Gal Gadot To Join Kenneth Branagh’s “Death on the Nile”

By Armando

Gal Gadot, 2018 SDCC
Photo: aiphotoimaging.com

Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot is “in negotiations” to star in director Kenneth Branagh’s upcoming film “Death on the Nile,” various sources are reporting today.

“Death on the Nile” is an adaptation of British writer Agatha Christie’s detective fiction book of the same name. This would be Branagh’s follow-up to his other Christie adaptation from last year, “Murder on the Orient Express.” That 20th Century Fox film was somewhat an unexpected blockbuster, grossing $351 million worldwide.

Gadot is set to take on the role of Linnet Ridgeway Doyle, a wealthy heiress seeking the help of famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in dealing with a stalker.

The original 1937 novel story is set on the Nile River in Egypt, with the investigation taking place on a luxurious cruise where he investigates a group of suspects.

Many should recall that the novel has already been successfully adapted once into a 1978 film which featured a star-studded cast including Bette Davis, Mia Farrow and Maggie Smith with Peter Ustinov playing the role of Poirot.

Gadot is best known for her performance as Diana Prince in 2017’s Warner Bros. superhero hit “Wonder Woman.” She is currently shooting a sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, which is scheduled for release on November 1, 2019 with Patty Jenkins returning as director. She also recently joined the cast of “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2.”

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Clint Eastwood’s “The Mule” Set For December Release

By Creative Media Times

Photo: Fanny Bouton

The upcoming Clint Eastwood-directed film joins the already crowded Oscar fray, as Warner Bros. announced its December 14 release date, Variety reports today.

The release date pits the film against Universal’s Mortal Engines and Sony’s animated Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.

The story is based on the real life of World War II veteran Leo Sharp. In the film, Eastwood plays Earl Stone, an broke and alone 80-year-old who was offered a job to simply drive, which turned out to be a courier work for a drug cartel.

Written by Gran Torino scribe Nick Schenk, “The Mule” also stars Bradley Cooper, Dianne Wiest, and Michael Peña. Eastwood has worked with Cooper in the 2014 biographical war drama film “American Sniper”

The awards friendly release date is an indication of the studio’s confidence in the film, but is somewhat a surprise considering Warner Bros.’ packed schedule around that date, beginning with “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” in mid November and “Aquaman” during the holidays.

The studio’s “A Star is Born” with Cooper and Lady Gaga, which is getting plenty of buzz also arrives next week.

“The Mule” is the Hollywood icon’s first starring role since “Trouble with the Curve” (2012), and his first to direct himself since 2008’s blockbuster hit “Gran Torino.”

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Global Music Streaming Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 19.8% Through 2026 – Persistence Market Research

Persistence Market Research, PRNewsfoto/Persistence Market Research Pvt.

Global Music Streaming Market Revenue to be Fuelled by Increasing Penetration of the Internet and Growing Adoption of Smartphones and Laptops

Persistence Market Research (PMR) has recently published a report titled “Music Streaming Market – Global Industry Analysis 2013-2017 and Market Forecast 2018-2026.” Music streaming has witnessed an upsurge in the past three years with increasing digitalization and increasing adoption of digital music.

As a result of increasing adoption of music streaming, a decline in the market share of downloaded music, in the global digital music market, is witnessed, in terms of value.

The global music streaming market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.8% during the forecast period. The music streaming market was valued at US$ 6,423.6 Mn in 2017, and is projected to grow significantly to reach US$ 33,489.4 Mn by 2026 due to complimented by the decreasing data charges and increasing internet speed.

In this report, PMR has segmented the global music streaming market on the basis of type of streaming, end-user, content type and region. By type of streaming, the market is sub-segmented into rugged live streaming and on-demand streaming.

With the increasing introduction of audio music streaming applications, offering advanced features with its subscription based music streaming applications, end-users across the globe have started adopting on-demand music streaming services. However, owing to the presence of huge audience over YouTube, a considerable market share is held by live streaming segment as well.

