal, IMG Artists, and the Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency—will be performed by the 21st Century Orchestra in Lucerne, Switzerland in late May.

     

    Alan Silvestri, who worked with Zemeckis on 14 movies, is also writing 15 minutes of new music for the film that will be performed exclusively at these anniversary screenings. 

     

  • Five European debut films shortlisted for FIPRESCI Prix at European Film Awards

    Five European debut films shortlisted for FIPRESCI Prix at European Film Awards

    NEW DELHI: Five films have made it to the nominations for ‘European Discovery 2014 – Prix FIPRESCI, an award presented annually by the International Federation of Film Critics as part of the European Film Awards to a young and upcoming director for a first full-length feature film.

    This year’s nominations were determined by a committee comprised of EFA Board Members Ilann Girard (France) and Dagmar Jacobsen (Germany), EFA Members Paul Negoescu (Romania) and José Luis Cienfuegos (Spain), as well as Krzysztof Kwiatkowski (Poland), Marco Spagnoli (Italy) and Neil Young (UK) as representatives of FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics.

    The nominated films will soon be submitted to the more than 3,000 EFA members to elect the winner. The European Discovery 2014 – Prix FIPRESCI will then be presented at the European Film Awards Ceremony in Riga on 13 December and will be streamed live on www.europeanfilmawards.eu.

    The films are: ‘10,000 KM’ from Spain, directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet; ‘71’ from the United Kingdom directed by Yann Demange; ‘Party Girl’ from France directed and written by Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger, Samuel Theis; ‘The Tribe’ from Ukraine written and directed by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy; and ‘Wounded’ from Spain directed by Fernando Franco.

    The European Film Awards 2014 are presented by the European Film Academy and EFA Productions with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, the Riga City Council, Foundation Riga 2014, Creative Europe MEDIA Sub-Programme, FFA German Federal Film Board, German State Lottery Berlin, German State Minister for Culture and the Media, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg in co-operation with LTV and ZDF/ARTE.

     

  • Rentrak to launch box office tracking service in India

    Rentrak to launch box office tracking service in India

    MUMBAI: Rentrak recently announced the launch of its India box-office tracking service, aiming to bring independently verified box-office data in the country. The announcement was made at the ongoing Mumbai Film Festival.

    Talking to the Hollywood Reporter, Rentrak’s vice present for Europe, the Middle-East and Africa, Arturo Guillen said, “This can be a win-win situation for all parties involved — producers, distributors and exhibitors.”

    Even with almost 11,000 screens in the country, the box-office data is still largely based on figures reported by distributors and producers rather than being directly sourced from cinema locations. The company will collect and analyze data from cinemas directly, according to media reports.

    According to industry estimates, India clocks around 3.5 billion admissions per year with total revenues touching $1.5 billion. With the demand for Indian films getting huge overseas as well, Rentrak is already tracking Bollywood titles in 44 countries while the company’s India client base will include local arms of Hollywood studios that have become active in local productions such as Disney, Fox Star Studios and Viacom18, in addition to Indian banners, the report added.

     “As we have seen in other markets, cinemas benefit from our data as it helps them track footfalls, which is helpful for in-cinema advertising and programming decisions,” said Rentrak India MD Rajkumar Akella, in an interview to The Hollywood Reporter.

    “A leading Indian producer once told me that data is the basis to define reality,” added Guillen, referring to how data can also help in tracking consumer tastes.

    This is Rentrak’s second attempt at entering India after its now-defunct 2007 pact with Mumbai-based Bigtree Entertainment, which provides entertainment ticketing applications and solutions.

     

  • After ‘Frozen’ Walt Disney announces ‘Moana’

    After ‘Frozen’ Walt Disney announces ‘Moana’

    MUMBAI: Following the recent success of Frozen and Maleficent, Walt Disney Animation Studios has announced a new animated movie, Moana.  Set to be female-led once again, the movie is about a spirited teenager on an impossible mission to fulfill her ancestors’ quest.

