ITV

Category: International

  • Court approves $ 18.5 mn. settlement in accident case while shoot

    Court approves $ 18.5 mn. settlement in accident case while shoot

    MUMBAI: An Illinois Court has approved a $18.5 million settlement for 26-year old Gabriella Cedillo who was critically injured during production of Paramount‘s Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

    Cedillo was among a group of extras driving in an uninhabited portion of Hammond, Ind. in September 2010 during production of the film which went on to gross more than $1 billion in 2011.

    A cable pulling a stunt car apparently snapped and crashed through the windshield of her car. She was airlifted to a nearby hospital and underwent surgery for a head injury. But despite the medical attention, the woman still has brain impairment, it is understood.

    Cedillo‘s attorneys blamed Paramount and DreamWorks, filing lawsuits to cover medical bills that were said to have reached $350,000 and seeking punitive damages. But the litigation has settled with an Illinois judge approving.

    Cedillo was among a group of extras driving in an uninhabited portion of Hammond, Ind. in September 2010 during production of the film which went on to gross more than $1 billion in 2011.

    A cable pulling a stunt car apparently snapped and crashed through the windshield of her car. She was airlifted to a nearby hospital and underwent surgery for a head injury. But despite the medical attention, the woman still has brain impairment, it is understood.

    Cedillo‘s attorneys blamed Paramount and DreamWorks, filing lawsuits to cover medical bills that were said to have reached $350,000 and seeking punitive damages. But the litigation has settled with an Illinois judge approving.

  • Johnny Depp conferred hon. membership of Comanche Nation

    Johnny Depp conferred hon. membership of Comanche Nation

    MUMBAI: Johnny Depp has been conferred with an honorary membership by the Comanche nation, a native American tribe.

    Depp was felicitated by President of Americans for Indian Opportunity, LaDonna Harris. “Johnny is reprising the historic role of Tonto, and it seemed like a natural fit to officially welcome him into our Comanche family,” said Haris.
     
    The actor has in the past spoken about his lineage, associated with the Native American ancestry from his great-grandmother.

    The 48-year-old actor is currently working in the remake of The Lone Ranger in which he plays the fictional character Tonto based on the Comanche tribe.

  • Academy opens open-air theatre

    Academy opens open-air theatre

    MUMBAI: The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences opened its open-air theatre in Hollywood on May 19 in the presence of Academy president Tom Sherak and CEO Dawn Hudson with a screening of the Kevin Kostner-starrer Field of Dreams.
     
    The new facility, located in the heart of Hollywood consists of a public-access park, where the Academy will hold a 10-week screening series titled Oscars Outdoors throughout the summer. “It took us almost two and a half years to all agree this was a good idea. Sometimes you have to wait for good things,” Sherak has been quoted to have said.
     
    “We hope Academy members will come, but it was built for the community, it was built for the city of L.A., and it was built for tourists around the world,” he added.
     
    Classic PG-13 films will be shown on Friday nights, while family-oriented affair (think Goonies) will be screened on Saturday nights. Admission will range from $3-$5.

  • Asghar Farhadi wins Cannes prize to help fund next film

    Asghar Farhadi wins Cannes prize to help fund next film

    MUMBAI: Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who won this year‘s foreign-language picture Academy Award for his film A Separation, claimed a prize at Cannes to help fund his next film with fellow Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard.
     
    Farhadi accepted the European Union‘s Prix Media with $77,000 cash award and later said that he would start filming the as-yet untitled picture starring Cotillard and fellow French actor Tahar Rahim later this year.
     
    “At a time when some politicians are trying to transform the beautiful rainbow of cultural diversity in the world into a field of differences and confrontations, I see this distinction as a very encouraging sign,” Farhadi has been quoted to have said.
     
    Cotillard, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of French torch singer Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose, is appearing in this year‘s Cannes contender Rust and Bone directed by Jacques Audiard.

  • Lionsgate, Nordisk Film conclude long term output deal

    Lionsgate, Nordisk Film conclude long term output deal

    MUMBAI: Following on the heels of Lionsgate‘s recent acquisition of Summit Entertainment, Lionsgate and Nordisk Film have concluded a new multi-year output agreement in which feature films from both Lionsgate and Summit will be distributed by Nordisk in Scandinavia.
    The agreement extends Nordisk‘s existing output arrangement with Summit to encompass the entire Lionsgate family of feature films and was announced at on-going the Cannes Film Festival by Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairs Patrick Wachsberger and Nordisk Film GM of independent Films Rob Friedman and Peter Philipsen.
    Wachsberger and Friedman said, “We are proud to extend Summit‘s longstanding relationship with the team at Nordisk Film to include both the Lionsgate and Summit brands in Scandinavia, a natural evolution of our historic partnership that promises significant benefits for both partners. The recent merger of Lionsgate and Summit allows us to bring a dramatically expanded portfolio of product to our distribution partners around the world and enables us to achieve significant economies of scale and an even higher level of consistency and predictability in our global business.”
    Philipsen said, “We‘re delighted to extend and expand our productive relationship with Patrick, Rob and the entire Lionsgate team. The new agreement provides us with a stable and assured pipeline of some of the most commercially exciting films in the world from a studio that is emerging as a major force in the global marketplace. Our history with Summit has been very rewarding, and we look forward to an exciting future in partnership with the entire Lionsgate family.”
    The upcoming Lionsgate Summit combined slate includes ‘Catching Fire‘, the next installment in ‘The Hunger Games‘ franchise and Sam Raimi‘s ‘The Possession‘.

