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Category: Hollywood

  • Marvel’s upcoming Batman v/s Superman pushed to 2016

    Marvel’s upcoming Batman v/s Superman pushed to 2016

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros announced on Friday, 17 January that the release of the upcoming sequel to the 2013 blockbuster superhero film, Man of Steel, will now be postponed to 7 May, 2016, nine months later than its previous 17 July, 2015 release date.

     

    As a result of this push to the release date, there’s a potential Warner Bros/DC showdown with rival Disney/Marvel. The movie will now see light of day on Mother’s Day weekend and will face off with Fox’s X-Men: Apocalypse, which comes only a week after. As it stands now, it will be Superman-Batman, X-Men the following weekend, and hot on their tail – The Amazing Spider-Man 3 from Sony.

     

    The Batman v/s Superman film is the high-profile follow-up to last summer’s Man of Steel, which grossed $668 million worldwide and rebooted the Superman franchise for Warner Bros.

     

    The follow-up movie, which also will feature The Caped Crusader, is in casting mode and has lined up Ben Affleck (Argo) as Batman and Gal Gadot (Fast & Furious franchise) as Wonder Woman in addition to Henry Cavill (Man of Steel), who is reprising his role as Superman. Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) is in negotiations for a role as well.

     

    Zack Snyder – 300 fame – is directing the movie, which is now undergoing a rewrite by – the Oscar-winning scribe who penned Argo – Chris Terrio.  David Goyer (co-writer of Man of Steel and creator of Da Vinci’s Demons) wrote the initial draft.

  • ‘Despicable Me 3’ set for June 2017 release

    ‘Despicable Me 3’ set for June 2017 release

    MUMBAI: Universal Pictures has announced dates on three upcoming high-profile projects and it means more Minions in the coming years, along with Grinch; the third installment of its incredibly successful animated franchise Despicable Me 3, and a “newly imagined” version of Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas and an untitled animated comedy from Despicable Me makers Illumination Entertainment.

     

    Universal today announced a 30 June, 2017, date for Despicable Me 3, the follow-up to last year’s first sequel, which has grossed $935.8 mn worldwide and just opened in it last territory, China. The studio also revealed dates for two other Illumination Entertainment toons: a new version of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas (17 November, 2017) and Untitled Illumination Project (21 December, 2016).

  • Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Gravity’ returning to wide release on 17 January

    Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Gravity’ returning to wide release on 17 January

    MUMBAI: Following months of overwhelming critical and audience acclaim and numerous year-end awards, Warner Bros Pictures is bringing Alfonso Cuarón’s cinematic achievement Gravity back to big screens in the US. The film, which stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, will be re-released on more than 900 screens on 17 January 2014, it was announced today by Warner Bros Pictures Domestic Distribution President Dan Fellman.

     

    Originally released on 4 October 2013, Gravity instantly became a favourite of both critics and audiences. It has since become one of the most honoured films of the year, most recently bringing a Golden Globe Award for Best Director to Alfonso Cuarón. The film has also received 11 BAFTA Award nominations and 10 Critics’ Choice Award nominations, both including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress (Bullock). It has also won Best Picture awards from several prestigious critics organisations, including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and has been included on 395 critics’ and critics groups’ top ten lists, as well as being named one of the AFI’s ten best films of the year. It was also announced as the year’s best reviewed film by the website Rotten Tomatoes.

     

    In addition, the talents behind the film have been recognised by their peers, with a Directors Guild of America Award nomination for Cuarón; a Producers Guild of America Award nomination for David Heyman and Cuarón; a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Bullock; a American Society of Cinematographers Award nomination for Emmanuel Lubezki; an Art Directors Guild Award nomination for Andy Nicholson; and an American Cinema Editors’ Eddie Award nomination for Cuarón and Mark Sanger.

     

    Gravity has also been a smash hit at the box office, earning more than $670 million worldwide and counting, with most moviegoers opting to view it in 3D. In making the announcement, Fellman stated, “We are thrilled by the many accolades for Gravity, which has generated renewed word-of-mouth and interest in seeing the film, whether for the first time or to experience it again. We wanted to give audiences everywhere another opportunity to see it the way it was meant to be seen—on the big screen.”

