Vidya Balan-starrer "Shakuntala Devi" biopic is the latest major Bollywood movie to go for a direct digital release on Amazon Prime Video after Amitabh Bachchan-Ayushmann Khurrana's "Gulabo Sitabo" amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to the closing of cinema halls.
Amazon Prime Video on Friday announced its direct-to-service line-up spanning five Indian languages, which include Hindi films Gulabo Sitabo and Shakuntala Devi, Tamil legal drama Ponmagal Vandhal, Tamil-Telugu bilingual movie Penguin, Sufiyum Sujatayum in Malayalam and Kannada features Law, French Biryani.
The movies will premiere exclusively on Prime Video over the next three months and will be available in 200 countries and territories worldwide.
Over the last 2 years, Prime Video has become the destination of choice for our customers to watch new releases, across the languages, within weeks of their theatrical release.
"Now we're taking this one step further, with seven of India's most-anticipated films ...

'Shakuntala Devi', Gulabo Sitabo' and five other India films head to Amazon Prime

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Singer Sia will release her new single titled "Together" on May 20.
The song will feature on the official soundtrack for her upcoming movie, "Music", which also marks her directorial debut.
The Australian singer's team shared the news on Wednesday on Twitter.
"New Sia single: Together - out everywhere May 20th! pre-save on https://www.wecantakeithigher.com - Team Sia (sic)," read the post on Sia's official page.
According to Billboard, "Music", which was announced at the 2015 Venice Film Festival, is "due for release" in September.
It features Kate Hudson, Maddie Ziegler, and Leslie Odom Jr.
Sia has co-written and co-produced the film with writer Dallas Clayton and producer Vincent Landay, respectively.

Sia to release new song on May 20

Filmmaker Ridley Scott has signed a multi-year television deal with Apple.
The veteran director and his banner Scott Free will be creating global television projects for the company's recently launched streaming service Apple TV Plus as per the first-look pact.
According to Deadline, the shows will be executive produced by Scott, David Zucker, Clayton Krueger and Jordan Sheehan.
The 82-year-old director's banner previously had a deal with CBS TV Studios.

Ridley Scott's banner Scott Free inks first-look deal with Apple

Actor Sophia Takal is set to direct Netflix's upcoming thriller film "Where I End".
Takal is best known for featuring in indie movies such as "All the Light in the Sky", "Supporting Characters" and "Gabi on the Roof in July".
She most recently directed and co-wrote Blumhouse's horror hit "Black Christmas".
"Where I End" has been penned by Imran Zaidi, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The film is set in a world where people's memories and life can be saved, uploaded to a computer and restarted in the case of their untimely demise.
It story is about a husband that returns from the dead, suspecting his loving wife may have been involved in his death. He must uncover the truth before it's too late.
The movie will be produced by Roy Lee and Miri Yoon of Vertigo Entertainment, along with Nate Matteson and Hiro Murai of Super Frog Films.

Sophia Takal to helm 'Where I End' for Netflix

Screenwriter David Arata will work on the feature adaptation of Deanna Cameron's "What Happened That Night".
Arata is best known for Tony Scott's "Spy Game" and co-writing the screenplay of Alfonso Cuaron-directed "Children of Men".
The project hails from digital story-telling app Wattpad's new Development Fund that enables the digital startup to finance early development for select TV and film projects, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Cameron's book is about a woman named Clara. After Ciara's boyfriend is murdered by her sister, she lands in a desperate race to absolve her sister's name and discover the true killer.
Wattpad has also roped in writer Angela LaManna to adapt author T.L. Bodine's "The Hound" into a film.
The story follows an antique store owner who brings home a Victorian taxidermy hound from auction, only to unleash dark forces on her wife and son.
The two projects will be produced by Levitz, Eric Lehrman and Lindsey Ramey.

'Children of Men' scribe to adapt 'What Happened That Night' into film

Vidya Balan-starrer "Shakuntala Devi" biopic is the latest major Bollywood movie to go for a direct digital release on Amazon Prime Video after Amitabh Bachchan-Ayushmann Khurrana's "Gulabo Sitabo" amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to the closing of cinema screens.
"Shakuntala Devi" producers on Friday announced that the biopic on the mathematician will exclusively premiere on Amazon Prime Video this June.
Written and directed by Anu Menon, the film has been produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions and Vikram Malhotra. The screenplay is penned by Menon along with Nayanika Mahtani, while the dialogues are by Ishita Moitra.
"I'm so excited that the film will have its world premier on Amazon Prime Video and everyone will get to experience Shakuntala's incredible journey and Vidya's magical portrayal of her soon!," Menon said in a statement here.
Menon said there was no one better than Vidya to capture Shakuntala Devi's "wit and wisdom. Shakuntala Devi was widely called ..

