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Tag: St Petersburg

  • DreamWorks Animation and Regions GC to develop theme parks in Russia

    DreamWorks Animation and Regions GC to develop theme parks in Russia

    MUMBAI: Guests of all ages can anticipate an all-new entertainment experience unlike any other as DreamWorks Animation and Regions Group of Companies have signed a licensing agreement to develop Europe‘s largest indoor theme parks, and the first to feature the franchises of DreamWorks Animation in major cities throughout Russia.

    The theme parks, scheduled to open in 2015, will be located in St Petersburg, Moscow, and Yekaterinburg. Regions Group of Companies will design, build and manage all properties.

    The DreamWorks Animation theme parks will be Europe‘s largest year-round indoor entertainment zones, and in each instance will be part of a larger entertainment development featuring a mixed-use movie and concert hall, 4D movie theater, three-star 400-room hotel, and a retail center with 11,000 parking spaces. The height of each park will be 35 meters, comparable to a 13-floor building, giving visitors the sense of being outdoors.

    Each park will feature immersive environments, state-of-the-art attractions, and character entertainment bringing to life DreamWorks Animation‘s beloved franchises including: Shrek, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda, in addition to yet-to-be released DreamWorks Animation feature films including Turbo, which is set for its worldwide debut in Russia on July 11 before arriving in US theaters on July 19.

    “DreamWorks Animation parks are ambitious projects unprecedented in Russia and the rest of the world. The foundation of our success lies in the DreamWorks team‘s wealth of experience in the field of entertainment and the experience of the REGIONS Group of Companies in developing and managing retail and entertainment centers,” commented Regions GC Member of the Board of Directors Amiran Mutsoev.

    Madagascar 3: Europe‘s Most Wanted – the third installment in the blockbuster hit franchise about the adventures of Alex the Lion and his friends from the Central Park Zoo- is currently the second highest-grossing animated film in Russia‘s box office history and the fourth highest-grossing film of all time in Russia. Six of the top 10 animated films of all time in Russia are DreamWorks Animation pictures: Madagascar 3: Europe‘s Most Wanted, Shrek Forever After, Puss In Boots, Madagascar Escape 2 Africa, Kung Fu Panda 2 and How to Train Your Dragon.

    “Russia is one of the most important markets in the world for us,” said DreamWorks Animation‘s Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Katzenberg. “All of us at DWA are extremely excited to work with REGIONS CG to be the first Hollywood studio to create not just one, but three theme parks in Russia. These parks are going to be groundbreaking cultural hubs that will give families the chance to truly enter the world of DreamWorks.”

  • David Hasselhoff set to play himself in the film Baywatch

    MUMBAI: 59-year-old David Hasselhoff has said that he won‘t be reprising his role as lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the big-screen version of Baywatch but will instead appear as himself. “I‘ve just met the guy writing the film. I‘m going to play myself,” he reportedly said.
    The former ‘America‘s Got Talent‘ judge is the only cast member certain to star in film but it is rumoured that Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber may be the others who would also appear in the film.
    Hasselhoff, who was one of the star performers at the White Nights of St. Petersburg festival last weekend, added, “There will be certain people in the movie for the original parts and we‘re trying to make it a very cool, updated version.”
    The White Nights of St. Petersburg festival took place in St. Petersburg, Russia from July 6 to July 8 and as well as star performers such as David, Anastacia, Natalie.
    Pamela Anderson, who played long-running character CJ Lewis in the 90s series, is yet to be confirmed, although the production people hope that she will sign up.

  • Putin appears on BBC World’s ‘Inside Russia’ season

    Putin appears on BBC World’s ‘Inside Russia’ season

    MUMBAI: Ahead of the G8 summit in St Petersburg on 15 July, BBC World is dedicating a season of programmes about the host country Russian with news coverage, documentaries and factual programming, which will explore the new cultural climate of Putin’s Russia in a season called Inside Russia.

    BBC Presenter Bridget Kendall will be putting forward some of the 5000 questions received from the BBC and Russia’s Yandex websites’ audience worldwide, to President Vladmir Putin of Russia in an edition of the BBC’s interactive multimedia programme Have Your Say on 9 July. Recorded at the Kremlin on 6 July, the full interview with the Russian President is available on bbcnews.com.

    The BBC’s Emma Simpson in Moscow will be reporting on the new oligarchs and their ambitions; the new business mood in Russia; doing business in Russia; and the flood of money into Europe and what it means for Western companies. On 15 July, the business team will preview the G8 meeting from Saint Petersburg, states an official release.

    BBC will also showcase Crossing the Caucasus: The North Caucasus, which is one of the world’s most ancient battlegrounds. From war-torn Chechnya to volatile Dagestan, today it is Russia’s most explosive region. After 15 years of reporting from Russia, Steve Rosenberg sets off on a journey through the mountains to meet the people who live in the constant shadow of violence.

    The other programme which is part of the line-up is The World Uncovered: Putin’s Palace portrays the men and women who work for the Russian President, with unprecedented access to inside the Kremlin’s walls, adds the release.

  • MTV to celebrate anniversary of Live8 concert globally

    MTV to celebrate anniversary of Live8 concert globally

    MUMBAI: One year on from the historic Live8 concert, MTV Networks International is celebrating the first anniversary of the momentous music event by airing a new special this month called Live8: What A Difference A Day Made. This is being done through a partnership with Network Live. An estimated three billion people all from all over the world watched Live8, billed as the greatest show on earth, where the crème of the world’s music artists came together to perform with one message – make poverty history.

    MTV will premiere the 90-minute special reaching 480 million households around the world in major markets including US, Japan, UK, France, Germany and Latin America. In addition to providing viewers the chance to relive the music spectacular of Live8, Bob Geldof will introduce the programme by giving a retrospective on how far we have travelled since the historic event and why it’s important to remember one year later.

    The programme is a selection of highlights from most inspirational performances and presentations that took place across 10 cities including London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Ontario, Toyko, Johannesburg, Philadelphia, Moscow and Edinburgh. Live8: What A Difference A Day Made relives the moments when U2, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas, Green Day, Madonna, Youssou N’Dour and Dido, Robbie Williams, Pink Floyd, R.E.M., Paul McCartney and others captured the hope and optimism of the world and rallied the crowds to fight against poverty in Africa and to lobby the G8 leaders to makes promises on debt relief, Aids drugs, trade tariffs and education.

    The special will air on MTV’s channels in the lead up the G8 Summit 2006 on 15 July in St Petersburg, Russia where G8 leaders are expected to discuss international issues such as global energy security, infectious diseases and education. Live8 was executive produced by Network Live CEO Kevin Wall.

    In 2005 in the week leading to the G8 Summit and Live8 concerts, UK Prime Minister and chair of the G8 summit Tony Blair and Live8’s leading force Bob Geldof took tough questions on African poverty, debt relief and US President George Bush’s policies on climate control from MTV viewers representing 24 countries around the world – including seven African nations.

  • MTV Intl wins 2006 One World Media Award for Aids film ‘Transit’

    MTV Intl wins 2006 One World Media Award for Aids film ‘Transit’

    MUMBAI: MTV International was recently honoured at a ceremony in London with a 2006 One World Media Award in the category of ‘Popular Features’ for its first-ever made-for-TV film Transit.The film premiered on 1 December 2005 World Aids Day as part of MTV’s Staying Alive HIV and Aids prevention campaign.

    Transit was shot in St. Petersburg, Mexico City, Nairobi and Los Angeles, using the backdrop of these cities to tell a story about love, sex and youth. It has an international cast that includes British actress Shelly Conn Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Humberto Busto Amores Perros, Transit was developed by MTVNI in conjunction with The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

    In addition to airing on MTV channels around the world, Transit was offered to all broadcasters worldwide cost and rights free to get HIV prevention messages out to the widest audience possible. More than 50 additional broadcasters in Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, North America, South America and Russia aired the film.