Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone Reveal Details of Sci-Fi Epic ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ at Mumbai Launch

Naman Ramachandran Indian sci-fi epic “Kalki 2898 AD” made a third place debut at the worldwide box office in a weekend led by “Inside Out 2” and “A Quiet Place: Day One.” Disney’s “Inside Out 2” collected $165 million worldwide, including $57.4 million in North America, in its third weekend of release and now has crossed a $1 billion gross, according to numbers from Comscore. Paramount’s “A Quiet Place: Day One” debuted with $98.5 million, including $53 million in North America, releasing across 60 territories.

Refresh for latest…: Paramount’s A Quiet Place: Day One not only set a domestic opening record for the franchise, it also did it at the international box office. Of the $98.5M global start, $45.5M is from 59 overseas markets, well exceeding expectations.

Two Indian films flexed at the domestic box office — and when they hit they really do hit, buoying exhibitors through good times and bad — with Kinds Of Kindness hitting no. 10 in a major expansion and Thelma not far behind.

Joe Biden and his presidential campaign continued to try to assuage fretful donors following the president’s dismal performance at the debate on Thursday.

Joe Leydon Film Critic With “Kalki 2898 AD,” Telugu cinema filmmaker Nag Ashwin rifles through a century of sci-fi and fantasy extravaganzas to create a wildly uneven mashup of everything from Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” to Marvel Comics movies, underpinned by elements from the Hindu epic poem “Mahabharata.” It’s billed, perhaps optimistically, as the first chapter of the Kalki Cinematic Universe franchise — which makes it part of a larger trend, since it launches the same weekend that Kevin Costner’s Looks like Kevin Costner’s multi-film “Horizon” saga does in the U.S. International viewers unfamiliar with the specifics of the ancient Kurukshetra War between the Kauravas and the Pandavas — think Hatfields and McCoys, only with chariots and spears — may want to brush up on Indian mythology before approaching “Kalki 2898 AD,” if only to make some sense of repeated references to that clash.

The indie market is feeling pretty good. A big film from India Kalki 2898 AD may unseat RRR’s North American opening weekend. June Squibb-starrer Thelma is blowing through midweek shows and stands at $3.75 million heading into week 2 steady at 1,280 theaters. Searchlight Pictures Kinds Of Kindness by Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things) starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons jumps to 500 screens from five after the best limited opening of the year last weekend.

Travis Kelce is spilling details on meeting Prince William and his two kids, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, at the Eras tour last week.

Naman Ramachandran Lotus Visual Productions, the banner behind festival circuit film hits, SXSW awardee “Ek Jagah Apni” and Frameline winner “Sheer Qorma,” is pivoting to the mainstream space with “Once Upon a Crime in Borivali.” The Mumbai-set thriller blending dark comedy with suspense elements follows two young men whose quest for excitement lands them in hot water. Bombay Berlin Film Productions, known for “Loev”(featured at Tallinn Black Nights, SXSW, BFI Flare and Frameline) boards as creative producer.

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline can reveal a first look at writer-director Subhadra Mahajan‘s debut feature, Second Chance, which will premiere at the upcoming Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Kamala Harris will be in Los Angeles on June 29 for a Pride month Biden-Harris fundraiser that is already attracting some of Hollywood’s most powerful players and creatives. I can exclusively report that invites are expected to go out today for what’s officially being billed as a “Pride Garden Party With Vice President Kamala Harris.” Tony winner Idina Menzel will perform during the afternoon program.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Ever since snatching the season 16 crown on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” life for Nymphia Wind has been nothing short of a whirlwind experience. She has performed for the President of Taiwan, opened for Steve Aoki at the Gold Gala after party, joined her fellow queens at the Critics Choice Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema and Television and, earlier this month, performed at Vice President Kamala Harris’ Pride Celebration in Washington D.C. She has yet to sit down and have an “Oh God, I won” moment — and she has no intention of stopping for one.