Vidya Balan-starrer 'Shakuntala Devi' biopic heads to Amazon Prime after 'Gulabo Sitabo'

In an apparent reference to the decision of "Gulabo Sitabo" makers to release the film on a streaming platform, multiplex INOX on Thursday expressed its "extreme displeasure and disappointment" over the move.
Starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, the Shoojit Sircar-directed movie will debut on Amazon Prime Video on June 12.
Without naming the production house or the film, the theatre chain released a statement on Twitter, saying such a move was "disconcerting".
"INOX would like to express extreme displeasure and disappointment on  an announcement made by a production house today, to release their movie directly on an OTT platform by skipping the theatrical window run.
"The decision of the production house to deviate from the globally prevalent content windowing practice is alarming and disconcerting," the statement read.
INOX said cinemas and content creators have always been into "mutually beneficial partnerships" where one's action provided fillip to another's ...

Multiplex chain INOX 'disappointed' by film going directly to OTT

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday asked people to support healthcare workers amid the coronavirus pandemic by contributing towards Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other essentials.
Shah Rukh said many people have been asking how can they partner up and take the cause of supporting healthcare workers forward, but usually Meer Foundation, his NGO, doesn't function on donations.
However, "these are dire circumstances that would require all of us to unite and chip in if we can", he added.
In a video released on the official handle of the NGO, Shah Rukh said it is important right now for everyone to support the medical staff who are risking their lives to save people.
"We are all facing a crisis against a force we can't see- the coronavirus. To fight the virus, our country's doctors, scientists, medical professionals and everyone involved in the healthcare sector are like our soldiers...
"The medical personnel require PPE, which include gloves, masks, overalls or any equipment ..

Shah Rukh urges people to contribute towards PPE and supplies for healthcare workers

The nostalgia about the '90s is up in the air with actors such as Kajol, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and Abhishek Bachchan all recalling their favourite movies from the decade on Twitter.
The microblogging site has started a new campaign where it asked celebrities to name their favourite movies from the '90s while tagging others for the same. Twitter has also launched a new emoji to commemorate the era.
"First up, what's your favourite 90s movie? Respond with #90sLove #BackToThe90s or #90sNostalgia and tag five friends to continue the conversation. And look who's kicking it off - '90s sweetheart herself @itsKajolD !" read the post from Twitter India.
To this Kajol replied, "Love this @TwitterIndia . My favourite movies are 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' & 'Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha' and I'm tagging @ajaydevgn @aamir_khan @karanjohar @TanishaaMukerji @iamsrk Tell me yours!"
Ajay reminisced about his 1998 movie "Zakhm" from the era as he tagged Akshay and Abhishek for the challenge.
"So my most ...

Kajol, Ajay, Akshay and others relive '90s on Twitter

Rapper Raftaar has set up a livestream as part of his initiative "Chess For Charity" so as to help raise funds for background dancers who are left without work due to the lockdown.
The second edition of the initiative, which Raftaar started with in collaboration with comedian Samay Raina, brings together prominent personalities from different fields, including comics Kenny Sebastian, Biswa K Rath and Tanmay Bhat, cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal, dancer Raghav Juyal among others.
"The COVID 19 outbreak has proved to be a major setback to millions financially, emotionally and mentally. I've been a part of the dance community and very well understand the problems they might be facing due to this lockdown.
"I wanted to help in whatever way I could and give back to the community that gave me my identity today," Raftaar said in a statement.
The proceeds raised from the event will be donated to Charitable Trusts Parivartan, 4Dog'Sake India and Cine Dancers Association.
The 31-year-old rapper said 

Raftaar to raise funds for background dancers amid lockdown

WarnerMedia's streaming service HBO Max has acquired the rights to Stephen King and son Joe Hill's novella "Throttle" for a feature adaptation.
Warner, in the past, has adapted several of King's books into movies, most famous one's being Stanley Kubrick's cult classic "The Shining", "Carrie", "It" and "Doctor Sleep".
The adaptation will be scripted by Leigh Dana Jackson while David S. Goyer is set to produce alongside Keith Levine through their Phantom Four banner, reported Deadline.
Originally published in 2009, the story centers on a father and son who lead a biker gang that are terrorised by a big rig truck driver on an isolated stretch of the American desert.
The novella was published in a limited edition anthology "He Is Legend" honouring Richard Matheson, whose short story "Duel", inspired the book.

