News Analysis India

Tag: Tom Holland

  • Tom Holland baffled by gift from Mark Wahlberg

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Hollywood actor Tom Holland thought Mark Wahlberg had given him a “self-pleasure” device as a gift – but it was just a massage gun.

    Holland told ‘Access Hollywood’: “Essentially Mark Wahlberg was kind enough to give me a massage gun after I left his house in LA and he drove me back to my hotel. I was confused as to what kind of massage gun this was having never seen one before and I thought it was the type of self-pleasure.

    “I thought Mark Wahlberg was driving me back to my house for other reasons than just being a gentleman. I didn’t know, it’s Hollywood baby… who knows what’s going to happen.”

    The 50-year-old actor insisted there was nothing sexual about his gift, he simply owns a stake in a company named Power Plate, which he believes makes “the best massage guns out there”, so he wanted to introduce them to his new friend, femalefirst.co.uk.

    Meanwhile, Holland recently revealed while he “will” wait to start a family, he is excited at the idea of being a parent in the future because he loves being around children.

    He added: “I love kids. I can’t wait to be a dad — I can wait and I will, but I can’t wait! If I’m at a wedding or a party, I’m always at the kids’ table hanging out.”

    The ‘Chaos Walking’ star would even have become a teacher if he hadn’t made it as an actor.

    He said: “My dad’s been such a great role model for me. I think I’ve got that from him. So I think I’d be a primary school teacher or something like that (if I wasn’t acting).”

  • Tom Holland makes Spider-Man swing back

    Is the loss of anonymity that Peter is going through in the movie Spider-Man: No Way Home similar to what you went through when you first landed the role of Spider-Man?

    Yeah, there is a similarity there and I really enjoyed having an aspect of the story I could relate to. I was just a normal teenager until the day I was cast as Spider-Man. From that day on, my life was changed forever so I have always felt my life has some kind of parallel to Peter Parker’s in that way. Of course, it’s amazing and I love being Spider-Man but there are also things I can’t do anymore because so many people know who I am. That is very much what Peter is going through in No Way Home and I think (director) Jon Watts has done an incredible job in telling a truthful and relatable story within this fantastic universe.

    What have you learned about fame through playing Peter Parker and Spider-Man?

    That if you have a secret that you feel you need to tell someone you should tell them rather than have that power taken away from you. If they find out on their own, it’s always so much worse than if you just told them. It’s better to be honest.

    How much of a responsibility is it to play this role?

    It’s a huge responsibility and, like they say, with great power comes great responsibility! I really do take this role very seriously because Spider-Man is a role model to so many kids out there. Spider-Man and Peter Parker is the go-to guy for anyone who has ever had struggles with their friends at school or anything like that. I feel it’s my responsibility to uphold that image all the while I am lucky enough to play Spider-Man.

    Do you have kids thinking you really can climb walls?

    Yeah. It’s a lot of fun to see fans like that but it is hard when I have to tell them I can’t climb the wall right now or that I’ve run out of webs!

    You and Zendaya seem to have built a very strong bond over the course of these movies. How much fun is it working with her?

    Yeah, it’s a lot of fun. It’s the times when you get to work with people you are so close with, like Zendaya or Jacob (Jacob Batalon who plays Ned), that you realise how incredibly lucky we are and how ridiculous this job is. It’s hard work making these movies but we do have a lot of fun together.

    Of all the villains you have faced as Spider-Man, which has been your favourite?

    That’s tough because they are all my friends but I would have to say my favourite is Alfred Molina in this one. Working with him was so much fun and he was so blown away with the technological advances in making a film like this since he last played Doc Oc in 2004. To see him bringing Doc Oc back to life was amazing and working with him was a real honour as was working with Willem Dafoe. It always feels surreal to me when I work with such amazing actors. They are both wonderful.

    Did you get hurt at all making this movie?

