ITV

Category: International

  • ‘Django Unchained’, ‘Ted’, ‘Silver linings Playbook’ compete for top honours at MTV Movie Awards

    ‘Django Unchained’, ‘Ted’, ‘Silver linings Playbook’ compete for top honours at MTV Movie Awards

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster MTV has announced the categories and nominees for the ‘2013 MTV Movie Awards‘. This will honour actors and films.

    Leading the pack with seven nominations each are Quentin Tarantino‘s sweeping American slavery Western ‘Django Unchained‘ and Seth MacFarlane‘s bromantic comedy ‘Ted‘, followed by the critically acclaimed ‘Silver Linings Playbook‘ with six nods and the blockbuster conclusion to the Batman trilogy ‘The Dark Knight Rises‘ with five. All are competing for best film.

    Rounding out the most nominated films are ‘The Avengers‘ also a best picture nominee, ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower‘, ‘Pitch Perfect‘ and ‘Skyfall with four‘ each. Fans will have the Power of the Popcorn in their hands as voting has begun.

    The show takes place on 14 April from the Sony Pictures Studios Lot in Culver City, California. The 2013 MTV Movie Awards will serve as the official kick off to the Summer Blockbuster season with its trademark irreverent celebration of the movies, actors and music that audiences love. Previously announced, rising superstar Rebel Wilson, nominated for Best Female Performance and Breakthrough Performance as Fat Amy in ‘Pitch Perfect‘ will star as host and be joined by MTV‘s Inaugural Comedic Genius Award recipient Will Ferrell, who is nominated for Best On-Screen Duo with Zach Galifianakis for ‘The Campaign‘.

    Keeping with the show‘s tradition of celebrating current cultural memes, this year‘s telecast will introduce two new categories. Abdominally blessed nominees Channing Tatum ‘Magic Mike‘, Taylor Lautner ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2‘, Daniel Craig ‘Skyfall‘ and Christian Bale ‘The Dark Knight Rises‘ will sweat it out against fan-favourite stuffed bear Seth MacFarlane as ‘Ted‘ for the crown of Best Shirtless Performance.

    Meanwhile moments from ‘Les Misérables‘, ‘Magic Mike‘, ‘Pitch Perfect‘, ‘Silver Linings Playbook‘ and ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower‘ will compete to win the inaugural Best Musical Moment award.

    Recent Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence ‘Silver Linings Playbook‘ and ‘House at the End of the Street‘ joins fellow female front-runners Emma Watson ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower‘, Rebel Wilson ‘Pitch Perfect‘, Anne Hathaway ‘Les Misérables‘ and Mila Kunis ‘Ted‘ for the chance to take home the most Golden Popcorns. At the head of the pack for the men are Seth MacFarlane in ‘Ted‘, Jamie Foxx in ‘Django Unchained‘, Bradley Cooper in ‘Silver Linings Playbook‘ and Channing Tatum in ‘Magic Mike‘. As in previous years, the category of Movie of the Year will remain an ongoing battle throughout the telecast. Additional presenters, performers and special award recipients will be announced at a later date.

    Emma Watson who has been nominated for Best Female Performance, Best Kiss and Best Musical Moment") said, "I am so excited to have been nominated for three MTV Movie Awards for Perks of Being a Wallflower! I love the show and I love this movie! I‘m so thrilled."

  • Matrix directors sued for alleged copyright infringement

    Matrix directors sued for alleged copyright infringement

    MUMBAI: Andy and Lana Wachowski, the writer-director duo behind films like The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolution are being sued for USD 300 million by a writer who claims that the siblings stole his idea.

    Hawaii-based writer Thomas Althouse has filed a lawsuit against the siblings, along with Joel Silver and Warner Bros in a Federal Court for copyright infringement. Althouse is representing himself in the case, it is understood.

    Althouse claims that the two films were based and formulated in substantial part upon his screenplay. He has further accused all defendants of willfully infringing on his copyright for purposes of commercial advantage.

    In his complaint, the Hawaiian born says that he wrote a screenplay titled The Immortals that was registered with the Writers Guild of America in 1993 and copyrighted with the US Copyright Office in 1996.

    He also claims that he subsequently submitted his screenplay to Warner Bros through his attorney in 1993 and the studio acknowledged receipt of his play at that time.

    Although the ‘Matrix‘ sequels released in 2003, Althouse says he didn‘t see the films until 2010, and it was then that he began investigating the similarities.

  • Sam Mendes turns down offer to helm next Bond film

    Sam Mendes turns down offer to helm next Bond film

    MUMBAI: Sam Mendes, who directed the last Bond film Skyfall, has announced that he won‘t be directing the 24th James Bond film citing time-consuming theatre commitments.

    “It has been a very difficult decision not accepting Michael and Barbar‘s very generous offer to direct the next Bond movie,” Mendes said. “Directing Skyfall was one of the best experiences of my professional life, but I have theatre and other commitments, including productions of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and king Lear, that need my complete focus over the next year and beyond,” he added.

    Skyfall has crossed the $ 1.1 billion mark to become the highest-grossing film ever at the British box office.

    Daniel Craig, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Ralph Fiennes will all reprise their roles in the forthcoming action flick that is to go on the floors early next year.

  • Sundance Institute to host a four day Summer Film Festival in Los Angeles in August

    Sundance Institute to host a four day Summer Film Festival in Los Angeles in August

    MUMBAI: ‘Next Weekend‘ presented by Sundance Institute will take place from 8-11 August, 2013 at Sundance Cinema and additional venues throughout Los Angeles. The event is an extension of the Next – section at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, which showcases adventurous films that take a bold approach to storytelling.

    There will be four days of screenings, parties and artist programmes that celebrate the renegade spirit of independent filmmaking. Over one summer weekend film fans will have the chance to choose from eight yet-to-be-released feature films. There will also be a panel discussion deconstructing how these films get made, a shorts programme and the annual ShortsLab: Los Angles, a half-day short filmmaking workshop.

    Next Weekend will include films that have been featured in the Festival‘s Next – section, as well as new films and films that have premiered elsewhere. Filmmakers cast and crew will be invited to discuss their work and the creative inspiration driving it.

    Sundance Institute founder and president Robert Redford said, “The best part of independent filmmaking is the freedom to tell your stories your own way, to take risks and not be beholden to convention of any kind. At the core of Next Weekend are artists that are taking risks and pushing boundaries. As such, it‘s fitting that Sundance Cinemas will be the home for this festival and these films.”

    Sundance Institute executive director Keri Putnam said, “The Next – section at our festival in Utah, built under the leadership of festival director John Cooper and director of programming Trevor Groth, showcases films that marry form and content in a way that pushes boundaries and offers fresh perspectives on storytelling. We look forward to celebrating the energy of this work and these artists and to sharing it with a larger community in collaboration with like-minded cultural institutions.”

  • Good Day To Die Hard clings to No. 1 spot narrowly at overseas box-office

    Good Day To Die Hard clings to No. 1 spot narrowly at overseas box-office

    MUMBAI: 20th Century Fox‘s A Good Day To Die Hard captured the No. 1 box office spot narrowly in its fourth weekend on the foreign theatrical circuit and managed to cross the $150-million total overseas mark ($162.3 million).

    In China New Line/Warner Bros‘ The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey registered an income of $37.3 million in 10 days thus propelling the Peter Jackson fantasy epic to a $700-million foreign gross total and more than $1 billion worldwide (only the 15th title in film history to surpass that figure).

    Warner‘s also introduced Jack The Giant Slayer in 10 Asian markets like South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam and in India.

    Playing at 1,824 locations, Jack rolled up a total of $13.7 million — more than a $7,500 per-screen average. Korea was by far the biggest market ($4.9 million at 507 sites).

    With no new openings, A Good Day, the fifth part of action franchise starring Bruce Willis, grossed $18.3 million on the weekend at 8,199 locations in 67 territories. France was its biggest weekend market, throwing off $3.5 million and a No. 2 market ranking on the weekend at 665 spots. The France cume stands at $10.6 million.

    Over a 25-year span the four prior Die Hard grossed a collective total of $694.6 million.

    The 1988 original Die Hard drew $57.8 million in offshore box office, with the first sequel, 1990‘s Die Hard 2, grossing $122.5 million. The last sequel, 2007‘s Live Free or Die Hard, completed its foreign run with box office of $249.7 million.

    Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Paramount/MGM‘s 3D co-production distributed overseas in most territories by the former, grossed $15.2 million on the weekend overall at more than 3,500 locations in 54 territories and lifting its total overseas take to $127.2 million.

  • Richard Burton gets Hollywood star

    Richard Burton gets Hollywood star

    MUMBAI: Nearly 30 years after his death, Richard Burton has been honoured by Hollywood with a star on the Walk of Fame next to his ex-wife Elizabeth Taylor.
     
    The Welsh-born actor received the film world‘s highest accolade as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the movie Cleopatra that brought Burton and Taylor together and saw the start of their passionate love affair.
     
    Among those paying tribute at the St David‘s Day ceremony was the star‘s grandson, actor Morgan Ritchie, 24, with his sister Charlotte and mother Kate. Burton and Taylor‘s adopted daughter Maria was also there.
     
    The unveiling of the plaque, the 2,491st on Hollywood Boulevard, came after a long-running campaign.
     
    Burton, who died in 1984 aged 58, starred alongside Taylor in 11 films.

  • Susan Boyle to make film debut with The Christmas Candle

    Susan Boyle to make film debut with The Christmas Candle

    MUMBAI: Scottish singer Susan Boyle will make her debut in a film titled The Christmas Candle, said to be a British holiday period film.The 51-year-old Boyle will join Samantha Barks, Hans Matheson and Lesley Manville in the film that began production this week on location in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.

    Based on the novella by Max Lucado, the film tells the tale of an enchanted Christmas candle in Gladbury, a dull village that must confront the dawning of the 20th century and a new skeptical minister.

    There was however no information as to what role the songstress will play.”Everyone on set is a delight to work with and it‘s a fantastic experience to be part of the team,” the lady said in a statement.

    The singer became an overnight international sensation in 2009 after appearing on variety show Britain‘s Got Talent and performing a flawless rendition of I Dreamed a Dream from the musical Les Miserables.

    The Christmas Candle, produced by Impact and Big Book Media, will be directed by John Stephenson.

  • DreamWorks Animation reports net loss of $36.4 mn for the fiscal

    DreamWorks Animation reports net loss of $36.4 mn for the fiscal

    MUMBAI: DreamWorks Animation has reported total revenue of $749.8 million and a net loss of $36.4 million for the fiscal ended 31 December 2012.

    For the fourth quarter of the fiscal, the company reported total revenue of $264.7 million and a net loss of $82.7 million.

    Impacting DreamWorks Animation‘s fourth quarter and full-year 2012 results is a charge of approximately $165 million, which includes a write-down of film costs for ‘Rise of the Guardians‘ in the amount of $87 million, charges totaling $54 million related to the company‘s decision to return ‘Me And My Shadow‘ back to development, a write-off of a number of other development projects in the amount of $20 million and a charge of $4.6 million related to restructuring activities.

    DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg said, “While ‘Rise of the Guardians‘ did not achieve the level of box office success that we have come to expect from a DreamWorks Animation film, we have made several changes to our future slate that we believe will position us well for the next two years. We are now looking ahead to our next release – and our first under our new distribution agreement with Twentieth Century Fox – ‘The Croods‘ on March 22, 2013.”

    ‘Rise of the Guardians‘, which has grossed $302.3 million at the worldwide box office, contributed revenue of $6.1 million to the quarter.‘

    ‘Madagascar 3: Europe‘s Most Wanted‘, which has grossed $746.6 million at the worldwide box office, contributed revenue of $95.2 million to the quarter, primarily from home entertainment and international box office. The film reached an estimated six million net home entertainment units sold worldwide through the end of the fourth quarter, net of actual and estimated future returns.

    ‘Puss In Boots‘ contributed $10.5 million of revenue to the quarter, primarily from pay television and home entertainment. The film reached an estimated 6.2 million home entertainment units sold worldwide through the end of the fourth quarter, net of actual and estimated future returns.

    ‘Kung Fu Panda 2‘ contributed $4.8 million of revenue to the quarter, primarily from home entertainment. The film reached an estimated 6.5 million home entertainment units sold worldwide through the end of the fourth quarter, net of actual and estimated future returns.

    Library, which now includes ‘Megamind‘, contributed approximately $63.4 million of revenue to the quarter. Other items, including holiday television specials and live theatrical properties, contributed approximately $53.1 million of revenue to the quarter. Classic Media contributed approximately $31.6 million of revenue to the quarter.

    Costs of revenue for the quarter equaled $354 million. Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $36.5 million, including approximately $3.1 million of stock-based compensation expense.

    The company‘s income tax benefit for the fourth quarter was $42.4 million. The company‘s combined effective tax rate – the actual tax rate coupled with the effect of the Company‘s tax sharing agreement with a former stockholder – was approximately 34.3 per cent for the fourth quarter.

    The company‘s full year 2013 results are expected to be driven primarily by the performance of ‘The Croods‘, which is scheduled to be released on 22 March and ‘Turbo‘, which is scheduled to be released on 19 July.

  • Steven Spielberg heads Cannes Fest competition jury

    Steven Spielberg heads Cannes Fest competition jury

    MUMBAI: The 66th Cannes Film Festival has announced that filmmaker Steven Spielberg will head its competition jury.

    Spielberg said, “My admiration for the steadfast mission of the Festival to champion the international language of movies is second to none. The most prestigious of its kind, the festival has always established the motion picture as a cross cultural and generational medium.”

    Festival de Cannes president Gilles Jacob said, “As they say across the Atlantic,” said “Steven Spielberg is a Cannes ‘regular‘: Sugarland Express, Color Purple. But it was with E.T. that I screened as a world premiere in ‘82 that ties were made of the type you never forget. Ever since, I‘ve often asked Steven to be Jury President, but he‘s always been shooting a film. So when this year I was told E.T., phone home, I understood and immediately replied: “At last!”

    Spielberg, born in Ohio in 1946, has been a film enthusiast from a very young age. The first film he made was Sugarland Express that was selected for the Festival de Cannes in 1974 and won the best screenplay award.

    In 1993, Steven Spielberg‘s Jurassic Park beat all records for box-office takings in the US. Famous for his commercial successes, his films also The Color Purple (1986), Empire Of The Sun(1987), Schindler‘s List (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Minority Report (2002), Catch Me If You Can (2002), War Of The Worlds (2005), The Adventure Of Tintin: Secret Of The Unicorn (2011) and his latest Lincoln.

  • Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street to open on 15 November

    Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street to open on 15 November

    MUMBAI: Paramount Pictures will release Martin Scorsese‘s The Wolf of Wall Street, that stars Leonardo DiCaprio, all over on 15 November.

    The film is based on former broker Jordan Belfort‘s best-selling memoir. Terence Winter adapted the screenplay which chronicles Belfort‘s dramatic rise and fall on Wall Street and his hard-partying lifestyle and tumultuous personal life, which included drug and alcohol addiction.

    Wolf of Wall Street also stars Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill, Jean Dujardin, Rob Reiner, Kyle Chandler, Margot Robbie, Jon Bernthal, Cristin Milioti, P.J. Byrne and Ethan Suplee.

    Red Granite‘s Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland are producing the film along with DiCaprio, Scorsese, Emma Koskoff and Alexandra Milchan.