     

    Academy Award winners Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) and George Clooney (Syriana) star in Gravity, a heart-pounding thriller that pulls one into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space. The film is directed by Oscar nominee Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men).

  • ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ climbs to more than $800 million worldwide

    ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ climbs to more than $800 million worldwide

    BURBANK: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has crossed $800 million at the worldwide box office, with markets still to open. The film, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), has thus far grossed an estimated $242.2 million domestically and $566 million internationally, for a worldwide estimated total of $808.2 million to date.

     

    The joint announcement was made today by Gary Barber, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios; Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema; Sue Kroll, President of Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures; Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures; and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

     

    “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is the second film in Oscar®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson’s epic “The Hobbit” Trilogy, based on the timeless novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. The first film, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” was released on December 14, 2012, and went on to become a billion dollar success at the worldwide box office. Now in its fourth week in release, the film remains in the top five in the U.S. and continues to ranked #1 internationally across 62 territories, with China releasing February 21, followed by Japan on February 28.

     

    In making the announcement, Fellman said, “Peter Jackson has once again proven to be the perfect guide for an adventure through Middle-earth. As ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ continues to delight audiences in the New Year, we congratulate him and everyone involved in the film on another box office milestone.”

     

    Kwan Vandenberg added, “This is a film that has resonated with moviegoers around the globe in a big way. We look forward to bringing ‘Smaug’ to China and Japan in February.”

     

    From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

     

    Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. The international ensemble cast is led by Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. The film also stars Mikael Persbrandt, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Dean O’Gorman, Graham McTavish, Adam Brown, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ryan Gage, John Bell, Manu Bennett and Lawrence Makoare.

     

    The screenplay for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Philippa Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

     

    New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Present a WingNut Films Production, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.” The film is a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.

  • Quentin Tarantino’s next: ‘The Hateful Eight’

    Quentin Tarantino’s next: ‘The Hateful Eight’

    MUMBAI: Right around the time of the Golden Globe, rumor has it that Quentin Tarantino will complete his new script, which will be a western; the working title of the film right now is The Hateful Eight. “I had so much fun doing Django, and I love westerns so much that after I taught myself how to make one, it’s like ‘OK! Let me make another one now that I know what I’m doing,’” Tarantino told Jay Leno in November when he appeared on The Tonight Show.

     

    Tarantino has finished a draft, and is in the process of showing it to a handful of actors he wants for the picture. Nothing has been confirmed yet, however the title suggests Tarantino could be stepping up his game, playing off the title of John Sturges’ 1960 film The Magnificent Seven, which in turn was a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 Seven Samurai.

     

    No one has been cast yet, but Tarantino has reached out to veteran casting director Victoria Thomas, who worked on Django, to work with him on casting for the flick, say several insiders. A part has been written for Christoph Waltz, who starred in Tarantino’s Django and Inglourious Basterds. As rumor has it, another part has been written for Hollywood veteran Bruce Dern who, at the age of 77 and after a career worth of distinguished mostly supporting performances, has emerged as a Best Actor frontrunner in Alexander Payne‘s Nebraska.

     

    Pilar Savone, who served as a producer on Django and was also an associate producer on Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and Death Proof after being his assistant, is producing Hateful Eight.

  • Cineworld to buy European cinema chain

    Cineworld to buy European cinema chain

    MUMBAI: England’s largest movie theater operator, Cineworld, has announced that it will be buying over 100 multiplexes across Eastern Europe and Israel for $828 million (?503 million).

     

    The purchase will be done in a mix of cash and shares, from Cinema City International (CCI), listed on the Warsaw stock market in Poland.

     

    The company will pay CCI $448 million (?272 million) in cash, and has launched a $181 million (?110 million) share rights issue to help fund the purchase. The proposed tie-up with Cinema City will give it leading positions in Poland, Israel, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Slovakia. The cash and shares deal is due to complete in March.