One of the recent development witnessed across this segment, is the introduction of subscription based YouTube music streaming option. This, as a result, is expected to drive the growth of on-demand music streaming segment.

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Sony Announces “Venom” Soundtrack Tracklist and Release Date

By Creative Media Times

Sony Music

The original motion picture soundtrack of the upcoming superhero film “Venom” is set for release on October 5, Sony Music has announced today.

The soundtrack includes original music from composer Ludwig Göransson. The three-time Grammy award nominated Swedish film composer is known for his work on Fruitvale Station, sports drama film Creed and super hero blockbuster Black Panther. It is currently available for pre-order here.

Here is the Venom soundtrack official tracklist:

1. Space Exploration 10. Pedal to the Metal
2. Symbiotes Arrive 11. Eyes, Lungs, Pancreas
3. First Contact 12. You Want Up?
4. Eddie’s Blues 13. Venom Rampage
5. Run, Eddie, Run 14. Annie, I’m Scared
6. What’s Wrong with Me 15. Parasite
7. Panic at the Bistro 16. Unexpected Ally
8. Humans…Such Poor Design 17. Battle on the Launch Pad
9. Self Defense 18. You Belong With Us

“As a fan of the Venom comics – it was an intriguing challenge for me to write music for two incredibly explosive characters cohabiting one body,” says Ludwig about the project. “The challenge was in creating two separate identities at the beginning of the story that could later be interwoven and coalesced. For the Venom score I drew on my roots as a metal guitar player. I set out to redefine metal by contemporizing it with current production techniques and infusing it with the super power of the orchestra.”

In the comics, Venom’s character is a sentient alien symbiote which needs a human host to survive, eventually giving the host enhanced powers. Eddie Brock is the journalist who comes in contact and bonded with the alien and become Venom, who is both vengeful and a hero to those he deems innocent.

The film features Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock / Venom. alongside Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, and Reid Scott.

Directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, Gangster Squad), “Venom” is a spin-off from the Spider-Man movie franchise. “Venom” is set for wide theatrical release on October 5.

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New Trailer For Frederick Wiseman’s “Monrovia, Indiana”

By Creative Media Times

Directed by Frederick Wiseman, the documentary explodes small-town life in contemporary America, small midwestern farming community and its values. The film shows day-to-day experiences of living and working in Monrovia, its community organizations and institutions, religion and daily life.

The documentary is an official selection at Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival and many more.

Is set to open theatrically on October 26th at New York’s Film Forum as it begins a national theatrical rollout, then in Los Angeles on November 2nd with more locations expected in November and December.

Here is the film’s synopsis:

MONROVIA, INDIANA explores a small town in rural, mid-America and illustrates how values like community service, duty, spiritual life, generosity and authenticity are formed, experienced and lived along with conflicting stereotypes. The film gives a complex and nuanced view of daily life in Monrovia and provides some understanding of a way of life whose influence and force have not always been recognized or understood in the big cities on the east and west coasts of America and in other countries.

About the director:
Since 1967, Frederick Wiseman has directed 42 documentaries—dramatic, narrative films that seek to portray ordinary human experience in a wide variety of contemporary social institutions. His films include TITICUT FOLLIES, HIGH SCHOOL, WELFARE, JUVENILE COURT, BOXING GYM, LA DANSE, BALLET, CENTRAL PARK, BALLET, LA COMEDIE FRANCAISE, BELFAST, MAINE, and EX LIBRIS – The New York Public Library. He has directed a fiction film, THE LAST LETTER (2002). His films are distributed in theatres and broadcast on television in many countries.

MONROVIA, INDIANA Official Trailer from Zipporah Films on Vimeo.

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“Almost Famous” Musical Is Headed To Broadway

By Armando

DreamWorks

Plans for a stage musical version of the iconic 2000 film “Almost Famous” was announced by producers on Tuesday.

