MUMBAI: Fans of Michael Jackson have launched a campaign to boycott his forthcoming film This Is It. The online protest – called ‘This is NOT It‘, is being supported by thousands of people who claim that the film features the singer‘s deteriorating health and the stress of the planned 50 London shows leading up to his death in June.
Michael‘s father Joe and sister La Toya have accused Sony Pictures of using stand-ins in the film.
MUMBAI: Lou Jacobi, to play comic roles and winning praise in dramatic ones too in his long career in theatre and films expired at the age of 95 last Friday. The death was confirmed by Leonie Nowitz, a social worker who had been taking care of him.
Jacobi made his Broadway debut in 1955 in The Diary of Anne Frank in which he played one of the occupants of the Amsterdam attic where the Franks were hiding. He played the same role in the 1959 film version.
Nine other Broadway plays that featured Jacobi include Paddy Chayefsky‘s Tenth Man in 1959 and Neil Simon‘s Come Blow Your Horn in 1961.
Jacobi was also seen in other films like the Dudley Moore comedy Arthur, Woody Allen‘s Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex and Barry Levinson‘s Avalon.
His last film was the 1994 film I.Q. in which he played the logician Kurt Godel, one of Albert Einstein‘s professor friends at Princeton.
MUMBAI: ContentFilm International (CFI) has acquired the worldwide sales rights of action thriller The Fallout to be directed by Xavier Gens who had earlier directed Hitman. The film is due is due to start shooting in Feb 2010.
The Fallout, set in a post-apocalyptic New York, is being produced by Ross Dinerstein, Darryn Welch and Tony Krantz. The film is billed as ‘a thriller that combines elements of‘Assault on Precinct 13 with Lord of the Flies.
Said CFI‘s Carmichael, ‘”Xavier is a super talented, commercial filmmaker and a perfect match for this terrifying material. It‘s going to be a very stylish genre film and we‘re extremely excited to be working with him, Ross and Darryn.‘
MUMBAI: The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and China Film Copyright Association (CFCA) in an understanding (MOU) have decided to work in close collaboration particularly on illegal camcording.
The MOU was signed in Beijing at the 2nd China International Copyright Expo by MPA president and COO Bob Pisano, MPA Asia Pacific president Mike Ellis and Zhu Yongde, chairman of the CFCA.
The two groups will work closely to monitor the level of illegal camcording in cinemas in mainland China. The camcording situation has worsened in the country since many studios moved to releasing film day-and-date in a bid to prevent piracy.
It is understood that following the release of Paramount‘s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in late June, illegally-recorded content from the film was available on a several online video websites in China.
According to MPA, more than 90 per cent new released films that end up appearing illegally on the streets and online originate from illegal copies made in cinemas.
MUMBAI: UK-based Power and New Zealand‘s Screentime, both predominantly television companies, have teamed to produce the disaster epic Ice, set in 2020. Other actors of the United Kingdom include Claire Forlani, Ben Cross, Simon Callow and Patrick Bergin. New Zealander Sam Neill also has a major role in the film.
Ice draws on worldwide fears about climate change to tell a story of devastation and panic after a glacier in Greenland melts due to the actions of an energy company.
The film based on a book by James Follett and directed by the UK‘s Nick Copus stars Australian actors Richard Roxburgh and Frances O‘Connor as the scientists at the heart of the story.
The film‘s status as an official UK/New Zealand co-production makes it eligible to claim incentives in both countries, including 40 per cent off its New Zealand costs under the Screen Production Incentive Fund.
MUMBAI: Warner is in final negotiations with writers Austin Winsberg and Heath Corson to acquire a pitch centering on a peacock.
Trevor Engleson and Nicholas Osborne will produce the film via their Underground Management banner while Elishia Holmes will oversee for the studio.
The peacock project is the latest sign that studios are ramping up animation efforts as the category continues to be a bastion of reliability for the major studios in a time of box-office uncertainty.
The move marks the strengthening of animation efforts for Warners which was once very active in the sector but had since scaled back its theatrical efforts. Earlier in 2006, the Studio had developed and produced Happy Feet, the music-themed penguin film directed by George Miller.
Warners, the proud holders of properties like Superman and Scooby-Doo has been producing animation content for television and home video.
Winsberg is a veteran TV writer who has worked on shows such as Jakes in Progress and Still Standing.
MUMBAI: British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is said to have been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
A statement from the composer‘s spokesman says that the condition had been caught at an early stage. “Andrew is now undergoing treatment and expects to be fully back at work before the end of the year,” the statement said.
Lloyd Webber has been associated with musical hits like Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats and Starlight Express. He had recently announced that he was staging a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera
.
Webber is also set to judge a BBC television talent show next year.
MUMBAI: South Korea‘s CJ Entertainment has agreed to co-finance the English-language animated feature film Dino Mom and is also planning a wide 2010 release in the country.
Directed by Yoon S Choi and produced by David K Lovegren in association with Jae Woo Park of Toiion, Inc. and Motif RMC respectively, the film is currently in the post-production stage.
The story chronicles the adventures of three curious children who accidentally travel back in time 65 million years to the nest of a T-Rex who accepts them as her own.
Film artistes Pamela Adlon, Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Strong are among the key voiceover artistes.
Said CJ Entertainment CEO Katharine Kim, “The film has a great story, amazing animation and being kind of project that is supported by merchandising and promotions, we see many, many opportunities.”
MUMBAI: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (WDSMPI) International‘s Spanish arm has had to postpone the release of its horror film Saw VI nationwide in Spain because the film was given an X rating for extreme violence by the Spanish government‘s film institute, the ICAA.
This is the first time a non-pornographic Spanish film has been given such a rating which means that the film can only be released in eight Spanish cinemas normally dedicated to pornography.
WDSMPI had planned to release the film with 300 prints in commercial Spanish cinemas nationwide yesterday but has instead been forced to appeal the decision made by the ICAA and postpone the film‘s release.
All five of the previous Saw films had been given an 18 certificate in Spain and enjoyed success at the local box office (each taking more than $6m), but the ICAA ruled that the sixth instalment was too violent and therefore warranted the X rating.
MUMBAI: UK-based Handmade PLC has announced its intention to get into partnership with the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, mainly to focus increasingly on the children‘s market.
The company that owns Handmade Films, is launching HandMade Kids, a children and family media business, in partnership with National Geographic Kids Entertainment (NGKE) where Handmade will own over 50 per cent share of the new company.
Handmade, through this new division, will develop Ferguson‘s Tea For Ruby and Little Red children‘s books, the latter will be actively involved and will have a percentage share of future revenues and profits from the joint venture.
The move comes as Handmade announced its ambitious plan to raise $28m via the placing of 68 million shares at 10 pence per share and convertible loan stock. Handmade has also acquired US animation studio Animation Collective for $12 million.
Handmade Films International is the company‘s film finance, sales and distribution outfit, Its slate being Jordan Scott‘s Cracks, Menno Meyjes‘s Manolete, animated project Planet 51 and forthcoming features like Charles Shyer‘s Eloise In Paris and Paul WS Anderson‘s remake of The Long Good Friday.