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Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie’s Divorce Called Off

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Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie’s Divorce Called Off!

With this week’s news that Chris Pratt & Anna Faris are divorcing, many fans of thev celebrity couples were quick to declare love dead. The most famous couple on the planet is rumored to be giving their relationship a 2nd chance. Sources reveal that Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt have called off their divorce and are considering an attempt at saving their marriage. The divorce is off says the source as they haven’t done anything to move it forward in several months and no one thinks they are ever going to now. Many have expressed shock at the news, as Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie’s split back in Sept, 2016 was anything but amicable. The couple had parted ways following a confrontation between Brad Pitt & son Maddox aboard a private jet. Insiders say that Angelina Jolie was so appalled by her husband’s behavior that she left him the next day without hesitation. Nearly a year later, however, Angelina Jolie is reportedly considering giving Brad Pitt a 2nd chance for one simple reason: that she’s still so in love with him adds the source.

Liam Hemsworth & Miley Cyrus Secretly Married!

Not too long ago, Miley Cyrus was twerking her little heart out, singing songs about partying & wrecking balls and more partying, but now it really looks like she’s moved beyond all that. Gone are the days of constant topless selfies and weed references on Instagram, These days, it sounds like she’s moving back to her roots, both in terms of her music & her modesty. And, of course, she’s also back with her longtime love, Liam Hemsworth. Their love story really is a little bit magical. They had met all the way back in 2009, when they filmed The Last Song together, and though they did have a few little breakups along the way, they were together until 2013. That’s when they broke off their engagement and went on their separate ways for a little bit: Liam focused on his acting career, while Miley focused on all that twerking. But then, sometime in 2016, they rekindled their romance. They got re – engaged, and this time around, they both seem a lot more settled in their relationship. So settled that they went and got married without telling anyone? That’s because both Miley Cyus & Liam Hemsworth have been spotted recently with similar bands on their fingers. Over the weekend, Liam Hemsworth was photographed with Miley Cyrus’ mother, Tish Cyrus, wearing a simple band on the ring finger of his left hand. Miley was spotted with a similar band while out & about filming for The Voice. And there aren’t many reasons why an engaged couple would wear matching rings on their left hands.

Paola Mayfield States That Her Husband’s Going To Kill Her

90 Day Fiance star Paola Mayfield has recently lashed out at critics pretty fearlessly, but when it comes to worries that she’s going to disappoint Russ Mayyfield? Of late she’s a nervous wreck. Because she’s in lingerie for a modeling job and even though she’s going through with it because she’s a professional … it’s complicated. She knows that her conservative husband doesn’t like it when she shows skin outside of the bedroom, and is sure to kill her making for ongoing conflict. Paola Mayfield & Russ Mayfield are somewhere in the middle as far as the state of 90 Day Fiance couples and the quality of their relationships. They’re certainly doing way better than the now – split Mohamed Jabli & Danielle Mullins. The primary source of conflict between Paola Mayfield & Russ Mayfield isn’t cheating or money but its Paola Mayfield’s job. Paola Mayfield is a fitness model and now a certified personal trainer. Russ Mayfield isn’t very comfortable with how she dresses, or how little she dresses, for work.

Judge Throws Out DJ’s Case

A judge recently threw out a former radio host’s case against Taylor Swift in a trial that delved into their dueling lawsuits over whether he groped her during a backstage meet & greet and whether she & her team ruined his career. US District Judge William Martinez determined that the pop star could not be held liable because David Mueller failed to prove that she personally set out to have him fired after the 2013 photo op in Denver. His identical allegations against Taylor Swift’s mother & her radio liaison will go to jurors for a verdict. David Mueller denies groping Taylor Swift and sued the singer, her mother, Andrea Swift & their radio handler, Frank Bell, seeking up to $3 million as compensation for his ruined career. The singer – songwriter said in her countersuit that she wanted a symbolic $1 and the chance to stand up for other women. The jury will still consider her claim. Taylor Swift was in tears as the judge read his decision and said there was no evidence of her actions being insincere. Afterward, her team smiled and embraced. David Mueller’s side didn’t speak at all. The judge’s decision came after days of testimony from the singer & others and just before the jurors were all set to hear closing arguments.

Micheal Einfield Apologizes

Talent manager Michael Einfeld has issued an apology to “friends, colleagues & clients” after one of his former assistants, Rosette Laursen, wrote a lengthy 8th Aug, 2017’s Facebook post detailing sexist remark made about her in emails and other offensive alleged behavior in the workplace. In the emails, Micheal Einfeld called her an “uppity selfish c—” and suggested that “someone should sew her vagina shut” for requesting 8th Mar, 2017 off to observe a Day Without A Woman. “Are you fucking kidding me. At the end of pilot season,” Micheal Einfeld wrote in an email that was intended only for 2 male colleagues but was accidentally distributed office wide. A day Without A Woman was a nationwide campaign encouraging women to mark International Women’s Day on 8th Mar, 2017 by taking the day off from work and refraining from making purchases in order to demonstrate their impact on the economy.

James Franco Opens Up

James Franco is recently opening up about the moment he realized he was battling depression. James Franco explained that his career choice in combination with his “very addictive” personality led to feelings of isolation. “When I was a teenager I got over certain addictions, and that’s when I started acting, at age 17, I really threw myself into it, and that became everything, to the point where I didn’t even socialize. And then after, like, 10 years of that, at age 27, I realized, Man, I’m so depressed. On the surface my life seems pretty good, I have a career & everything, but I feel isolated & lonely. So then I threw myself into school, but again it was just this sort of running, running, running.” Despite the emotional effects his career has had on him emotionally, James Franco insists he will continue to act in addition to directing. “I’ve got to say, of all the things that I’ve done, and I’ve done a lot, the actual process of directing is the most fun, because you’re in the middle of all these different creative people,” he said. “But no, I will not stop acting.”

Amber Portwood Kisses Some Dude

If Teen Mom: OG firebrand Amber Portwood still loves Matt Baier, she sure has an unusual way of showing it. In a recent footage, Amber Portwood is seen kissing & canoodling with a new man, mere weeks after her split from Mait Baier. The video was reportedly filmed on recently and it depicts Amber Portwood getting very close & awfully cozy with someone of the opposite sex. She’s leaning against him while the guy is rubbing her waist with his arm. Captured at a marina in Indianapolis, the video culminates in Amber Portwood and this mystery dude leaning in for a kiss. Not much is known about the male, except that he’s wearing a brown shirt & white cowboy hat in the clip. He also appears to be a lot closer in age to Amber Portwood than her former fiancé, from whom Amber Portwood split in Jun, 2017. Amber Portwood & Matt Baier’s relationship fizzled out a couple months ago after Matt Baeir failed a lie detector test in the face of cheating allegations.

Wolf Warrior 2 Marches Towards $700M

The victory march continues for China’s biggest blockbuster ever. Wu Jing’s Wolf Warrior 2 continued to astonish in its 3rd frame, adding $83 million to again top the international charts. After 18 days on Chinese screens, the patriotic action movie has pulled in a colossal $683 million. The film is now the 3rd highest – grossing title of all time in a single territory, behind only Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($937 million) & Avatar’s ($750 million) historic runs in North America. To what heights Wolf Warrior 2 will ultimately ascend remains to be seen, but it will easily climb past the $700 million mark later this week. A Rambo – like patriotism & adrenaline exercise, the film was written & directed and also stars Wu, alongside American – Hong Kong actress Celina Jade & Hollywood import Frank Grillo. The action is set in deepest Africa, where Wu’s titular Special Forces agent battles cretinous Western mercenaries to rescue Chinese civilians & restore Middle Kingdom honor. The slickly produced spectacle cost just $30 million to make.

