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Category: Hollywood

  • Apple Original Films announces ‘The Gorge’ with Anya Taylor-Joy & Miles Teller

    Apple Original Films announces ‘The Gorge’ with Anya Taylor-Joy & Miles Teller

    Mumbai: Apple Original Films has announced Skydance’s new feature film, The Gorge, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller.

    This is a high-action, genre-bending love story directed by Scott Derrickson and based on a spec script by Zach Dean. In addition to starring, Teller will serve as an executive producer on the film. Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger are producing alongside Crooked Highway’s Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, and Sherryl Clark, as well as Zach Dean, Adam Kohlbrenner, and Greg Goodman.

    The Gorge hails from a first-look partnership with Apple and Skydance Media and will join feature films including The Greatest Beer Run Ever, from director Peter Farrelly, that stars Zac Efron, now streaming on Apple TV+; Ghosted, a high-concept romantic action adventure film starring Chris Evans and Ana de Armas, and directed by Dexter Fletcher; and The Family Plan. This is an action-comedy starring Mark Wahlberg.

    The film marks the latest collaboration for Skydance and Miles Teller, following his leading role in Top Gun: Maverick. Skydance and screenwriter Zach Dean also recently collaborated on The Tomorrow War.

  • DC celebrates Batman Day with online contests, global events and much more

    DC celebrates Batman Day with online contests, global events and much more

    Mumbai: DC has announced that it will celebrate Batman Day on 17 September by providing fans with free comics at participating comic book shops. Titles available include “Batman: Hush” by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee and “Batman’s Mystery Casebook – Batman Day Special Edition #1” by writer Sholly Fisch and artist Christopher Uminga.

    Global celebrations for DC’s Batman will once again span the globe as fans celebrate the world’s greatest detective and over 80 years of storytelling around “The Dark Knight.”

    In India, fans will get to participate in exciting social media contests hosted by partner brands like Boat, Shop The Arena, etc. and win gift hampers worth Rs 2,499 to celebrate Dark Knight’s Day.

    In the month of September, Warner Bros. consumer products and merchandise brands such as Be Young, BonKids, That Dog in Tuxedo, Redwolf and many others will offer Batman fans the chance to immerse in the world of Gotham with cool range of Batman products on sale on their websites and also have a chance to win gift hampers worth Rs 2,499 and Rs 2,999.

    DC is also releasing a special edition of 2002’s “Batman #608,” the first chapter of Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s 12-part mystery spanning Gotham City and the Dark Knight’s greatest foes, to get fans excited about the upcoming “Batman: Hush 20th Anniversary Edition” hardcover, available in October.

    Fans anywhere can tune in and see that Batman’s incredible Rogue’s Gallery has hacked Batman’s social channels–and is taking over the DC Shop! DC fans can follow along on social media as iconic super-villains share their thoughts on the world’s greatest detective on Batman on Twitter, and check the DC Shop for new, super-villain themed merchandise.

    Batman Day with HBO Max

    HBO Max announced the lead voice cast behind the upcoming animated feature-length film “Batman Azteca: Choque De Imperios.”  Kids and families can also celebrate with Batwheels, DC’s first-ever Batman preschool series, which will zoom into Batman Day with a half-hour origin special premiering exclusively first on Cartoonito on HBO Max in the US and LATAM.

  • ‘Jurassic Park Dominion’ film roars at the box-office

    ‘Jurassic Park Dominion’ film roars at the box-office

    Mumbai: Facing mixed reviews and up against blockbusters such as “Top Gun” in the North American market and “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2” in India, Universal/Amblin Entertainment’s “Jurassic World Dominion” roared into theatres over the weekend with estimated international box office figures at $389 million placing it on top in numerous markets and showing that it may be critic proof against any bad reviews.

    “Dominion” took a bite out of the North American Market with an estimated $143.4 million in ticket sales. The film opened on 4,676 screens in the US and Canada & cost a reported $185 million to produce, not accounting for marketing & promotion.

    In India, “Jurassic World Dominion” opened strong and is likely to be the highest opening ever for the franchise. The film opened on 2,749 screens and the final weekend tally could be in the vicinity of Rs 33 – 35 crore net.

