Category: International

MUMBAI: 3D film Resident Evil: Afterlife maintained its lead for the third consecutive weekend on the foreign theatrical circuit after it grossed $24 million from more than 5,200 theatres in 48 territories. This put the film‘s overseas gross total to $150.8 million so far.

Oliver Stone‘s sequel to his 1987 film Wall Street premiered day-and-date with its No. 1 domestic debut and took the fourth spot on the weekend overseas with it drawing $9.13 million from 1,723 screens in 41 markets.

Fox said it was “thrilled by these early market results,” adding that the “Money‘” overseas rollout included only two of the top 10 foreign markets.

Best territory was Australia where the weekend registered $1.65 million from 283 locales. No. 1 introductions were tallied in Sweden, Taiwan, Holland and Belgium. Money‘s foreign openings this week include France, Russia and Mexico.

Also opening day-and-date in the overseas territory with its US and Canada bow was Touchstone/Disney‘s You Again director Andy Fickman‘s female-centric comedy costarring Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and Betty White.
 

MUMBAI: Guillermo del Toro will write and direct DreamWorks Animation‘s Trollhunters.

After visiting DWA‘s campus in Glendale, California, del Toro has decided to make DWA his animation home. He will serve as a consultant and executive producer of several projects including Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots and a yet-to-be-revealed project all under development. He will also have a say in DWA‘s next feature Megamind that is scheduled to release on 5 November.

del Toro feels that animation has caught his eye because he believes that during the next 10 years, the entertainment landscape will shift into a transmedia world — a confluence of films, TV, books, video and online, while artistes will need to be educated in all aspects of media.

Trollhunters is based on a young-adult book del Toro wrote and submitted to publisher Hyperion two weeks ago. He originally came up with the idea around the time he sold The Strain the vampire book trilogy he is writing with Chuck Hogan.

Due to the evolutionary process of animated filmmaking, the script will be written and rewritten over a period of time, including during production. Del Toro has already started writing Trollhunters and plans to finish it before he shoots At the Mountains of Madness.
 

MUMBAI: Pixar has named its first female director, Brenda Chapman for its 13th film Brave, previously titled The Bear and the Bow which she will also write.

The film is about a tomboyish royal named Merida who would rather focus on archery. After getting into a fight with her mom, she makes a reckless choice that has serious consequences to her father‘s kingdom, putting all their lives in peril.

Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson and Julie Walters would do the voiceover in the film.

The film will be produced by Katherine Sarafian and will release on 15 June, 2012.
 

MUMBAI: Through the Tunnel, METV‘s award-winning documentary about Lincoln Memorial High School at the onset of integration is being invited to several film festivals.

First it was the DocMiami International Film Festival in May. Next up is the Clearwater International Film Festival where the documentary will be shown on 30 September at the Largo Cultural Center.

The documentary has also been accepted at the Naples International Film Festival in November.

“Just being invited is great, because there are hundreds of films entered in each festival,” said Charles Clapsaddle, METV‘s station manager. The Clearwater event is its inaugural and the venue is new, too. “It‘s supposed to be beautiful, so this ought to be a lot of fun,” Clapsaddle added.

Through the Tunnel features coach Eddie Shannon and his protege Henry Lawrence, a three-time NFL champion tackle the Oakland Raiders.

Co-produced by Judges Durand Adams and Charles Williams, the documentary won Best Historical Documentary Award at the DocMiami International Film Festival.
 

MUMBAI: Veteran actor Sean Penn is to be honoured at this year‘s Hollywood film festival for his charity work in earthquake-hit Haiti.

The star co-founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organisation in the wake of the January earthquake and spent months in the Caribbean nation distributing food and medical supplies as well as building schools and hospitals. 

Earlier, Penn had received a knighthood in Haiti for his efforts and now will receive the Hollywood Humanitarian Award at the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony in Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

“It is an honour to recognise the inspiring humanitarian efforts that Sean Penn and his J/P Haitian Relief Organization have been providing to the great people of Haiti,” said Hollywood Film Festival Founder and Executive Director Carlos de Abreu.
 

