Entertainment

Christopher Nolan arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles
| Photo Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Hollywood studio Universal Pictures on Wednesday teased new movies from Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan, while showcasing footage from its upcoming sequels Jurassic World Rebirth and Wicked: For Good at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, US.

Spielberg “is currently shooting a film that promises to be a return to form, in the spirit of his monumental classics,” said Universal executive Jim Orr, at the movie theatre industry summit in Las Vegas.

The untitled film, out June 2026, is widely rumored to be a blockbuster sci-fi. Orr promised it would contain “a propulsive, modern, out-of-this-world twist,” without sharing further details.

Meanwhile, Nolan is in the Mediterranean shooting his star-studded version of The Odyssey, based on the millennia-old Ancient Greek epic saga written by Homer.

It is due July 2026, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya and Anne Hathaway.

In a prediction bold even by the standards of Hollywood marketing, Orr suggested the film “will be a once-in-a-generation cinematic masterpiece that Homer himself would, quite frankly, be very proud of.”

The comments came at CinemaCon, an annual week-long summit at which Hollywood studios present their biggest upcoming movies to theater owners and press.

A theme of this year’s event has been a drive to get studios to commit to keeping new movies in US theaters for at least 45 days before they appear on streaming.

A source with knowledge of the talks told AFP Wednesday that three of Hollywood’s six biggest studios have committed.

Universal, which has in recent years brought many of its films to on-demand streaming very soon after they debut in theaters, has not yet agreed to the new 45-day “window,” the source said. The studio did not immediately comment.

But its efforts to court movie theater owners Wednesday included showing extended new footage and A-list stars from the next Jurassic movie — out this July.

It comes from the writer of the original 1993 Jurassic Park. The action returns to that film’s island setting.

Unlike the “Jurassic World” films where dinosaurs freely roamed the globe, the fearsome reptiles are now once again scarce, surviving in a few remote spots.

Star Scarlett Johansson said the film would “put the scares back into Jurassic” by keeping the dinosaurs hidden and ratcheting up the suspense.

Universal’s presentation ended with surprise appearances from Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, whose second and final Wicked film will hit theatres November.

CinemaCon concludes Thursday with presentations from Paramount and Disney.

The trailer of  Chhorii 2 has crawled out of the darkness and into our nightmares, proving once again that nobody fights like a mother protecting her child, especially when faced with ghosts that clearly didn’t read the parenting manual on boundaries.

The sequel to the 2021 Indian horror hit ramps up the terror as it follows Nushrratt Bharuccha’s character Sakshi, who now faces an even more harrowing battle against supernatural forces threatening her daughter Ishani. 

The trailer effectively establishes a more intense atmosphere than its predecessor, taking viewers into unexplored underground caves where malevolent entities lurk in shadows.

Visually, the trailer delivers on creating genuine unease through its effective use of haunting imagery, from disturbing rituals to ghostly apparitions that seem determined to make Sakshi’s life a living nightmare. 

The cinematography appears to embrace darkness, using it to amplify the sense of isolation and vulnerability.

Soha Ali Khan makes an intriguing appearance as the enigmatic “Daasi Ma,” whose role appears pivotal to the unfolding supernatural drama.

What elevates this trailer beyond standard horror fare is its emotional core – beneath the jump scares and eerie atmosphere lies a story about maternal determination and the lengths one will go to protect their child. 

The film premieres on Prime Video on April 11, 2025, featuring a supporting cast that includes Gashmeer Mahajani, Saurabh Goyal and Pallavi Ajay. 

Salman Khan’s latest release Sikandar has been struggling at the box office since its release on Sunday. Salman Khan, who tried different promotional stunts to promote his film, opened up about the lack of support from film fraternity for his films. Salman Khan said his friends think that he doesn’t need support while the superstar says he also needs backing for his films.

Salman Khan also admitted that he promotes his friends and colleagues’ films.

In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Salman Khan said, “Unko aisa lagta hoga ki zaroorat nahin padti mujhe. (Maybe they think that I don’t need their support.). But, sabko zaroorat padti hai. (Everybody needs support, including me).”

Ahead of Sikandar’s release, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and director AR Murugadoss engaged in a fun chat as a promotional stunt. Salim Khan also joined the conversation and picked up his favourite Salman and Aamir Khan films.

Take a look at the video here:

At the trailer launch of Sikandar, Salman Khan addressed the issue of a 31-year age gap with heroine Rashmika Mandanna.  “They say there is a 31-year difference between the heroine and me. If the heroine doesn’t have any problem or the heroine’s father doesn’t have any problem, then why do you have a problem?” Salman Khan’s punchline made the press burst into laughter.

Salman Khan didn’t stop there. “And when she (Rashmika) will get married and have a daughter and then she becomes a big star then also we will work (together). We will get the mother (Rashmika)’s permission for sure,” Salman Khan said at the event.

Apart from Salman Khan and Rashmika, the project also features Kajal Aggarwal, Sathyaraj and Sharman Joshi in important roles. Sikandar released in theatres on March 30.

Jean-Claude Van Damme
| Photo Credit: Danny Moloshok

Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme is facing serious allegations in Romania, where a criminal complaint has been filed against him for allegedly engaging in sexual relations with trafficked women.