    The impressive figures are yet another marker that the box office continues to rebound this summer. With blockbusters like “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” and “Bhool Bhulaiyaa,” audiences are now heading back into theaters with more consistency.

    “Jurassic World Dominion” is the sequel to “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” (2018), the sixth installment in the “Jurassic Park” franchise and the conclusion to the storyline that started in the original “Jurassic Park” trilogy.

    Colin Trevorrow directs the film and also co-wrote the screenplay with Emily Carmichael which is based on a story by Trevorrow and Derek Connolly.

    In an exclusive interview with Trevorrow and cast members streamed before the release of the film at Hollywood Chinese Theatre, he expressed a wish that audience goers, “Get loud! Everyone watching, yell things at the screen, laugh, cry and do it all loudly. We are in theatres watching movies which hasn’t happened for a long time, so let’s enjoy it.”

    The film stars an ensemble cast including Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, BD Wong, Omar Sy, Isabella Sermon, Justice Smith and Daniella Pineda reprising their roles from previous films in the franchise, and are joined by DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, Campbell Scott, Scott Haze, and Dichen Lachman.

    Dern, Goldblum and Neill reprise their roles from the “Jurassic Park” trilogy, appearing together for the first time since the 1993 film. The film is set four years after the events of “Fallen Kingdom,” with dinosaurs now living alongside humans around the world as locusts begin threatening the world’s food supply.

    However, some film critics weren’t biting, with this sixth instalment of the franchise having gained the unwanted distinction of being the worst-reviewed yet with a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 30 per cent from critics. Yet, fans can’t seem to get enough of these dinosaurs with an audience approval rating of 80 percent.

    “Jurassic World Dominion” sold itself on a combination of nostalgia and finality, even though it may be extremely unlikely that we’ll never see another one. However, as it is billed as the last instalment of the “Jurassic” era, the film’s stars expressed a certain wistfulness. Leading lady, Bryce Dallas Howard said, “It is a very meaningful, very powerful experience. I think all of us will treasure and hold on to it forever. It’s incredibly bittersweet that it’s coming to a close.” Jeff Goldblum added, “It’s been a profound privilege. Like many moments in life or a passion at work, I’m always inspired by it.”  

    As for now, you can only see “Jurassic World: Dominion” in theaters. Last year, an unprecedented number of new theatrical movies streamed online the same day they hit cinemas. But this year, as COVID-19 restrictions have eased and audiences returned to cinemas, the practice has nearly vanished. Pretty much all movies now get at least a month and a half in theaters exclusively. However, in the case of “Jurassic World: Dominion,” it may be much longer, it’s unlikely to happen anytime before late July and could be as far out as early October. “Jurassic World Dominion” will stream first on Peacock. Peacock is owned by Comcast’s NBCUniversal, and Universal Pictures is the movie’s distributor.

    Elsewhere at the box office, “Top Gun: Maverick’ is still strong at No. 2 with an additional $50 million at the North American box office, bringing its total to $393 million. It flew past $700 million worldwide, earning $747 million globally. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” continued to conjure box office magic at third place, earning an additional $4.8 million.

    In India, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2” saw an uptick in collections on its fourth Saturday with numbers growing by 60 per cent versus Friday as it netted Rs. 2.10 – 2.25 crore. “Samrat Prithviraj” netted Rs. 54.60 crore in its first week. After Rs 1.80 crore second Friday, the film grew on its second Saturday but the numbers remained on the lower side hovering around the Rs 2.10 – 2.25 crore mark.

  • Stashfin’s all-in-one credit line card partners with ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

    Stashfin’s all-in-one credit line card partners with ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

    Mumbai: Stashfin has announced a 20 per cent cashback reward on movie tickets to ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, distributed by Viacom18 Studios in India, and directed by Joseph Kosinski, starring Tom Cruise.

    With a brand promise of ‘Nobody in India should be credit starved’, Stashfin said that it has been working towards the financial inclusion of various customer segments who find it hard to be accepted by traditional banking systems. The company also helps the underrepresented build their credit footprint to enable them to improve their quality of life.

