ITV

Category: Movies

  • Cinemax premieres Final Destination in digitally-equipped Versova property

    MUMBAI: Cinemax has gone digital. For the first time, viewers got the taste of the technology

    when the 3-D Hollywood horror film Final Destination premiered at Cinemax-Versova recently.


    Cinemax that commenced its digitalisation with Cinemax-Versova is planning to fully digitise screens in additional five locations; Cinemax-Eternity Mall Thane, Cinemax-Sion, Cinemax-Growell Kandivali, Cinemax-Vashi and Cinemax-Dev Arc Mall Ahmadabad. The six locations were shortlisted after thorough market research and surveys.


    Said Cinemax India Ltd senior vice president Devang Sampat, “We are very excited about this development and consider this as an important step in working against the piracy. The 2K Digital technology installed at our six locations will enhance the overall reception-quality of Cinema and our patrons will be benefitted.


    “Our aim is to provide the latest in technology to our audiences and Digital-Screens fits the bill. Even the maintenance of old machines would be reduced with the entry of slick Digital Projectors and better sound and picture quality is anticipated. The manual labour cost is also reduced to a considerable extent. We are very upbeat with this and will see more installations in future”.


    Cinemax is one of the largest owners of multiplex properties in India with 75 screens spread over 24 locations. The exhibition chain is a combination of high-end multiplexes and budget retrofit single-screens.

  • Academy changes rule for Best Picture category

    MUMBAI: The management of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has changed the voting rules for the Best Picture Academy Award category in order to make the polling more accurate. The members of the Academy will now be asked to rate the ten nominees in order of preference rather than pick one outright winner, it is reported.

    The news comes after Academy executives extended the final shortlist from five to ten movies, starting with the 2010 ceremony. As a result, a film could be the first choice of majority of voters, but find itself pushed out of the top prize by another movie that got more votes even though it is a second or third preference.


    The new preferential voting system has been brought in place to help the organisation to recognise “the picture that has the most support from the entire membership.”

  • Martin Scorsese to direct pilot of Broadwalk Empire

    MUMBAI: Martin Scorsese is going to direct the pilot of HBO‘s series Boardwalk Empire. The cable network is to make eleven episodes of the period drama including the pilot.

    Written by Terence Winter, Empire is set in 1920 and chronicles the life and times of Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), the undisputed ruler of Atlantic City, who was part politician and part gangster.Scorsese is expected to remain creatively involved in the show and might direct another episode, subject to his availability.

    The shooting of the series is due to begin this fall and will have a 2010 premiere.

    In addition to Buscemi, the cast of the pilot includes Michael Pitt, Kelly MacDonald, Michael Shannon, Stephen Graham, Vincent Piazza, Aleksa Palladino, Paul Sparks, Shea Whigham, Anthony Laciura and Michael Kenneth.

  • Leah Remini, Martin Henderson sign new contracts

    MUMBAI: ABC has inked different pacts with Martin Henderson and Leah Remini. Under his six-figure deal, Henderson is expected to herald an hour-long project for the network.

    Henderson has appeared in two ABC pilots: one in 2007 for Mr. and Mrs. Smith and one last season for Inside the Box.


    Laeh Remini also starred in an ABC pilot for the comedy show Married Not Dead. He is eyeing another potential comedy turn at the network.


    Recently Remini starred in the successful Web series In the Motherhood.

  • Filmko Holdings to make a 3D period film

    MUMBAI: Hongkong-based Filmko Holdings is on course to producing a 3D period drama adapted from a Spanish classic ‘Don Quixote‘ to be directed by Chinese filmmaker Agan. China‘s first 3D film was the musical China Idol Boys directed by Hong Kong‘s Lam Wah-chuen.
    The shooting of the film that is expected to start in mid-September is the story with a Chinese setting in which Don Quixote will be a Chinese martial arts fighter with an idealistic take on justice and chivalry.

    The production team is currently shooting a three-minute trailer of the period drama with 3D cameras and technical support from US and German 3D professionals.

    Though the cast of the film is yet to be announced, it is learnt that three comedians Guo Tao, Huang Bo and Liu Hua will play the lead actors.

    Filmko is also producing a Taiwanese romantic comedy Kingfisher directed by Kuang Sheng that stars Bianca Bai, Enson Chang and Annie Liu among others.


  • Express Avenue to house Sathyam Cinemas’ 8-screen multiplex in Chennai

    MUMBAI: Chennai-based Sathyam Cinemas is to have its new eight-screen multiplex in one of the city‘s upcoming malls Express Avenue.