HBO Max to adapt Stephen King's novella 'Throttle'

South Korean pop sensation BTS has announced that it will perform a live-streamed concert in June.
The seven-member band, which was forced to postpone its "Map of the Soul" concert in April due to the coronavirus pandemic, will reconnect with its legions of fans worldwide through the live streamed concert.
The band said that its Bang Bang Con The Live concert will be held on June 14, at 6pm Korean time, reported Variety.
The band said that the paid-for concert will run for approximately 90 minutes and be followed with other content.

South Korean pop group BTS to live-stream concert

Filmmaker Goldie Behl says he put on hold all his big screen ventures after actor-wife Sonali Bendre was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, and now wants to focus telling stories on the digital platforms.
Behl, who made his digital debut with ZEE5's "RejctX" last year, said going to New York for Sonali's treatment for six months, was life altering for the family.
"The film slate has not been affected by COVID-19, I have put it on hold for the moment. I am focusing more of my energies, ever since 2018, after I went to New York with Sonali, it was a life altering situation for all of us.
"I have decided to focus more on the digital platform. So the film slate is on pause right now, but because of my own decision and not COVID-19," Behl told PTI.
The director said under his production house, Rose Audio Visuals, the team is focusing "completely" on the digital platforms and looking at the young-adult space and genre.
"I am enjoying the OTT world. I haven't given a thought to film direction. ..

Put film production on hold after Sonali's illness: Goldie Behl

Swedish director Johan Renck, who won an Emmy for helming the critically acclaimed "Chernobyl", is in talks for limited series "Girl A".
If the deal is sealed, Renck will direct and executive produce the show adapted from the upcoming novel by debutante Abigail Dean, reported Variety.
The story revolves around a successful New York lawyer who was the subject of national news as a child for her escape from a family of religious fanatics.
Following her mother's death, she soon discovers she can't outrun her past, and must revisit the childhood she shared with her siblings.
The book will be published in North America in spring 2021 by Viking, and in the UK in January 2021 by HarperCollins.
This is the first limited series project at 3000 Pictures.
Directed by Renck, "Chernobyl" miniseries was a dramatisation of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. The HBO-Sky UK production also went on win an Emmy in the limited series and writing categories.
His credits also include Netflix's "Bloodline", ...

'Chernobyl' director's next a limited drama series

Ariana Grande says she stopped engaging with the press for a while as the singer felt she was being treated unfairly.
In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music's "At Home" series, the 26-year-old singer explained her decision to avoid media.
"I stopped doing interviews for a really long time because I felt like whenever I would get into a position where somebody would try to say something for clickbait or twist my words or blah, blah, blah, I would defend myself. And then, people would be like, 'Oh, she's a diva'," Grande said.
"If I have an opinion artistically or if I am directing something, or if I have something to say regarding a choice that's being made with my career or something, blah, blah, blah, it always was in the past kind of manipulated and turned into this negative thing, whereas I don't see that with men," she added.
The singer further said that her portrayal in the press has been starkly different than how men are treated.
"It's like when men express their ...

Ariana Grande complains about unfair treatment by media

Renowned filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai is set to begin shooting for his new film "Blossoms", a script that he has been developing for the past five years, in mainland China's Hengdian World Studios from July.
The director, known for his internationally acclaimed films such as "In The Mood For Love", is returning to filming his eleventh movie after 2013's "The Grandmaster".
The production has reportedly rented space at the sprawling studio in coastal Zhejiang province for 11 months, from May of this year to March 2021, indicating that the film production in the country is back after coronavirus closures, reported Variety.
The virus, however, has led to the shutdown of film productions and releases in the rest of the world.
"Blossoms" is an adaptation of the eponymous 2012 novel by Jin Yucheng, one of the few authors writing directly in the local dialect of Shanghainese, and tells the story of a young man looking for status and romance in the boom years of 1990s China.
The director in the past 