MUMBAI: After being denied entry at Tokyo‘s airport on Wednesday following her drug violation in the US, Paris Hilton has cancelled her Asia tour to promote her fashion and fragrance lines and boarded a private jet back to Los Angeles.

Hilton had arrived in Japan on Tuesday morning but spent the night in an airport hotel after undergoing six hours of questioning by officials. Incidentally, on Monday, she had pleaded guilty to a drug charge in Las Vegas. She was arrested last month for cocaine possession.

Hilton also cancelled appearances in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. She isn‘t the only celebrity who has faced problems entering Japan. Madonna was restricted from entering the country during the 2002 World Cup finals because of past drug offences but was later given a 30-day visa as a special delegate. Paul McCartney was also arrested for marijuana possession at the Narita airport in January 1980 and later deported.
 

MUMBAI: Michael Caine is in final discussions to join the star cast of New Line‘s sequel to its 3-D remake of the sci-fi classic Journey ToThe Center Of The Earth titled Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

The script, losely based on Jules Verne‘s The Mysterious Island, has Josh Hutcherson reprising his role from the 2008 Center Of The Earth remake starring Brendan Fraser. 

The film will have Hutcherson partnering Dwyane Johnson who will play his mom‘s boyfriend on a trip to a mythical island to find his missing grandfather.

Caine‘s role as the grandfather will see the veteran engaging in several chase sequences including one involving giant bees.

The film to be directed by Brad Peyton will roll in October in Hawaii and then move to North Carolina.
 

MUMBAI: The first Anaheim International Film Festival will be held at the Disneyland Resort, California.

The festival, scheduled to run from 13 to 17 October will include feature-length films, documentaries and shorts from around the globe. The films will be screened at Anaheim‘s new UltraStar Cinemas at the GardenWalk.

“Filmmaking has always been at the heart of our company, since Snow White premiered in 1937. It is befitting that Disneyland Resort host this celebration of filmmaking and support the inaugural Anaheim International Film Festival,” said Disneyland Resort President George A. Kalogridis.

The evening will include a dinner and an awards presentation ceremony for the festival‘s winning films, as well as lifetime and career achievement awards for film industry veterans.

The event will close with a VIP showing of Disney‘s new California Adventure nighttime water spectacular, World of Color.
 

MUMBAI: MIPCOM will be host to numerous international film and television stars for its 26th edition.

Topping the lineup is actor, director, producer, Robert Redford who will be attending this year’s event to celebrate the first anniversary of Sundance Channel in Europe. 

As the founder of the channel, Redford will participate in a media question and answer session on 6 October during which he will discuss the expansion plans of the Sundance Channel.

Gene Simmons, star of Gene Simmons Family Jewels will deliver a keynote address with Bob DeBitteto, President & General Manager of A&E Network and BIO Channel, during the “How to Build an Entertainment Brand” MIPCOM conference.Simmons is a legendary rock god, multi-media magnate and renowned ladies man. Also attending the annual event is his partner, Shannon Tweed.

Cannes will also be witness to The Walking Dead brought by Fox International Channels (and Entertainment One) to MIPCOM. Executive producer Gale Anne Hurd , of The Terminator, Aliens, Armageddon and The Incredible Hulk and talent, Andrew Lincoln and Sarah Wayne Callies will be at MIPCOM to promote the series.
 

MUMBAI: Akunin (Villain), that got actress Eri Fukatsu the best actress award at Montreal this month is set for a Hollywood remake.

Fukatsu was joined by co-star Satoshi Tsumabuki and director Sang-il Lee (“Hula Girls”) at a packed presser at the Foreign Correspondents‘ Club of Japan on Tuesday.

Fukatsu, best-known for the hugely successful Bayside Shakedown series will have Tsumabuki playing the murderous male lead. “I usually discuss what roles I‘ll take with my manager, but after reading the novel the film is based on, I just pursued the part by myself,” said Tsumabuki.

One of the film’s producers, Genki Kawamura, said that Akunin had been attracting a lot of overseas interest since Fukatsu’s triumph in Montreal. The film has already been sold to Hong Kong and Taiwan and the makers are now in final lap of negotiations for Korea, Singapore and Malaysia.