Category: English Entertainment

&PriveHD brings award-winning Spielberg feature ‘Lincoln’

MUMBAI: The present is shaped by the actions of individuals who have lead a revolution of change with their firm principles and integrity. Observing Wednesday, 2 December 2020 as International day for the abolition of slavery, witness one man unshackle chains of slavery and unite a torn nation in biographical historical drama film Lincoln airing at 7 pm only on &PriveHD.

Revisit a dark phase in the history of the nation with actor Daniel Day Lewis who won the academy award for best actor for his role as United States president Abraham Lincoln in this extraordinary masterpiece by famed director Steven Spielberg. With David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader and Tommy Lee Jones in supporting roles, the movie highlights the peak of the American civil war and the president’s struggles with the continuing carnage. The plot also touches light on the battlefield that he must fight with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the slaves and bring about a new chapter for the nation.

Watch Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day Lewis come together to bring to life history’s most noted president this International day for the abolition of slavery on Wednesday at 7pm On &PriveHD

December 2, 2020
Sony Pix bids adieu to 2020 with a slew of Hollywood blockbusters

MUMBAI: As India prepares to bid adieu to 2020, Sony Pix too has plans to end the year on a high with a special programming line-up through the month of December. In addition to the Indian television premiere of Yesterday and Last Christmas, there’s ‘Premieres 2020’; ‘Thank God it’s 2021’; ‘Christmas special’; ‘Superhero special’ and ‘The Rock for 2021’.

Starting off is the movie festival ‘Premieres 2020’ consisting of all the movies which premiered on Sony Pix through the year. Catch these movies every night at 9 pm from 5 December to 19 December and relive the premieres of How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World, Cold Pursuit, The Secret Life of Pets 2, Rampage, Mortal Engines and more.

There’s also the Indian television debut of Yesterday starring Himesh Patel. The movie celebrates the legacy of the Beatles and through the premiere of this movie, Sony Pix will pay tribute to 60 years of the band.

Then there’s the specially curated festival ‘Thank God it’s 2021’ from 21 December to 30 December, 7 pm onwards. The festival will celebrate the end of 2020 with 20 most viewed and loved titles of the year. This ten day movie festival includes blockbusters like Furious 7, King Kong, Jurassic World, The Mummy Returns, Godzilla and more.

Additionally, there’s the festive line-up ‘Christmas special’ on 25 December, 10 am onwards which will include movies like Dennis the Menace, Fantastic Beasts, Mr. Bean’s Holiday, How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World and the Indian television premiere of romantic comedy Last Christmas starring Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding.

And finally, there’s the Superhero special on 31 December, 10 am onwards. This incredible line-up calls in the superhero movies like Hulk, The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, Justice League, The Dark Knight, Hellboy 2 and more to end 2020 with a bang.

After an amazement-packed 2020, the start of 2021 also has to be special and hence Sony Pix will have ‘The Rock for 2021’ programming special to kickstart the new year. This line-up will include a Dwayne Johnson Pixathon including movies like Journey 2: The Msyterious Island, Rampage, Central Intelligence, Furious 7 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw on 1 January, 12 pm onwards.

Sony Pictures Networks India English cluster business head Tushar Shah said, “2020 was an exciting year with many new programming line-ups and blockbuster premieres. We are grateful for the support of the fans and are ecstatic to start the New Year with a rocking line-up. Sony Pix has and will continue to showcase the best of Hollywood blockbusters and keep the amazement quotient high for the fans.”

November 30, 2020
MN+ & Romedy NOW to simulcast Indian television premiere of Little Women

MUMBAI: Offering best of Hollywood movies to its viewers, MN+ and Romedy Now is all set to simulcast the Indian television premiere of Little Women, on 29 November, at 1:00 PM and 9:00 PM. An adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's 1868-69 two-volume novel of the same name, Little Women is a modern retelling of the original story and marks the 150 anniversary of the release of the book.

Directed by Clare Niederpruem, the movie stars Lea Thompson, Sarah Davenport, Allie Jennings, Melanie Stone, Taylor Murphy and Elsie Jones. A contemporary narration of sisterhood, Little Women follows the lives of four sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March, detailing their passage from childhood to womanhood. The movie much like the classic fiction, is predominantly focused on Jo (played by Sarah Davenport), an aspiring writer living in New York, while back home in Massachusetts, her sisters carry on with their own lives. The film’s screenplay weaves together their past and present to show how they cling to optimism during harsh times and as they mature they face blossoming ambitions and relationships, as well as tragedy, while maintaining their unbreakable bond as sisters.

The movie continues to celebrate the spunk, bravery and love of the March sisters and explores the theme of womanhood in today’s century.

Don’t forget to tune into MN+ and Romedy NOW on 29 November at 1:00 PM and 9:00 PM for the Indian Television premiere of Little Women.

November 26, 2020
Zee’s ‘Ticket To Hollywood’ premiere for everyone ‘Bloodshot’ garners 29.03Mn viewers

MUMBAI: In one of the biggest festive offering on television, for the first time, &flix and 11 Zee channels premiered the biggest superhero movie of 2020, Bloodshot in ten languages. Combining the might of Zee with a pan-network property, Ticket To Hollywood, a whopping 29.03Million viewers experienced Hollywood’s cinematic brilliance in their preferred language with the premiere of Bloodshot in November. A first for television, the multi-channel and multi-lingual premiere enabled countless ardent fans to #LeapForth into the exciting world of Hollywood marking yet another milestone for Zee.

Starring the ultimate action hero Vin Diesel, Bloodshot premiered on &flix, the destination of the biggest Hollywood hits along with &PrivéHD, Zee Café, &Pictures, Zee Thirai, Zee Cinemalu, Zee Punjabi, Zee Biskope, Zee Talkies, Zee Picchar, Zee Sarthak and Zee Bangla Cinema. The premiere across garnered support from some of the leading brands with Colgate as the presenting sponsors across 11 channels along with brands like Venky’s Purotein, HUL (Lifeboy), KIA, TVS, Amazon, Sprite and Kelvinator onboard across Zee English cluster channels.

Speaking about the success of the premiere, Zeel premium channels business head Kartik Mahadev said, “Today, Hollywood’s appeal knows no bounds as we have enthusiasts from metros and beyond who share the same level of passion and take to Hollywood as their window to the world. True testimony to this is the findings from &flix’s recent consumer study, ‘Hollywood Is For Everyone’ that sheds light on Hollywood’s growing fandom that cuts across regions and languages. The success of the multi-lingual premiere of Bloodshot further validates this with the premiere garnering immense positive response from both our customers and consumers. With successive Hollywood blockbusters in the pipeline as part of Ticket To Hollywood, we are certain that the property will deliver value to brands and enthrall fans spread across the nation.”

Creating a spectacle like no other, Zee combines the exciting line up of latest Hollywood blockbusters on its English movie channel &flix and the reach of its Indian language movie channels to present ‘Ticket To Hollywood’ – a destination for latest Hollywood blockbusters in Indian languages. The property will see Hollywood’s latest blockbusters airing across Zee channels, dubbed in regional languages. With the successful premiere Bloodshot across Zee channels, ‘Ticket To Hollywood’ will feature other recent superhits like Jumanji-The Next Level, Bad Boys For Life, Charlie’s Angels (2019) among others. With this, the property aims to cater to an evolving Hollywood fan base in India – the unsatiated viewers who crave a larger-than-life Hollywood experience in the language of their choice.

November 24, 2020
&flix and &PrivéHD brings specially curated day-long binge on world television day

MUMBAI: In a fresh look from some of the most acclaimed hits of the early 2000s comes an all-new collection of fan-favourite reboots. This time around, bigger gets better as some of your most loved characters reprise their role from the original feature. While times change, the constant drive to expect nothing less than pure blissful entertainment still stays the same. A reminder of the power of blockbuster television where relaxation and leisure culminate into hours of amusement, &flix and &PrivéHD celebrate world television Day this Saturday, 21 November 2020.

It’s time to overload on a fun hot streak of Hollywood mega hits this weekend with an extra morning dose of cop gangbusters and a hailstorm of bullets with the return of 90s classic franchise starring cop action comedy duo Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys For Life. In a post apocalypse zombie ridden world, hot headed cowboy Woody Harrelson meets a young kid Jesse Eisenberg and the rest is history in this fun sequel Zombieland: Double Tap. If tough and crazy had a face to it, it would clearly point to the savage trio who always get the job done leaving behind a trail of piled corpses in the 2019 take of Charlie’s Angels starring fresh faces Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska.

Some other popular titles as part of the special movie line-up airing on &PrivéHD include adventure comedy starring Jackie Chan and Steve Coogan in Around The World In 80 Days, biographical sports drama film Moneyball with lead actor Brad Pitt portraying the role of famed professional basketball player Billy Beane and more. The Lodge starring Jaeden Martell is the perfect bundle of chills and thrills If you’re looking for something petrifying while Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle book (Animated) is just the perfect enjoyable children’s movie to keep them preoccupied this weekend.

With world television day around the corner, &flix and &PrivéHD bring to you a special day long binge-bonanza to take time off with friends and family this weekend, 21 November, 10 am onwards

November 18, 2020
Celebrate Diwali with Indian Television premiere of ‘Fighting with My Family’ on Movies NOW, MN+ and MNX

Diwali is all about spending time with your loved ones and what better way to bond than watching a movie together? Treating movie aficionados with Hollywood mega-hits this festive season, Movies NOW, MNX and MN+ is all set to add extra sparkle to the celebrations with the premiere of ‘Fighting With My Family’, for the first time on Indian Television screens on November 15, Sunday at 1:00 PM and repeat at 9:00 PM.

Narrating the incredible real life story of Saraya-Jade Bevis aka Paige, the youngest daughter in the Knight family from a small town in UK who became a WWE star, the heart-warming biopic sports comedy ‘Fighting with My Family’ is based on a 2012 documentary of the same name. The film follows her from the start of her WWE stardom, including all the hardships the whole family had to go through in order for her to succeed and traces Paige’s relationship with her brother Zak Zodiac, who also tried out to train with the WWE but failed to achieve a similar success like his sister.

Exploring the journey of Paige, the movie delivers some inspiring truths of her life amidst the laughter and fun. Written and directed by Stephen Merchant, best known for co-creating popular sitcom ‘The Office’, this blockbuster is a visual treat featuring a stellar cast including Florence Pugh and Jack Lowden as Paige and Zodiac respectively, alongside Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Vince Vaughn and Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock). Winner of People’s Choice Awards, COFCA Awards and ample others, Fighting With My Family is a true story of courage and inspiration that breaks stereotypes and refuses to succumb to pressures of societal norms.

Watch the Indian Television Premiere of Fighting With My Family on Movies NOW, MNX and MN+ on November 15 at 1:00 P.M. and repeat at 9:00 P.M.

November 10, 2020
Celebrate Halloween with Movies NOW and MNX’s blockbuster premieres, The Prodigy and Child’s Play

NEW DELHI: Halloween is the perfect time to grab some popcorn, huddle with your loved ones and watch some spooky movies! Indulging viewers in an exciting night of thrills and chills with back to back movies that will get you in the Halloween spirit, Movies NOW and MNX is all set to simulcast the Indian Television premiere of The Prodigy and Child’s Play this Saturday, October 31, 2020 at 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM respectively.

An unnerving horror movie that underscores family drama, The Prodigy, directed by Nicholas McCarthy is a twisted story revolving around a child, Miles (Jackson Robert Scott) whose disturbing behaviour signals that an evil, possibly supernatural being has taken control of him, forcing his mother, Sarah played by Taylor Schilling to investigate whether sinister forces are involved. Fearing for her family's safety, Sarah must choose between her maternal instinct to love and protect Miles and a desperate need to investigate what or who is causing his dark turn.

Lars Klevberg’s Child’s Play, is a soul-stirring horror adaption of the 1988 film of the same name and is the reboot of the quintessential Child’s Play franchise. The thrilling plot is based on the cult favorite character, ‘Chucky’ as a Buddi Doll and his hearing-impaired master Andy played by Gabriel Bateman. The slasher flick creates a petrifying visual of a lively toy with the help of artificial intelligence and follows a family terrorized by a high-tech doll who becomes self-aware and subsequently murderous. Veteran actor, Mark Hamill best known for his portrayal of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga and voice of Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, has lent his voice for the doll Chucky.

Don’t forget to tune into Movies NOW and MNX for a #HalloweenSpecial and watch The Prodigy and Child’s Play on October 31 at 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM respectively.

October 29, 2020
Catch the non-stop Hollywood dhamaka on Sony PIX all of November

MUMBAI: It is going to be non-stop entertainment on Sony PIX owing to a barrage of special programming which includes the Indian Television Premiere of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Happy Death Day 2U and US; Diwali Dynamite – a multi-language festival, and Amazement at primetime with a different theme every week.

Starting with the biggest premiere of the year Hobbs & Shaw on 1 November at 1pm, the movie will premiere in English, Tamil and Telugu on Sony PIX and in Hindi on Sony MAX. With Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 as the co-presenting sponsor, TVS Motors as the co-powered by sponsor, Kelvinator and Spotify as the Associate sponsors and Forevermark Diamonds as the Associate sponsor for Sony PIX HD, Hobbs & Shaw is the most awaited action blockbuster of the year.

Additionally, in a category first move, Sony PIX is tapping into the incredibly popular gaming segment and sponsoring an e-sport event – PIX Arena – where fans are given an engaging opportunity to show how their skills match up to that of the lead characters – Hobbs & Shaw. It’s a 6-day Free Fire tournament starting on 26 October and leading to the premiere of the movie, where 480 teams will compete for the championship and a prize amount.

Next up is the Diwali Dynamite – a multilanguage festival – from 2 to 6 November where family entertainment is guaranteed. With 3 back to back blockbuster movies in a day, viewers can expect thrice the firepower that too in a language of their choice. This will be followed by the Indian television premiere of Happy Death Day 2U on 22 November at 9 pm and the premiere of US on 29 November at 1pm and 9pm.

Moreover, primetime on Sony PIX will be a whole lot of amazement as with a different theme every week, viewers will be spoiled for choices from Monday to Saturday at 9 pm. With A-Listers as the theme, the week of 16 November is loaded with Blockbusters like Lucy starring Scarlett Johansson, Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot, Terminator 2 with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead and more. Following this, the theme for the week of 23 November is Adventures and consists of movies like Battleship, Ready Player One, Mortal Engines and more.

Sony Pictures Networks India English cluster business head Tushar Shah said, “November is going to be exciting for Sony PIX viewers with back to back premieres – including the most awaited action blockbuster ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ – and especially curated movie festivals. It doesn’t get better than this and we are urging fans to stay tuned through this month of festivities as non-stop entertainment, amazement and Hollywood blockbusters are guaranteed”.

October 29, 2020
&flix Decodes Movie Lovers In India Through Their Latest Consumer Study Titled: Hollywood Is For Everyone

Hollywood’s growing larger-than-life appeal knows no bounds. With its sophisticated visual effects, unique concepts and aspirational characters, today its fandom in India cuts across languages and cultures. Delving deep into the universe of these passionate fans, &flix, the destination for the latest Hollywood hits from the house of ZEE, has released a comprehensive report titled ‘Hollywood Is For Everyone’ that decodes the hunger for Hollywood amongst movie lovers in India. Coupled with a slew of dubbed releases, Hollywood has now made inroads into untapped markets and resonated with newer audiences. The study throws light on this phenomenon and how Hollywood forms an intrinsic part of our conversations and culture today. With a soaring success at both Box Office India and television, Hollywood has reached the homes of enthusiasts from all corners of India and its only on an upward swing from hereon.

&flix commissioned Nielsen to conduct a study and draw insights from 1500 + movie lovers across metros and Non-Metro cities including – Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Indore. The report delves into how Hollywood enjoys a universal appeal in India and highlights the consumer preferences, attitudes and behaviours, truly giving an insight into the lifestyles and mindsets of the movie buffs in India. The findings reveal how Hollywood blockbusters and heroes act as a gateway for viewers to unlock unlimited possibilities.

Drawing inspiration from the findings, ZEE has recently announced a pan-network property ‘Ticket To Hollywood’ that brings the latest Hollywood movies in dubbed languages across ZEE’s leading movie channels. Starting with the premiere of 2020’s superhero movie ‘Bloodshot’ available across 12 channels in 10 languages, the property further unlocks Hollywood’s true potential in India, giving enthusiasts access to the larger-than-life, Hollywood-level experience.

Sharing her views on the study, Prathyusha Agarwal, Chief Consumer Officer, ZEE said, “At ZEE, we have always recognized the diversity of the cultures and people that exist within India. The findings from the &flix consumer study are proof that Hollywood aficionados are spread across the ‘many Bharats’ today. They seek new experiences and have their finger on the pulse of the latest trends. By offering a ‘Ticket to Hollywood’ to these passionate fans, we at &flix continue to win in the many Bharats that coexist. Being the pioneers of some of the most disruptive innovations in the category, we at &flix are truly proud to push the envelope yet again and present the insightful findings that have emerged through this comprehensive study.”

Commenting on the same, Kartik Mahadev, Business Head, Premium Channels, ZEEL said, “In the hyper-connected world we live in, Hollywood is closer to our homes and hearts now than ever before. Today, Hollywood movies aren’t just for the English-speaking audiences living in metros as we see movie enthusiasts in Bharat and India with the same level of passion and connectedness to the global fan following. This &flix study delves deeper into the mind of the movie fan and explores their culture that is fully immersed into the movie universe. Since its launch, 2 years ago, &flix has challenged the English movie genre codes in addressing the fan experience on television. ‘Ticket to Hollywood’ broadens access to Hollywood premieres across the width and breadth of the country, bringing movies closer to fans while creating value for brands who want to engage with the passionate audience across regions.”

October 29, 2020
7 in 10 Indian movie buffs enjoy dubbed Hollywood films: Study

NEW DELHI: 70 per cent of Bollywood and regional movie fans enjoy watching dubbed versions of Hollywood films, a study by &flix and Nielsen has revealed. However, these viewers also face the problem of having limited options of movies in their preferred language.

The study titled ‘Hollywood is for everyone' interviewed 1500+ movie lovers in metro and non-metro cities and analysed consumer preferences, attitudes and behaviours, giving an insight into the lifestyles and mindsets of movie buffs in India. The findings reveal how Hollywood blockbusters and heroes act as a gateway for viewers to unlock unlimited possibilities.

The study further revealed that nine in ten movie lovers watch both English and Hindi/regional movies. When it comes to entertainment quotient, 91 per cent viewers prefer Hollywood flicks, because they have better power-packed action sequences and special effects.

An interesting fact that came to light is movie lovers stating that television is their preferred choice to experience Hollywood. 88 per cent respondents claimed that Hollywood VFX and superhero stunts are better enjoyed on TV than smartphones.

The study highlighted how viewing habits have changed as a result of the pandemic – 82 per cent respondents stated that TV viewing came closest to the big screen experience amid the lockdown. Moreover, 81 per cent of movie lovers found Hollywood films to be a great way for family bonding during these tough times.

Movie buffs also demand instant gratification. As per the study, eight out of ten respondents expressed displeasure in waiting for months before their favourite Hollywood films are screened on Indian TV channels.

The study also pointed out key characteristics of Hollywood enthusiasts – they earn 1.5x more than Bollywood/regional movie admirers, have a stronger presence on social media, and are brand-conscious individuals who seek new experiences.

ZEEL premium channels business head Kartik Mahadev said, "In the hyper-connected world we live in, Hollywood is closer to our homes and hearts now than ever before. Today, Hollywood movies aren’t just for the English-speaking audiences living in metros as we see movie enthusiasts in Bharat and India with the same level of passion and connectedness to the global fan following. This &flix study delves deeper into the mind of the movie fan and explores their culture that is fully immersed into the movie universe."

Drawing inspiration from the findings, Zee has recently announced a pan-network property 'Ticket to Hollywood' that brings the latest Hollywood movies in dubbed languages across Zee's leading movie channels.

Zee chief consumer officer Prathyusha Agarwal said, "At Zee, we have always recognized the diversity of the cultures and people that exist within India. The findings from the &flix consumer study are proof that Hollywood aficionados are spread across the 'many Bharats' today. They seek new experiences and have their finger on the pulse of the latest trends. By offering a 'Ticket to Hollywood' to these passionate fans, we at &flix continue to win in the many Bharats that coexist."

October 29, 2020