According to CNN affiliate Antena 3, the Street Fighter star, 64, is accused of knowingly accepting five Romanian women as a “gift” from a criminal group led by Morel Bolea. The complaint, filed with Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), claims Van Damme was aware that the women were victims of human trafficking.

Attorney Adrian Cuculis, representing one of the victims, told the outlet that the women “were in a state of vulnerability, with the suspicion that they were exploited.”

The alleged incident reportedly occurred in Cannes during an event organized by Van Damme. One of the women present at the gathering provided testimony to prosecutors, leading DIICOT to open an investigation.

“Several Romanians who are currently being investigated for forming a criminal group and pimping, allegedly offered Jean-Claude Van Damme five Romanian women… The person who received those benefits knew their condition,” Cuculis stated.

This case is linked to a broader human trafficking investigation that began in 2020 by Romania’s Prosecutor’s Office. Before any formal legal action can proceed, the High Court of Cassation in France must authorise criminal proceedings, after which suspects will be summoned to Romania for questioning.

Van Damme, known for his roles in Bloodsport, Kickboxer, and The Expendables 2, has not publicly commented on the allegations. His representatives and DIICOT have also yet to issue a response.

Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran‘s L2: Empuraan has taken the box office by storm, setting a new record for the highest first-week collections in Malayalam cinema. The much-anticipated sequel of Lucifer has earned a staggering Rs 83.73 crore in its first seven days with one more day left for the week to go.

Breaking Down the Numbers

From its opening day, L2: Empuraan showcased its box office dominance:

Setting New Records

With its phenomenal Rs 83.73 crore first-week collection, L2: Empuraan has already become the highest-grossing Malayalam film in terms of opening week numbers. This surpasses previous benchmarks set by other Malayalam blockbusters like The Goat Life ( Rs 47 crore), Manjummel Boys ( Rs 26.35 crore ), 2018 ( Rs 24.85 crore) and Aavesham ( Rs 30.45 crore) .
Moreover, the film’s global appeal has been evident in its overseas earnings, where it has become the first Malayalam film to gross over $14 million in just four days. In the UAE, L2: Empuraan ranked among the top opening weekend performers, trailing only behind massive Bollywood and Hollywood blockbusters.

On Track to Overtake The Goat Life

Given its momentum, L2: Empuraan is all set to surpass The Goat Life’s lifetime earnings of Rs 85 crore before the end of the day With its strong hold at the box office, L2: Empuraan is well on its way to rewriting the history of Malayalam cinema.
Despite its success, the film faced controversy in India over allegations of promoting an ‘anti-Hindu agenda’ due to its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots, thereby leading to 24 cuts in the film. The new version will be screened from today mostly.
The backlash led to Mohanlal addressing the concerns on social media. In his statement, he expressed regret over any distress caused, saying, “I have come to know that certain political and social themes in Empuraan, the second installment in the Lucifer franchise, have caused considerable distress among many of my loved ones. As an artist, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films promote hatred towards any political movement, ideology, or religious group. Therefore, both I and the Empuraan team sincerely regret the distress caused. We take full responsibility and acknowledge that such issues should be addressed. For over four decades, it is you, the audience, who have been part of my cinematic journey. Your love and trust are my strength. I believe there is no Mohanlal beyond that.” Following this, actor-director Prithviraj also shared Mohanlal’s statement, further addressing the concerns.

Moviegoers are in for a treat as the much-awaited sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is happening, reported Variety.

Director David Fincher is set to direct the follow-up to Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film, with Tarantino writing the script. The project is being developed at Netflix, where Fincher has a first-look deal.

Brad Pitt will return as Cliff Booth, the stuntman who won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The original film, which stars Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie, was a tribute to Hollywood’s golden era and became a major hit. However, it is unclear if DiCaprio or Robbie will return for the sequel, reported Variety.

The original movie was released by Sony Pictures, However Tarantino had secured rights to the story, which allowed him to take the sequel to Netflix.

The news comes after Tarantino dropped his planned tenth film, The Movie Critic, which was supposed to star Pitt in the lead role.

According to Variety, some reports had suggested Pitt’s character in the film would be similar to Cliff Booth, but now he will officially reprise his role in this sequel.

Pitt and Fincher have worked together in the past on Se7en, Fight Club, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, making this a highly anticipated reunion. Fincher has also directed two films for Netflix before: Mank and The Killer.

More details about the sequel, including its title and full cast, are yet to be announced.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Today’s deal is from a World Championship team event some years ago. It was a two-team match, but all teams in the event were playing the same deals.

West was Renee Secrete, from London, where a one no trump opening usually shows 12-14 points. She chose to lead the king of spades. The sight of dummy gave her much to think about. Partner could have at most three spades for his one no trump response. South, therefore, had a six-card spade suit. Why had South passed as dealer instead of opening a weak two-bid? Obviously South had a very poor suit, but still, he chose to bid at the two level. He must have something. Secrete decided that the likely reason for South’s initial pass was that he had too much defence, outside of his spade suit, for a weak two-bid. It was quite likely, reasoned Secrete, that South held both missing aces.

Secrete found the inspired shift to the eight of diamonds at trick two. East won with the king and shifted to a heart, and there was nothing declarer could do to avoid losing a heart ruff later in the play. Down one after a lovely defence. We are told that no other declarer in this event, who was playing in a spade contract, was held to eight tricks.