HBO Hackers Leak “Curb”’ Episodes

Hackers continue to pester HBO, releasing several unaired episodes of the highly anticipated return of Curb Your Enthusiasm on Sun in their latest leak. Season 9 of Larry David’s comedy series is set to premiere in Oct, 2017 after the show’s 6 year hiatus. The hackers, who broke into HBO’s computer network and have been doling out stolen information for the past several weeks, also released Sun night’s episode of Insecure and what appear to be episodes of other lower – profile shows, including Ballers, the unaired shows Barry & The Deuce, a comedy special and other programming. But the hackers didn’t release any material related to the network’s hit show Game Of Thrones in their latest leak. The HBO network acknowledged the hack in late Jul, 2017, and the thieves have been dribbling out stolen video & documents since then while demanding a multimillion – dollar ransom.

What happened To Former Mummy Star Brendan Fraser?

Amidst a wave of scathing reviews for the new film The Mummy, there’s never been a better time to ask: What in the world happened to Brendan Fraser? The former star of the original franchise is noticeably absent from the Tom Cruise led reboot. In fact, Brendan Fraser’s been generally absent from movies for quite a while now? Brendon Fraser enjoyed years of success following his breakout role in 1992’s Encino Man, but his career has taken a nosedive in recent years after a few bad movie choices. The movie was widely panned by critics, and put a dent in Fraser’s previously stellar reputation. But the real kicker came when he was dropped from Journey To The Center Of The Earth 2″ in favor of Dwayne Johnson that same year. What followed for the actor were a few independent movies, along with some voice parts in animations, and it’s now been 4 years since Brendon Fraser appeared on the big screen.

Why Michelle Pfeiffer Disappeared From Hollywood Scenario

Hollywood actress Michelle Pfeiffer has been missed from the Hollywoodian scenario for quite a long time. The 3 time Oscar nominee, who took a break from Hollywood after 2013’s The Family, explained her 4 year absence to Darren Aronofsky, who directs Michelle Pfeiffer, in the upcoming drama Mother!, which also stars his girlfriend, Jennifer Lawrence. She says, “Well, the first thing that comes to mind is I’m an empty nester now, in fact I’ve never lost my love for acting. I feel really at home on the movie set. I’m a more balanced person, honestly, when I’m working. But I was pretty careful about where I shot, how long I was away, whether or not it worked out with the kids’ schedule. And I got so picky that I almost was unhirable. And then, I don’t know, time just went on. And now, you know, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. I’m more open now, my frame of mind, because I really want to work now, because I can.” The actress even went on to take a theater class. Nevertheless, Michelle Pfeiffer worries that the public will start to think that she’s a “fraud,” which is one reason why she hates doing interviews.

Toilet – Ek Prem Katha Has Strong Social Message Devoid Of Any Entertainment Value

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by Rizwan Asad & Shaheen Raaj

Banner: Viacom18, Motion Pictures, KriArj Entertainment, Neeraj Pandey, Plan C Studio, Cape Of Good Films LLP
Producers: Aruna Bhatia, Shital Bhatia, Premaa Arora, Arjun N Kapoor & Hitesh Thakkar
Director: Shree Nayaran Singh
Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar, Anupam Kher, Divyendu Sharma, Sana Khan, Shubha Khote, Rajesh Sharma, Mukesh Bhatt et al
Music: Vickey Prasad, Manas – Shikhar, Sachet – Parampara & Surendra Sodhi

Editor Shree Narayan Singh making his directorial debut with Toilet – Ek Prem Katha seems to be totally confused in his 1st ever outing as to whether to please the producers, the cine goers or remain loyal to the pro – government propaganda. Except for a few impact making scenes he loses his grip on the film entirely, not to speak of his editing caliber which highly leaves much to be desired. Well! Mr. Shree Narayan Singh better luck in your future directorial outings,

When it comes to sanitation, our country lags far behind. The shortage of toilets can be seen in each & every corner of India. It is a sad sight to see people relieving themselves in the open. For women, things are even more difficult for obvious reasons. Also, a lot of rapes & sexual assaults happen on women when they are attending the nature’s call in villages & small towns. Toilet – Ek Prem Katha throws light on this aspect and also spins a love story out of it. So does this social drama manage to make the required impact or does it fail. Your guess is as good as mine.

The scripted scenario of Toilet – Ek Prem Katha reveals that it is a love story of a man who fights the system & above all his family to install a toilet in his house for the sake of his wife. Keshav (Akshay Kumar) lives in Mandgaon village in North India with his father (Sudhir Pandey). He falls for Jaya (Bhumi Pednekar) who also starts loving him. Both get married. She is unaware that Keshav’s house doesn’t have a toilet. On the 1st day post marriage, she is made a part of the women’s “lota party”, comprising of all ladies from the neighborhood who relieve themselves in the open before sunrise. Jaya is enraged and she demands that a toilet is made in the house. Keshav’s father however puts his foot down. He argues that he won’t allow anyone to relive themselves in the house as he claims that it’s against their culture. How Keshav takes up the challenge to construct a toilet and stands up against the system forms the rest of the film.

Toilet – Ek Prem Katha’s 1st ever scene depicting how the women bond while on their way to the fields, sets the mood of the film. Akshay’s entry happens suddenly and this sequence serves no purpose to the rest of the film. The entire stalking bit is slightly objectionable but keeping in mind the small town element, it works. The marriage happens all of a sudden but the film takes a turn when Jaya finds out that there is no toilet in her marital home. The intermission point is terrific and takes the film to another level. The 2nd half too has its moments. The scenes where Jaya ridicules the women for not standing up for their rights as well as Keshav’s outburst after his toilet is destroyed are highly memorable.

On the flipside, the film gets too long and should have been shorter by at least 20 minutes. Few scenes also seemed unconvincing. More unbelievable is when the “lota party” ladies suddenly revolt against their husbands.
Garima Wahal & Siddharth Singh’s story tries to balance a love story with a social problem plaguing the country. Garima & Siddharth’s screenplay however moves at a slow pace. The manner in which Keshav goes to insane lengths to ensure that Jaya gets access to a toilet daily is amusing. But a crisper narrative was required. Also, the film gets preachy in the 2nd half and becomes a pro -government film at places that could have been avoided. Nevertheless, the 7 – locks sequence deserves applause. Besides Garima & Siddharth’s dialogues are sharp & witty. The urban audiences might cringe at the repeated use of words like “sandaas”, “shauch” et al but then there was no choice. The film wouldn’t have made an impact without these terms. But one thing that is really overlooked is that fact that Akshay Kumar & his brother Divyendu Sharma are never shown the need to relieve themselves in the open until towards the end that too in the running credit titles.

Shree Narayan Singh’s direction is why the film suffers to such an extent. At places the film is too fast, Jaya &Keshav’s marriage happens in a jiffy and catches viewers unawares. But in the 2nd half, it drags a lot. One can’t deny however that debutante directorShree Narayan Singh has indeed helmed some scenes deftly. One of the scenes where he really impressed is when the Brahmin father is compelled to take a bath in the pre – climax scenes. Music and no entertainment & repeat value with an overdose of preaching is the biggest minus point of the film. Yet one duet song that catches your fancy is “Hans Mat Pagli…Pyaar Ho Jaayega.” While Uday Singh’s cinematography is praiseworthy & straight out of life the same cannot be said about Shree Narayan Singh’s editing which is well below average.

Performance wise Akshay Kumar is a revelation. Since the past few years, he has been essaying some well – written parts but with Toilet – Ek Prem Katha, he goes on a high. The way he reacts in the aforementioned breakdown scene is going to stun the viewers. Bhumi Pednekar gives a towering performance. She appears to be extremely confident & convincing. Divyendu Sharma as Naru brings in comic relief and is absolutely wonderful as Akshay Kumar’s youger brother. Sudhir Pandey is perfect as the strict father who is imprisoned in the age – old customs that serve no purpose in today’s times. Anupam Kher as Jaya’s uncle also raises laughs but his part is not a caricature. He has a crucial part to play in the film. Shubha Khote as Keshav’s grandmother is good especially in the pre – climax scenes. Rajesh Sharma as D M Mathur, Mukesh Bhatt as journalist Rastogi of Dainik Jagran and the young actors playing the sarpanch & the female journalist are good in their small parts. But alas Sana Khan is totally wasted.

