TIGER LEAPING TO HOLIDAY FRAME
India’s Yash Raj Films has set a mid-November release date ahead of the Diwali holidays for “Tiger 3,” its anticipated spy-action film starring Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi. Holiday complexities have caused the company to devise what it called a “strategic and unique release plan.”
Having previously only released teaser footage, YRF has now also unveiled a full trailer.
Unusually, the film will open in Indian and international theaters on a Sunday – Nov. 12.
“2023 is the year of ‘Adhik Maas’ which has led to complications regarding festival dates. This year, Monday, Nov. 13 is New Moon/Amavasya and the Govardhan Pooja/Gujarati New Year falls on Nov. 14. Bhai Dooj is on November 15, giving the film an extended run in this crucial holiday period which will aid in collections through the week,” said YRF.
Directed by Maneesh Sharma (“Band Baaja Baaraat”), the film is the latest instalment in producer Aditya Chopra‘s spy universe.
The spy universe kicked off with the Tiger franchise, starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, beginning with “Ek Tha Tiger” (2012) and “Tiger Zinda Hai” (2017) and continued with “War” (2019), starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff. “Pathaan,” starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, released in January and is the biggest Indian hit of the year with $130 million. The four films have together grossed some $300 million.
In “Tiger 3,” Tiger is in peril after being framed as enemy number one and goes on a life-threatening mission to hunt down his enemies. Tiger wants to clear his name for his country, for his family and he won’t stop at anything.
OZU’S UNIVERSAL APPEAL
The Tokyo International Film Festival, which gets under way in a week from now, is releasing two specially-commissioned short films about legendary Japanese filmmaker Ozu Yasujiro. This year is the 120th anniversary of Ozu’s birth and the 60th anniversary of his death and is being marked by film festivals around the world. Tokyo will release “Wenders Discusses Ozu” in which director Wim Wenders talks about the allure of Ozu’s works. It explores why everyone is so drawn to Ozu as well as why his narratives, often considered typically Japanese, have been embraced worldwide. Wenders is also set as the festival’s jury president. The shorter, second film is a collection of clips of Ozu films called “Shoulders of Giants – Universal,” aspiring to convey much the same message about Ozu’s universal appeal. It is directed by Tsujikawa Koichiro, with narration by Yakusho Koji (best actor at Cannes this year for Wenders’ “Perfect Days”) and music by Ovall.
IFFLA WINNERS
The 21st Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) on Sunday revealed “Aatam” (aka “The Play”) directed by Anand Ekarshi, as the winner of its feature grand jury prize. An honorable mention went to “Rapture,” directed by Dominic Sangma. The jury said: “’Aattam,’ is a stunningly written and acted ensemble film set amid a Kerala theater troupe… that manages to provoke, question and interrogate the politics of gender as an utter revelation.” The prize was decided by a jury that included actor Karan Soni (“Deadpool,” “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse”); journalist and critic Bilal Qureshi; and screenwriter Utkarshini Vashishtha.
The 2023 audience awards went to feature title “The Golden Thread,” by Nishtha Jain and short film “Tall Dark And Handsome,” by Sam Baron. The jury prize for best short went to “Men in Blue,” directed by Sachin Dheeraj. The festival’s opening and closing events took place at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood while all other screenings, masterclasses, and panels were held downtown at the Regal LA Live.
MAIDEN MAKE PLANS
Iconic British rock band Iron Maiden will tour in Australia in September next year, their first visit Down Under since 2016-17. They are currently scheduled to play five dates (Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney) between Sept. 1 and Sept. 12, 2024. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday.
