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Mia Looks ‘Mean’

She did it. If she can, everybody can. Lebanese-American celebrity Mia Khalifa strikes a mean pose in her latest Instagram picture.

Mia Khalifa

Learn from Mia. Shed your lockdown pounds. Mia strikes a pose in a cut-out mustard-coloured dress in, flaunting her tiny waist. She stands against the backdrop of a forest.

“Damn, I look mean,” she wrote as caption with a chick emoji. The image currently has over 770K likes.

Last month, Mia found herself in the line of fire among Indian social media users, for coming out in support of the ongoing farmers’ protest.

She had tweeted: “”What in the human rights violations is going on?! They cut the internet around New Delhi?! #FarmersProtest.”

Her tweet came after international pop sensation Rihanna and activist Greta Thunberg expressed concern over the issue.

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Zayn slams Grammys, calls it ‘corrupt’

British singer-songwriter Zayn Malik had slammed the Recording Academy and the Grammy awards, accusing them of being biased and corrupt, and ignoring those who dont stay in touch with them.

Malik joins a growing list of top artistes including The Weeknd and Drake who have aired similar views.

Zayn wrote on Twitter: “F*** the grammys and everyone associated. Unless you shake hands and send gifts, there’s no nomination considerations. Next year I’ll send you a basket of confectionary.”

A couple of hours later the 28-year-old singer explained that his rant was not about him, or his recently-released music, which did not qualify to be considered for this year’s nominations, but about every other musician who he felt has been ignored by the Grammys for similar reasons.

“My tweet was not personal or about eligibility but was about the need for inclusion and the lack of transparency of the nomination process and the space that creates and allows favouritism, racism, and networking politics to influence the voting process,” he explained.

Soon after the Grammy nominations were announced this year, Canadian singer The Weeknd called the awards “corrupt” and said that they owed an explanation to him and his fans, who were surprised that his last album “After Hours” was completely snubbed by the Recording Academy, despite the fact that one of its singles, “Blinding lights”, made the record of staying top song on the Billboard charts for an entire year.

Similarly, rapper-producer Drake had called out the Grammys right after The Weeknd’s rant, writing on social media that they didn’t matter “anymore”.

“I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artists that exist now and the ones that come after. It’s like a relative you keep expecting to fix up but they just can’t change their ways,” Drake wrote.

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Eddie Murphy all set for big screen debut

Comedy icon Eddie Murphy’s daughter Bella Murphy, is all set to make her big screen debut alongside her father in the upcoming film, Coming 2 America.

The film is a sequel to the Eddie Murphy-starrer of 1988, Coming To America. Nineteen-year-old newcomer Bella says the original film shaped her humour.

In 2021 sequel, Bella plays the role of Omma, who is calm, cool and, as she not”s, “royal, but not too st”ffy”. Omma is the type of person who analyses a situation before she reacts.

Bella saw the original film when she was just” 11. “I remember it being really funny to watch. It shaped a lot of my humor, ‘oo. I’m really passionate about pursuing acting, so when my dad told me about this part, I was excited about auditioning and also, training for the role. It was fun to do it all with” him,” she said.

The newcomer portrays the middle daughter of Prince Akeem (played by Eddie Murphy) and Queen Lisa (played by Shari Headley) in the sequel.

Eddie Murphy

The film is slated for a global premiere on March 5, on Amazon Prime Video.

Set in the lush and royal country of Zamunda, newly-crowned King Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his trusted confidante Semmi (Arsenio Hall) embark on an all-new hilarious adventure that has them traversing the globe from their great African nation to the borough of Queens, New York.

Eddie Murphy

Coming 2 America also brings back James Earl Jones, John Amos, and Louie Anderson in familiar roles. Joining the cast are Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, Jermaine Fowler, Rotimi, KiKi Layne, Nomzamo Mbatha and Teyana Taylor.

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Hollywood releases lined up in 2021

When it comes to Hollywood, 2021 is going to be a year of superheroes, reboots and follow-ups on the big screen — and, of course, James Bond.

The Hollywood calendar of the year comes packed with big blockbusters including Scarlett Johansson’s solo superhero outing “Black Widow”, the/-+ Dwayne Johnson adventure “Jungle Cruise”, Marvel’s latest superhero genre addition “Eternals”, Tom Cruise’s new “Top Gun” sequel and Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond, “No Time To Die”.

IANS lists the Hollywood releases lined up in 2021 that sure gets us excited:

NO TIME TO DIE

Certainly the most talked-about Hollywood film not to release in 2020, Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond is now scheduled to release on April 2 this year. The 25th instalment of the franchise also features Rami Malek as the new Bond villain Safin, and brings back Lea Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann, Ben Whishaw as Q, Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny and Jeffrey Wright as CIA agent Felix Leiter. It is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga.

BLACK WIDOW

Marvel Studios will finally release their solo “Black Widow” film, which aims to give a new twist to women power in the superhero universe. The film will bring back Scarlett Johansson as of Natasha Romanoff and her superhero alter ego Black Widow, as she traces her past to solve the puzzle of her life. The film was slated to release in 2020, but got pushed due to the Covid crisis. Now, it is slated to release on May 7.

FAST & FURIOUS 9

Hollywood stars Vin Diesel and John Cena will give bromance a new spin in the upcoming “Fast & Furious” film, which will be fuelled by the emotion of vengeance. The saga sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the series. The film also stars Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron. It is expected to release in the first quarter of the year.