    All the time! There are so many incredible action scenes in this film and you get to see Spider-Man using a fighting style that you have never seen in a Spider-Man movie before. There was one particular fight scene we shot with Spider-Man taking on more than 30 baddies. We shot that for days and days. My knuckles were bloodied and I hurt all over. It was brutal.

    Do you have a favourite scene from No Way Home?

    I do. I have two actually but I can’t talk about either of them. I’ll just say that it felt like a true moment in cinematic history.

    If you could enter the multi-verse and maybe go back to tell your younger self something, what would it be?

    To just enjoy yourself and not get so stressed and worried about stuff.

    This movie completes your Spider-Man trilogy of movies. What’s next?

    I don’t know. We’ll see. There are exciting things we are talking about but I can’t say any more than that.

  • Tom Holland says his ‘body is shutting down’ due to constant travelling

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ actor Tom Holland says his “body is shutting down” after spending so much time travelling and “living out of a suitcase”.Speaking to Empire magazine, Holland said: “I’ve been very busy. I’ve been really enjoying it but it’s getting to the stage now where my body is shutting down. I’m travelling too much, is the problem – I’m always living out of a suitcase. I’m just looking forward to a nice break.”The 25-year-old star already has big plans for his time off as he was looking forward to a “lads’ golf holiday” with his brother and some friends, reports femalefirst.co.uk.He added: “I’ve told my agents I’m away on holiday. They’re not allowed to call me.”Tom’s comments come as he revealed he was going to “take a break” from his acting career to “focus on starting a family”.He explained: “I’ve spent the last six years being so focused on my career. I want to take a break and focus on starting a family and figuring out what I want to do outside of this world.”Holland, who is dating his ‘Spider-Man’ co-star Zendaya, shared while he “will” wait to start a family, he is excited at the idea of being a parent in the future.He added: “I love kids. I can’t wait to be a dad, I can wait and I will, but I can’t wait! If I’m at a wedding or a party, I’m always at the kids’ table hanging out. My dad’s been such a great role model for me.”I think I’ve got that from him. So I think I’d be a primary school teacher or something like that (if I wasn’t acting).”And Tom – who was cast as Peter Parker’s alter ego for ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ in 2015 – has suggested it could be time to pass the torch and give someone else a chance to put their own spin on the character.He said: “I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve been so grateful to Marvel and Sony for giving us the opportunity and keeping us on and allowing our characters to progress. It’s been amazing. And that’s why for me, I don’t want to say goodbye to Spider-Man, but I feel like we might be ready to say goodbye to Spider-Man.”

  • Tom Holland defends Marvel movies as ‘real art’ after Scorsese criticism

    By IANS

    Hollywood star Tom Holland has defended the Marvel Cinematic Universe from legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s criticism.

    The ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ actor shared that Marvel films are “real art” when firing back at Scorsese’s claims in which the celebrated director had said that they’re “not cinema”, reports aceshowbiz.com.

    In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 25-year-old English actor sarcastically said: “You can ask Martin, ‘Would you want to make a Marvel movie?’ But he doesn’t know what it’s like because he’s never made one.”

    He went on to say: “The way I break down the character, the way the director etches out the arc of the story and characters, it’s all the same, just done on a different scale. So I do think they’re real art.”

    “I’ve made Marvel movies and I’ve also made movies that have been in the conversation in the world of the Oscars, and the only difference, really, is one is much more expensive than the other,” Holland continued explaining.

    The ‘Cherry’ star added that some of his Marvel co-stars would agree with his comparison.

    He said: “When you’re making these films, you know that good or bad, millions of people will see them, whereas when you’re making a small indie film, if it’s not very good no one will watch it, so it comes with different levels of pressure.”

    He added: “I mean, you can also ask Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey Jr or Scarlett Johansson, people who have made the kinds of movies that are ‘Oscar-worthy’ and also made superhero movies.”

    “They will tell you that they’re the same, just on a different scale,” he elaborated further.