Tail Piece: On the whole, Toilet – Ek Prem Katha, despite the minuses, integrates a strong social message and also questions several age old practices in the society. At the Box – Office turnstiles with no competition at all plus the weekend coupled with long holidays in the next week as well as the highly expected tax exemptions. Which the film totally deserves due to its strong social message, in certain states are bound to help the film resonate with the audiences.

Worldwide Latest Box Office Results

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Wolf Warriors 2 CREATES ALL TIME RECORD

Patriotic war action film Wolf Warriors 2 has become the top grossing film ever released in China. After 12 days in theaters, it stands on a total of RMB3.44 billion, or some $506 million.

Directed by & starring action star Wu Jing, the film sees a Chinese soldier stumble into an African war zone and save dozens of lives, from western mercenaries. Alongside Wu Jing, it stars Marvel’s Frank Grillo, Celina Jade, Wu Gang & Zhang Han.

Warriors II was released on 27th Jul, 2017 and has dominated theatrical proceedings ever since, both within China & on the global charts. Although the film has barely had only a minimal international release to date, it has been the highest grossing film in the world for the past 2 weekends, beating Hollywood new releases & holdovers.

Warriors II takes the Chinese Box – Office turnstiles crown by overtaking last year’s The Mermaid, by established hit – master Stephen Chow which last year earned RMB3.39 billion. It also relegated this year’s Furious 8 to 3rd place with its total of RMB2.67 billion.

The film’s performance is remarkable that it comes in mid – summer. The biggest Chinese hits have traditionally come from Chinese New Year (Jan, 2017 or Feb, 2017) or Dec, 2016 releases. It provides a welcome fillip to the overall Chinese Box – Office turnstiles, which this year had crawled along at a growth pace of just 4% in the 7 months to Jul, 2017. And it redresses the balance between Chinese & imported films in Chinese theaters. Chinese authorities frequently attempt to engineer market share dominance for Chinese -language films.

But, aside from a crop of popular Chinese New Year releases, Chinese – made movies have this year struggled to connect with Chinese audiences as well as the top Hollywood titles. Warriors II was released in one of the so – called blackout periods in which major foreign movies are not allowed to be released in Chinese cinemas. Significantly too, the film is an unapologetic & muscle – bound pro – Chinese actioner, with simple moral messages & plenty of bullets, bent metal & broken heads. In this respect it has proved a far more successful piece of propaganda than the official propaganda film The Founding Of An Army which was released in Chinese theaters on the same day and has grossed only $50.3 million.

Both films riff off the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Liberation Army.

A TAXI DRIVER REVS UP 3RD – BIGGEST OPENING OF ALL TIME

Opening on Wed, A Taxi Driver debuted on top of South Korean Box – Office turnstiles. With top Korean actor Song Kang – Ho & German star Thomas Kretschmann, the Showbox release earned $30.7 million from 4.36 million admissions over 5 days. That is the 3rd highest opening score of all time, behind Roaring Currents & Train To Busan in admissions terms.

Based on real events, A Taxi Driver is the story of a Korean taxi driver who becomes involved in a German journalist’s reporting of Gwangju Pro -Democracy Movement in 1980. The film is directed by Jang Hun. Previous winner, C J Entertainment’s The Battleship Island slipped to 2nd with a 73% weekly decline.

The Ryoo Seung – Wan directed movie earned $5.08 million between Fri & Sun for a total of $41.4 million after 2 weekends. UPI’s Despicable Me 3 slipped to 3rd, earning $3.68 million between Fri & Sun. The animated feature has earned a cumulative $17.0 million since its 26th Jul, 2017 release. The top 3 films accounted for 90% of the total weekend Box – Office turnstiles.

In 5th place, Dunkirk earned $1.33 million for a total of $20.0 million after 3 weekends.

5 FILMS OF SHAH RUKH KHAN THAT NEVER GOT RELEASED

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Though with several hits in his kitty, Shah Rukh Khan has made it all by himself, not many are aware that Shah Rukh Khan has had his fair share of struggle in the industry and some of his projects were shelved after they were announced.

Amongst the list of SRK movies that never saw the light of the day are Kisi Se Dil Laga Kar Toh Dekho, directed by Kalptaru and starring Shah Rukh Khan, with Ayesha Jhuklka & Madhoo, a 1996 project that was shot but never released for reasons unknown, Raashq starring Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Aishwarya Rai, a 2001 project. The reasons for it being shelved are unknown. Then there was Shikhar, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit. It was a Subhash Ghai project which got shelved in 1995 after his film Trimurti flopped.

He went on to direct Pardes instead but later revisited the script of Shikhar and made Taal in 1999 with Akshaye Khanna & Aishwarya Rai. Then there was Xtreme City starring Shah Rukh Khan & Leonardo DiCaprio. Ace Hollywood director Martin Scorsese was to make the film, but it never really took off! Ahamaq, a 1991 film that starred Shah Rukh Khan was a miniseries turned into Bollywood film that never got a run at the theatres.

Besides these, the animated version of Shah Rukh Khan’s hit film, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, that was titled Koochie Koochie Hota Hai got shelved for unknown reasons.

“LOEV” IS A SIMPLE STORY ABOUT UNUSUAL LOVE

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THE DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

Loev is not a political film, it is a simple love story about an unusual love. But the act of making this film was a political one because of where this film was made.

At first glance, this is a universal story that could have taken place in any city from Boston to Budapest but a closer look reveals an invisible, 4th character in every scene: the politics of India. The complex legal & social codes gagging these men shape the way they express; understand & recognize love.

India’s highest court very recently passed Amendment 377 into law declaring homosexuality punishable by life imprisonment and making criminals out of millions of its citizens. By extension, the court made it very easy for any cinematic work endorsing or depicting this love to be censored, obstructed & banned. It was in this environment that our actors, technicians, investors & supporters came together to make this film, working in absolute secrecy and, in many cases, free of cost because we believe in the power of stories.

Depicting these lives authentically and with dignity in our very personal, specific story where the characters seem least interested in the Supreme court’s grand decision and is our own radical act of protest.

Gender, sexual – orientation, creed, class, all these superficial divides seem irrelevant in the court of love. Love is mercilessly confusing, painful & euphoric to its patrons, no matter how one chooses to spell it.

Given the subject matter and the political climate in India, there was no conventional way of financing Loev. There was no state – funds that could have endorsed the production, no soft – monies or no tax – rebates to take advantage of. And with no guarantee of release in place thanks to censorship, our passion for the cause is all we had. Friends, families & allies came together through a crowd – funding campaign to make this an international production with monies coming from France, Germany, USA, India, Netherlands, Hong Kong and other parts of the world.

Though the film was budgeted aggressively and made in a very short time -span, we could not cheat since the director wanted to shoot in uninterrupted long takes and on actual & real locales where this story takes place. This meant having false scripts and taking permissions with vague scene descriptions so as to not attract the attention of authorities. Nobody could publicize which film they were working on and actors were not allowed to talk about the project.

Principal photography lasted 16 days with 2 half days in the middle. The Cinematographer flew down from US on her own money and stayed on the director’s couch for a month of exclusive rehearsal. The actors, all Bollywood protégés & stars, risked getting typecast in the local film industry to participate in this unconventional project. All aspects of the production were rehearsed extensively for the month prior to principal photography because we knew we would not have any time to waste on the sets.

