Thursday, April 28, 2016

Disney plans live action fairytales for 2017, 2018 and 2019 - specific films not disclosed


Disney has drawn up plans to release live-action fairy tales in December 2017, April 2018 and December 2019 but, it has not disclosed which film has been allocated which slot. It also will release live-action movies in August and December 2018. It has returned to the classic fairy tales in recent years because they are money-spinners - films like Alice In Wonderland, Cinderella and Maleficent have made a combined $2.5bn. Now, movies like Alice Through The Looking Glass and Beauty And The Beast, with Emma Watson, will fill the cinemas.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 26 April 2016.
Moreover, Disney has confirmed that Emily Blunt will star in a Mary Poppins sequel and Emma Stone will be seen in Cruella which is supposed to be a 101 Dalmations spin-off. Disney has also announced nine new live-action films and most of these are inspired by its animated back catalogue.
Incidentally, Emily Blunt had been linked to the Poppins sequel in September - it would be a new tale set around 20 years after the original and would be based on the books by creator PL Travers.
Disney has also indicated that Angelina Jolie will reprise her role as Maleficent in a sequel to 2014's hit Sleeping Beauty spin-off and, considering the huge popularity of The Jungle Book, director Jon Favreau has confirmed that Mowgli would be back in a second film.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Didi wants to move around fast and wants a solution (satire)

Lord Shiva intrigued by the writing on the walls (satire)

Moody hates hotels and feels more at home in his aircraft (satire)


Taj Mumbai welcomes Prince William and Kate, the fourth generation of British monarchy

Huge 26ft python found in Penang - could become a new a Guinness Record holder

Lok Sabha ethics committee probing Narada sting feels the videos are genuine


ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator


James Cameron, writer director of Avatar, promises his fans four sequels

'Deadpool' sequel planned and in the pipeline with Ryan Reynolds

Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Matt Damon to return in new Jason Bourne film


Jason Bourne is the most lethal former operative of CIA and he has now come out of the shadows in the first full trailer for his new film. Matt Damon returns to the franchise to play the role. He will be alongside British director Paul Greengrass, for the first time in nine years.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 21 April 2016.
In the trailer Bourne engages in a bare knuckle fight in the desert and also participates in a huge car chase through Las Vegas. Jason Bourne is Damon and this would be Greengrass' fourth collaboration and a sequel to the 2007 film The Bourne Ultimatum. It may be recalled that Damon opted not to return in 2012 when Jeremy Renner played the title role in The Bourne Legacy.
Greengrass has explained the delay in making the film by indicating that they did not have the right story because, the world needed to change and then there comes that moment when it makes sense. The trailer was a 30 second clip and it had earlier been shown during the Super Bowl in February - this will be the first time that fans have been given more of an idea about the plot.
The film will see the return of Julia Stiles apart from Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones, Vincent Cassel and Riz Ahmed. It is scheduled for release in UK cinemas on 27 July and in the US on 29 July.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Didi wants to move around fast and wants a solution (satire)

Lord Shiva intrigued by the writing on the walls (satire)

Moody hates hotels and feels more at home in his aircraft (satire)


Taj Mumbai welcomes Prince William and Kate, the fourth generation of British monarchy

Huge 26ft python found in Penang - could become a new a Guinness Record holder

Lok Sabha ethics committee probing Narada sting feels the videos are genuine


ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator


James Cameron, writer director of Avatar, promises his fans four sequels

'Deadpool' sequel planned and in the pipeline with Ryan Reynolds

Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage

Sunday, April 17, 2016

'Deadpool' sequel planned and in the pipeline with Ryan Reynolds


A sequel to 'Deadpool' is on the cards and Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds is believed to be officially on board to suit up again for the sequel. This is happening just two months after the Marvel superhero movie hit the cinemas and bosses at 20th Century Fox have confirmed that they are already working on a sequel for the blockbuster.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 15 April 2016.
Apart from the return of Reynolds as the titular homicidal mercenary, aka Wade Wilson, director Tim Miller will be back apart from original writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick - they are expected to pen the new script. However, it is not yet clear whether Reynolds’ co-stars Morena Baccarin, T J Miller and Karan Soni will be there in the second instalment.
It may be recalled that 'Deadpool' had proved to be a killer hit on release and grossed USD 760 million worldwide to date - thus it has become the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Moody’s policy – love thy neighbor (satire)

Lord Shiva wants to be the King of good times (satire)

Narad queers the pitch for Didi & Co (satire)


France continues to attract tourists despite the terror attacks

Summer sees high occupancy rates in Kanpur cinema halls

Five killed in sightseeing helicopter crash near Great Smokey Mountains National Park


ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator


Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage

Tom Hiddleston denies that he would be next James Bond

“Sicario 2” - Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro will team up again

James Cameron, writer director of Avatar, promises his fans four sequels


James Cameron, the writer director of Avatar has changed his mind - instead of the early promise of three sequels, he is planning for four sequels. These will be released in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 15 April 2016.
Cameron has revealed his plans when he appeared as a surprise guest at Fox's CinemaCon in Las Vegas - he has explained that in his opinion, the idea of three sequels would be limiting. He wanted more time to tell his story and, hence, needed more instalments.
He has admitted that he has been working the last couple of years with a team of four top screenwriters - the purpose was to design the world of Avatar going forward: the characters, the creatures, the environment, the new cultures. It is still in the imagination stage and, when completed, it would be a true epic saga.
Of course, he would have an eye on the box office - the original in 2009 had earned $2.8bn worldwide.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Moody’s policy – love thy neighbor (satire)

Lord Shiva wants to be the King of good times (satire)

Narad queers the pitch for Didi & Co (satire)


France continues to attract tourists despite the terror attacks

Summer sees high occupancy rates in Kanpur cinema halls

Five killed in sightseeing helicopter crash near Great Smokey Mountains National Park


ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator


Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage

Tom Hiddleston denies that he would be next James Bond

“Sicario 2” - Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro will team up again

Monday, April 11, 2016

Jon Favreau, the director of 'The Jungle Book', enjoys Indian cuisine


Jon Favreau, the director of “The Jungle Book” has been won over by 'desi’ Indian flavors and aromas thanks to the film’s lead star Neel Sethi’s mother preparing a “home cooked Indian feast” for him. The director is overwhelmed and has said that if he plans to make “Chef 2”, he would love to include Indian cuisine in it.
Jon Favreau is well known globally as the director of “Iron Man” and “Chef” and the meal he had was the Indian spread that included biryani, naan and aloo gobi.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 8 April 2016.
Neel is an Indian-American boy with roots tracing back to Punjab and he portrays the role of Mowgli in the fantasy adventure film. In the Disney’s “The Jungle Book”, Favreau has re-imagined the world of an enchanting Indian jungle, the story of which was first told via Rudyard Kipling’s 1894 timeless classic and then brought alive in the eponymous 1967 animated movie.
The film is supported by a stellar cast that includes Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson and Christopher Walken. Its Hindi dubbed version is voiced by a string of popular Bollywood stars like Priyanka Chopra and Irrfan Khan.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Moody’s policy – love thy neighbor (satire)

Lord Shiva wants to be the King of good times (satire)

Narad queers the pitch for Didi & Co (satire)


France continues to attract tourists despite the terror attacks

Summer sees high occupancy rates in Kanpur cinema halls

Five killed in sightseeing helicopter crash near Great Smokey Mountains National Park


ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator


Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage

Tom Hiddleston denies that he would be next James Bond

“Sicario 2” - Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro will team up again

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage


It was a tragedy when an Indonesian pop star died after being bitten by a cobra in the middle of a performance on stage. The singer Irma Bule (29) continued to carry on singing for a full 45 minutes after being bitten and finally collapsed on the stage in front of fans.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 7 April 2016.
The pop star Irma Bule used to perform with live snakes during her acts, but the cobra with which she was dancing had not been defanged and it bit her when she accidentally stepped on it during the gig in a village in Karawang, West Java. Video footage had captured the moment the blonde singer was bitten. It showed her body jerk and she momentarily stopped dancing, and sat down while a snake handler attended to her.
It seems the snake bit her on he thigh as well but Irma refused treatment and continued singing before she started to vomit and collapsed. She was shifted to a hospital where she was confirmed to have died.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Didi rolls out the red carpet (satire)

Moody’s cleanliness drive - free soap for all children (satire)

Lord Shiva cannot relate to today’s Shivaratri (satire)


Teenage girl jumps off moving bus in Mehsana to avoid molestation

Transgender candidate to contest against Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal polls

Japan kills 333 whales in its latest Antarctic hunt - the figure was 252 whales in 2014


ISIS claims responsibility for Brussels attack and warns Britain of more severe attacks

Tragedy in chicken eating contest in Indonesia - a competitor chokes to death

Terror attack in Ankara kills at least 37 - one suicide bomber was a 22-year-old woman

Star Wars Episode VIII to get delayed till December 2017

Antonio Banderas gifted a pair of monkeys to Salma Hayek on her birthday

Frieda Pinto talks about 'Jungle Book - Origins'

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Tom Hiddleston denies that he would be next James Bond


Actor Tom Hiddleston has denied that he is in line to play the next James Bond and he wants that these rumors stop. Responding to gossip that he is favorite to take on the iconic role of the British master spy James Bond, Tom said that people have very strong opinions about Bond. He was talking at the US premiere of his hit TV series The Night Manager in Los Angeles.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 6 April 2016.
Speculations are rife on who will don the mantle of James Bond next and, the present actor Daniel Craig has not yet ruled himself up officially. Hence, many names are cropping up and among them, Tom Hiddleston is the bookies' favorite ahead of Tom Hardy, Damian Lewis, Idris Elba, Aidan Turner and Henry Cavill.
Poor Tom is in a quandary - he hasn't spoken to anyone who makes those films. He wants the rumors to stop because he does not have any power over it. In fact, being famous means one has no control over other people's opinions.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Didi rolls out the red carpet (satire)

Moody’s cleanliness drive - free soap for all children (satire)

Lord Shiva cannot relate to today’s Shivaratri (satire)


Teenage girl jumps off moving bus in Mehsana to avoid molestation

Transgender candidate to contest against Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal polls

Japan kills 333 whales in its latest Antarctic hunt - the figure was 252 whales in 2014


ISIS claims responsibility for Brussels attack and warns Britain of more severe attacks

Tragedy in chicken eating contest in Indonesia - a competitor chokes to death

Terror attack in Ankara kills at least 37 - one suicide bomber was a 22-year-old woman

Star Wars Episode VIII to get delayed till December 2017

Antonio Banderas gifted a pair of monkeys to Salma Hayek on her birthday

Frieda Pinto talks about 'Jungle Book - Origins'

Saturday, April 2, 2016

“Sicario 2” - Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro will team up again


The plot of 'Sicario 2', the sequel to the 2015 movie 'Sicario' is set to return with the earlier three team of Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro - they are all set to reprise their roles in the sequel. The producers have confirmed that the sequel is in active development and the original cast is on board.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 2 April 2016.
Co-producer Molly Smith has confirmed receiving the draft and is already on full development with the studio. “Sicario 2” will be written by Taylor Sheridan - he is the actor who wrote the first part also. Co-producer Thad Luckinbill has confirmed the return of the same cast comprising Blunt, Del Toro and Brolin and has added that the plot cannot be revealed but they will all come back.
He has also hinted that Benicio Del Toro was as dark as he was and still so loved because he resonates so well with audiences. The audience wants to know what happened to him.
There is no confirmation on whether Denis Villeneuve was do the directing. It may be recalled that 'Sicario' was a drama thriller and was nominated for three Oscars. It grossed USD 80 million worldwide over USD 30 million budget. The plot was about Blunt’s idealistic FBI agent, who is enlisted by an elite government task force official to assist in the escalating war against drugs.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Didi rolls out the red carpet (satire)

Moody’s cleanliness drive - free soap for all children (satire)

Lord Shiva cannot relate to today’s Shivaratri (satire)


Teenage girl jumps off moving bus in Mehsana to avoid molestation

Transgender candidate to contest against Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal polls

Japan kills 333 whales in its latest Antarctic hunt - the figure was 252 whales in 2014


ISIS claims responsibility for Brussels attack and warns Britain of more severe attacks

Tragedy in chicken eating contest in Indonesia - a competitor chokes to death

Terror attack in Ankara kills at least 37 - one suicide bomber was a 22-year-old woman

Star Wars Episode VIII to get delayed till December 2017

Antonio Banderas gifted a pair of monkeys to Salma Hayek on her birthday

Frieda Pinto talks about 'Jungle Book - Origins'