MUMBAI: Paula Abdul may not return to ‘American Idol‘ for a ninth season, it is learnt.
“She‘s not a happy by what‘s going on. She‘s hurt. She‘s angry,” David Sonenberg, her manager told the media.
However, Sonenberg, who said that he became Abdul‘s manager at the end of June, added that he has yet to receive a proposal for a new contract for Abdul.
MUMBAI: The latest ‘Harry Potter‘ film set a new box-office record worldwide in its opening week, grossing nearly 400 million U.S. dollars in five days since its release, distributor Warner Bros. Pictures said.
Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth instalment of the popular boy wizard movie franchise, took in about 397 million dollars since its global debut on Wednesday, breaking the previous five-day box office record of 381.7 million dollars set by Spider-Man 3. 
The box-office performance for the new “Harry Potter” film is testament to the staying power of the franchise based on J.K. Rowling‘s novels, whose first movie debuted in 2001, it is said.
“It‘s amazing eight years on, Warner Bros. has a franchise that has to date generated more than 4.6 billion dollars in worldwide box office and is as popular today as it was at the beginning of this journey,” Dergarabedian said.
In North America, the film took in 79.4 million dollars this weekend, pushing its total ticket sales to about 160 million dollars since Wednesday, preliminary weekend box office figures showed Sunday.
Meanwhile, it also took in 237 million overseas since Wednesday in 54 markets, bringing its worldwide total to about 397 million dollars, according to Warner Bros.
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs was in a distant second place with 17.7 million dollars this weekend in North America. The 20th Century Fox animated movie has earned about 152 million dollars since its release three weeks ago.
DreamWorks‘ Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen comes in third with 13.8 million dollars over the weekend, as the robot action sequel has grossed 364 million dollars in the United States and Canada in four weeks.
MUMBAI: In its ploy to acquire the licensing, production of BrainWorks Entertainment and its distribution business as well and the video and music product pipeline, Synergex Corporation has entered into an agreement with the company.
The manufacturing, content licensing, and distribution business of BrainWorks‘ in Canada will continue under Synergex‘ wholly-owned subsidiary Synergex Media Entertainment (SYXME).
SYXME will strategically focus on the acquisition, production, and localization of DVD and music content for physical and digital distribution in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Argentina, and for sub-licensing in other markets.
The BrainWorks brand is well-established across Canada, particularly in the Quebec market, providing French language fitness-focused content for the francophone community.
BrainWorks former president Glenn Moss and newly-appointed vice president of SYXME will develop and produce exclusive content programs for traditional and non-traditional markets. He has an extensive career of over 20 years in the entertainment and home entertainment industries, specializing in content acquisition, production, marketing, media buying, and sales.
MUMBAI: Lionsgate film releasing president Steve Rothenberg, a film distribution veteran known for energetic work habits and broad knowledge of his field, died Thursday in Burbank after a months-long battle with stomach cancer. He was 50.
The New York native was a 28-year industry vet, who began his career working for filmmaker Roger Corman. During more than 10 years at Lionsgate, Rothenberg guided the release of films with a combined boxoffice of almost $2 billion, featuring a diverse array of successful films such as Michael Moore‘s political documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11,” western “3:10 to Yuma,” the “Saw” horror pics and Tyler Perry comedies.
Rothenberg previously served as distribution president at Artisan Entertainment, where he created and implemented a distribution strategy for the indie horror phenomenon “The Blair Witch Project” and many other theatrical releases.
Rothenberg is remembered both for his tireless work ethic and unflagging loyalty to family and friends. He is survived by his wife Frances and their children Alexandra, Ted and Emma of Glendale, Calif.; his mother, Ina Rothenberg, of Boynton Beach, Fla.; and a sister, Stacy Moscoe, of West Hills, Calif.
A memorial service will be held noon Tuesday at Mount Sinai Hollywood Hills, 5950 Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Camp Kesem, a children‘s camp for families coping with cancer at www.campkesem.org.
MUMBAI: With the excellent opening garnered by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Warner Bros Pictures International (WBPI) has claimed to have passed the $1 billion at the box-office in record time.
WBPI announced its international box-office receipts of more than $1.2 billion last month, making it the first among the Hollywood studios to reach the mark so early in the year. This achievement also marks the seventh time it has achieved the milestone.
However the WBPI claim has been disputed by Fox International, which is said to have passed $1 billion in the first week of April 1998, the year it distributed Titanic.
With Catwoman, The Polar Express and Ocean‘s 12 among the forthcoming films to follow this year from WBPI, the studio could cross the $2 billion for the first time in history.
This is the fourth consecutive year WBPI has passed the $1 billion mark since it has been jointly headed up by distribution president Veronika Kwan-Rubinek and marketing president Sue Kroll.
The last time when WBPI grossed $ 1 billion was in 2004.
MUMBAI: Paramount Home Entertainment, a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures Corporation, is set to release Star Trek on DVD and blu-ray disc on 17 November.
Directed by JJ Abrams, Star Trek will be released on a three-disc Blu-ray with digital copy, two-disc DVD with digital copy and a single-disc DVD.
The two-disc DVD and three-disc Blu-ray include explorations of the reimagining of the franchise, the cast, the action sequences, the powerful score and the captivating aliens. They also include commentary by JJ Abrams, a gag reel and a digital copy of the film. Additionally, the discs also feature deleted scenes.
The movie earned over $375 million at the worldwide box office.
MUMBAI: Ultra has released the DVD of Elegy, a critically acclaimed film particularly for the performances of Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz.
Elegy is the story of David Kepesh (Ben Kingsley), a cultural critic and professor. Previously married, he has a son who has never forgiven him for leaving his mother. His relationships with women are usually casual and brief. Assuming himself to be an independent and self-actualised individual, he encounters Consuela Castillo (Penélope Cruz), a beautiful and confident student who attends one of his lectures. She captures his attention like no other woman and they begin a serious relationship. David is also in a casual 20-year relationship with Caroline (Patricia Clarkson), another former student.
The DVD is priced at Rs 399 and is available at all music stores.
MUMBAI: Grupo Televisa reported a 10.2-per cent increase in revenues in the second quarter to Ps. 12.7 billion ($946.3 million), delivering a net profit of Ps.1.8 billion ($135 million), down less than 1 per cent on the year-ago period.
Television broadcasting revenues, which account for almost 41 percent of net sales, were flat at Ps. 5.3 billion, with an operating income of Ps. 2.7 billion. The pay-TV networks, meanwhile, boosted revenues by 35.7 per cent to Ps. 698.6 million, while operating income gained 40.2 per cent to Ps. 462.5 million. Programming exports also increased, by 11.8 per cent to Ps. 638.5 million, delivering a segment profit of Ps. 294.3 million, reflecting an 11.1-per cent increase. The satellite business Sky delivered a 7.5-percent revenue hike to Rs. 2.4 billion, but profit was flat at Ps. 1.1 billion. The cable and telecom segment recorded the biggest gain, of 55 per cent to Ps. 2.2 billion, with an operating income that gained 67.5 per cent to Ps. 753.6 million.
MUMBAI: The latest film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince cast a $104 million spell over worldwide box-offices on its first day in theatres thus setting a new record for the boy wizard, distributor Warner Bros Pictures said.
The film, the sixth in the film series based on the popular books by J.K. Rowling, grossed $58.18 million in North America and $45.85 million overseas on Wednesday, the Time Warner Inc-owned studio said.
Only last month Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen scored a bigger mid-week first-day gross with $62 million in domestic ticket sales on June 24.
The latest Harry Potter also ranks as the fourth-highest single-day gross for a film release in North America behind Dark Knight ($67.1 million), No. 2 Transformers: Revenge and third Spider-Man 3 ($59.8 million).
It may be recalled that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that also opened on a Wednesday with first-day domestic collection of $44.2 million went on to gross $937 million worldwide.
The first five films
in the Harry Potter have so far grossed about $4.5 billion collectively at the global box-office.
MUMBAI: Animation Collective has signed up Mexico‘s Canal Once for the modern-day superhero tale Three Delivery.
The 26×22-minute animated action-comedy is slated for a September debut on Canal Once. The series is co-produced with Fatkat Studios, in association with Nicktoons Network, YTV and the BBC.
Created by Larry Schwarz, Animation Collective‘s founder and CEO, Three Delivery follows a group of teenagers who are delivery kids and also superheroes. It‘s set in Chinatown and animated in a highly graphic comic-book style.