Tag: HBO

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel keeps dragons, adds diversity

    By Associated Press

    The prequel to “Game of Thrones’’ is set to forge its own storytelling path, with a new set of characters and a more diverse team behind the scenes.

    “House of the Dragon” takes place two centuries before the events of the original series, which ended its hit eight-season run in May 2019. The 10-episode prequel begins Sunday on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

    The story focuses on House Targaryen, made famous in “Game of Thrones” by Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys and her fearsome dragons. But don’t expect “House of the Dragon’’ to be a remake of “Game of Thrones,’’ cast member Steve Toussaint said.

    “It’s been done and they did it exceedingly well,” said Toussaint, who plays the very rich Lord Corlys Velaryon. “You know you’re in that world, but you’re seeing a different story, different characters, different motivations.”

    Among the new faces in the clan is Prince Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith. His villainous character is a lot more complex than he appears to be on first viewing, the actor said.

    “I think the reason I’ve had fun is because he’s maybe not just a villain,” he said. “I think there’s actually a huge amount of fragility and depth and inner madness there. … It’s not black and white. It can go either way with Daemon at any point.”

    Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire and Blood,” the drama was co-created by Martin and Ryan Condal, whose credits include the 2016-19 sci-fi drama “Colony.” Condal is an executive producer and co-showrunner with director Miguel Sapochnik, who brings his experience on “Game of Thrones” to the prequel.

    “House of the Dragon,” much like its predecessor, focuses on familial succession with a female heir being overlooked. But Sapochnik notes a key difference between the two series: The team making the prequel is more diverse, including a 50-50 split between male and female directors, including Sapochnik, Clare Kilner, Geeta Vasant Patel and Greg Yaitanes.

    There was a conscious push to be inclusive behind the scenes, Sapochnik says.

    “We really tried to, as much as possible, hire as many female crew as we could, because we think that’s a really important shift that needs to be both recognized, acknowledged, acted upon, maybe give opportunities to people who don’t get opportunities,” he explained.

    The team making “Dragon” is equally as diverse, and — for the fantasy genre — boasts a relative bounty of women in the writers’ room. The gender balance affects the show’s story and tone, according to some of its female cast members.

    The series opens with an aristocratic council naming Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) as heir to the Iron Throne, bypassing his older cousin Princess Rhaenys Velaryon (Eve Best). But Viserys must have his own heir, with dreams of power held by Daemon, his younger brother, and Viserys’ daughter Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy plays the adult version, Milly Alcock the youth).

    “You definitely don’t feel like a device or a prop and you don’t feel like the sexy wench or the mother,” said Olivia Cooke, who plays the adult Alicent Hightower, longtime friend to Rhaenyra. “You feel that you’ve got a fully-fledged character which is really nourishing to play.”

    The ensemble cast also includes Emily Carey, Graham McTavish, Fabien Frankel, Rhys Ifans and Sonoya Mizuno.

    Carey, who plays the younger Alicent, calls the inclusion of women in all aspects of production a step “in the right direction” for the fantasy genre.

    Although virtually every female character faces misogyny, each is “still a fully fledged, three-dimensional female character,” Carey said. “They still have multiple other story lines and a whole life away from that misogynistic story line. They’re not just put in the show to serve a purpose. And I think that’s what makes it so special.”

    “House of the Dragon” screenwriter Charmaine DeGraté said “it was important for George (R.R. Martin, a prequel executive producer) for it to be this way. Female-driven characters, female-driven shows and female-driven writers rooms just sort of elevates the story. That’s a wonderful way to expand the universe.”

    The prequel to “Game of Thrones’’ is set to forge its own storytelling path, with a new set of characters and a more diverse team behind the scenes.

    “House of the Dragon” takes place two centuries before the events of the original series, which ended its hit eight-season run in May 2019. The 10-episode prequel begins Sunday on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

    The story focuses on House Targaryen, made famous in “Game of Thrones” by Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys and her fearsome dragons. But don’t expect “House of the Dragon’’ to be a remake of “Game of Thrones,’’ cast member Steve Toussaint said.

    “It’s been done and they did it exceedingly well,” said Toussaint, who plays the very rich Lord Corlys Velaryon. “You know you’re in that world, but you’re seeing a different story, different characters, different motivations.”

    Among the new faces in the clan is Prince Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith. His villainous character is a lot more complex than he appears to be on first viewing, the actor said.