EXCLUSIVE: You might not be familiar with Namit Malhotra’s name, but the world certainly knows his work. Malhotra founded Indian production services company Prime Focus Technologies in 1997, and is currently CEO of VFX company DNEG, which has won seven Academy Awards for films such Inception,Interstellar, Blade Runner 2049, and Dune. Hailing from a filmmaking family in India’s Mumbai, Malhotra holds immense influence in both Hollywood and Bollywood, where he is currently in production on Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. The hotly-anticipated feature will feature a score collaboration between A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) and Hans Zimmer (Lion King, Dune). Malhotra, a services exec by trade, is also upping his producer game. He produced the recent Garfield movie, which crossed $200M at the box office this month, was an exec on Hindi-language film Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva and has exec producer credits on Peacock’s upcoming Rome epic Those About to Die, Legendary’s animation/live-action hybrid Animal Friends and The Angry Birds Movie 3. Here, he chats to Deadline about his cross-continental journey, the impact of the pandemic, layoffs at his company, and future projects in the pipeline. 

Naman Ramachandran India’s Doc Film Bazaar, which is part of the Mumbai International Film Festival, has unveiled the winners of its inaugural edition. The awards, sponsored by Prasad Lab, are aimed at supporting post-production efforts, particularly in digital intermediate (DI) services.

Naman Ramachandran Ketan Mehta, the revered Indian filmmaker who also serves as founder and chair of animation house Cosmos-Maya, known for long-running animated Nickelodeon show “Motu Patlu,” says that the global companies who operate TV channels in India create content that is local-specific and fails to resonate with international audiences. Mehta was speaking at the ongoing Mumbai International Film Festival which hosted a lively panel debate on animation. The discussion featured some of the top Iranian and Indian names in the business.

Mark Zuckerberg and his family decided to spend Father’s Day relaxing. Alongside his wife Priscilla Chan, and their children, Aurelia, August, and Maxima, the family was photographed arriving in Mallorca, Spain, and spending the day aboard their luxurious super yacht. Ivanka Trump and her family stun at the pre-wedding party of Indian billionaire heirBill Gates, Rihanna, Ivanka Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, and more at Anant Ambani’s pre-wedding partyPhotographers captured the family as they arrived in Mallorca, with Zuckerberg following his security guard as he carried the family’s luggage.

Naman Ramachandran After Jonathan Glazer’s Cannes, Oscar and BAFTA-winning “The Zone of Interest,” Daniela Volker’s “The Commandant’s Shadow” tackles the same subject – what it was like to live next door to a WWII concentration camp. While Glazer’s film was a work of fiction, based on Martin Amis’ novel, Volker’s film is a documentary. Exploring the legacy of Auschwitz, it follows Hans-Joergen Höss, son of commandant Rudolf Höss, and grandson Kai, on an emotional journey.

Naman Ramachandran Far from the bright lights of Bollywood, the indomitable Indian documentary filmmaking industry has been making waves globally. The recent past has several examples of India‘s international success.

Naman Ramachandran British writer James Graham will deliver this year’s flagship James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival, supported by Screen Scotland. Graham, known for his sharp political insights and popular dramas, has made significant contributions to stage, television and film. His works include the BAFTA-winning “Sherwood,” which returns to BBC later this year, and the acclaimed “Quiz.” On stage, he brought “Dear England” to the West End, adapted “Tammy Faye” for Broadway and reimagined “Boys from the Blackstuff.” Graham’s political narratives include “Brexit: An Uncivil War” and “Coalition.” In his lecture, Graham will discuss TV drama’s role in shaping political discourse and social justice.

EXCLUSIVE: The UK-based VFX and animation company Jellyfish Pictures has launched a new VFX production outpost in Toronto. 

Naman Ramachandran Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan has boarded his acting coach Vinod Rawat‘s feature directorial debut “Pushtaini” (“Ancestral”) as a presenter. Rawat, who previously directed Season 1 of Disney+ Hotstar’s Emmy-nominated series “Aarya” alongside Ram Madhvani, has served as Roshan’s acting coach since “Kaabil” (2017). In “Pushtaini,” Rawat stars as Bhuppi, a struggling actor who is desperate to secure his last chance at stardom after he finds himself caught in an embarrassing scandal.