Tag: avatar

OTT and theatre releases this week: From ‘Poacher’ to ‘Article 370’, full list here

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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We are into the fourth week of February, and much like the preceding weeks, we have an exciting line-up of OTT and theatre releases. From Poacher to The Indrani Mukerjea Story on OTT and Article 370 in theatres, here are some of the best-picked series and movies that you can watch this weekend with family and friends.

The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth (Netflix)

The docuseries, The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth, narrates the story of the infamous Sheena Bora murder case. Featuring Anurita Jha, Annsh Shekhawat, Vivek Kumar, and Sagar Sant among others, the chilling story of a mother, accused of killing her daughter, will be streaming from Friday, February 23, on Netflix.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix)

An action series set in the backdrop of a fantasy world follows the story of a young boy known as the Avatar, who aims to master the four elemental powers of the world. Created by Albert Kim, the Avatar: The Last Airbender is slated to stream on Netflix from Thursday, February 22.

The animated series features Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu, and Daniel Dae Kim among others.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch S3 (Disney Plus Hotstar)

The final part in the saga of Clone Force 99, Star Wars: The Bad Batch is now streaming on the OTT platform Disney Plus Hotstar from today. Picking up from the concluding episode of Season 2, the new season embarks on a thrilling journey of redemption, resilience, and rebellion.

Directed by Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni, the animated action-drama features Ming-Na Wen, Dee Bradley Baker, Michelle Ang, and Noshir Dalal in major roles.

Poacher (Amazon Prime Video)

Richie Mehta helmed Poacher is a gripping story revolving around the harrowing world of illegal ivory poaching in India. The plot revolves around the crucial cases across Kerala’s dense forests. Poacher has been scheduled to stream on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video from Friday, February 23. It features an ensemble cast of Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Nimisha Sajayan, Roshan Mathew, and Ranjitha Menon among others.

Crakk (Theatres)

An action thriller, Crakk, featuring Vidyut Jamwal, Arjun Rampal, Nora Fatehi, and Amy Jackson in crucial roles, is scheduled to hit the big screen on Friday, February 23.

The film directed by Aditya Datt revolves around the journey of a man belonging to the slums of Mumbai who embarks on the world of underground extreme sports.

Article 370 (Theatres)

Directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale Article 370 narrates the story of a young field agent, who embarks on a secret mission to fight terrorism and corruption in Kashmir. The film stars Yami Gautam, Arun Govil, Priya Mani, and Skand Thakur among others. It will hit the cinemas on Friday, February 23.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Avatar 2 Release Date & Time: The Way of Water makes waves with Disney+ Hotstar OTT release

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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James Cameron’s highly anticipated film, Avatar 2, has finally graced the screens of enthusiastic fans as it made its debut on Disney+ Hotstar on June 7. Titled “Avatar: The Way of Water,” the movie was released at 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time (12:30 p.m. Indian Standard Time, Wednesday) on the streaming platform.

The American epic science fiction film, skillfully penned by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver, has managed to captivate audiences worldwide, amassing an impressive box office revenue of over $2.3 billion.

As the highly anticipated sequel to the groundbreaking 2009 movie, Avatar: The Way of Water transports viewers more than a decade beyond the events of its predecessor.

This installment follows the remarkable journey of Jake and Neytiri as they navigate the complexities of raising a family while grappling with the shadows of their past, which loom ominously overhead.

The star-studded cast includes the talents of Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet, who breathe life into their captivating characters and bring the enchanting world of Pandora to vivid existence.

Released in theaters on December 16, 2022, Avatar: The Way of Water has etched an unforgettable legacy in the annals of cinema. It has earned widespread acclaim for its breathtaking visual effects and extraordinary technical achievements, though it has not escaped criticism.

While many were captivated by the immersive spectacle and technological marvels it presented, some voiced concerns about the narrative’s depth and the film’s extended duration.

