Hollywood
Sony Pictures India releases an exciting slate of Hollywood movies for 2014-2015
As we ready ourselves to enter into the New Year, even production houses have chalked out their plans to entertain viewers with the big releases. One of those is Sony Pictures India that has released its slate of Hollywood movies for 2014-2015.
Kicking off the New Year will be Carrie on 17 January, the supernatural horror reimagining of the 1976 cult classic, based on the bestselling Stephen King novel about a shy, alienated girl who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.
Following this, will be the release of Robocop on Valentine’s Day (14 February), another re-envisioning of the hit 1987 film about a bionic man facing humankind’s ever daunting question on who wins in the end: man or machine?
Another remake soon follows suit on 11 April in the form of About Last Night, a reboot of the 1986 film of the same name, which was based on the 1974 David Mamet play, Sexual Perversity In Chicago.
On 2 May, Peter Parker returns to fight against Electro, a formidable villain who has terrorised New York City in Spider Man 2.
20 June would witness the release of two of the most highly anticipated movies of 2014, the first being Heaven Is For Real, about a small-town father who must find the courage and conviction to share his son’s extraordinary, life-changing experience with the world, and the next being 22 Jump Street, the sequel to 2012 box office hit 21 Jump Street, about two police officers going undercover as adolescent students at a local school.
25 July would see the release of the Eric Bana-starrer Deliver Us From Evil. On 8 Aug, watch a married couple wake up to discover that the sex tape they made the evening before has gone missing, leading to a frantic search for its whereabouts in Sex Tape.
Think Like A Man Too, another sequel, of the 2012 film will release on 29 August. Next up will be No Good Deeds, a movie about a former district attorney turned stay-at-home mom and her two small children who are terrorised and kidnapped after she invites a handsome but mysterious stranger into their home to wait for help after his car runs off the road releasing on 26 September.
The Equalizer would release on 3 October, the storyline follows a retired intelligence officer Robert McCall who turns into a vigilante for the helpless. Ending the year on high note on 14 November would be The Interview, a movie about a late night talk show host and his producer best friend, approached by the CIA and asked to assassinate Kim, a mysterious and ruthless dictator of a nuclear-armed North Korea making them two of the least qualified men ever to assassinate – or interview – the most dangerous man on earth.
Films slated for release in 2015 includes Annie, Kitchen Sink, Chappie, the new James Bond movie, and the latest installments in The Smurfs and Hotel Transylvania franchise.
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.