This comes after the film’s writer and director Cameron Crowe teased on Twitter a video where we see composer Tom Kitt playing a piano while the camera pans to writings on paper that featured songs from the movie and some of its characters.

Crowe told Rolling Stone: “I remember the first day of filming Almost Famous, we were standing in downtown San Diego, shooting a scene with Phillip Seymour Hoffman on the very same street where I’d first met Lester Bangs. It felt surreal. It felt like a miracle. I called a friend of mine and said, ‘How did I get here?’ He laughed and said, ‘Enjoy it, this won’t happen again.’ The current miracle is that the feeling is coming alive again.”

The original coming-of age film was semi-autobiographical, wherein Crowe used his experience as a young music journalist to write and direct the movie. It tells the story of teenage music enthusiast named William (played by Patrick Fugit) who traveled on the road with a rock band Stillwater on assignment for Rolling Stone. Crowe himself have covered legendary bands such as Eagles and Led Zeppelin.

It was released in 2000 to critical acclaim, was named by many film critics as one of the best that year. It nominated in four Academy Awards and won Best Original Screenplay. Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jason Lee were also in the film. It also featured a breakthrough performance from Kate Hudson as Penny Lane, a role which won her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Though not a huge box-office success, the film has since gained a cult following. The film’s soundtrack, which features rock classics from Led Zeppelin, The Who, David Bowie, Elton John among others, also won Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media in 2001’s Grammy Award.

The cast for the musical adaptation and timeline details has not yet been announced.

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DC’s “Birds Of Prey” Release Date Set To February 2020

By Creative Media Times

Birds of Prey vol.2 #1 cover art by Ed Benes

WB/DC’s upcoming female superhero team is set to hit theaters on Febraury 7, 2020, the studio announced on Monday.

With this new date, it appears that the studio ha moved up the released a week early from previously reserved February 14.

Cathy Yan is set to direct the film, with Margot Robbie reprising her “Suicide Squad” character Harley Quinn. The actress is also producing along with Sue Kroll and Brian Unkeless.

In this film, Robbie’s Harley Quinn is set to team with a trio of supervillains. There’s not a lot of released plot details, but according to a report from The Wrap this summer, that team would include Dinah Laurel Lance / Black Canary, Helena Bertinelli / Huntress, Cassandra Cain and Renee Montoya.

The original Birds of Prey comics series was conceived by Jordan B. Gorfinkel and has seen its setting move around various locations, from Batman’s popularly known residence Gotham City, then in Superman’s Metropolis and eventually settling in 2008 in “Platinum Flats” in California.

Originally a partnership between Dinah Lance and Barbara Gordon, the team has since expanded to include other DC superheroines.

Though the future of Warner Bros.’ DC cinematic universe remains unknown, the studio has been busy with plenty of its comicbook movie properties including the much-buzzed about Todd Phillips “Joker” film starring Joaquin Phoenix.

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SiriusXM To Acquire Pandora Streaming Service

By Creative Media Times

Satellite radio giant SiriusXM is reportedly buying music streaming service Pandora Media Inc. in an all-stock deal said to be valued at $3.5 billion, a press release announced on Monday.

The merger will create “world’s largest audio entertainment company, with more than $7 billion in expected pro-forma revenue in 2018 and strong, long-term growth opportunities.”

SiriusXM has 36 million subscribers across North America while Pandora, a streaming music service founded in 2000, has 70 million-plus monthly active users, the largest digital audio audience in United State. Liberty Media is SiriusXM’s parent company.

There is some precedence that led to the deal. Back in Jun 2017, SiriusXM invested $480 million in Pandora, which gave it 19 percent stake in the streaming service.