    In theaters in late 2016, the film will be directed by The Little Mermaid’s Ron Clements and Jon Musker.

    “John and I have partnered on so many films—from The Little Mermaid to Aladdin to The Princess and the Frog,” said Clements. “Creating Moana is one of the great thrills of our career. It’s a big adventure set in this beautiful world of Oceania.”

    “Moana is indomitable, passionate and a dreamer with a unique connection to the ocean itself. She’s the kind of character we all root for, and we can’t wait to introduce her to audiences,” Musker added.

    The official plot synopsis reads: In the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania, Moana, a born navigator, sets sail in search of a fabled island.

    During her incredible journey, she teams up with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui, to traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore.

    Last year’s Frozen was praised for its two lead female characters and female director, Jennifer Lee. It was named the highest-grossing animated Disney film of all-time in January after earning a massive $1.28 billion worldwide.

     

  • HBO Premium channels presented a Masterclass at the 16th Mumbai Film Festival

    HBO Premium channels presented a Masterclass at the 16th Mumbai Film Festival

    MUMBAI: This year HBO premium channels had partnered with the 16th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival, organised by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), to bring a Master Class with acclaimed French actor Catherine Deneuve and  Deepika Padukone.

    The afternoon session presented by HBO Premium Channels witnessed the two in conversation with Anupama Chopra that opened a new side of the veteran actress’ career.
     An interesting discussion ensued as the two actors shared candidly their experiences on a diverse range of issues from their personal to professional lives and their opinions on the difference between cinema in India, Europe and the rest of the world.

    Catherine Deneuve, known for her iconic roles in films such as Repulsion (1965), Belle de Jour (1967) and Tristana (1970), and more recently in Dancer in the Dark (2000) and 8 Women (2002), was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement award at the 16th Mumbai Film Festival. The festival will screen a selection of her movies to pay a befitting tribute to this coveted film actor.

    On this occasion HBO India South Asia managing director Monica Tata commented “We are very excited to have partnered with the Mumbai Film Festival this year, which like our HBO Premium Channels showcases the best of cinema. This partnership will further highlight the proposition that we offer award-winning cinematic content to our consumers.”

    The Mumbai Film Festival has several academic activities connected with it and attracts a significant number of International film celebrities and members of the film business community.
     

  • Leonardo DiCaprio partners with Netflix for release of documentary on endangered gorillas

    Leonardo DiCaprio partners with Netflix for release of documentary on endangered gorillas

    NEW DELHI: Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and his Appian Way Productions shingle have partnered with Netflix for the release of Virunga, a documentary about endangered gorillas on the Congo that the digital network acquired exclusive subscription-video rights to in July.
     
    DiCaprio will serve as an executive producer on the film, which is slated for release on 7 November in theatres in New York and Los Angeles and in all territories where Netflix is available.
     
    In a review earlier this year at Tribeca, the Variety magazine called it a “rousing, must-see work, filmed amid flying bullets and racist conspirators, provides a dramatic front-row seat to a struggle whose moral integrity proves no guarantee against the superior firepower of greed and corruption.”
     
    “Films like ‘Virunga’ are powerful stories that are a window into the incredible cultural and natural diversity of our world, the forces that are threatening to destroy it, and the people who are fighting to protect it,” said DiCaprio, who is himself an environmental activist.
     
    “Partnering with Netflix on this film is an exciting opportunity to inform and inspire individuals to engage on this topic,” he added.
     
    Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel, the film follows an embattled team of park rangers and the endangered mountain gorillas they protect as they are caught in the crossfire of poachers, militia and industry in Africa’s oldest national park.  
     
    “Leo intuitively understands that there is nothing like the power of film to reach people’s hearts and minds,” said Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos.
     
    “With Virunga, we’ll work with Leo to introduce viewers around the world to an incredible, gripping story that will have audiences guessing right up until the final act.”