Tag: hollywood

K.G.F: Chapter 2 Is the Highest-Selling, Most-Watched Movie in 2022, According to BookMyShow

K.G.F: Chapter 2 — Prashanth Neel’s sequel to the period thriller — was among the highest-selling and most-watched movies in 2022. As per BookMyShow’s “Best of 2022” report, on release day — April 14 — the movie managed to sell 2.14 million tickets, with further collections coming in the following weekends. The Kannada-language film sold 34 percent of overall tickets in the weekends of 2022, surpassing S.S. Rajamouli’s Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, to emerge as the best-selling film on the platform, with a whopping 17.7 million tickets sold.

According to BookMyShow, K.G.F: Chapter 2 also topped the charts for the highest number of advance bookings, succeeded by the likes of RRR, Ponniyin Selvan: I, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and oddly enough, Idris Elba-led Beast — not the Tamil-language film of the same name, starring Vijay.

The BookMyShow statistics also mention a 116 percent increase in audiences wanting an “immersive cinematic experience” over regular screens. This naturally refers to 3D, IMAX 2D, IMAX 3D, and 4DX formats, which were also heavily promoted during Avatar’s re-release, back in September. The IMAX and 4DX formats are mostly popular with Hollywood films, with Indian titles making a small percentage of the total.

Going by the data collected from the period of January 1 to December 5, BookMyShow Stream — the company’s video-on-demand platform — recorded 1.11 lakh hours of viewing in 2022. The year also saw 200 films getting added to the streaming platform, which 93 percent of the Indian audience devoured. The remaining seven percent, however, opted to buy those films for viewing at their leisure. While there are no explicit figures, the company notes that Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Spacewalker, and the 2020-released documentary centring on the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, Assassins, were the “highest viewed” films on BMS Stream. The Marvel Cinematic Universe entry in the list also has an extended version up for streaming or purchasing, which includes some content that was cut from the theatrical version.

2022 also welcomed some Oscar-nominated movies onto BookMyShow Stream, with Will smith-led King Richard, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, Kristen Stewart’s Spencer, and Parallel Mothers starring Penélope Cruz among the key highlights.

The BookMyShow report also mentions that 8 million audience members stepped out for on-ground live entertainment, across 19,000 plus events — a positive development, after having endured the COVID-19 lockdowns across 2020 and 2021.

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Death Stranding Movie: Kojima Productions, Barbarian’s Hammerstone Studios to Work on Adaptation

Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima’s genre-defying video game, is being turned into a movie. The acclaimed game director is partnering with executive producer Alex Lebovici’s Hammerstone Studios — known for the recent Barbarian movie — to develop an adaptation of the said title. Marking Kojima Productions’ first feature film, it will introduce “new elements and characters” within the Death Stranding universe. Currently, there are no details on the writers, directors, or stars attached to the film, though the report mentions that it’s “on the fast track, with development underway.” And the Death Stranding movie could potentially get a sequel too, given Death Stranding 2 — for PS5 — is currently in the works at Kojima Productions.

“I couldn’t be more excited about this new partnership with Hammerstone Studios,” Kojima told Deadline. “This is a pivotal moment for the franchise and I’m really looking forward to collaborating with them in bringing Death Stranding to the big screen.” While plot details for this new entry are still under wraps, the original 2019 game followed Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus), a courier, who is tasked with reconnecting the last survivors of a post-apocalyptic America. There is a lot to unpack here, starting with an open doorway that connects to the land of the dead, from where hostile visitors frequent the living world. Then there’s a bottled baby — or BB — who helps detect the said tar-ridden BTs (enemies), so you can stealth around them, while a mysterious Beach is flooded with dead, aquatic wildlife. Much of the gameplay is centred around walking and delivering items though, with long cinematics serving as breakpoints and offering context to the universe.

Death Stranding also featured a stunning cast lineup, who offered both voice acting and motion capture. Besides Reedus, the cast included Léa Seydoux as Fragile, Mads Mikkelsen as Clifford Unger, Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro as Deadman, Nicolas Winding Refn as Heartman, Margaret Qualley as Mama/ Lockne, Troy Baker as Higgs, and Tommie Earl Jenkins as Die Hardman. If the movie is going to incorporate some characters from the game, I hope some name and dialogue changes are tweaked, so they don’t sound too campy for mainstream audiences — Die Hardman, for instance. Also, the infamous line: “I’m Fragile, but not that Fragile.”

