Around Tinsel Town
>> Hollywood Strike continues as tentpole productions grind to a halt
Actors held firm alongside writers as the industry-stopping twin strikes reached its second week. The Screen Actors Guild said it is battling studios to introduce guardrails against the use of AI in entertainment, including the misuse of digital replicas of performers. Tentpole projects like ‘Deadpool 3’, ‘Mission: Impossible 8’, ‘Gladiator 2’, ‘Venom 3’ and more halted production due to the strikes. Meanwhile, Hollywood stars like Nicholas Cage and George Clooney expressed solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA members and their demands.
>> A lacklustre 2023 San Diego Comic-Con; ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ debuts its first glimpse
With actors on picket lines, and thus barred from promoting their films and shows, celebrities and studios pulled the plug on Comic-Con appearances. Nevertheless, Nag Ashwin’s ‘Kalki 2989 AD’ became the first Indian movie to debut at the Comic Con’s prestigious Hall H, even as crossover star Deepika Padukone gave the showcase a miss.
>> Netflix restricts password sharing in India
Netflix has ended password sharing in India, stating that only members of a household will be able to access a single account. The restrictions on password sharing were previously implemented in more than 100 countries.
Bollywood
Sriram Raghavan’s ‘Merry Christmas’ sets December 15 release date
BBC to adapt ‘Shameless,’ ‘Strangers’ for India
Karan Johar expresses displeasure at Merry Christmas clashing with Yodha
Shanaya Kapoor and Zahrah S Khan join Mohanlal’s ‘Vrushabha’
Sahil Khan and Sharman Joshi reunite for new film two decades after ‘Style’
Pankaj Tripathi concludes filming for ‘Main Atal Hoon’
Hollywood
Christopher Nolan to not direct another superhero movie
‘Dune: Part Two’ eyeing 2024 release date as studios shuffle calendars
Kenneth Branagh to direct ‘Gargoyles’ live-action movie
Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach welcome second baby
First look of characters revealed from ‘The Continental: From the World of John Wick’
Gal Gadot’s first look from ‘Heart of Stone’ revealed
James Cameron says weaponization of AI is the biggest danger
‘Aquaman’ sequel goes through three rounds of reshoot
F1 movie continues filming in Hungary despite actors’ strike
SAG-AFTRA grants waivers to 39 films amid strikes
Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello end marriage of seven years
Regional Cinema
Vijay - Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Leo’ wraps production
Prabhas’ first look from ‘Project K’ is released
Rana Daggubati announces Telugu series ‘Lords of the Deccan’ at Comic Con USA
Samantha and Vijay Deverakonda wrap up ‘Kushi’
Yogi Babu’s film with Chimbudevan titled ‘Boat’
Priya Bhavani Shankar joins the cast of Vishal - Hari’s ‘Vishal 34’
‘LGM - Let’s Get Married’ to release in theatres on July 28
Raghava Lawrence and his brother Elviin team up for ‘Bullet’
Keerthy Suresh’s next, ‘Kannivedi’, to be produced by Dream Warrior Pictures
First look poster of Bharath, Rahman’s thriller ‘Samara’ is out
World Cinema
Hayao Miyazaki’s final film to be called ‘The Boy and the Heron
Sofia Coppola’s ‘Priscilla’ is New York Film Festival’s centerpiece
Helen Mirren’s ‘Golda’ gets an Indian release date
’Trailers
Prabhas and Deepika Padukone battle a dark dystopia in the first glimpse of ‘Kalki 2898 AD’
John David Washington goes on a humanity-saving mission in the trailer for sci-fi film ‘The Creator’
A spectacular animation world featuring ancient gods and demons opens up the trailer for ‘The Monkey King’
Moraine prepares for war as Rand grows powerful in the trailer for ‘‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 2
In the trailer for ‘A Haunting in Venice’, Kenneth Branagh returns as an aging, unsettled Poirot
Brie Larson, Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris unite to save the world in the trailer for ‘‘The Marvels’
An extraterrestrial encounters “three dystopian morons” in the trailer for sci-fi mockumentary ‘Gaganachari’
Vijay Varma plays a cop investigating gender crimes toxic patriarchy in the trailer for ‘Kaalkoot’
JD Chekravarthy and Ramya Nambeesan navigate crime and bloodshed in the trailer for Telugu series ‘Dayaa’
Arjun Das plays a troubled man in the trailer for Vasanthabalan’s ‘Aneethi
New in streaming
New on Netflix in July: Kohraa, an investigative drama from the creator of Pataal Lok, four-part adventure docuseries Unknown, Season 3 of Sweet Magnolias and more
New on Disney+ Hotstar in July:C.H.U.E.C.O, the first season of the Spanish drama, Season 2 of the crime show Shadow Detective, The comedy drama Slumber Party andmore
Coming to Apple TV+: Season 2 of David S Goyer’s epic saga Foundation, the documentary series Stephen Curry: Underrated, The Afterparty Season 2, and more
New on Amazon Prime Video this week: Nitesh Tiwari’s relationship drama Bawaal, first seasons of Surf Girls Hawai’i and Fit Check: Confessions Of An Ukay Queen, Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant and more
Essential reading
1) Kannada cinema in 2023 so far: Over 100 films, zero blockbusters
>> A deep-dive into why the Kannada film industry has failed to capitalise on the momentum set by blockbusters like ‘KGF: Chapter 2’and‘Kantara’
2) ‘Barbenheimer’: Why the ‘Barbie’ vs ‘Oppenhemier’ phenomenon is a movie event for the ages
>> The Internet phenomenon surrounding the release of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ and Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ has surged cultural interest; and re-popularised the double-feature
3) Gajraj Rao: ‘Kannada cinema has entered the major league’
>> The actor talks about starring in the Kannada version of the teleplay ‘Gunehgaar’ and his admiration for Kannada movies
4) M.T. Vasudevan Nair | A legend who straddles twin worlds of literature and cinema like nobody else
>> A tribute to the prolific Malayalam author and screenwriter who recently turned 90
5) Ruhani Sharma: I play a close-to-reality cop in ‘HER’; there is no scope for ‘Singham’ style of histrionics
>> She talks about headlining the Telugu cop drama ‘HER’, and how she never imagined herself as a sharpshooter
6) Nimrat Kaur on Yanna Seldon in ‘Foundation’: ‘She brings heart and reason to Hari’s quest’
>> The actor speaks about her role as mathematician Hari Seldon’s life partner in the Isaac Asimov-inspired show
7) ‘Unknown Kerala Stories’ seeks to counter propaganda with stories of communal amity
>> Sanu Kummil’s latest documentary was made in response to the controversial film ‘The Kerala Story’
8) Now trending: The resurgence of Barbiecore
>> Buoyed by Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’, Barbiecore is back in the limelight, putting the spotlight on hyperfemininity
9) Rukmini Vasanth eyes a versatile journey in Kannada cinema
>>Just one film old in Kannada cinema, the actor has bagged its biggest projects. She talks about how it happen
10) Director Sai Rajesh: ‘Baby’ has been a learning experience
>> Eliciting extreme responses for his Telugu movie, the director says he did not intend to make a toxic film
What to watch
1) Christopher Nolan is in his element as he crafts a surreal, stirring saga in ‘Oppenheimer’
2) Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ is pastel, plastic and adorably savage
3) Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor struggle in Nitesh Tiwari’s bizarro ‘Bawaal’
4) Netflix’s ‘Bird Box Barcelona’ makes a fairly engaging companion piece to the original
5) Witty one-liners cannot save Suresh Sangaiah’s ‘Sathiya Sothanai’
6) Ruhani Sharma holds her own in police procedural ‘HER: Chapter 1’
7) Murder mystery ‘Kolai’ prioritises style over substance
8) Lots to admire in debutant Nithin Krishnamurthy’s ‘Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare’
9) ‘Foundation’ Season 2 is dawdling yet immersive
10) ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 2 is defined by friendship, family and heartbreak
11) ‘The Afterparty’ season 2 is anchored by a stellar cast and inventive storytelling
Published - July 21, 2023 06:19 pm IST
