News Analysis India

Tag: Netflix

  • Netflix announces ‘Terminator’ anime series from Mattson Tomlin

    By PTI
    .LOS ANGELES: Netflix has given a series order for an anime take on James Cameron’s “Terminator” franchise.

    The series, headlined by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, started with the 1984 movie “Terminator”.

    It was followed by five sequels over the years.

    Netflix has teamed up with Skydance, the company that holds the rights for the franchise, for the anime series, the streamer said in a press release.

    Mattson Tomlin, who co-wrote the upcoming DC movie “The Batman” as well as Netflix’s recent release “Project Power”, will serve as showrunner and executive producer on the anime.

    “Anyone who knows my writing knows I believe in taking big swings and going for the heart.

    I’m honoured that Netflix and Skydance have given me the opportunity to approach ‘Terminator’ in a way that breaks conventions, subverts expectations and has real guts,” he said.

    Netflix is producing the series in partnership with Production IG.

  • A slick space ride with a lot of heart

    Express News Service
    Cinema can do a lot of things. It can educate, inspire, even indoctrinate. But most of all, we mainly want cinema to entertain. Hence the enduring popularity of blockbusters. One such has found its way recently to Netflix. Billed as the first Korean space blockbuster, Jo Sung-hee’s Space Sweepers serves its purpose and provides entertainment in spades.

    The film is set in the dystopian near-future of 2092 when the earth has become nearly uninhabitable and a mega-corporation, named UTS, has created a lush, green orbiting colony that the lucky few can live in. The vast majority of humanity, however, are deemed non-UTS citizens and have to live on the dying earth or one of the grungy residential districts in space for non-citizens.

    Some of them eke out a living by collecting space debris a lot of it has accumulated over the years and is floating around space much like in our oceans of the present. These people are called space sweepers and include our protagonists of the ship Victory. Now, that sounds like a bleak beginning and dystopian space stories are usually quite grim (the earth here, in fact, looks a lot like the one in Blade Runner 2049). But, while Space Sweepers wears its themes on its sleeves, it isn’t self-serious about it.

    There’s a lot of casual humour thrown in. And the film rides on the strength of its principal cast. Their interactions are what make Space Sweepers so endearing. Aside from the motley crew of Victory, this includes the little girl they discover in one of their salvages. At first, they are only annoyed by the burden, but when they see a news broadcast that informs them the girl is actually an android named Dorothy with a deadly bomb inside, they want nothing to do with her.

    Until, that is, one of them realises they can ransom her and make some much-needed money. As you’d expect, they soon find themselves charmed by the little girl and start caring for her (props to the makers for not making her either precocious or cloying, and to the child actor Park Ye-rin for treading the line nicely). And of course, there’s more to her than meets the eye and somehow the fate of the whole world hangs in the balance. The plot is quite predictable for any science fiction fan, or even just anyone that’s watched blockbusters before.

    But again, this isn’t a film you watch for its plot or big ideas. It’s all about entertainment. As sci-fi goes, this is less Star Trek and more Star Wars. The production values are top-notch. The CGI and production design are on par with anything you’d get from Hollywood, and it’s really a pity the makers had to settle for an OTT release due to the pandemic. 

    Some of the action sequences in space are truly spellbinding. And the details inside the ship are delectable. There is one point where Space Sweepers scores above Star Wars. The robot crew member here is way more interesting than those found in that venerable franchise. In fact, Bubs stands out even in this film with its broad strokes and offers a surprisingly subtle exploration of gender identity. Bubs is a robot who wants to get a skin graft and become human in appearance.

    But rather than go the usual AI-wanting-to-be-a-person route (a la Data from Star Trek or even Pinocchio), Space Sweepers uses a male actor to voice Bubs who identifies as female. This trans angle is not forced at all and never explicitly spelled out, except perhaps at the very end. Early on, we get a passing shot of Bubs looking through skin graft options which are all female in appearance. And later, Dorothy uses a female pronoun when addressing Bubs, causing the latter to blush with delight. It’s easily the film’s most touching scene, for my money.

    Equally casually treated is the diversity of the cast and the variety of languages used in the film. Unlike films that make everyone speak the same language, no matter how incongruous it may be to the setting, Space Sweepers introduces an in-ear translation device that allows its characters to speak several different languages as you’d expect in a truly global community. And incidentally, this future world offers some interesting parallels to our own present as well.

    The arbitrary division of society into citizens and non-citizens is eerily familiar. As is the labelling of environmental activists as terrorists. These accidental analogies aside, however, Space Sweepers offers a lot of relatability and entertainment for everyone, everywhere, and is a very promising first step into space for Korean cinema. More, please!

  • Modi government tightens grip on social media content

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The Centre on Thursday announced sweeping regulations for social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, online streaming or over-the-top (OTT) services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram to protect users’ interest and curb fake news and other harmful content.

    The rules make social media firms responsible for the content on their platforms. They will have to deploy automated tools to remove objectionable data. In the case of a government or court order, they must take down the flagged item within 36 hours.

    ALSO READ: Ekta Kapoor, Vikram Bhatt welcome OTT guidelines, Onir calls it ‘death of good content’

    The regulations require messaging platforms to enable the ‘traceability’ feature so that senders of mischievous messages could be identified. But this might compromise end-to-end encryption.  If a social media platform decides on its own to remove a user’s content, it must inform the customer in advance and state the reasons. 

    Notably, digital news media publishers will now have to follow Press Council of India’s norms of journalistic conduct and adhere to the programme code under the Cable TV Networks Regulation Act. This, according to the government, will provide a level-playing field to all media platforms. 

    ALSO READ: Details on originator of ‘mischievous info’ needed:  Govt releases new rules for social media, OTT platforms

    The new laws, called Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, came into effect from Thursday.

    However, social media platforms will be given an additional window of three months to come under the purview of the new regime. 

    According to the government, these rules will establish a “soft-touch self-regulatory architecture and a Code of Ethics and three-tier grievance redressal mechanism” for news publishers, OTT platforms and digital media.

    The grievance redressal mechanism stipulates that publishers must address complaints within 15 days. The self-regulating body will be led by a retired judge or an eminent person and have not more than six members. However, cyber experts are not impressed.

    “The new rules can be interpreted to target websites/platforms. It may hamper right to free speech and expression,” said cyber lawyer Ankur Raheja.

    Over The Top

    Social media platforms must remove content depicting nudity, sexual acts or morphed images of women within 24 hours of receipt of complaints

    A grievance officer should be appointed to deal with complaints

    If a social media platform removes any content on its own, it must explain the reason to the user, who will have the opportunity to contest it

    Social media intermediaries to publish a monthly compliance report on complaints received, action taken, and content removed proactively

    Code of Ethics for OTT platforms, online news and digital media entities

    OTT platforms to self-classify content into five age-based categories – U (Universal), U/A 7+, U/A 13+, U/A 16+, and A (Adult) 

    OTT platforms must deploy age verification mechanisms for A-rated content and implement parental locks for U/A 13+ or higher

  • Ekta Kapoor, Vikram Bhatt welcome OTT guidelines, Onir calls it ‘death of good content’

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Welcoming government’s guidelines for OTT (over-the-top) platforms on Thursday, film personalities Ekta Kapoor, Priyadarshan and Vikram Bhatt said there cannot be creative freedom without responsibility, while producer Pritish Nandy said there was a need to tread carefully with the regulations.

    Kapoor, Bhatt, Priyadarshan — all prominent names in Bollywood as producers and directors — said the guidelines are a “great step” by the government.

    Nandy and Onir had a different take, with the former saying that it was crucial for the government to not allow a “heavy hand” to fall on OTTs, while the latter criticising the move.

    The government on Thursday said a ‘code of ethics’ and three-tier grievance redressal mechanism would be applicable for OTT platforms, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar, news publishers and digital media.

    Seeking to establish a soft touch regulatory framework, the government said OTT platforms would have to self-classify the content into five age-based categories – U (Universal), U/A 7+ (years), U/A 13+, U/A 16+, and A (Adult).

    Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said such platforms would be required to implement parental locks for content classified as U/A 13+ or higher, and reliable age-verification mechanisms for content classified as ‘A’.

    Kapoor, a major Bollywood and TV producer who also runs OTT platform ALT Balaji, said the new regulations will provide a level-playing field.

    “Heartening to see the new guidelines that provide a level playing field for digital news media and OTT platforms. #ResponsibleFreedom,” Kapoor tweeted.

    Nandy, who has backed the International Emmy-nominated Amazon Prime Video series “Four More Shots Please”, said while grievance redressal mechanisms are fine, they rely on “very careful and circumspect actions by the authorities in power”.

    “One mistake and the entire credibility of the mechanism can disappear. That is what we must understand and reckon with in these difficult times. Right now, it is just a beginning and the government ought to tread carefully if it wants to emerge as a global soft power,” Nandy told PTI.

    “We are very good at what we do in India but till the foreign OTT platforms came in, we were stuck in that jejune Bollywood space. Now is the time to mature, grow and contend with the world, show everyone the creative genius of India,” he added.

    Bhatt, who has made web shows such as 2017 horror “Gehraiyaan” and thriller franchise “Twisted”, said it is only fair to inform the audience about the kind of content they are about to watch.

    “The government isn’t saying ‘do not make this. ‘All they’re saying is, whatever you make, there should be enough information out there for the viewers to know what kind of shows they’re watching,” he told PTI.

    It is not censorship but merely a guideline to put in place a redressal system, Bhatt said.

    “They’re asking to have an internal redressal system of three tier. Basically, they are asking us to handle our own problems and not bring it to them. I don’t see a problem in what has happened today. There’s no cause of concern as there’s no censorship,” he added.

    “Heri Pheri” director Priyadarshan tweeted the guidelines “respect the artistic freedom while providing an avenue for redressal of citizen grievances.”

    Onir, known for films such as “My Brother. Nikhil” and “I Am”, criticised the guidelines for not favouring content creators.”

    “The death of cinema and good content. Stab the artist and keep everyone happy. The worst that a democracy can do to an artist is this regulation of OTT,” he said.

    CBFC chairperson and lyricist Prasoon Joshi said responsible and accountable mechanisms will only bring in “more quality and maturity in a commercial creative industry”.

    “Measures taken for a level playing field and empowering consumers would provide clarity for content creators of emerging platforms,” Joshi tweeted.

    Some industry insiders tweeted their support using the hashtag #ResponsibleFreedom, previously also shared by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Javadekar.

    BJP MP and actor Ravi Kishan also thanked the prime minister and said “#ResponsibleFreedom was the need of the hour.” Director Nila Madhab Panda, known for films like “I am Kalam” and “Kadvi Hawa”, said digital media must be used responsibly.

    “Freedom comes with responsibility, digital media can do a lot of good if used correctly, great decision by the government, @PrakashJavdekar Sir @rsprasad sir, also giving a forum for users grievances is the correct way ahead.#ResponsibleFreedom #OTTGuidelines,” Panda wrote on Twitter.

    Despite multiple attempts, prominent filmmakers, representatives of OTT platforms such as Netflix and Amazon remained unavailable for comment.

    The OTT censorship has been a cause of concern among filmmakers, writers and actors for some time as many believe it will curtail their creativity on the new platform, which has witnessed a boom in India in recent years.

    The streamers have been self-regulating their content as per Indian laws until recently but some of the shows have stirred controversy, most recently Amazon Prime Video’s show “Tandav”, which was accused of hurting religious sentiments.

    A scene in the show led to multiple FIRs on directors, actors and the India head of the platform, prompting the streamer to chop the scenes from the political drama.

    Other shows that have angered a section of people include Netflix’s “Leila” and “A Suitable Boy” and Amazon’s “Paatal Lok”.

  • Mila Kunis to lead ‘Luckiest Girl Alive’ adaptation at Netflix

    By PTI
    LOS ANGELES: Actor Mila Kunis has been roped in to play the central character in the film adaptation of author Jessica Knoll’s 2015 novel “Luckiest Girl Alive”, set at Netflix.

