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Tag: Universal

  • Overseas b-o collection of Universal crosses $ 1 bn mark

    MUMBAI: The overseas box-office grosses of Universal Pictures International (UPI) has crossed passed the $1 billion mark on the strength of such recent movies as Battleship and Snow White and the Huntsman.
    This feat is the fastest that Universal‘s international distribution arm has hit that mark besting its previous record of 16 August 2008, when it was handling films including Mamma Mia! and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
    With the international audience growing, UPI is the fifth distributor to collect $1 billion in foreign grosses this year. While Disney and Warner Bros. hit that mark in May, Fox hit it in June and Sony in July.
    Films from the UPI stable that have contributed to its foreign haul include Safe House(grossed $77.5 million to date overseas; Dr. Seuss‘ The Lorax ($99.7 million); American Reunion ($177.4 million); Battleship ($238 million) and Snow White and the Huntsman ($220 million).
    UPI has five more films to release this year. The thriller sequel The Bourne Legacy; the comedy Pitch Perfect, action-thriller The Man With the Iron Fists, the musical adaptation Les Miserables and the Judd Apatow comedy This Is 40.

  • Madagascar 3 still reigns overseas box office

    Madagascar 3 still reigns overseas box office

    MUMBAI: Madagascar 3: Europe‘s Most Wanted stood at its No. 1 position for the third consecutive week after it drew $30.1 million from 11,250 locations in 44 territories in the foreign box-office circuit.
    The DreamWorks Animation film has surpassed the $200-million total gross mark ($208.4 million) since opening overseas on 6 June.
    Complementing its No. 1 domestic opening, Pixar‘s Brave made its debut overseas after generating $13.5 million in its launch in 10 markets. As per its distributor Disney, the collection comes from 17 per cent of the international market.
    The top-ranking territory of the film was Russia where the gross was $5.6 million representing a 42 per cent market share. Australia came in with a No. 2 ranking with $3.6 million while the film‘s China debut took 17 per cent of the market with $2.2 million. Overall, the film ranked as the weekend‘s No.3 title.

    Finishing outside the top five was 20th Century Fox‘s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter that opened offshore to $8.1 million at 2,656 venues in 17 markets for a per-site average of a little more than $3,000. This Civil War-set action fantasy, starring Benjamin Walker, drew $3.9 million in Russia from 1,482 situations.
    The weekend No. 2 title was Universal‘s Snow White and the Huntsman, which took the top spots in France, Japan, Australia and New Zealand and collected $22.6 million overall at 6,780 sites in 60 territories.
    Dropping to the fourth place was Fox‘s Prometheus drawing $12.7 million from 6,911 situations in 61 territories. With the film yet to open in key places as Japan, Germany, Italy and Spain, the sci-fi/action film has grossed more than $150-million ($152.9 million) to date on the foreign circuit.
    Standing at fifth spot was Men In Black III that drew $10.5 million from 7,660 sites in 75 markets with Japan leading the cumulative pack with $35.4 million.

  • Universal delays release of Bourne Legacy

    Universal delays release of Bourne Legacy

    MUMBAI: Universal Pictures has postponed the release date ofThe Bourne Legacy from 3 to 10 August citing fears of the invasion of The Dark Knight Rises at the box-office. Another reason could also be the simultaneous release of Sony‘s Total Recall also scheduled to open on 3 August.
    Dark Knight, the third instalment of the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman franchise, is set to hit US theaters on 20 July, two weeks prior to that of Bourne Legacy. Now the film has been delayed three weeks hence.
    The studio‘s statement regarding the move focused on Dark Knight, as well as the opportunity to use the Summer Olympics to promote Bourne.
    “Just as The Avengers demonstrated marketplace sustainability that well outpaced traditional patterns earlier this summer, the industry expects a similar trajectory for The Dark Knight Rises. Moving one week further from its release will give The Bourne Legacy an even greater opportunity to maximize its opening box-office potential,” the statement said.
    The move also allows Universal to avoid a direct clash with Sony‘s Total Recall reboot. Both films are targeting males and many exhibitors had questioned why they were going out on the same date.
    “Moving to Aug. 10 will also allow us to extend valuable promotion for the film across all NBC-Universal platforms during the Olympics, which will dominate television and digital audiences beginning July 27. We are excited about this new chapter in our Bourne franchise and confident that Aug. 10 is the right date for our film and for our industry as a whole,” the statement added.