     

    The merged group will have 201 outlets and 1,852 screens across Europe, with the addition of 966 from Cinema City making it the second largest operator in Europe behind Odeon UCI, which has more than 2,100 screens.

     

    According to The Financial Times, Cineworld, which snapped up 21 Picturehouse sites last year, shares rose 5.87 per cent at 415p, continues a run that has pushed up the price almost 50 per cent in a year. CCI shares rose 7 per cent to 32.30 zlotys in Warsaw.

  • Gerard Butler may star in ‘Point Break’ remake

    Gerard Butler may star in ‘Point Break’ remake

    MUMBAI:  Gerard Butler is in negotiations to star in a remake of the Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze action thriller, Point Break directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Released in 1991, the film got a worldwide cult following in DVD and Blu-Ray releases.

     

    According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), the movie is looking at a summer shoot with Ericson Core, the cinematographer behind 2001’s The Fast & the Furious and Daredevil as the director. For the remake, Kurt Wimmer (Salt, Total Recall) wrote the screenplay which revolves around the international world of extreme sports. The original film had the Southern California surf scene as the main theme. However, the storyline about an FBI agent infiltrating a crime ring as well as the names of the principle characters remains the same.

     

    If the film is finalised, Butler will play Bodhi, an expert extreme-sports athlete who seeks nirvana through the conquest of a series of athletic feats such as surfing 100-foot waves, reports THR.

     

    However, for the time being the actor will next be seen in Liongate’s epic fantasy Gods of Egypt, which starts shooting in March. Later in the year, he will be seen in London Is Falling, the sequel to his action hit Olympus Has Fallen.

  • The 2014 BAFTA Award nominations announced, Gravity in the lead

    The 2014 BAFTA Award nominations announced, Gravity in the lead

    MUMBAI: The British equivalent of the Oscars, the 2014 British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards Nominations was announced on Wednesday morning by Helen McCrory (Harry Potter) and Luke Evans (The Hobbit).

     

    Gravity, the space themed movie has topped the nominations with 11 nods including Best Film and Outstanding British Film. Sandra Bullock has garnered the Best Actress nod for her role as the medical engineer, Dr. Ryan Stone. Director, Alfonso Cuaron has also been nominated in the Best Director category; he also shares the Best Original Screenplay nomination with his son, Jonas Cuaron. The film has also garnered nominations for Best Original Music, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Sound and Best Special Visual Effects.

     

    12 Years a Slave is nominated for Best Film, Director for Steve McQueen, Adapted Screenplay, Original Music, Cinematography, Editing and Production Design. While, American Hustle received nominations for Best Film, Director for David O. Russell, Original Screenplay, Production Design, Costume Design and Make Up & Hair.

     

    Behind the Candelabra is nominated in Adapted Screenplay, Production Design, Costume Design and Make Up & Hair. Matt Damon is nominated for Supporting Actor.

     

    Saving Mr. Banks receives nominations for Outstanding British Film, Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, Original Music and Costume Design. Emma Thompson is nominated for Leading Actress.

     

    Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is nominated for Outstanding British Film, alongside Gravity, Philomena, Rush, Saving Mr. Banks and The Selfish Giant.

     

    Behind the Candelabra and Saving Mr. Banks are each nominated five times. Philomena, Rush and The Wolf of Wall Street have four nominations. Blue Jasmine, The Great Gatsby, Inside Llewyn Davis and Nebraska have each been nominated three times. The Act of Killing, The Butler and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug have two nominations each.

     

    Best actor nominations went to Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave, Christian Bale for American Hustle, Bruce Dern for Nebraska, Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street and Tom Hanks for Captain Phillips.

     

    Competing alongside Bullock for best actress are Amy Adams for American Hustle, Cate Blanchett for Woody Allen’s tragic comedy Blue Jasmine, Emma Thompson for Saving Mr. Banks, and Judi Dench for Philomena. The awards ceremony for the BAFTAs, formally called the EE British Academy Film Awards, will take place in London on 16 February.

