I am expecting that the Indian audience will appreciate our work-Kathryn Bigelow

Kathryn Bigelow, the only woman to win an Oscar for direction, hopes her film `The Hurt Locker` - on a US bomb disposal squad in Iraq - will make Indian audiences "understand that soldiers are acting as nation builders and peacemakers".

"I am expecting that the Indian audience will appreciate our work too. I want them to understand that soldiers are acting as nation builders and peacemakers. They have courage and heroism, but fragility under fire too and the effective or ineffective ability to retain composure in a life or death situation," Bigelow told reporters.

"I want my audience to love our work. So let`s just cross our fingers now and hope for the best from the Far East as well," she added.

`The Hurt Locker`, about a US bomb disposal squad in Iraq, has an ensemble cast of Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Christian Camargo, Evangeline Lilly, and Ralph Fiennes. It was released in India Friday.

Bigelow`s war drama `The Hurt Locker` edged out ex-husband and acclaimed filmmaker James Cameron`s `Avatar` in the race for the Oscars this year. The film not only won six Oscars, it also made Bigelow the first woman to take home the golden statuette for a director in the 82-year-old history of the Academy Awards.

Having to her credit films like `Near Dark`, `Point Break` and `The Weight of Water`, Bigelow is now keeping busy "working on pre-production of an untitled drama series for television" and the script of her next film.

"Nothing final for now. But for sure with Oscars has come a big responsibility; so whatever I do next has to be bigger than this because now with appraisals I have also added critics to my audience, who will review my work in more stringent ways," she said.

Having successfully dealt with Iraq in "The Hurt Locker", the 58-year-old may plan an India-based film.

"I don`t know as of now, but I do have plans," she said on planning a film on India. "I will certainly think about it and would love to experiment with different subjects. So let`s see how it works ahead," Bigelow said.

"Now with its (Indian) entertainment industry really known well in the world, Indian cinema, I feel, is a different journey all together," she added.

Asked if she had heard of any Indian filmmakers or actors, she said: "I don`t know many (Indian) actors and not much of cinema. I only know of Indian directors in the UK or US making India-based films like Mira Nair, Shekhar Kapoor."

And has she seen any Indian film?

"I like to watch world cinema and have seen lots of non-English films, say, Iranian, Portuguese, Korean but have not seen any Indian (ones) yet. Though I have seen Shekhar Kapoor`s `Elizabeth`, Danny Boyle`s `Slumdog Millionaire` and Mira`s `Amelia` then `Bride and Prejudice`... I liked them all. They have done incredible work," she said.

Would she like to collaborate with Indian actors?

"Well, I don`t know much people there but certainly when things work, you get to know a lot of them. But not thought as of now. But certainly I would plan to be there workwise.

"And, yes, I don`t mind working with Indian artists as Bollywood is now the second largest film industry in the world and it is growing at a fast pace," said Bigelow who is yet to visit India.

"I haven`t been there, but, yes, I will surely make a visit soon. I adore Indian culture and would definitely love to visit this divine place whenever I get a chance," she said.

IANS

Megan Fox is a fantastic stepmother to beau Brain Austen Green`s son

`Transformers` siren Megan Fox is a fantastic stepmother to beau Brain Austen Green`s eight-year-old son Kassius, says the father.

The former "Beverly Hills 90210" actor has Kassius from a previous relationship and admits the stunning actress plays a huge role in the little boy`s life, reports a news website.

"I`m the daddy and I remind my son that I`m not around just to be his friend. I`m here to steer him in the right direction and teach him lessons that I`ve learned and help him become a man. I`m totally learning as I go. But, to be honest, Megan has been just so helpful and instrumental in raising him," he said.

The couple recently took part in a video to attack budget cuts in Los Angeles schools and Green admits Fox was a huge hit with the kids.

"Somebody said, `Do you think Megan would be interested in doing it?` I said, `I can answer that without even having to ask her.` It was really cute to watch her with the kids.

It would become sort of a parade at times. They`d follow around behind her and say things like, `You`re so pretty.` She wore some everyday thing. But you could wrap her in foil and she`d look hot," he said.

superstar Jackie Chan celebrated his birthday for raising charity fund money

Action superstar Jackie Chan celebrated his 56th birthday by raising money for those affected by a drought in China.

The martial arts star gathered friends and family to mark his special day with a big bash, where he handed out presents and invited the Tibetan band Ajia to perform, Contactmusic reported.

Instead of handing him gifts, Chan`s pals contributed USD 47,500 to a charity fund to help residents in China`s southwest Yunnan province, who are suffering from a severe water shortage and the actor generously offered to match the money raised. In posts on his Twitter page, Chan wrote, "Everybody told me to make a wish.

My wish is for world peace.

For my birthday party, all my friends donated a total of 325,000 RMB (Chinese yuan) for the drought in Yunnan.

I will donate the same and help out the world!"

Actress Elizabeth Hurley is ready to make a comeback to movies

Actress Elizabeth Hurley is ready to make a comeback to movies, insisting she`s "missed" acting during her time away from the spotlight.

"I didn`t want him (my son) to feel like a suitcase kid but, you know what, I`ve missed it this year. He begs me to do it. He says, `I could have a tutor in your trailer`," contactmusic.com quoted Hurley as saying.


The actress gave up films when her son was born in 2002 and chose to concentrate on her career as a model and swimwear designer instead.

She is known for her role in movies like "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" and "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me".

The Hindi remake of Hollywood hit ‘The Italian Job’ hit the floors in July

After dilly dallying the project for over two years, director duo Abbas-Mustan is all set to start off with the Hindi remake of Hollywood hit ‘The Italian Job’. The much-awaited venture, which stars two of most sought after actors of Bollywood - Abhishek Bachchan and Neil Nitin Mukesh, is slated to hit the floors in July.

Rumours were rife that the remake of Hollywood’s action thriller ‘The Italian Job’ has been called off because of the producers’ fear over film’s non-commercial value. However, refuting the trade buzz that the film has been shelved, Abbas has asserted to the media that the film is very on.

Shariq Patel, Production Head, Indian Film Company, the banner of the corporate major, adds, “We’re at the point of finishing all the paperwork with Paramount. We meet Abbas-Mustan at least once every week for an update. Abhishek Bachchan has been signed on, Neil Mukesh has been confirmed. In another 10 days, we’ll get the final dates from the stars. We plan to roll by the third quarter at the latest.”

When asked if Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra are being considered for the same, Patel said, “We’re in talks, we’ll announce the names as soon as things are locked.” Buzz is that that the schedule will be planned according to Bachchan’s dates, since he’s the biggest star.

Declining to comment on the budget, Patel asserts, “We’ve locked the figures with Abbas-Mustan. It’s the biggest film from our studio. We will endeavour to make it as cost-effective as we can, but we won’t compromise on quality. Depending on when we begin filming, we will set the release date accordingly, that can be any time between next summer to Diwali.”

Alice in Wonderland remains the queen of the box office

Alice remains the queen of the box office. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton`s "Alice in Wonderland" took in $34.5 million to remain the No. 1 movie for a third-straight weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Disney release raised its domestic haul to $265.8 million and its worldwide total to $565.8 million after just three weekends in theaters, a huge result for a film playing in the typically slow month of March.

"You rarely see this kind of domination by one movie at this time of year," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "Normally at this time of year, films don`t make this kind of money, and they don`t hold in this long."

"Alice in Wonderland" easily beat a rush of new movies led by 20th Century Fox`s family film "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," which opened at No. 2 with $21.8 million. The movie is adapted from Jeff Kinney`s cartoon novel about a sixth grader maneuvering through the intricate social structure at his middle school, which includes its own "cooties" game known as the "cheese touch."

"I think cheese touch equals magic touch at the box office," said Chris Aronson, head of distribution at 20th Century Fox.

Debuting at No. 3 was Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler`s action comedy "The Bounty Hunter" with $21 million. Released by Sony, the movie follows a bounty hunter chasing his ex-wife, a reporter with an arrest warrant over her head after she misses a court date while pursuing a story.

"We had figured an estimate in the high teens, so 20-plus million is a good number for us," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony.