Nonetheless, the sheer magnificence of the production propelled it to unparalleled success, making it the highest-grossing film of 2022, the top-grossing film since the pandemic-induced pause, and the third highest-grossing film of all time.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Oscar-nominated films that you can still catch up on in Bengaluru

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The 95th Academy Awards is less than two weeks away. The Oscars will see winners in 24 categories. For cinema enthusiasts, catching up on Oscar-nominated films is a must. While some Oscar-nominated movies are yet to release in India, like Tar and Triangle of Sadness, some others may not see release in the country, like The Banshees of Inisherin. But there are plenty of other flicks that you can catch.

Here are the movies you can watch in Bengaluru to catch up on Oscar fever.

Avatar: The Way of Water

Set more than a decade after the events of the first Avatar film, the sequel tracks the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri and their kids) and their struggles and the fight to stay alive.

Nominations: Best Picture, Production Design, Sound, Visual Effects

ALSO READ | Everything Everywhere All At Once to RRR: Where to watch Oscar nominated movies in Delhi

Where to watch: PVR: 4DX, Nexus (Formerly Forum), Koramangala, PVR: 4DX, Orion Mall, Dr Rajkumar Road. PVR: 4DX, Vega City, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru, Victory Cinema Barco-4K RGB-Laser: Kamakshipalya, INOX: Galleria Mall, Yelahanka, INOX: Mantri Square, Malleshwaram, PVR: Nexus (Formerly Forum), Koramangala, PVR: Vega City, Bannerghatta Road. PVR: VR Bengaluru, Whitefield Road

RRR

SS Rajamouli’s period drama RRR, set in the 1920s when India was under British rule, tells the story of two freedom fighters and their fight for justice and freedom.

ALSO READ | Here is where to catch the top Oscar nominated movies in Mumbai

Nomination: Music (Original Song)

Where to watch: INOX: Garuda Yelahanka, Bengaluru, INOX: Nexus, Whitefield, Miraj Cinemas: TGN Lotus Elite, Magadi Road, PVR: Directors Cut, REX Walk Bengaluru, PVR: Gold, VR Bengaluru, Whitefield Road, PVR: MSR Elements Mall, Tanisandhra Main Road, PVR: Nexus (Formerly Forum), Koramangala, PVR: Orion Mall, Dr Rajkumar Road, PVR: Orion Uptown, Old Madras Road, Bengaluru, PVR: The Cinema GT World, Bengaluru, PVR: Vega City, Bannerghatta Road, PVR: VR Bengaluru, Whitefield Road, Swagath ShankarNag (ONYX) LED Cinema: MG Road

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish

The film takes us through the exciting adventures of Puss in Boots who discovers that his passion for thrill has led him to burn through eight of his nine lives. To continue his quest for adventure, Puss now must find the mythical Last Wish to get back all of his nine lives.

Nominations: Animated Feature Film

Where to Watch: PVR: Directors Cut, REX Walk Bengaluru, Cinepolis: Nexus Shantiniketan, Bengaluru, PVR: Nexus (Formerly Forum), Koramangala, PVR: Phoenix Marketcity Mall, Whitefield Road, PVR: Vega City, Bannerghatta Road

The Fabelmans

Sammy Fabelman, a young boy, falls in love with movies after watching The Greatest Show on Earth and starts making his own films at home with the help of his mother. The film is co-written and directed by Steven Spielberg, along with Tony Kushner.

Nominations: Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Leading Role, Directing, Music (Original Score), Best Picture, Production Design, Writing (Original Screenplay)

Where to Watch: PVR: Directors Cut, REX Walk Bengaluru, PVR: VR Bengaluru, Whitefield Road

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The sci-fi action adventure tells the hilarious story of a Chinese immigrant who can’t seem to finish her taxes. The comedy-drama is directed by the Daniels — Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.

ALSO READ |  From The Fablemans to RRR, you can watch top Oscar nominated movies in Kolkata

Nominations: Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Leading Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Costume Design, Directing, Film Editing, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Best Picture, Writing (Original Screenplay)

Where to Watch: Cinepolis: Lulu Global Mall, Bengaluru, PVR: Nexus (Formerly Forum), Koramangala, PVR: Vega City, Bannerghatta Road, INOX: Nexus, Whitefield

The Whale

An English teacher suffering from severe obesity is ashamed of his physical appearance. He tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter whom he has not seen in eight years.

