iWorld
Lionsgate, Dharma Productions, and Sikya Entertainment partner for “Kill”
Mumbai: Global content leader Lionsgate has acquired the North American and U.K. rights to the Indian action movie Kill for theatrical release in 2024.
Kill is directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and produced by Karan Johar & Apoorva Mehta for Dharma Productions and Guneet Monga Kapoor & Achin Jain for Sikhya Entertainment.
This ground-breaking deal marks the first time an Indian production has partnered with a Hollywood studio on a theatrical release in North America and the U.K. for a mainstream Hindi language film.
Starring newcomer Lakshya alongside Raghav Juyal and Tanya Maniktala, the extreme action flick made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival as a Midnight Madness selection.
In the film, star-crossed lovers Tulika (Maniktala) and Amrit (Lakshya) find their clandestine relationship jeopardized after Tulika’s family whisks her aboard the Rajdhani Express bound for New Delhi and an arranged marriage. But commandos Amrit and his friend are far from willing to let fate dictate their story. They embark on a “rescue” mission that becomes a gory adventure.
Blurring the lines between duty and emotion as every twist of the track could mean life or death, Kill paints a portrait of how far a man can go in love to rewrite his destiny.
Commenting on the announcement, senior vice president, acquisitions and co-productions Lauren Bixby said, “At this year’s Toronto Film Festival, we were astounded by Kill. We believe that American theatrical audiences are more discerning than ever and increasingly open to bold filmmaking from all corners of the world, so we’re confident that Kill will find an audience ready to delight in its exuberant mayhem.”
Dharma Productions continues to celebrate the grand success of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani, and Sikhya Entertainment has had a memorable year with its Oscar win for The Elephant Whisperers.
WME Independent, which is handling global sales, brokered the deal on behalf of the filmmakers alongside Christopher Davis and Kaycee Holcomb for Lionsgate.
iWorld
Meta launches AI connectors for ads in open beta
Tools enable campaign creation, reporting and insights via AI platforms.
MUMBAI: If ads were once about gut feel, Meta now wants them run on autopilot with AI riding shotgun. The company has unveiled its Meta ads AI connectors in open beta, a move aimed at embedding campaign creation, management and analysis directly into the AI tools advertisers already use. The push reflects a broader shift in digital advertising: from platform-led workflows to AI-assisted, cross-tool execution.
At the heart of the rollout are Meta’s ads model context protocol (MCP) server and a command line interface (CLI), which together allow advertisers to securely link their ad accounts to AI agents. The promise is straightforward real campaign data, not generic prompts, powering decisions across workflows.
The connectors are designed to streamline multiple layers of campaign management. Advertisers can generate detailed performance reports, create and edit campaigns using natural language, manage product catalogues, and diagnose signal quality, all without leaving their preferred AI environment.
Meta is also leaning into ease of adoption. For MCP, the company says setup requires no coding, developer credentials or API integrations, positioning the tools as accessible for businesses of varying sizes and technical maturity.
The launch complements Meta’s existing AI business assistant within Ads Manager, which focuses on recommendations and troubleshooting inside the platform. The connectors, by contrast, extend that intelligence outward into third-party AI tools that marketers increasingly rely on for cross-channel planning and automation.
The underlying strategy is clear: instead of forcing advertisers deeper into its ecosystem, Meta is meeting them where they already work while still keeping its data and ad infrastructure at the core of decision-making.
As AI continues to reshape how campaigns are conceived and executed, Meta’s latest move signals a future where managing ads may feel less like operating software and more like having a conversation.
