India’s ‘Jalsa’ Filmmaker Suresh Triveni Launches Opening Image Studio, Backed by Abundantia Entertainment

Florida – it's also one of the most expensive.  Aptly referred to as 'Billionaire Bunker', the island is home to the likes of hotel magnate Jeffrey Soffer, activist Carl Icahn and Hotels. com Founder Robert Diener.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the newest timeline-altering tentpole in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, captured a huge $265 million in its international box office debut.Those mighty ticket sales represent the second-biggest opening weekend overseas in pandemic times. Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” still stands as the highest-grossing COVID-era debut with $340 million internationally.The second “Doctor Strange” film, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the goatee-rocking sorcerer, generated $185 million in North America over the weekend, bringing its global tally to a massive $450 million.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorIn today’s podcast roundup, “Batman Unburied” flies to the top of Spotify’s charts; HBO Max’s “The Staircase” gets a companion podcast; Slate’s “Slow Burn” Season 7 will unpack the history of Roe v. Wade; Audible set to release “Beast Master” investigative narrative podcast about “Ohio’s bear king”; and more.DC’s “Batman Unburied” superhero series soared to the top of the Spotify podcast charts in markets around the globe this week after its premiere — unseating “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the controversial show that is the streamer’s regular chart-topper. The thriller from David S. Goyer delves into the dark recesses of Bruce Wayne’s psyche with an all-new storyline.The first two episodes of the 10-ep “Batman Unburied” bowed May 3.

It’s Friday again, readers. Jesse Whittock here (for the first time, be gentle), taking you through the week’s top headlines.

Indian actor and filmmaker R Madhavan’s directorial debut Rocketry: The Nambi Effect will receive its world premiere in Cannes on May 19 as part of the celebration of India as the official country of honor at the Cannes Market this year. Check out some exclusive new photos above and below.

Carson Burton The 2022 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has announced the winners of its annual filmmaker awards, with Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta” winning the grand jury prize for feature film. Anmol Sidhu’s “Jaggi” was the recipient of the Uma da Cunha Award for feature film debut, as well as the audience choice award for feature.“This year’s edition of the film festival was wonderful in so many ways,” said IFFLA executive director Christina Marouda.

Primetime Emmy winner Tobias Menzies has boarded the Nicole Holofcener directed and written feature Beth & Don opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Naman Ramachandran Rohit Shetty, the filmmaker known for his Singham cop franchise, and Reliance Entertainment, will produce a biopic on one of Mumbai’s most revered top cops and former commissioner of police, Rakesh Maria.The biopic will be based on Maria’s 2020 memoir “Let Me Say it Now” and will be mentored by Shetty. A director and cast have yet to be finalized.As deputy commissioner of police (traffic) in 1993, Maria cracked the Bombay serial blasts case. He was later deputy commissioner of police (crime) and then joint commissioner of police (crime), of the Mumbai police.

Imax reported a global quarterly box office total of $173.2 million, up 57% over Q1 2021 thanks in large part to the March release of “The Batman” and post-holiday holdover screenings of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Imax also had screenings of seven local language films in countries like China, India and France. Adjusted EBITDA stood at $14.8 million, up from $2.8 million in Q1 2021 during which theaters worldwide closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tika Sumpter, Comedian CP and Isha Blaaker are all joining the cast in recurring roles for the show's sophomore season.Additionally, Cree Summer and 's Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins will join as guest stars.Based in Harlem, New York,  stars Amber Stevens West, Bresha Webb and Corbin Reid as three fiercely loyal friends who work to juggle the trials and tribulations of being successful career women while navigating their romantic relationships and their connections to one another. As the show's logline reads, «At its core, it’s an unapologetically female show about enviable friendship and not only surviving – but thriving together.»Sumpter will play Naomi, the biological mother of Amari (Ellie Reine), who has returned home from the Navy.

Malina Saval Associate Editor, FeaturesTwo esteemed film professors. Two wildly different cities on two different coasts. And countless ways in which both have contributed to the ever-expanding landscape of entertainment education in the United States — and the world over.

Peter Boothroyd was living alone in a caravan when he discovered he had accidentally sparked a global fashion brand.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaA consortium of investors led by Najafi Companies has closed its deal to purchase STX Entertainment, the beleaguered film and television company behind “Bad Moms” and “My Spy.” The sale ends STX’s unhappy union with Eros, the Indian media company that it merged with in 2020. The goal was to go public, which STXEros did, but to little investor fanfare. STX had previously tried and abandoned an effort to go public on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2018, citing unfavorable market conditions.

Martin Scorsese’s nonprofit The Film Foundation is launching a free virtual screening room to showcase restored films starting May 9 with I Know Where I’m Going!.

EXCLUSIVE: Singapore-based Indian financier Vistas Media Capital has launched a North American division to be run by film industry vet Ben Waisbren.

Mystery no more! Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas’ daughter’s name has been revealed three months after she was born via surrogate.

“The King’s Shadow” by Edmund Richardson (St. Martin’s Press)Charles Masson isn't a household name, even for many avid readers of history, but it's easy to wonder why that's the case after reading “The King's Shadow."Historian Edmund Richardson's book on Masson's search for the lost city Alexandria Beneath the Mountains is less about the treasure hunt and more about the unlikeliest of archeological heroes.A deserter from the army for the East India Company in the 1800s, Masson wound up in Afghanistan and sought to find the remnants of the famed city that was part of Alexander the Great's sprawling empire.That search winds up being the backdrop for Masson's exploits as he dodges spies from the East India company, rivalling rulers and others.

Naman Ramachandran Prashanth Neel’s “K.G.F: Chapter 2,” starring Yash, was the second highest grossing film worldwide over the Easter weekend, with a $70.6 million gross, according to estimates released by Comscore. The weekend winner was “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” with $114.7 million.“K.G.F: Chapter 2” is a sequel to 2018 film “K.G.F: Chapter 1” which earned $33 million, making it the highest grossing Kannada-language film of all time.