Category: Hollywood

  • Winfrey, Knowles, Shakira in Forbes list of powerful women

    Winfrey, Knowles, Shakira in Forbes list of powerful women

    NEW DELHI: Actor-presenter Oprah Winfrey and singer Beyonce Knowles have once again made it to the Forbes list of ‘The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.’

     

    While Wifrey is at number 14, Knowles is at number 17, just ahead of Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer at 18.

     

    PepsiCo chairperson and CEO Indra Nooyi is placed at 13 (as against 10 last year) while Cisco Systems chief technology and strategy officer Padmasree Warrior is at 71 (against 57 last year).

     

    Actor Angelina Jolie is at number 50 and has fallen from last year’s ranking of 37.

     

    Other prominent women from the media and entertainment industry in the list are Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairperson Amy Pascal at 28, actress Sofia Vergara at 32, NBC Universal chairperson Bonnie Hammer at 42, TV Personality and comedienne Ellen DeGeneres at 46, Huffington Post editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington at 52,  singers Shakira Mebarak at 48 and Lady Gaga at 67 and Chinese actress Yao Chen at 83.

  • Metallica releases new song

    Metallica releases new song

    MUMBAI: It was in March, this year, that Metallica first debuted the song at a concert in Bogotá, Colombia.

     

    The new recording dubbed ‘First Pass Version’ clocks in eight minutes and 20 seconds and recalls the group’s 80s offerings, with a fiery solo from lead guitarist Kirk Hammett.

     

    Drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone that the song is fairly representative of where our creative headspace is at right now.” 

     

    Whether the track makes the final cut of Metallica’s next album remains to be seen, but it will by synching with all ESPN’s programming in the US on 21 June 2014.

     

    The band is currently on their ‘Metallica By Request’ run of dates, and are due to headline the main stages at Glastonbury Festival on 28 June, and Sonisphere Festival on 6 July.

     

    They recently took time out to play the MusiCares MAP Fund gala in California where they paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, whilst frontman James Hetfield joined forces with former Van Hale frontman Sammy Hagar at a benefit concert Acoustic-4-a-Cure.

  • ‘CineEurope Final Night Awards’ honours movie industry luminaries, companies

    ‘CineEurope Final Night Awards’ honours movie industry luminaries, companies

    MUMBAI: Movie industry luminaries and companies were honoured at the CineEurope Awards ceremony and dinner reception on 19 June at the Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona (CCIB), in Barcelona, Spain.

     

    A dinner reception, sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company and Rentrak, preceded the awards ceremony which was also hosted by The Coca-Cola Company. This year, a new award was presented honouring charitable works by the football club, FC Barcelona.

     

    “CineEurope is proud to join with Variety to present the first Variety International Children’s Fund Humanitarian Award to FC Barcelona and its foundation,” stated managing director Robert Sunshine at the convention. “This award is being presented to FC Barcelona because of their global reach to help children who so desperately need it. Their work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help eradicate poverty and polio are to be commended and FC Barcelona is truly deserving of this award.”

     

    The Variety International Children’s Fund Humanitarian Award was presented by Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO, DreamWorks Animation, and Miss World 2013, Megan Young.

     

    Other awards that were presented at the CineEurope Awards Ceremony include Rentrak’s International Box Office Achievement Award, presented to Warner Bros. Pictures International for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug; CineEurope’s Independent Film Award to Germany’s Constant in Film; International Exhibitor of the Year Award to Vue Entertainment deputy CEO and CFO Alan McNair and The Coca-Cola Retail Achievement Award.

     

    CineEurope will take place from 16-19 June at the Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona (CCIB) in Barcelona, Spain. It will feature screenings of upcoming Hollywood films, sponsored events, timely and informative seminars and the CineEurope Trade Show. CineEurope is produced by Prometheus Global Media, owner of leading entertainment publications and events including Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Backstage, Adweek, Film Journal International, Dick Clark Productions, the CLIO Awards, ShowEast, and CineAsia.

     

    CineEurope is the Official Convention of the Union Internationale des Cinémas/International Union of Cinemas (UNIC).

  • Discovery Communications bags two Apollo Award

    Discovery Communications bags two Apollo Award

    NEW DELHI: Three entries from India including two from Discovery Communications India featured in the award-winners list of the 2014 Apollo Awards organised by Asia Image.

     

    Discovery Communications India bagged two awards for the same programme – ‘Himalayan Tsunami’ produced by Beach House Pictures. It received the awards for Colour Grading by Karen Ng and Sound Design category- Long Form by Jerry Teo.

     

    The third Indian award went to Merzin Tavaria and Alex Pejic for Visual Effects/ CGI – Long Form for two films ‘White House Down’ by Prime Focus.

     

    The awards were given away last night at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, alongside BroadcastAsia at the 19th International Digital Multimedia & Entertainment Technology Exhibition & Conference. 