Wong Kar-Wai to begin shooting for 'Blossoms' in China from July

Filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie has confirmed the return of Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Kirby and Simon Pegg for his two back-to-back "Mission: Impossible" films, whilst teasing also about an "exciting casting coup".
Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt for the seventh and eighth installments of the long-running franchise that are being helmed by McQuarrie.
During his virtual appearance with Pegg and new cast member Hayley Atwell on podcast"Light the Fuse", the director made it official that Ferguson, Rhames and Kirby will reprise their characters of Ilsa Faust, Luther Stickell and Alanna Mitsopolis aka the White Widow, respectively.
He also teased that the cast will be joined by a new member, whose identity he chose not to reveal.
"There is someone we were talking to before the world blew up. An actor I was very excited about. I don't know where that is, because we had talked days before (the shutdown) and it was an incredibly exciting casting coup," McQuarrie said.
The ...

Christopher McQuarrie teases new cast member for 'MI: 7&8'

"Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight is set to write a limited series adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel "Great Expectations".
Knight will also executive produce the six-part BBC One/FX series, with his "Taboo" and "A Christmas Carol" collaborators Ridley Scott and Tom Hardy.
"Great Expectations" is the coming-of-age story of an orphan nicknamed Pip. Dickens first released it in a series of weekly chapters, beginning in December 1860, before it was published as a novel.
The series will be produced by FX Productions in association with the BBC, Scott Free and Hardy Son & Baker.
The Bafta Award-winning writer, who previously adapted Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", said translating the writer's work to screen is a delight.
"I chose 'Great Expectations' as the next work to bring to the screen not just because of the timeless characters, but also because of the very timely story.
"A story of class mobility and class intransigence, told through an intensely emotional and personal ...

Steven Knight to adapt 'Great Expectations' for BBC/FX

Writer-director Jagan Shakti, who made his directorial debut with "Mission Mangal", says he has locked the script of his next feature film -- an action-drama with an element of science.
The filmmaker said the team will make a formal announcement once the lockdown is lifted.
"I have finished one script and it is locked. It is a commercially sensible film. It is an action-drama with a dash of science in it," Shakti told PTI.
"We will go on floors when everything is normal. I am in no hurry. I want to do it properly. The film will be shot in India," he added.
The director said the film might not be big in terms of budget, but will be high on production value.
"One can add production value with lesser money, you don't need to spend crores of money on it. For example, a movie like 'Uri: The Surgical Strike' had great production value, it was made on (a budget of) Rs 30-32 crore.
"Like for my own film, 'Mission Mangal', we worked tirelessly on rocket sequences to present it in the grandest .

'Mission Mangal' director's next an action drama

American rockstar Melissa Etheridge has revealed that her 21-year-old son, Beckett Cypher has died due to his opioid addiction.
The 58-year-old singer-songwriter shared the news in an Instagram post on Wednesday, saying that Beckett struggled with addiction for years.
"Today I joined the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost loved ones to opioid addiction.
"My son Beckett, who was just 21, struggled to overcome his addiction and finally succumbed to it today. He will be missed by those who loved him, his family and friends. My heart is broken," Melissa wrote.
She thanked her friends and family members for sharing their condolences and said she can feel their "love and sincere grief".
"Wes struggle with what else we could have done to save him,and in the end we know he is out of pain now. I will sing again, soon. It has always healed me," Melissa concluded her post.
The singer shared Beckett with her former partner, filmmaker Julie Cypher. The couple, who have been separated .

Singer Melissa Etheridge's son Beckett dies from opioid addiction

Actor-director Mark Duplass is set to adapt David Grossman's acclaimed novel "A Horse Walks Into a Bar".
The movie is set in Israel and revolves around a controversial comedian, who invites an old friend, a retired judge, to watch him perform stand-up at a local bar one night.
The two men haven't spoken in over 40 years, and as the comedian confronts a personal crisis over the course of the two-hour performance, a series of candid and chilling revelations about his past that h ave haunted him, come to the fore, according to the Collider.
Duplass has previously directed "Cyrus" and "Baghead" and episodes of HBO's "Room 104".
He took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to call the book, winner of the 2017 Man Booker International Prize, one of his favorites in the last few years, adding, what an honor.
Village Roadshow Pictures will produce with Veritas Entertainment Group.

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