    “I think the reason I’ve had fun is because he’s maybe not just a villain,” he said. “I think there’s actually a huge amount of fragility and depth and inner madness there. … It’s not black and white. It can go either way with Daemon at any point.”

    Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire and Blood,” the drama was co-created by Martin and Ryan Condal, whose credits include the 2016-19 sci-fi drama “Colony.” Condal is an executive producer and co-showrunner with director Miguel Sapochnik, who brings his experience on “Game of Thrones” to the prequel.

    “House of the Dragon,” much like its predecessor, focuses on familial succession with a female heir being overlooked. But Sapochnik notes a key difference between the two series: The team making the prequel is more diverse, including a 50-50 split between male and female directors, including Sapochnik, Clare Kilner, Geeta Vasant Patel and Greg Yaitanes.

    There was a conscious push to be inclusive behind the scenes, Sapochnik says.

    “We really tried to, as much as possible, hire as many female crew as we could, because we think that’s a really important shift that needs to be both recognized, acknowledged, acted upon, maybe give opportunities to people who don’t get opportunities,” he explained.

    The team making “Dragon” is equally as diverse, and — for the fantasy genre — boasts a relative bounty of women in the writers’ room. The gender balance affects the show’s story and tone, according to some of its female cast members.

    The series opens with an aristocratic council naming Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) as heir to the Iron Throne, bypassing his older cousin Princess Rhaenys Velaryon (Eve Best). But Viserys must have his own heir, with dreams of power held by Daemon, his younger brother, and Viserys’ daughter Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy plays the adult version, Milly Alcock the youth).

    “You definitely don’t feel like a device or a prop and you don’t feel like the sexy wench or the mother,” said Olivia Cooke, who plays the adult Alicent Hightower, longtime friend to Rhaenyra. “You feel that you’ve got a fully-fledged character which is really nourishing to play.”

    The ensemble cast also includes Emily Carey, Graham McTavish, Fabien Frankel, Rhys Ifans and Sonoya Mizuno.

    Carey, who plays the younger Alicent, calls the inclusion of women in all aspects of production a step “in the right direction” for the fantasy genre.

    Although virtually every female character faces misogyny, each is “still a fully fledged, three-dimensional female character,” Carey said. “They still have multiple other story lines and a whole life away from that misogynistic story line. They’re not just put in the show to serve a purpose. And I think that’s what makes it so special.”

    “House of the Dragon” screenwriter Charmaine DeGraté said “it was important for George (R.R. Martin, a prequel executive producer) for it to be this way. Female-driven characters, female-driven shows and female-driven writers rooms just sort of elevates the story. That’s a wonderful way to expand the universe.”

  • Kate Winslet to headline HBO’s The Palace

    By Express News Service

    Academy award winner Kate Winslet is set to star in HBO’s upcoming limited series, The Palace.Helmed by director Stephen Frears, the show has Succession writer and executive producer Will Tracy as the creator. Frears’ previous credits include The Queen and State of the Union.

    It is reported that the series, written by Seth Reiss, Juli Weiner, Jen Sprya, Gary Shteyngart and Sarah DeLappe, is about an authoritarian regime on the verge of unravelling.

    Apart from acting in The Palace, Winslet will also serve as one of the executive producers. 

    Academy award winner Kate Winslet is set to star in HBO’s upcoming limited series, The Palace.
    Helmed by director Stephen Frears, the show has Succession writer and executive producer Will Tracy as the creator. Frears’ previous credits include The Queen and State of the Union.

    It is reported that the series, written by Seth Reiss, Juli Weiner, Jen Sprya, Gary Shteyngart and Sarah DeLappe, is about an authoritarian regime on the verge of unravelling.

    Apart from acting in The Palace, Winslet will also serve as one of the executive producers. 

  • George R R Martin tests positive for covid-19, skips ‘House of the Dragon’ premiere 

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES:  “Game of Thrones” author George RR Martin gave the premiere of “House of the Dragon” here a miss after he tested positive for covid-19.

    Martin contracted the virus in the days following his appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con panel of “House of the Dragon”, based on his book “Fire & Blood” set generations before the events of “Game of Thrones”.

    According to Variety, HBO and HBO Max’s chief content officer Casey Bloys on Wednesday evening informed the audience at the Los Angeles premiere of the upcoming fantasy series about Martin’s absence.

    “I was going to start today by introducing George RR Martin and tell you how great it is to have George on the journey with us. Unfortunately, George got covid at Comic-Con, so he’s not here. I think he’s feeling fine, so nothing to worry about,” said Bloys.

    “I wanted to tell you what a pleasure it is and how lucky we are to have the architect of this world on this journey with us. He has been fantastic,” he added.

    Last Saturday, Martin directly addressed the topic of covid-19 during the show’s Comic-Con panel, sharing that he had been exercising caution and remaining socially distanced throughout the pandemic.

    He had said he spent a lot of time at his Santa Fe home and chose not to visit the “House of the Dragon” set during production.

    During the premiere, Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapotchnik, who serves as co-executive producers and co-showrunners on “House of the Dragon”, introduced the evening’s screening of the series pilot. “‘House of the Dragon’ could not exist without the beautiful work and words of George R R Martin.

    We are incredibly grateful that he was bold enough to entrust his opus to me as the writer and Miguel as the director,” said Condal.

    “House of the Dragon” will air on HBO and HBO Max in the US on August 21. In India, the series will start streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from August 22.

    LOS ANGELES:  “Game of Thrones” author George RR Martin gave the premiere of “House of the Dragon” here a miss after he tested positive for covid-19.

    Martin contracted the virus in the days following his appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con panel of “House of the Dragon”, based on his book “Fire & Blood” set generations before the events of “Game of Thrones”.

    According to Variety, HBO and HBO Max’s chief content officer Casey Bloys on Wednesday evening informed the audience at the Los Angeles premiere of the upcoming fantasy series about Martin’s absence.

    “I was going to start today by introducing George RR Martin and tell you how great it is to have George on the journey with us. Unfortunately, George got covid at Comic-Con, so he’s not here. I think he’s feeling fine, so nothing to worry about,” said Bloys.

    “I wanted to tell you what a pleasure it is and how lucky we are to have the architect of this world on this journey with us. He has been fantastic,” he added.

    Last Saturday, Martin directly addressed the topic of covid-19 during the show’s Comic-Con panel, sharing that he had been exercising caution and remaining socially distanced throughout the pandemic.

    He had said he spent a lot of time at his Santa Fe home and chose not to visit the “House of the Dragon” set during production.

    During the premiere, Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapotchnik, who serves as co-executive producers and co-showrunners on “House of the Dragon”, introduced the evening’s screening of the series pilot. “‘House of the Dragon’ could not exist without the beautiful work and words of George R R Martin.

    We are incredibly grateful that he was bold enough to entrust his opus to me as the writer and Miguel as the director,” said Condal.

    “House of the Dragon” will air on HBO and HBO Max in the US on August 21. In India, the series will start streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from August 22.

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ set to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar 

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar opened the doors to “House of the Dragon”, the much anticipated prequel series to the popular HBO fantasy drama “Game of Thrones”, as it released the first trailer of the show steeped in power dynamics, blood, fire and ashes.

    “House of the Dragon”, a drama originally set up at the American broadcaster HBO, will be available for streaming in India from August 22 via Disney+ Hotstar.

    The streamer shared the premiere date as well as the trailer of the 10-episode series on its official Twitter page late Wednesday night.

    “Dragons are coming to Disney+ Hotstar. House of the Dragon, starts streaming 22 Aug.

    #HOTDonHotstar,” read the post.

    Dragons are coming to Disney+ Hotstar. House of the Dragon, starts streaming 22 Aug. #HOTDonHotstar pic.twitter.com/5wzF8rO0id
    — Disney+ Hotstar (@DisneyPlusHS) July 20, 2022
    In the almost 3 minute-long trailer, there are whispers of a new world order being established in Westeros with King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) torn between choosing his younger brother Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and his firstborn child Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy).

    The show is based on George R R Martin’s book “Fire & Blood”, a history of House Targaryen set 300 years before the events described in “Game of Thrones”, which ended its eight-season run in 2019.

    It will also be revealed how fire-breathing dragons, the coat of arms of House Targaryen, yield a tactical advantage to Rhaenyra in her quest.

    “War is afoot,” a character says in the trailer as the audience catches a peek into how history was created when Rhaenyra became the first queen regnant, paving the way for Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke in “Game of Thrones”) to strike her claim to the Seven Kingdoms generations later.

    The viewers also see the return of the Iron Throne, made by blacksmiths hammering together half-melted, broken, twisted swords, wrenched from the hands of dead men or yielded up by defeated foes.

    Ryan Condal is attached as the showrunner on “House of the Dragon” along with Miguel Sapochnik, who helmed “Game of Thrones” episodes such as ‘The Battle of Bastards’ and ‘The Winds of Winter’.

    Sapochnik will direct the pilot and additional episodes in the show.

    Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans also round out the cast of the upcoming series.

    MUMBAI: Streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar opened the doors to “House of the Dragon”, the much anticipated prequel series to the popular HBO fantasy drama “Game of Thrones”, as it released the first trailer of the show steeped in power dynamics, blood, fire and ashes.

    “House of the Dragon”, a drama originally set up at the American broadcaster HBO, will be available for streaming in India from August 22 via Disney+ Hotstar.

    The streamer shared the premiere date as well as the trailer of the 10-episode series on its official Twitter page late Wednesday night.

    “Dragons are coming to Disney+ Hotstar. House of the Dragon, starts streaming 22 Aug.

    #HOTDonHotstar,” read the post.

    Dragons are coming to Disney+ Hotstar. House of the Dragon, starts streaming 22 Aug. #HOTDonHotstar pic.twitter.com/5wzF8rO0id
    — Disney+ Hotstar (@DisneyPlusHS) July 20, 2022
    In the almost 3 minute-long trailer, there are whispers of a new world order being established in Westeros with King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) torn between choosing his younger brother Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and his firstborn child Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy).

    The show is based on George R R Martin’s book “Fire & Blood”, a history of House Targaryen set 300 years before the events described in “Game of Thrones”, which ended its eight-season run in 2019.

    It will also be revealed how fire-breathing dragons, the coat of arms of House Targaryen, yield a tactical advantage to Rhaenyra in her quest.

    “War is afoot,” a character says in the trailer as the audience catches a peek into how history was created when Rhaenyra became the first queen regnant, paving the way for Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke in “Game of Thrones”) to strike her claim to the Seven Kingdoms generations later.

    The viewers also see the return of the Iron Throne, made by blacksmiths hammering together half-melted, broken, twisted swords, wrenched from the hands of dead men or yielded up by defeated foes.

    Ryan Condal is attached as the showrunner on “House of the Dragon” along with Miguel Sapochnik, who helmed “Game of Thrones” episodes such as ‘The Battle of Bastards’ and ‘The Winds of Winter’.

    Sapochnik will direct the pilot and additional episodes in the show.

    Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans also round out the cast of the upcoming series.

  • ‘House of the Dragon’ series set to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar 

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar opened the doors to “House of the Dragon”, the much anticipated prequel series to the popular HBO fantasy drama “Game of Thrones”, as it released the first trailer of the show steeped in power dynamics, blood, fire and ashes.

    “House of the Dragon”, a drama originally set up at the American broadcaster HBO, will be available for streaming in India from August 22 via Disney+ Hotstar.

    The streamer shared the premiere date as well as the trailer of the 10-episode series on its official Twitter page late Wednesday night.

    “Dragons are coming to Disney+ Hotstar. House of the Dragon, starts streaming 22 Aug.

    #HOTDonHotstar,” read the post.

    Dragons are coming to Disney+ Hotstar. House of the Dragon, starts streaming 22 Aug. #HOTDonHotstar pic.twitter.com/5wzF8rO0id
    — Disney+ Hotstar (@DisneyPlusHS) July 20, 2022
    In the almost 3 minute-long trailer, there are whispers of a new world order being established in Westeros with King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) torn between choosing his younger brother Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and his firstborn child Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy).

    The show is based on George R R Martin’s book “Fire & Blood”, a history of House Targaryen set 300 years before the events described in “Game of Thrones”, which ended its eight-season run in 2019.

    It will also be revealed how fire-breathing dragons, the coat of arms of House Targaryen, yield a tactical advantage to Rhaenyra in her quest.

    “War is afoot,” a character says in the trailer as the audience catches a peek into how history was created when Rhaenyra became the first queen regnant, paving the way for Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke in “Game of Thrones”) to strike her claim to the Seven Kingdoms generations later.

    The viewers also see the return of the Iron Throne, made by blacksmiths hammering together half-melted, broken, twisted swords, wrenched from the hands of dead men or yielded up by defeated foes.

    Ryan Condal is attached as the showrunner on “House of the Dragon” along with Miguel Sapochnik, who helmed “Game of Thrones” episodes such as ‘The Battle of Bastards’ and ‘The Winds of Winter’.

    Sapochnik will direct the pilot and additional episodes in the show.

    Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans also round out the cast of the upcoming series.

    MUMBAI: Streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar opened the doors to “House of the Dragon”, the much anticipated prequel series to the popular HBO fantasy drama “Game of Thrones”, as it released the first trailer of the show steeped in power dynamics, blood, fire and ashes.

    “House of the Dragon”, a drama originally set up at the American broadcaster HBO, will be available for streaming in India from August 22 via Disney+ Hotstar.

    The streamer shared the premiere date as well as the trailer of the 10-episode series on its official Twitter page late Wednesday night.

    “Dragons are coming to Disney+ Hotstar. House of the Dragon, starts streaming 22 Aug.

    #HOTDonHotstar,” read the post.

    Dragons are coming to Disney+ Hotstar. House of the Dragon, starts streaming 22 Aug. #HOTDonHotstar pic.twitter.com/5wzF8rO0id
    — Disney+ Hotstar (@DisneyPlusHS) July 20, 2022
    In the almost 3 minute-long trailer, there are whispers of a new world order being established in Westeros with King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) torn between choosing his younger brother Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and his firstborn child Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy).

    The show is based on George R R Martin’s book “Fire & Blood”, a history of House Targaryen set 300 years before the events described in “Game of Thrones”, which ended its eight-season run in 2019.

    It will also be revealed how fire-breathing dragons, the coat of arms of House Targaryen, yield a tactical advantage to Rhaenyra in her quest.

    “War is afoot,” a character says in the trailer as the audience catches a peek into how history was created when Rhaenyra became the first queen regnant, paving the way for Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke in “Game of Thrones”) to strike her claim to the Seven Kingdoms generations later.

    The viewers also see the return of the Iron Throne, made by blacksmiths hammering together half-melted, broken, twisted swords, wrenched from the hands of dead men or yielded up by defeated foes.

    Ryan Condal is attached as the showrunner on “House of the Dragon” along with Miguel Sapochnik, who helmed “Game of Thrones” episodes such as ‘The Battle of Bastards’ and ‘The Winds of Winter’.

    Sapochnik will direct the pilot and additional episodes in the show.

    Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans also round out the cast of the upcoming series.

  • Jon Snow ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off series in the works with Kit Harrington 

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: HBO is developing a “Game of Thrones” spin-off series based around popular character Jon Snow with actor Kit Harrington set to reprise his fan-favourite role.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the live-action show would take place after the events of “Game of Thrones”.

    In the final season of ‘Game of Thrones’, Snow becomes aware of his true identity and that he could be an heir to the Iron Throne.

    The series concluded with his exile from Westeros as he rides into the Haunted Forest with Ghost and the Wildlings to begin a new life.

    Apart from the Jon Snow sequel series, HBO is working on ‘Thrones’ spin-off ‘House of the Dragon’, which is set 200 years before the original series, ‘Tales of Dunk and Egg’, ‘10,000 Ships’, ‘9 Voyages’, ‘Flea Bottom’ and an animated series.

    “House of the Dragon” is scheduled to premiere on August 21.

    Harrington was nominated for two Emmys, in supporting actor and lead actor in a drama series, during his time on ‘Game of Thrones.’

    Following the series’ eight-season long run, Harington starred in Marvel Studios’ superhero movie ‘Eternals’.

  • HBO drops J J Abrams’ series ‘Demimonde’ 

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES:  “Demimonde”, a science-fiction drama from JJ Abrams, is not moving forward at HBO owing to budgetary issues.

    The premium-cable network had snatched the project back in 2018 after a bidding war with Apple Studios and gave it a straight-to-series order.

    Sources told The Hollywood Reporter, Abrams fought hard to keep HBO/HBO Max head Casey Bloys from axing the show.

    After a week of mulling over it, Bloys decided to part ways with the series for which Abrams had sought a budget over USD 200 million. In comparison, the budget for HBO’s upcoming “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” was less than USD 200 million.

    Abrams was also slated to direct the pilot for “Demimonde”, which had already changed showrunners since it landed at HBO four years ago.

    The series will now be shopped around by the producers from Warnermedia, HBO’s parent company, to other streaming services such as Apple and Netflix, where Abrams’ other shows are under development.

    “Star Wars” fame Abrams was also attached to the project as the writer of the pilot and an executive producer, alongside Ben Stephenson, who runs the TV division of Abrams production company Bad Robot.

    “Demimonde” was described as an epic and intimate sci-fi fantasy drama that deals with the world’s battle against a monstrous, oppressive force.

  • Jodie Foster joins True Detective  S4 titled Night Country

    By Express News Service

    It has been announced that Jodie Foster will star in the fourth season of HBO’s hit series, True Detective. Titled True Detective: Night Country, the series marks the first major role in television for the Panic Room-star.

    According to Deadline, Foster will be playing Detective Liz Danvers in the fourth season. She will also be serving as an executive producer on the show. It is written and directed by Issa Lopez with filmmaker Barry Jenkins attached as an executive producer. Lopez will be co-writing the show with Alan Page Arriaga, who has worked in Shining Girls.

    The show will reportedly follow Foster’s character on a hunt to solve the case of six men, who vanished without a trace. Foster was last seen in The Mauritanian and has Nyad coming up.

  • Shaunak Sen on HBO release of ‘All That Breathes’: Thrilled to join the roster

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Director Shaunak Sen, whose documentary “All That Breathes” is set to screen at the Cannes Film Festival, says it is a proud moment for him that the documentary has been acquired by HBO.

    The documentary, which won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and is set to screen in the Special Screening segment at Cannes, will be released in the US later this year by Submarine Deluxe, in association with Sideshow.

    After its theatrical run in the US, the 90-minute-long film will debut on HBO and streaming service HBO Max in 2023, according to Variety.

    “All That Breathes” follows two siblings, Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad, who have devoted their lives to rescuing and treating injured birds, especially the Black Kites.

    Working out of their derelict basement in Wazirabad, the Delhi brothers are the central focus of the film and their story zooms out to document a larger snapshot of the city, where the air is toxic and the ground is on a slowburn of social turmoil.

    “The astonishing story of Saud and Nadeem, and their relationship with the majestic raptor called the ‘black kite,’ took us three years to shape. Over time, the story became symptomatic of both Delhi’s ecological and social malaise, while also giving glimpses of a rare resilience,” Sen said.

    The filmmaker, who is an alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia University and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), said he is thrilled that his film has joined the HBO roster, which is filled with high-quality cinematic programming.

    “Most of us in the crew in India have grown up associating the unmistakable white noise of the HBO logo with high-quality cinematic programming. We’re thrilled to join their roster and to work with Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe to bring this story to a global audience,” he added.

    Dan Braun of Submarine Deluxe hailed “All That Breathes” as “one of the great discoveries of the year”.

    “Filled with humorous and heartbreaking moments in equal measure, ‘All That Breathes’ is a stunning achievement and announces Shaunak Sen as a major voice in cinema today. We are proud to partner with HBO Documentary Films to bring the film to the public,” Braun said.

    The film is produced by Sen, Aman Mann and Teddy Leifer with David Guy Elisco and Sean B Carroll serving as executive producers.

  • Actor Viola Davis to reprise Peacemaker role Amanda Waller in spin-off 

    By Express News Service

    Actor Viola Davis will return to play the role of Amanda Waller in HBO Max’s upcoming Peacemaker spin-off series. Though plot details are scarce, the series will build on the character’s appearance at the end of Peacemaker. In the finale, Waller’s daughter and spy Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) outs her mother publicly for her work with Task Force X (Suicide Squad). Davis appeared in the first and last episodes of the show.

    Christal Henry (Watchmen) would write and executive produce. Davis will also executive produce the series apart from starring. James Gunn serves as executive producer along with Peter Safran. Warner Bros. Television will produce.

    Peacemaker debuted in January with an eight-episode season. Written and directed by Suicide Squad writer and director James Gunn, the show stars John Cena in the title role. The series was renewed for a second season in February.

    Davis is best known for her Emmy award-winning performance in How to Get Away With Murder, and for her roles in titles such as Scandal, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Help, and Doubt. She currently stars in series The First Lady as Michelle Obama.