“We are thrilled and honoured to have the opportunity to partner with brilliant and iconic Hideo Kojima on his first film adaptation,” Lebovici added. “Unlike other big-budget tentpole video game adaptations, this will be something far more intimate and grounded. Our goal is to redefine what a video game adaptation could be when you have creative and artistic freedom. This film will be an authentic ‘Hideo Kojima’ production.” It’s funny he says that since the Metal Gear series creator is notorious for plastering his name all over his projects.

Meanwhile, Kojima Productions is celebrating its seventh-year anniversary, for which its lead has released a video message, promising a completely new game in addition to Death Stranding 2, and some “visual projects.” The former could possibly be in reference to his collaboration with Xbox, while the latter could be the aforementioned movie. “I am hoping to bring you more information on all these next year,” he said.

The director announced Death Stranding 2 last week, as part of The Game Awards 2022, with a trailer he claims is loaded with hints for fans to discover. From the brief footage, we can confirm that Fragile (Seydoux) has healed from the timefall torture, Bridges (Reedus) has aged, and there’s a new guitar-honing villain, presumably played by Baker, who also sang BB’s theme in the trailer. In an on-stage interview right after, Kojima confirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic caused him to rewrite the entire script for the sequel. Death Stranding 2 also adds Elle Fanning (The Great) and Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool 2) to the cast.

Currently, there is no release window for the Death Stranding movie.

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Henry Cavill to Star in Warhammer 40,000 Series at Amazon Prime Video: Report

Henry Cavill is reportedly attached to a Warhammer 40,000 series at Amazon Prime Video. As per Deadline, the actor is exploring multiple opportunities, with the aforementioned adaptation of the popular miniature wargame in the “more advanced stages” of development. Details are a little murky, but Cavill is attached to star in and executive produce it, in a way that caters to mainstream audiences. The 39-year-old star, who was brought back by Warner Bros. to play Superman once again, was let go earlier this week, as new DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran laid out their long-term plans for the future of the franchise.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon Studios is in the final stages of acquiring rights to Warhammer 40,000, whose board games are manufactured by Games Workshop. Akin to its video game series — which switches genre with each entry — the original board games are set in the distant future, where a stagnant human civilisation struggles to survive amongst hostile aliens and other supernatural creatures. It functions similarly to a Dungeons & Dragons game, in the sense that dice play a key role in the outcome, but adds miniature figures that players can move around in a model battlefield. The characters are usually equipped with armaments, ranging from firearms to primitive weapons imbued with magic powers. Diehard fans even prefer painting those models as a hobby, to give them a visual boost — something Cavill has flexed on social media in the past.

Shortly after accepting his return as Superman in the DC Universe for Warner Bros., Cavill exited Netflix’s mainline The Witcher series, in which he played the lead character, Geralt of Rivia. The role was passed on to Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games movies), who will portray the dark fantasy character, starting with The Witcher season 4.

As per Variety, that development hasn’t changed either, solidifying the end of Cavill’s run in the series. Meanwhile, Cavill’s return as the Kryptonian was shut down earlier this week, with Gunn planning a Superman film reboot based on the younger years of the hero.

It’s also worth noting that hours before reports about Cavill’s attachment to a Warhammer 40,000 series emerged, Rahul Kohli proposed a similar plan on his Twitter. “Hey Henry, f–k it, let’s make a Warhammer movie/limited series. Kind regards, Rahul,” the Midnight Mass actor said. Even Sex Education actor Asa Butterfield joined in on the fun, requesting to play a servitor — a wide class of mindless, cybernetic drones forged from a fusion of human flesh and robotic technology.

Amazon Studios has yet to make an official statement on the Warhammer 40,000 project. This wouldn’t be the only video game project at Prime Video though, with the platform officially ordering a God of War live-action adaptation whose existence had been first reported in March. The series will be set in the Norse mythology and will follow the same story as the critically-acclaimed 2018 video game, which follows a reserved Kratos journeying to the highest peak with his estranged son Atreus, forging a father-son bond that is tested at every hostile corner.