  • Universal teams up with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci

    Universal teams up with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci

    MUMBAI: Universal Pictures has signed a two-year first-look production deal with one of the leading writing/producing teams in the entertainment industry, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, and their K/O Paper Products banner.

    The duo will kick off their new relationship with Universal by reimagining titles from the studio‘s library including Van Helsing and The Mummy, according to Universal Pictures‘ chairman, Adam Fogelson and co-chairman Donna Langley.

    It is reported that Tom Cruise is set to star and produce the remake of 2004 vampire movie Van Helsing. It will be one of the first works of Kurtzman and Orci under their new two-year production deal with Universal Pictures.

    Earlier, Kurtzman and Orci have collaborated with some of the industry‘s top creative minds including J.J. Abrams, with whom they wrote the third installment of Mission: Impossible that grossed nearly $400 million at the worldwide box office.

    In 2007, they wrote Transformers and went on to write Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in 2009. Together, these films grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide.

    More recently, the pair wrote and executive produced 2009‘s Star Trek that grossed more than $385 million worldwide.

  • Peter Kujawski is executive vp of Universal

    Peter Kujawski is executive vp of Universal

    MUMBAI: Universal has named Peter Kujawski as its executive vice president of worldwide acquisitions. He joins the studio from Universal‘s specialty company Focus Features, where he served as executive vice president of international sales.

    Kujawski will report to Universal co-chairman Donna Langley and be based in Los Angeles. He will also work closely with David Kosse, Universal‘s president of international.
     
    "Peter‘s vast experience selling specialty films gives him a unique perspective on the global marketplace and undeniably qualifies him to lead our acquisitions efforts," Langley said in a statement.

    The move reflects a centralizing and streamlining of Universal‘s acquisitions department, that was earlier handled by Christian Grass, the then president of international production and acquisitions before he left in June last.

    Kujawski will oversee Universal‘s acquisitions from around the globe and "maximize distribution opportunities" for the company.
     
    As a key member of Focus‘ international sales team, Bruno is credited with selling films ranging from Pedro Almodóvar‘s Volver and Zhang Yimou‘s House of Flying Daggers to Michel Gondry‘s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Sofia Coppola‘s Lost In Translation to the upcoming Cloud Atlas from Tom Tykwer and Andy and Lana Wachowski and Hyde Park on Hudson from Roger Michell.

  • ‘We will disrupt the market with our content, distribution and marketing strategies’ : Kulmeet Makkar- Big Music & Home Entertainment CEO

    ‘We will disrupt the market with our content, distribution and marketing strategies’ : Kulmeet Makkar- Big Music & Home Entertainment CEO

     Anil Ambani is pushing hard the home video business to complete his presence in movie production, exhibition and broadcasting business.

     

    Big Music and Home Entertainment is targeting a revenue of Rs 1 billion by the end of this fiscal. The company has signed up four big Hollywood studios – Warner Bros, Universal, Paramount and DreamWorks SKG – for home video distribution, controlling 60 per cent of Hollywood content. The content strategy is also to grab rights for big ticket Bollywood movies.

     

    In an interview with Gaurav Laghate, Big Music and Home Entertainment CEO talks about the company’s growth plans.

     

    Excerpts:

    Why is the home video market still to explode despite the entry of several players?
    The home video market, which is a huge revenue spinner in developed markets, is yet to take off in India. In the US, this segment contributes to 55 per cent of the total filmed entertainment revenues.

     

    In India, this figure is not even six to seven per cent. Due to several reasons including piracy, home video is a very small segment. India is purely a theatrical dominated movie market.

    How does India shift to a strong home video market?
    There are several issues which need to be addressed in a country where the pirated market is as high as 85 per cent. The distribution system is also largely music-driven – the music companies are also home video companies. We need to change this as the profile of the home video audience is different from the audio music buyers.

     

    The hardware penetration of VCDs and DVDs is still not good. Home video companies also need to spend more money on marketing and distribution. This is beginning to happen and we will grow exponentially in the next few years. There are estimates that the Rs 8.3 billion market will grow to a size of Rs 15 billion by 2011-12.

     

    There is also a much disorganised movie rental market which is again driven by a high level of piracy. Only recently large operators like Bigflix, Seventymm and Nimbus have come up. This is good news for the sector as we will have more organised players in the rental business.