    The actor portraying Todd in ‘Chaos Walking’ also joked that “there’s less Spandex in ‘Oscar movies.’”

    Holland’s response came two years after Martin Scorsese snubbed MCU during his Empire magazine interview.

    At the time, the director confessed his dismay at ‘Avengers: Endgame’ being declared the highest-grossing film of all time.

    “Honestly, the closest I can think of them (Marvel movies), as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks,” Martin told the publication at the time.

    “It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.” He further stressed, “I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema.”

    Scorsese later clarified his remarks in a November 2019 op-ed for The New York Times. He said that part of his dislike for Marvel movies was merely “personal taste” but he also mentioned that major franchise movies tend to dominate movie theatres all over the country.

    “In many places around this country and around the world, franchise films are now your primary choice if you want to see something on the big screen,” said ‘The Irishman’ director.

    The 79-year-old pointed out: “It’s a perilous time in film exhibition, and there are fewer independent theatres than ever.”

  • Spider-Man nets third-best opening of all time with USD 253 million

    By Associated Press

    Never underestimate your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, even with a mutating virus afoot. Despite rising concerns over the omicron variant, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” not only shattered pandemic-era box office records; it became the third best opening of all time behind “Avengers: Endgame” ($357.1 million) and “Avengers: Infinity War” ($257.7 million).

    The Sony and Marvel blockbuster grossed a stunning $253 million in ticket sales from 4,325 North American locations, according to studio estimates on Sunday, also setting a record for the month of December. The web-slinger’s success couldn’t have come sooner for a movie business that has had a rollercoaster 2021 and could be headed for a difficult start to 2022 as the omicron variant of the coronavirus forces more and more event cancellations.

    “This weekend’s historic ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ results, from all over the world and in the face of many challenges, reaffirm the unmatched cultural impact that exclusive theatrical films can have when they are made and marketed with vision and resolve,” said Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Chairman and CEO, in a statement. “All of us at Sony Pictures are deeply grateful to the fabulous talent, both in front of and behind the camera, that produced such a landmark film.”

    In its five days playing in theaters internationally, it’s amassed $334.2 million in ticket sales, bringing its global total to $587.2 million against a $200 million production budget. The film has yet to open in markets like Thailand and Japan, and there is no release date set for China.

    Directed by Jon Watts, “No Way Home” picks up with Holland’s Peter Parker grappling with the world finding out about his superhero identity, and features Zendaya, Marisa Tomei and Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange. The promise of spoiler reveals only added to the feverish hype that led to lines and sell-out showings across the country.

    In the one-movie-takes-all environment, more often than not, that one movie has been a Marvel movie. Including “No Way Home,” Marvel releases will make up five of the top six films of the year, including “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” “Black Widow” and “Eternals.”

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ smashes Indian BO record as it collects Rs 79.14 cr on Day 3

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: Tom Holland-starrer ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ has broken records as it has collected Rs 79.14 crore at the Indian box-office in just three days of its release.Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted: “‘#SpiderMan’ is UNSHAKABLE and UNBEATABLE on Day 3… Fetches Rs 26 cr+ on *non-festival Saturday* in pandemic era is  Expect another big day today [Sun]… Thu 32.67 cr, Fri 20.37 cr, Sat 26.10 cr. Total: Rs 79.14 cr Nett BOC… Gross BOC: Rs 100.84 cr. #India biz.” 