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Henry Cavill’s Superman Return Was Opposed by Warner Bros., Black Adam’s Dwayne Johnson Reveals

Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson has revealed that Warner Bros. did not want Henry Cavill back as Superman. In a video celebrating the DC Comics film topping the Apple TV chart in the US, the actor praised Cavill’s return during the post-credits scene, before taking some shots at the larger figures at play at DC Films (now DC Studios). “At the end of the day, the studio was not bringing Henry Cavill back — inexplicably and inexcusably,” he said, further stressing that the idea has been years in the making. “But we weren’t gonna take no for an answer.”

Johnson then voiced his appreciation for Cavill’s take on Superman, calling him the “greatest” and noting that everything in the DC Comics universe circles back to him. “There was no way, there’s no viable, logical way that you can attempt to build out the DC Universe without the most powerful force and the greatest superhero of all time sitting on the sidelines. It’s impossible to do.” A previous report suggested that Johnson had been hatching the idea for Cavill’s return as Superman for the past four years, which was rejected by DC Films president Walter Hamada, who wanted to stray far from Zack Snyder’s foundation and continuity.

The disapproval drove Johnson to meet with Warner Bros. Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who approved Cavill’s inclusion in Black Adam. At the time, Hamada had plans to introduce a Black Superman, based on the fictional US President Calvin Ellis from Earth-23 in DC Comics. The executive has now silently exited the studio and heads the horror genre at Paramount Pictures.

Meanwhile, Cavill confirmed that he’s back to play the red-caped superhero, with reports claiming that a Man of Steel sequel is at play in the Warner Bros. Discovery offices. Charles Roven (The Dark Knight) is attached to produce, as a hunt for writers goes on.

Now that Black Adam and the Justice Society of America (JSA) have been introduced to the public, Johnson intends to start building out the DC Universe “properly, strategically, smartly.” “Again, the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe has changed,” he said, referring to the newly appointed co-heads at the brand-new DC Studios, filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran. The pair will oversee all upcoming DC Comics movies, shows, and animated projects — the former tends to the creative side, while the latter takes care of things on the business and production end.

Released on October 20, Black Adam grossed a worldwide total of $378.1 million (about Rs. 3,090 crore), as it introduced a bunch of new superheroes to the DC Universe. The film marks The Rock’s career-best opening weekend as the lead actor. Black Adam is now available on video-on-demand platforms in the US. An India OTT date is not known.

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FTX: Avengers Endgame’s Russo Brothers to Direct, Produce Amazon Prime Video Series on Cryptocurrency Firm

Joe and Anthony Russo — the directors of Marvel’s biggest movie of all time, Avengers: Endgame — are reportedly involved in directing and producing a new Amazon Prime Video series that details the rise and fall of cryptocurrency platform FTX.

The Russo Brothers’ production banner AGBO will be behind the untitled Amazon FTX series. They are expected to direct the first episode.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Prime Video’s FTX show will be penned by David Weil, who earlier created Hunters for the streaming service.

Founded by Sam Bankman-Fried in 2019, FTX quickly became one of the biggest crypto exchanges on the market.

However, a series of revelations in the past month led to devastating losses at FTX, and its related trading firm Alameda Research.

FTX eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US, and a group of investors sued the company and several celebrity endorsers for fraud.

Apart from Endgame, Joe and Anthon Russo are also behind Marvel blockbusters such as Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War.

Since the Endgame days, the Russo Brothers have gone on to direct the Tom Holland-led Cherry for Apple TV+, and the Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans-starrer The Gray Man at Netflix.

Both were among the most expensive movies for the respective platforms. A sequel for The Gray Man is in the works, with Joe and Anthony expected to return as directors.

The untitled FTX series is not the first partnership between Amazon and the Endgame directors.

The Russos are currently awaiting the release of the Prime Video spy series Citadel, starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden.

