Category: International

MUMBAI: Justin Long, the star voice of Alpha & Omega has launched his own production company named I‘m So Sorry Productions with his brother Christian, and business partner Keir O‘Donnell.

It is being said that the production company has already sold a sitcom and will have a feature film written out with Long as the lead.

After being seen in a series of romantic comedies, the actor has been on an animation spree with movies like Alpha & Omega and Megamind.

Long can be seen lending his voice as Humphrey, the Omega wolf in Alpha & Omega.

MUMBAI: Ben Affleck is in talks to direct Argo, an adaptation of a Wired magazine article titled ‘How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran‘ that revolves around the Tehran hostage crisis. The film being produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov will also contain elements of wry humor.

Written by Joshuah Bearman and published in April 2007, the story centers on how, during the occupation of the American embassy by Iranians in 1979, a rescue effort was mounted by the CIA and the Canadian government to extract six US diplomats.

The CIA used a disguise expert and concocted a scenario that involved the six being a Hollywood crew scouting a movie titled Argo. Under those disguises, they were able to flee the country.

Of interest is the involvement of comedian Jack Kirby; the artist‘s movie designs and drawings were used by the CIA to sell the existence of the movie.

Affleck has been offered many directorial projects since the critical and financial success of The Town.
 

MUMBAI: Woody Allen‘s latest romantic comedy Midnight in Paris will open the 64th Festival de Cannes on May 11.

The film, shot in Paris comprises an international cast including Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams and Marion Cotillard who are accompanied by Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Gad Elmaleh and Léa Seydoux. 

Cannes director Thierry Frémaux described the film as “a wonderful love letter to Paris”, as stated on the festival website.

The 64th Festival de Cannes will take place from 11 to 22 May. The film will release in France on 11 May.
 

MUMBAI: After taking home $257 million last year, Avatar director James Cameron has topped a list of Hollywood‘s top five earners of last year. The director earned the estimated figure for writing, producing and directing the 3-D blockbuster. 

Following the director was Pirates star Johnny Depp with earnings of $100 million; Steven Spielberg was third with $80 million. Director Christopher Nolan and Inception star Leonardo DiCaprio round up the top five with earnings of $71.5 million and $62 million respectively.
 

MUMBAI: A Chinese documentary Together that deals with the discrimination against HIV/AIDS sufferers will screen at the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival. This is the only Chinese film to screen at the festival that runs from 10 to 20 February.

The documentary would feature in the Panorama section of the Berlinale‘s film program.

Director Gu Changwei and producer Zhao Liang were moved to make the documentary while shooting for another HIV/AIDS awareness film, A Tale of Magic on which people living with HIV/AIDS had featured. The documentary recorded how the six people with HIV/AIDS were found and persuaded to take part in the shooting process of the film.

The documentary, that released in China on 1 December last year, World AIDS Day, would help raise HIV/AIDS awareness in China and change public discrimination against HIV/AIDS.

MUMBAI: Last month‘s totals came in at $792.3 million, much lower than 2010 and 2009, when tickets sales exceeded $1 billion for the first time in history. The box-office results of January 2011 showed a downward trend of 25.3 per cent from the $1.06 billion collected in the first month of 2010 and 22 per cent down from the $1.02 billion earned in the same month in 2009.

Box office revenues in January 2011 plummeted dramatically compared to that of 2009 and 2010 when tickets sales exceeded $1 billion. Revenues last month recorded an income of $792.3 million compared to $794.7 million recorded in the same month in 2008.

The decline is said to be due to the lack of a breakout Christmas hit that carried over — such as Avatar, Sherlock Holmes and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel last year as well as a number of underperforming films in January last.

MUMBAI: The Sundance Film Festival 2011 announced its awards on Monday.

While the Netherlands film Position Among the Stars directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich won the World Cinema Special Jury Prize for documentary films, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer‘s Journey, directed by Constance Marks was adjudged the winner of the special jury prize in the US Documentary Competition.

