ITV

Category: Film Production

  • India, South Korea to ink audio-visual co-production agreement

    India, South Korea to ink audio-visual co-production agreement

    NEW DELHI: India and South Korea will be inking an audio-visual co-production agreement, which was accorded by the Union Cabinet. The agreement will include cooperation between the film industries of the two countries to promote export of Indian films and act as a catalyst towards creating awareness about India and its culture.

     

    This will help in increasing bilateral trade between both countries. 

     

    The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved completion of internal ratification procedure, to enable the agreement to come into force.

     

    The Agreement will be signed during the forthcoming visit of the Prime Minister to South Korea. 

     

    The agreement will mean that producers from both countries would get an opportunity to pool their creative, artistic, technical, financial and marketing resources to co-produce films. 

     

    This will lead to exchange of art and culture between the two countries, and co-productions would provide an opportunity to create and showcase the ‘soft power’ of India. 

     

    The deal is also likely to generate employment among artistic, technical as well as non-technical personnel engaged in the arena of film production including post-production and marketing, thus adding to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

     

    The utilization of Indian locales for shooting raises the visibility / prospects of India as a preferred film shooting destination across the globe would be promoted and this will lead to inflow of foreign exchange into the country. 

     

    This will also lead to transparent funding of film production. 

     

    An audiovisual co-production agreement between India and South Korea is expected to open doors for wide ranging collaboration and lead to strengthening of India’s cultural presence in an important part of the world as well as open up new frontiers for the film industries of both countries.

  • Disney, Globe Telecom ink multi-year content sharing deal

    Disney, Globe Telecom ink multi-year content sharing deal

    MUMBAI: Philippines’ mobile brand Globe Telecom has entered into a multi-year collaboration with The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia.

     

    This collaboration will give Filipino customers access to video-on-demand (VOD), interactive content, promotions and other related services across multiple devices and affirms the relationship of Globe with Disney whose brands include Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and global leader in short-form video, Maker Studios.

     

    Globe customers will now have access to an array of Disney content offerings including long- and short-form programming, interactive content and games, theatrical releases and retail promotions.

     

    These include Disney Movies On Demand (DMOD); Disney On Demand (DOD) and Maker On Demand. Additionally, the Maker Globe will also team to create custom branded entertainment featuring top digital influencers—supporting the Globe service.

     

    Some of the other content includes Watch Disney Channel apps providing access to Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD; Disney Interactive; and promotions, merchandising, and retail activations that bring Disney’s latest theatrical releases closer to Filipinos.

     

    “We are very happy to enter into a relationship with such an iconic brand. Everyone loves Disney – that’s why we are excited to bring the brand closer to Filipinos and give the best content experience on their devices anytime, anywhere. We know that our customers are equally excited to get into the wide portfolio of Disney content such as movies, TV shows, games, merchandising, theatrical releases, and interactive videos available across our mobile and broadband services,” says Globe senior advisor for consumer business Dan Horan.

     

    “We are thrilled to bring the Disney brand of storytelling closer to more Filipinos through this collaboration with Globe. With this unique collaboration, Disney fans in the Philippines will now be able to take their favorite stories and beloved characters everywhere they go across their choice of devices,” adds The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia managing director Rob Gilby.

     

    This collaboration is the latest in Globe’s global partnerships with companies like Facebook, Google, Viber, Spotify, NBA, Hooq and recently WhatsApp.

  • Warner Bros, DC Ent & Mattel to launch Super Hero Girls

    Warner Bros, DC Ent & Mattel to launch Super Hero Girls

    MUMBAI: Beginning in Fall 2015, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Mattel will join forces to launch DC Super Hero Girls, a new universe of Super Heroic storytelling that helps build character and confidence, and empowers girls to discover their true potential.

     

    Featuring DC Comics’ diverse line-up of female characters as relatable teens, DC Super Hero Girls will play out across multiple entertainment content platforms and product categories to create an immersive world.

     

    Developed for girls aged 6-12, DC Super Hero Girls centers on the female Super Heroes and Super-Villains of the DC Comics universe during their formative years – prior to discovering their full super power potential. Featuring a completely new artistic style and aesthetic, DC Comics’ icons such as Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Bumble Bee, Poison Ivy, Katana and many more make their unprecedented teenaged introduction. Each character has her own storyline that explores what teen life is like as a Super Hero, including discovering her unique abilities, nurturing her remarkable powers and mastering the fundamentals of being a hero.

     

    “DC Entertainment is home to the most iconic and well-known Super Heroes including Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Batgirl. DC Super Hero Girls represents the embodiment of our long-term strategy to harness the power of our diverse female characters. I am so pleased that we are able to offer relatable and strong role models in a unique way, just for girls,” said DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson.

     

    The initial launch of DC Super Hero Girls in Fall 2015 will include an immersive digital experience, original digital content and digital publishing – providing opportunities for girls to interact with characters, learn about the storylines, and engage in customizable play. TV specials, made-for-videos, toys, apparel, books and other product categories will begin to rollout in 2016.

     

    “Developing a Super Hero franchise exclusively for girls that includes all of the key components of a comprehensive entertainment experience – from content to consumer products – is something we are excited to be doing in conjunction with our great partners. It’s really an honor to be part of this cultural moment and to be delivering a concept so rooted in a relatable and empowered theme that the characters of DC Comics are uniquely able to present,” added Warner Bros. Consumer Products president Brad Globe.

     

    As master toy licensee, Mattel is collaborating with DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Bros. Consumer Products on DC Super Hero Girls’ narrative creation, interactive digital activations and ultimately a toy line launching in 2016. Mattel category-leading firsts include a line of characters for the action figure category, an area of the industry that has been primarily developed with boys in mind, and fashion dolls featuring strong, athletic bodies that stand on their own in heroic poses.

     

    “Partnering with the best and being the best partner is of paramount importance. Together with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment, the DC Super Hero Girls franchise will further expand our already powerful girls portfolio. We know Super Hero is a culturally relevant theme and the DC Super Hero Girls franchise will engage and inspire girls, providing cues to explore heroic acts through play and into real life,” said Mattel president and COO Richard Dickson.

     

    The Random House Books for Young Readers imprint of Random House Children’s Books has been appointed the master publishing partner for the franchise and will be creating a portfolio of books that will bring the DC Super Hero Girls world to life, beginning in Spring 2016. Random House’s publishing program will be complemented by a series of original graphic novels from DC Entertainment. The Lego Group will also be key to building the DC Super Hero Girls franchise, leveraging their experience and success engaging girls in creative construction play to bolster this universe through an array of Lego building sets designed to inspire girls’ imaginations.

     

    Additionally, consumer products partners around the world will be engaged in creating a merchandise line dedicated to DC Super Hero Girls across all key categories.

  • Barco & Fox ink deal to release films in panoramic movie format

    Barco & Fox ink deal to release films in panoramic movie format

    MUMBAI: Digital cinema company Barco and 20th Century Fox have inked a five year, multi-title per year agreement to release movies in Barco’s multi-screen, fully immersive movie format Barco Escape.

     

    Fox will be working with its filmmakers to produce new projects for the format beginning with the September release of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.

     

    As part of the deal, a Barco Escape setup will be installed in a theater on the 20th Century Fox studio lot. 

     

    Fox was an early endorser of the Barco Escape technology, working hand in hand with Barco throughout the last year to further develop the format and showcase new theatrical content to audiences. Director Wes Ball’s The Maze Runner was the first film to release in Barco Escape, featuring approximately 10 minutes of footage in the format. It debuted at five Barco Escape Cinemark theaters in the US and two Barco Escape Kinepolis theaters in Belgium. For The Scorch Trials,Barco is targeting 25 locations, and Fox is targeting approximately 20 minutes of the film to be converted into the format.

     

    “The audience reaction from the Barco Escape footage on The Maze Runner was overwhelmingly positive. We started working with Barco on this technology because we believe immersive experiences are the future of cinema. Now that Barco has upgraded its Barco Escape systems to be fully DCI compliant, we are further interested in finding tent pole movies for the format that will inspire audiences to leave their homes and go to the theater to share in this unique experience,” says 20th Century Fox president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson.

     

    “Twentieth Century Fox has been an incredible partner for Barco Escape from the very beginning. The common theme from audiences that saw The Maze Runner with select scenes in Barco Escape was ‘we want more!’ We are thrilled to extend our relationship with the studio and its filmmakers to continue pushing the envelope and creating these new cinema experiences you can’t get anywhere else,” added Barco VP of global entertainment Todd Hoddick.

     

    Barco Escape’s next project, a special performance event with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga filmed natively for the format, will be released later this year.

  • Warner Bros lines up three Lego movies till 2018

    Warner Bros lines up three Lego movies till 2018

    MUMBAI: Building a strong slate of animated tentpoles that extends well into 2018, Warner Bros. Pictures has announced the release dates of three much-anticipated Lego movies. 

     

    The next Lego film to open will be the as-yet-untitled Lego Batman feature, which will come to theatres earlier than planned, with the global launch starting in North America on 10 February, 2017.

     

    The second movie Ninjago, which had been slated for release in fall 2016; will now release on 22 September, 2017 in the North American market, with international dates to follow. The release has been pushed as the film is still under construction.

     

    The Lego Movie Sequel, the follow-up to The Lego Movie, will open one week earlier than originally slated, on 18 May, 2018 in North America.

     

    Warner Bros. Pictures president, domestic distribution Dan Fellman said, “We are very excited about dating our upcoming Lego animated features, which already have a worldwide fan following, built on the foundation of the first film. These three films already in the pipeline are just the beginning of a creative and diverse animation slate that will be delighting audiences for years to come.”

     

    Warner Bros. Pictures president, international distribution Veronika Kwan Vandenberg added, “We are looking forward to expanding the Lego film franchise globally with these three incredibly imaginative movies, each offering something different to appeal to a broad range of audiences around the world.”

     

    The Lego Group vice president of licensing and entertainment Jill Wilfert said, “We are so pleased to continue our creative partnership with Warner Bros. on these upcoming projects. It’s truly amazing to see how the big screen lends another dimension to the rich Lego world, and offers new ways for fans to be engaged and entertained by these characters.”

  • Ex-Disney chief Dick Cook launches studio with $150 million Chinese investment

    Ex-Disney chief Dick Cook launches studio with $150 million Chinese investment

    MUMBAI: Former Disney chairman Dick Cook is launching Dick Cook Studios with a $150 million investment from Citic Guoan Group Co. Ltd., which is a division of China’s Citic Group.

     

    Cook said, “I am thrilled to formally announce the launch of Dick Cook Studios. Our mission will always be to provide the very best in family entertainment inclusive of all generations, which inspires, engages, excites and always contributes positively not only to our communities but to the world at large. We will have many more announcements in the coming weeks and months as our long standing plans come together.”

     

    The new studio will be a creative content company focusing exclusively on the development, production, marketing and distribution of multi-generational family entertainment including live-action and animated motion pictures, television, digital, educational media, stage and other themed entertainment among other avenues.

     

    Cook added, “China is very important and this investment will serve as a significant building block in helping us reach our goals. It took us quite awhile to find the right partners that share our vision to create quality content and our passion of family entertainment through telling rich stories that will travel the globe. Citic Guoan is an extremely diverse company with many businesses that range from film and television, publishing, media, to sports, tourism and outsourcing services that will be of great benefit to both of our companies

     

    Citic Guoan chairman Li Shilin said, “With Mr. Cook and his highly respected team, we are guaranteed that every segment of our cooperation will be of the highest standards. They appreciate and understand traditional Chinese culture, and they look forward to telling Chinese stories that will play to families across the globe. We both believe that cultural works in spreading love and positive energy is the world’s eternal theme.”

  • Warner Bros’ new show ‘Ice & Coco’ to air on Fox TV Stations

    Warner Bros’ new show ‘Ice & Coco’ to air on Fox TV Stations

    MUMBAI: Fox Television Stations and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution will debut a three-week daily preview of Ice & Coco, an all-new take on the popular talk show format that adds a husband and wife twist.

     

    The series will premiere on 3 August on select Fox-owned stations in markets, including New York and Los Angeles.

     

    Ice & Coco features veteran actor and rapper Ice-T (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) and his wife, Coco (Ice Loves Coco), as they take on the topics of the day — all things newsworthy, celeb-worthy and, of course, puppy-worthy — showcasing the couple’s fun, authentic vibe and honest curiosity about what’s happening in the world. With years of chemistry together, this married duo from very different backgrounds brings a fresh perspective to the daily talk show format with their unique interview style and enthusiasm for joining in the conversation. Ice enjoys kicking back with a video game just as much as taking on tough topics and sharing his own sharp standpoints; Coco holds her own with honest positivity and a sincere interest in people and new ideas, and isn’t afraid to call out anyone — including her husband. The two hosts plan to interact with their celebrity guests via fun segments, games and open interviews.

     

    Fox Television Stations SVP programming Frank Cicha said, “We see this as another attempt to do something different — big personalities, new to the daypart. Ice-T helped change popular culture. We’re trying to do the same thing for daytime.”

     

    “We are thrilled to continue our ongoing relationship with Fox attempting to develop the next generation of successful talk shows. Ice & Coco has all the earmarks of a success,” Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution president Ken Werner added.

     

    Series’ hosts Ice-T and Coco said, “It’s a fun show with our own style of hip, married humor and honesty.”

     

    Executive produced by Candi Carter (The Oprah Winfrey Show, Just Keke), Ice & Coco is produced by Telepictures Productions.

  • Warner Bros & ProSiebenSat.1 extend licensing deal

    Warner Bros & ProSiebenSat.1 extend licensing deal

    MUMBAI: In a major licensing deal, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution and ProSiebenSat.1 have extended their existing licensing deal.

     

    Thus ProSiebenSat.1 will continue to hold the exclusive free TV rights to Hollywood blockbusters and successful television series produced by the US studio for years to come. Movies such as Batman vs. Superman, Tarzan and King Arthur are among the highlights of the deal that have already been announced.

     

    Furthermore, the trilogy Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which is based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling, will be aired by the broadcasting group. German movie productions like Der geilste Tag with Matthias Schweighofer and Florian David Fitz are also part of the deal.

     

    The agreement will also enable ProSiebenSat.1 to significantly enhance its range of TV series: The latest Warner Bros. productions are among the highest-rated series aired on ProSiebenSat.1 stations. The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men regularly obtain above-average market shares.

     

    The extension of the agreement also gives ProSiebenSat.1 continued access to the extensive Warner library including the fantasy trilogy The Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter movies, the cult movie The Hangover and the superhero movies Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

     

    ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG executive vice president, group programming acquisitions Rüdiger Böss said, “Movies and series from Warner Bros. are among the best of our industry. We have been collaborating for many years and Warner productions are regularly rated highly by our viewers. I am therefore delighted that we have managed to continue this extraordinary partnership and thus to secure many attractive film and series productions for the coming years.”

     

    Jeffrey Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution: “We have long enjoyed a mutually-beneficial relationship with ProSiebenSat.1, which provides a terrific platform for our series and films. This latest agreement between our companies speaks for the quality of our films and television series as well as for the healthy appetite of German TV viewers for good programming.”

     

    Licensing acquisitions across all platforms from free TV to video-on-demand and mobile is getting strategically more and more important for ProSiebenSat.1. Therefore, the division Content Acquisitions has been part of the executive department of Conrad Albert since 1 January, 2015. Conrad Albert continues also to be responsible for the areas Legal, Distribution and Regulatory Affairs.

  • Lionsgate extends deal with Emmett-Furla for 10 movies

    Lionsgate extends deal with Emmett-Furla for 10 movies

    MUMBAI: Lionsgate and its Grindstone Entertainment Group have extended their long-term partnership with Emmett/Furla Films for another 10 movies, several of which will be released through the newly-launched Lionsgate Premiere label.

     

    Grindstone’s collaboration with Emmett/Furla has generated a string of successful star-driven event films, including the Bruce Willis, Josh Duhamel and Rosario Dawson action adventure Fire With Fire, the crime thriller Empire State, starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and The Hunger Games franchise’s Liam Hemsworth, and the serial killer thriller Frozen Ground, featuring Nic Cage and John Cusack.

     

    The partnership’s eagerly-anticipated upcoming slate includes the heist film Bus 657, starring Robert DeNiro and Kate Bosworth, the CIA action thriller The Extraction, teaming Bruce Willis, Kellan Lutz and Gina Carano, and the thriller Daughter of God, featuring an all-star cast led by John Wick’s Keanu Reeves and Mira Sorvino. The first film to release through Lionsgate’s new Premiere specialty distribution label will be The Extraction.

     

    “Grindstone is an important contributor to the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, and they have established one of the industry’s most enviable track records of consistency and profitability as well as a dynamic pipeline of star-driven event films. We’re delighted to extend their productive collaboration with Emmett/Furla for another 10 films that we expect to be distinguished by the high-octane excitement, A-list talent and commercial success that have become their trademarks,” said Lionsgate co-chief operating officer and Motion Picture Group president Steve Beeks.

     

    “Randall Emmett and George Furla are among the most consistently exciting film producers in the world today, and we’re thrilled to extend and expand our partnership for another 10 films. Emmett/Furla is recognized by audiences around the world as a truly global brand synonymous with big stars, box office excitement and outsized commercial results. Our pipeline of films from world-class producers like Randall and George, combined with our access to Lionsgate’s tremendous marketing and distribution infrastructure, is an unbeatable combination,” added Grindstone president Barry Brooker and Grindstone partner Stan Wertlieb.

     

    “We’ve been part of the Lionsgate family since the earliest days of the studio, and our partnership has grown with their success. Lionsgate has emerged as a powerful creative force in the global marketplace, and we’re thrilled to continue our collaboration with Steve Beeks, Barry Brooker and the rest of the Lionsgate team as well as to help launch Lionsgate Premiere, the Company’s newest label,” said Emmett and Furla.

     

    Emmett/Furla partnered with Lionsgate on the theatrical films Rambo, Wonderland, Narc and last year’s Escape Plan, starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in an action thriller that became a box office blockbuster in China and Russia on its way to grossing nearly $140 million around the world.

  • STX Entertainment, Universal Pictures sign home entertainment deal

    STX Entertainment, Universal Pictures sign home entertainment deal

    MUMBAI: Motion picture and television studio STX Entertainment and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment have entered into a multi-year partnership in which Universal will handle all marketing, sales and distribution services for Blu-ray, DVD, Electronic Sell-Through and TVOD platforms of STX Entertainment’s theatrical titles across North America.

     

    STX Entertainment, which handles its own production, marketing and distribution of its theatrical projects, is ramping up quickly and recently revealed it will release 12-15 major motion pictures a year beginning in 2016.

     

    STX Entertainment Motion Picture Group chairman Adam Fogelson said, “Universal has one of the most aggressive and inventive home entertainment teams in the industry. Their philosophy of being platform agnostic and allowing for growth in new and emerging areas of delivery is very exciting. We could not have more confidence in their ability to represent STX Entertainment’s new catalogue of motion pictures in the home entertainment marketplace.”

     

    Universal Pictures president and chief distribution officer Peter Levinsohn added, “STX will be an excellent complement to Universal’s exceptional portfolio of diverse home entertainment distribution partners. Robert Simonds is one of the most innovative and accomplished professionals in the film business and we are thrilled to join forces with him and his veteran team of talented executives in what we expect will be a long and successful collaboration.”

     

    This Universal agreement marks the second partnership announced by STX Entertainment, who in January of this year closed a multi-year output agreement with Showtime Networks to bring motion pictures distributed theatrically by STX exclusively to Showtime Networks during the premium television window. The deal covers the studio’s theatrical releases through 2019.

     

    STX has been ramping up production on its film slate and recently announced the first four motion pictures it will release theatrically. On 31 July, 2015, the studio will debut The Gift, a contemporary psychological thriller from Jason Blum’s Blumhouse, directed by Joel Edgerton and starring Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall and Edgerton. Secret in Their Eyes will be released on 23 October, 2015. The thriller is written and directed by Billy Ray and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts. On 22 January, 2016, STX will release The Boy, a horror film from director William Brent Bell, written by Stacey Menear and starring Lauren Cohan. And 11 March, 2016, brings the release of the epic action-drama The Free State of Jones, starring Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Keri Russell and Mahershala Ali from writer-director and four-time Academy Award nominee Gary Ross.