    Hollywood star Tom Cruise returns as aviator Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Cardholders will get up to 20 per cent cashback while booking movie tickets using the Stashfin Credit Line Card on BookMyShow, PVRCinemas, and Inox.

    Stashfin co-founder Shruti Aggarwal said, “We, at Stashfin, are thrilled to be associated with Top Gun: Maverick starring Tom Cruise. I’m excited about this being our first Hollywood collaboration, and I hope there’ll be similar collaborations in the future. I also hope our customers make the most of this offer and enjoy their movie-watching experience.”

  • Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness creating magic at box office

    Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness creating magic at box office

    Mumbai: The summer movie season soared to a magical start thanks to “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.” The superhero action extravaganza grossed an estimated $185 million in ticket sales in its first weekend in US and Canadian theaters, the Walt Disney Co. said on Sunday.

    Not only did it more than double the opening of the first “Doctor Strange”, which opened to $85 million in 2016, but it’s also the biggest opener of the year, ahead of “The Batman’s” $134 million; the second biggest of the pandemic, behind “Spider-Man: Far From Home’s” $260.1 million; and the sixth biggest of all time globally.

    International markets are holding fast and setting new records. Friday added five more hubs to take the total to 49. India debuted the Sam Raimi-directed pic at $4.3 million for No. 1 and the fourth-highest Hollywood launch day of all time. Spain’s No. 1 start of $2.5 million is the best opening day of the pandemic and Turkey’s $700K set a benchmark for the top opening Friday in history. In total, “Doctor Strange and Multiverse of Madness” have already made a commanding $450 million.

    Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to “Doctor Strange” (2016) and the 28th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Sam Raimi, written by Michael Waldron, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. In the film, Strange protects America Chavez (Gomez), a teenager capable of travelling the multiverse, from the villainous, Wanda Maximoff (Olsen).

    “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on 2 May, and was released in the United States on 6 May, as part of phase four of the MCU. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Raimi’s direction, the visual effects, musical score, and performances of the cast (particularly Cumberbatch, Olsen, and Gomez), although the pacing received some criticism. The film currently sits at 75 percent of fresh critics’ reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

    Spider-Man is at least partially to thank for the massive debut of “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness”: Benedict Cumberbatch’s powerful sorcerer appeared prominently in “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, which has become the third biggest movie of all time since opening in December. Additionally, Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff is seen as a plus in regards to attracting a potentially younger female demo than usual for an MCU title.

    Fanbase favourite, Sam Raimi stepped up to direct “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”, which reportedly cost around $200 million to make — though that number doesn’t account for the many more millions spent on marketing and promotion.

    The film also has a gigantic footprint. It’s playing in 4,534 theaters in the US and Canada alone, which according to Disney is the seventh widest opening ever. Premium format screens, including IMAX and 3D, accounted for 36 percent of the overall box office.

    “This is a total win for the industry for whom the last two summers almost didn’t exist in terms of box office,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “Marvel has been kicking off summers for over a decade. This is a return to normalcy.”

    The success of “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness” only helps build momentum for the big summer movies on the way, like “Top Gun: Maverick” on 27 May. “We’ve got a real summer movie season on our hands, something we couldn’t have imagined two years ago,” Dergarabedian said. “It’s been a long time coming.”

    There was little left for other movies playing in theaters. Part of that is due to the fact that many multiplexes chose to pack their theaters with wall-to-wall “Doctor Strange” screenings. 

    Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Bad Guys” fell to second place in its third weekend with an estimated $9.8 million, while “Sonic the Hedgehog 2”, from Paramount, landed in third with $6.2 million.

    “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” took fourth with $3.9 million, bringing its domestic total to $86 million. And in fifth place was another multiverse-themed film, “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” It had a slight dip in its seventh weekend but is still speeding along with an additional $3.3 million from 1,542 screens in its seventh weekend in theaters. The A24 film has grossed $41.6 million in total.

