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).
Tag: Sony Pictures
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Sony Pictures ends 2012 with total gross of Rs 2.17 billion in India
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Sony Pictures to produce 3D movie starring One Direction
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures has announced that it will be making a 3D film showcasing London-based boy band One Direction. The behind the scenes footage will be directed by documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (of the Super-Size Me fame) and will be released by TriStar Pictures on 30 August.
Spurlock, Ben Winston, Simon Cowell, and Adam Milano will produce the film while the executive producers on board will be Richard Griffiths, Harry Magee, Will Bloomfield, Matthew Galkin, Jeremy Chilnick and Doug Merrifield with Columbia Pictures president of production Hannah Minghella and Columbia Pictures vice president of production Lauren Abrahams will oversee production for the studio.
"This is an incredible opportunity and an amazing moment in time for the band," said Spurlock. "To capture this journey and share it with audiences around the world will be an epic undertaking that I am proud to be a part of."
Syco Records founder Simon Cowell said, "I‘m delighted we‘re making this film and Morgan is the perfect person to give that access-all-areas, behind-the-scenes look into what it‘s like to be One Direction today. What the band have achieved is incredible, they and their fans have made history around the world – this is for them."
One Direction – Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson – were discovered by Simon Cowell on the U.K.‘s "The X Factor" in 2010. The band quickly became one of the competition‘s all-time most popular acts, finishing in the final three and garnering a gigantic and loyal fanbase along the way. In March 2012, One Direction‘s debut album, "Up All Night," made U.S. history, as it was the first time a U.K. group‘s debut album entered the U.S. Billboard 200 chart at No. 1. The band has sold over 13 million records worldwide. Today, One Direction released their sophomore album, "Take Me Home," which includes the No. 1 single, "Live While We‘re Young."
Spurlock emerged in 2004 with his Academy Award nominated feature Super-Size Me, in which he subjected himself to eating only at McDonald‘s for 30 days. He has since gone on to produce other documentary features such as Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, and Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan‘s Hope, as well as non-fiction TV series including FX‘s30 Days and CNN‘s upcoming Inside Man. He was nominated for an Emmy Award and Writers Guild Award in 2010 for the Fox TV Special The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice. -
Rupert Sanders to direct futuristic romance saga The Juliet
MUMBAI: Finally after piecing his life back together in the wake of his cheating scandal with Kristen Stewart, the 41-year-old director Rupert Sanders has landed his first project.
He has been tapped to direct Sony Pictures and New Regency‘s The Juliet, a futuristic romance based on a story by sci-fi novelist Alfred Bester. The story is being billed as Bonnie and Clyde in space, according to sources.
Despite the scandal, Sanders had been in high demand in Hollywood with Universal reportedly circling him for the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel.
Things have been less rosy on the home front. His model wife Liberty Ross has remained separated since news of Sanders‘ infidelities broke, and was spotted out in London with her ex boyfriend, art gallery director Chris Taylor.
The film is expected to start shooting early next year. -
Sleeping Beauty set for a big screen treatment
MUMBAI: Classic fairytale Sleeping Beauty is all set to get a big screen treatment. Neal Moritz who had earlier produced 21 Jump Street is developing a new take on the Sleeping Beauty tale, which will not present the titular character as a charming princess. On the contrary, her character will be that of a “pesky stalker”, it has been reported.
The new version of the fabled Brothers Grimm story has been designed as a “modern-day retelling” in which the male lead character accidentally awakens the princess and finds himself getting stalked by the love struck heroine.
Moritz will produce the comedy version of Sleeping Beauty through his Original Film banner, which has its deal at Sony Pictures. -
Haneke’s Amour to release on 9 December
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Classics (SPC) will release Michael Haneke‘s Palme d‘Or winner Amour on 9 December for a limited release.
The film will initially open in New York and Los Angeles putting it square in the awards season. The move makes the film eligible for consideration in all the major categories.
Amour revolves around an octogenarian couple whose love is tested as they face mortality.
SPC had lso released Haneke‘s Cache in 2005 and The White Ribbon in 2009.
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Production of sequel of The Smurfs commences
MUMBAI: The shooting of Columbia Pictures‘ and Sony Pictures Animation‘s live-action/computer animated hybrid 3D family comedy The Smurfs 2 has commenced.
The sequel has the evil wizard Gargamel create a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties that he hopes will let him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs, Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and brings her to Paris, where he has been winning the adoration of millions as the world‘s greatest sorcerer.
It‘s up to Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity to return to our world, reunite with their human friends Patrick and Grace Winslow, and rescue her. The rest forms the crux of the film.
Announcing the launch, Kerner said, “We‘ve brought the entire live-action and voice cast into the sequel. It‘s a real thrill to ‘get the Smurf village back together‘ for another adventure. The same holds true for the crew. We are so deep in talent we know a fine film will result. It‘s like visiting with old friends – just some slightly smaller than others.”The film produced by Jordan Kerner and directed by Raja Gosnell and stars Neil Patrick Harris (Patrick Winslow), Jayma Mays (Grace Winslow), Sofia Vergara (Odile) and Hank Azaria (Gargamel). The film will have many crew members from the original film reuniting including DoP Phil Méheux, production designer Bill Boes, editor Sabrina Plisco, costume designer Rita Ryack and visual effects supervisor Richard R. Hoover. The film has visual effects and animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc.
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‘The Amazing Spiderman’ and Bond film ‘Skyfall’ to release in India ahead of US
NEW DELHI: In a rare move, Sony Pictures India is releasing the much-awaited 3D ‘The Amazing Spiderman’ in India on 29 June, almost a week before its American and global release on 3 July.
The film will be released in India in English and three dubbed language versions: Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. A total of over 1000 prints will be released in India alone.
The film stars India’s Irrfan along with Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Rhys Ifans.
Meanwhile, well-known films like ‘Men in Black3’ in 3D with the original pairing of Will Smith-Tommy Lee Jones and addition of Josh Brolin is set for release on 25 May.
A remake of the 1991 blockbuster Total Recall with Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel is slated for release on 3 August.
Later in the year will see releases like the Adam Sandler comedy That’s My Boy, high octane action film Premium Rush starring Joseph Gordon Levitt, claymation comedy The Pirates! Band of Misfits starring Hugh Grant, followed by the return of another big franchise with Resident Evil: Retribution (3D, worldwide 14 September), Here Comes the Boom starring Kevin James and Salma Hayek; and 3D animated film Hotel Transylvania starring Adam Sandler and teen star Selena Gomez, from cult animation director Genndy Tartakovsky known for such Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, The Powerpuff Girls.
The year ends with the 23 film in the Bond franchise titled Skyfall (releasing one week before the United States on 2 November) and Sparkle, starring Jordin Sparks and featuring the last film appearance of the late great Whitney Houston. 2013 is another cracker year with Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio, sci-fi drama Elysium starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, Captain Philips starring Tom Hanks, After Earth starring the father-son pairing of Jaden and Will Smith and follow-ups of superhit films The Smurfs 2 and Grown Ups 2.
“After completing 75 years as a studio in India, 31 of which I have personally been part of, I can say without a doubt that this is our biggest and most exciting line-up ever with tried and tested record-breaking performance at the Indian box office,” said Sony Pictures India MD Kercy Daruwala. “On the whole, we have an ideal mix of the biggest blockbuster action movies as well as comedy, drama and family films with an arsenal of great directors and top rung stars.”
“Our line-up of strong franchise films with mass appeal and already established high brand recall is ideal for unique and exciting co-promotional activities with like-minded brands, both local and international,” said Divya Pathak, Director – Marketing. “Many brands are choosing to partner with our blockbusters because of the incomparable scale of these movies.”
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Spider-Man set to captivate from 3 July
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures India is gearing up to release The Amazing Spider-Man (3D) across theatres in India on 3 July.
Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan with Martin Sheen and Sally Field.
The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field).
Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets.
As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner.
As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.
The film has been directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt is based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
The film has been produced by Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures.
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Sequel to successful Insidous film on the anvil
MUMBAI: The makers of last year‘s American commercial success Insidous have revealed plans to return with a sequel for the supernatural horror after tasting success at the box office.
Leigh Whannell, the writer of the successful project, will pen the story for the sequel. Jason Blum will produce the movie through his Blumhosue Productions, while the movie will be directed by Malaysian-born Australian producer James Wan.
Canadian motion picture distribution/production company Alliance Films has come back to finance the sequel. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and FilmDistrict has acquired U.S. rights to the movie.
"We are all so lucky to have James and Leigh return to this great franchise they created," Blum said in a statement. "And of course we are all pleased to be back in business with our partners at Sony, FilmDistrict and Alliance Films."
The movie goes into production this year for a 2013 release.
The film starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, and Barbara Hershey had collected $100 million worldwide. It was made at a cost of $1.5 million. -
Sony Pictures acquires rights to Jacques Audiard’s Rust & Bone
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all North American, Latin American and Eastern European rights to Jacques Audiard‘s directorial venture Rust & Bone from Hengameh Panahi of Celluloid Dreams.
The film, which recently wrapped production, was co-written by Jacques Audiard and Thomas Bidegain and adapted from the acclaimed book of short stories by Craig Davidson.
Just as he did with the prison genre in A Prophet, Jacques Audiard will renew the love story with Rust & Bone.
Rust & Bone stars Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard (Midnight in Paris) and Matthias Schoenarts (Bullhead), and is produced by Pascal Caucheteux, who SPC had previously worked with on the features, Of Gods & Men and A Prophet.
“Jacques Audiard is one of Europe‘s finest directors, and the same goes for producer Pascal Caucheteux. We are thrilled to be working with them, and Hengameh Panahi of Celluloid Dreams, once again,” said Sony Pictures Classics.