Other awards are as follows: Winner of the World Cinema cinematography award for documentary filmmaking: Hell and Back Again (U.S.A./U.K.), (cinematography by Danfung Dennis). The winner of the World Cinema documentary editing award went to The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (Sweden/U.S.A.) editor Goran Hugo Olsson and Hanna Lejonqvist. The winner of the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award was bagged by Project Nim (UK), directed by James Marsh. The winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize in documentary was bagged by Hell and Back Again (UK, USA).

The winner of the World Cinema special Jury Prize, dramatic, for breakout performances was Olivia Colman and Peter Mullan for Tyrannosaur (UK). The winner of the World Cinema cinematography award, dramatic went to All Your Dead Ones (Colombia) while Restoration, written by Erez Kav-El (Israel) was the winner of the World Cinema Screenwriting Award, Dramatic. The winner of the World Cinema direction award Dramatic went for Tyrannosaur directed by Paddy Considine (UK).

The winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic was Happy, Happy (Sykt Lykkelig) that was directed by Anne Sewitsky (Norway), winner of the Best of NEXT! Audience Award went to to.get.her, directed by Erica Dunton while the winner of the World Cinema audience award for documentary film was Senna, directed by Asif Kapadia (UK).
 

MUMBAI: Producers of the next James Bond film are wooing Spanish actor Javier Bardem to co-star with Daniel Craig.

Bardem, husband of talented Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, has made a significant impact in the movie world since he started acting when he was six years old in the 70s. 

His most recent performance in the film No Country for Old Men and Biutiful have been pronounced as masterpieces. While he got an Oscar for supporting actor for the former, he was nominated as best actor for the latter.

Trade sources speculate that if Bardem signs up, he is expected to play another secret service agent or a bad guy in the film.

James Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by British journalist, writer and former Naval Intelligence officer Ian Fleming in several books and short stories.
 

MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures have announced that Henry Cavill will essay the coveted role of Superman, the iconic superhero.

The film will be directed by Zack Snyder, who stated, “In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognised and revered character of all time, and I am honoured to be a part of his return to the big screen. I also join Warner Bros., Legendary and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield.”

The film to be produced by Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder will have screenplay by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan.

Cavill, who recently finished shooting for The Cold Light of Day, stars in the upcoming Immortals scheduled to open this fall.

Targeted for release in December 2012, the new Superman film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
 

MUMBAI: Weinstein Company could‘t have rejoiced more as The Kings Speech has won both the Director‘s Guild of America (DGA) Award and the Screen Actors Guild (Sag) Award for best ensemble.

Earlier it had won the Producers Guild of America (PGA) award making it the clear favourite to win best film at the Oscar Awards next month. The race is as good as over. This marks a complete turnaround in the Oscar race. The Social Network won almost every critics award for Best Picture. It also won the Golden Globe for best picture, diretcor and screenplay.

The Guilds though felt differently in an overwhelming manner. It could be that the Social Network after so much critical acclaim wins just one Oscar for screenplay. If it does it has great company – Citizen Kane and Pulp Fiction. Coming back to the Sag awards the winners were as expected. Apart from the ensemble award The Kings Speech also saw Colin Firth pick up the best actor trophy.

The best actress was won by Natalie Protman playing a tormneted ballerina in Black Swan. It will probably be that Annette Bening who has been nominated for The Kids Are Alright loses the Oscar for the fourth time. The boxing move The Fighter won both supporting actor categories for Christian Bale and Melissa Leo. All of them won at the Golden Globes as well. They especially Firth and Bale have won most of the critics awards. Unlike The Social Network though they should all pick up Oscars.

The huge surprise over the weekend was The Kings Speech helmer Tom Hooper winning the DGA over David Fincher for The Social Network. It had been widely expected that this would be Fincher‘s year. He lost a couple of years back to Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire. That film set in Mumbai had like The Kings Speech also won DGA, PGA and the Sag ensemble before destroying the competition at the Oscar Awards.