In the feature film space, they have set up Millie Bobby Brown-led sci-fi film The Electric State at Netflix, which is also said to carry a huge budget

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

  • Release Date 26 April 2019
  • Language English
  • Genre Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Superhero
  • Cast

    Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Josh Brolin

  • Director

    Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

  • Music Alan Silvestri
  • Producer

    Kevin Feige

  • Production

    Marvel Studios

  • Certificate 13+
  • Release Date 6 May 2016
  • Language English
  • Genre Action, Adventure, Superhero
  • Duration 2h 27min
  • Cast

    Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Daniel Brühl

  • Director

    Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

  • Music Henry Jackman
  • Producer

    Kevin Feige

  • Production

    Marvel Studios

  • Certificate 13+
  • Release Date 27 April 2018
  • Language English
  • Genre Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Superhero
  • Duration 2h 29min
  • Cast

    Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Peter Dinklage, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldaña, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt

  • Director

    Russo brothers, Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

  • Music Alan Silvestri
  • Producer

    Kevin Feige

  • Production

    Marvel Studios, Jason Roberts Productions, South Pictures

  • Certificate 13+
  • Release Date 12 March 2021
  • Language English
  • Genre Crime, Drama
  • Cast

    Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo

  • Director

    Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

  • Music Henry Jackman
  • Producer

    Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Mike Larocca, Jonathan Gray, Matthew Rhodes, Jake Aust, Chris Castaldi

  • Production

    AGBO, Hideaway Entertainment

  • Release Date 22 July 2022
  • Language English
  • Genre Action, Thriller
  • Cast

    Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jessica Henwick, Regé-Jean Page, Wagner Moura, Julia Butters, Dhanush, Alfre Woodard, Billy Bob Thornton, Callan Mulvey, Eme Ikwuakor, Robert Kazinsky, DeObia Oparei, Shea Whigham

  • Director

    Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

  • Music Henry Jackman
  • Producer

    Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Mike Larocca, Chris Castaldi, Palak Patel

  • Production

    AGBO, Roth/Kirschenbaum Films

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Further reading: FTX, FTX series, FTX Amazon, FTX Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Russo Brothers, AGBO, David Weil, Sam Bankman Fried, Hollywood

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Avatar: The Way of Water Has Finished Post-Production, Just Three Weeks Ahead of Release

Avatar: The Way of Water is finally complete, after six long years. Avatar 2 producer Jon Landau, who also worked on the original 2009 film, confirmed via Twitter that the “final mix and mastering” for the sequel had just been accomplished. The post-production completion comes merely three weeks ahead of the second Avatar film’s global release on December 16, including in China. Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water) reacted to the news, calling Avatar 2 a “staggering achievement” that is “choke-full of majestic vistas and emotions.” It’s clear the director is among the first to see the film, which also makes this the first official review for Avatar: The Way of Water. If you can call it that.

In addition to Avatar, Landau also collaborated with director James Cameron on 1997’s Titanic, both of which went on to become the highest-grossing films of all time. Released 13 years ago, Avatar broke new ground in Hollywood with its stunning VFX, welcoming audiences to the immersive world of Pandora. The film grossed $2.9 billion (about Rs. 23,600 crore) — with the recent re-release — and won three Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, and Best Cinematography. Evidently, its sequel Avatar: The Way of Water has a lot to live up to, with even Cameron raising concerns regarding profit.

Speaking to GQ Magazine, earlier this week, he noted that the film was very expensive to make and that it represented “the worst business case in movie history.” In order for it to be profitable, he said, “you have to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history. That’s your threshold. That’s your break even.” The director also confirmed previously that he was prepared to end the Avatar franchise with a trilogy, in case The Way of Water underperforms. Filming for Avatar 3 — reportedly subtitled The Seed Bearer — finished with the main cast in November 2018. In an interview with Variety, producer Landau noted that the first act of Avatar 4 had already been shot as well.

Advance ticket bookings for Cameron’s hotly-anticipated sequel went live in India, earlier this week, across BookMyShow and Paytm and the official websites of major cinemas. Disney-owned 20th Century Studios also claims that Avatar: The Way of Water will witness 24 hours of shows running at select theatres, with first showings starting at 12am midnight onwards. The studio also dropped a final Avatar 2 trailer ahead of release, which saw Jake Sully’s (Sam Worthington) family forming an alliance with the coastal Metkayina clan, and connecting with the waterborne beings, for traversal.