  • Lionsgate India to release ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ in cinemas on 22 April

    Lionsgate India to release ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ in cinemas on 22 April

    Mumbai: After two years of raging pandemic and continual shutdown, Lionsgate India has announced a theatrical release for new film “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” starring Nicolas Cage. The film will be released and distributed by Cinepolis and Pen Marudhar in India on 22 April.

    The film portrays fictionalised version of the seminal award-winning actor who faces financial ruin and must accept a $ one million offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous superfan. It all takes an unexpected turn when a CIA operative recruit him to take down the superfan. He is forced to channel his most iconic and beloved on-screen characters to save himself and his loved ones, said the statement.

    The film is directed by Tom Gormican and written by Kevin Etten. “Nicolas Cage is unbelievably talented and can do any genre,” said director and co-writer Tom Gormican. “There are very few actors that can do every genre equally well, who can switch from comedy to drama – sometimes within the same project – and that’s fascinating to me.”

    “We have always been committed to bring exciting premium content for audiences,” said Lionsgate EVP Amit Dhanuka. “Watching Nicolas Cage and his supreme screen presence on a big screen is surely a treat for many of us, at least me. With its exciting narrative and a gripping action-comedy, this film is set to take you on a wild entertainment.”

    Nicholas Cage added, “This is Tom’s invented version of Nick Cage – a neurotic, high-anxiety version of Nick Cage. This film is a real head trip for me.”

  • The Batman soars to a solid box office opening

    The Batman soars to a solid box office opening

    Mumbai: Actor Robert Pattinson’s childhood dream of playing Batman turned into box office success and a dream-come-true for Warner Bros as “The Batman” packed a punch, exceeding expectations and grossing $128.5 million domestically in its opening weekend. It was the best opening weekend for a film since Sony Picture Entertainment’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” earned $260.1 million in its December debut, according to box office tracker, Comscore. 

    The opening also served as a signal light of hope that moviegoers are eager for a return to theatres. Warner Bros has reportedly committed to a 45-day window of exclusivity in theatres. Following that 45-day period, “The Batman” will hit HBO Max for streaming.
    Internationally, “The Batman” loomed large collecting $120 million in box office receipts in 74 overseas markets. The film had the best turnout in the United Kingdom, where it earned $18.4 million, followed by Mexico, where it earned $12 million. Other top territories include Australia ($9.2 million), Brazil ($8.8 million), France ($8.5 million), Germany ($5.1 million) and Korea ($4.4 million). The Batman doesn’t open in China, which is currently the world’s biggest theatrical market, until 18 March. It won’t play at all in Russia after Warner Bros opted to pull its release following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

    In India, “The Batman” opened on 4 March to enthusiastic audiences and, according to BoxOfficeIndia, the film has raked in Rs 7.5 crore net on the second day of its release. Now, the total collection of the film in India is Rs 14 crore. The film is doing well in the metro cities and with Maharashtra allowing cinema halls at 100 per cent occupancy, this has boosted the collections.

    The dark take on the character, in which Batman investigates corruption in Gotham following the murders of several of the city’s prominent figures by the sadistic serial killer, the Riddler, has earned positive reviews. Variety’s Peter Debruge naming it a critic’s pick and writing that the “grounded, frequently brutal and nearly three-hour film noir registers among the best of the genre, even if, or more aptly because  of its willingness to dismantle and interrogate the very concept of superheroes.” 

    Audiences are also being extremely receptive, with the film scoring an ‘A-‘ CinemaScore, indicating strong approval from general ticket buyers. In addition, critics have praised Robert Pattinson for his fresh/gritty interpretation of the character. 

    Pattinson, who rose to global fame with the Twilight movies, follows in the footsteps of Adam West, Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale and, more recently, Ben Affleck, among others, to play Bruce Wayne/Batman. Zoë Kravitz, who plays Catwoman was also singled out for critical commendation. Directed by Matt Reeves, “The Batman” also stars Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis and Paul Dano. 

    As reported in Variety, domestic audience demographics revealed a heavily male crowd for “The Batman” at 67 per cent, with the 18-34 crowd at 62 per cent, per PostTrak. Diversity draw was 41 per cent Caucasian, 26 per cent Latino and Hispanic, 17 per cent Black, and 16 per cent Asian/other. 

