Hollywood's Highest Paid Heroines @$15 million per film
LA- California (USA). There was a time when Julia Roberts reportedly charged $20 million per film after the success of 'Pretty Woman'. But those were the days. Move over baby. Oscar winner Angelina Jolie has become the highest-earning female star in Hollywood, but she is still behind the Julia Roberts benmark as pay checks have slumped in 2008. Jolie, 33, earned $15m for the action movie 'Wanted' this year, and could make $20m in a possible sequel, according to Hollywood Reporter. Read more »
New James Bond Movie "Quantum of Solace" release in India before US in 3 Indian languages
The growing clout of Indian cinema-goers, almost 4 billion tickets a year, has created another trend. Quite unprecedented, Sony Pictures has announced that Quantum Of Solace will be released in India on November 7, one week before the US opening on November 14. This will be the first time that a Hollywood film will premiere in India before the US opening. Read more »
"I can't think straight": Two feature films on lesbian romance by Shamim Sarif
I bet you haven't heard this story before, perhaps. 'One novel, same subject and two separate feature films with the same actresses' is the intriguing introduction of Shamim Sarif's lesbian tale. Both films "I can't think straight" and "The World Unseen" featuring Water's Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth, written and directed by Shamim Sarif, born in London to South African Indian parents, will be released in November 2008, writes Pervaiz Alam. Read more »
Spielberg and Ambani deal could change the face of Indian film industry
After months of negotiations, Anil Ambani's Reliance Entertainment of India and DreamWorks SKG, promoted by legendary film-maker Steven Spielberg, are about to clinch a deal to set up a new film company, according to various media reports. The deal will allow Spielberg and others to split from Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures as they need about US$1.7 billion for the new cinema outfit. Reliance Entertainment, according to reports, will invest $500 million to $600 million in the new company. Read more »
Hollywood actors demand better wages and rights
Hollywood actors are demanding better payments for their work while their leaders negotiate with producers over television and movie work. Some actors led by George Clooney and Tom Hanks are trying to mediate, but Jack Nicholson and Ben Stiller have taken a stand on the issue. With the growing popularity of the internet in distributing TV shows and movies, the actors are demanding a new contract that gives them a greater share in the profits. They are fighting for a framework that includes rates for shows or movies streamed or downloaded online. Read more »
New York Mayor Bloomberg: Please shoot Indian Films in New York
The Mayor of the US city New York, Michael R. Bloomberg, and NYC & Company CEO, George Fertitta, have launched a new initiative to invite Bollywood producers to base and shoot their films in their city. Because, films bring in tourists. They announced the opening of a new tourism and marketing office in India, the culmination of a two-year plan to strengthen the impact of the City's $30 billion travel and tourism industry, Monday, October 13. Travel to New York City from India grew by 47 percent last year to 157,000 visitors and generated an economic impact of $266 million. Read more »
Deal sealed: Spielberg's DreamWorks and Anil Ambani's Reliance join hands
Finally, after a speculation of almost three months, Spielberg's DreamWorks and Anil Ambani's Reliance ADAG have done it. Anil Ambani Group will invest $550 million into Steven Spielberg's Hollywood venture DreamWorks to start a new studio, breaking away from Viacom's Paramount Pictures. The reports say the Ambani's ADAG will invest the money as equity, while another $750 million will come as debt from leading investment banker JP Morgan Chase, in what will result in a unique Hollywood-Bollywood partnership. Read more »
Murdoch Venture to produce feature films in India
Rupert Murdoch-owned US film studio and distributor Twentieth Century Fox and another Murdoch venture Star Group have announced a joint venture to produce Asian-language films for worldwide distribution, according to a joint statement issued in Mumbai, Hong Kong and Beverly Hills.The Indian film industry has grown by 17% in the period 2004-2007. On an verall basis, the Indian film industry stood at Rs. 96 billion 2007, up from Rs. 85 billion in 2006, according to a report by FICCI & PWC. Read more »
A Throw of Dice: 1929 Indian film captivates America
The Chicago Tribune writes in its August 2, 2008, edition: "The U.S. premiere of the classic 1929 Indian silent film "A Throw of Dice" Wednesday at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion had the Millennium audience erupting in cheers at the end. Where has this treasure been hiding all these years?"
"A Throw of Dice" was generally forgotten for decades until the British Film Institute rescued it from the vaults in 2006 and commissioned Sawhney to compose a score for concert use. Read more »
Anil Ambani to invest in Spielberg's DreamWorks
Los Angeles/Mumbai- According to media reports Hollywood film producers DreamWorks SKG are close to a deal with Anil Ambani's Reliance Big Entertainment, one of India's biggest entertainment conglomerates, to form a new movie venture. According to people familiar with the situation, this move would give director Steven Spielberg the cash to finance his DreamWorks team's departure from Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures later this year, reported Wall Street Journal Wednesday, May 18, 2008. Read more »