Jude Law and Forest Whitaker`s action thriller "Repo Men" flopped with a No. 4 opening of $6.2 million. The Universal release features Law as a repo man on the run in a future where organs are bloodily repossessed if patients miss their payments.

In narrower release, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning`s Joan Jett music drama "The Runaways" opened weakly with $803,629 in 244 theaters, averaging $3,294 a cinema.

That compared to an average of $9,229 in 3,739 theaters for "Alice in Wonderland," $7,085 in 3,077 theaters for "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," $6,831 in 3,074 cinemas for "The Bounty Hunter" and $2,440 in 2,521 locations for "Repo Men."

Released by Apparition, "The Runaways" stars Stewart as Jett and Fanning as singer Cherie Currie as they opened doors for women rockers in the 1970s with an all-girl band.

Ben Stiller`s comic drama "Greenberg" premiered strongly in limited release, pulling in $120,432 in three theaters for a huge average of $40,144 a cinema.

Released by Focus Features, "Greenberg" stars Stiller as a neurotic whose mean tongue jeopardizes a budding romance with his brother`s personal assistant (Greta Gerwig).

James Cameron`s science-fiction blockbuster "Avatar" remained in the top 10 three months into its run. The 20th Century Fox release pulled in $4 million to raise its domestic total to $736.9 million. Worldwide, "Avatar" has taken in $2.67 billion.

"Alice in Wonderland" continued to lift overall Hollywood revenues, which came in at $130 million for the weekend, up 23 percent from the same weekend last year, when the thriller "Knowing" debuted at No. 1 with $24.6 million.

So far this year, domestic revenues are at $2.43 billion, up 10.3 percent over 2009`s, according to Hollywood.com. Factoring in higher ticket prices, movie attendance is 8.2 percent ahead of last year`s.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Alice in Wonderland," $34.5 million.

2. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," $21.8 million.

3. "The Bounty Hunter," $21 million.

4. "Repo Men," $6.2 million.

5. "She`s Out of My League," $6 million.

6. "Green Zone," $5.96 million.

7. "Shutter Island," $4.8 million.

8. "Avatar," $4 million.

9. "Our Family Wedding," $3.8 million.

10. "Remember Me," $3.3 million.

Avatar is likely to encourage Indian filmmakers to try out 3D films

Success of James Cameron`s 3D epic ‘Avatar’ is likely to encourage Indian filmmakers to try out 3D films.

Rajesh Mishra, CEO -Indian operations UFO Moviez India Ltd; told PTI that technology providers like his company are in the process of implementing 3D compliant projection systems.

He said 2,500 of the total 13,000 cinemas in India are digitalised.

"In the next three years, there is likely to be 50 percent digitalisation," he said.

"We feel there is scope for fantasy and action genre movies to be shot in the 3D format. Lot of 3D films are in the planning stage," Mishra said.

At present, UFO Moviez has tied up with 200 multiplexes and 500 single screens across the country to screen IPL matches.

"We are working on the logistics to showcase the semi-finals and finals in 3D format for an immersive experience. The ticket rates would be slightly higher… about Rs 30 to 40 more than the current prices," Mishra said.

UFO Moviez has set up a stall at the ongoing FICCI-FRAMES conference to showcase their 3D technology.

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Mo`Nique won the best supporting actress at Oscar award

Mo`Nique won the best supporting actress Oscar on Sunday for her role as an abusive mother in ‘Precious,’ claiming her first ever Academy Award.

Mo`Nique was widely seen as the front-runner for the award for her harrowing role in ‘Precious: Based on the Novel `Push` by Sapphire.’

She was previously known mostly for her stand-up comedy and for roles on television.

Michael Haneke`s The White is the top contender at Oscar

Austrian director Michael Haneke`s ‘The White Ribbon,’ a chilling exploration of the roots of Nazi terror, is the top contender to win the foreign language film Oscar, critics predicted on Tuesday.

Germany`s black-and-white entry has won top awards, including the Palme d`Or at Cannes and the Golden Globe in Hollywood, making it the frontrunner, award watchers and critics said.

