Category: Movies

  • Reliance Big Entertainment to release Spielberg’s I Am Number 4

    MUMBAI: Steven Spielberg‘s sci-fi thriller I Am Number 4 will hit theatres worldwide on 18 February.


    The film, based on a book by the same name, is being presented by Dream Works Pictures and Reliance Big Entertainment.


    Produced by Spielberg and Michael Bay, the film is about nine teenaged aliens who have different powers and are sent to earth to hide from their enemies. These nine aliens can only be killed in numerical order and with the first three already dead, John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) has just learned that he is number four.


    Directed by D.J. Caruso, the film tracks the story of Smith, who is on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. While trying to save himself, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events.


    The film stars Dianna Agron, Teresa Palmer, Callan McAuliffe and Timothy Olyphan.

  • Dhananjayan is head of UTV’s Film Business- South

    MUMBAI: UTV has appointed G Dhananjayan as the Chief-South Business for its Motion Pictures division. He will report to UTV Motion Pictures CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur.


    Commenting on Dhananjayan‘s appointment, Kapur said, “We are confident that with the wealth of experience Dhananjayan brings to the table, he will be a valuable addition to the senior management team at UTV and will help lead our efforts to building a strong business in the regional film space particularly in South India.


    Dhananjayan, who has over 24 years of work experience was earlier with Moser Baer, serving as its Chief Executive – Film Business. In his tenure, he was instrumental in making it India‘s largest Home entertainment company.


    Prior to Moser Baer, Dhananjayan has had significant stints with Vodafone and Airtel, where he led the sales, marketing and operations team and played a pivotal role in achieving incredible growth in both subscriber base and revenues. In addition to this, Dhananjayan also worked with Nerolac Paints and RPG – Saregama Music India in the past.


    Averred Dhananjayan, “UTV has been a front-runner in the Hindi film industry and has constantly experimented with path breaking and contemporary cinema, which has been both creatively and commercially successful. In an aim to further strengthen their presence in the South, I am looking forward to work with the team in spearheading the business there.”
     

  • Netherlands doc wins Sundance Fest jury award

    MUMBAI: The Sundance Film Festival 2011 announced its awards on Monday.


    While the Netherlands film Position Among the Stars directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich won the World Cinema Special Jury Prize for documentary films, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer‘s Journey, directed by Constance Marks was adjudged the winner of the special jury prize in the US Documentary Competition.


    Other awards are as follows: Winner of the World Cinema cinematography award for documentary filmmaking: Hell and Back Again (U.S.A./U.K.), (cinematography by Danfung Dennis). The winner of the World Cinema documentary editing award went to The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (Sweden/U.S.A.) editor Goran Hugo Olsson and Hanna Lejonqvist. The winner of the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award was bagged by Project Nim (UK), directed by James Marsh. The winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize in documentary was bagged by Hell and Back Again (UK, USA).


    The winner of the World Cinema special Jury Prize, dramatic, for breakout performances was Olivia Colman and Peter Mullan for Tyrannosaur (UK). The winner of the World Cinema cinematography award, dramatic went to All Your Dead Ones (Colombia) while Restoration, written by Erez Kav-El (Israel) was the winner of the World Cinema Screenwriting Award, Dramatic. The winner of the World Cinema direction award Dramatic went for Tyrannosaur directed by Paddy Considine (UK).


    The winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic was Happy, Happy (Sykt Lykkelig) that was directed by Anne Sewitsky (Norway), winner of the Best of NEXT! Audience Award went to to.get.her, directed by Erica Dunton while the winner of the World Cinema audience award for documentary film was Senna, directed by Asif Kapadia (UK).
     

  • Javier Bardem being wooed for next Bond film

    MUMBAI: Producers of the next James Bond film are wooing Spanish actor Javier Bardem to co-star with Daniel Craig.


    Bardem, husband of talented Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, has made a significant impact in the movie world since he started acting when he was six years old in the 70s. 


    His most recent performance in the film No Country for Old Men and Biutiful have been pronounced as masterpieces. While he got an Oscar for supporting actor for the former, he was nominated as best actor for the latter.


    Trade sources speculate that if Bardem signs up, he is expected to play another secret service agent or a bad guy in the film.


    James Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by British journalist, writer and former Naval Intelligence officer Ian Fleming in several books and short stories.
     

  • Remake rights of Dabangg not sold yet

    MUMBAI: The remaking rights of Dabangg have not been sold to any one yet, a source at Arbaaz Khan Productions has revealed.


    Media reports had stated that Salman Khan’s Dabangg is to be remade in Telugu as Gabbar Singh.


    “Many keen filmmakers from the South did approach Arbaaz for the remake rights, but he has decided to wait for the right time to sell the same . As far as this Telugu film is concerned, the makers may get into legal trouble if they are calling it a remake of Dabangg as the rights are still with the production house,” the source said.


    For some time, news has been going around that Pawan Kalyan was to remake Dabangg in Telugu under his own banner Pawan Kalyan Creative Works with director Harish Shankar at the helm.

  • Sony Pictures to release Inside Job on 4 February

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures India will release the critically acclaimed documentary Inside Job in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore on 4 February to be followed by a subsequent rollout in other cities.


    Inside Job is the first film to expose the shocking truth behind the economic crisis of 2008. The global financial meltdown, at a cost of over $20 trillion, resulted in millions of people losing their homes and jobs.


    Through extensive research and interviews with major financial insiders, politicians and journalists, Inside Job traces the rise of a rogue industry and unveils the corrosive relationships which have corrupted politics, regulation and academia.


    Directed by Charles Ferguson and narrated by Matt Damon, the film has been nominated for a Best Documentary Feature for the Academy Awards. It has also garnered eight other nominations at various critics awards including the San Diego Film Critics Society Awards and the Gotham Awards.


    In India, the film was screened at the Mumbai Film Festival, last year. It was also screened at the prestigious film festivals of Cannes, Toronto and New York.

  • 3rd Intl Children’s Film Festival in Lucknow from 5 to 11 April

    MUMBAI: The 3rd International Children‘s Film Festival will be held from 5 to 11 April in Lucknow.


    The festival comprises various sections such as world competition, children‘s feature films, animation features, world competition for animation shorts and an Indian section. Awards will be given in all these categories.
     
    It may be remembered that the 2nd edition of the film festival received as many as 223 entries from 38 countries like Poland, France, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Spain, UK and USA.


    Jury members of last year‘s festival consisted of film critic and screenwriter from Serbia, Vladislava Vojnovic, filmmaker Shaji N. Karun, filmmaker and writer P. R. Ramadasa Naidu and Japanese independent documentary and TV producer Toshifumi Matsushita.

  • Marmaduke premieres directly on Home Video

    MUMBAI: Excel Home Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment have released the live-action film Marmaduke directly on Blu-Ray and home video.


    The film did not have a theatrical release in India; hence it directly premieres on home video.


    The Oscar-nominated film is based on Brad Anderson‘s popular comic strip that has run for more than five decades. The film centers on a rural Kansas family and their pets – a Great Dane named Marmaduke (voiced by Owen Wilson) and a Balinese named Carlos (voiced by George Lopez).


    Marmaduke‘s owners, a married couple, relocates from Kansas to Orange County, California. Marmaduke has some social problems at an upscale dog park and has some misadventures when he gets out of the yard.


    Marmaduke is available on Blu-Ray for Rs 1299 and DVD for Rs 499.

  • Dil Toh Baccha Hai has a weak opening at the box office

    MUMBAI: Dil Toh Baccha Hai had a meek opening on Friday collecting around Rs 40 million, but it consolidated on Saturday and Sunday to finish its first weekend with Rs 142. 5 million at the domestic box office.


    The film lacks in comedy and romance and has started dropping from Monday. Due to lack of any other release, the film had an exhaustive release and seems to have exhausted its potential. The film could have done with some trimming, its playing time being about 245 minutes.


    Says Raj Bansal of Jai Pictures, Jaipur, who has released the film in Rajasthan Circuit, “The film carries an ‘Adult‘ tag and in a traditional circuit like ours, it affects the collections considerably.”


    Dhobi Ghat has made the most of brand Aamir Khan and his free services to the film, ending its first week with little over Rs 110 million. While the film is expected to recover most of its investment from the domestic box office, the rest would be a bonus.


    Yamla Pagla Deewana continued to do well in Delhi and Punjab in its 2nd week.

  • Henry Cavill is new Superman

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures have announced that Henry Cavill will essay the coveted role of Superman, the iconic superhero.


    The film will be directed by Zack Snyder, who stated, “In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognised and revered character of all time, and I am honoured to be a part of his return to the big screen. I also join Warner Bros., Legendary and the producers in saying how excited we are about the casting of Henry. He is the perfect choice to don the cape and S shield.”


    The film to be produced by Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder will have screenplay by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan.


    Cavill, who recently finished shooting for The Cold Light of Day, stars in the upcoming Immortals scheduled to open this fall.


    Targeted for release in December 2012, the new Superman film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.