News Analysis India

Tag: Amazon Prime

  • ‘Upload’ season two to premiere on Prime Video in March

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Amazon’s popular sci-fi comedy series “Upload” will return with its season two on March 11.

    The seven-episode second season will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world, the streaming service said in a statement.

    “Upload” has been created by Greg Daniels, the man behind hit sitcoms like the US version of “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation”.

    The single-camera sitcom, featuring Robbie Amell and Andy Allo, takes place in the near future, where people who are near death can be “uploaded” into a virtual afterlife of their choice.

    In season two, Nathan (Amell) is at a crossroads in his (after) life… his girlfriend Ingrid (Allegra Edwards) has unexpectedly arrived to Lakeview hoping to strengthen their relationship, but his heart still secretly yearns for his customer service angel Nora (Allo).

    Meanwhile, Nora is off the grid and involved with the anti-tech rebel group “The Ludds”.

    The second season is loaded with new near-future concepts, including Lakeview’s newest in-app digital baby program called “prototykes”, and other satirical glimpses of the technological advances and headaches to come.

    “Upload” is executive-produced by Daniels and his producing partner Howard Klein. 

  • Jonathan Nolan to direct ‘Fallout’ series

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Television series ‘Fallout’ will be directed by Jonathan Nolan, brother of award-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan.Variety has confirmed that Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner are now attached to serve as co-showrunners on the video game adaptation.Nolan and Lisa Joy were previously announced as executive producers on the project under the Kilter Films banner, reports variety.com.Robertson-Dworet is best known for her work on the screenplays for the 2018 ‘Tomb Raider’ film starring Alicia Vikander and for the 2019 Marvel film ‘Captain Marvel’. Wagner’s past credits include ‘Silicon Valley’, ‘Portlandia’ ‘Baskets’, and ‘The Office’.The ‘Fallout’ Amazon series was first announced as being in the works in July 2020 with a series commitment penalty attached, reports variety.com.The series hails from Amazon Studios and Kilter Films in association with the games’ producers Bethesda Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks. Nolan and Joy will executive produce alongside Athena Wickham for Kilter Films, with Todd Howard as an executive producer for Bethesda Game Studios, and James Altman for Bethesda Softworks.Lionsgate is also executive producing the series. Robertson-Dworet and Wagner will executive produce and serve as co-showrunners. Nolan and Joy signed a substantial overall deal with Amazon in 2019.The ‘Fallout’ games are set in a world where the future envisioned by Americans in the late 1940s explodes upon itself through a nuclear war in 2077.The first game was released in 1997. The most recent instalment in the franchise, the prequel ‘Fallout 76’, was released in 2018. The games have proven incredibly popular throughout their run and have been met with positive reviews by both critics and fans. 

  • ‘Jumanji’ movies completely changed my life, says actor Madison Iseman

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Actor Madison Iseman says the rebooted “Jumanji” movies were a turning point in her career and she is hopeful that the makers will plan to come up with a third movie in the franchise someday.

    Iseman featured as the social media savvy Bethany Walker in 2017’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Next Level” and its 2019 sequel “Jumanji: The Next Level”.

    The original movie was a reboot of Robin Williams’ classic 1995 movie “Jumanji”.

    The actor said her career took a whole new direction after she starred in the franchise alongside the likes of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan.

    “That movie just completely changed my life and I’m so grateful for everyone behind it. And there’s still hope that maybe we’ll do another one. 

    “I don’t know, especially with the pandemic and the whole theatre situation right now, but I love all those people so much and I kind of owe them everything,” Iseman told PTI in a roundtable interview on Zoom.

    Prior to the hit franchise, she appeared on the series “Modern Family” and “Henry Danger”, and later starred in horror films like “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween” and “Annabelle Comes Home”.

    Iseman currently features in teen horror series “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and she said the show continues the trend of her being part of projects that are fresh takes on stories told earlier.

    “It (‘Jumanji’) was the first scary franchise that we decided to remake. And same thing was with the show. It was so great and totally reinventing it and making something different. So maybe this is becoming a trend for my career.”

    “I Know What You Did Last Summer” is a contemporary adaptation of the 1973 novel by Lois Duncan and the 1997 American slasher film of the same name, about four young teens whose high school graduation partying takes a deadly turn when they kill someone in a car accident.

    In the show, Iseman plays the roles of twin sisters — Allison and Lennon.

    To play the parts, she said it was essential to have a better understanding of the two characters.

    “I’ve always wanted to play twins. The first thing was to make sure I had a clear idea of who these people were individually and their whole backstory and history and who they were as a little girl and really know them from the back of my hand.

    “I do have to slip into that persona of wearing the face of the other. It came naturally and it was a time where it was okay to have flips.”

     Actor Brianne Tiju, who stars as Margot on the show, said she was both excited and nervous about the show “I was so nervous.

    I guess in my head I never thought I would get this part and you talk to any actors who have been auditioning for a long time, you keep the expectations low because you get rejected all the time.

    “But for this one when I got it, it was super exciting, nerve-wracking. But what calmed me down was I got to speak to Sarah Goodman about the show,” said Tiju, known for her roles in the MTV series “Scream” and Hulu series “Light as a Feather”.

    Model-turned-actor Ashley Moore, who rose to fame on the E! series “Model Squad”, said she has been a huge fan of the original film and was thrilled about working on the series adaptation.

    “I grew up watching it and when I was presented with the opportunity for this role, I was really excited to take it. Because I was such a huge fan of it, I couldn’t wait to film the series about it,” Moore, who stars as Riley, Lennon’s friend, said.

    “It’s so iconic and has a huge fan base and people are so in love with this. It was very exciting for me,” she added.

    Actor-writer Ezekiel Goodman is hopeful the show will be able to strike a chord with the younger generation.

    He stars in the show as Dylan, Allison’s love interest and Riley’s best friend.

    “In a lot of ways, it’s a coming-of-age show. And so, I think that the process of young people finding out who they are, I would hope that the audience will be able to find little parts of themselves in each character.”

    Written and executive produced by Sara Goodman, “I Know What You Did Last Summer” currently streams on Prime Video.

    The show is produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television.

  • Sardar Udham to premiere on Prime Video in October

    By Express News Service

    Shoojit Sircar’s film, Sardar Udham, starring Vicky Kaushal, will premiere on Amazon Prime Video in October. Sardar Udham tells the story of the titular revolutionary, who assassinated Michael O’ Dwyer in London in 1940. The assassination was done in revenge for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919. Besides Vicky as Sardar Udham Singh, the film also stars Banita Sandhu and Amol Parashar (as Bhagat Singh). Shoojit’s last feature, Gulabo Sitabo (2020), was also released on Amazon Prime Video. 

    “With every story that we present on Amazon Prime Video, we ensure that the narrative is replete with emotions and depth that finds a place in the heart of every viewer,” said Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video, India. “Continuing a great partnership with Rising Sun Films, we are proud to present Sardar Udham, a stirring story of courage, fortitude and fearlessness, from the buried treasures of our history and culture.”

    “It has been exhilarating to create this film that showcases and acknowledges Udham Singh’s patriotism and deep-rooted, selfless love for his motherland,” said Producer Ronnie Lahiri. “Two decades’ worth of research and understanding has been put by the team to present this untold story. Vicky has worked tirelessly to bring out the real essence of Udham Singh’s myriad emotions throughout his life’s journey. We are glad to continue our prolific collaboration with Amazon Prime Video and are thrilled to share this historical epic story with a global audience.”

  • Kate Beckinsale’s Jolt to stream on Amazon Prime 

    By Express News Service
    Kate Beckinsale’s next is set to release on Amazon Prime Video on July 23, the streaming giant announced. Billed as an action thriller, Jolt will also star Bobby Cannavale, Jai Courtney, Laverne Cox, David Bradley, Ori Pfeffer, Susan Sarandon, and Stanley Tucci.

    Directed by Tanya Wexler, best-known for helming Hysteria and Buffaloed, the film will have an original screenplay by Scott Wascha. The story of Jolt reportedly follows Lindy, played by Beckinsale, who experiences angry murderous episodes due to a rare chronic neurological condition. Beckinsale is best known for playing Selene in the Underworld film series and was last seen in the Amazon Original series The Widow. Her upcoming films include El Tonto and Prisoner’s Daughter.

  • Ken Jeong to lead Amazon Prime’s ‘Shoot the Moon’

    By Express News Service
    Ken Jeong, best known for playing Leslie Chow in The Hangover trilogy and his roles in comedies such as Vampires Suck, Ride Along 2, and Crazy Rich Asians will be playing the lead role in Amazon Prime Video’s forthcoming comedy series Shoot the Moon.

    Billed as a half-hour, single-camera project, the series is reportedly inspired by the life of Paul Bae, a former high school English teacher and stand-up comedian who created a podcast series titled The Black Tapes in 2015.Jeong is reported to be playing Michael, who, having accomplished the American Dream, goes on a quest to reevaluate and rebuild his life when his marriage and career fall apart. 

    Actor Daniel Dae Kim is set to produce Shoot the Moon through his production company 3AD in association with Amazon Studios. Jeon was recently seen in the live-action film version of Tom & Jerry and the action film Boss Level.

  • Amazon Prime Video’s ‘The Wilds’ season 2 goes on floors

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: The makers of Amazon Prime Video’s ‘The Wilds’ announced that the second season of the series went on floors on Wednesday.

    Confirming the news that they have begun filming, makers took to their Instagram handle and shared a BTS picture from the sets of the series.

    “We’re back baby. The Wilds Season 2, Day 1 of production,” the caption read.

    ‘The Wilds’ follows a group of young girls who become stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes. The first season consisted of 10 episodes, which released on the streamer on December 11, last year.

    ‘The Wilds’ was created by Sarah Streicher and stars Rachel Griffiths (Gretchen Klein), Sophia Taylor Ali (Fatin Jadmani), Shannon Berry (Dot Campbell), Sarah Pidgeon (Leah Rilke), Erana James (Toni Shalifoe), Jenna Clause (Martha Blackburn), David Sullivan (Daniel Faber), Troy Winbush (Dean Young), Helena Howard (Nora Reid), Reign Edwards (Rachel Reid) and Mia Healey (Shelby Goodkind).

    The series is co-produced by Amazon Studios and ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios. Streicher also serves as executive producer on the series alongside Amy B. Harris, Jamie Tarses, and Dylan Clark. 

  • Chris Pratt-starrer ‘The Tomorrow War’ to release on Amazon Prime in July

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: American actor Chris Pratt’s upcoming sci-fi thriller ‘The Tomorrow War’ is set to debut on Amazon Prime this summer.

    As per Variety, the time-travel movie, helmed by Chris McKay, will release on the streaming platform on July 2, this year.

    The streaming platform reportedly shelled out USD 200 million for rights to ‘The Tomorrow War’, which was developed and produced by Skydance Media. Paramount Pictures was originally set to distribute the film.

    McKay, who made his feature-film directorial debut with ‘The Lego Batman Movie’, praised the filmmaking team behind the big-budget tentpole.

    “I’m so proud of this incredible cast and crew who worked under challenging circumstances to create a unique, original sci-fi action movie, something that’s increasingly rare,” McKay said.

    He added, “Watching this team of actors and artisans effortlessly blend action, horror, comedy, and drama was a dream come true for me…and I hope will thrill audiences this summer.”

    The film takes place after time travellers come to the present day to tell mankind that in the future they are losing a global war against a deadly alien species. The time travellers must recruit soldiers and civilians from the present to be transported to the future to join the fight.

    Pratt plays high school teacher and family man Dan Forester, who is determined to save the world for his young daughter. He teams up with a brilliant scientist (Yvonne Strahovski) and his estranged father (J.K. Simmons).

    Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, and Edwin Hodge will also star in the movie, which was produced by David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Jules Daly, David Goyer, and Adam Kolbrenner. Rob Cowan, Pratt, Brian Oliver, and Bradley J. Fischer executive produced the project.

  • New IT rules put in place mechanism for adherence to Ethics Code by OTT platforms: Centre to SC

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 put in place an institutional mechanism for adherence of Digital Media Ethics Code by the OTT platforms.

    It said the government was seized of the need for developing an institutional mechanism regarding regulation of audio visual content streamed on OTT platforms and was consulting the stakeholders over the past two years.

    The IT Rules, 2021 also provides for self-classification of audio visual content of such platforms into five age-based categories for informed choice by viewers, it said.

    The Centre said it has received several complaints/ representations from members of civil society, members of Parliament, Chief Ministers regarding the content of programmes being streamed on OTT platforms and the need for putting in place a mechanism to check content on these platforms.

    In an affidavit, filed in a pending petition, the government said it notified the new rules on February 25, to put in place an institutional mechanism for following a code of ethics by Over-The-Top (OTT) players and a redressal of any grievances in this regard.

    “It is respectfully submitted that the answering respondent is seized of the need for developing an institutional mechanism regarding regulation of audio visual content streamed on OTT platforms and has been in active consultation with stakeholders over the period of last two years,” it said.

    “It is humbly submitted that in various jurisdictions across the globe like Singapore, European Union, Australia, etc have also framed similar mechanisms regulating/restricting access to the content on the OTT platforms”, it said.

    The government said the new rules are comprehensive in nature and framed keeping in view the major audience enjoyed by the OTT platforms and maintaining a fine balance so that various age groups are taken into account and a healthy classification is being done.

    It said that the government is taking measures to further strengthen mechanisms in accordance with the rules.

    The Centre’s affidavit has been filed on a plea of one Shashank Shekhar Jha, seeking regulating OTT platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime by an autonomous body.

    The top court had on October 15, last year sought response from the Centre on the plea of Jha and co-petitioner Apurva Arhatia, who have said that a proper board/institution /association for the monitoring and management of content on different OTT/Streaming and digital media platforms was needed.

    “With cinemas theatres unlikely to open anytime soon in the country, OTT/Streaming and different digital media platforms have surely given a way out for filmmakers and artists to release their content without being worried about getting clearance certificates for their films and series from the censor board,” the plea said.

    At present, however, there is no law or autonomous body governing the digital content to monitor and manage these digital contents and it is made available to the public at large without any filter or screening, it said.

    “Lack of legislation governing OTT/Streaming Platforms is becoming evident with each passing day and every new case that is filed on these grounds.”

    “The government is facing heat to fill this lacuna with regulations from the public and the Judiciary; still the relevant government departments have not done anything significant to regularise these OTT/Streaming Platforms,” the plea said.

    None of the OTT/Streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Zee5, and Hotstar have signed the self-regulation provided by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting since February 2020, it said.

    The ministry had earlier told the top court in a separate case that there is a need to regulate digital media and that the court may first appoint a committee of persons as amicus before laying down guidelines with respect to the regulation of hate speech in the media.

  • Bombay HC asks Amazon to take down Telugu film ‘V’ over actor’s defamation case

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has directed OTT platform Amazon to take down a Telugu movie until the makers of the film deleted a scene in which a city-based actor’s photograph was allegedly used without prior permission.

    Justice Gautam Patel on Tuesday heard a defamation suit filed by model and actor Sakshi Malik against Venkateshwara Creations Pvt Ltd for allegedly using her photograph without permission in their movie.

    Malik’s advocate Saveena Bedi said the scene showed Malik’s photograph, referring to her as a commercial sex worker.

    “Simply using another image, and most especially a private image, without consent is prima facie impermissible, unlawful and entirely illegal. In a given case, it may also be defamatory, depending on the type of use,” the court said in its order.

    The order copy was made available on Wednesday.

    “The fact that the image has been illicitly used is bad enough. It only makes matters worse when used in a plainly derogatory and demeaning vein,” Justice Patel said.

    The court directed OTT platform Amazon to take down the movie within 24 hours until the said scene is deleted.

    “It is not acceptable for them (movie’s makers) to merely pixelate or blur the images. The entire sequence, which has the image of the plaintiff (Malik), is to be removed immediately,” Justice Patel said.

    Malik’s advocate Bedi had argued that the actor has a huge fan following on social media and has also appeared in a few Bollywood songs.

    Bedi argued that Malik’s photo was used illicitly by the defendant in a Telugu movie titled ‘V’ that was released on Amazon on September 5, 2020.

    As per Malik’s suit, she had commissioned a photographer in 2017 for creating a portfolio.

    “In August 2017, she (Malik) posted some photographs from the portfolio on her Instagram account.

    One of these photos was used in a scene of the Telugu movie where there is reference to a commercial sex worker,” Bedi said.

    According to the suit, this was an unauthorised invasion of privacy and unauthorised use of private material.

    It was defamatory to Malik that her image was used to depict her in the motion picture as an escort or commercial sex worker, it stated.

    Justice Patel in the order noted that the contentions raised by Malik and her lawyer were correct.

    “Indeed, I do not believe there is any other way of looking at it,” the order said.

    The defendant claimed that they had contracted with an agency to procure the image and had assumed that prior approval would have been taken from the woman, whose photo was to be used.

    The court, however, noted that this argument of the defendant seemed “less than compelling”.

    “Surely any right-thinking motion picture producer would have insisted on seeing an approval or consent by the model or person who is featured or to be featured,” Justice Patel said, adding that this must be the standard procedure everywhere.

    The court said once the defendant has made the necessary alteration and deletion, the same will have to be shown to Malik and her advocate.

    “Only after this, I will allow defendant 3 (Amazon) to re-release the movie,” Justice Patel said, posting the matter for further hearing on March 8.