     

    Out of 165 submissions received, 42 entries made the final cut after being judged by a panel of judges that combines extensive technical knowledge, critically acclaimed creativity, and years of experience in the media and entertainment industry. The results are tabulated and audited by international auditing firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers. 

     

    Seven Indian entries had been shortlisted. While ‘Kai Po Che!’ had been shortlisted for Colour Grading for Merzin Tavaria and Paresh Acharya of Prime Focus, Discovery Communications India made it to the list for Cinematography – Long Form for Sanjay Agarwal filming ‘Everest: India Army Women’s Expedition’ produced by Robin Roy Films. The other Indian entries were: Sandeep Shelar & Ashok in Art Direction for ‘Ixigo’ by Studio Eeksaurus Productions Pvt. Ltd; and Merzin Tavaria for Visual Effects/ CGI – Long Form for ‘The Great Gatsby’ by Prime Focus. 

    “We will continue to evolve and remain relevant to provide industry players with a driving force that truly celebrates excellent performance. All our winners have made major contributions towards their respective fields, and we are proud to honour their achievements,” said Apollo Awards organiser Raymond Wong.

    “Also, we thank our sponsors and partners for your generosity and contributions. The Awards wouldn’t have been so momentous without your kind support, endorsement and presence,” added Wong.

    The ceremony brought together around 150 industry professionals, who celebrated the joyous occasion with all the award winners. First launched in 2005, the Asia Image Apollo Awards is an initiative aimed at honouring the best in production and post-production across Asia Pacific, with a strong focus on the creative and technical mastery behind the scenes.

  • Warner Bros plans a Scooby Doo reboot film

    Warner Bros plans a Scooby Doo reboot film

    MUMBAI: Deadline Hollywood reports that Warner Bros is in the early stages of launching a new Scooby-Doo film. Warner Bros. studio made a live-action comedy Scooby Doo in 2002 directed by Raja Gosnell based on the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon series. The film starred Freddie Prinze Jr, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini and Isla Fisher as the young sleuths. The plot revolves around Mystery Incorporated, a five member group who solves mysteries. After a two-year disbandment, the group reunites to investigate a mystery on a popular horror resort.

     

    The film grossed $268 million worldwide, and Warner Bros and Gosnell made a sequel two years later Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed in 2004 which starred Jackson Rathbone, Seth Greene and Alicia Silverstone in addition to the original cast members.

     

    No further details have been released so far about the planned reboot, except Charles Roven will return to being producer , just like he was for the two aforementioned films.

  • Documentary on Francois Truffaut’s ‘Cinema according to Hitchcock’ to be produced

    Documentary on Francois Truffaut’s ‘Cinema according to Hitchcock’ to be produced

    NEW DELHI: A feature documentary is set to be produced based on the recordings that led to fame of filmmaker Francois Truffaut’s internationally acclaimed 1966 book ‘Cinema according to Hitchcock.’

     

    Cohen Media Group, Artline Films and Arte have partnered to produce Hitchcock/Truffaut, to be directed by Kent Jones (A Letter to Elia, Director of the New York Film Festival) and co-written by Jones and Serge Toubiana (Director of Cinematheque Francaise).  An American-French co-production, it will be released in the spring of 2015. Cohen Media Group will handle world-wide sales.

     

    The film will journey through the extensive series of conversations between master filmmaker of mystery and horror films Alfred Hitchcock and Truffaut, illustrating their love for filmmaking and demonstrating their impact on modern world cinema.

     

    Legendary scenes from Hitchcock’s films intercut with comment and opinion from contemporary filmmakers will reinforce his iconic stature as one of the most influential directors of our time.

     

     “For me, in many ways, cinema began with Francois Truffaut’s book about Alfred Hitchcock,” said Jones. “For me, and for many others, the book was more than formative – it was essential and direct. I was so excited when I was offered the chance to make this film, an inquiry into the adventure and excitement of directing films, of translating felt emotions into moving images.”

     

    Since its publication, the book has been dubbed the “Bible of cinema” by many international filmmakers. The film will feature interviews and accounts from some of the most prominent and influential directors in the world of cinema including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, James Gray, Brian De Palma, Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Olivier Assayas, Arnaud Desplechin and David Fincher. These directors will share how “Hitchcock/Truffaut” shaped their careers, transformed cinema and introduced the French New Wave and “New Hollywood” to the world.

     

     Segments from the 1962 original recordings between the two filmmakers will also feature, allowing audiences to hear candid discussions between Hitchcock and Truffaut and to witness, first- hand, this quintessential moment in cinematic history.

  • Hugh Grant gives details on his new rom-com at SIFF

    Hugh Grant gives details on his new rom-com at SIFF

    MUMBAI: British actor Hugh Grant addressed the Shanghai International Film Festival press contingent on 15 June about his latest movie The Rewrite. Grant plays the role of a screenwriter in the Marc Lawrence-directed movie which will be screened at this year’s festival.

     

    The Rewrite is the story of a screenwriter named Keith Michaels who at one time was very successful and won a Golden Globe. His career is in a terrible place after 15 years and he ends up teaching in a university in New York.