Nominations: Actor in a Leading Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Makeup and Hairstyling

Where to Watch: INOX: Garuda Mall, Magrath Road

ALSO READ | Here is where to watch the top Oscar nominated movies in Chennai

Top Gun: Maverick

After 30 years of service, top Navy aviator Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Tom Cruise) finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialised mission. Facing an uncertain future and a closet full of ghosts of his past, Maverick is confronted with his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.

Nominations: Film Editing, Music (Original Song), Best Picture, Sound, Visual Effects, Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Where to Watch: Cinepolis: Nexus Shantiniketan, Bengaluru, PVR: Gold, Orion Mall, Dr Rajkumar Road, PVR: 4DX, Nexus (Formerly Forum), Koramangala, PVR: 4DX, Orion Mall, Dr Rajkumar Road, PVR: 4DX, Phoenix Marketcity Mall, Whitefield Road, PVR: 4DX, Vega City, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

From The Fablemans to RRR, you can watch top Oscar nominated movies in Kolkata

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The 95th Academy Awards are upon us and the world is eager to find out the winners this year. For film enthusiasts who want to revisit or catch the top nominated movies before the ceremony, there is good news.

Theatre chains including INOX, PVR, and Cinepolis in Kolkata are currently screening some of the top nominated movies in the lead-up to the Oscars.

Here are the top Oscar-nominated movies to watch in theatres in Kolkata.

Avatar: The Way of Water

Avatar: The Way of Water is an epic science fiction film directed and produced by James Cameron. The film picks up from the first instalment where Jake Sully and Ney’tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they leave their home to explore the regions of Pandora when an ancient threat resurfaces. Jake fights a difficult war against humans to keep his family safe.

Nominations: Best picture, best visual effects, best production design, best sound.

Where to watch: PVR: Mani Square Mall, Kolkata, INOX: Quest Mall.

ALSO READ | Everything Everywhere All At Once to RRR: Where to watch Oscar nominated movies in Delhi

RRR

RRR is a Telugu-language epic action drama film directed by SS Rajamouli. The film tells the story of a fearless revolutionary and an officer in the British force, who decide to join forces and set off on an inspirational path of freedom.

Nominations: Best Original Song

Where to watch: INOX: Quest Mall, INOX: Swabhumi, Maulana Azad Sarani, PVR: Avani, PVR: Diamond Plaza, Jessore Kolkata, PVR: Mani Square Mall, Kolkata

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

In the animated feature film, the lead, Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll as he has burnt through eight of his nine lives. Puss then sets off on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and get back all of his nine lives.

ALSO READ | Here is where to catch the top Oscar nominated movies in Mumbai

Nominations: Best Animated Feature

Where to watch: INOX: Quest Mall, PVR: Mani Square Mall, Kolkata.

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Everything Everywhere All at Once tells the story of an ageing Chinese immigrant who gets swept up in an insane adventure. She discovers that she alone can save everything she loves by connecting the lives she could have led in other universes.

Nominations: Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Costume Design, Directing, Film Editing, Music Original Score, Best Picture, Writing (Original screenplay)

Where to watch: Cinepolis: Acropolis Mall, Kolkata, INOX: City Centre, Salt Lake, INOX: Forum Mall, Elgin Road, INOX: South City, Kolkata, INOX: Star Mall, Madhyamgram, PVR: Mani Square Mall, Kolkata.

ALSO READ | Here is where to watch the top Oscar nominated movies in Chennai

The Fabelmans

The Fabelmans tells the story of young Sammy Fabelman who fall in love with movies after he watches The Greatest Show on Earth with his parents. Sammy then tries to realise his passion and starts to make his own films at home with a camera and his mother’s support.

Nominations: Best picture, best-supporting actor, best director, best actress, best original screenplay, best original score, best production design

Where to watch: PVR: Mani Square Mall, Kolkata

Triangle of Sadness

In the Triangle of Sadness, celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), go on a luxury cruise which is for the uber-rich and captained by an unhinged Man (Woody Harrelson). What first appeared beautiful getaway ends up being a catastrophic journey, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island.