All our hard – work aside, this film would not have happened had our allies from around the world not supported us: ARRI contributed the Alexa camera package, music companies like Saregama, Warner – Chappell and Universal Music gave us access to their music catalogues, and India’s largest post – production studio Prime Focus gave us access to their facilities at hugely subsidized rates so the film could get made.

After the film was completed and while it was being readied for film festivals, our principal actor Dhruv Ganesh (Sahil) was diagnosed with tuberculosis. We were worried but with our infinite faith in modern medicine were convinced he would recover. It came as an immense shock to us when, earlier this year, Dhruv passed away in Delhi. Several of us attended his funeral, charged with the task of bringing his final work on celluloid to the world in the best possible way. His delicate, generous portrayal of Sahil as a flawed young man looking to find the meaning of love is truly a miracle.

Despite not having a score, the film features an eclectic collection of songs from Mary J Blige to Jose Gonzales to the legendary Bollywood maestro R. D. Burman sung by the “Nightingale Of India” Lata Mangeshwar. An original love ballad was also composed for the film by the musical whiz – kid Tony Kakkar who took the nation by storm with his Bollywood track “Mohabbat Barsa Dena Tum” in 2013.

THE CAST

SHIV PANDIT AS JAI

Shiv Pandit is an Indian actor & television host. After having featured in several T.V. commercials for popular brands (Sprite, Airtel, Tide, Colgate, LG & Rotomac to name a few), he landed the lead role in the Television Sitcom FIR in 2006. Post his stint on the show; he was contracted as the host for the 1st edition of the Indian Premier League on Set MAX for the show “Extraaa Innings T20” in 2008. Shiv Pandit made his screen debut in 2011 with the critically & commercially successful Hindi film Shaitan where he got noticed and was nominated for the Filmfare Award for “Best Male Debut.” He also went on to debut as a lead actor in the Tamil film Leelai. The film opened to extremely positive reviews, with Shiv Pandit’s performance being extremely well received by both the critics & the audiences alike.

DHRUV GANESH AS SAHIL

Dhruv Ganesh was discovered by audiences in Leena Yadav’s heist movie Teen Patti where he was cast opposite Academy Award Winner Ben Kingsley and Indian screen legend Amitabh Bachchan. He managed to hold his own and was soon flooded with offers. Ever the selective actor, he portrayed interesting &, nuanced characters in films like Table No. 21 and was also cast in many nationally televised advertisement campaigns. Loev was Ganesh’s !st ever film as the lead actor and it will, unfortunately, be his last. After the completion of principal photography, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and passed away in Jan, 2015.

SIDDHARTH MENON AS ALEX

Siddharth Menon is a classically trained actor who got his start doing Marathi theatre in Mumbai with acclaimed theatre troupes in the region. He made his film debut in Peddlers which received its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for the Toronto International Film Festival. His follow up films, Rajwade And Sons, Popat, Ekulti Ek and so on, were directed at local audiences and brought him tremendous critical acclaim and a local fan following. Loev is Menon’s 2nd film in English, targeted at international audiences and is already opening up newer markets for him.

THE CHARACTERS

Sahil – Dhruv Ganesh

Alex – Siddharth Menon

Jai – Shiv Pandit,

Aditya /Junior – Rishabh R Chaddha

Porter, Mahabaleshwar – Dixit

Patrons at Music Shop – Navit Dutt, Dipankar Gupta & Jasleen Marwah

Usher -OankarChavan

Eatery Server – KamleshPatil

Patrons at Eatery – Ankur Singh, Rohit Chaturvedi & Sanjeeb Majumdar

Receptionist – Rachana Gees

Businessman -Sukhwinder Singh

Son of Businessman – Aditya Gupta

Businessman’s Accountant – Nitin Agarwal

Restaurant Manager – Suyash Bisht

Restaurant Server – Dinesh Pathak

Patron at Restaurant – Katharina Suckale
THE FILMMAKER

SUDHANSHU SARIA Writer & director

Born in the tea estates of Darjeeling, India, award – winning filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Film & Photography from Ithaca College in New York. His previous film work has premiered in festivals such as Hollyshorts & Rio de Janeiro International Short Film Festival, taken him to Berlinale Talent Campus and been featured on NPR & Good Morning America. His most recent short, His New Hands, had its world premiere in competition at the 2014 Hong Kong International Film Festival, and was awarded the prestigious Remi Gold Prize for Best Dramatic Short at the World Fest – Houston International Festival & the Best Film Prize at Flyway Film Festival. The film screened at more than 25 film festivals around the world including Sarasota, Omaha, Heartland Film Festivals and the Chennai International Film Festival. It was selected by the makers of the RED camera for its annual showcase of the best films shot on this device, and awarded the “Best Cinematography” prize at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in Mumbai. I Am Here, his 2nd feature – length screenplay, was selected for the International Film Finance Forum at the Toronto International Film Festival, and is currently in pre – production. Loev is his writing & directing feature debut and world premiered in competition at the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn. The next stops on the film’s festival calendar include Guadalajara International Film Festival (Latin American premiere), BFI Flare (UK Premiere) & South By South West (North American premiere). It is being represented for sales by Wide Management & Angel Grace Worldwide and has already closed theatrical deals in key territories.

THE CREW

Written, Directed & Produced by Sudhanshu Saria, Produced by Arfi Lamba, Katharina Suckale & Jasleen Marwah, Co – Produced by Upinder Singh Lamba, Nikunj Patwari, Sameer Mahandru, Associate Producers
Prashant Gupta, Baltej Singh Sodhi, Manhar Lamba & Sameer Bhavnani, Director of Photography Sherri Kauk, Editor Nitesh Bhatia, Art Director
Sweta Gupta, Costume Designer Rohit Chaturvedi, Sound Design Pritam Das, Casting Director, Jitendra Rai Finch & Casting Studio, Colorist Sidharth Meer & Original Song by Tony Kakkar.

THE SYNOPSIS

When hot shot, Wall Street dealmaker Jai thinks of putting some pleasure into his 48 – hour business trip to Mumbai, his young, music – producer friend, Sahil, drops everything, including his reckless boyfriend Alex, to help him execute the perfect getaway. Hiking the hills & canyons of Maharashtra, amidst half – attempted conversations & sudden silences, business calls & old jokes, the friends discover there is more than just time – zones keeping them apart. Things take another turn when Alex shows up with a new male – companion at his side, throwing up old conflicts and bringing unanswered questions to the fore. Loev was shot in absolute secrecy in India, where homosexuality is punishable by life imprisonment.

Juhi Bharathi – AN ASPIRING ACTRESS ALL SET TO STORM BOLLYWOODIAN ARENA

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by Rizwan Asad and Shaheen Raaj

Juhi Bharathi, this Banglorean beauty surely rocks the fashion scenario in Bangalore that too as a “Show Stopper” time & again. And now Juhi Bharathi, with a chiselled, girl next door look, is also surely going to rock the Bollywoodian Tinsel Town. Juhi Bharathi, no doubt, has already got 2 Bollywood projects safely tucked up under her sleeves but is indeed skeptical of divulging its details unless she signs on the high – profiled banner’s prestigious dotted line. Rizwan Asad & Shaheen Raaj recently caught up with Juhi Bharati for this face to face interactive session, amidst her extremely busy schedules, in her posh office located on Church Street, Bangalore.

Right at the outset Juhi Bharati gave an insight of her background by stating that she was born in Bangalore in a middle class family and she happens to be the middle one amongst the 3 siblings. Continuing further Juhi Bharati stated that her Father happens to be Civil Engineer and her mother happens to be a house maker, holding a lawyer’s degree. Juhi Bharati also added that her parents have always been supportive of all her decisions right since she was that high.

