LION AND CUBS
Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was recently in Locarno for a celebration, has teamed up with his sons Aryan Khan and AbRam as the voice cast of the Hindi-language version of Disney’s upcoming feature film “Mufasa: The Lion.”
The film is directed by Barry Jenkins and tells the story of the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, while also introducing an orphaned cub called Mufasa, a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline—and their expansive journey alongside an extraordinary group of misfits. The film has original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda and an English voice cast of Aaron Pierre as Mufasa, Donald Glover as Simba and Braelyn Rankins as Young Mufasa.
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The film will reach Indian theatres on Dec.20 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu versions.
Watch the trailer here:
FORMAT DUO
Nippon TV has finalized a deal with Malaysian content and pay-TV group Astro, for the local adaptation of two of the Japanese company’s award-winning scripted formats. Astro is set to air the Malay-language version of “Love’s In Sight!” (“Dari Mata Turun ke Hati” in Malaysia) starting Aug. 12 and “Homeroom” (“Kelas Tahanan Cikgu Hiragi” in Malaysia) to follow.
“Love’s In Sight!, based on a hit manga, vividly depicts the lives of social minorities and follows a strong-minded girl who attends a school for the blind due to her low vision and falls in love with a guy her parents disapprove of. “Homeroom,” previously adapted in Turkey and Thailand, is follows the chain reaction that follows a teacher takes his 29 students hostage, uncovering the truth behind a classmate’s unexplained suicide.
Juita Viden, one of Malaysia’s largest independent distributors for local and international content, brokered the Malaysian adaptation deal.
SIGNAL INDIA
Korea’s CJ ENM has licensed its drama format “Signal” for Indian adaptation. The Indian version “Gyaarah Gyaarah,” is produced by Sikhya Entertainment and Dharmatic Entertainment and premiered on Aug. 9 on Zee5.
The original Korean version, produced by Studio Dragon, explores the concept of communication across time to solve cold cases. The story revolves around a modern-day criminal profiler, who stumbles upon an old walkie-talkie that connects him to a police officer from the late 1980s. Together, they unravel unsolved mysteries and fight against corruption.
The Hindi Language storyline navigates through significant years in India’s history – 1990, 2001, and 2016, amidst the magic of the Himalayan ranges – an intertwining storyline that unravels layers of mysticism and science. It is scripted by Sunjoy Shekhar and Puja Banerji and brought to life by tenured Indian director Umesh Bist. It stars Raghav Juyal, Kritika Kamra and Dhairya Karwa.
PATTAYA PREVIEW
After making a debut last year, the Pattaya Film Festival will hold a second edition and run Aug. 21-25 in Pattaya, Thailand.
The highlight is the competition program consisting of six films: “Sea Sparkle” (Denmark), “Gitling” (Philippines), “The Monk and the Gun” (Bhutan), “The Great Phuket” (China), “The Tenants” (South Korea) and “Last Shadow at First Light” (Singapore).
The festival’s Panorama section will include “The Taste of Things,” “Next Sohee,” “One for the Road” and “Not Friends,” both from Thailand, “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus” and two classic Thai films “Last Life in the Universe” and “Somsri 422R.”
Guests are expected to include the Portuguese director Joao Pedro Rodrigues and Malaysian director Amanda Nell Eu (“Tiger Stripes”). The festival will also host talks, masterclasses, panels, and a documentary pitching session chaired by international mentors.
The festival is hosted by the City of Pattaya, in collaboration with the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA), and the Thai Film Archive.
ASIAN AWARDS
The Asia Society has announced the recipients of its 2024 Asia Game Changer Awards, recognizing individuals and groups whose actions have profoundly strengthened the bonds between Asia and the world. The awards ceremony and dinner will be held on Oct. 24, at Cipriani in New York.
Recipients include The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), a national organization building safety, belonging, and prosperity for the AANHPI community; Bang Si-Hyuk,music industry visionary and chairman of Hybe Corp.; Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin,Academy Award-winning filmmakers (“Free Solo,” “The Rescue”); and Bowen Yang, actor and comedian.