    Kunis will also produce the project under her Orchard Farm Productions banner.

    According to Variety, Mike Barker, whose credits include episodes of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Fargo”, will direct the film from a script by Knoll.

    The story centres on Ani FaNelli (Kunis), a sharp-tongued New Yorker who appears to have it all: a sought-after position at a glossy magazine, a killer wardrobe, and a dream Nantucket wedding on the horizon.

    “But when the director of a crime documentary invites her to tell her side of the shocking incident that took place when she was a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani is forced to confront a dark truth that threatens to unravel her meticulously crafted life,” the plotline reads.

    Bruna Papandrea and Jeanne Snow will produce for Made Up Stories, with Erik Feig and Lucy Kitada for Picturestart.

    Knoll, Lisa Sterbakov, Shayne Fiske Goldner and Steve Hutensky will serve as executive producers.

  • Zack Snyder’s Netflix movie ‘Army Of The Dead’ to be released in May

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: American filmmaker Zack Snyder’s second feature of 2021, after his re-cut of ‘Justice League’ is the zombie Netflix title ‘Army of the Dead’, which will be released on May 21.

    The 54-year-old director announced the news on his Twitter handle, along with the film’s official poster, adding that a teaser will be coming on Thursday. The project of initially announced in 2018 as a sequel to the 2004 release ‘Dawn of the Dead’, with Universal Studios and Warner Bros. producing and Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. directing.

    Survivors take all. #ArmyOfTheDead on @Netflix May 21.Teaser this Thursday. pic.twitter.com/sIgDoz6rmz
    — Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) February 21, 2021

    However, the project never got off the ground and was acquired by Netflix in January 2019, with Snyder on board to direct. Snyder also wrote the script based off on his own story, along with Shay Hatten and Joby Harold.

    ‘Army of the Dead’ follows the aftermath of a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, and a group of mercenaries venture into the quarantine zone to pull off a big heist. The movie has international star-cast including names like Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana De La Reguera, Theo Rossi, Huma Qureshi, Omari Hardwick, Tig Notaro, Hiroyuki Sanada, Garret Dillahunt, Matthias Schweighofer, Raul Castillo, Nora Arnezeder, and Samantha Win.

    A prequel film and anime television series are also in the works to expand the ‘Army of the Dead’ into a franchise. Matthias Schweighofer is set to star in and direct the prequel film.

    As per Variety, Snyder’s own production company The Stone Quarry, which he founded with his wife, Deborah Snyder, and their producing partner Wesley Coller, will be producing ‘Army of the Dead’. (ANI)

  • Tom Hardy teams up with Gareth Evans for crime thriller ‘Havoc’

    By PTI
    LOS ANGELES: British star Tom Hardy has partnered with filmmaker Gareth Evans for his next movie.

    Titled “Havoc”, the new project is a crime thriller for Netflix that Evans, known for “The Raid” movies, is writing and directing.

    The film is part of Evans’ newly-signed pact with the streamer to produce and direct movies over the next couple of years, Netflix said in a press release.

    The story is about a bruised detective who, after a drug deal gone wrong, must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son, while unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.

    Evans is also producing through his One More One Productions alongside Hardy.

    Evans’ frequent collaborators, Ed Talfan of Severn Screen and Aram Tertzakian of XYZ Films are the other producers.

    Hardy will next star in “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”, a sequel to his 2018 hit “Venom”.

    The actor reprises his role of Eddie Brock aka Venom in the Andy Serkis-directed movie which will also feature Woody Harrelson, Michelle Williams, Reid Scott and Naomie Harris.

    It is currently scheduled for a June 25, 2021 opening.

  • Wednesday Addams live-action series from Tim Burton set at Netflix

    By PTI
    LOS ANGELES: Streaming platform Netflix has picked up acclaimed director Tim Burton’s live-action Addams Family spin-off series focused on the memorable character of Wednesday Addams. Titled “Wednesday”, the series marks the TV directing debut for Burton, known for helming films like “Beetlejuice”, “Edward Scissorhands” and “Alice in Wonderland”.