Jim Meyer, Chief Executive Officer of SiriusXM, said, “We have long respected Pandora and their team for their popular consumer offering that has attracted a massive audience, and have been impressed by Pandora’s strategic progress and stronger execution. We believe there are significant opportunities to create value for both companies’ stockholders by combining our complementary businesses. The addition of Pandora diversifies SiriusXM’s revenue streams with the U.S.’s largest ad-supported audio offering, broadens our technical capabilities, and represents an exciting next step in our efforts to expand our reach out of the car even further. Through targeted investments, we see significant opportunities to drive innovation that will accelerate growth beyond what would be available to the separate companies, and does so in a way that also benefits consumers, artists, and the broader content communities. Together, we will deliver even more of the best content on radio to our passionate and loyal listeners, and attract new listeners, across our two platforms.”

Roger Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Pandora, said, “We’ve made tremendous progress in our efforts to lead in digital audio. Together with SiriusXM, we’re even better positioned to take advantage of the huge opportunities we see in audio entertainment, including growing our advertising business and expanding our subscription offerings. The powerful combination of SiriusXM’s content, position in the car, and premium subscription products, along with the biggest audio streaming service in the U.S., will create the world’s largest audio entertainment company. This transaction will deliver significant value to our stockholders and will allow them to participate in upside, given SiriusXM’s strong brand, financial resources and track record delivering results.”

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“Kingsman 3” Officially Sets Release Date

By Creative Media Times

20th Century Fox

20th Century Fox is officially moving forward with the third Kingsman film with its release date set on November 8, 2019.

Its interesting to note that the release date was once occupied by Bond 25, the upcoming film in the James Bond franchise which Kingsman has paid homage to.

Matthew Vaughn, who directed and co-wrote the original (Kingsman: The Secret Service) as well as last year’s sequel (Kingsman: The Golden Circle), is also back to write and direct.

No official synopsis has been revealed yet, as well as returning cast members and new characters or actors to the ensemble. Though there’s certainly a good chance that both Taron Egerton and Colin Firth will be back given that they are the series leads.

During a recent interview with Empire this summer, the English director stated that the upcoming film will be the “conclusion of the Harry Hart-Eggsy relationship,” with a spin-off titled “Kingsman: The Great Game” also on the way.

Kingsman action spy comedy films are based on the comic series “The Secret Service” by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar.

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MediaMation’s (MMI) MX4D® Technology used in Screenvision’s Xbox commercial

Screenvision Media and Xbox Push the Boundaries of Cinematic Advertising with Immersive Ad Experience using MediaMation’s (MMI) MX4D® Technology

Screenvision Media, a national leader in cinema advertising, has teamed up with Xbox to announce the national debut of two new cinematics that utilize MMI’s immersive MX4D Motion EFX technology in select theatres. The Xbox advertisements will provide moviegoers across America with a 4D motion ad experience that will run in select MX4D technology enabled theatres from September 14 – November 1.

“Screenvision Media strives to bring the newest and most innovative technology to our brand partners and we’re thrilled that Xbox will be the first advertiser to utilize this technology in all our MX4D enabled theatres nationwide,” said Christine Martino, executive vice president of Ad Sales, Screenvision Media. “MX4D gives our partners, like Xbox, the opportunity to seamlessly transform their traditional ads into disruptive, engaging and interactive experiences for moviegoers across the country.”

MMI’s MX4D technology is the newest evolution in the 4D cinema experience. It enables advertisers to convert any existing ad into an immersive experience via in-seat sensory technology and theatrical effects, including seat rumblers, wind generators, strobe lights, scent and more, allowing moviegoers to truly feel part of the action. Xbox’s advertisements, supporting the October 2 launch of open-world racing game “Forza Horizon 4” (September 14 – October 11) and Xbox Game Pass (October 12 – November 1), Microsoft’s gaming membership, are the first ads to utilize this technology to provide moviegoers a seat shifting, heart racing advertising experience.

“We’re proud to help Screenvision Media provide dynamic experiences and tailored, state-of-the art solutions to their advertising partners, like Xbox,” said Dan Jamele, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, MMI. “We want to show how traditional ads can be further enhanced with MX4D technology and can’t wait to see the positive reaction in theatres.”

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