Hollywood
“There is not a single nude scene in Love & Passion,” clarifies David Wolfe
MUMBAI: Veteran Hollywood director David S Wolfe is livid. And very rightly so. He sacked his PR agent in Mumbai for running a story titled ‘Bengali bombshell actress Anjana B almost nude for a Hollywood film’, which was very widely reported in the online media. Wolfe who has done almost 100 short films and documentaries in a career spanning over 30 years in Hollywood is directing his first Bollywood film with a well-known male actor in the main lead, says content agency IndyaNewz.com. Bollywood actress and dancer Anjana B has been signed on as the female lead.
Anjana has acted in films like Zilla Gaziabad, Right Ya Wrong, Chashme Baddoor and others and is a renowned theatre artiste and Indian classical dancer. She has been trained for over 10 years in Bharat Natayam and Kathak and has given about 250 Indian classical performances till date. Wolfe in a statement to the content agency said, “I signed on Anjana as she is a very good actor after auditioning for three days in Mumbai and meeting almost 50 prospective actors who were shortlisted by the casting agents in Mumbai. She has done theatre in Mumbai and Kolkata for several years and is an established classical dancer. She has a great figure, but that does not mean there is any nudity in my film. The PR agent goofed up in her enthusiasm to get the news published causing great harm to my project. She even spelt the lead actresses name incorrectly.”
“We are making this film at a budget of over Rs 100 crore. It is a big budget film and will be screened both in India as well as all over the world. It is in two versions – one for the Hollywood market in English and another version or edition for the Indian market,” Wolfe explained.
Love & Passion will be aesthetically shot in locales like Scotland, Thailand and in southern parts of India including Goa and Pondicherry, Wolfe revealed.
Wolfe is the producer and owner of Weeping Shadow Films from Sussex, Great Britain and has tied up with a Hollywood studio for international distribution of Love & Passion. The film is expected to be released in November 2014 and will go on floor in late June this year.
Hollywood
Disney unifies streaming, film, TV and games under Dana Walden
Debra O’Connell to chair Disney Entertainment Television in new setup
LOS ANGELES: The Walt Disney Company is pressing play on a more tightly woven future. As audiences hop between cinema screens, streaming apps and game worlds, the media giant is stitching its storytelling arms into one coordinated machine under Dana Walden.
Set to take charge as president and chief creative officer on March 18, Walden will oversee a newly unified Disney Entertainment structure that brings together streaming, film, television and the company’s fast-expanding games and digital business. She will report directly to incoming chief executive officer Josh D’Amaro.
The thinking is simple. Whether viewers are watching on Disney+, heading to the cinema or diving into a game, Disney wants the experience to feel like chapters of the same story. Walden summed it up as strengthening the emotional thread between Disney’s characters and its audiences, wherever they choose to engage.
The leadership reshuffle reads like a carefully cast ensemble. Alan Bergman continues as chairman of Disney Entertainment, studios, steering film production, marketing and distribution while sharing oversight of direct to consumer.
Streaming gets a dual command. Joe Earley and Adam Smith step in as co-presidents of direct to consumer, jointly handling strategy and financial performance across Disney+ and Hulu. Earley will also guide content strategy, while Smith retains his role as chief product and technology officer across Disney Entertainment and ESPN.
A new chair enters the frame with Debra O’Connell taking on the role of chairman, Disney Entertainment Television. She will oversee an expansive slate that includes ABC Entertainment, National Geographic and Hulu Originals, while continuing to supervise ABC News and owned stations.
Gaming, once a side quest, is now a central storyline. Sean Shoptaw, executive vice president, games and digital entertainment, moves into the Disney Entertainment fold. His remit includes partnerships such as the collaboration with Epic Games, aimed at building a Disney universe linked to Fortnite.
Elsewhere, John Landgraf remains chairman of FX, reporting to Walden, while Asad Ayaz continues as chief marketing and brand officer, reporting to both D’Amaro and Walden.
The message behind the reshuffle is clear. Disney is no longer thinking in silos of screens but in stories that travel. And with Walden at the creative helm, the company is betting that a single, seamless narrative can keep audiences hooked, whether they are watching, scrolling or playing.
