Movie Channels
Star Movies to premiere Jackie Chan’s ‘Around The World In 80’ Days on 16 December
Mumbai, December 13, 2005: This Friday night, get set to have a wondrous, global adventure as Star Movies premieres, Jackie Chan’s Around The World In 80 Days on December 16, 2005 at 9 p.m. An adaptation of the classic Jules Verne novel, the movie stars Jackie Chan and Steve Coogen. Celebrity cameos punctuate the film, with Arnold Schwarzenegger playing a polygamous Turkish ruler and Owen and Luke Wilson playing the hilariously squabbling Wright Brothers. In addition to the lavish sets and nonstop action, this version of the classic remains true to the idea that one should hold on to dreams, no matter how improbable or outlandish.
In this Disney adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel Around The World In 80 Days , Steve Coogan plays Phileas Fogg, a quirky inventor at the turn of the 20th century. After suffering rejection by England’s Royal Academy of Science, Fogg strives to prove his scientific worth by accepting a challenge to circumnavigate the globe in a mere 80 days. Fogg, his cohort Passepartout (Jackie Chan), and his new love Monique (Cecile de France), find trouble and excitement as they make their way from Turkey to Morocco to the United States, and ultimately Fogg discovers that scientific validation is not all he needs for a successful life.
Jackie Chan shines in his role as Passepartout, who masquerades as Fogg’s valet in an attempt to escape authorities after he robs the Bank of England. As he evades his enemies and keeps Fogg in the dark about his true background, Chan provides stellar comedic action and performs daring stunts.
“It’s fairly fast, zips some good zingers at the audience through Steve Coogan, and is just the sort of instantly forgettable fun parents can have with their kids. “– Nick Rogers, State Journal-Register (Springfield, Il)
“An energetic and enormously good-natured family movie.” — Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle.
So, for a fun night with the family, don’t forget to tune-in to this week’s Friday Night Premiere of the action-packed adventure Around The World In 80 Days on Friday, December 16, 2005 at 9:00 p.m. only on Star Movies.
STAR is a leading media and entertainment company in Asia. STAR broadcasts over 50 television services in eight languages to more than 300 million viewers across 53 Asian countries. STAR channels cover all genres including general entertainment (Star Plus, Xing Kong, Star Chinese Channel, Star One, Star Utsav, Star World, Vijay, Phoenix Chinese), sports (ESPN, Star Sports), movies (Star Chinese Movies, Star Gold, Star Movies), music (Channel [V]), and news and current affairs (Star News, Star Ananda, Phoenix InfoNews Channel). STAR controls over 20,000 hours of Indian and Chinese programming and also owns the world’s largest contemporary Chinese film library, with more than 600 titles, featuring superstars including Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat and Bruce Lee. In partnership with leading companies in Asia, STAR businesses extend to filmed entertainment, television production, cable systems and wireless and digital services. STAR is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation. www.startv.com
For further information please contact:
In Mumbai
Zeenat Khan Shiraz Bhavnani / Aditi Chada
Communications Department Vaishnavi Corporate Communications
STAR (India) Ltd. Tel: 91-22-5656 8787
Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
