Category: Movies

MUMBAI: Tips Films‘ Race will run in 1,600 screens worldwide this holiday weekend-beginning 21 March 2008.
Race, being distributed worldwide by UTV Motion Pictures, is all set to release in 26 countries. The film will have 3,600 shows per day.

Starring Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif and Akshaye Khanna, the film will release across 1,300 screens in India, of which 450 are digitals. In the overseas market, it will release in almost 300 screens with 56 in the UK, 118 in the US, 30 in the Gulf, 14 in Australia and the balance in the rest of the world.

“Race is one of the most awaited releases of the year and we are releasing it during the festive season period. We have worked hard with the producers, exhibitors, partners, the media, brand associates to ensure it gets an unprecented promotion thrust and the widest possible distribution penetration worldwide,” says UTV Motion Pictures director Siddharth Roy Kapur.

MUMBAI: Pyramid Saimira Theatre Ltd (PSTL) has signed a memorandum of cultural co-operation with China Society of Music Research Board (CSMRB), ministry of culture, government of People‘s Republic of China.

Under this agreement, PSTL will bring cultural specialists in the field of arts, film, TV, music and dance. CSMRB will also offer policy guidelines and business consultations for PSTL‘s foray in China‘s cultural industry.

Further to the agreement, a new JV company Jiangsu Pyramid Longzhe Group, supported and approved by CSMRB, has been formed to operate theatres and distribute films, and engage in other entertainment, arts and cultural activities in China.

PSTL MD PS Saminathan said, “It is a matter of great pride for our company to sign the agreement with CSMRB. It is a great honour to the Pyramid Saimira Group to get entry into China‘s highly regulated growing culture and entertainment industry. Pyramid Saimira always believed in faster growth and expanding in uncharted territories. China has great entertainment potential given the growing affordability of the entire population and the willingness of new generation to avail multi-faceted entertainment product and services. We will create a huge theatre chain network, food courts, gaming parlours and offer other entertainment services. We will also bring international content to China, and will also showcase and market local Chinese content across the world. This entry will strengthen the growing exhibition and content business of our group and will in a very short time make us the largest exhibitor in the world.”

MUMBAI: Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC) has joined hands with DQ Entertainment (DQE) to co-develop and co-produce six movies in the next 3 to 4 years time.

Within a budget of $45 million (around Rs 1.8 billion), these films will be in animation and live action, and each project will be separately announced once the global co-production budgets are closed.

The understanding will see the two companies co-produce movies in both the animation and live action space.

PNC chairman Pritish Nandy says, “DQE is a world leader in the high-end animation and film content space, and the range and quality of their work has impressed us. We are delighted to associate with their team of 3,000 professionals across the globe. We are also exploring gaming extensions for all platforms to be co-developed with DQE including comic book spin-offs.”

DQ Entertainment had also signed an MoU with Percept Picture Company earlier to produce three animated films with a total budget of around $25 million (approximately Rs 1 billion).

MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms and Popkorn Entertainment have locked in Milan Luthria to direct the second out of their three-film co-production deal.

Based on gangsters, the movie is being written by Rajat Arora who has recently worked on Hattrick, Taxi 9211, Family and Bluffmaster.

Mission Istanbul, which is being directed by Apoorva Lakhia, is the first project under the deal between the two.

On being asked about the film‘s similarity with Shootout At Lokhandwala, Balaji Telefilms CEO Ramesh Sippy says, “It will be better than Shootout. The film will hit the floors sometime in September.”

With regard to the budget, he adds, “Since it is a multi-starrer project, it will be big budget. However, numbers will be finalised once the script is complete.”

MUMBAI: Percept Picture Company (PPC) has joined hands with Vishesh Films for their forthcoming film Jannat, scheduled for release on 2 May 2008.

PPC has acquired the global distribution and commercial rights of this film. The music and home video rights will be released by Sony BMG.

It is the first time that Vishesh Films has outsourced entire rights to one studio.

PPC MD Shailendra Singh says, “We are extremely excited to associate ourselves with Vishesh Films. This milestone earmarks Percept Picture Company‘s expertise for international distribution of Indian films. Vishesh Films have always been a respectable banner which has churned quality cinema for the global viewers. We are confident that with Jannat, we will be offering differentiated entertainment to the discerning audiences.”

Vishesh Films co-owner Mahesh Bhatt adds, “We are thrilled to join hands with Percept Picture Company, who have a distinctive approach in motion pictures production and distribution, with an acute proficiency and understanding of the Indian entertainment landscape. Along with Percept Picture Company, we aim to bring in a unique transformation in Indian cinema by providing quality entertainment to the masses.”

On being asked about the four-film deal between PPC and Vishesh Films which was reported lately, PPC distribution head Ashok Ahuja says, “That‘s not true. We will just be distributing Jannat for now, but as we go along, we will work together.”

MUMBAI: UTV Motion Pictures‘ Jodhaa Akbar has grossed a revenue of Rs 1.2 billion in 31 days.

Out of this, Rs 900 million is from India, and the rest from the overseas box office.

“Jodhaa Akbar is an epic not merely by virtue of the timeless story it tells, but also because of the tremendous tribulations its creation entailed. But the response Jodhaa Akbar has received not only in India but world wide by both critics and viewers is worth all the hard work,” said UTV Motion Pictures director Siddharth Roy Kapur.

Jodhaa Akbar, a co-production between UTV Motion Pictures and Ashutosh Gowariker Productions, was released across 25 countries in 1,500 screens. It was dubbed in Tamil, Telugu, Dutch and Arabic.

MUMBAI: US luxury spirits brands Skyy Spirits has announced a marketing deal with New Line Cinema to serve as the official spirits sponsor and promotional partner for the highly anticipated new film Sex and the City.

The film releases on 30 May and is an extension of the HBO show. Skyy Spirits’ flagship product Slyy Vodka will serve as the official spirit brand of the movie.

Skyy Spirits CEO Gerry Ruvo says, “There couldn’t possibly be a better promotional tie-in this year for our brands, particularly Skyy Vodka, than Sex and the City. We are pleased to be able to give consumers the chance to experience this cultural phenomenon through exciting, targeted marketing programmes that also give us a chance to highlight our premium spirits brands.”

To further enhance Sex and the City’s famed cocktail culture, Skyy Spirits will support the film’s release through a multi-dimensional marketing campaign, including product placement of Skyy Spirits’ expansive portfolio in the movie, featuring appearances by such iconic brands as Skyy Vodka and Cabo Wabo Tequila.

Skyy Spirits’ promotional partnership will include national print, outdoor and online advertising featuring Skyy Vodka and Sex and the City. A consumer sweepstakes tied to the advertising and on- and off-premise promotions will give fans a chance to win tickets to the star-studded New York City premiere in late May. Consumers can sign up now in the membership section of http://www.skyy.com to receive more information.

New Line Cinema president of domestic marketing Chris Carlisle says, “When we considered partners for the film, Skyy Vodka was a natural choice. The iconic cocktail of Sex and the City is the cosmopolitan and Skyy Vodka is the perfect elixir for Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda.”

Skyy Spirits and Slyy Vodka will host charity screenings of Sex and the City in Los Angeles and San Francisco just prior to the film’s rollout. The gala screenings, open to the public, will benefit local community charities.

MUMBAI: Tamil actor Raghuvaran, who essayed varied roles, died at a private hospital this morning in Chennai of cardiac arrest.

The actor was 59 and is survived by his divorced wife and former actor Rohini and a son.

Raghuvaran, who had been suffering from diabetes and other complications, was rushed to a private hospital this morning, where he collapsed. His family members were at the bedside when the end came around 8:30 am.

The body was later shifted to his residence at T Nagar where the Tamil film world paid their last respects.

Nadigar Sangam president Sarathkumar, his wife Radhika, Satyaraj, Radha Ravi, Thalai Vasal Vijay, comedian Vivek and several others placed a wreath on the body and paid their homage.

Raghuvaran had acted in several Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films, and has been praised as a natural actor. His mortal remains would be consigned to flames this evening.

He became famous with his role as the protagonist of a Tamil soap opera Oru Manidhanin Kadhai, the story about a well-to-do man who becomes an alcoholic and faces the consequent difficulties.

Raghuvaran, who had taken a sabbatical from active films due to ill health, made a comeback last year in the film Sivapathigaram and later acted in a number of big films including Rajnikanth‘s blockbuster Sivaji – The Boss. His last films were Sila Nerangalil and Bheema, which were released recently.

MUMBAI: Anthony Minghella, who won an Oscar for directing The English Patient, has passed away at the age of 54.

Minghella began his career writing scripts for British TV shows before his play Made in Bangkok found mainstream success in London‘s West End in 1986.

A decade later, Minghella won an Oscar for The English Patient. He was also nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for The Talented Mr Ripley and Cold Mountain.

Paying tribute to Minghella, British PM Gordon Brown said, “He was one of Britain‘s greatest creative talents, one of our finest screenwriters and directors, a great champion of the British film industry, and an expert on literature and opera. He will be deeply missed, but his contribution to British culture will be remembered for many years to come.”

Former PM Tony Blair said that Minghella was an artist of the highest calibre. Actor Jude Law, who starred in two films made by Minghella, said that Minghella was a brilliantly talented writer and director who wrote dialogue that was a joy to speak and then put it on to the screen in a way that always looked effortless.

Minghella was filming one of 15 short movies, collectively entitled New York, I Love You, at the time of his death.

MUMBAI: While Samir Karnik‘s Nanhe Jaisalmer has been shortlisted for National Film Awards under various categories, his other two films, Heroes and Roshan, have entered the competition catergory of Cannes Film Festival 2008.

“Heroes, starring Sunny Deol, Salman Khan and Preity Zinta, is based on a road trip of two young boys across Northern India while Roshan depicts the fact that ‘hope‘ is the driving force behind everything,” said director Samir Karnik.

Roshan stars Bobby Deol, Kangana Ranaut and child actor Dwij Yadav.

Samir Karnik added, “If our films make it to the final rounds pertaining to the various categories, it will give us a great platform to be part of world cinema.”

Both Heroes and Roshan, which have reached the point of completion, will be releasing this year.