Nominations: Directing, Best Picture, Writing (Original screenplay)

Where to watch: INOX: South City, PVR: Mani Square Mall.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Here is where to catch the top Oscar nominated movies in Mumbai

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The 95th Academy Awards are a few days away and the race for best picture is still wide open. If you are a film enthusiast and you still haven’t watched the top-nominated movies, you can now watch them in a theatre near you. Several theatre chains like PVR and Cinepolis are screening a number of the top Oscar-nominated movies.

Here are the top Oscar-nominated movies to watch in theatres in Mumbai.

Avatar: The Way of Water

The film is set more than a decade after the events of the first Avatar film. It tells the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri and their kids) and the trouble that follows them and the fight to stay alive.

ALSO READ | At $1.5 billion worldwide collections, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ beats ‘Top Gun’ to become the highest-grossing film of 2022

Nomination: Best picture, best visual effects, best production design, best sound.

Where to watch: PVR: Infiniti, Malad 4DX Mumbai, PVR: Market City, Kurla (4DX), Cinepolis: Nexus Seawoods, Navi Mumbai, INOX: Raghuleela Mall, Vashi, INOX: Megaplex, Inorbit Mall, Malad, INOX: Megaplex, and Inorbit Mall, Malad.

The Fabelmans

The Fabelmans tells the coming-of-age story of young Sammy Fabelman who falls in love with movies after his parents take him to see The Greatest Show on Earth. Sammy starts to make his own films at home, along with his supportive mother. The film is helmed by Steven Spielberg, who co-wrote and co-produced it with Tony Kushner.

Nominations: Best picture, best director, best actress, best-supporting actor, best original screenplay, best original score, best production design

Where to watch: INOX: Megaplex, Inorbit Mall, Malad, Maison PVR: Library Hall, Jio World Drive, BKC, Maison PVR: Living Room, Luxe, Jio World Drive, BKC, INOX Laserplex: CR2, Nariman Point, INOX: R-City, Ghatkopar, PVR: LUXE, Phoenix Palladium, Lower Parel Mumbai

RRR

SS Rajamouli’s RRR is a period drama set in India during the 1920s, which tells the inspiring story of two of India`s freedom fighters. The film has won a few international accolades including the Golden Globes award for best original song, New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director and the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

ALSO READ | Oscars 2023: RRR’s Naatu Naatu to be performed live by Rahul Sipligunj, Kaala Bhairava

Nominations: Best Original Song

Where to watch: Cinepolis: Viviana Mall, Thane, INOX: R-City, Ghatkopar, Metro INOX Cinemas: Marine Lines, PVR: Lodha Xperia, Palava, PVR: Market City, Kurla (Premiere), PVR: Odeon Mall, Ghatkopar, PVR: Citi Mall, Andheri (W), PVR: Dynamix, Juhu, PVR: Growel, Kandivali (E), PVR: Haseen, Bhiwandi, INOX: Raghuleela Mall, Vashi,  PVR: Orion Mall, Panvel

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a computer-animated adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. In the film, the lead character Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has led him to burn through eight of his nine lives and he must find the mythical Last Wish to restore all of his nine lives.

Nominations: Best Animated Feature

Where to watch: PVR ICON: Oberoi Mall, Goregaon (E), Cinepolis and Viviana Mall, Thane.

ALSO READ | RRR scores 4 Hollywood Critics Association Awards, Rajamouli’s acceptance speech is viral

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

‘Avatar’ movie technology can help monitor rare diseases, experts find

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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James Cameron’s Avatar films have not just revolutionised cinema, they are contributing to medical research too.

A team of researchers from the United Kingdom has adapted the motion capture technology used in Avatar to predict the progression of movement-impairing diseases, the BBC reported. Avatar released in 2009. Its sequel, Avatar : The Way of Water, came out in 2022.

The Avatar technology makes use of special suits equipped with sensors to record the movements of actors, who are to be shown on screen as fictional humanoids.

Once their movements are recorded using the suits, they are transferred to a software to achieve motion in real-time.