Elaborating on her modeling & acting career Juhi Bharati averred, “I am very lucky to have a very supportive parents. And being a middle one amongst the 3 siblings I was not even pampered much but of course all my justified demands were always complied with so when I got this modeling offer for college fests, when I was just that high, they instantly gave their nod of approval. And this incident in my life kick started my most ambitious modeling career. At that stage I had started learning all forms of dances. In fact the modeling stints increased in leaps & bounds and when I attained my adolescence stage I soon started rocking the Banglorean fashion scenario and that too as a “Show Stopper” 1st for ZEPHYRS events and then for many more events. Some of my other achievements include: I was one of the “Top 10” in Bangalore Model hunt in the year 2015. That apart I have worked for “Silver Star” Company, under the tutelage of Ravi Haasan whom I consider as my Godfather, as its promo model for Mr. & Miss. South India and many more pageants. So much so that soon enough I had myself started grooming & training aspiring models and even choreographing varied pageants. And last but not the least I was the title holder of “Miss. Karnataka 2016” & “Times Fresh Face” as the 2nd runner up in Bangalore in the year 2015. At present I have just finished the print modeling shoot of the American Brand of mattresses.”

At this juncture Mademoiselle Juhi Bharathi felt that from modeling to acting was the only crossover destination that she had to cover to make inroads in B – Town arena. And indeed she has done the needful and succeeded in bagging the most prestigious projects she avers, “It is true that right now I am not going all out in my mission Bollywood but still I have bagged 1 big Bollywood project with a reasonably good director & hero. This project is all set to roll in Oct, 2017. And I am also trying out for another very big project. In fact I am in constant touch with the people close to this big producer & director.”

In conclusion Juhi Bharathi also shared her pearls of wisdom when queried about her wish list of directors & actors and varied other aspects like the kind of roles she would like to perform, the casting couch syndrome and her take on nudity, kissing & bedroom scenes et al she avers, “As far as the requirement of the script is concerned it is a strict no – no for kissing & bedroom scenes and that also includes nudity. You see I am in no hurry so I will strictly put down my foot as far as the casting couch syndrome is concerned in fact I am looking out for inspirational albeit women centric roles and a chosen few others in which I can really sink my teeth into. Amidst my wish list of directors are Karan Johar, Rohit Shetty, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and of course Prakash Jha as I really adore the films of these directors. Amongst the actors I would really like to work with all the 3 Khans namely Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan & Salman Khan and amongst the new breed of actors I would really like to work with Varun Dhawan.”

BOLLYWOOD SUFFERS FROM ‘CHEATING DREAMS’ SYNDROME

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Of late Bollywood suffers from “cheating dreams” synopdrome or so feels actor Vinay Pathak, a trendsetter in multiplex films. Perhaps he should know what he is talking about, as ever since he started shooting for The Dark Brew, he has literally become a shrink, in interpreting dreams. And many of his Bollywood co – stars, discuss & share their “Cheating dreams” syndrome with him. Not surprising still, as Bollywood has rampant stories of insecurities, guilt, betrayals, sex, dating, carnal desires etc.

According to sources close to him, “Cheating Dreams” syndrome or infidelity dreams is the result of trust, neglect, fear of abandonment, stagnant relationship, own insecurities & low self esteem. These dreams are the reflection of your thought process & of your present relationship status. And so you have many Bollywood couples freaking out when they dream with their hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

Vinay Pathak says in a lighter tone “Cheating Dreams syndrome is like Face book relationship status, faithful on your wall, but cheating in their inbox”

He adds “But on a serious note, those suffering from “Cheating Dreams” syndrome should re – evaluate & reset their relationship status, as dreams could be a reflection of your thoughts & present relationship status, of your own insecurities & low self esteem. Cheating on a good person is like throwing away a diamond & picking up a rock!”
The Dark Brew, produced by Warewolf Films, is a funny & a dark humorous take on a man committing a sin in his dream & gets killed; will he survive when he wakes up? The Dare Brew is directed by Akash Goila and stars Vinay Pathak playing a pivotal role.

Uppi Relieved As The Land Is Legal

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Photo credit: Filmibeat

Uppi Relieved As The Land Is Legal

The Real Star & Super star of Kannada Cinema Upendra facing legal hurdles for his Ruppi Resort of 17 acres & 10 Gunta is completely relieved as the court has passed a verdict that everything is legally formed. The single bench judge order was questioned by state government in this case. The 2 benches justice S K Mukerjee & Justice Dinesh Kumar upheld the single bench order. BM Upendra Kumar – Kannada film star Upendra bought land in 2005 at Tavarekere Hobli Survey No.13/1 & 14 – it was agricultural land. As the income of Upendra is more than Rs.2 lakh the purchase is illegal was the objection raised. This order was questioned by Upendra in High Court according to the Karnataka Land revenue Act 79 A abd 79B. The single bench judge in 2015 passed an order that the land purchased by Upendra is within the framework of the laws of the land.

Vybhavi Shandilya Charms In Raj Vishnu

A very sweet looking actress Vybhavi Shandilya has been picked for Raj Vishnu’ Kannada cinema out of 5 hundred entries. That is great for the actress and she feels lucky. Vybhavi Shandilya made her debut in Tamil comedy actor Santhanam’s film. After Sakka Podu Podu, Vybhavi Shandilya acted in Sarvar Sundaram and soon after this she got Kannada offer for her beautiful looks & talent. As a matter of fact Vybhavi Shandilya never thought that she would be a heroine one day. Hailing from Maharashtra studied law and thought that she would be arguing cases in court. Her one of the skits in a college fest changed her fortunes. She was forced to enter cinema field by her friends but in the audition for a television serial she was rejected. At this time she thought of finding a place in theatre. Acted in a few plays and learnt so many things as the days passed. It was in Janiva Marathi cinema she made debut and later Lord of Singapore, Ek Albela followed. Kannada film Raj Vishnu is my big offer she says.

Radhika Makes A Comeback With Nirup

The ravishing, talented & successful heroine Radhika Pandit after marriage to rocking star Yash was waiting for a good script to make a comeback. She has got another lovely script with Rangi Taranga hero Nirup Bhandari as hero in Rockline Venkatesh Production. Rockline Venkatesh has recently produced a film in Malayalam language, announced a film with Vetrimaran & Power star Puneeth Rajakumar. This one is another surprise. V Priya is director of this film. The role & the script has been very convincing for Radhika Pandit & Nirup Bhandari. Priya had worked in the camp of ace director Manirathnam as assistant. She has directed 3 films. This film of director Priya is going to set a new trend of hopes in Rangi Taranga. Hero Nirup Bhandari has to finish Rajaratha in his brother Anoop Bhandari’s direction. This new film in the combination of Nirup Bhandari & Radhika Pandit is going on the floors in Sept this year.Puneeth next is for Umapathi, film start in 2018

After a mega film ‘Hebbuli’ starring Kichcha Sudeep – producers Raghunath and Umapathi parted their company is a known fact. What is latest is that Umapathi has got the call sheet of power star Puneeth Rajakumar for his film in 2018. Power star sitting very comfortable with a mega hit film ‘Rajakumara’ is working on ‘Anjaniputhra’ and a few more are lined up before the launch of Umapathi film. Umapathi is in search of a talented director taking a film starring power star Puneeth Rajakumar. Umapathi has one big film ahead but currently he has assured ‘Rama Rama Re’ Dr Sathyaprakash to make a film in his banner.

Rakshit & Pushkar to help

Rakshit Shetty and Puskar Mallikarjun are the secret of new energy to ‘Huliraya’ is what the team is boasting. That is true. Rakshit Shetty in his debut direction ‘Ulidavaru Kandanthe’ enacted the ‘Huli Vesha’ and now reach the top from ‘Kirik Party’ as producer has picked a film of his friend Aravind Kaushik to distribute with Pushkar Mallikarjun of ‘Godibanna Sadarana Maikattu’ producer. Firstly it is the friendship and talent in Aravind Kaushik that has got a good support to ‘Huliraya’ Kannada cinema. Kaushik Rakshit Shetty has come to help. Both worked in ‘Nam Eriyadal Ondina’ and ‘Tuglak’ Kannada films. Both the films did not shine in the box office. When career is shining for Rakshit Shetty, he has come to lift a friend to the success route. ‘Huliraya’ is getting good theatre set up for release in Karnataka and other places. SLN creations ‘Huliraaya’ is a metaphorical take on man’s quest for freedom, his struggle to retain his identity against all odds. The film revolves around Suresha born and brought up in dense forest. The film has dramatic and realistic moments on the screen.

Ragini Signed For Ravi Srivatsa Movie

The pride of Kannada cinema Ragini Dwivedi has signed another mass film for director of swashbuckling films Ravi Srivatsa, who is known for his firebrand style in dialogues and also in direction. He has Tiger Galli in Ninasam Satish lead role all set for release in N Kumar production. The next of Ravi Srivatsa is with mass queen Ragini Dwivedi. Ragini with good hype in the market after Ragini IPS for mass films is lined up with films like Naane Next CM all set for release, Pradep Raj Kichchu, Jeethu direction Hulidevara Kadu. In the media group of Whats Ap she has disclosed that her next film is with director Ravi Srivatsa. Noted producer, director & exhibitor N Kumar’s son Yogish Kumar is producer of this film. Story, screenplay & dialogues are handled by Ravi Srivatsa.

Aditi Applauded

Last week’s release Dhairyam finds Adhiti Prabhudev who was earlier Sudesepana hailing from northern Karnataka region is having plenty of appreciation for her role in the film. Aditi looks, ability to emote, dance – all got good appreciation in the media. With such tumultuous welcome she wants to be in big screen after her Nagakannika TV serial that is currently on air. Aditi Prabhudev expressed her admiration for actor Ajay Rao from her school days. In her debut Ajay Rao as hero is nothing but god sent gift she felt. speaking to media persons she stated that she is very happy with the launch pad. She had seen Green Signal of Ajay Rao when she was in school; she had seen Krishnan Love Story and thought of Radhika Pandit role in her imagination, today the media has compared her to the level of another Radhika Pandit. Aditi Prabhudev says she had been given a free hand in by her parents and even relatives are very cooperative. “They have full confidence in me and there is no worry to go ahead with pretty good roles she says.” Apparently Aditi’s role in Naga Kannika TV serial will be the last one in small screen. It is just 2 months of commitment. I would restrict to big screen she says.

Aindrita & Satish teamed

The bubbling beauty of Kannada cinema Aindrita Ray is paired with Ninasam Satish in Ayogya. That means useless. In addition to this title a caption Zilla Panchayat Adyaksha is further dangerous for the film makers. It is if telling that the Zilla Panchayat Adyaksha is Ayogha. However the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan of having Shouchalaya is the concept tucked in humour dose. However one more assistant in the camp of Mahesh is directing Ninasam Satish. Set to go on floors soon, the film Ayogya stars veteran actress Saritha, Chikkanna, Shivraj KR Pete, Rangayana Raghu, Ravishanker and others. In Srusthi Enterprises Suresh & S K Mohan Kumar are producers of this Ayogya. V Harikrishna is scoring music and Preeth is handling cinematography. Mentor of director Mahesh Yogaraj Bhat is writing a lyrics for the film.

ABC TO AIR BENEFIT CONCERT

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ABC TO AIR BENEFIT CONCERT

ABC will air Ariana Grande’s One Love benefit concert on Sun, one of a host of international broadcasters that have signed up to air the live event dedicated to helping victims of the Manchester attack. BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of BBC, is coordinating the international effort and has placed the concert with broadcasters in 38 countries so far, with more agreements expected. The event will run live on ABC’s Freeform cable channel with a 1 hour highlights show then going out on ABC stations after NBA finals. In addition to the US, viewers in Asia, South America, Australia, and other parts of Europe will be able to tune in to the concert, whose star lineup includes Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams & Coldplay. The show will be carried by Tencent in China, Globosat in Brazil, TF1’s TMC channel in France, Rai in Italy & pubcasters SVT in Sweden & NRK in Norway. NBCUniversal and its E! Entertainment cable network have secured a pan – Latin American deal. The broadcasters will all run the coverage live with repeat airings in territories where it goes out particularly early or late. In UK, BBC will cover it live from 6:55 pm to 10 pm on BBC One.

FILM MOVEMENT ACQIRES US RIGHTS

New York based Film Movement has acquired US rights to Jasper Jones, hailed by Variety
as the “Best Film” to date by Australia’s Rachel Perkins and a “beautifully composed portrait of life in late ’60s small – town Australia,” capturing “the loss of childhood innocence and the suffocating despair of adulthood.” Michael E. Rosenberg, president of Film Movement, finalized the deal with Charlotte Mickie, president of Mongrel International. Based on “Beloved” same -titled novel by Australia’s Craig Silver, the coming of age tale & murder mystery will celebrate its North America premiere as the closing night film at the Museum of the Moving Image’s tribute to the distributor, Film Movement: A 15th Anniversary Celebration. It screens on 2nd Jul, 2017. Carried by a standout young cast of Aaron McGrath, Levi Miller & Angourie Rice, and written by Silvey & Shaun Grant who deliver “a richly layered screenplay,” in verdict, Jasper Jones turns on a bookish 14 year old boy, Charlie Bucklin (Levi Miller), who dreams of becoming a writer. He is awoken in the dead of night by the titular character, a local part – Aboriginal outcast (Aaron McGrath), who leads him deep into the forest where he shows him something which will change his life forever. The discovery marks Charlie’s introduction into the far more complicated world of adult sentiments & emotions, as he also experiences 1st – love with a local girl (Angourie Rice), witnesses his family’s breakdown, and discovers the nature of true courage.
Toni Collette plays Charlie’s mother, Hugo Weaving, a crazed war veteran. Perkins has said that Jasper Jones is “about empathy, a young man’s growing up very quickly, realizing the world is not what it seems, but having the empathy to understand other people around him although he’s very different from them.” Film Movement will release Jasper Jones this winter.

WPP BUYS ASIAN CONTENT

Leading global advertising agency WPP has made a strategic investment in 88rising, a US based producer of digital content catering to Asian millennial market. Headed by Jaseon Ma & founded in 2015, 88rising is based in New York & Los Angeles, with plans to open another in Shanghai. The company is also increasingly involved in management of young Asian artists. Terms of the transaction with WPP were not disclosed. It has produced over 500 hours of original content that has generated over 80 million total video views on Facebook & YouTube. More than half of 88rising’s 16 – 34 year old viewers are in the Asia Pacific region. It has branded & sponsored content deals with companies including Adidas, Maybelline & Revolve, an online fashion & cosmetics retailer. WPP, which is a backer of Vice & Li Ruigang’s China Media Capital, last year enjoyed digital revenues of $7.5 billion, accounting for 39% of group revenues. It aims to hit 45% within the next five years. It has invested in several specialized digital content companies. They include Russell Simmons’ All Def Digital, a leader in producing & distributing music & digital content.

ALEX MAHON NAMED BOSS

Britain’s Channel 4 has named former Shine Boss Alex Mahon as its new Chief Executive, to start in the fall. Currently head of special -effects company The Foundry, Alex Mahon will replace David Abraham, who announced his departure from the commercial broadcaster earlier this year. Alex Mahon will be the 1st ever female chief executive in Channel 4’s 35 year history. Charles Gurassa, Channel 4’s chairman, described Alex Mahon as “an outstanding leader and a highly experienced CEO who has developed & grown major international businesses in both the creative & the technology sectors. She brings an impressive combination of relevant experience and is brilliantly placed to help steer Channel 4 through the competitive challenges & opportunities ahead. “She is a great enthusiast for Channel 4 and its unique public service remit and her recent work with government will be valuable in facilitating constructive dialogue with the new administration.” Alex Mahon, who produced the shows MasterChef & Broadchurch and whose The Foundry software special – effects company worked on Hollywood films Interstellar & Gravity,” said: “Channel 4’s unique remit to innovate & to appeal to young & diverse audiences make it an essential part of British culture.

ENTERTAINMENT ONE HIRES NOEL HEDGES

Independent film & TV studio eOne has brought in Noel Hedges to head up acquisitions on TV side of the business. Noel Hedges, who joins from Modern Times Group – owned distributor DRG, will be taking rights to drama, film, lifestyle, factual, series & formats for UK – listed eOne, which is in the throes of merging its film & TV divisions. He will be picking up content to sit alongside eOne’s in – house fare, which comes through its production companies & partnerships, including one with Mark Gordon and a recently inked deal with Brad Weston. Stuart Baxter, President of eOne Television International, said: “Noel Hedge is a seasoned executive with great instincts and a strong track record of securing outstanding programming that can travel. He has great relationships across the industry and brings strong business acumen to support our ambitious content exploitation & growth strategy.” As well as DRG, Noel Hedges has been at Cineflix Rights, Shine International, ITV Studios Global Entertainment Ltd & BBC.

JAY HUNT TO LEAVE CHANNEL FOUR

Channel Four’s Chief Creative Officer Jay Hunt is leaving the British broadcaster at the end of Sept, 2017.Jay Hunt had been considered a leading candidate for the Chief Executive role at the commercial network, but is now effectively out of running for the post. She has been at Channel 4 since 2011, and is well – known in US as well as UK. Last year, Jay Hunt was instrumental in wresting away the “Great British Bake Off” from BBC. Her exit comes as Channel 4 searches for a new Chief Executive after David Abraham
said he was leaving, most likely by the end of the year. Jay Hunt paid tribute to David Abraham and the wider Channel 4 team in a statement announcing her departure: “I’ve been lucky to have a superlative Boss in David Abraham and to have been supported by the best commissioning team in the business. I also owe a huge thank you to the brilliant producers, directors, writers and on screen talent who’ve made it such a thrilling time to be at the helm.” David Abraham said: “Jay Hunt took on one of the biggest challenges in broadcasting back in 2011 and through immense creativity, courage & determination has delivered magnificently.

VICELAND ROLLS OUT 20 HOURS OF PROGRAMMING

Viceland has added 20 hours of original programming spanning factual entertainment, comedy, documentary, & reality formats to its UK slate. The newly launched original shows – Generation Rent, Bobby And Harriet Get Married will complement Viceland’s growing roster of flagship content. Viceland has tapped journalist & TV presenter Billie JD Porter to host Generation Rent, an 8 part investigation into the housing crisis facing young people in UK, US & Canada. Co -produced by Viceland UK & Viceland US, Generation Rent will shoot in UK & North America. Shannon Delwiche will be executive producing the series. Bobby And Harriet Get Married, Viceland’s 1st reality sitcom series, delves into the chaotic lives of stand – up comedians Bobby Mair & Harriet Kemsley as they plan their real – life wedding over the course of 5 weeks. The 6 part series is produced & directed by Stu Richards for Rockerdale Studios, which is co – producing the series. The UK roster will also boast the 2nd season of Hate Thy Neighbour, which follows comedian Jamali Maddix as he explores social & political divisions within America by spending time with organizations, radical individuals & extremist groups.

ALEX RIDER BOOKS BEING DEVELOPED

A TV adaptation of the bestselling Alex Rider book series is in works at ITV, with Borgia’s scribe Guy Burt attached to the project. UK based drama producer Eleventh Hour Films has optioned the Anthony Horowitz books and will make the series, which is being developed with ITV and is expected to attract international partners. The series will follow the adventures of teenage super – spy Rider on his missions to save the world. The announcement of a TV adaptation comes as Horowitz releases his 10th Rider book, “Never Say Die.” Horowitz created the series in 2000, and it has since notched 16 million book sales for the English – language editions alone. The TV series will skew older than the novels, which target teen boys, and will be presented as event dramas for family audiences. Horowitz said that screenwriter Burt “is cleverly expanding the characters whilst staying true to the spirit of the original novels to ensure that the series will appeal to both loyal fans and a new generation of viewers.” Eleventh Hour is run by Jill Green, whose former production company, Greenlit Productions, made Foyle’s War, which was written by Horowitz.

ZDF MAKES UK MOVE

German broadcaster ZDF has bought a stake in World Media Rights, the British based production company behind Black Ops & Myth Hunters. The deal is the 1st – ever equity UK investment for ZDF Enterprises, the pubcaster’s commercial arm, which is seeking to broaden the range of programming it brings to market, particularly English – language content. ZDF Enterprises has already distributed several World Media Rights titles, including Evolution Of Evil, and president & CEO Alexander Corridass said the deal for a 32.5% share of the London based company was a logical next step. “This closer relationship will enable us to jointly produce & market even more outstanding productions for UK, Germany, and the entire world in the future,” Corridass said. For World Media Rights, the agreement “means we can expand development & sales,” CEO Alan Griffiths told, adding that the company will be able to add new staff and double the number of hours produced within 3 years.

A + E BUYS OUT NBCUNIVERSAL

A + E is continuing to take control of its channels businesses, this time buying out NBCUniversal in Germany. The deal means that A + E will wholly own A & E &
History networks in Germany, Switzerland, Austria & Luxembourg, which were previously run with the international arm of NBCU. The news was announced days after A + E sealed a new carriage deal with Sky Deutschland for its German channels. A + E & NBCU have had a channels partnership for 12 years. The German A & E channel shows Roots , and History features US shows & local offerings, including The Eleventh Day. Under the leadership of international boss Sean Cohan, A + E has been shifting from partnering on its international channels operations to making them “owned and operated,” meaning fully owned by A + E, which is itself a joint venture between Disney & Hearst. A + E has already taken full control of its networks in Southeast Asia, South Korea & Japan. In Europe, it started going it alone in 2014, when it bought Fox out of an Italian joint venture. A + E Networks UK remains an exception.

EUROPE BLOCKED ACCESS TO 845 PIRACY SITES

Chris Dodd, chairman & CEO of Motion Picture Association of America, praised European officials Mon for blocking access to 845 illegal websites in 2016 that were providing pirated film & TV content across European Union, which has long been considered a hotbed of piracy. “In Europe we have been particularly successful at blocking access to large – scale pirate sites,” Chris Dodd, who is Hollywood’s chief lobbyist, said of the work being done by MPAA in tandem with EU authorities. The former US senator was the keynote speaker at a gathering in Rome where it was revealed that, last year, “more than 1 – 3rd of Italians over the age of 15 engaged in some form of piracy,” ChrisDodd said, citing figures from Italian anti – piracy organization Fapav. The illegal activity caused economic damage worth an estimated 686 million euros ($692 million) to content creators and placed more than 6,000 local jobs in jeopardy, Fapav said. Movie piracy was down 4% compared with 2010, but consumption of pirated TV series in Italy went up 9%, a study commissioned by Fapav showed.

NBC INVESTS $30 MILLION IN EURONEWS

NBC’s news division has acquired a 25% stake in European news network Euronews, in a deal that will close this week and that will see the creation of a new Euronews NBC brand bearing American broadcaster’s famous peacock. The 2 companies have been in talks since late last year and have agreed to a deal under which NBC News will pay $30 million for its share in France based news channel. Euronews CEO Michael Peters said industry consolidation and the emergence of well – funded state – backed news operations such as Al Jazeera, France 24, Russia Today & TRT World meant that Euronews had to examine its business. The company runs at a loss but expects to break even in 2020. “This is one of the most creative partnerships made in the last decade in the media industry,” he said of the deal with NBC. “We have seen a concentration of media investment and have had to review our business model and the way we offer news to consumers.”

3 MOVIES RE – WRITE WOMEN’S PAST

Women might well write more of the future, in real terms & fiction. 1st projects at Spain’s inaugural Conecta Fiction, a pioneering Latin America – Europe co – production forum, underscore how screenwriters, women & men, are rewriting women’s roles in the past. Ambitious historical drama – thrillers produced by some of Latin America’s most prominent production houses, such as Pablo & Juan De Dios Larrain’s Fabula in Chile & Dynamo Producciones, the Colombian producer of Narcos, this new breed of often super women series add a novel dimension to Latin America’s vibrant high – end drama scene. Other projects at Conecta Fiction’s 1st International Co – production Pitching Session, to take place on 21st Jun, 2017, include sci – fi Strange Fishing Sundays & crime thriller Crack, from Buenos Aires based Storylab, backers of Netflix’s 1st Argentine premiere Stockholm – showing Spanish -language producers boldly embracing modern genre. Produced by Chilean broadcaster Fabula & Chilevision.

Michael Bay Likes To Push Boundaries

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Michael Bay Likes To Push Boundaries

Transformers: The Last Knight director
Michael Bay avers that he likes to push the “boundaries of cinema in terms of look, feel & sound” with all his projects. In fact Micheal Bay claimed that he is the 1st ever filmmaker to use 2 of the ALEXA IMAX cameras in a 3D rig to provide audiences with an epic 3D experience.

Josh Brolin Teases Cable Makeup

Josh Brolin is all set to transform into Cable for Deadpool 2. Since his casting announcement, Josh Brolin has been teasing fans with new images or videos from behind – the – scenes of the film, but the recent tease is surely going to make theb Marvel fans go insane.

Emilia Clarke Feels That Being A Woman In Hollywood Is Like Dealing With Racism

Game Of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke has recently opened up about the hardships she has been dealing with for being a woman in the male – dominated film & TV industry and compared it to racism. “I feel so naive for saying it, but it’s like dealing with racism,” Clarke averred.

Jason Statham & Rosie Huntington – Whiteley Blessed With A Boy

Model – actress Rosie Huntington -Whiteley & her fiance, actor Jason Statham, welcomed their 1st child, a baby boy named Jack Oscar Statham. The baby was born on Sat, 24th Jun, 2017, the actress announced via her Instagram account.

Kirsten Dunst Stated That Elle Fanning Is Like A sister To Her

Kirsten Dunst has dubbed her Beguiled co -star Elle Fanning as her sister. Kristen Dunst praised Elle Fanning and called her “little soul mate in life”, “There’s people that you meet that are little soul mates in life, and she’s just like a sister to me,” Kristen Dunst averred. She previously referred to herself & Elle Fanning as kindred spirits.

Amy Poehler Is An Old School Parent

Amy Poehler stated that she is quite a traditional mother when it comes to raising her children. She also averred that while she is not a taskmaster at home with her kids, she would not call herself someone who can be taken for a ride by them.

Quentin Tarantino’s Films Had A Big Influence On Alison Brie

Alison Brie averred that she would love to collaborate with filmmaker Quentin Tarantino as his works have been a major contributing factor to her know – how of films. She also averred she was “obsessed” with the director’s 1992 film Reservoir Dogs when she was in a high school.

Mark Wahlberg Leads The Charge

Set in the aftermath of Transformers: Age Of Extinction, the new installment, finds humans at war with the Transformers & without Optimus Prime. Mark Wahlberg
reprises his role of inventor Cade Yeager, who juggles between being an over -protective father and saving the earth with the help of Optimus Prime & the Autobots. In this film, he prepares for mankind’s ultimate battle since the key to saving the future lies buried in Transformers’ history on Earth.

Halle Berry Is Hurt

Halle Berry became the 1st ever woman of colour to win a “Best Actress” Oscar in 2002, but the actress is “profoundly hurt” as no other women of colour have taken home the statuette for that category till now. She bagged the award for her performance in Monster’s Ball, said the achievement of becoming the 1st black woman to bag the “Best Actress” Oscar was made to feel worthless by subsequent lack of diversity.

Michelle Rodriguez Threatens To Leave

Michelle Rodrigues has averred that she is ready to leave her role in the Fast & Furious franchise if the next installment does not bring women more into the spotlight. For 6 Fast & Furious films, Michelle Rodriguez has starred as Letty Ortiz, Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) badass, ride – or – die love interest.

Hugh Jackman To Enact The Role Of Gary Hart

Hugh Jackman is all set to start his reel life presidential campaign. According to the sources, the Logan star will play the infamous politician Gary Hart in Jason Reitman’s The Frontrunner. In 1988, Gary Hart was considered the frontrunner for the Democratic Presidential nomination when his campaign was rocked by revelations of an extramarital affair with Donna Rice. The US Senator from Colorado then dropped out of the race.

Charlize Theron Apologises To Teri Hatcher

Charlize Theron apologised for bruising her 2 Days In The Valley co – star Teri Hatcher after the actress inadvertently hit her “really bad” in a fight scene for the 1996 film. Calling herself a “wild animal”, the 41 – year -old actress averred that she kept punching her co – actress throughout the shot as she had lost all common sense. 2 Days In The Valley – Rotten Tomatoes gave it number 17 on the list of 20 Greatest Fight Scenes Ever.

Alison Brie’s Husband Dave Franco Helps Her
Alison Brie averred that her husband actor Dave Franco has a discerning eye when it comes to choosing parts and it is he who has often helped her zeroing in on a project. She also stated that he is one of the most patient persons she has come across in her life.

Paris Jackson Honours Father Michael Jackson

Actress & model Paris Jackson has got another tattoo and has dedicated it to her father the Late King of Pop Michael Jackson. She has got her nickname “Applehead” inked in cursive across the top of her left foot.

Brad Pitt & Sienna Miller Get Cosy

Brad Pitt has again sparked dating rumours with actress Sienna Miller after the 2 were spotted getting cosy during a VIP party at the Glastonbury music festival here. In Apr, 2017 Siennaa Miller had lashed out at speculations that she was enjoying a secret romance with Brad Pitt.

Vin Diesel & Gal Gadot Chill Together

Vin Diesel recently reunited with his Fast And Furious co – star Gal Gadot and the 2 brought along their babies. The xXx: Return of Xander Cage star took to Facebook to share an adorable picture where he can be seen with his 9 year old daughter Hania, while the Wonder Woman star is feeding her 3 month old daughter Maya.

Nicole Kidman’s Kids “Appalled”

Nicole Kidman says that her children were upset about her portrayal in Paddington. Nicole Kidman has children Isabella, 24, & Connor, 22, with former husband Tom Cruise & Sunday, 9, & Faith, 6, with spouse Keith Urban.

Diane Keaton’s Bulimia “filled a hole”

Diane Keaton has revealed that she became bullimic in her 20’s to “fill a vast hole” in her life. Diane Keaton was gripped by the eating disorder and she didn’t even discuss the struggle with her then – partner, filmmaker Woody Allen.

Jamie Foxx Feels That Dating At 49 Is Tough

Jamie Foxx averred that dating at the age of 49 is not so easy amid rumors that he is dating actress Katie Holmes. The Baby Driver actor also averred that he has been having a really tough time meeting women at his age.

Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds Make A Recommendation

Celebrity power couple Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds have urged parents all around the world to take lessons in cardio pulmonary resuscitation to ensure their children’s safety. Blake Lively, 29, took to Instagram where she posted a picture with the kid dummies & equipment provided at a class she attended. “All mamas & daddies out there – I can’t recommend this enough, I took a CPR class with a focus on babies & toddlers.”

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