    The over 12-lakh sq. ft complex will have a total of nine lakh sq. ft retail space, two-lakh sq. ft office space and a 60-70 room hotel on a built-up area of over one lakh sq. ft.


    The destination mall will also feature a 40,000-sq. ft theme-based food court and will have a parking facility for 1,700 cars. The mall will also house an array of luxury and premium brands among which Marks & Spencer and Dubai-based Landmark group‘s LifeStyle will be anchor stores.


    Sathyam Cinemas currently operates a six-screen multiplex in Chennai that has an annual viewership of more than three million.


    Chennai currently has four multiplexes namely Sathyam Cinemas, Inox Chennai, Mayajaal and Abirami Mega Mall.

  • Shemaroo to distribute ‘Blue’ overseas

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment has acquired the overseas distribution rights of Blue, the Akshay Kumar film directed by Anthony D‘Souza.

    Produced by Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision, Blue‘s star cast includes Sanjay Dutt, Zayed Khan, Lara Dutta and Katrina Kaif. The film is slated to hit the theatres on 16 October.


    Says Shemaroo Entertainment director Hiren Gada, “Shemaroo Entertainment will release the film across 650 screens worldwide. While the major focus will remain on US, UK and the Gulf, the film will also be released across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Europe, Netherlands and Malaysia.”


    In a bid to promote the film internationally, Shemaroo is also planning to premiere in Dubai, London and New York.


    Says Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision director Dhilin Mehta, “Blue is an ambitious project in term of style, production values, standards and creativity. We are trying to release the film in maximum number of screen, to get an international appeal and target people of all ages.”


    While the music of the film has been composed by A R Rahman, Resul Pookutty is the sound designer.


    The cinematography has been done by Laxman Utekar.

  • Hollywood on a roar this summer

    MUMBAI: Hollywood is having a fine summer, evident from the box-office revenues totaling $4.17 billion as against $4.16 billion a year ago.

    According to a report in Variety, Paramount‘s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($399.4 million), Warner Bros.‘ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($294.3 million) and Disney/Pixar‘s Up ($289.6 million) have turned out to be the top three performers at the box-office.

    Warners‘ The Hangover, with a total box-office receipt of $270.2 million in domestic ticket sales, ranks No. 4 on the top 10 summer chart.

    Other films that did well were Paramount‘s Star Trek ($256.7 million) to take the fifth place while Twentieth Century Fox‘s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, after grossing $179 million, settled for the No. 7 spot.

    Fox also took spots No. 6 and No. 8 with Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ($193.3 million) and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian ($176.5 million).

    Disney‘s Sandra Bullock-Ryan Reynolds romantic comedy The Proposal, which earned $160.2 million, took the No. 9 spot.

    Sony‘s Angels and Demons settled for the No.10 spot, pocketing $133.4 million.

  • Big Pictures to release Marathi film Samaantar on 4 September

    MUMBAI: Big Pictures, the film production arm of Reliance ADAG, is set to release Amol Palekar directed Marathi movie Samaantar on 4 September.

    The company is planning to release the movie in 25 theatres across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Pune, Nasik and Kolhapur. Samaantar will also see simultaneous release in two screens in Delhi and one at Nandan, Kolkata (with English subtitles).

    While Sharmila Tagore is acting for the first time in a Marathi movie, Palekar is himself making a comeback on-screen after almost two decades. The film also stars Makarand Deshpande, Sameer Dharmadhikari, Kishor Kadam, Aishwarya Narkar and Radhika Apte.

    Big Pictures COO Mahesh Ramanathan had earlier told Indiantelevision.com that it would be spending Rs 15 million on promoting the film.


    Samaantar reveals lost traces of two persons‘ impeccable love for each other. While Sharmila Tagore plays a potter, Palekar essays the character of an industrialist who is a loner.

  • CBS acquires comedy script of Gail Berner’s ‘Books’

    MUMBAI: CBS has acquired a comedy script by Gail Lerner. The project, which will be produced by Warner Bros. TV, has received a pilot commitment. Tentatively titled Open Books, it revolves around book editor June and her circle of friends.

    Books was based on an idea Lerner had been developing for years. Her script has been inspired by the time she spent in the publishing world at the beginning of her career and by the experiences of her sister Betsy who worked as a book editor for 15 years.


    Open Books refers to the name of the publishing house at the center of the show. “It also applies to all of the characters, but especially June, somebody who leads with her heart and can‘t help but get over-involved in the lives of her friends, her mother and her clients.