Hindi
Disney signs five-film deal with Imax
MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Co has forged a five-movie deal with Imax Corp.The first project to hit the Imax “ultra-big screen theaters” will be A Christmas Carol, adaption of the Charles Dickens‘ story, in 3D format.
Starring Jim Carrey and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the movie is slated to release on 6 November 2009.
The announcement was made by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group president Mark Zoradi. The upcoming films from the Studio will see a roster of filmmakers that may include director Tim Burton as well as producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the company said in a release. Disney has not announced what the other four titles will be.
Zoradi said, “We can‘t think of a better way to launch than with Robert Zemeckis‘ new approach to the Dickens‘ classic, A Christmas Carol. Following that, we have a slate of new Disney Digital 3D motion pictures from some of the industry‘s most accomplished and innovative filmmakers. Audiences are going to love being immersed in these great fantasies and adventures in IMAX‘s format.”
“Entering into a five-picture agreement with Walt Disney Studios helps us ensure that our network has an outstanding slate of movies going forward,” said Imax co-chairmen and co-CEOs Richard L Gelfond and Bradley J Wechsler.
As of September, Imax had 320 theatres worldwide and aims to have up to 50 converted to digital technology by the end of the year.
Hindi
Jio Studios, Sanjay Dutt team up to revive Khal Nayak
Rights acquired for new version, format under wraps as remake plans take shape.
MUMBAI: The villain is back and this time, he’s rewriting his own script. Jio Studios has partnered with Three Dimension Motion Pictures and Aspect Entertainment to revive the 1993 cult classic Khal Nayak, marking a fresh chapter for one of Bollywood’s most iconic anti-hero stories. The original film, directed by Subhash Ghai under Mukta Arts, was a commercial and cultural milestone, with Sanjay Dutt’s portrayal of Ballu becoming one of Hindi cinema’s most memorable performances.
Dutt, along with Aksha Kamboj, has now acquired the rights from the original creators, bringing on board Jio Studios and its President Jyoti Deshpande to steer the project creatively.
While the exact format whether remake, sequel, prequel, or a completely new narrative remains undisclosed, the collaboration aims to reinterpret the story for contemporary audiences while retaining the essence that made the original a defining film of the 1990s.
The move taps into a broader industry trend of reviving legacy intellectual property, particularly characters with strong recall value. “Khal Nayak” was notable for pushing mainstream Hindi cinema into morally grey territory at a time when heroes were largely one-dimensional, making Ballu’s character a standout.
The project also marks the film production debut of Aspect Entertainment, signalling a push towards more technology-led storytelling frameworks. Meanwhile, Jio Studios continues to expand its slate, having built a library of over 200 films and series, with more than 60 titles collectively winning 500-plus awards.
For Dutt, the revival is as much personal as it is strategic, a return to a role that reshaped his career. For the industry, it is another sign that nostalgia, when paired with scale, remains a powerful box-office proposition.
Because in Bollywood, some villains never fade, they just wait for the perfect comeback.