    Other CinemaScore audience diagnostics are showing males at 65 per cent, giving the movie an A-, females a B+ at 35 per cent. Those over 35 factored at 31 per cent of the crowd, while those over 50 showed up at 11 per cent. A- grades largely throughout all demos.

    Prior to this weekend, Tom Holland’s video game adaptation “Uncharted” held the title for the biggest opening weekend of the year with $44 million in initial sales. Now in second place, the Sony Pictures film pocketed $11 million from 3,875 theaters between Friday and Sunday, pushing “Uncharted” past $100 million at the domestic box office. Overseas, the PG-13 “Uncharted” added another $17.4 million from 64 foreign markets. Those revenues take the film to $171.3 million internationally and $271.5 million globally. 

    Elsewhere, Channing Tatum’s canine adventure “Dog” landed in third position with $ six million from 3,507 theaters. The road-trip buddy comedy is somewhat of an anomaly because it has managed to entice audiences without involving superheroes or intense CG-action sequences. “Dog” continues to surprise at the box office, crossing $40 million in North America over the weekend.

    Holdovers “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Death on the Nile” took spots four and five on domestic box office charts.

  • Omicron surge: Uncertainty prevails at theatrical box office worldwide

    Omicron surge: Uncertainty prevails at theatrical box office worldwide

    Los Angeles: With the boom in box office grosses from ‘Spiderman: No Way Home’ beginning to subside and the Omicron surge taking its toll, movie theatres worldwide are facing a sobering reality that the first two months of the 2022 box office could turn out to be a gloomy dry spell.

    In the past week, according to TheWrap.com, Sony moved its next Marvel movie, the Jared Leto-led, ‘Morbius’ from late January to 1 April. Then, on Friday, Disney pulled the early-March Pixar film, ‘Turning Red’ from theaters entirely, instead of making it the third straight feature film from the animation studio to get an exclusive release on Disney+.

    That means that the US theaters will soon be lacking all three of the major ingredients for box office riches at this time of year — holiday holdovers, Oscar contenders, and major new releases — with only the prospect of Sony’s Tom Holland action film ‘Uncharted’ on 18 February and Warner Bros.’ ‘The Batman’ on 4 March is on the horizon to lure audiences in large numbers.

    Even prior to the pandemic, box office performances in January and February have been mixed. On one hand, films like ‘Hidden Figures’, ‘Bad Boys for Life’, and Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ found success with audiences in these early-year slots, combined with December releases like ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ and Oscar contenders like ‘La La Land’ to provide a solid start for the year. However, for the next four to eight weeks, the 2022 box office appears unlikely to see those levels of success play out again.

    To complicate matters, Omicron is beginning to play havoc in Hollywood as a surge in cases is causing production delays. As reported in the Los Angeles Times, despite a rebound in film and TV production in late 2021, as the Covid-19 crises began to subside, the recent emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant now threatens production output as studios push back work once again. “We’re not seeing the typical level of rebound of production,” FilmLA President Paul Audley told The Times. “We’re hearing from people who are asking to cancel or postpone their permits right now.” FilmLA is the nonprofit group that handles film permits for the Hollywood region.

    The International Box Office faces similar yet unique challenges as the new Omicron variant causes concern around the globe. The new year begins as did the previous one, with cinema closures in several markets. Europe has been particularly affected, with Netherlands and Denmark in complete lockdown and restrictions in many others. Meanwhile, a slowdown in Hollywood productions due to Omicron could eventually hit the International Box Office’s bottom line.  Although Q1 is looking soft, some studio executives are hopeful that the overseas landscape, particularly in the northern hemisphere, will settle down by spring with moviegoers ready to return in Q2 with some normalcy.

    A unique international box office wildcard, as reported by Deadline, is China. With a powerhouse 44 per cent of the 2021 worldwide box office haul, China has been more ornery to navigate than usual, notably not approving a single movie with a Marvel character in 2021, from Disney’s ‘Black Widow’ straight through to Sony’s ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and having a huge influence on the International Box Office in the process.