The sequel is set more than a decade after the original film and brings back familiar faces including Zoe Saldaña as wife Neytiri, Sigourney Weaver as Kiri, Dileep Rao, Stephen Lang, and CCH Pounder. New additions to Avatar: The Way of Water include Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Michelle Yeoh, Jemaine Clement, Oona Chaplin, Vin Diesel, and CJ Jones.

Avatar: The Way of Water releases December 16 in theatres worldwide. In India, the film gets additional dubs in Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu.

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Aquaman Paved the Way for Namor’s Introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Director Ryan Coogler Says

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler has credited Aquaman for paving the way for Namor’s introduction. The director recently discussed in an interview how the creative team at Marvel aimed to distinguish their underwater antihero from DC Comics’ god-like counterpart, trying to understand what the superhero fanbase might respond to. “I do think that having Aquaman out in the world, in film language, and being successful in the marketplace, I think it was a great bit of indirect guidance for us to lean into the things that made Namor different from Aquaman,” he said.

Coogler went on to suggest that antiheroes like Namor, also known as the Sub-Mariner, had been collecting dust for years, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe prioritised other characters. While both Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and Tenoch Huerta’s Namor are rulers of their individual submerged realms, there are a few aspects that separate the two. For starters, the latter is an antihero, sporting winged ankles and separated by two worlds — the surface and underwater — adding an extra level of inner conflict. “He has to be very confident and dangerous,” Coogler explained. “It’s always interesting. He has to be charismatic. Namor, in the comics, is very romantic. He hits on other people’s wives, you know what I’m saying?”

Black Panther Wakanda Forever Review: Not Even Ryan Coogler Can Save Marvel’s Phase Four

However, adding a romantic flair to the character would mess with the tonal aspects of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which to an extent, serves as a sentimental tribute to the late lead from the original 2018 film, Chadwick Boseman. In this case, a key theme was cultural specificity, as the kingdoms of Talokan and Wakanda clash with each other. “The grey area comes about: this idea of a family drama mixed with a geopolitical thriller, mixed with a little bit of crime film,” Coogler added. “Through the story of him and his mom, and her life and her death, impacted his view of the world. That gave us the other element of Namor in the publishing, its extreme xenophobia.”

This is in stark contrast to DC Comics’ Aquaman, who while being conceived by a human father and Atlantean mother, was treated as an outcast, developing contempt for the underwater kingdom and its people, and no inclinations toward ruling it. Released in 2018, Aquaman also presented Arthur Curry (Momoa) with a charming, goofy-ish personality, whereas Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s Namor was fuelled by rage, growing up with a hatred for surface dwellers and anticipating an attack from the fictional East African realm at any given second.

It is also worth mentioning that canonically, the Sub-Mariner’s kingdom in Marvel comics is called Atlantis as well, akin to DC Comics’ version. But, the MCU Phase Four film rebranded it to Talokan, a name likely derived from “Tlālōcān,” described as an Aztec paradise ruled by rain deity Tlāloc. The moniker change allowed Coogler to connect Namor to Mesoamerica mythology, creating a richer sense of world-building whilst avoiding any parallels with Aquaman’s Atlantis.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever clawed its way to an impressive $330 million (about Rs. 2,700 crore) at the global box office, climbing the ranks as the second-biggest theatrical opening this year. The $250 million production faced a few hurdles, ranging from on-set injury, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the demise of lead Boseman, triggering a rewrite of the movie script.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now showing in Indian theatres in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Post-Credits Scene, Explained

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — now playing in cinemas worldwide — ends with the words “The Black Panther will return,” just as with the most recent Marvel Cinematic Universe movie before it, Thor: Love and Thunder. It essentially promises that the titular superhero and the world of Wakanda will be back for more. While there hasn’t been any announcement on that front, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige did say that he has had discussions on a third Black Panther movie with Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler. And if you were hoping that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever post-credits scene would offer any clues in that regard, well there aren’t any. That said, it does give us something that has never happened in the comics — and finds a way forward for the character of T’Challa, who was retired after the death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020.

