Hollywood
Two classic martial arts titles to be remade
MUMBAI: Celestial Pictures and The Weinsten Company announced that they will be joining hands to recreate The Avenging Eagle and Come Drink with Me. These movies are owned by the Shaw Brothers Library, the largest Chinese feature film in the world.
Harvey Weinstein and David Thwaites will be the producers while Jon Fusco will be making the screenplay. This will be Celestial Pictures’ first English language adaptation of the martial arts movies from Shaw Brothers’ films.
In The Avenging Eagle, orphans are raised by a cabal master called as King Eagle who grow up to be a part of his gang of thugs called The Thirteen Eagles. But one of them starts to rebel and avenge the King Eagle. The original movie released in Hong Kong in 1978 won many accolades.
A group of thugs kidnap an official in Come Drink With Me, in exchanged for their captured leader. The official’s sister, a martial artist is sent to free him but is hit by a poisonous dart. She is then helped by a beggar, who is a Kung-Fu master in disguise. The original is a 1966 movie from Hong Kong.
The deal for The Avenging Eagle and Come Drink With Me was negotiated by Kristen Tong for Celestial Pictures with David Glasser for TWC.
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.