    In general, China appears to be putting the brakes on Hollywood. 2021 already saw fewer than 20 revenue-sharing movies allowed in, versus 30-plus in 2019. There are varying theories as to why this is happening, which include the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party, which put the focus on local so-called “propaganda” movies like the $900 million-plus grosser ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’. There also appears to be the targeted blackballing of Marvel. Some believe it may be linked to Black Widow’s depiction of communism, while some think the slate of films was a no-go as years-old comments allegedly made by ‘Eternals’ helmer Chloé Zhao surfaced last year.

    However, notable Hollywood titles that did release in China in 2021 include ‘A Quiet Place Part II’, ‘F9’, ‘Godzilla vs Kong’, ‘Dune’, and ‘Free Guy’. China also allowed films such as ‘Jungle Cruise’ and ‘Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins’ which had already been out elsewhere for months. In doing so, USC professor and China expert Stanley Rosen told Deadline, “They are showing that they’re not closed off, but they are telling Hollywood, ‘We don’t really need you and we will pick and choose for whatever reasons we want to’.”

    Does it matter to China that it left potentially hundreds of millions of dollars on the table by not releasing the Marvel movies? While an oft-heard refrain is that China doesn’t care about money, it’s also said the country does care about cultural power. And, though it may be entirely capable of churning out local films that gross well over $500M at home, without Hollywood products, sources believe it will not be able to feed its ever-growing number of screens (currently 82,248 and eyed at 100K by 2025).

    Rosen stated, “They don’t need Hollywood as much as they used to, that’s very clear. But, they want to be the number one film market in the world and want to show themselves as a global power and not close off. That includes film, so they need to have Hollywood products to show that.”

    As both the Domestic and International Box Offices eye a hopeful Q2, uncertainty remains as Covid-19 (including the Omicron strain) and China appear to hold blind cards to handing 2022 a winning box office prize.

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ leaps to box office success amid Omicron concerns

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ leaps to box office success amid Omicron concerns

    Los Angeles: No one could be surprised that ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ would be one of this year’s box office biggest heroes but it’s spinning its way to becoming the best December domestic opening with $253 million, the best ever for Sony and the third best-ever among all films beating 2015’s ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ domestic opening of $247.9 million.

    The film, released exclusively in theatres, is attracting enthusiastic moviegoers with record-breaking support in the US. This is big news for theaters whose continued existence seems under constant threat due to the sustained Covid-19 pandemic.

    American Multi-Cinema (AMC) announced Friday that roughly 1.1 million moviegoers attended the opening night of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ in the US, making it the highest-grossing opening night for a December title in AMC’s history. Cinemark called the film’s debut its “best opening night of all time.” And Regal said the film became its second-highest Thursday box office title in its history and shattered records for IMAX, 4DX, ScreenX, and RPX formats.

    Worldwide, the film, starring Tom Holland as Marvel’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, is crushing box office records — with this weekend’s global $587.2 million tally, it ranks as the third-biggest worldwide debut in history behind “Avengers: Endgame” (a historic $1.2 billion) and “Avengers: Infinity War” ($640 million). Notably, the top two films opened in China, which is currently the world’s biggest movie-going market, while ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ has yet to secure a release date there.

    In India, the movie continues to keep the Indian box office buzzing. In just three days, the film has managed to cross the Rs 100 crore mark beating other Bollywood films. The much-awaited superhero action film was released on 16 December across 3,264 screens in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu versions.

    “This weekend’s historic ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ results, from all over the world and in the face of many challenges, reaffirm the unmatched cultural impact that exclusive theatrical films can have when they are made and marketed with vision and resolve,” said Sony’s Motion Picture Group chairman and CEO Tom Rothman as reported in Variety. “All of us at Sony Pictures, are deeply grateful to the fabulous talent, both in front of and behind the camera, that produced such a landmark film. Thanks to their brilliant work, this Christmas everyone can enjoy the big screen gift of 2021’s mightiest Super Hero — your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”

    Credit should also be given to Marvel itself for amping up the prestige of this sequel and fueling fans’ anticipation for months. Directed by Jon Watts, the third chapter in Holland’s trilogy takes place after Peter Parker’s identity is revealed to the world, upending the lives of his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya), his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), and his aunt May (Marisa Tomei).

