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Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service. The IANS has its main offices located in Noida.

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Slasher Movie 'Scream' Ends Four-Week Reign Of 'Spider-Man'
1606 days ago
Hollywood

Slasher Movie 'Scream' Ends Four-Week Reign Of 'Spider-Man'

Los Angeles, Jan 16 (IANS) Even as most other theatrical releases continue to struggle because of the Omicron wave, the latest horror movie, 'Scream', is making a sizable impression at the North American box office, showing yet again that audiences in the U.S., especially the younger demographic, are in love with the horror genre.## With an opening weekend that should finally dethrone 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' after the Marvel entry's four-week perch on top of the earnings totem pole, 'Scream' is the new box-office No. 1.## The fifth installment in the horror franchise, and the first in over a decade, grossed $13.35 million on Friday from 3,664 locations, reports 'Variety'. Paramount Pictures projects the horror film should rake in $36 million over the four-day Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, more than enough to land at No. 1 for the weekend.## The thrifty 'requel' only cost $25 million to produce, a number that the release should easily rocket past before the weekend is out, according to 'Variety'. Not too shabby for a January release unleashed on the moviegoing public amid a colossal spike of Covid-19 and its more transmissible Omicron variant.## 'Scream' is evidence that audiences will still roll out to theatres during the pandemic, especially films targeting a demographic of younger viewers.## Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett direct 'Scream', taking over the series from its founder Wes Craven, who helmed the four first entries before passing away in 2015, reports 'Variety'. The film stars series regulars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette as they are once again haunted by a serial killer in a Ghostface mask.## The killing spree extends to a group of high school students in the town of Woodsboro, California. Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, and Dylan Minnette also star in the slasher.## Stay tuned...

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'Outsider Who Broke Down Barriers': 'Vanity Fair' Puts Priyanka On Its Cover
1608 days ago
Hollywood

'Outsider Who Broke Down Barriers': 'Vanity Fair' Puts Priyanka On Its Cover

New York, Jan 13 (IANS) Priyanka Chopra has achieved what every star anywhere in the world aspires for -- to be on the cover of 'Vanity Fair'. She's on the cover of the February 2022 edition of the magazine celebrated internationally as much for its in-depth articles as for its cutting-edge photography.## Unveiling the cover, 'Vanity Fair' tweeted: "After a journey into 'The Matrix', the actor enters 2022 with her cup overflowing --reflecting on her storied Hindi film industry career, marriage, and creating a path for herself in Hollywood." Looking artfully messy, a sultry Priyanka appears on the cover in an off-shoulder, off-white ruffled dress from Fendi.## The magazine, previously edited by celebrity journalists such as Tina Brown and Graydon Carter (who's played by Jeff Bridges in the film 'How to Lose Friends and Alienate People'), is now helmed by Radhika Jones, an Indian American.## Describing her as "a driven woman who has transcended what's previously been possible for an Indian actor in Hollywood," the 'Vanity Fair' cover story goes on to say: "She is an outsider who broke down barriers and built a place for herself within the walls of Hollywood. Now she's on a mission to welcome others in".## Priyanka, notes the article that traces her life's story from her days at the Army Public School, Bareilly, will finally be playing lead film roles as she had in India" with the rom-com 'Text for You' and Amazon's ambitious spy series 'Citadel' later this year.## And about her own story, especially her rise to stardom in Hollywood, Priyanka says: "It's taken a lot of pavement pounding to be able to get people's attention and to be able to get an acceptance of the fact that someone like me can be the lead of a Hollywood feature".## She adds (and the sentiment will go down well back home): "There's very few of us from South Asia who get to do that. I hope that the part that I play in it will sort of push the envelope a little bit".## Stay tuned...

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Limited Re-Release To Mark 'The Godfather' 50th Anniversary
1608 days ago
Hollywood

Limited Re-Release To Mark 'The Godfather' 50th Anniversary

Los Angeles, Jan 14 (IANS) The trailer for the 50th-anniversary limited theatrical re-release of Francis Ford Coppola's classic 'The Godfather', starring Marlon Brando and some of the greatest actors of all times, "is, if nothing else, a reminder that the great mobster movie unleashed some of the most memorable lines of dialogue in Hollywood history," reports 'Deadline'.## The one that is most often repeated: "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." Only Brando could have made this line sound so sinister. Or the lines delivered by a young Al Pacino: "Don't ever take sides against the family again." And to Diane Keaton's character: "Don't ask me about my business, Kay".## Paramount Pictures released the new trailer on Thursday (U.S. Pacific Time) with the announcement that the film will have a limited 50th anniversary theatrical release in Dolby Vision beginning from February 25, exclusively in Dolby Cinema at AMC Theatres in the U.S. and international territories around the world.## A statement from Paramount Pictures introducing the trailer reads: "No movie changed Hollywood more than The Godfather. From the bestselling novel by Mario Puzo to box-office blockbuster, its influential legacy endures to this day".## The statement notes: "Starring Marlon Brando in his Oscar-winning performance as the patriarch of the Corleone family, this first instalment in the three-movie saga paints a dramatic portrait of the Sicilian clan's rise and near fall from power in America.## And it concludes by reminding the film's diehard aficionados: "Balanced between the Corleone's commitment to family and the ugly crime business in which they are engaged, it features career-making performances by Al Pacino, James Caan, Talia Shire, Diane Keaton and Robert Duvall. This searing and brilliant masterpiece garnered 10 Academy Award nominations, and won three, including Best Picture".## According to 'Deadline', all three films in the trilogy -- 'The Godfather', 'The Godfather: Part II', and Coppola's recently re-edited version of the final film, 'Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone' -- have been restored under his direction and will be made available on 4K Ultra HD and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first time ever on March 22.## Stay tuned...

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'No Time To Die' Joins Awards-Circuit Favourites 'Belfast', 'The Power of the Dog' On BAFTA Longlists
1609 days ago
Hollywood

'No Time To Die' Joins Awards-Circuit Favourites 'Belfast', 'The Power of the Dog' On BAFTA Longlists

London, Jan 12 (IANS) The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has revealed its longlists of nominees across 24 categories for its upcoming film awards, reports 'Variety'.## 'No Time to Die', 'Belfast', 'West Side Story', 'The Power of the Dog' and 'Don't Look Up' are among the leading films announced on Wednesday following the first round of votes. Of the 217 films submitted for consideration, 15 made the cut for Round Two.## As reported by 'Variety' on Monday, 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' was not included in any longlist after "failing to meet eligibility criteria", according to BAFTA. The film's producers had originally sought that it be considered for the best picture and best special effects categories.## Among the 15 leading actresses who made it to Round Two, the prominent names include Olivia Colman ('The Lost Daughter'), Lady Gaga ('House of Gucci'), Alana Haim ('Licorice Pizza'), Jennifer Hudson ('Respect'), Emilia Jones ('CODA') and Nicole Kidman ('Being The Ricardos').## The 15 actors in the longlist include two British Pakistanis -- Riz Ahmed ('Encounter') and Adeel Akhtar 'Ali & Ava' -- Mahershala Ali ('Swan Song'), Javier Bardem ('Being The Ricardos'), Daniel Craig ('No Time To Die'), Benedict Cumberbatch ('The Power of the Dog') and Leonardo DiCaprio ('Don't Look Up').## Round Two voting, to determine the nominations in the member-voted categories, will be open from January 14 to 27. The nominations will then be announced on February 3. This will be followed by Round Three voting, to determine the winners, which will open on February 9 and continue till March 8.## Stay tuned...

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'Death On The Nile' Character Posters Up The Ante On Mystery Quotient
1609 days ago
Hollywood

'Death On The Nile' Character Posters Up The Ante On Mystery Quotient

Mumbai, Jan 12 (IANS) The makers of 'Death On The Nile' released the character posters from the film. The posters reflect a sharp contrast in the warm and cool color tones.## The film, which features an ensemble cast of Gal Gadot, Emma Mackey, Ali Fazal, Sophie Okonedo, Rose Leslie, Letita Wright, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Kenneth Branagh, is based on Agatha Christie's novel of the same name.## While Ali who is part of the prominent cast in the film will be seen essaying the character of cousin Andrew Katchadourian, one of the suspects, Gal Gadot will essay the role of Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle in this classic whodunnit murder mystery.## Actor Kenneth Branagh has also directed the murder mystery.## 'Death On The Nile', produced by 20th Century Fox, is slated to release on February 11.## Stay tuned...

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Chloe Zhao: For 'Eternals', I Wanted To Blur The Line Between Reality And Fiction
1609 days ago
Hollywood

Chloe Zhao: For 'Eternals', I Wanted To Blur The Line Between Reality And Fiction

Mumbai, Jan 12 (IANS) The vision of 'Eternals' helmer Chloe Zhao was to blur the lines between reality and fiction in the film, and to achieve this, she used the film's cinematography to her strength.## The cinematography involved shooting at the location with wide-angle lenses.## Elaborating on how the camera was used to explore the world around the Eternals, director Zhao said, "While shooting for 'Eternals', my main focus was to blur the line between reality and fiction. We shot mainly on location. We used wide-angle spherical lenses and deep focus in order to explore the relationship between the characters and the world they live in".## She added, "When you watch Sersi walking through a village in ancient Babylon, it's no different than watching a fern walking through a present-day nomadic camp in 'Nomadland'. The movements of the camera and the wide-angle lenses left the audience with a scope of imagination to explore the world within the frames and to make discoveries themselves".## "The visual experience of this film must feel immersive and interactive enough for audiences to believe that these characters have walked the Earth for 7,000 years. It's not possible to do that on a stage", she concluded.## 'Eternals', which showcases a human side to each aspect of its characters' superpower, is set to release on Disney+ Hotstar on January 12 in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.## Stay tuned...

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Technical Issue Denies 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' A BAFTA Nod
1611 days ago
Hollywood

Technical Issue Denies 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' A BAFTA Nod

Los Angeles, Jan 11 (IANS) 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' may be shattering one box-office record after another and generating a healthy Oscar buzz, but there's one award that the Tom Holland-starrer definitely won't be picking up this awards season: a BAFTA, reports 'Variety'.## The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced that the movie won't be considered for any awards after failing to meet "eligibility criteria".## A spokesperson for BAFTA said: "'Spider-Man: No Way Home' did not meet the eligibility criteria for the EE British Academy Film Awards 2022 and therefore did not qualify for entry.## "As outlined in our rulebook, all films must be made available to voting members on BAFTA View prior to Round One voting closing to ensure fairness and parity for all titles, and the film was not made available by the distributor".## Round One closed on January 3. On BAFTA View, there is a 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' page for members' consideration, with a description of the film; however, 'Variety' understands that the film itself was never made available to view. When members click on the page, they can access only a trailer for the movie.## Stay tuned...

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Peter Dinklage: Don't Try To Recreate 'Game of Thrones'
1612 days ago
Hollywood

Peter Dinklage: Don't Try To Recreate 'Game of Thrones'

Los Angeles, Jan 10 (IANS) Actor Peter Dinklage, who played the part of Tyrion Lannister in the hit TV series "Game of Thrones", has warned HBO about the potential pitfalls facing the makers of 'House of the Dragon', the upcoming prequel show.## The 52-year-old actor explained: "I think the trick is not to try to recreate 'Thrones'. If you try to recreate it, that feels like a money grab. With a lot of sequels, the reason for them is that the first one made a lot of money, which is why they aren't as strong.## He added: "But I am excited to watch the 'House of the Dragon', purely as a viewer, not knowing what will happen next".## 'Game of Thrones' came to an end in 2019 and although some viewers were disappointed by the finale, the actor suggested that their frustration was over the top, reports femalefirst.co.uk.## He told The Independent: "People were just mad because nobody wanted it to be over. I know a lot of people were supposedly surprised by the ending, but if you paid attention, the clues were there".## In December, Dinklage called on 'Game of Throne' fans to "move on" from the show's finale. The actor urged viewers to rethink their criticisms of the much-maligned final season.## He said: "They wanted the pretty white people to ride off into the sunset together. By the way, it's fiction. There are dragons in it. Move on".## He also likened the show's conclusion to a break-up.## He explained: "I think the reason there was some backlash about the ending is because they were angry at us for breaking up with them.## "We were going off the air and they didn't know what to do with their Sunday nights anymore. They wanted more, so they backlashed about that. We had to end when we did because what the show was really good at was breaking preconceived notions: Villains became heroes, and heroes became villains.## "It was the right time. No less, no more. You don't want to wear out your welcome, although I'm not sure that show could have".## Stay tuned...

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Kevin Smith Recalls Writing Failed 'Superman' Movie For Ben Affleck
1613 days ago
Hollywood

Kevin Smith Recalls Writing Failed 'Superman' Movie For Ben Affleck

os Angeles, Jan 9 (IANS) Filmmaker Kevin Smith spoke in detail about an unsuccessful attempt to get a 'Superman' movie off the ground with Hollywood star Ben Affleck in the title role.## Smith was the inaugural guest on Yahoo Entertainment's 'The Never-Weres' series, reports variety.com. Both men were coming off the success of 'Mallrats' at the time.## Warner Bros. was in development on a new 'Superman' movie titled 'Superman Reborn', but Smith thought the screenplay was "terrible". That's when Smith pitched his own 'Superman' movie based on 'The Death of Superman' comic series. Smith's script went into development with producer Jon Peters, but the two clashed overcasting.## "I was writing it for Affleck," Smith said.## "Ben was heating up. Like he was there. I think he'd been hired for 'Armageddon'. Affleck, he's a f***ing giant, like he's built like a superhero, built like a giant action figure, particularly with the height. And then he puts on the muscles there too. So in my head and heart, it was always Ben and Michael Rooker".## Smith wanted Affleck for Superman and Rooker for the villainous role of Lex Luther, but Peters had a different idea. The Hollywood producer wanted to cast Sean Penn as Superman, as the actor was hot off an Oscar nomination for Best Actor thanks to his role in the 1995 drama 'Dead Man Walking'.## "(Jon Peters) goes, 'Look in (Penn's) eyes in that movie, he's (got) haunted eyes, the eyes of a killer'", Smith said.## "And I was like, 'Dude, it's Superman. You know, that's not how most people think of Superman. But he wanted to reinvent it. He wanted something gritty, graphic, and grown-up. He essentially wanted like what Zack Snyder eventually did (in 'Man of Steel' 'Batman v Superman' and 'Justice League,' which coincidentally featured Affleck as Batman opposite Henry Cavill's Superman)'".## Tim Burton eventually took over the reins of 'Superman Lives' and set Nicolas Cage to star. Affleck would get his superhero shot years later by being cast as Batman/Bruce Wayne in 'Batman v Superman'.## Affleck is reprising the character in Warner Bros' upcoming comic book tentpole 'The Flash', due in theatres on November 4.## Stay tuned...

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Oprah Winfrey Producing Apple Documentary On Sidney Poitier
1613 days ago
Hollywood

Oprah Winfrey Producing Apple Documentary On Sidney Poitier

Los Angeles, Jan 9 (IANS) A documentary about the career and life of the late Sidney Poitier, the first Black man to win an Oscar, the Bahamanian thespian and diplomat, is in production at Apple.## A source close to the project has confirmed to variety.com. Oprah Winfrey is attached as executive producer for the Apple Original Films release.## Apple and Winfrey have been in production on the documentary for more than a year. Poitier's family is participating in the project.## The documentary comes from Harpo Productions and Network Entertainment. Reggie Hudlin will serve as a director. Hudlin's previous directorial credits include 90's films like 'House Party' and 'Boomerang', as well as episodes of TV series like 'The Last O.G.' and 'Black Monday'.## He is also a prolific producer across film and television, serving as a regular executive producer for the NAACP Image Awards since 2013. Hudlin directed the 2019 documentary 'The Black Godfather', which examines the life of music producer Clarence Avant.## Hudlin is also already executive producing two other projects for Apple TV Plus.## He will direct 'Number One on the Call Sheet', a documentary that examines the history of Black leading men in Hollywood. He is attached to a sister documentary about Black leading women, which Shola Lynch is set to direct.## Poitier, an accomplished performer, producer, and director and the first Black winner of the Academy Award for best actor died on Friday at the age of 94.## "To us, Sidney Poitier was not only a brilliant actor, activist, and a man of incredible grace and moral fortitude, he was also a devoted and loving husband, a supportive and adoring father and a man who always put family first," Poitier's family said in a statement.## "Although he is no longer here with us in this realm, his beautiful soul will continue to guide and inspire us. He will live on in us, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, in every belly laugh, every curious inquiry, every act of compassion and kindness".## "His legacy will live on in the world, continuing to inspire not only with his incredible body of work but even more so with his humanity".## Stay tuned...

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Cate Blanchett To Star In Pedro Almodovar's Maiden English Feature
1614 days ago
Hollywood

Cate Blanchett To Star In Pedro Almodovar's Maiden English Feature

Los Angeles, Jan 8 (IANS) Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett will be starring in Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar's maiden English-language feature film, 'A Manual for Cleaning Women'.## The film is an adaptation of Lucia Berlin's short story collection of the same name, which includes 43 stories about women in multiple types of demanding jobs, reports variety.com.## It was confirmed to Variety exclusively that the project is in the early stages of development, with Blanchett's production company Dirty Films producing the feature for New Republic Pictures, in association with El Deseo.## Andrew Upton and Coco Francini are producing alongside Blanchett for Dirty Films. Brian Oliver and Bradley Fischer are producing for New Republic Pictures alongside Almodovar.## Blanchett is a revered actress who has won two Academy Awards, for 'The Aviator' in supporting actress and 'Blue Jasmine' in lead actress.## She's in the awards conversation again this year for delivering two powerhouse performances in Guillermo del Toro's 'Nightmare Alley' from Searchlight Pictures and Adam McKay's 'Don't Look Up' from Netflix, with other projects on the horizon.## In addition to 'Manual', she currently has three additional films that are expected to be released in 2022 -- Todd Field's 'TAR', Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson's 'Pinocchio' and Eli Roth's 'Borderland'.## Almodovar spoke with Variety for our 'Up Next' series in December about the project, saying he was writing the script in Spanish before translating it to English. An original screenplay Oscar winner for 'Talk to Her', he's dipped his toes into English-language filmmaking with his 2020 short film 'The Human Voice' starring Tilda Swinton.## It was one of the 15 films shortlisted for live-action short by the Oscars, but ultimately missed out on a nomination. This past year, he wrote and directed 'Parallel Mothers' for Sony Pictures Classics with Oscar-winner Penelope Cruz, who won the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival.## Stay tuned...

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Chloe Zhao Blends Sci-Fi And Human Emotions, Says 'Eternals' Producer
1614 days ago
Hollywood

Chloe Zhao Blends Sci-Fi And Human Emotions, Says 'Eternals' Producer

Mumbai, Jan 7 (IANS) Nate Moore, the co-producer of the Marvel film 'Eternals' has stated that the film's director Chole Zhao has an equal finesse in portraying human emotions and heady science fiction.## He also shared that her craft rendered a distinctive voice to each character in the film.## Commenting on the same, Moore said: "Chloe is a rare filmmaker who is as adroit with finding real human moments as she is crafting and delivering heady science fiction. We were so excited to see her work with the 'Eternals' cast".## Lauding her craft, the producer said: "She captured those special moments that give the MCU films heart and believability, and allowed each of the ten 'Eternals' to have a distinct voice and presence.## "And she's not afraid to embrace offbeat humor at unexpected times, which informed the tone of the film. Her vision and passion for the project are unmatched".## Adding further he said: "The scope of the film would be daunting for most filmmakers, but Chloe's eye for detail combined with her enthusiasm for pushing the envelope visually has given 'Eternals' a palette all its own, both from a practical locations perspective and how the visual effects in the film are expressed".## 'Eternals' produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, features an ensemble of talents including Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, and Kumail Nanjiani.## The superhero film is set to stream on Disney+ Hotstar from January 12A in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.## Stay tuned...

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