Warning: spoilers ahead for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Proceed at your own risk.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever post-credits scene, explained

The mid-credits scene in the new Black Panther movie picks up right where the movie ends: on a Haitian beach. A crying Shuri (Letitia Wright) is joined by Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and a young boy (Divine Love Konadu-Sun). Nakia says that he’s her son Toussaint, she had him before T’Challa/ Black Panther (Boseman) died, and she now wants to introduce him to his “auntie” Shuri. Now, though the word auntie is more flexible in African cultures — as it is in India — it’s immediately clear to everyone in the room who his father is. Thankfully, the movie doesn’t dance around it for long either.

Black Panther 2 Review: Not Even Ryan Coogler Can Save Marvel’s Phase 4

Nakia tells Shuri that T’Challa suggested they settle outside of Wakanda, which would allow Toussaint to grow up without the pressure of the throne. And though they knew of T’Challa’s illness, he didn’t want them at his funeral. That would’ve thrust the boy into the Wakandan limelight at the worst possible time. Nakia and Toussaint did have their own little ceremony for him, she adds. This also explains Nakia’s absence from Wakanda — and the early running of the new Black Panther movie. Shuri wonders if her late mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), had met Toussaint. Nakia says yes.

Shuri and Toussaint exchange their first words, with the boy noting he’s heard his auntie is good at keeping secrets. Toussaint is his Haitian name, he adds. When Shuri asks who he is in their native tongue, he replies: “I’m Prince T’Challa, son of King T’Challa.” Coogler and Feige said they weren’t going to ever recast T’Challa, so they have found the next best step for Black Panther’s future. Give T’Challa a kid (and give him the same name too), who will age into him eventually. These are big shoes for an actor to fill in like 15–20 years.

To me, this is also interesting on a political level. T’Challa and Nakia were never officially married, on screen at least. How will Wakanda’s many tribes take to a child of their late king who goes by his name but hasn’t lived among them. Will he be accepted? And though he may be the firstborn son of the late king, Wakanda doesn’t really operate like that. Anyone can challenge to be the Black Panther and assume the throne. M’Baku enters the fray at the end of Wakanda Forever — and of course, there’s Shuri, who has assumed the mantle of Black Panther.

But given the boy’s age, it’s not something a Black Panther film will need to deal with for a long time. And who knows what shape Wakanda will be in by then.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in cinemas worldwide. In India, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is available in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

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Stars including Alec Baldwin remember publicist Bobby Zarem

Friends (and probably a foe or two) remembered super publicist Bobby Zarem at a memorial at Michael’s Monday night, with loved ones fondly recalling his kindness, clout -— and chutzpah.

Alec Baldwin, who said he’d wanted to be there for the bash, sent a note to be read out. He remembered the time in the late Eighties when Zarem took a meeting with him at famed haunt Elaine’s, and offered to take care of his PR for a brain-rattling $30,000-a-month, offering him “real peace of mind” in return. Baldwin said he nearly spat out his soup. “Isn’t that worth $30,000 a month?,” Zarem asked him.

Baldwin said Zarem was “intelligent [and] a mensch, all wrapped up inside a near-Foghorn Leghorn Southern man.” He added, “I don’t doubt that right now he is offering God a rate of $30,000-a-month to represent him.

Supermodel Christy Turlington remembered “falling in love over baseball” with Zarem when she met him on the dancer floor at the Rainbow Room soon after she moved to New York, and spending nights at opera and the symphony on his arm. She also said that he helped her transition from modelling into philanthropy, starting her on her way to some of her most meaningful work.

Christy Turlington said she and Zarem “fell in love over baseball.”
WireImage

Meanwhile gossip legends Rush and Molloy paid tribute to his acidic side by reviewing the glittering list of “people he hated.” It included a certain publicist who, while working for Zarem, was given the task of clipping his toenails, but: “Got tired of his toes and left one night with his Roladex. Allegedly.” Another was renowned gossip columnist Liz Smith.

Hollywood manager Jason Weinberg recalled that while he was working for Zarem right after college, he didn’t get to FedEx in time to have an important video tape overnighted from Memphis, Tennessee, to “Entertainment Tonight’s” offices.

Cher was among his clients.
Patrick McMullan via Getty Image

“I get to FedEx, and they’re closed,” he said, “[Zarem] talks to some people, and he goes, ‘It’s handled.’ I go, ‘What did you do?’ He goes, ‘I called the owner of FedEx and got them to send an extra plane. So basically, Fred Smith, who owns FedEx, gave Bobby a private plane for this one Betamax tape.”

Also there: Ann Dexter Jones, Colin and Elizabeth Callender, actresses Patti D’Arbanville, Melissa Errico and Linda Janklow, Kim Garfunkel, Art’s wife, former Ranger Jeff Jackson, Patrick McEnroe, actor Andrea Boccaletti, Page Six vet Richard Johnson, journalist Roger Freidman, “Gatecrasher” author Ben Widdicome, “We Are Not Like Them” author Jo Piazza (with her plus-one in utero), producer Andrew Muscato and author Dana Thomas, among others.

The hosts were Bill Augustin, Elizabeth and Colin Callender, Jon Furay, Vic Garvey, Lisa Kaminsky, Joanna Molloy and George Rush, Bonnie Timmermann, and Weinberg 

Zarem died in his native Savannah, Georgia, at 84 in September 2021. He represented a litany of A Listers and, along with designer Milton Glaser, was responsible for the famous “I Love New York” campaign.

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Andor Season 2 Begins Filming on November 21, Creator Tony Gilroy Confirms

Andor creator Tony Gilroy has set a filming date for its second season. Speaking to Collider, the Bourne trilogy writer confirmed that the Diego Luna-led Andor season 2 will begin filming on “the Monday before Thanksgiving,” which aligns with November 21. The Disney+ series was initially reported to be shot by autumn 2022, and now we have an official date. Andor season 2, much like the first chapter, comprises 12 episodes, and continues rebel hero Cassian Andor’s journey years prior to the 2016 Rogue One movie. Released in September, Andor season 1 concludes its run on November 23, with all episodes available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar.

For season 2, writer-creator Gilroy explained that he would be flying out to London to be present for the opening shot, before heading back home for Christmas. Andor season 2 also brings in new directors to the mix, namely Ariel Kleiman (Partisan), Janus Metz (True Detective), and Alonso Ruizpalacios (A Cop Movie). Beau Willimon and Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler) return as writers, alongside newcomer Tom Bissell, who mostly shares credits with video games such as Gears 5, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and Batman: Arkham Origins. His writing was also adapted into films, including the 2016 James Franco-led Tommy Wiseau biographical comedy The Disaster Artist.

Gilroy described him as a “really cool and really, really interesting, versatile, really good writer. But also, a very, very, very big Star Wars fan, which we really wanted to make sure we had another pro because we’re going into Rogue [One], and we’re going to Yavin, and then we’re going into places where we eventually need to really weave our way back to the source. So, Tom came in, and he’s been great. So, he’s got some episodes too,” in the interview.

While Andor season 1 chronicles one year in the titular rebel spy’s mission to overthrow the Empire, the upcoming chapter will be divided into blocks, covering the additional four years, as it jumps across timelines. Each three-episode segment in Andor season 2 amounts to a year, with the final shot directly segueing into the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

“The scale of the show is so huge. Directors work in blocks of three episodes, so we did four blocks [in Season 1] of three episodes each. [For Season 2] we looked and said, ‘Wow, it’d be really interesting if we come back, and we use each block to represent a year’,” Gilroy told Empire, back in July.

As mentioned above, creator Gilroy has clarified that Andor season 2 will head to Yavin, the jungle moon, which served as a base of operations for the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The jungle moon Yavin IV was also featured in the 2016 Rogue One film, which serves as a prequel to A New Hope, where the Death Star was destroyed. Heading into season 2, Andor will most likely continue working alongside the rebels, and serve as a guide to memorable locales and events within the larger Star Wars franchise.

Currently, there is no release window for Andor season 2. Season 1 concludes its run later this month, on November 23, on Disney+ Hotstar.

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