Also Read: At $1.5 billion worldwide collections, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ beats ‘Top Gun’ to become highest-grossing film of 2022

In a medical setting, such motion capture suits were tried by experts on those affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a progressive muscular weakness, while Friedreich’s ataxia causes progressive nervous system damage, and also movement difficulties.

There were two separate studies for the diseases, part of a collaboration between Imperial College London and UCL. The results were published in the Nature Medicine journal.

During the research, the sensor suits were tried on patients and healthy age-matched controls.

Data was then collected from sensors and fed into an AI-powered tool to create avatars of trial participants.

“This vast data set and powerful computing tool allowed researchers to define key movement fingerprints seen in children with DMD as well as adults with FA, that were different in the control group,” Imperial College London said. “Many of these AI-based movement patterns had not been described clinically before in either DMD or FA.”

Experts also discovered that the technique could help improve disease progression predictions. More precise predictions would mean more efficient clinical trials, and patients getting quicker access to novel therapies.

Professor Paola Giunti, co-author on the FA study, said AI-powered approaches are clearly superior when it comes to capturing the progression of a rare disease like FA.

“With this novel approach we can revolutionise clinical trial design for new drugs and monitor the effects of already existing drugs with an accuracy that was unknown with previous methods,” she said.

Also Read: Avatar: The Way of Water and the sorcery of spectacle

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

80th Golden Globe Awards: A look at the nominations for Best Motion Picture

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The 80th Golden Globe Awards will be held on January 11 at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The prestigious Golden Globe Awards are organised by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).

Recently, the highly anticipated nominations for the Globes were announced by Mayan Lopez and Selenis Leyva of Lopez vs. Lopez fame, and Helen Hoehne, president of HFPA. Every year, the Best Motion Picture -Drama category grabs all the headlines. This time it’s no different as blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis have been nominated in the coveted Best Motion Picture category.

This year, the nominees for best picture are a great mix of critical faves and audience hits. Movies like Tar and The Fabelmans received rave reviews from critics.

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Tar starred Cate Blanchett in the titular role of Lydia Tar. This was Blanchett’s second major role as a lesbian after her Oscar-nominated film, Carol. Directed by Todd Field, Tar features Blanchett playing the Berlin Philharmonic’s fictional director.

Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans has received a total of five Golden Globe nominations this year. The terrific film stars Michelle Williams and is a thinly-veiled account of Spielberg’s own adolescence. The Fabelmans portrays how Spielberg got into movie-making amidst the disintegration of his parent’s marriage.

Films like Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water broke box office records. Top Gun: Maverick emerged as one of the biggest hits of 2022 and collected $1.489 billion at the worldwide box office. The long-delayed sequel to Tom Cruise’s 1986 movie was directed by Joseph Kosinski. The feel-good movie emerged as the highest-grossing film of Cruise’s career.

ALSO READ: Golden Globes 2023: A look at nominees for best TV actor/actress in various categories

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water boasts a stellar cast which includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet and Stephen Lang. The sci-fi action film — a sequel to his 2009 original – recently passed $1.51 billion worldwide.

Meanwhile, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis has received strong reviews and has done well at the box office. The magnificent biopic of Elvis Presley tells the life story of one of the most mythological figures in the history of popular music.

The 80th edition of the Golden Globe Awards will be available to stream in India on the Lionsgate Play OTT platform.

ALSO READ: Golden Globes 2023: RRR’s Naatu Naatu to Black Panther’s Lift Me Up – songs nominated for best original score

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

At $1.5 billion worldwide collections, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ beats ‘Top Gun’ to become highest-grossing film of 2022

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ has soared past ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ to become the highest-grossing movie of 2022. In just three weeks, the movie has managed to rake in $1.5 billion in worldwide collections, soaring past the $1.489 billion that the ‘Top Gun’ sequel had earned during its theatrical run. With this, the sequel to 2009’s ‘Avatar’ has become the biggest movie of 2022.

Released 13 years after the first film, the sequel took just under 13 days to cross the $1 billion mark at the box office with a strong showing in foreign markets. Despite the ongoing pandemic situation in China, the movie has managed to earn $162 million at the box office in the country. The original ‘Avatar’ had managed to earn $262 million in China, including a re-release in 2021 that propelled the movie to become the highest-grossing film of all time. ‘Avatar’ had earned a monstrous $2.9 billion at the global box office.