    #SpiderMan is UNSHAKABLE and UNBEATABLE on Day 3… Fetches ₹ 26 cr+ on *non-festival Saturday* in pandemic era is … Expect another big day today [Sun]… Thu 32.67 cr, Fri 20.37 cr, Sat 26.10 cr. Total: ₹ 79.14 cr Nett BOC… Gross BOC: ₹ 100.84 cr. #India biz. pic.twitter.com/uL7HwKy5GR
    — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) December 19, 2021
    Directed by Jon Watts, ‘No Way Home’ picks up after Peter Parker’s identity is revealed to the world, sending his world as well as those of his girlfriend MJ’s, Aunt May’s and best friend Ned’s into spin. In an attempt to return to normalcy, Parker confides in Doctor Strange and asks the Sorcerer Supreme to cast a spell making the world forget that he is Spider-Man.The incantation goes awry, unleashing a multiverse of villains from the universes of other Spider-Men, including Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Jamie Foxx’s Electro and Alfred Molina’s Doctor Otto Octavius, reports variety.com.The film, which also stars Zendaya, has appearances from Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds and Marisa Tomei as Aunt May.Sony Pictures Entertainment India releases ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ in cinemas in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

  • Tom Holland ready to step back from acting to ‘focus on starting a family’

    By IANS

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ star Tom Holland is ready to “take a break” from his acting career to “focus on starting a family” and figuring out his priorities.He told People magazine: “I’ve spent the last six years being so focused on my career. I want to take a break and focus on starting a family and figuring out what I want to do outside of this world.”Holland, who is dating his ‘Spider-Man’ co-star Zendaya, shared while he “will” wait to start a family, he is excited at the idea of being a parent in the future, reports femalefirst.co.uk.He added, “I love kids. I can’t wait to be a dad — I can wait and I will, but I can’t wait! If I’m at a wedding or a party, I’m always at the kids’ table hanging out. My dad’s been such a great role model for me.”I think I’ve got that from him. So I think I’d be a primary school teacher or something like that (if I wasn’t acting).”Meanwhile, the 25-year-old actor, who was cast as Peter Parker’s alter ego for ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ in 2015, has suggested it could be time to pass the torch and give someone else a chance to put their own spin on the character.He shared: “I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve been so grateful to Marvel and Sony for giving us the opportunity and keeping us on and allowing our characters to progress. It’s been amazing. And that’s why for me, I don’t want to say goodbye to Spider-Man — but I feel like we might be ready to say goodbye to Spider-Man.”If he does move on, he would like to see the role become “more diverse” after being portrayed by himself, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire.He said, “I would love to see a future of Spider-Man that’s more diverse — maybe you have a Spider-Gwen or a Spider-Woman. We’ve had three Spider-Mans in a row; we’ve all been the same. It’d be nice to see something different.”

  • Tom Holland to star in Fred Astaire biopic

    By Express News Service

    Actor Tom Holland is set to star as the legendary Hollywood actor and singer Fred Astaire in an upcoming biopic currently in development at Sony. The Cherry actor confirmed his casting during a recent media interaction while promoting his upcoming superhero film, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

    Producer Amy Pascal, who recently announced that a new Spider-Man trilogy starring Holland is in the works, is also attached to the project. Considering the project is in its nascency, details such as the cast and crew are currently under wraps. Likewise, it is yet to be announced when the film will enter production. 

  • Sony up for another ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy with Tom Holland and Marvel, says producer

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Teasing the upcoming “Spider-Man: No Way Home” won’t be the last of Tom Holland as the titular webslinger, producer and former Sony Pictures head Amy Pascal says another trilogy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is in the early works with the actor.

    “No Way Home”, the third in the series from director Jon Watts, also stars Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, as well as returning Spider-Man villain actors Willem Dafoe (Green Goblin), Alfred Molina (Doctor Octopus) and Jamie Foxx (Electro).

    It will be released in US theatres on December 17.

    In an interview with Fandango published Monday, Pascal said there is more to come in the “Spider-Man” film series.

    “This is not the last movie that we are going to make with Marvel – (this is not) the last Spider-Man movie. We are getting ready to make the next Spider-Man movie with Tom Holland and Marvel. We’re thinking of this as three films, and now we’re going to go onto the next three. This is not the last of our MCU movies,” Pascal said.

    The veteran producer’s remarks come weeks after Holland, 25, said “No Way Home” might be his last as Spider-Man.

    “Maybe it is time for me to move on. Maybe what’s best for Spider-Man is that they do a Miles Morales film. I have to take Peter Parker into account as well, because he is an important part of my life. If I’m playing Spider-Man after I’m 30, I’ve done something wrong,” the actor told GQ magazine in a profile interview.

    Sony insiders note though the studio has a strong relationship with Holland and Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige and hopes to continue their collaboration, there are no official plans for a trilogy at this phase.

    Sony has made five “Spider-Man” films from 2002 to 2014, three directed by Sam Raimi with Tobey Maguire as the lead, and two starring Andrew Garfield helmed by Marc Webb.

    A year after Webb’s “Amazing Spider-Man” (2014) bombed at the box office, Marvel and Sony unveiled a partnership that allowed Spider-Man to appear in MCU’s “Captain America: Civil War” (2016) and would see Feige and Marvel produce a series of Spider-Man films released by Sony.

    The contract also made Holland’s character a major player in the MCU with roles in “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019).

    But the deal crashed soon after the release of “Spider-Man: Far From Home” in July 2019, the second film in the franchise after 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.

    In September 2019, Sony and Marvel announced they had reached a new agreement that would allow Holland to complete his trilogy and also appear in one more MCU film.

    Besides “Spider-Man” films, Sony has its own universe of Marvel characters, with Jared Leto’s “Morbius” and a “Kraven the Hunter” film starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

    The studio recently tasted success with Tom Hardy returning as Venom in its sequel “Let There Be Carnage”, including a post-credits scene that saw the character enter the MCU.

  • Tom Holland opens up about his sleep paralysis struggles since rising to fame

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Hollywood star Tom Holland has recently revealed how the fame that he has gained in recent years, has been tough on him.

    Though the 25-year-old actor has been in show biz for quite a while now, however, he skyrocketed to international fame when he was cast as Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, in 2016’s ‘Captain America: Civil War’. He has since appeared in a number of other Marvel movies.

    According to Fox News, in a recent interview with a magazine, the British actor revealed that as his celebrity status grew, he began to struggle with sleep paralysis, which is “a feeling of being conscious but unable to move. It occurs when a person passes between stages of wakefulness and sleep,” as per WebMD. “You’re awake, but you can’t move,” Holland explained.

    He said that he’s often struck by a nightmare about his affliction in which he wakes up in a state of paralysis, unable to move and is surrounded by paparazzi taking pictures.

    “They’re all there and I’m looking for my publicist, like, ‘Where is the person who’s supposed to be protecting me? What’s going on? And then when I am able to move again, I turn the lights on, and it’s over,” he recalled.

    Once he realized that he’s safe and alone in his room, Holland said he feels relief, but not so much that he won’t “get up and look for a recording device or something that someone has put in my room.”

    Holland also said that he faces “cognitive dreaming” and “four out of 10 sleeps I wake up completely naked.”

    In addition, the star deals with nightmares from time to time and shared his trick for fighting them, which was originally shared with him by his ‘Spider-Man’ director Jon Watts.

    “Essentially, when you’re asleep, your brain is working way faster than it is when it’s awake,” he said.

    Holland further explained, “If you’re in a dream and you read something, say, a stop sign, and you turn around, when you look back at the stop sign it will have changed. So what you do is, and this is where it sounds stupid, you set an alarm for every hour of the day when you’re awake. When the alarm goes off, you read something.”

    As per Fox News, he said that after reading something simple nearby, turning away and then turning back to see that nothing has changed, he gains control over his nightmares once he is actually asleep.

    “What happens is when you do it for a long time; you start to do that in your sleep. Sometimes, if I’m having a really bad dream, I’ll look at a sign and go, ‘Oh, I’m dreaming.’ And then you have free rein to do whatever you want,” Holland continued, adding, “The last time it happened to me, I was flying around the Golden Gate Bridge. It was awesome.”