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 sells out ad slots for 98th Oscars broadcast
Strong demand for live events turns the Academy Awards into a global, multi-platform marketing moment
NEW YORK: Hollywood’s biggest night has also become one of advertising’s hottest tickets. Disney has sold out all advertising inventory for the 98th Oscars, underscoring the growing demand from brands eager to ride the cultural wave of major live events.
The sell-out marks the sixth consecutive live tentpole success for Disney Advertising. The streak includes last year’s 97th Oscars, the 59th Annual CMA Awards, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, signalling strong appetite among marketers for moments that bring audiences together in real time.
For advertisers, the Oscars are no longer just a single night of glitz and gold statues. Disney’s “Content Everywhere” strategy has expanded the awards show into a sprawling, multi-platform brand playground spanning linear television, streaming, social media and digital content.
“Live continues to be one of the most powerful ways for brands to connect with engaged audiences at scale, and the Oscars represent the very best of culture, creativity and community,” said Disney Advertising SVP, entertainment and streaming solutions John Campbell. He added that the company has reshaped the show’s commercial potential into a connected experience that stretches well beyond the broadcast.
Brands such as Mazda, Pfizer and Volkswagen of America are tapping into Disney’s wider ecosystem, appearing across original content segments including Know Your Movies on Hulu and Critically Acclaimed on Disney+. Partnerships also extend to social media through TikTok Pulse Premiere and to custom brand storytelling created by Disney CreativeWorks.
The result is what Disney calls the “Oscars Everywhere” approach. Rather than a few high-profile ad breaks, advertisers now find themselves woven through a series of moments before, during and after the ceremony.
These include On The Red Carpet at The Oscars, a live pre-show syndicated across major local markets and streamed nationwide, and the After the Oscars Show, which keeps the conversation going once the final award has been handed out.
This year’s sponsors include Rolex, returning for its ninth year, and Burger King, which joins the Oscars advertiser roster for the first time. Other brands in the mix include Disney Cruise Line, Dunkin’, Eli Lilly and Company, Eucerin, Intuit TurboTax, L’Oréal, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Miebo, Paris Baguette, Peacock, Starbucks, State Farm, Toyota and Verizon.
The 98th Oscars will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu, reaching audiences in more than 200 territories worldwide.
