Category: International

MUMBAI: The independent historical drama – headlining Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey – took in $5.4 million in its fifth weekend for The Weinstein Co, pushing the movie‘s North American total to a stellar $100 million.

Daniels becomes one of only a handful of black directors to have a film clear that mark, not accounting for inflation. 

One reason for The Butler‘s success is that it is playing to all audiences, according to Harvey Weinstein‘s team. On opening weekend, 52 per cent of ticket buyers were black; now, 67 per cent of the audience is white. The Butler is also becoming a family play.

The Butler opened in mid-August, hoping to mirror the success of The Help, another civil-rights themed drama. The Butler isn‘t likely to match The Help‘s lifetime domestic gross of $169.7 million, but The Help was different in featuring both black and white lead actors.

In the film, Whitaker plays a White House butler who serves through eight presidential administrations, a character inspired by the real-life story of the late Eugene Allen.

Winfrey, who plays the butler‘s wife, has provided an enormous marketing boost for the movie because of her avid fanbase. The Butler already is considered an awards contender, particularly for Whitaker and Winfrey‘s performances.

MUMBAI: Wadjda is the first film that is shot entirely in Saudi Arabia as well as by a female director Hanifaa Al Mansour, has earned the name of being the first ever Oscar entry from the kingdom. Produced by Rotana Studios, the film debuted in Venice last year.

Mansour said that at times she had to give instructions through the phone to direct because as per Saudi law she cannot be interacting with men outside.  The film talks about a young girl in the country who is out to challenge deep rooted traditions to buy a bicycle.

The picture was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics. The movie has won several awards since release. Oscar 2014 will be held on 2 March with Ellen DeGeneres as host.

MUMBAI: A formal announcement from the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) Theo Kingma that the 2014 Cecile B DeMille award will be presented to Woody Allen for his immense contribution to filmmaking.

Each year this award is given to a talented person whose contribution to the world of entertainment has had a great impact. Previously this award has been given to Jodie Foster (2013), Morgan Freeman (2012), Robert De Niro (2011), Martin Scorsese (2010), Steven Spielberg (2009).

Woody Allen is known for movies such as Annie Hall, Manhattan, Vicky Christina Barcelona and Midnight in Paris. Currently his movie Blue Jasmine is running in theaters currently.

The Golden Globes are given to both motion picture and television achievements.

MUMBAI: Starting off her stint as a screenwriter for Fantastic Beasts and where to find them, Warner bros has announced an ‘expanded creative partnership’ with the author. It was a book in the Hogwarts school of Harry Potter series.

Plans are on to adapt the movie into a video game, consumer products and digital initiatives. Rowling says that the new movie will only be an extension of the wizarding world and not a prequel or sequel. It will showcase the adventures of Newt Scamander about 70 years before Harry was born.

Warner bros released all eight movies in the Harry Potter franchisee which were a massive box office hit as well as shattered box office release records.

MUMBAI: Studio Canal will be bringing in a live action CGI version of the classic children’s story to theaters which will be directed by Paul King and David Heyman is producing. It is an adaptation of Michael Bond’s classic kids character Paddington Bear.  The Weinstein Company is bringing it to North America.

This is the first release in a new label for the company called TWC-Dimension. Colin Firth will give the voice for the teddy bear while Kidman will be playing an evil taxidermist out for revenge. They were recently seen together in The Railway Man.
The shooting starts this month in UK. VFX is provided by Framestore and it is expected to release on 28 November in 2014. The movie will be released in the US in the first quarter of 2015.

Firth and Broadbent are repped by CAA and the UK’s Independent Talent Group; Kidman is repped by CAA; Bonneville is repped by UTA and the UK’s Gordon and French; Hawkins is with ICM Partners and the UK’s Conway van Gelder Grant.

MUMBAI: Universal Pictures will release Jurassic World in 3D on 12 June, 2015. Steven Spielberg is producing the big-budget dino-sequel, formerly known as Jurassic Park 4. Colin Trevorrow directs from a draft of the screenplay he wrote with Derek Connolly. Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley are producing.

Its worth mentioning that the first dino-epic The Jurassic Park was recently re-released world over in 3D to generate a buzz around the next installment in the franchise. The collections were really encouraging worldwide and surely proved that this classic still connects well with audiences even today.

MUMBAI: Disney has moved forward its summer 2015 release date with Pirates Of The Caribbean 5, and the studio is now looking to slot it for summer 2016. This will create some jockeying from other studios next summer, Pirates had been slated for a 10 July release and other studios steered clear of that date.

The studio and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have an advanced outline from scribe Jeff Nathanson, who is writing. They have directors Joachim Roenning and Espen Sandberg, who are new to the big scale of a film like Pirates. The studio would have to get into production by February, which would mean prepping off the outline.

The decision was made that it wasn‘t worth rushing until they are sure the script is in place. The first four films grossed $3.7 billion, and the last installment, On Stranger Tides, crossed the $1 billion mark. There is a sequel to The Avengers and the first of the next three installments of the Star Wars franchise, directed by JJ Abrams lined up for Disney. There is also the Marvel pic Ant-Man, and Inside Out from Pixar.

Johnny Depp is firmly committed to return to his Jack Sparrow role, but has his hands full with Into The Woods and Alice In Wonderland 2.

MUMBAI: The actor, who is known for his role in Grey’s Anatomy has just finished shooting for the movie Blackbird which is a film written and directed by Patrick-Ian Polk. He plays the role of a father to a talented singing son who is gay. Washington is sympathetic to his son as he struggles to cope in a conservative society.

Washington’s stint at Grey’s Anatomy ended when he was caught in a homophobic incident against a cast-mate who is gay.

He has also produced the movie along with Carol Ann Shine and Keith Brown. He has been getting rave reviews for Blue Caprice which is directed by Alexander Moors. He was also seen in They Die by Dawn.

Repped by Inqlusion Entertainment and Anderson & Smith, he is developing a reality-based sports and outdoor adventure show with Wayne Hubbard and Candice Price’s Urban American Adventures brand.

MUMBAI: The movie has been directed by Alex Winter and AOL On has acquired the film for marketing and distributing along with producer VH1 Roc Docs. The movie will be available for live streaming on Thursday on AOL On.

This is the first feature got by AOL for free streaming. It will be available on downloadeddocs.com as well as its mobile app. The Thursday online premiere will have Winter as well. VH1 Roc Docs is producing the movie too.

Viewers can watch it at a go or watch it in seven parts. AOL On is looking to grow its base of premium video content.

MUMBAI: Naomi Watts is in talks to star in Holland, Michigan, a thriller that will be directed by Oscar-winning documentarian Errol Morris from a script by first time screenwriter Andrew Sodroski. The script is described as a suburban thriller with pitch black humor. Le Grisbi Productions’ John Lesher and Adam Kassan are producing and Sean Murphy will be co-producer. Production will start in April.

Watts will be seen next as Princess Diana in the Oliver Hirschbiegel-directed biopic Diana. She just wrapped the Ted Melfi-directed St. Vincent De Van Nuys with Bill Murray and the Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu-directed Birdman, the latter of which Lesher produced.

Morris is at Toronto to unveil his latest documentary, The Unknown Known and his past work includes The Thin Blue Line, Tabloid and the Oscar-winning The Fog Of War: Eleven Lessons From The Life Of Robert S. McNamara. Morris served as executive producer on Joshua Oppenheimer’s documentary The Act Of Killing.

Lesher is currently in pre-production on the David Ayer-helmed WWII film Fury with Brad Pitt. He produced Blood Ties, Guillaume Canet’s English language debut which premiered at Cannes, and was acquired by Lionsgate. Watts is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment.