Tag: Kercy Daruwala

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
Sony Pictures unveils exciting 2015 line-up

MUMBAI: Starting the year with the comedy Sharafat Gaye Tel Lene hitting theatres on 16 January 2014, Sony Pictures has a fantastic lineup of movies that include Hollywood comedy The Wedding Ringer about a best man on hire, starring top comic Kevin Hart, Josh Gad and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting.

That is not all! Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie with Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel and Hugh Jackman is next on the list, featuring a story about a robot with the ability to think and feel for himself.

Summer releases include the successful horror franchise Insidious, which takes the story back to the beginning. This will be followed by Pixels, a unique action comedy about aliens, directed by Chris Columbus and the comedy Grimsby, co-written by Sacha Baron Cohen.

After which, the film, Ricki and The Flash directed by Jonathan Demme will feature a story about an ageing rocker played by Meryl Streep.

The last quarter of the year will see Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ben Kingsley, based on the true story of high-wire artist Philippe Petit’s attempt to cross the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974.

The year ends with a bang with the highly anticipated James Bond film, Spectre releasing in early November, followed by the Genndy Tartakovsky-directed follow-up to the record-smashing Hotel Transylvania.

Sony Pictures India managing director Kercy Daruwala said, “In 2014 we released the biggest film of the year with The Amazing Spiderman 2 and consolidated our leadership position with five out of the top ten Hollywood films in India of all time. Our 2015 line-up promises an even more exciting year ahead, with the distribution of some local films, the scope of a sure-shot blockbuster like Spectre plus a very rich variety of other promising titles.”

Sony Pictures India director of marketing Divya Pathak added, “2014 was a very exciting and challenging year for us in which we took movie marketing where it’s never gone before, to all corners of the country, with franchises like Spider-Man. We are enthusiastic about our diverse and unique 2015 line-up and look forward to reaching new heights in marketing innovation.”

Sony Pictures India director of sales Appu said, “Our fantastic slate in 2015 holds equal promise for both audiences and exhibitors. With the Bond film slated for a release in the next diwali season, we intend to literally light up the box office.”

December 18, 2014
‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ garners highest Hollywood BO opening of all time in India

NEW DELHI: Bypassing the record set by its predecessor, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 posted the highest opening in history for a Hollywood film in India.

Sony Pictures India announced that the film grossed approximately Rs 41.7 crore ($ 6.92 million) in its four day opening weekend starting 1 May with a final tally of 1523 screens – the widest release ever for a Hollywood film.

The film also registered the highest ever opening day gross for any Hollywood title when it opened on 1 May. It released in four languages – English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu and in 3D, 2D, IMAX 3D and in Dolby Atmos where available.

Sony Pictures India MD Kercy Daruwala said, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2 once again consolidates Spider-Man’s position as a franchise that cannot be beaten. We are happy to say that the film garnered unprecedented buzz in the weeks before release. We have taken a mass marketing approach to this film with some unique and very local innovations, further amplified with the invaluable support of the entire Sony group. Thanks to these innovations, the film has the fourth highest opening amongst all films, including local titles, released in India this year.”

“The film’s response has been excellent with many people calling it the best Spider-Man film ever and enjoying the spectacular 3D effects. We have some very good weeks ahead of us as we continue to reap the benefits of an open release period coupled with great word-of-mouth and repeat viewing,” he added.

Sequels to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 have already been announced for release in 2016 and 2018.

A report from Hong Kong said The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has set a new opening day record at the Hong Kong box office on the Labour Day holiday, making HK$9.56 million (US$1.23 million) from 720 screenings.

According to figures from Hong Kong’s Motion Picture Industry Association (MPIA), the previous record holder was 2007’s Spiderman 3, which made HK$7.56 million (US$975,000) from 641 screenings on its opening day exactly seven years ago.

It ends its theatrical run with HK$55 million (US$7.1 million).

While Spiderman 3 was in 2-D, The Amazing Spider-man 2 has also released in 3-D and IMAX 3-D, formats that impose considerable ticket surcharges in Hong Kong.

The record for the highest opening day gross for a local film still belongs to Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle (2004), which opened with HK$4.43 million (US$571,000) for a total gross of HK$61.3 million (US$7.9 million).

May 7, 2014
Sony Pictures ends 2012 with total gross of Rs 2.17 billion in India

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures India has ended the year 2012 with the best year ever for a Hollywood studio at the Indian box office. With 12 titles releasing in the year, Sony Pictures finished the year with a total gross of Rs 2.17 billion at the Indian box-office.
Last year, Sony Pictures India also had the two top opening weekends of all time for Hollywood films in India with The Amazing Spider-Man (3D) at #1 (Rs 340 million opening weekend) and Skyfall at #2 (Rs 275 million opening weekend).
Both the films also reached their respective franchise lifetime highs. Half of Sony Pictures‘ titles in 2012 were released in four languages each and an additional one in two languages. Moreover, half the titles were released in 3D.
The Amazing Spider-Man also had the widest release so far reaching a record 650 cities.
Commented Sony Pictures India managing director Kercy Daruwala, "The Indian market continues to grow steadily with an increased interest in Hollywood films across languages and regions and parallel growth in the number of screens. We are proud to be at the forefront of this movement, and the top contributor to this market‘s growth for Hollywood."
Sony Pictures‘ line-up this year includes Quentin Tarantino‘s Django Unchained, M. Night Shyamalan‘s After Earth starring Jaden Smith and Will Smith, Elysium starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, Roland Emmerich‘s White House Down, Tom Hanks starrer Captain Philips and returns of successful franchises in Evil Dead, Grown Ups 2 and box office sensations The Smurfs 2 (3D).

January 7, 2013
Bond’s Skyfall grosses Rs 275 mn in 4-day opening weekend

MUMBAI: Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment‘s 23rd Bond film Skyfall has grossed approximately Rs 275 million in its four-day opening weekend in India.

This makes the second biggest opening weekend ever for a Hollywood film in India and the highest for a non-3D film, Sony Pictures India said.

The film was released on 1 November with 907 prints in four languages — English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu — and in 2D and IMAX formats.

Said Sony Pictures India managing director Kercy Daruwala, “Skyfall has not only continued India‘s fascination with the James Bond franchise, but has also expanded it. The anticipation for the film has been unprecedented, going into high gear with the celebrations of the 50th year of the film franchise earlier in October. Extremely positive reviews and word-of-mouth will ensure that the film will have a long and successful run at the box-office and garner repeat viewings as well.”

Skyfall‘s weekend had the best opening for a Bond film in India so far, exceeding other big box office performers Quantum of Solace (2008) and Casino Royale (2006). Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale posted lifetime gross box office of Rs 444 million and Rs 403 million respectively. It also posted the biggest ever Thursday opening for any Hollywood title with Rs 65 million.

In Skyfall, Bond‘s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under an attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

November 8, 2012
The Amazing Spider-Man posts Rs 340 mn in opening weekend

MUMBAI: Consolidating Spider-Man‘s position as India‘s favourite superhero by far, Sony Picture‘s The Amazing Spider-Man posted the highest opening in history for a Hollywood film in India.

According to the film‘s distributor Sony Pictures India, the film grossed approximately Rs 340 million in its three day opening weekend starting
29 June with a final tally of 1236 prints in four languages – English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu and in 3D, 2D and IMAX formats.

The film also posted record-breaking highs for each day – Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Said Sony Pictures India MD Kercy Daruwala, “Spider-Man is the most consistently successful movie franchise in India and it‘s great to see that five years since the last movie released and with a whole new cast and storyline, the franchise is going from strength-to- strength. What‘s important to note is that a significant part of the box office has come from smaller centres as we have leveraged our strength in distributing and marketing this film across the country.”

The film also got rave reviews with some critics calling it the best Spider-Man film yet. “Houseful boards across the country, this past weekend, have meant that many people have not had a chance to see the film yet. That, along with great reviews and word of mouth, leads us to expect to continue this performance over the weeks to come,” added Daruwala.

A sequel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, has already been announced for release in May 2014.

Meanwhile, Sony Pictures has lined up a remake of the 1991 blockbuster Total Recall with Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel. The film releases worldwide on 3 August.

July 3, 2012
Amazing Spiderman to have largest Hollywood release in India

NEW DELHI: The Amazing Spiderman, one of the few films from Hollywood that is being released in India on 29 June prior to its international release on 4 July, will open with over 1000 prints which is the largest ever release for a Hollywood film in the country.

The film will release in 3D, 2D and IMAX formats, and in four languages – English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Sony Pictures Managing Director Kercy Daruwala said: “The Amazing Spider-Man is fittingly our biggest release ever in the country. The fact that Spider-Man is the most consistently successful movie franchise in India combined with an increased audience in dubbed versions, growth of 3D, the pre-US release date and a local connect in the film, has led to a record demand for prints.”

The Motion Picture Distributors Association India, the Indian arm of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) representing the six major Hollywood studios, is beefing up its enforcement action across the country in preparation for the release.

MPDA (India) managing director Uday Singh said, “With every big film release comes the threat of Content Theft through Camcording in cinemas and movie downloads through illegal websites. We have chalked out a strong enforcement action plan to keep Camcording pirates at bay and urge movie loving audiences to watch The Amazing Spider-Man at the nearest theatre.”

One of the world’s most popular comic characters, the Spiderman is back with an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker tale. The new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, and India’s Irrfan Khan with Martin Sheen and Sally Field.

The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures.

June 27, 2012
Sony Pictures India unveils 2012 lineup

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures India expects 2012 to be a terrific year as it has unveiled its lineup that has five major franchises coming back.

The lineup includes Men in Black 3 with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in 3D (May), The Amazing Spider-Man in 3D (July), the remake of 1991 blockbuster Total Recall with Colin Farrell (August) and Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil: Retribution in 3D (September).

The next film is the Bond franchise titled Skyfall (November). The lineup will end with Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained that stars Leonardo DiCaprio on 28 December.

Earlier this month, Sony Pictures released Kate Beckinsale’s fourth instalment of the Underworld series – Underworld: Awakening in 3D.

Said Sony Pictures India managing director Kercy Daruwala, “After completing 75 years as a studio in India, and ending last year on a high with the tremendous success of The Adventures of Tintin, I can say without a doubt that the best is yet to come. 2012 has a dream lineup with five major franchises coming back. Together these franchises have made over Rs 2.61 billion at the box office in India. I am confident that these new titles are going to create new records. “

The other films in the lineup include I Hate You Dad, Premium Rush, the claymation comedy The Pirates! Band of Misfits, the 3D animated film Hotel Transylvania and a revival of the cult 80s‘ TV series 21 Jump Street.

“On the whole, we have an ideal mix of several big blockbuster action movies as well as comedy, drama and family films with an arsenal of great directors and top rung stars,” said Daruwala.

January 28, 2012
Tintin becomes highest grossing animated film in India

MUMBAI: The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn has become the highest grossing animated film in India with a total gross of Rs 254.4 million at the box office while in its fourth week in theatres.

Sony Pictures India managing director Kercy Daruwala said, “The film has been bolstered by strong word-of-mouth and we expect it to play for several more weeks. It is bringing in a lot of bulk bookings and repeat audiences because of the great 3D experience.”

The film had earlier achieved the highest opening of all time for an animated film with a gross of Rs 73.5 million when it released on 11 November with 351 prints including English and Hindi in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D formats.

The Adventures of Tintin has grossed approximately $221.6m internationally in box-office collections through its recent release in select territories, with several major territories such as the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Latin America yet to release.

December 8, 2011
Tintin records Rs 73.5 million in opening weekend

MUMBAI: The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn has become the highest opening animated film in India, according to Sony Pictures India.

The film garnered approximately Rs 73.5 million at the three-day box office with a 90 to 100 per cent occupancy in most centres. The film released with over 350 prints, a record-breaking number for an animated film in both English and Hindi in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D formats.

Said Sony Pictures India Managing Director Kercy Daruwala, “Not only is the animated genre gaining ground amongst all age groups in India, but Tintin is unique in the sense that the franchise is enjoyed and appreciated by a very wide audience right from kids to adults who grew up on Tintin.

There is an amazing passion for both the franchise and the film in India with even celebrities like Aamir Khan giving the film an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Naturally, this is reflected in the wide release the film is getting in the country. The film’s collections have increased day upon day and we expect to see the film sustain strongly based on excellent word of mouth.”

The film also garnered 3.5 to 4 ratings amongst all major reviewers.

The film is also the first animated film to have made new inroads into smaller centres, having opened simultaneously across India in smaller cities such as Alwar, Gwalior, Akola, Amravati, Madurai, Salem and Trichur.

The Adventures of Tintin has already garnered over $159m at the box office in Europe alone and has broken several records in countries like France and Belgium.

November 15, 2011