    Critics have embraced ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, describing the film as a “satisfying meta-adventure.” Audiences have been equally receptive; the movie secured an “A+” CinemaScore and a 99 per cent Rotten Tomatoes average.

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ delivered a particularly strong turnout in western Europe, led by the United Kingdom. In the UK, ticket sales reached $41.4 million during its extended five-day opening to notch the fourth-biggest debut ever in that market. The film opened in France with $17.8 million, Italy with $13 million, Germany with $11.4 million, and Spain with $10.4 million. In eastern Europe, Russia led with $17.4 million, followed by Ukraine ($2.4 million) and Turkey ($1.4 million).

    Latin American countries webbed up $79.5 million in total, with Mexico’s five-day tally hitting $32.4 million, the country’s highest of all time. Argentina also recorded its best box office debut with $6.8 million, as did Ecuador with $3.7 million.

    In Asia, the movie notched the largest tally in South Korea ($23.7 million), followed by Hong Kong ($6.3 million). Other notable markets include Saudi Arabia ($5.2 million), Israel ($2.7 million), and New Zealand ($2.3 million).

  • Nitu Chandra Srivastava leads female cast in ‘Never Back Down: Revolt’

    Nitu Chandra Srivastava leads female cast in ‘Never Back Down: Revolt’

    Los Angeles: Sony Studios rolled out the red carpet as Nitu Chandra Srivastava made her Hollywood debut in the martial arts thriller “Never Back Down: Revolt.” Chandra Srivastava alongside actress Olivia Popica lead an ensemble cast highlighting the growing emergence of diverse and across-the-board female talent in Hollywood including the film’s director Kellie Madison and writer Audrey Arkins.

    The project features Chandra Srivastava as ‘Jaya,’ a fighter who is kidnapped and forced to battle in cut-throat underground fights in order to win her freedom from a subversive gang that runs a fight trafficking ring. The film is the fourth installment in the successful, multi-starrer “Never Back Down” franchise.

    Chandra Srivastava, who is a Blackbelt forth Dan in Taekwondo and has represented India in three championships said, “Since my childhood, I’ve been a martial artist and it’s been my dream to do a hardcore action film like this. I could not have asked for a better launch in Hollywood.”

    The actress is known for her performance in films like “Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!,” “13B,” “Traffic Signal,” and for producing the National Award-winning “Mithila Makhaan” (Maithili language film).

    In more than one way, Chandra Srivastava credits her martial arts training in her ultimate success in bagging the role of Jaya, “These skills have made me mentally and physically strong which, in the end, helped me land this role.”

    Of her female cast members, the actress stated, “There are so many fantastic and diverse female actors, I loved working with each one of them and I found sisters in all of them.”

    Director Kellie Madison said, “Nitu is filled with light and love and I’m so proud of each one of these women, who I hand-picked and came from every corner of the planet… Columbia, India, Canada, Romania and Indonesia. I’m grateful that the consciousness is changing and evolving for women in Hollywood. In the end, men and women just need to support one another. I’m a storyteller and I just want to be able to tell my stories.”

    “This is a movie where women unite to fight against the odds,” Chandra Srivastava said, “Kellie was so wonderful to work with because being a female, she understands the heart of another. I’m also grateful to producer David Zelon, who supported and trusted me with this role. We worked as a team.”

    “Never Back Down: Revolt” is being released against the backdrop of reports that women are making slow but steady progress towards equality in Hollywood. Female protagonists in movies are at an all-time high, however, more progress is needed, especially behind the camera, in production roles and executive positions.

    The film is produced by Sony Motion Pictures Worldwide and Mandalay Pictures and also features James Faulkner, Brooke Johnston and Michael Bisping. It was released in the US on 16 November on Blu-ray, DVD and streaming platforms and is scheduled to be released in India on 28 January 2022.