     

    There he meets Holly, a single mom with two jobs, trying to earn her bachelor’s degree. She helps to change his attitude towards teaching. “It’s not exactly a romantic comedy,” Grant said at the contingent. “There is romance, and it certainly is a comedy, but I would say its closer to About A Boy. It’s really about a man who seems completely lost and who discovers a new life.”

     

    Grant has starred in three other films directed by Lawrence, Did You Hear About the Morgans?, Music & Lyrics and Two Weeks Notice. Grant is popular with movie fans in China for his roles in romantic comedies like Love Actually, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary and more.

     

    Grant won a Golden Globe Award for his role in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

  • The Avengers’ Loki set to dawn a country star’s hat in new biopic

    The Avengers’ Loki set to dawn a country star’s hat in new biopic

    MUMBAI: Keeping his villainous persona as The Avengers’ Loki on hold momentarily, Tom Hiddleston will play country western singer Hank Williams in Marc Abraham’s I Saw the Light, which will recount the legendary country musician’s rise to fame and the tragic downfall that ensued.

     

    Hiddleston, who will do his own singing in the film, has appeared as Loki in Thor, The Avengers and Thor: The Dark World. He recently wrapped Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak and will soon start work on Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise.

     

    The film is written and directed by Abraham and is based on the bestselling biography by Colin Escott’s biography. The film is scheduled to begin production in Louisiana in October. Via Sony ATV, the production has secured rights to the Williams music catalogue including hits as “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Hey Good Lookin’” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart.”

  • Transformers’ Optimus Prime in India

    Transformers’ Optimus Prime in India

    MUMBAI: Transformers is back this year with Transformers – Age of Extinction, an amalgamation of drama, emotions and high octane action. Star lined with Mark Wahlberg, who plays the role of a single dad raising his daughter – Nicola Peltz, the movie is directed by Michael Bay.

     

    Aiming to bring viewers a step closer to their favourite hero – Optimus Prime, the makers have made a whopping 12-foot high statue that weighs about 300kg. Warrior, fearless and righteous – Optimus Prime is the ultimate leader of the Autobots who are constantly raging wars against a rival faction of robots called the Decepticons.

     

    Under a special license from Hasbro (American multinational that is one of the largest toy makers in the world), this figurine is made to exact design specifications. The viewing experience of this complex figurine has been enhanced by intricate lighting. Encased in a special package, a dedicated container has been hired to transport the robot locally around India. Optimus Prime will tour six cities, starting with Pune and eventually making his way to Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

     

    In a bid to capitalise on this diehard devotion that fans have for Optimus Prime, Viacom18 Motion Pictures has initiated a digital contest across social media. According to this, fans will be asked three simple questions, with the winners getting an opportunity to click a selfie with the mammoth figurine in their city. Not only this, the winners will also attend an exclusive fan screening to watch the film before the rest of the world.

     

    Elaborating on the same, Viacom18 Motion Pictures VP- marketing Rudrarup Dutta said, “Optimus Prime symbolises the spirit of the Transformers as their leader and is worshipped as a hero by the ever growing Transformers fan base. This massive figurine is our way to bring Optimus Prime alive for his fans who will be able to greet him and as part of the campaign, get a once in a lifetime opportunity to click a ‘Selfie with Optimus’. Establishing the sheer magnitude and scale of this edition of Transformers, the initiative therefore aims at building an on ground connect in a unique and engaging manner with the fans.”

     

    Distributed by Viacom18 Motion Pictures in India, Transformers: Age of Extinction will be released on 27 June 2014.

  • James Franco and Seth Rogen’s ‘The Interview’ trailer released

    James Franco and Seth Rogen’s ‘The Interview’ trailer released

    MUMBAI: Columbia Pictures, via Sony Pictures Entertainment just released the first preview trailer of its upcoming action comedy The Interview starring James Franco and Seth Rogen.

     

    In the action comedy, Dave Skylark is king of the celebrity interview and host of the hit night time talk show ‘Skylark Tonight.’ The brain behind Dave’s empire is his producer and best friend, Aaron Rapoport. Unfulfilled, Aaron yearns to do meaningful work. He scores the chance of a lifetime when he secures an interview for Dave with Kim Jong-Un, the mysterious and ruthless dictator of a nuclear-armed North Korea. As Dave and Aaron prepare to leave for North Korea, they are approached by the CIA and asked to assassinate Kim. They accept the mission, becoming two of the least qualified men ever to assassinate – or interview – the most dangerous man on earth.

     

    The film stars Academy Award nominee James Franco (127 Hours) as Dave Skylark and Golden Globe Award nominee Seth Rogen (50/50) – who also co-wrote and co-directed the film with his longtime collaborator Golden Globe Award nominee Evan Goldberg – as Aaron Rapaport, with Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex). Randall Park and Timothy Simons from the HBO comedy Veep also star.

     

    Click here to watch the trailer