Tag: Daniel Craig

Five action heroes we’d love to see in the The Expendables 4 dream team

Mumbai: Track him, find him, kill him! In another action-packed, thrilling adventure The Expendables 4 is coming to Indian theaters on 22 September 2023. Swinging heavily with a star-studded cast like no other, the fourth installment of the cult franchise is stacked with the likes of Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Liam Neeson, Steven Seagal, and even 50 Cent! But this isn’t the first time the franchise has showcased an abundance of A-listers in one movie. The first three installments, namely, The Expendables, The Expendables 2, and The Expendables 3, boast stellar casts with impeccable storylines and can be watched on Lionsgate Play today!

While The Expendables 4 already has an exhilarating cast, here are a few action heroes that could take things up to a whole new level!

The Rock

The Brahma Bull is all fired up and he’s ready to fight! As one of the most popular action heroes, The Rock seems a perfect fit for the indestructible squad of The Expendables. With a physique the size of a mountain, he’s sure to add a ton of firepower and fighting skills.

Keanu Reeves

With a wide range of fan-favorite cult classics to his name, Keanu Reeves comes with a heavy resume of amazing action and smooth fighting. Playing beloved characters like Neo and John Wick, Keanu has repeatedly displayed a propensity for success in the action genre.

Henry Cavill

Who better to add to the squad than the Man Of Steel himself? The charming, witty, and incredibly jacked Henry Cavill would be an extraordinary addition, especially considering his role in Mission Impossible – Fallout, playing a formidable foe.

Tom Cruise

Speaking of Mission Impossible, we have the legendary Tom Cruise. Needing no further elaborations after the enormously successful six Mission Impossible films, when you have Tom Cruise on your team, nothing is impossible.

Daniel Craig

The name’s Bond, James Bond! With his immense experience playing the world’s greatest spy, and a creative detective in Knives Out, Daniel Craig is someone who will add class and stealth to the Expendables, making them a dangerous combination.

Catch the first three installments of The Expendables on Lionsgate Play today.

September 14, 2023
TV premiere of Daniel Craig’s ‘Spectre’ on 23 October

MUMBAI: Movies Now is all geared up to air the television premiere of the Daniel Craig starrer James Bond movie Spectre. With Diwali round the corner, the movie will hit the TV screens on 23 October at 1 pm and a repeat telecast at 9 pm.

Bond fans are also going to be treated to some prizes which are up for grabs during the premiere with a high-decibel marketing campaign. The channel has designed a four-pronged approach to engage with its audience, focusing on on-air, OOH, on-ground and digital mediums.

It has roped in multiple partners for the premiere which is presented by Amazon, co presented by Huawei, driven by Ford, partnered by Airtel and in association with Raymond. The Experiential Marketing partner is Barcode.

“James Bond is one of the most iconic characters from Hollywood and Spectre was one of the highest grossing movies in India in 2015. While all television premieres on Movies Now have always received a phenomenal response from viewers and advertisers, as category leaders we are the going the extra mile for Spectre because Bond holds a very special place in the hearts of Indians. The main focus of our marketing campaign is to reach out to a mass audience, targeting both Bond franchise loyalists and movie enthusiasts. With Spectre, we hope to re-create the same box office magic and success on TV,” said Times Television Network English Entertainment Cluster and Zoom senior vice president and head Vivek Srivastava.

Besides promoting the premiere on the Times Television Network and various other channels across the Indian TV spectrum, Movies Now has also announced an exclusive In-movie Watch and Win contest. 4 lucky winners stand a chance to win an iPhone 7 each; all that they need to do is give a missed call and answer simple questions based on the movie.

With a 10 city outdoor campaign across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad, Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad, the channel is supplementing this as an on-ground activation across 500 bars, which culminates in a mega-event of 3 simultaneous invite-only Bond-themed Spectre Parties held in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

Continuing with their focus on engaging with the urban youth, the channel’s digital initiatives include a special ‘Which Bond Are You?’ Instagram quiz and a day-long Twitter contest to be held on 23rd October with an iPhone7 and other cool prizes up for grabs.

October 21, 2016
TV premiere of Daniel Craig’s ‘Spectre’ on 23 October

MUMBAI: Movies Now is all geared up to air the television premiere of the Daniel Craig starrer James Bond movie Spectre. With Diwali round the corner, the movie will hit the TV screens on 23 October at 1 pm and a repeat telecast at 9 pm.

Bond fans are also going to be treated to some prizes which are up for grabs during the premiere with a high-decibel marketing campaign. The channel has designed a four-pronged approach to engage with its audience, focusing on on-air, OOH, on-ground and digital mediums.

It has roped in multiple partners for the premiere which is presented by Amazon, co presented by Huawei, driven by Ford, partnered by Airtel and in association with Raymond. The Experiential Marketing partner is Barcode.

“James Bond is one of the most iconic characters from Hollywood and Spectre was one of the highest grossing movies in India in 2015. While all television premieres on Movies Now have always received a phenomenal response from viewers and advertisers, as category leaders we are the going the extra mile for Spectre because Bond holds a very special place in the hearts of Indians. The main focus of our marketing campaign is to reach out to a mass audience, targeting both Bond franchise loyalists and movie enthusiasts. With Spectre, we hope to re-create the same box office magic and success on TV,” said Times Television Network English Entertainment Cluster and Zoom senior vice president and head Vivek Srivastava.

Besides promoting the premiere on the Times Television Network and various other channels across the Indian TV spectrum, Movies Now has also announced an exclusive In-movie Watch and Win contest. 4 lucky winners stand a chance to win an iPhone 7 each; all that they need to do is give a missed call and answer simple questions based on the movie.

With a 10 city outdoor campaign across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad, Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad, the channel is supplementing this as an on-ground activation across 500 bars, which culminates in a mega-event of 3 simultaneous invite-only Bond-themed Spectre Parties held in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

Continuing with their focus on engaging with the urban youth, the channel’s digital initiatives include a special ‘Which Bond Are You?’ Instagram quiz and a day-long Twitter contest to be held on 23rd October with an iPhone7 and other cool prizes up for grabs.

October 21, 2016
Sony Pix to air best films from James Bond franchise

MUMBAI: Envy him for his sophisticated gadgets or love him for his charming attitude, you definitely cannot ignore this iconic secret agent, who will sweep you off your feet with his impeccable style and wit. The name’s Bond…James Bond – the panache that remains unparalleled since 1962. Catch the most complicated cases getting solved by code name 007 only on Sony Pix with Bond PIXathon. Watch some of the best films from the James Bond franchise back-to-back all day long on 2 October from 10 am onwards.

Bond movies have succeeded in keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats. While the oh-so-charming Pierce Brosnan, will keep you enthralled with his back-to-back three movie marathon, Tomorrow Never Dies at 10 am, The World Is Not Enough at 12:30 pm and Die Another Day at 3:15 pm, there is more in the offing. The channel will then move on to satiate your appetite by showcasing movies of the drop dead gorgeous, Daniel Craig- Casino Royale at 6 pm and Quantum of Solace at 9 pm.

The Bond series have a lot to offer – from the well suited Bond style and the theme tune, to the gadgets used and the quintessential dialogues. What started as a fictional character by novelist Ian Fleming in the year 1953, went on to become a successful 26-movie series with 6 actors playing the title character of James Bond till the year 2015. The franchise has grossed nearly $7 billion to date, making it the third-highest-grossing film series.

September 30, 2016
Sony Pix to air best films from James Bond franchise

MUMBAI: Envy him for his sophisticated gadgets or love him for his charming attitude, you definitely cannot ignore this iconic secret agent, who will sweep you off your feet with his impeccable style and wit. The name’s Bond…James Bond – the panache that remains unparalleled since 1962. Catch the most complicated cases getting solved by code name 007 only on Sony Pix with Bond PIXathon. Watch some of the best films from the James Bond franchise back-to-back all day long on 2 October from 10 am onwards.

Bond movies have succeeded in keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats. While the oh-so-charming Pierce Brosnan, will keep you enthralled with his back-to-back three movie marathon, Tomorrow Never Dies at 10 am, The World Is Not Enough at 12:30 pm and Die Another Day at 3:15 pm, there is more in the offing. The channel will then move on to satiate your appetite by showcasing movies of the drop dead gorgeous, Daniel Craig- Casino Royale at 6 pm and Quantum of Solace at 9 pm.

The Bond series have a lot to offer – from the well suited Bond style and the theme tune, to the gadgets used and the quintessential dialogues. What started as a fictional character by novelist Ian Fleming in the year 1953, went on to become a successful 26-movie series with 6 actors playing the title character of James Bond till the year 2015. The franchise has grossed nearly $7 billion to date, making it the third-highest-grossing film series.

September 30, 2016
Decoding Heineken’s Spectre campaign

While the cine world is abuzz about the recently released offering from the Bond franchise, Spectre, James Bond aka actor Daniel Craig’s flashy appearance in Heineken’s new TV commercial ‘The Chase’ has also grabbed many eyeballs. The TVC is part of the beer brand’s integrated global campaign for Spectre which released on November 20 in India, making Heineken the only Spectre partner with a TVC featuring Craig.

Created and conceptualized by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, the TVC sees Daniel Craig as James Bond being chased by goons. Bond leads The Chase by jumping into a speedboat and accidentally makes a water skier tied to it a part of the action. Through several dangerous and comic situations, the ad shows how the ski girl Zara saves Bond.

The TVC is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the grand promotion activities the beer brand has done with the film. “We have used television, in-cinema and digital for our campaign, and of course there is point-of-sale, which is a driver for our category (BTL),” informs UBL’s Marketing Senior Vice President Samar Singh Sheikhawat.

Interestingly, Heineken went with for digital first approach with the new TVC. Explaining the strategy, Sheikhawat told Indiantelevision.com, “We chose to release the TVC on Facebook first due to its powerful reach and because of Facebook’s massive network and its recent strategic additions to its video platform. No other video platform has the advanced targeting capabilities like Facebook does. Through gathered data from over 144 crore active users, marketers can efficiently reach their target audience. With the help of Facebook’s targeting capabilities, the video has been carefully placed in front of the eyes of viewers that the matter most to Heineken. This release has been followed by with the launch of our TV campaign. “

To further heighten anticipation ahead of the movie’s release this autumn, fans were given access to special edition Heineken® Spectre bottles and cans that were launched in India for the first time. In order to unlock exclusive content from the movie, fans need to visit www.heineken.com/bond, and scan the Heineken® label on the special-edition packs. The exclusive content features Daniel Craig, plus behind the scenes footages from five of the movie’s dramatic locations – Mexico City, Rome, London, Austria and Morocco. The campaign in India also included purchase-linked promotions where fans could win exclusive Spectremerchandise.

Spectre isn’t the brand’s first collaboration with the Bond franchise. The association between James Bond and Heineken go way back to 1997. “James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history and Heineken® is proud to have played a part in the 007 legend since 1997,” pointed out Sheikhawat.

“Our successful partnership has grown with every release from ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, ‘The World is Not Enough’, ‘Die Another Day’, ‘Casino Royale’, ‘Quantum of Solace’, ‘Skyfall’ to, most recently, 2015’s ‘Spectre’,” he further added.

What makes Heineken the perfect brand campaign partner for the Bond Franchise? “James Bond and Heineken® are instantly recognizable premium brands that share many of the same aspirational qualities – wit, resourcefulness and confidence, plus a fascination with the latest technology,” Sheikhawat simply responded.

Sheikhawat further elaborated the significance of this powerful brand collaboration for both the brands. “Our partnership is mutually beneficial. Heineken® is the world’s most international premium beer, which means that Sony (film distributor and promotor) is able to use the global reach of our Bond campaign to help promote the film in 85 countries around the world. In return, we are able to partner with a globally recognized and loved franchise that our target market identifies with.”

November 23, 2015
Film & TV exec Vivek Krishnani to head Sony Pictures India

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures India (also known as SPE Films India) today announced the appointment of Vivek Krishnani as its managing director, come 1 November. He will be replacing industry veteran Kercy Daruwala who is retiring after a long stint at the studio.

Vivek was most recently Senior Vice President – Revenue and Marketing at MSM Motion Pictures. MSM Motion Pictures is the film production arm of Multi Screen Media,  which is a part of Sony Pictures Entertainment Television Network.

Says Sony Pictures Entertainment senior vice-president, international distribution, Asia, Brett D. Hogg: “I’m very pleased to welcome Vivek to Sony Pictures India. He’s a media veteran with very valuable experience in the unique and dynamic Indian market, in both Hollywood and local-language productions. Under his leadership, we look forward to taking Sony Pictures India to even greater heights.”

Sony Pictures Entertainment produces, acquires, and distributes its films under its various film labels: Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Animation, Sony Pictures Classics, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and Sony Pictures International Productions.

Vivek is excited about his new position. Says he: “I have had a great experience being part of the Sony family and I am now looking forward to a new role with Sony Pictures India. With a legacy of over 80 years since the first Columbia Pictures office opened here, Sony Pictures has over the decades continued to entertain Indian and global audiences. We have our own pipeline through which these products get funnelled. We are committed to further strengthening our distribution network in India and overseas for both Hollywood and local films. “

He points out that the studio has a great slate of films lined up which are going to keep him busy just as he takes over. Among the big ones include the Jack Black starrer GooseBumps (in Hindi, English and Tamil) on 30 October, animation flick Hotel Translyvania 2  (on 6 November), the Daniel Craig (Bond) and Ralph Fiennes starrer Spectre (in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu). “ I’m excited to hit the ground running,” he says.

Apart from the Hollywood pipeline, he is really looking forward to the MSM Motion Pictures-Balaji Motion Pictures  Azhar which is slated for a March 2016 release and also aims to scale up things a notch through  “third party acquisitions for India and overseas for Indian titles to whom we can provide an effective dependable distribution mechanism. We are committed to local product.”

His  vast experience at 21^st Century Fox, Fox Star Studios and prior to that with Turner Entertainment Networks should serve him well.

October 20, 2015
Bond film ‘Spectre’ to release in India on 20 November in four languages

NEW DELHI: The latest in the films on James Bond 007, Spectre, is slated for release in India on 20 November in four languages namely English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Directed by Sam Mendes, the film stars Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, David Bautista and Andrew Scott.

Spectre follows the release of Skyfall, the biggest Bond film of all time, which took in $1.1 billion worldwide.

A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as Spectre.

Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond’s actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Harris) and Q (Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of Spectre. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot.

Presented by Sony Pictures Entertainment, the film has been produced by EON Productions Limited.

October 5, 2015
Daniel Craig to return as James Bond 007 for fourth time in ‘Spectre’

NEW DELHI: The 24th James Bond adventure ‘Spectre’ will feature Daniel Craig in his fourth film as Ian Flemings James Bond 007.

Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and directed by Sam Mendes, the film is all set to begin production.

This announcement was made at 007 Soundstage, Pinewood Studios in London. The film, from Albert R. Broccolis EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment begins principal photography on 8 December and is set for global release on 6 November next year.

The other cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Rory Kinnear as well as introducing Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci and Andrew Scott.

Mendes also revealed Bonds sleek new Aston Martin, the DB10, created exclusively for ‘Spectre.’

A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind ‘Spectre.’

The 007 production will be based at Pinewood Studios, and on location in London, Mexico City, Rome and Tangier and Erfoud, in Morocco. Bond will return to the snow once again, this time in Sölden, along with other Austrian locations, Obertilliach, and Lake Altaussee.

Commenting on the announcement, Wilson and Broccoli said, “We’re excited to announce Daniel’s fourth installment in the series and thrilled that Sam has taken on the challenge of following on the success of Skyfall.”

Written by John Logan and Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, director of photography for the film is Hoyte van Hoytema and editor is Lee Smith. Production designer Dennis Gassner returns along with costume designer Jany Temime and composer Thomas Newman. Action Specialist Alexander Witt is the 2nd unit director. Stunt coordinator is Gary Powell, special effects supervisor is Chris Corbould, and visual effects supervisor is Steve Begg.

Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond film, was a worldwide box office phenomenon, opening #1 in 70 territories around the world, taking over $1.1 billion worldwide and setting a new all-time box office record in the UK by becoming the first film to take over ?100 million.

The launch of Spectre was streamed live on 007.com <http://007.com/> and Facebook.com/JamesBond007, and the video is now available on demand at both sites.

Promotional partners returning to the Bond franchise include Aston Martin, Bollinger, Heineken, Jaguar Land Rover, Omega, Sony Electronics, and Sony Mobile.

James Bond is the longest running, and one of the most successful franchises of all time, with twenty-three films produced and the twenty-fourth about to go in to production. Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli succeeded Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and have produced the past seven Bond films together, including the highly successful Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. All of the James Bond films have been made in collaboration with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios or United Artists, its predecessor.

December 8, 2014
National Geographic gets highest ever nominations in Emmy 2014

NEW DELHI: National Geographic Channel (NGC) received the most Emmy Award nominations in the network’s history with 18 nominations, including 12 with FOX for COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY. With 12 nominations, COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY tied such buzz-worthy shows as HBO’s “True Detective” and Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black” in nominations. Additionally, NGC’s second foray into original scripted programming, KILLING KENNEDY, garnered three nominations, including outstanding television movie, outstanding cinematography and outstanding sound mixing.

Nat Geo WILD also scored two nominations for outstanding narrator for Jeremy Irons for GAME OF LIONS and Daniel Craig for ONE LIFE. “We are incredibly honored for the recognition this year, especially for COSMOS and the great collaborative effort that series marked between Cosmos Studios and our partners at FOX,” said Courteney Monroe, CEO of the National Geographic Channels. “Additionally, as we continue to explore opportunities in the scripted world, to receive a nomination for only our second movie is a thrill.”
See the full list of NGC nominations below:

COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY (NGC & FOX)

• Outstanding Documentary of Nonfiction Series

• Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming

• Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming

• Outstanding Art Direction for Variety, Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Program

• Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming

• Outstanding Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming

• Outstanding Main Title Design

• Outstanding Music Composition for a Series

• Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music

• Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming

• Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming

• Outstanding Special and Visual Effects

COSMOS (NGC)

• Outstanding Short-Format Nonfiction Program: COSMOS: A National Geographic Deeper Dive

KILLING KENNEDY (NGC)

• Outstanding Television Movie

• Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Movie

• Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie

ONE LIFE (Nat Geo WILD)

• Outstanding Narrator: Daniel Craig

GAME OF LIONS (Nat Geo WILD)

• Outstanding Narrator: Jeremy Irons

July 21, 2014