  • Jane Campion to lead the 2014 Cannes Film Festival jury

    Jane Campion to lead the 2014 Cannes Film Festival jury

    MUMBAI: Jane Campion, a New Zealand native writer, producer and director, has been selected to lead the jury at the next Festival de Cannes that takes place from 14 to 25 May, 2014. Campion steps into the shoes of Steven Spielberg, who presided over the jury last year. Interestingly, Campion is in fact the only female director to have won the Palme D’or, for The Piano in 1993, having already garnered the Short Film Palme D’or back in 1986, for Peel – a unique double success story in the history of the Festival de Cannes.

     

    “Since I first went to Cannes with my short films in 1986, I have had the opportunity to see the festival from many sides and my admiration for this Queen of film festivals has only grown larger. At the Cannes Film Festival they manage to combine and celebrate the glamour of the industry, the stars, the parties, the beaches, the business, while rigorously maintaining the festival’s seriousness about the Art and excellence of new world cinema,” said Campion in a press release.

     

    “It is this world wide inclusiveness and passion for film at the heart of the festival which makes the importance of the Cannes Film Festival indisputable,” Campion further adds. “It is a mythical and exciting festival where amazing things can happen, actors are discovered, films are financed careers are made, I know this because that is what happened to me! I am truly honoured to join with the Cannes Film Festival as President of the in Competition features for 2014,” concludes Campion. “In fact I can’t wait.”

     

    Born in a family of artists, Jane Campion studied anthropology, then art, before turning to film, where her rise to success was meteoric. In the wake of her acclaimed short films, which culminated in a Palme D’or, she captivated international critics with Sweetie (1989), her first feature film, selected In Competition at the Festival de Cannes. After An Angel At My Table (1990), inspired by the works of Janet Frame, in which the theme of an extraordinary woman engaged in the painful quest to assert her identity had already been sketched out, she returned to competition in Cannes in 1993 with The Piano, which won the Palme D’or as well as Best Actress prize for Holly Hunter, starring opposite the unforgettable Harvey Keitel. A few months later, Campion, was nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Oscars and she picked up the award for the best Screenplay.

     

    Her subsequent works have been Portrait of a Lady in 1996 with Nicole Kidman, Holy Smoke in 1999 with Kate Winslet, and In the Cut (2003) with Meg Ryan. Her last film for cinema, Bright Star, an original vision and fictionalised biography of the poet Keats and his muse, was presented In Competition at Cannes, in 2009.

     

    Campion recently won the remarkable public and critical acclaim with the Sundance Channel Original Series, Top of the Lake, in which she develops her favorite themes, portraying the splendor of nature, the outpouring of romantic passion and the revolt of women against societies dominated by violence and machismo.

  • ‘The Tonight Show’ gets new promo with new host

    ‘The Tonight Show’ gets new promo with new host

    MUMBAI: For almost 60 years, The Tonight Show has been a staple on NBC’s programming. But, now the iconic show will go through a dramatic shift.

     

    The dawn of an exciting new era is fast approaching as the promo rightly suggests. Jimmy Fallon will step into the shoes of Jay Leno in The Tonight Show in a little more than a month. NBC is certainly excited about “The New Era” since it just unveiled an exciting new promo that features a lot of throwbacks to old-school Tonight Show as if preparing everyone for what is sure to be a much funnier version of The Tonight Show than what we’re currently watching with Leno at its apex.

     

    Jimmy Fallon shifts to the glossy new Tonight Show studio on 17 February, with the show itself undergoing a major reinvention not just concerning the host. After decades spent in Los Angeles, the show will move to New York for the first time since 1972. NBC is reportedly spending millions on renovating Studio 6B, where Fallon hosted Late Night throughout his tenure, as they look to bring as much of Fallon’s internet-friendly humor to the late night chat show circuit as possible.

     

    Coincidentally, Studio 6B is also the place where Jack Paar hosted The Tonight Show throughout his entire run and where Johnny Carson spent the first ten years of his thirty year spell on the show, making him the only host with the longest stint as the host on The Tonight Show.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjTKhRamYHc