CO-PRODUCTION Indian filmmaker Dr. Bijukumar Damodaran‘s next film “Papa Buka” will commence principal photography in Papua New Guinea in July. The film will follow Indian historians Romila and Anand who go to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to write a book  about the Indian soldiers who fought with the British and Australian armies against the Japanese […]

THE RETURN Actor Abhishek Bachchan (“Ghoomer”) is returning to producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s “Housefull” film franchise, one of the biggest hit Bollywood comedy film series of all time. The franchise began in 2010 with “Housefull” (2010) with sequels following in 2012, 2016 and 2019. Bachchan was one of the stars of “Housefull 3,” where he played […]

STORM WARNING “Stormy,” a documentary about former porn star Stormy Daniels, has been picked up by Blue Ant Studios for international distribution. The launch was announced on Monday, the same day that former U.S. president Donald Trump begins a criminal trial in New York for allegedly covering up hush money payments to Daniels. “Stormy,” offered […]

PATRIOT GAMES The Hong Kong government has licensed the broadcast rights to the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. It intends to relicense the rights to four TV broadcasters in the city – TVB, ViuTV, HOY TV and government-owned RTHK. While in most territories, broadcasters negotiate directly with the International Olympic Committee or its agents, the […]

MAKING MUSIC Indian filmmaker and composer Sanjay Leela Bhansali has launched music label Bhansali Music with the soundtrack of Netflix series “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.” The first song from the album, traditional composition “Sakal Ban,” with lyrics by Amir Khusro and sung by Raja Hasan, will be released on Saturday. Via the label, the filmmaker […]

FILM FESTIVAL Restored classic films from Ernst Lubitsch, Stanley Kubrick and Roman Polanski are among eight older titles set to play at next month’s Hong Kong International Film Festival. Lubitsch’s 1920 farce “Kohlhiesel’s Daughters,” will be presented with a live music accompaniment by the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble. And, despite rumors to the contrary, Kubrick’s […]

DEALS Banijay U.K. have invested in Immovable Studios, the production outfit co-founded by hip-hop artist, author and entrepreneur Akala and his business partner and manager Chanelle Newman. As part of the agreement, Immovable Studios will also have a first look distribution deal with Banijay Rights. Newman leads the studio’s television production arm and has overseen […]

DISTRIBUTION Telugu-language action film “OG,” starring Pawan Kalyan, has unveiled a global theatrical release date. The film is produced by D.V.V. Danayya for DVV Entertainment, whose previous film, S.S. Rajamouli blockbuster “RRR,” won an Oscar and a Golden Globe. The film, a gangster epic, has been shot across Mumbai and Hyderabad. It features Bollywood star […]

IMAGINARY WORLDWIDE DEAL Netflix has picked up worldwide rights to “The Imaginary,” a currently-on-release Japanese animation film from producer Studio Ponoc. “Studio Ponoc is thrilled to bring our storytelling and innovative hand-drawn, hand-painted animated films to all audiences, and in particular to children and their families to enjoy together, around the world on Netflix,” said […]

‘LA LA’ GETS RE-RE-RE-RELEASE Iconic Hollywood musical film “La La Land” is to re-release (again) in South Korean theaters from Wednesday. Distributed by Pancinema, it will play at the country’s Imax cinemas for a one-week limited run with tickets costing upwards of KRW15,000 ($11.25) for adults. The film was directed by Damien Chazelle and stars […]

DISTRIBUTION “Emergency,” written, directed and produced by Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut, has set a release date. The film focuses on one of the most controversial periods of post-Independence Indian history from 1975 to 1977 when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a nationwide state of emergency. During that time civil liberties and press freedom were […]

HOT HOSTS HEAD FOR HOTA Australian actor Rebel Wilson has been named as the emcee of the 2024 edition of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) awards. Wilson will take to the stage on Saturday, Feb. 10. Two days earlier, on Feb. 8, singer and actor Harry Connick Jr. will be the […]

FIRST FOOTAGE The first footage from “Devara,” headlined by “RRR” star NTR Jr., has been unveiled. “Devara” reunites NTR Jr. with his “Janatha Garage” director Koratala Siva, whose last film was “Acharya,” starring megastar Chiranjeevi and “RRR” star Ram Charan. The film also stars Janhvi Kapoor (“Mili”) and Saif Ali Khan (“Vikram Vedha”) in pivotal […]

DISTRIBUTION Bohemia Media will release “Memory” across U.K. and Ireland cinemas from Feb. 9, 2024. Written and directed by Michel Franco (“Sundown,” “New Order,”) “Memory” stars Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard. It premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival where Sarsgaard won best actor. “Memory” follows Sylvia (Chastain), a social worker who leads a simple […]

SHIFTING SANDS Macau casino operator, Sands China entered into a strategic partnership with Chinese streaming company Tencent Video and Chinese cinema ticketing firm Maoyan Entertainment. The three parties will team up to host large-scale offline events, content creation of lifestyle and entertainment programs and online marketing and promotion. Operating The Venetian Macao, The Parisian Macao […]

AWARD Zarrar Kahn‘s “In Flames,” Pakistan‘s submission to the Oscars‘ international feature category, has won the International Newcomer Award for the best film in competition at the 72nd International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Germany. The award carries a cash prize of €30,000 ($32,850). “In Flames,” a Pakistani Canadian horror-drama about a Karachi woman and her mother […]

PROJECT MARKET AWARDS WINNERS The QCinema Project Market, the industry initiative that accompanies The Philippines’ QCinema International Film Festival, revealed its winners list on Tuesday delivering almost $500,000 of grants and in-kind support. The prizes followed a two-day networking and pitching event on Nov. 18 and 19 for 19 feature-length fiction film projects from Southeast […]

KOREAN ROMANTIC REMAKE IS 28 YEARS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER Leading Korean star Jung Woo-sung (“A Moment to Remember”) will star opposite Shin Hyun-been (“Hospital Playlist”) in “Tell Me That You Love Me,” an original series for Genie TV. The show is a remake of the hit Japanese series of the same name that first […]

LOLLAPALOOZA INDIA HEADLINERS Sting, Jonas Brothers, Halsey and OneRepublic are among the headline acts set to perform at Lollapalooza India. The music festival is set for a second edition Jan. 27-28, 2024, at the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai and will comprise four stages with over 20 hours of live music. Other confirmed acts include: “piano […]