  • Weinstein acquires US distribution rights to political docu on Gaddafi

    Weinstein acquires US distribution rights to political docu on Gaddafi

    MUMBAI: The Weinstein Company (TWC) has acquired the US rights to political documentary ‘The Oath Of Tobruk‘, the company announced at the on-going Cannes Film Festival.
    The film, directed by French philosopher, journalist and filmmaker Bernard-Henri Levy, was made over the eight-month period of conflict that put an end to Muammar Gaddafi‘s reign in Libya. Levy documented the unfolding of the war and the spontaneous popular revolt that became a revolution through the efforts of the Libyan people in their country and in major cities including Paris, London and New York.
    The course of action taken by the Libyan people that was revealed in the documentary exemplifies how ideas and convictions can change the course of history in the form of a political and humanitarian intervention that had otherwise seemed impossible.
    The announcement was made by TWC co-chairman Harvey Weinstein, who fully supports the film and sees this acquisition as a political action that could provide hope for other countries in a similar state of peril including Syria.
    On 25 May, the Cannes Film Festival will present a special showing of the film, which is an Official Selection of the festival. Four key figures of the Libyan revolution, who have been invited by Levy, will attend the screening to dedicate their achievement in Libya to their Syrian friends.
    Levy said, “For me, Harvey Weinstein is not simply THE ARTIST. He is the producer who helped launch Amnesty International in the United States; the man who fought capital punishment with the weapon of cinema; and the one who defended Roman Polanski in the face of those who wished to lynch him. This Weinstein, I am happy to learn, is joining Studio 37 in the adventure of ‘The Oath Of Tobruk‘.”
    Weinstein said, “This wonderful movie shows BHL‘s incredible courage and the strength of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, and also highlights the invaluable leadership from President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. American audiences will get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how our government and the French government worked together to stop the slaughter of innocent civilians and brilliantly handled the overthrow of a government.”

  • Avengers pulls steam off Battleship with intake of $1.18 bn

    Avengers pulls steam off Battleship with intake of $1.18 bn

    MUMBAI: Disney and Marvel Studios‘ Avengers became the fourth film of all time with an intake of $1.18 billion while Universal and Hasbro Entertainment‘s Battleship lost steam midway grossing $25.3 million.

    Battleship‘s international gross of $226.8 million provided some cushion, but it needed a strong domestic performance to end up in the black. There‘s already speculation that Battleship will follow the same course as Disney‘s John Carter that debuted at $30.2 million in March and topped out at $71.8 million domestically. Overseas, the Disney film earned $200.6 million. The results finally showed a $200 million write-down for Disney.

    The continuing strength of Disney and Marvel Studios‘ The Avengers has undoubtedly made life difficult for Battleship and Warner Bros.‘ Dark Shadows that opened last weekend.

    The alien-invasion actioner — based on the classic board game not well known by younger generations — played notably older Friday, with 66 per cent of the audience over the age of 25. Battleship ended up competing with Sacha Baron Cohen‘s new R-rated comedy for males, who made up 57 per cent of Battleship‘s audience.

  • China’s Wanda Group to buy AMC Entertainment for $2.6 bn

    China’s Wanda Group to buy AMC Entertainment for $2.6 bn

    MUMBAI: Hollywood is attacting investments from China while opening up its own market in a limited way to the western movie world.
    China-based Dalian Wanda Group has agreed to buy AMC Entertainment, the second largest movie theatre chain in North Amierica, for $2.6 billion.
    Wanda, located in Beijing, intends to also invest up to $500 million in AMC strategic and operating initiatives over time as it aims to create the world‘s largest cinema theatre chain.
    The move comes after a line of investments Wanda has made in the entertainment sector since 2005. “This acquisition will help make Wanda a truly global cinema owner,” said Wanda chairman and president Wang Jianlin in a statement. “We share with AMC a passion for the growth of the worldwide movie industry.”
    The transaction is pending closing conditions and regulatory approval from the US and China. “With Wanda as its partner, AMC will continue to seek out new ways to expand and invest in the movie-going experience,” AMC CEO and President Gerry Lopez said in a statement.
    The Wanda group has more than $1.6 billion invested in entertainment and cultural activities.
    AMC, headquartered in Kansas City, employs about 18,500 people and owns 346 theatres.

  • Tajikistan bans The Dictator

    Tajikistan bans The Dictator

    MUMBAI: Film theatres in Tajikistan will not show Sacha Baron Cohen‘s new comedy film The Dictator.
    The Dictator, directed by Larry Charles, is the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed, says its promos.

    The licensing department of state cinema and video company Tajikkino said that the film has not undergone mandatory licensing and censoring procedures. Therefore, cinema halls that show the film could be fined.
    The film premiered on 17 May in other Central Asian countries and in Russia.

    The Dictator has also been banned in Turkmenistan.

  • Jackie Chan retires as action star

    Jackie Chan retires as action star

    MUMBAI: Actor director Jackie Chan has announced his retirement as an action star. He made the announcement at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival saying that he is too “old for stunts”.

    The 58-year-old actor, who was last seen as a martial arts teacher in Karate Kid, said he felt really tired. The actor was also quoted as saying that the world has become “too violent”
    and that he hates “violence”.

    The Rush Hour actor is at the festival to promote his 100th film Chinese Zodiac. Chinese Zodiac will be his last outing as an action hero. Chinese Zodiac, which is the third in Jackie
    Chan‘s Armour of God series, is likely to release in December this year.

    The actor, however, will continue appearing in films outside the action genre and said he wants to be the Asian Robert De Niro and not just an action star.

    Jackie Chan began his career as a stuntman in the Bruce Lee films Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon. His first major break was the 1978 film Snake in the Eagle‘s Shadow. Jackie Chan
    introduced the comedic kung fu genre in movies with his blend of martial arts, improvisation and humour.

    He has successfully crossed over to Hollywood with Shanghai Knights, Shanghai Noon and the Rush Hour series.