Kids
Warner Bros. ups ante for release of new ‘Potter’ film
MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Pictures has opened Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in 4,285 locations and over 9,000 screens in the US. As part of this opening, the film is being shown digitally on 579 screens in 325 locations, more than any Warner Bros. film to date.
With showings in many cities starting at midnight, the film also has the largest number of day-and-date international openings of any film in the franchise, with simultaneous releases in 44 markets worldwide from 11 July. This far surpasses any of the previous Harry Potter release patterns, almost doubling the 24-market release pattern of the previous record holder Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
In addition, Warner Bros. has generated the greatest overall number of prints for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with over 22,000 prints going to exhibitors around the world. Internationally, it is also the largest digital cinema release to date for any Warner Bros. title with over 750 screens.
On the Imax front the film is breaking industry records, going up on more Imax screens than any previous release. The film opened on 126 Imax screens worldwide – 91 of those in the US, with many featuring the final scenes of the film in Imax 3D.
In the film Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts only to discover that much of the wizarding community has been led to believe that the story of the teenager‘s recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort is a lie, putting Harry‘s integrity in question. Worse, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, has appointed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the duplicitous Professor Dolores Umbridge.
But Professor Umbridge‘s “Ministry-approved” course of defensive magic leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the Dark forces threatening them, so, at the prompting of his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry is convinced to take matters into his own hands.
Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves “Dumbledore‘s Army,” Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that lies ahead.
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