    Isn’t Bollywood still dominating the home video business?
    Bollywood and regional home video content garner around Rs 7 billion. The biggest player in the domestic market is Moser Baer, followed by Shemaroo and TSeries. In the Hollywood movie front, which fetches Rs 1.3 billion, we have rights to 60 per cent of the content.

    Will the home video market benefit from increased competition?
    The market will expand as more organised players step in. The focus will be on better distribution, marketing and packaging.

     

    So far, the video market has not been handled in an organised way. There was a 16-18 week window between the theatrical and home video release of a movie. Obviously, that window is shrinking now and consumers are getting to watch films through the home video chain much earlier.

     

    There is also better and more filmed content coming in as movie production companies are scaling up. The content availability on home video will, thus, be more.

    With prices dropping to the bottom of the pit, are businesses becoming unviable?
    Every company has its own business model. For Moser Baer, it makes sense to compete at low prices because they have a DVD manufacturing plant.

     

    Reliance also believes in mass distribution at a good and affordable price. Our strategy is to have various segments of content. We believe in premium content.

     

    For Hollywood content distribution in India, we have partnered with four studios – Warner Bros, Paramount, DreamWorks SKG and Universal. We have acquired rights of Ironman, Hulk, Babe, Indiana Jones, Kung Fu Panda, The Dark Knight, Sex and the City, Mama Mia, among others. We are launching these films by January.

     

    We believe in creating or acquiring content which is premium, then localising it, and selling it at an affordable price. Indiana Jones in English, for example, will be sold with great packaging, value-added content and at a price which the target audience will not mind to pay.

     

    We will release the dubbed version in different languages – Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. The pricing will be around one-third of the English version content.

    We want to disrupt the market with our content, distribution and aggressive marketing. We will be promoting home video content as if we are marketing the film. We will not just be playing the pricing game. Pricing doesn’t drive the business, quality does.
    ‘We are looking at a turnover of Rs 1 billion by the end of this fiscal. About Rs 700 million will come from the home video segment‘

    Will you have a differential pricing model?
    Yes, this is a global practice. During launch, you will have a certain price; you will bring this down three weeks down the line. Welcome was initially priced at Rs 149 per DVD, and later we brought it down to Rs 49.

    What kind of promotions are you planning?
    It will be related to the size of the product. Today in home video, there is hardly any promotional spend. We are going to market this through TV, print, internet, out-of-home, on-ground and FM radio. We are taking a 360-degree approach.

    You have signed licensing deals with four major studios which were with Saregama. You also were a part of Saregama at that time…
    Reliance is a huge brand in India and outside. It is because of this that we got to ink these deals. We will also be pitching for Fox and Disney once their contract gets over with Excel.

    Do you have given a minimum guarantee (MG) or revenue share arrangement with the studios?
    We have given a MG to the studios. A certain part of it is also on an agreed revenue share proportion.

    How much will the home video segment contribute to Big Music and Home Entertainment?
    We are looking at a turnover of Rs 1 billion by the end of this fiscal. About Rs 700 million will come from home video, while music labels will contribute Rs 300 million. As ours is more of a new content company, 50 per cent of our music sales will be in digital (mainly mobile) form.

     

    We have Big Music, Big Home Video, Big Talent, and Big Music Publishing under the same company.

     

    The business model of Big Music Publishing will be announced soon while we have already rolled out Big Talent.

    What is the size of the music industry?
    The music industry is pegged at Rs 9 billion, of which Rs 6.5 billion still comes from physical sales while Rs 2.5 billion comes from digital sales.

     

    Piracy is hurting digital sales with file sharing, iPods etc. There is also leakage as the licensing business is not yet formalised.

    What is the content strategy for the company?
    We plan to acquire 40-50 per cent of the top ten films of Bollywood every year. We have acquired Welcome, Jodhaa Akbar, Singh is Kinng and Rock On.

     

    So far as music goes, Bollywood would still be the driver content. The new model which we are working on is artist management – we work with them not just on the music, but also build them as brands. We have signed Hard Kaur not only for albums and films; she will also be with us for live performances, events, brand endorsements, appearances on TV and radio.

     

    As a group, we can drive on the synergies. We can put an artist on Big FM or on our TV channels when they roll out. We also have Reliance mobile, Zapak and Big Pictures where we can promote them.
  • ‘2008 has been HBO’s best year in terms of quality and quantity of programming’ : Shruti Bajpai – HBO South Asia Country Manager

    ‘2008 has been HBO’s best year in terms of quality and quantity of programming’ : Shruti Bajpai – HBO South Asia Country Manager

    As the television landscape gets more crowded with new entrants, the challenge for existing players is to keep innovating. HBO, which has bought out the stakes of its partners in the Asia venture except Paramount, still has exclusive licensing arrangements with Sony, Universal, Warner Bros and Paramount/DreamWorks.

    Late last year, the English movie channel launched an anchor slot HBO Wicked Hour. The focus in this slot is on action, thrillers, suspense, sci-Fi and critically acclaimed movies for the late night male viewers. This is part of the channel’s strategy to create new programming blocks to cater to specific TGs.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Ashwin Pinto, HBO South Asia country manager Shruti Bajpai talks about the challenges that confront English movie channels and the pressure to focus on content and branding.

    Excerpts:

    Why did HBO buy out its partners in the Asia venture except for Paramount?
    This was a management decision in keeping with HBO’s expansion plans across the world. HBO wanted to further build on its strong position in the US. The majority equity stake in HBO Asia is a further testament to this expansion.
    Does the channel now have to bid for new titles coming from its former partners?
    We have exclusive licensing arrangements with Sony, Universal, Warner Bros and Paramount/ DreamWorks. This arrangement continues uninterrupted. This is the reason why we have such a strong inventory.

    What are the challenges that are going to confront the English movie genre over the next few years?
    The last few months have seen a spate of launches in the Hollywood/International cinema and there are some more expected this year. There is an intense amount of clutter in the overall TV channel space and the viewer is spoilt for choice.

    I am of the firm opinion that channels with compelling and consistently ‘winning’ content will continue to flourish while the others will just about manage to survive at the periphery. Hollywood movies are beginning to grab a bigger chunk of India’s huge movie market, traditionally dominated by Bollywood.

    A larger Indian audience than ever before is viewing the Hollywood movies and the appetite for such content seems to be increasing. Breaking through the clutter and being able to hold on to the attention of the audience, which is usually short due to the ample choices available, will be a rising phenomena in this category.
    How has HBO fine tuned its programming strategy?
    HBO has been following the mantra of ‘Big, New, Most’ for Indian viewers. We have always devised innovative and topical themes around our movies, instead of fitting it in a “genre for each day” bracket. We do not believe in doing automatic repeats the morning after, like other channels.

    Has HBO spruced up the content this year because of new competition?
    It will not be wrong for me to state that 2008 has been HBO’s best year in terms of the quality and quantity of programming. We have a supply of blockbuster hits that take center stage every month like Superman Returns, Ghost Rider, Happy Feet and Mr. Bean’s Holiday.

    In addition, we also air critically acclaimed movies and blockbusters that anchor the Saturday primetime slot at 9 pm. These have included Munich, World Trade Centre, Memoirs Of a Geisha, Blood Diamond. Upcoming titles include Spiderman 3, Surf’s Up and The Pursuit Of Happyness.

    What is also important is our focus on entertaining themes. These are conceptualised for the channel every month. They target different TGs and advertisers. Some examples of these are HBO Animation Fest, Mad About Diamonds, Fast Cars and Gorgeous Babes, HBO Earth Day.

    Also playing a role are tentpole events. We did a Hollywood’s Best initiative which featured Oscar nominated/winning movies, HBO is Summer during May and June, which featured Summer of 60 Nights. Here, a blockbuster movie was shown every night. Moreover there were also mini-stunts under the HBO is summer umbrella like Entrapment, Martial Arts Specialists ‘Codename: SuperKids etc. All these have resounded with our target audience.

    To add to this, we have looked to raise the bar when it comes to quality programming with original series like Entourage, the third season of which has just begun on the channel and themes like HBO- Movies with a difference that showcases movies that make us sit and think.

    Have new programming blocks been created to cater to different TGs?
    Our most current anchor slot HBO Wicked Hour was launched late last year. It focuses on action, thrillers, suspense, sci-Fi and critically acclaimed movies for our late night male viewers.

    Right now, we are focussed on building this slot and also other key slots like It’s a Guy Thing, Midday Matinee, Family Sunday etc. We are always on the lookout for creating new programming blocks to cater to specific TGs.

    As the audience gets more fragmented in the metros, the challenge for English movie channels is to reach out to the smaller cities as well. How is HBO targeting these viewers who are aspirational?
    Television is one of the biggest sources of entertainment for people across categories in India. Where the audiences have evolved, programming has also seen a huge turn around on the small screen. With the choice and variety on offer for the Indian audiences, the television industry today is booming. It is not only in the metros but also the smaller towns where there are potential viewers. What matters ultimately is the content that is shown – if the content is different and unique, it is well appreciated by the viewers.

    The increase in multiplexes in smaller towns and the increase in global travel by Indians from all across the country have added to the familiarity with Hollywood movies and shows. HBO is a global brand and this helps in the affinity towards the channel.

    How has the channel fared on the ad sales front?
    The ad revenues are growing year-on-year. Turner, our ad sales partner, has done an excellent job to maximise revenues and also retain a number of advertisers exclusively on HBO.
    ‘DTH is growing, but the format is still the classic ‘one price for all channels’ rather than specialised packages. This is expected to change as the market matures‘

    Has perception among clients about this genre improved?
    HBO is perhaps one of the few channels that is more than just a channel; the brand gives a big boost to the channel’s perception.

    Also, English movies is a genre that our ad clients consume on a regular basis.

    What are the kind of packages you offer clients that go beyond the 30-second spot?
    We have different packages that are tailor made for different clients. One of our packages is the brand integration package where we seamlessly integrate the positioning of the brand that is being advertised into the theme for the month. We also have a lot of contests that we do for the advertisers that go beyond the 30-second spot.

    Channels have started advertising on rival bouquets. Does HBO accept ads from other channels that are not part of Zee Turner or is there a conflict of interest?
    We do accept advertising from other channels, but are careful in picking those that have the right fit. Some of the channels that have recently advertised on HBO are BBC Entertainment and English business channel UTVi.

    Is HBO looking to boost its content around news shows to add variety to filmed content?
    HBO has always believed in giving its Indian audiences the best of international programming and content across genres. We already have a diverse mix of blockbusters, all time favourites and original productions. In fact HBO is the only channel to have both the raters and the differentiators.

    The third season of the show Entourage just premiered in late June and we have Big Love coming soon. Also, the recently-aired two part mini-series in the US, The Andromeda Strain, which is based on the best-selling novel by Michael Crichton, is going to be on our channel soon.

    Does HBO do a lot of marketing and promotional activities to create awareness?
    HBO’s marketing and promotional activities have always looked to be innovative and clutter breaking. This year we have had many multimedia campaigns to announce our Summer line-up, our mega blockbusters and our shows.

    We have a well planned strategy for the rest of the year, especially during the festive season of October-December. As we speak, we are running a multimedia campaign that includes a contest, to promote Spiderman 3.

    The hope is that addressability will get a push this year with DTH (direct-tohome) seeing new launches this year. How do you see the distribution scenario evolving?
    As new launches increase, distribution becomes critical. We are also hoping that addressability gets implemented in the right manner.

    DTH is also growing, but the format is still the classic ‘one price for all channels’ rather than specialised packages and introduction of new tiers. This is expected to change as the market matures.
  • BT, Microsoft & Philips join hands to unveil BT Vision in UK

    BT, Microsoft & Philips join hands to unveil BT Vision in UK

     MUMBAI: BT has announced the commercial launch of BT Vision, its new television and entertainment service. BT Vision uses the Microsoft TV Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Edition software platform and an advanced Philips set-top box to deliver a next-generation digital television service to BT Total Broadband customers across the UK.

    BT Vision combines more than 40 DTT (digital terrestrial television )-based freeview channels, digital recording capability and a library of video-on-demand content delivered over broadband. This gives viewers more choice without the need to commit to a compulsory monthly TV subscription.

    An official release stated that BT, Microsoft Corp and Philips worked closely together to bring the full experience of BT Vision to the home. The Philips-designed set-top box offers advanced technology, including 80 hours of hard disk recording capability, two tuners, smart card reader, high-definition TV and numerous extension capabilities. The set-top box enables viewers to “time shift” programmes at their convenience, pausing live shows or recording them to watch at a later date. In addition, a “catch-up TV” feature gives viewers the convenience of viewing TV programmes they may have missed from the previous week.

    “BT Vision is a ground-breaking television service, giving consumers choice and flexibility without requiring them to be tied to a monthly TV contract,” said BT Vision chief executive Dan Marks. “Microsoft TV has given BT the power to build a service that we feel addresses a real market opportunity, enabling our customers to switch on to better TV.”

    BT Vision offers a variety of content combined with advanced television services. Further highlights include the following:
    – Varied content from Disney, Sony BMG, Universal, DreamWorks, National Geographic, Viacom and the BBC as well as independent programmers.
    – “Near-live” on-demand Premiership football action, starting in summer 2007.
    — Interactive services such as games.
    — Access to the phone book via the television.

    “BT Vision is a revolution for TV services in the UK. BT’s pioneering approach and Microsoft’s next-generation IPTV technologies have enabled a unique TV service that lets consumers control their TV experience,” said Microsoft’s TV division corporate vice president Enrique Rodriguez. “BT’s trusted brand is well-placed to bring exciting connected and personal television experiences to a wide range of consumers in the UK.”

    The announcement is the latest in a wave of European IPTV deployments based on the Microsoft TV software platform and heralds a new era of more compelling personal and connected TV experiences available to consumers.

  • HBO proudly presents the second season of the award winning series ‘Huff’

    HBO proudly presents the second season of the award winning series ‘Huff’

    NMumbai, August 16, 2006: HBO, the world’s leading movie channel, returns with the most critically acclaimed Emmy® Award winning and Golden Globe® Award nominated series Huff Season 2 premiering exclusively for the first time on Indian TV starting 24th August at 11:15 pm and thereafter every Thursday right after the Prime-Time Movie with two back-to-back brand new episodes.

    The first season of `HUFF’, premiered on HBO last year, dexterously chronicled the comedy and the pathos of a psychiatrist, Dr. Craig ‘Huff’ Huffstodt, entangled in a web of dilemma and dysfunction in his personal life. This year, HBO celebrates the comeback of the series with Heff Season 2, starring Hank Azaria (3-time Emmy® Award Winner for Actor, as also an Emmy® Award 2005 Lead Actor nominee), Oliver Platt (of ‘Kinsey’ and ‘Ice Harvest’ fame) and Blythe Danner (of ‘Meet the Parents’ and ‘Meet the Fockers’ fame). While this season showcases the gripping storylines that are distinctly characteristic of the series, it also welcomes Emmy® Award winner Sharon Stone and Academy Award® winner Anjelica Huston as guest stars in multi-episode arcs.

    Celebrating the premiere of HUFF Season 2, Shruti Bajpai, Country Manager, HBO South Asia, said, “We are proud to be associated with an award winning series like Huff. This special presentation of Huff Season 2 is part of our constant endeavor to bring the best of English programming to our patrons.”

    Returning for the second season, HUFF continues examining the professional and personal life of a psychiatrist, Dr. Craig `Huff’ Huffstodt (Hank Azaria), who finds he’s drifting perilously close to the border between sanity and insanity. According to HUFF creator Bob Lowry, “HUFF is about the unpredictability of human nature. It is an episodic drama about people and their interactions with each other – not so much about what they do as much as how they react to what’s happening around them. We’re not a formulaic show that you typically see on television”

    HUFF Sesaon 2, spanning 13 episodes, finds the Huffstodt family ties slowly coming undone. While Dr. Craig is still clad in the guilt of the suicide of a 15-year-old gay patient in his office, he is also deeply disturbed by the paranoid ramblings of his schizophrenic younger brother Teddy (Andy Comeau). Huff’s once close friend, Russell Tupper (Oliver Platt) continues to be an adorable alcoholic misogynist drug addict. And HUFF finds an attractive new client Dauri Rathbun (Sharon Stone), who is in desperate need of his legal advice.

    HBO brings the best of Hollywood by premiering the top blockbuster movies on television first in South Asia through exclusive licensing deals with four major Hollywood studios – Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Columbia/ TriStar), Universal and Warner Bros.

    Prime time viewing on HBO includes HBO Blockbuster Of The Month, a special television event that premieres a mega blockbuster movie every month, HBO Saturday Nights, which premieres a new box office hit each week throughout the year; HBO Sunday Super Hits, which showcases the blockbuster hits, star-studded hits, favourite genre hits, Asian hits, highly acclaimed hits and so much more. In addition, HBO features at least 3- 4 new movie showcases every month to offer viewers an interesting mix of Hollywood movies based on exciting themes.