ITV

Category: International

  • Paramount postpones premiere of Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher

    Paramount postpones premiere of Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher

    MUMBAI: In respect of the families of the victims of Friday‘s Newtown, Conn., elementary school shooting, Paramount Pictures has postponed the premiere of Tom Cruise‘s thriller Jack Reacher out of respect for the families of the victims of Friday‘s Newtown, Conn., elementary school shooting that it had planned to hold in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
    "Due to the terrible tragedy in Newtown, Conn., and out of honor and respect for the families of the victims whose lives were senselessly taken, we are postponing tomorrow‘s Pittsburgh premiere of Jack Reacher," Paramount said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to all those who lost loved ones," it added.
    Yesterday (Friday) morning, gunman Adam Lanza, 20, went on a rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, leaving 26 people dead including 20 children many of whom were kindergartners. Among the dead was also the school principal Dawn Hochsprung; one teacher was wounded.
    In Jack Reacher, Cruise stars as the mysterious title character, a drifter and former police officer who tries to solve a case involving a hired killer and a shady Russian operative known as The Zec.

  • Bhanu Athaiya returns her Gandhi Oscar statuette to the Academy

    Bhanu Athaiya returns her Gandhi Oscar statuette to the Academy

    MUMBAI: Alarmed by the theft of Rabindranath Tagore‘s Nobel medal recently, Mumbai-based Bhanu Athaiya, who won best costume design for Richard Attenborough‘s multiple award-winning Gandhi at the 55th Annual Academy Awards in 1983, has returned the same to the Academy.
    Said Athaiya in a statement, "I do not trust anyone in India to keep the statuette. If Rabindranath Tagore‘s Nobel medal could be stolen from Shantiniketan, what is the guarantee my trophy would be safe? In India, no one values such things, and we lack a tradition of maintaining our heritage and things pertaining to our culture. In the past, many Oscar winners have returned their trophies for safekeeping with the Academy such as eight-time Oscar-winning costume designer Edith Head, among others."
    In addition to her Oscar, Athaiya has also donated some papers and photographs related to her work for Gandhi. These include newspaper articles and a 1983 telegram from Attenborough sent to Athaiya congratulating her on her nomination.
    The costume designer was slated to travel to L.A. in 2013 and personally hand over the trophy to the Academy. But in June this year, she was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor leading her to hand over her Oscar earlier.
    The Academy made arrangements for the Oscar to be collected last week from Athaiya‘s Mumbai workshop. Said AMPAS assistant general counsel and MD of administration Scott Miller, "The Academy is honoured to receive back your statuette. As you mentioned, we were donated Edith Head‘s Oscars [along with Head‘s career papers and drawings, which are part of the collections at the Academy‘s Margaret Herrick Library].
    Many other artistes have also donated their statuettes and personal papers to the Academy for their perpetual safekeeping and public education. And those statuettes are always treated and displayed with dignity at the Academy‘s exhibitions and galleries. Also, we are in the process of creating the finest motion picture museum in the world and I‘m certain Athaiya‘s statuette will find a place in it."
    As one of India‘s most acclaimed costume designers, Athaiya has worked on more than 100 films including classics like Guide, Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam, Pyaasa and India‘s 2001 foreign film Oscar nominee Lagaan.

  • The Hobbit earns $13 million in midnight runs in the US

    The Hobbit earns $13 million in midnight runs in the US

    MUMBAI: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey grossed $13 million in midnight runs on Friday in the US.

    Peter Jackson‘s 3D fantasy-adventure is the first title in a planned trilogy which is based on J. R. R. Tolkien‘s novel The Hobbit that was published in 1937.

    Starring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and Ian McKellen as wizard Gandalf, the movie is co-produced and co-financed by New Line and MGM.

    It is distributed by Warner Bros.

  • Films shot in India nominated for Golden Globe Awards

    Films shot in India nominated for Golden Globe Awards

    MUMBAI: Two films that were shot in India have been nominated for Best Picture at the Golden Globe Awards. The show is organised by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and takes place next month at the Beverly Hilton.

    ‘Life of Pi‘ directed by Ang Lee which was shot in Pondicherry was nominated for best picture drama among other nods. Its competition includes ‘Lincoln‘ which got the most number of nominations – seven. In the same category, getting a much needed boost was Quentin Tarantino‘s ‘Django Unchained‘ which got five nominations along with Ben Afflecks Argo. ‘Zero dark Thirty‘ a critics favourite also features in the best picture list. Missing from the list is ‘Beasts Of the Southern Wild‘ which was completely ignored.

    ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel‘ which was filmed in Rajasthan got a nomination for best picture comedy or musical. But the winner in that category is likely to be either ‘Silver Lining‘s Playbook‘ or the musical ‘Les Miserables‘. What is a surprise though is that neither of those two films‘ directors David O Russell and Tom Hooper were nominated. A surprise nomination for best picture comedy is ‘Salmon Fishing In The Yemen‘. Its two stars Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor have also been nominated. ‘Moonrise Kingdom has also been nominated for best picture comedy or musical. Paul Thomas AAnderson‘s The Master got a boost with its three stars getting nominated.

  • ‘Argo’, ‘Lincoln’, ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ among AFI’s top 10

    ‘Argo’, ‘Lincoln’, ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ among AFI’s top 10

    MUMBAI: The American Film Institute (AFI) Awards 2012 Official Selections have just been announced.
    AFI Award Honorees are selected based on works which best advance the art of the moving image, enhance the rich cultural heritage of America‘s art form, inspire audiences and artists alike, make a mark on American society and represent the year‘s most outstanding achievements in film and television. AFI is the only national organization that honors the creative ensembles as a whole, acknowledging the collaborative nature of the art form.
    AFI president, CEO Bob Gazzale said, "AFI Awards celebrates America‘s storytellers as collaborators. We are honored to bring together artists as a community, without competition, to acknowledge the gifts they have given the world in 2012."
    AFI Movies Of The Year
    Argo
    Beasts Of The Southern Wild
    The Dark Knight Rises
    Django Unchained
    Les Miserables
    Life Of Pi
    Lincoln
    Moonrise Kingdom
    Silver Linings Playbook
    Zero Dark Thirty
    AFI TV Programmes Of The Year
    American Horror Story: Asylum
    Breaking Bad
    Game Of Thrones
    Girls
    Homeland
    Louie
    Mad Men
    Modern Family
    The Walking Dead
    ‘Mad Men‘ now tops the list as the most recognized AFI Awards TV honoree, with 2012 marking its fifth appearance in the AFI almanac, followed closely by ‘Breaking Bad‘, ‘Everybody Loves Raymond‘, ‘Modern Family‘, ‘The Sopranos‘ and ;‘The Wire‘ each with four AFI Awards honours since 2001.

  • ‘Top Gun’ to be released in Imax 3D

    ‘Top Gun’ to be released in Imax 3D

    MUMBAI: ‘Top Gun‘ Paramount Pictures‘ 1986 film from director Tony Scott, producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer which launched Tom Cruise‘s career takes off on a new adventure with a six-day 3D engagement in select Imax theatres beginning 8 February, 2013. The film has been re-mastered for the Imax 3D release and subsequent debut on Blu-ray.
    ‘Top Gun‘ was re-mastered for the big screen from high-resolution original negative scans and painstakingly converted to 3D by Legend3D under the supervision of the film‘s director, Tony Scott. Rendered in 3D, the film‘s complex, long shots reveal depth and clarity, allowing viewers to explore every detail of the action. From the aerial dogfights to the close-ups in the cockpits, each frame enables the audience to feel a part of the story.
    The story of an elite group of pilots competing to be the best in their class and earn the title of ‘Top Gun‘ made over $350 million upon its release. The film stars Cruise as Maverick and Kelly McGillis as his civilian instructor. The film also stars Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan.
    The Blu-ray 2D includes the re-mastered film in high definition, along with a six-part documentary on the making of the movie, a behind-the-scenes featurette, interviews with Cruise, commentary by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Tony Scott, co-screenwriter Jack Epps, Jr. and more. The two-disc set available for purchase also includes a digital copy of the film and will be enabled with UltraViolet technology.

  • 104 Original Scores in 2012 Oscar race

    104 Original Scores in 2012 Oscar race

    MUMBAI: A total of 104 scores from eligible feature-length films released this year are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 85th Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced.
    The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on 10 January in the Academy‘s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
    Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will air live on 25 February on Star Movies.
    The show takes place at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide including on ABC in the US.

    • The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below in alphabetical order by film title:
    • Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" Henry Jackman, composer
    • After the Wizard" Stephen Main, composer
    • Alex Cross" John Debney and Sebastian Morton, composers
    • The Amazing Spider-Man" James Horner, composer
    • Anna Karenina" Dario Marianelli, composer
    • Argo" Alexandre Desplat, composer
    • Battleship" Steve Jablonsky, composer
    • The Bay" Marcelo Zarvos, composer
    • Beasts of the Southern Wild" Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin, composers
    • Being Flynn" Damon Gough, composer
    • The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" Thomas Newman, composer
    • Big Miracle" Cliff Eidelman, composer
    • Booker‘s Place: A Mississippi Story" David Cieri, composer
    • Brave" Patrick Doyle, composer
    • Brooklyn Castle" B. Satz, composer
    • Chasing Ice" J. Ralph, composer
    • Chasing Mavericks" Chad Fischer, composer
    • Chicken with Plums" Olivier Bernet, composer
    • Chimpanzee" Nicholas Hooper, composer
    • Cloud Atlas" Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek, composers
    • Compliance" Heather McIntosh, composer
    • Contraband" Clinton Shorter, composer
    • The Dark Knight Rises" Hans Zimmer, composer
    • Dark Shadows" Danny Elfman, composer
    • Darling Companion" James Newton Howard, composer
    • Deadfall" Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers
    • The Dictator" Erran Baron Cohen, composer
    • Dr. Seuss‘ The Lorax" John Powell, composer
    • End of Watch" David Sardy, composer
    • Ethel" Miriam Cutler, composer
    • Flight" Alan Silvestri, composer
    • For a Good Time, Call" John Swihart, composer
    • For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada" James Horner, composer
    • Frankenweenie" Danny Elfman, composer
    • Fun Size" Deborah Lurie, composer
    • Girl in Progress" Christopher Lennertz, composer
    • The Grey" Marc Streitenfeld, composer
    • The Guilt Trip" Christophe Beck, composer
    • Hidden Moon" Luis Bacalov, composer
    • Hitchcock" Danny Elfman, composer
    • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" Howard Shore, composer
    • Hotel Transylvania" Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
    • House at the End of the Street" Theo Green, composer
    • The Hunger Games" James Newton Howard, composer
    • Hyde Park on Hudson" Jeremy Sams, composer
    • Ice Age Continental Drift" John Powell, composer
    • The Impossible" Fernando Velázquez, composer
    • Jack Reacher" Joe Kraemer, composer
    • John Carter" Michael Giacchino, composer
    • Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" Andrew Lockington, composer
    • Lawless" Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, composers
    • Life of Pi" Mychael Danna, composer
    • Lincoln" John Williams, composer
    • Lola Versus" Will Bates and Philip Mossman, composers
    • Looper" Nathan Johnson, composer
    • The Lucky One" Mark Isham, composer
    • LUV" Nuno Malo, composer
    • The Man with the Iron Fists" RZA and Howard Drossin, composers
    • Marvel‘s The Avengers" Alan Silvestri, composer
    • The Master" Jonny Greenwood, composer
    • Men in Black 3" Danny Elfman, composer
    • Middle of Nowhere" Kathryn Bostic, composer
    • Mirror Mirror" Alan Menken, composer
    • The Odd Life of Timothy Green" Geoff Zanelli, composer
    • On the Road" Gustavo Santaolalla, composer
    • The Pardon" Ashley Irwin, composer
    • Parental Guidance" Marc Shaiman, composer
    • People Like Us" A.R. Rahman, composer
    • The Possession" Anton Sanko, composer
    • Prometheus" Marc Streitenfeld, composer
    • Promised Land" Danny Elfman, composer
    • The Raid: Redemption" Mike Shinoda and Joseph Trapanese, composers
    • Red Tails" Terence Blanchard, composer
    • Rise of the Guardians" Alexandre Desplat, composer
    • Ruby Sparks" Nick Urata, composer
    • Safe House" Ramin Djawadi, composer
    • Safety Not Guaranteed" Ryan Miller, composer
    • Saint Dracula" Sreevalsan J. Menon, composer
    • Savages" Adam Peters, composer
    • Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" Rob Simonsen and Jonathan Sadoff, composers
    • The Sessions" Marco Beltrami, composer
    • Sinister" Christopher Young, composer
    • Skyfall" Thomas Newman, composer
    • Smashed" Eric D. Johnson and Andy Cabic, composers
    • Snow White and the Huntsman" James Newton Howard, composer
    • Taken 2" Nathaniel Mechaly, composer
    • Ted" Walter Murphy, composer
    • Think Like a Man" Christopher Lennertz, composer
    • This Means War" Christophe Beck, composer
    • A Thousand Words" John Debney, composer
    • The Three Stooges" John Debney, composer
    • Trashed" Vangelis, composer
    • Trouble with the Curve" Marco Beltrami, composer
    • 21 Jump Street" Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
    • The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2" Carter Burwell, composer
    • Until They Are Home" Jamie Dunlap, composer
    • War of the Worlds The True Story" Jamie Hall, composer
    • The Watch" Christophe Beck, composer
    • West of Memphis" Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, composers
    • Where Do We Go Now" Khaled Mouzanar, composer
    • Won‘t Back Down" Marcelo Zarvos, composer
    • The Words" Marcelo Zarvos, composer
    • Wreck-It Ralph" Henry Jackman, composer
    • Zero Dark Thirty" Alexandre Desplat, composer

    A Reminder List of works submitted in the Original Score category will be made available with a nominations ballot to all members of the Music Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.
    To be eligible, the original score must be a substantial body of music that serves as original dramatic underscoring, and must be written specifically for the motion picture by the submitting composer. Scores diluted by the use of tracked themes or other preexisting music, diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs, or assembled from the music of more than one composer shall not be eligible.

  • Mini movie on Harry Potter being filmed

    Mini movie on Harry Potter being filmed

    MUMBAI: A mini movie on the Harry Potter franchise is reportedly being shot secretly at the Potter studios in Hertfordshire.
    Actress Helena Bonham Carter, who played Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter series, has been shooting for the film.
    It is through this film that Daniel Radcliffe rose to fame after playing lead role of boy wizard while Emma Watson and Rupert Grint played his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
    The film is likely to be shown at one of the two theme parks which are under construction. One of the theme parks will open in California by 2014, while the other will be ready to open in Japan by 2016.
    The eight-part franchise, based on author J.K Rowling‘s book, came to an end last year.

  • Danny Boyle quashes report of him directing a Bond film

    Danny Boyle quashes report of him directing a Bond film

    MUMBAI: Slumdog Millionaire director, who drew in lots of kudos for putting across one of the most memorable moments of the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, has scoffed reports that he was contemplating to direct a James Bond film. He was appearing in an interview on BBC Radio 4‘s Front Row.
    Asked if he‘d ever want to helm a Bond film, he averred, "No, I‘m not very good with huge amounts of money. Don‘t trust me with huge amounts of money. I did The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio. The film was a proper Hollywood scale budget and it didn‘t suit me." 

    The 2000 made film cost a reported $50 million. Although it turned to be a profit-making project in the worldwide box office, it fared poorly with critics.
    "Certain people can handle that and I love watching those kinds of films," Boyle observed adding, "but I‘m much better with a smaller amount of money and trying to make it go a long way."
    Other low-budget films he‘s directed include 28 Days Later, Trainspotting and Millions."

  • ‘Lincoln’ gets a record 13 nominations from broadcast Film critics Association

    ‘Lincoln’ gets a record 13 nominations from broadcast Film critics Association

    MUMBAI: Steven Spielberg‘s biopic ‘Lincoln‘ has got 13 nominations from the Broadcast Film Critics Association the most any film has managed from this group ever. The previous highest was ‘Black Swan‘ a couple of years ago which got 12 nominations but went on to only win one award for Natalie Portman.
    This year the musical ‘Les Miserables‘ got 11 nominations. ‘Zero Dark Thirty‘ which has won many critics awards only got five nominations. Apart from these three films the other best picture nominees are Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Life of Pi which is set in India, The Master, Moonrise Kingdom and Silver Linings Playbook.
    Daniel Day-Lewis is the favourite to win best actor for ‘Lincoln‘. Keeping him company are Bradley Cooper for ‘Silver Linings Playbook‘, John Hawkes for ‘The Sessions‘, Hugh Jackman for ‘Les Misérables‘. Joaquin Phoenix for ‘The Master‘ and Denzel Washington for ‘Flight‘.
    Best Actress is a showdown between Jessica Chastain for ‘Zero Dark Thirty‘ and Jennifer Lawrence for ‘Silver Linings Playbook‘. The other nominees are French actress Marion Cotillard for ‘Rust and Bone‘, another French actress Emmanuelle Riva for ‘Amour‘, Quvenzhané Wallis for ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild‘ and Naomi Watts for ‘The Impossible‘.

    If ‘Lincoln‘ has serious momentum then Tommy Lee Jones could win in the supporting actor category. The other nominees here are Alan Arkin for ‘Argo‘, Javier Bardem who played the villain in the Bond film ‘Skyfall‘, Robert De Niro for ‘Silver Linings Playbook‘ Philip Seymour Hoffman for ‘The Master‘. and Matthew McConaughey for ‘Magic Mike‘.
    ‘Skyfall‘ got seven nominations including two for Judi Dench. Apart from Dench the other nominees for supporting actress are Amy Adams for ‘The Master‘, Judi Dench for ‘Skyfall‘, Ann Dowd for ‘Compliance‘, Sally Field for ‘Lincoln‘, Anne Hathaway for ‘Les Misérables‘ and Helen Hunt for ‘The Sessions‘.
    For Best Acting Ensemble the nominees are ‘Argo‘, ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel‘, ‘Les Misérables‘, ‘Lincoln‘, ‘Moonrise Kingdom‘ and ‘Silver Linings Playbook‘.
    For Best Director the nominees are Ben Affleck for ‘Argo‘, Kathryn Bigelow for ‘Zero Dark Thirty‘, Tom Hooper for ‘Les Misérables‘, Ang Lee for ‘Life of Pi‘, David O. Russell for ‘Silver Linings Playbook‘ and Steven Spielberg for ‘Lincoln‘.