    Billed as a coming-of-age comedy, “Wednesday” will be penned by “Smallville” creators Al Gough and Miles Millar. Gough and Millar will also serve as showrunners and executive producers. The series will follow Wednesday’s years as a student at Nevermore Academy, where she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability.

    She is also trying to foil a monstrous killing spree that has terrorised the local town, and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents — Gomez and Morticia — 25 years ago as she navigates new, complex relationships.

    Describing Wednesday as “the ultimate lone wolf” character, Teddy Biaselli, Netflix’s Director Original Series, said the show is a fresh take into the Addams Family by Gough and Miles which will be brought to life by a visionary like Burton.

    “When we first heard Al Gough and Miles Millar’s pitch for ‘Wednesday’ we were struck, like an arrow from a crossbow, right in our hearts. They nailed the tone, the spirit and the characters, but gave us a fresh way into this story,” Biaselli said.

    “We then got the call that visionary director and lifelong Addams Family fan Tim Burton wanted to make his television directorial debut with this series. Tim has had a history of telling empowering stories about social outsiders like Edward Scissorhands, Lydia Deitz and Batman. And now he brings his unique vision to Wednesday and her spooky classmates at Nevermore Academy,” he added.

    “The Addams Family”, a cartoon series originally created in 1938 by New Jersey native Charles Addams for The New Yorker magazine, focused on a spooky family consisting of father Gomez, mother Morticia, children Wednesday and Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandmama, butler Lurch, and the disembodied hand Thing.

    The characters have been a subject for many big, small screen and stage adaptations including a television series that ran 1964-1966, two films starring Anjelica Huston and Christopher Lloyd, that were released in 1991 and 1993 respectively, and an animated feature that premiered last year.

    Christina Ricci, the actor most closely associated with Wednesday, played the character in both feature films in the 1990s. “Wednesday” is produced by MGM/UA Television, which controls the underlying rights to the IP.

  • Simone Ashley to headline Bridgerton Season 2

    By Express News Service
    Actor Simone Ashley, known for her work in Sex Education and Because the Night, is set to play the lead role in the second season of Netflix’s Bridgerton. She will star opposite Jonathan Bailey in the series, which is based on Julia Quinn’s best-selling novels.

    While the first season revolved around the romance and marriage between the eldest Bridgerton daughter, Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset (Rege-Jean Page), the second season will chronicle the pursuit of a suitable marriage for the eldest Bridgerton sibling, Anthony (Bailey).

    This storyline was part of the second book of Quinn’s Bridgerton series, The Viscount Who Loved Me. According to Deadline, Ashley will play Anthony’s romantic interest, Kate Sharma, a character of Indian descent.

    While veteran actor Julie Andrews voice stars as narrator Lady Whistledown, the author of the scandalous society pages, the series also features Nicola Coughlan, Claudia Jessie, Ruby Barker, Adjoa Andoh, Golda Rosheuvel, Luke Thompson, Luke Newton, Ruth Gemmell and Bessie Carter.

    Produced by Shonda Rhimes, Bridgerton has Chris Van Dusen on board as the showrunner.  

  • Actor Stephanie Vogt to star in Netflix’s ‘Gloria’

    By Express News Service
    Actor Stephanie Vogt is set to play an important role in Netflix’s upcoming historical thriller series, Gloria.Tiaga Guedes will direct the spy drama that is set in the 1960s, at the height of the Cold War.

    It is about an American broadcasting centre, RARET, that works out of the small village of Gloria do Ribatej, and broadcasts Western propaganda to the Eastern bloc.

    The cast also features Portuguese and international actors, including Miguel Nunes, Carolina Amaral, Victoria Guerra, Afonso Pimentel, Adriano Luz, Joana Ribeiro, Marcelo Urgeghe, Sandra Faleiro, Carloto Cotta, Maria Joao Pinho, Ines Castel-Branco, Rafael Morais and Leonor Silveira.

    SPi productions and  Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP) are producing the project.