However, in the US domestic market, ‘Avatar 2’ is still behind ‘Top Gun 2’. ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ managed to earn a total of $718 million at the US box office while as of Wednesday ‘The Way of Water’ has only earned $465 million so far. Though domestic ticket sales for ‘The Way of Water’ continue to grow as the movie is facing little in the way of competition in terms of big budget releases until February when it will go up against Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp”.

Also read | Avatar: The Way of Water grosses $1 billion at box office in 12 days

The movie is expected to earn between $1.6 billion and $1.9 billion in total, putting it just around the mark to break even. The hugely expensive film has been one of the most-costly productions. Cameron had suggested that the movie needed to earn around $2 billion in order to become profitable.

The 2009 Avatar film was the highest-grossing movie of all time until the release of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s climatic ‘Avengers: Endgame’. However, a 2019 rerelease in China pushed Avatar ahead of Avengers.

While the Avatar sequel witnessed a slow start at theatres, the movie has been gradually gaining momentum, especially in international markets.
The movie has grossed over $661 million internationally as of January 1. The biggest foreign markets for the movie include China ($104.5M), France ($60.5M), Korea ($55.4M), Germany ($41.5M) and India ($39.2M), reported Deadline.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water grosses $1 billion at box office in 12 days

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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James Cameron’s Avatar sequel was released thirteen years after the first film of the science fiction franchise hit the theatres, but it took the movie just under 13 days to cross the $1 billion mark at the box office. The sequel to the 2009 epic drama, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ has collected over $955 million at the box office worldwide as of December 26, according to reports. Taking the collections on Tuesday into account, the movie is expected to easily soar past the $1 billion mark. This makes ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ the third highest-grossing movie of 2022, behind ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’.

Though it took Jurassic World four months to reach the mark and ‘Top Gun’ over a month, ‘Avatar 2’ achieved the feat in just 12 days. With the holiday season in full swing, the movie is expected to reach the $2 billion mark, matching the box office collection of Avatar.

ALSO READ: Avatar: The Way of Water impresses in box office with opening weekend; earns Rs 3,598 cr globally in 3 days

Avatar was the highest-grossing movie of all time until the release of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s climatic ‘Avengers: Endgame’. However, a 2019 rerelease in China pushes Avatar ahead of Avengers once more.

While the Avatar sequel witnessed a slow start at the theatres, the movie has been gradually gaining momentum, especially in international markets.

The movie has grossed over $661 million internationally as of Monday. The biggest foreign markets for the movie include China ($104.5M), France ($60.5M), Korea ($55.4M), Germany ($41.5M) and India ($39.2M), reported Deadline.

ALSO READ: Box office bounces back in 2022 with KGF 2, RRR, and now Avatar: Way of the Water

In India, the movie has already blown past collections of Bollywood top grossers like ‘The Kashmir Files’, ‘Drishyam 2’ and ‘Brahmastra’. With collections still reigning in strong, ‘The Avatar: Way of Water’ is expected to be one of the highest-grossing movies of the year in India and the highest-grossing Hollywood movie in the country.

Avatar 2 once more follows the journey of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) on the bountiful planet of Pandora.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Avatar: The Way of Water and the sorcery of spectacle

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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In the furor ahead of Avatar: The Way of Water’s release, two questions loomed large over me. First—did we need the sequel, on which director James Cameron spent 13 years and a reported half a billion dollars? Second—was it worth the wait? As much as I was curious to know what Jake Sully and Neytiri were doing over a decade later, I primarily went to the theatre to find the answers to these two big questions.

Turns out, true to life, there aren’t any easy answers. Avatar’s world has expanded gloriously since we first set eyes on Pandora. If the original had four key characters—Jake, Neytiri, Colonel Miles Quaritch, and Dr Grace Augustine, the sequel has about twice as many. Jake and Neytiri return, older and more grounded. Accompanying them is a motley group of four children. Two biological sons Neteyam and Lo’ak, a daughter Tuk, and an adopted older daughter Kiri, who is Grace’s offspring. Quaritch, although killed at end of the first part, returns too, albeit in his avatar form. He also has a teen son, Spider, who, left behind on Pandora, grows up with the Sully children as one of them. Finally, there’s an outcast tulkun—a giant marine creature that Lo’ak befriends during one of his many adventures at sea after the Sully family is forced to migrate and find refuge in the gorgeous Pandoran reef.

The Way of Water is the story of not Jake or Neytiri but the Sully children, the way Game of Thrones was about the Stark siblings. Mercifully, the younger Sullys have as much game, vivacity, and chutzpah as their parents. Their expeditions, therefore, are just as exciting. One of The Way of Water’s crucial wins is how, despite so much going on, it still manages to give each child a distinct personality. Neteyam is the dutiful, ideal older brother—skilled, protective, and obedient. Lo’ak is the classic second child—spirited, wayward, trying to live up to the expectations set by his elder sibling, and hungering for his parents’ admiration. He sets the dice rolling, much like Harry’s second son, Albus Severus Potter, did in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Then there is Grace’s daughter Kiri, who gets epileptic fits and has a strange, mysterious connection with Eywa—the guiding force of all Pandoran flora and fauna. Tuk is too young to fly or swim on her own but is brave enough to fight back.

But the spotlight is so focused on the children that the parents recede in the background. Neytiri and Jake, who made the first installment what it became, are reduced to cardboard characters in the sequel. She is mournful and grieving, first at having to leave her forest home, then at losing a dear one. He, once a warrior hero, now determined to protect his family from another human invasion, is made to mouth corny dialogue like “A father protects.” In fact, when he says “I see you” to Lo’ak at the end, it should have melted my heart. But the way he says it, with zero feeling, putting to dust one of the most iconic dialogues of the Avatar-verse, made my heart sink instead.

The Way of Water could have been an intimate family portrait, the coming together of two firebrands and how they navigate interpersonal and external turbulences. But Cameron sacrifices intimacy for spectacle. The result is beauty that feels hollow and grandeur that’s devoid of any meaning.

One of the major reasons for Avatar’s blockbuster success was Cameron beautifully rooting each of its “aha!” moments in emotion. But The Way of Water has only two such stand-out sequences that make you feel anything at all. First, when the tulkun gives it back to the plundering, greedy human villains. The second comes in the overlong climactic sequence (that is sure to remind you of Titanic’s end), when gear shifts and power changes hands from the parents to the children, who, from being fawned and fussed upon all through the film, transform into protectors and rescuers.

What I also loved about the film is how wonderfully it highlights the fluidity and transience of margins and the politics of who and what makes an outsider. Jake, by the virtue of once having been a human, is the OG outsider among the Na’vi. But he is not the only one. Though adopted by Jake and Neytiri and raised as their own, Kiri constantly laments over how she feels different and is teased about her inexplicable, mysterious parentage. Lo’ak feels isolated within his own brood. Spider is the only human child among the Na’vi wishing he wasn’t born to the man he was. He paints blue stripes all over himself hoping it would hide his humanness. Individual identity crises aside, the entire Sully family becomes the quintessential outsider in the coral reef, trying to adapt and survive among the Metkayina natives. Then there’s the tulkun, the ultimate outcast among a species known to huddle close with their kind.

It’s not just Jake and Neytiri’s blueness, their appearance, belonging to different species, or the way they came together that has strong parallels with Shiva and Parvati. The heterogeneity of their family and how it comes to be is eerily similar to the story of the Hindu deities too. Each member incongruent, struggling with their own battles, trying to fight the best they can, and each just as important.

There is no denying that The Way of Water makes for an enchanting movie-watching experience. The Pandoran reefs are as magical as the forests—full of color, wonder, and kaleidoscopic iridescence. Some of the underwater sequences are so magnificent, that they will take your breath away. But if only the story was as emotionally resonant and resplendent. In an age marked by acute franchise fatigue, am I looking forward to the next installment? I don’t know.

Read other pieces by Sneha Bengani here.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow