ITV

Category: Movies

  • New Line Records is WaterTower Music now

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Entertainment is rebranding its in-house music label formerly known as New Line Records as WaterTower Music, it was announced Thursday.


    The rebranding is designed to underscore that the label will support all divisions within Warners. WaterTower, led by Jason Linn, who created the old label in 2000, will begin operating under its new name with immediate effect.


    He will report to Emmerich and Paul Broucek, president, music, Warner Bros. Pictures. 


    Said Emmerich, “The notion of marketing music hand-in-hand with film has always been exciting to us. With both divisions now under the same umbrella, the sky is the limit.


    “This is the vision Jason and I shared when we launched the label 10 years ago, and we‘re thrilled to be given this opportunity to expand within Warner Bros. and serve a multidivisional agenda.”


    The label recently earned a Grammy nomination for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, a Golden Globe nomination for best original score for The Informant! and a Broadcast Film Critics nomination for Sherlock Holmes. Additionally, WaterTower‘s upcoming soundtrack of Valentine‘s Day will feature Taylor Swift‘s new song Today Was a Fairytale that will be released on 9 February.
     

  • Imax crosses $100 million globally with 3D version of Avatar

    MUMBAI: Imax Corp. has crossed the $100 million global box-office mark with the 3D version of Avatar.


    With the sci-fi epic still set to screen for seven more weeks on Imax‘s giant screens, Avatar till date has grossed $68 million in premium North American ticket receipts and $33 million in overseas box-office since it opened on 18 December.


    Imax CEO Richard Gelfond expects the record box-office receipts from Avatar to attract return-viewing for upcoming Hollywood 3D titles on his screens locally and internationally.


    “There will be an Avatar halo. Some people went to an Imax theater for the first time to see Avatar. Many liked the experience and will come back again,” Gelfond said.


    Besides continuing play from Avatar 3D, Imax‘s 2010 Hollywood release slate also includes from DreamWorks Animation How to Train Your Dragon 3D and Shrek Forever After 3D, Tron Legacy 3D and Toy Story 3 3D.

  • Avatar and Basterds bag most Critics’ Choice Awards

    MUMBAI: Avatar and Inglourious Basterds bagged the most awards at Friday‘s Critics‘ Choice Awards but the top honour went to the Iraqi war drama The Hurt Locker and its director-producer Kathryn Bigelow.


    Hurt Locker was named best picture and Bigelow the best director.


    Accepting the best picture prize, screenwriter-producer Mark Boal said the award belongs to Bigelow “for her singular vision, for her endless inspiration and for never taking no as an answer.”


    While collecting the best director‘s award, Bigelow had thanked Boal saying, “I stand here really because of one man and that‘s Mark Boal.”


    “It‘s wonderful to have this honor,” she continued, “but the recognition should also go to the men and women who are in the field to this day.”


    Avatar was named best action film and it collected a lot of technical awards, including honours for cinematography, editing, art direction, sound and visual effects.


    The cast of Basterds was the critics‘ pick for best ensemble. The film‘s villain, Christoph Waltz, was named best supporting actor while Tarantino won for his original screenplay.


    Crazy Heart was a double winner, with Jeff Bridges claiming the best actor prize for his turn as hard-drinking country singer Bad Blake. The film‘s theme, The Weary Kind won for the best song.


    Up won a pair of prizes, too: Best animated feature and best score.


    There were actually two winners in the actress category, with Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock tying for the honor.
    While Streep won for Julie and Julia, Bullock won for her performance in The Blind Side.


    Jason Reitman, won best adapted screenplay for Up in the Air with co-writer Sheldon Turner.


    Other honors went to Mo‘Nique, who was named best supporting actress for her visceral portrayal of an abusive mother in Precious while Saoirse Ronan won best young actress for her role in The Lovely Bones and The Hangover which was voted best comedy film.


    While District 9 won for best makeup, Grey Gardens was adjudged best TV movie. The Cove was named best documentary.


    Nine, that entered the contest tied with “Basterds” with a leading 10 nominations, ended up winless.

  • Anil Ambani eyes lion’s share in MGM

    MUMBAI: Reliance Entertainment is planning to bid for the debt ridden Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a move that would take the Reliance ADAG company to the centre of Hollywood.


    Reliance Entertainment, which already has a joint venture partnership with Spielberg‘s DreamWorks for production of movies, is among the 12 companies that have signed MGM‘s confidentiality agreements to make bid offers.


    The others in the roster include News Corp, Time Warner, Liberty Media, AT&T Inc, Lions Gate and independent studio Summit Entertainment, apart from some private equity firms who are also in the fray to put in a bid for the legendry studio.


    A Reliance spokesperson, however, refused to comment. “We do not comment on speculation,” the spokesperson said.


    Entertainment-focused investment firm Qualia Capital has made a proposal to restructure MGM, which would involve converting some of its debt to equity and put in enough money to keep it running. 


    Private equity firms also signed non-disclosure agreements, it is understood. Those firms could be allowed to team with media companies and make joint bids for the studio in later rounds.


    MGM skipped an interest payment last year on its $3.7bn in debt when it failed to raise the capital required to support an ambitious production schedule. Its lenders have granted it forbearance from interest payments until the end of this month.


    The studio amassed much of this debt when it was taken over in a leveraged buy-out in 2005 by private equity firms TPG, Providence Equity Partners, DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group and media companies Sony and Comcast.


    The first-round bids are non-binding which means that bidders are not legally bound to follow up on their offer and are expected to help MGM assess the level of interest among potential buyers.


    First-round offers are expected to come in between $1.5 to $2 billion, well below the $3.7 billion debt that the studio owes.


    If the bids come in too low, MGM‘s creditors could decide to keep the company and restructure it, possibly filing for a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.


    MGM boasts of a library with 4,000 titles, including classics such as the Pink Panther and James Bond movies and more recent ones such as Legally Blonde.

  • Shemaroo gets patriotic with Vande Mataram on home video

    MUMBAI: With Republic Day around the corner, Shemaroo Entertainment has come out with Vande Mataram, a song compilation that pays a befitting tribute to India on home video.


    The songs in the album have been carefully selected with lot of thought and effort. They represent the six decades of a Republic India, with a nationalistic perspective of people belonging to different strata of the Indian society.


    The album features Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawanon Ka from Naya Daur or the fiery enthusiasm of college students from Talaq, the ever-popular patriotic Apni Azaadi Ko Hum from Leader, Mere Desh Premiyon from Desh Premee, Aye Mere Pyare Watan from Kabuliwala and Har Karam Apna Karenge from Karma among others.


    Apart from this, is the evergreen Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai while a salute to the guardians of our frontiers appear in the form of Dekho Veer Jawanon Apne from Aakraman.


    Patriotic feelings and desires of the increasing number of NRI‘s (Non-Resident Indians), towards their motherland find expression in I Love My India from Pardes. Also the track O Yaaron Maaf Karna from Aa Ab Laut Chalen is a tribute to the unity in diversity of Indians.


    Besides the above mentioned tracks, there are other well-known songs like Bharat Humko Jaan Se Pyara Hai from Roja, Punjabi Gayenge Marathi Gayenge from Aakraman and Garjo Jai Jai Kar from Ek Krantiveer-Vasudev Balwant Phadke which truly take the feeling of patriotism to an altogether different level.


    In addition, this compilation has also got some amazing moments with the song Meri Aawaz Suno from Naunihal in which the real footage of Jawahralal Nehru‘s funeral procession has been used and the film Pukar which has a rare screen appearance by Lata Mangeshkar singing Ek Tu Hi Bharosa.


    It is certain that, this unique representation of songs in Vande Mataram are bound to evoke among audiences emotional, nationalistic and patriotic feelings.


    The Vande Mataram DVDs and VCDs are priced at Rs. 99 and Rs. 45 respectively.
     

  • PPC appoints Yusuf M Shaikh to head film distribution, IPR

    MUMBAI: Percept Pictures has roped in Yusuf M Shaikh as head of film distribution and IPR.


    Prior to this, Shaikh was chief operating officer, feature films at Maverick Productions.


    At Maverick, he had produced films such as Aloo Chaat and Dulha Mil Gaya and distributed films like Om Shanti Om and Cash.


    Said Percept Pictures COO, Feature Films Sanjay V Ahire, “Having released more than 60 films over the last five years, we are focused to offer the best distribution services to independent movie producers, other movie studios etc. Having Yusuf on board will add the much needed experience and expertise to our distribution service offering.” 


    With approximately 18 years of experience in the feature films business, Shaikh has acquired and distributed over 100 films for various entertainment companies including Trimurti Films, Venus, Paramount, Shringar, Fox and Columbia.


    Shaikh was earlier associated with Percept Pictures from 2003-06 wherein he had distributed and released films such as Phir Milenge, Page 3, Hanuman, Corporate and Malamaal Weekly in India and the overseas markets.
     


     

  • Anthony Marcoly quits Disney

    MUMBAI: Disney‘s president of international theatrical distribution Anthony Marcoly has quit the studio after two decades. This follows chairman Rich Ross‘s changes to the executive roster.


    On the other hand, Disney brought in Sean Bailey as president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production following the departure of Oren Aviv recently.


    In the wake of Marcoly‘s departure, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Chuck Viane will now oversee international sales and distribution across seventy countries. He will report directly to Bob Chapek, president of distribution for The Walt Disney Studios.


    Marcoly first joined what was formerly as Buena Vista International (BVI) at its inception in 1992 as finance director and was part of establishing BVI as a stand-alone theatrical distributor.


    He was soon promoted to lead the sales organisation at BVI and subsequently added acquisitions to his portfolio, going on to serve as president of sales and distribution before taking charge of international theatrical distribution.


    Marcoly worked closely with former Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group president Mark Zoradi, who was ousted late last year.


    In further changes, Christine Cadena, currently senior vice-president of marketing, synergy and franchise development, will now function as senior vice-president of multicultural initiatives and will leadall diversity and multicultural efforts.


    Michelle Sewell has been promoted as senior vice-president, global publicity, overseeing the domestic and international publicity departments, and is responsible for formulating and executing worldwide publicity campaigns for all live-action and animated motion pictures.


    The studio will also continue its re-organisation of the workforce at Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

  • Raddatz breaks up with Naples intl. film fest

    MUMBAI: Eric Raddatz has broken up with the Naples International Film Festival.


    “He‘s a very talented guy,” said Rowan Samuel, co-founder and head of the festival‘s board of directors. “We certainly wish Eric the very best.”


    Samuel said Raddatz‘s departure wouldn‘t change plans for the festival to return in 2010. Actually, he said he expects more from the fledgling festival.


    “We all learned a lot in 2009,” he said adding, “We are planning on bringing a bigger, stronger festival to Naples this year.”


    Said Raddatz: “The festival is still like a child to me. I want it to succeed. But I can‘t support, endorse, or take part in the festival as it moves forward in a direction I don‘t agree with.”

  • Avatar could beat Titanic record

    MUMBAI: If James Cameron‘s box-office hit Avatar manages to beat this week‘s competitors like Denzel Washington‘s The Book of ElI and the Jackie Chan starrer The Spy Next Door, prospects of it cruising past Titanic in the books of history.


    Industrites feel it is possible for Avatar to beat the $1.84 billion worldwide collection of Titantic, a record that‘s stood since 1998.


    Last weekend, Avatar shrugged three releases in posting the first four-peat performance since The Dark Knight. If the James Cameron film wins again, it would be the first to top the rankings for five consecutive weeks since Disney‘s horror film The Sixth Sense in 1999.


    Meanwhile, it is being widely talked that Fox intends to release Avatar on DVD in April.


    As for its weekend prospects, the sci-fi epic could fall 25 to 30 per cent this session.


    Though it slid 27 per cent last weekend, it could still ring up about $36 million while last Monday‘s haul could produce a collection of $40 million-plus for the holiday-stretched frame. That likely would be enough to beat the newcomers.
     

  • Drac Studios ventures into film production

    MUMBAI: With its bid to get into films, special effects and makeup house Drac Studios has entered motion picture production and has opened Drac Studios Louisiana and has also gone into pre-production on its first live-action feature, Dead in the Water.


    The film written by Si Dunn will be produced by Drac president Harvey Lowry and directed by Rob Walker.


    Said Lowry, “With all of the indie and studio films being shot in Louisiana, it was an easy decision to open a facility in the state.Now we can offer other producers the Louisiana tax incentives for our special effects and makeup effects as well as take advantage of them ourselves for our own productions.”


    The company has leased a space in Baton Rouge‘s Raleigh Studios Celtic Media Center.


    The creative team behind Drac — Lowry, Todd Tucker and Ron Halvas, with creative direction by Greg Cannom — has won Oscars for Bram Stoker‘s Dracula, Mrs. Doubtfire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and been nominated for Titanic and The Passion of the Christ among other films.


    Drac had been doing effects for Louisiana productions The Mortician directed by Gareth Maxwell Roberts and Area 51 being produced by Courtney Solomon and Moshe Diamant that are in pre-production stage.