Hollywood
‘The Jungle Book’ to premiere on three Star channels on 27 November
MUMBAI: Star Movies has been home to the biggest blockbusters that have enthralled audiences over the years. Star Movies and Star Movies Select HD are all set to bring the beloved childhood classic – Disney’s The Jungle Book to audiences in India.
Some stories leave a lasting impression on our minds while some fade away. Jungle Book is the former; a story that has kept us spellbound with every adaptation, be it TV or film. Academy Award winning director Jon Favreau brings to life Disney’s The Jungle Book as a benchmark of how CGI films have developed over the years. Disney’s The Jungle Book will premiere on Star Movies, Star Movies HD and Star Movies Select HD on 27 November (Sunday,) at 1pm and 9pm.
The film’s cast includes three Oscar winners: Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o and Christopher Walken; and an Oscar nominee: Bill Murray. Featuring Neel Sethi as Mowgli with voices from Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, Scarlet Johansson, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o and many more, the film rings true to Rudyard Kipling’s timeless tale. All the characters in the movie played an instrumental role in helping Mowgli make the jungle his home. Whether it was Raksha who took care of him as her own; Bagheera who protected him from the sinister Shere Khan or the free spirited Baloo- they formed a family like no other. Disney’s The Jungle Book is about values as much as it is about the grandeur of film-making.
With a worldwide gross of over US$ 963.7 million, the film is the year’s highest grossing Hollywood film in India and second biggest grossing film of 2016 (Hindi and English including).
Visually stunning, Jon Favreau’s re-telling of a classic pays tribute to the original adventure of one of your most beloved childhood stories.
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.