Other foreign films that received Oscar nominations on Tuesday included France`s gritty crime drama "Un Prophete" ("A Prophet") and Peru`s mournful entry, "The Milk of Sorrow," which won the top prize at the Berlin film festival.

Rounding out nominations were Israel`s "Ajami" and "El Secreto de Sus Ojos" ("The Secret in Their Eyes") by Argentine director Juan Jose Campanella, who is the only director to have a film previously nominated in the category.

"I am superstitious so I don`t want to count my chickens before they hatch," Haneke told Reuters by phone from his home in Vienna through a translator. "It`s very good for business if you win it -- and of course just the honor."

"White Ribbon" explores a sinister series of crimes in northern Germany on the eve of World War One, and Oscar pundits think its past awards have boosted its exposure among Oscar voters.

"It is the frontrunner and has gained a lot of recognition," film critic Emanuel Levy said. But he was quick to note that the category sometimes yielded surprises.

Israel`s "Waltz with Bashir" was expected to win in the foreign language category last year but was beaten by Japan`s "Departures."

Peru`s first nomination

And the slow-paced "The Milk of Sorrow" was not favored to win at the Berlin festival this year. Yet it scooped up the main award and has proven popular with fans.

"Sorrow" is Peru`s first Oscar nomination in the best foreign language film category. It revolves around a girl named Fausta, who is the product of a rape inflicted on her mother during two decades of rebel violence in the country.

"It`s such a big thing for us. It`s like somehow our country is showing its memory to the world," 33-year-old Peruvian director Claudia Llosa told Reuters. "This film shows that somehow we can pull something beautiful out of darkness."

"Un Prophete" French director Jacques Audiard said in a statement he felt "bewildered" and "immense gratitude" by the nomination of his film about a young man who is sentenced to six years in prison and must use his ingenuity to survive a dangerous standoff between gangs.

Jewish filmmaker Yaron Shani, who co-directed and co-wrote "Ajami" with Palestinian Scandar Copti, said he hoped the Oscar nod would lure fans to theaters. Set on the streets of Jaffa`s Ajami neighborhood, the crime drama explores divergent views among the city`s Muslims, Christians and Jews.

All the directors said a nomination would give their films a boost in the tough U.S. market for foreign language movies.

"If the film wins the Oscar it will be amazing of course, but it is more important for getting the message out and trying to reach more people," Shani told Reuters.

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Avatar has grossed around Rs.101 crore at the Indian box office

Acclaimed filmmaker James Cameron’s 3-D sci-fi epic ‘Avatar ’ has grossed around Rs.101 crore at the Indian box office in five weeks.

Released Dec 18 last year, the movie has become the biggest Hollywood grosser at the Indian box office. It has surpassed the collections of Roland Emmerich’s disaster film ‘2012′ that had reportedly reached the Rs.100 crore mark, said a statement from Fox Star Studios India.

‘Avatar’ has also become the second biggest film in India in the last one month after Aamir Khan’s hit ‘3 Idiots’ that managed to gross over Rs.315 crore worldwide in just 19 days.

‘The phenomenal success of ‘Avatar’ has been a trailblazer as viewers responded across metro cities as well as smaller markets making ‘Avatar’ the second largest film for 2009 after ‘3 Idiots’,’ Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios India, said in a statement Friday.

The collections were at an equilibrium in both single-screens as well as multiplexes with 49 and 51 percent earnings respectively. The 3-D collections also amounted to around 35 percent of the total earnings.

The English prints of the movie brought in about Rs.50.5 crore here, while Hindi and Tamil-Telugu dubbed versions earned about Rs.26 crore and Rs.24 crore respectively.

Produced by 20th Century Fox, ‘Avatar’ is a blend of live-action photography and virtual photo realistic production techniques. Touted as the most expensive film ever, it is made at a whopping $230-million (Rs.1,200-crore) budget and has crossed $1.3 billion in earnings worldwide.

Starring Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and Zoe Saldana, the movie depicts the story of a wounded ex-marine thrust unwillingly into an effort to exploit an exotic planet rich in biodiversity. He eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival.

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