ITV

Category: International

  • Twenty one animated films vying for Academy honours

    Twenty one animated films vying for Academy honours

    MUMBAI: A record twenty one animated features have been submitted for Oscar consideration.
    Computer-animated films continue to dominate, generating big box office as four of the year‘s top 10 highest-grossing films have been computer generated creations. For the first time, stop-motion animation films also had a big year with more than one of the nominees in the feature animation category, being a stop-motion film. Several small time producers at home and overseas served up traditional, hand-drawn fare.
    CGI

    Since Pixar‘s Toy Story became the first feature-length computer-animated film released way back in 1995, CG has been used to produce a string of animated hits. This year, Disney offered Pixar‘s Brave and Disney Animation‘s Wreck-It Ralph; DreamWorks Animation fielded both Madagascar 3: Europe‘s Most Wanted and Rise of the Guardians which opened on 21 November; and Fox/Blue Sky Studio‘s Ice Age: Continental Drift, Universal/Illumination‘s Dr. Seuss‘ The Lorax and Sony Pictures Animation‘s Hotel Transylvania all hit it big.
    Stop-Motion

    Among the hopefuls this year are Tim Burton‘s Frankenweenie, which to date has grossed $63.2 million worldwide for Disney. Producer Laika‘s sophomore feature ParaNorman that has collected $97.3 million worldwide is the second film in the category. They are followed by director Peter Lord‘s The Pirates! Band of Misfits.

    Hand drawn

    This year, contenders include three hand-drawn features from GKIDS Films, the New York-based distributor that crashed the Oscar party one year ago with the surprise animated feature nominations for Chico and Rita and A Cat in Paris, grabbing slots that many expected to go to more high-profile contenders such as Steven Spielberg‘s The Adventures of Tintin.

    GKIDS is putting up for consideration From Up on Poppy Hill from Studio Ghibli, The Rabbi‘s Cat, and Zarafa. Rounding up the list of contenders in the category are Walter & Tandoori‘s Christmas and The Mystical Laws.

  • Sony Pictures to produce 3D movie starring One Direction

    Sony Pictures to produce 3D movie starring One Direction

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures has announced that it will be making a 3D film showcasing London-based boy band One Direction. The behind the scenes footage will be directed by documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (of the Super-Size Me fame) and will be released by TriStar Pictures on 30 August.
    Spurlock, Ben Winston, Simon Cowell, and Adam Milano will produce the film while the executive producers on board will be Richard Griffiths, Harry Magee, Will Bloomfield, Matthew Galkin, Jeremy Chilnick and Doug Merrifield with Columbia Pictures president of production Hannah Minghella and Columbia Pictures vice president of production Lauren Abrahams will oversee production for the studio.
    "This is an incredible opportunity and an amazing moment in time for the band," said Spurlock. "To capture this journey and share it with audiences around the world will be an epic undertaking that I am proud to be a part of."
    Syco Records founder Simon Cowell said, "I‘m delighted we‘re making this film and Morgan is the perfect person to give that access-all-areas, behind-the-scenes look into what it‘s like to be One Direction today. What the band have achieved is incredible, they and their fans have made history around the world – this is for them."
    One Direction – Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson – were discovered by Simon Cowell on the U.K.‘s "The X Factor" in 2010. The band quickly became one of the competition‘s all-time most popular acts, finishing in the final three and garnering a gigantic and loyal fanbase along the way. In March 2012, One Direction‘s debut album, "Up All Night," made U.S. history, as it was the first time a U.K. group‘s debut album entered the U.S. Billboard 200 chart at No. 1. The band has sold over 13 million records worldwide. Today, One Direction released their sophomore album, "Take Me Home," which includes the No. 1 single, "Live While We‘re Young."
    Spurlock emerged in 2004 with his Academy Award nominated feature Super-Size Me, in which he subjected himself to eating only at McDonald‘s for 30 days. He has since gone on to produce other documentary features such as Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, and Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan‘s Hope, as well as non-fiction TV series including FX‘s30 Days and CNN‘s upcoming Inside Man. He was nominated for an Emmy Award and Writers Guild Award in 2010 for the Fox TV Special The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice.

  • Paramount Pictures locks 25 October 2013 as release date of next Paranormal Activity film

    Paramount Pictures locks 25 October 2013 as release date of next Paranormal Activity film

    MUMBAI: Paramount Pictures will release the fifth instalment of Paranormal Activity on 25 October next year, it is understood. It will be directed by Jason Blum.
    While Paranormal Activity 4 has been recorded to be the lowest-grossing film of the series both domestically and internationally, the film still was able to rope in $53.4 million domestically and $134.4 million worldwide. The film had cost $5 million to produce.
    A spinoff of the franchise, geared toward the Hispanic audience, is also in the works.

  • Doha fest to open with Mira Nair film

    Doha fest to open with Mira Nair film

    MUMBAI: The fourth edition of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival is all set to begin with the screening of Mira Nair‘s The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

    The film examines Islamic extremism from a new perspective through a yarn about an exceptionally bright Muslim youth, Changez (Riz Ahmed), who clinches a Princeton scholarship and lands a plum position with an equally plum firm as a financial analyst. He is eager to be part of the American dream, and with a boss whose mantra is money (read profits), not religion or appearance, Changez is all set to soar.

    But 9/11 dashes his hopes, and the America that was so welcoming begins to look at him with suspicion, even hostility. His American girlfriend, Erica (Kate Hudson), trying to grapple with her own personal demons, angers Changez when she in some sort of misplaced ignorance and enthusiasm, paints all the wrong images in her art exhibition.

    The Doha Film Institute, which organises this annual Festival, has co-funded Nair‘s latest work – as part of the efforts to turn Qatar into a culturally vibrant nation.

    Nair, who won the Golden Lion at Venice in 2001 for her Monsoon Wedding, a boisterous look at Indian marriage, also presented The Reluctant Fundamentalist at Venice as the opening movie last August.

  • Emraan Hashmi decides to do a recce for his upcoming Hollywood project

    Emraan Hashmi decides to do a recce for his upcoming Hollywood project

    MUMBAI: So excited is Emraan Hashmi after bagging the pivotal role in Danis Tanovic‘s upcoming film that he has decided to help the director by doing a recce for the film.

    Emraan wants to be part of the project from the start to finish, and feels that being in close contact with the director will enhance their rapport and make them more comfortable with each other, before the shooting commences.

    It is reported that Emraan will be accompanying Tanovic when he goes scouting for locations. In fact, the actor will travel with Tanovic to check out locations in Los Angeles and London as well as tier-two cities and small towns of India. In India, they will consider several options for the perfect location.

    The team will fly to these locations in a few weeks as Emraan is busy shooting for Ungli at the moment.

    It is also said that Emraan is also scheduled to do an acting workshop with Tanovic in January.

  • Quentin Tarantino hints at retirement after 10th film

    Quentin Tarantino hints at retirement after 10th film

    MUMBAI: Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, whose eighth directorial project Django Unchained is all set to hit theatres soon, has hinted of his retirement after his tenth film.
    The 49-year-old has directed cult films like Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, it is reported.
    "You stop when you stop, but in a fanciful world, 10 movies in my filmography would be nice. I‘ve made seven. If I have a change of heart, if I come up with a new story, I could come back. But if I stop at 10, that would be okay as an artistic statement," Tarantino has been quoted to have said.
    "I just don‘t want to be an old-man filmmaker. I want to stop at a certain point. Directors don‘t get better as they get older. Usually the worst films in their filmography are those last four at the end. I am all about my filmography, and one bad film ruins up three good ones," he added.
    Tarantino‘s upcoming western Django Unchained will release across the US on 25 December. The film stars Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L Jackson, Walton Goggins, Kerry Washington and Jonah Hill.

  • Breaking Dawn grosses $ 340.9 mn in opening weekend

    Breaking Dawn grosses $ 340.9 mn in opening weekend

    MUMBAI: Summit Entertainment‘s Twilight: Breaking Dawn — Part 2 has topped the worldwide weekend box office with an opening of $340.9 million including $141.3 million domestically from 4,070 theaters and $199.6 million internationally from 61 markets.
    It has been found that the film has been wooing more males than any previous title in the series, who made up 21 per cent of those buying tickets. In terms of age, 50 per cent of the audience were of 25 years and older, it is understood.
    On the other hand, the latest James Bond flick Skyfall finished the weekend with a worldwide total of $669.2 million to become the top-grossing James Bond film of all time.
    The film, starring Daniel Craig, grossed a stellar $41.5 million in its second weekend domestically pushing its North American total to $161.3 million. Overseas, the film has earned $507.9 million for MGM, Eon Productions and Sony, who distribute the film overseas.
    Steven Spielberg‘s Lincoln also made headlines as it released nationwide in may theatres. The historical drama took in a strong $21 million from 1,775 theaters for an average of $11,831. Last week, Lincoln, had roped in $22.4 million.
    The DreamWorks film, made in association with Participant Media and distributed by Disney domestically, came in No. 3, despite its modest screen count. Lincoln stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the iconic 16th president. Fox, that co-financed the film, is distributing the film internationally.
    David O. Russell‘s critically acclaimed Silver Linings Playbook and Joe Wright‘s Anna Karenina also opened last Friday. Both films did solid but not spectacular business.
    While Silver Linings, from The Weinstein Co., grossed $458,430 from 16 theatres in select cities, Focus Features‘ Anna Karenina grossed $315,395. The film already has earned $10.8 million overseas.

  • IMAX in a far-reaching deal with Warner Bros

    IMAX in a far-reaching deal with Warner Bros

    MUMBAI: In a far-reaching deal with Warner Bros, IMAX has decided to screen the opening nine minutes of Star Trek Into Darkness in IMAX 3D this December but it also ensured that twenty of Warner Bros. Pictures‘ films would arrive on IMAX screens in the coming years.

    Observed IMAX President Greg Foster, "It‘s more moving the ball forward. Continuing to solidify all of our relationships; we have a unique relationship with Warner Bros. but have unique relationships with all the studios."

    Foster sees Warner Bros. as a studio that perfectly aligns with the IMAX brand and business model. "Warner Bros. has a very specific strategy for the past ten years that plays specifically to our brand," averred Foster. "They‘re in the tentpole business. Whether it‘s the Harry Potter franchise or the Batman franchise or the Hobbit franchise or the Superman franchise — those are the movies that are right up in our wheelhouse."

    WB‘s announcement named a handful of event titles lined up for IMAX‘s signature digital remastering process, including Jack the Giant Slayer, Man of Steel, Pacific Rim, 300: Rise of an Empire, Alfonso Cuaron‘s Gravity, The Seventh Son, and next year‘s Hobbit sequel, The Desolation of Smaug.

    IMAX and Warner Bros. set up a similar deal in 2010, and like that collaboration, IMAX is still free to bring the films of other studios to the large screen format. "We‘ve got two movies from Lionsgate: Ender‘s Game and Catching Fire," said Foster. "We have movies with Disney, one that we‘ve announced and others we haven‘t announced and are pursuing and making work, and I think we probably will. We have Star Trek [Into Darkness]. We‘ve had an incredible run with Sony for Bond right now. We‘ve got Oblivion and Jurassic Park for Universal — it‘s a big marketplace. "
     

  • Anne Hathway to star in Spielberg’s next sci-fi

    Anne Hathway to star in Spielberg’s next sci-fi

    MUMBAI: Anne Hathaway will star in Steven Spielberg‘s next sci-fi blockbuster, Robopocalypse, it is understood.
    While Anne has confirmed her association with the film, with Ben Whishaw (Skyfall) also confirmed his presence. On the other hand, Chris Hemsworth (Thor) is still in talks for the male lead.
    Based on a novel by Daniel H. Wilson, Robopocalypse will pit the human race against its own robots and other electronic devices that are controlled by a sentient artificial intelligence named Archos.
    It will be Spielberg‘s first big-budget disaster movie since War of the Worlds seven years ago.
    The film is likely to release in North America on 25 April, 2014.

  • Transformers 4 likely to be shot in Thailand

    Transformers 4 likely to be shot in Thailand

    MUMBAI: Bosses at Marvel, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox and Disney are considering to shoot the fourth edition of Transformers in Thailand.
    It is because of this, location managers from Marvel, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox and Disney were in the country this week scouting for exotic shooting locales as part of a new promotional tour sponsored by the Thai government.
    Ilt Jones, location manager for all three of the Transformers movies, has just wrapped up a tour of Thailand where he explored Bangkok as a potential shooting location for Transformers 4. It is said that it was all part of a new promotional exercise titled the Inbound Roadshow Familiarisation Tour that was hosted by the Thailand Film Office, a government body tasked with boosting foreign shooting in the tourism and lens-friendly Southeast Asian nation.
    A select group of veteran Hollywood location managers took part in the one-week tour of Thailand‘s exotic locales. "We‘re very pleased with the turnout," said Scott Rosenberg, managing director of AMW International, the PR firm that organised the trip with the Thai government.
    Lori Balton, acting president of the Location Managers Guild of America, participated in the Thailand excursion, along with location scouts working for Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Disney. A handful of Indian, Korean, and Japanese directors and producers were also in the country for the tour.
    Designed to generate enthusiasm for working in Thailand among the industry set who matter most, the weeklong trip, which began last Monday, took the location pros to the historical ruins of Ayutthaya, through Bangkok‘s frenetic streets and canals, to a festival celebration in the northern city of Chiang Rai, and a cave kayaking in Phang Nga Bay-among other uniquely Thai points of interest.
    "We‘re visiting Thailand‘s many amazing locations, but also showing the VIPs our crews, studios, labs, and equipment-everything a major international production needs," said Ms. Worateera Suvarnsorn, a spokesperson for the Thailand Film Office. "Usually we do outbound trips to the festivals and film markets to promote Thailand; this time we decided to try bringing them here."
    The trip concluded with a visit to the restaurant at the top of Bangkok‘s State Tower where a climactic helicopter scene of The Hangover 2 was filmed.