UNTITLED SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME SEQUEL

The Tom Holland-led film is expected to be a treat for franchise fans. Spider-Man’s new adventure will bring back Benedict Cumberbatch as the sorcerer superhero Doctor Strange and Alfred Molina as the evil Doctor Octopus. Jamie Foxx will reportedly appear as Electro. The upcoming adventure is expected to feature multiple generations of “Spider-Man” actors, with actors from past films in the series reprising their characters. The third “Spider-Man” film is scheduled for a theatrical release on December 17, 2021.

TOP GUN: MAVERICK

At 58, Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise will be back in his popular avatar as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in “Top Gun: Maverick”, the much-anticipated sequel of the 1986 hit “Top Gun”. The Joseph Kosinski-directed film co-stars Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell, Miles Teller and Jay Ellis. The trailer shows Maverick going back to Naval Fighter Weapons School to teach to the younger generations. It is slated to release on July 2.

JUNGLE CRUISE

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt go on an action packed ride in the film based on the Disneyland ride of the same name. The Jaume Collet-Serra-directed film is set in the early 20th century, and follows the journey of a riverboat captain (Johnson) and scientist (Blunt) as they go into the jungles to find the Tree of Life. It is slated to release on July 30.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt in “Mission: Impossible 7”, which is helmed by filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie. It is slated to open on November 19, 2021. The spy action thriller also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Kirby, Simon Pegg, and Hayley Atwell.

DUNE

Denis Villeneuve’s much-hyped sci-fi movie is slated to release on October 1. An official adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic of the same name, the film will explore themes like politics, religion, and war amid the backdrop of the planet Arrakis, known as Dune. It features Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem.

A QUIET PLACE PART II

The John Krasinski and Emily Blunt-starrer was originally set to hit the big screen last March, but was among numerous Hollywood films delayed owing to Covid. It is now scheduled on April 23 this year. The horror film is a sequel of the 2018 winner “A Quiet Place”, which imagined a post-apocalyptic world where humans fall prey to fast-moving creatures who track their victims by sound.

VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE

Tom Hardy’s much-anticipated “Venom” sequel is also slated to open this year. Andy Serkis has directed the second part of the action fantasy franchise, which sees Hardy take on an alien symbiote again for another adventure. It is expected to release in June.

THE SUICIDE SQUAD

James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” is a reboot of the 2016 film “Suicide Squad”, helmed by David Ayer. Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman and Viola Davis will reprise the roles they played in the first film. It stars Pete Davidson as Blackguard, John Cena as Peacemaker, Idris Elba as Bloodsport, Alice Braga as Sul Soria among others. It is expected to release in August.

THE KING’S MAN

Slated to open on March 12, the Matthew Vaughn-directorial is a prequel in the “Kingsman” film series. It is loosely based on the comic book series “Kingsman”, created by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar. The film takes place decades before the first two instalments in the franchise so far — “Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2014) and “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” (2017). It features Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Daniel Bruhl and Djimon Hounsou.

MORBIUS

The “Spider-Man” spinoff is slated to release on March 19. It stars Jared Leto in the titular role as Michael Morbius, a scientist who turns into a vampire.

THE MATRIX 4

Priyanka Chopra will be joining Keanu Reeves in the next part of “The Matrix”, which is expected to release later this year. The film is produced, co-written and directed by Lana Wachowski, who co-directed and co-wrote three of the previous films with her sister Lilly.

TOM AND JERRY

The live-action/ CG-animated film features the iconic cartoon characters as they go on another fun-filled adventure. The film stars Chloe Grace Moretz and Michael Pena. It is expected to open in the first quarter of the year.

MONSTER HUNTER

Directed by Paul WS Anderson, the film is based on the video game series of the same name. The film stars Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, Tip “T. I.” Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta, Josh Helman, Jin Au-Yeung and Ron Perlman. It is expected to release in the first quarter of the year.

FREE GUY

The Ryan Reynolds-led action comedy is about a non-player character in a video game. The Shawn Levy-directed film also stars Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Taika Waititi. It is slated to release on May 21.

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS

Marvel’s first Asian origin superhero will be introduced this year, with the Destin Daniel Cretton directorial. In the film, Simu Liu stars as the title character with Awkwafina in an unspecified role and Tony Leung playing the iconic comicbook villain known as The Mandarin. It is slated to release on July 9.

ETERNALS

Directed by Chloe Zhao, the film stars Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan, Salma Hayek and Kumail Nanjiani. It is about the super-powered beings, The Celestials, and their villainous adversaries, The Deviants, in a war set millions of years ago. Nanjiani had revealed that his character will have the secret identity of a Bollywood star. It is expected to open on November 5, 2021.

WEST SIDE STORY

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg has reimagined the musical “West Side Story” for the big screen. The classic New York tale tells the story of two lovers — Maria, a Puerto Rican, whose brother Bernardo is the leader of the “Sharks” street gang, and Tony, a former leader of the “Jets”, who battled the Sharks. The film is at the same time a romance and a crime story. It is a story of street gangs, racism, and violence in the shadows of rising skyscrapers. It will open on December 10.

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE

Jason Reitman’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is a direct sequel set 30 years after “Ghostbusters II”. It follows two children (Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard) and their mother (Carrie Coon) who discover their link to the original gang. It also stars Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver and Paul Rudd. It is slated to release on June 11.

DEATH ON THE NILE

Director Kenneth Branagh returns with a new Agatha Christie adaptation, after the commercially successful and star-studded 2017 release, “Murder On The Orient Express”. It is about a murder of passion aboard a cruise ship on the Nile. The film casts Gal Gadot, Branagh, Letitia Wright, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Sophie Okonedo, Tom Bateman, Emma Mackey, Dawn French, Rose Leslie, Jennifer Saunders, and Russell Brand, along with Indian actor Ali Fazal. It is slated to release on September 17.

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Big ticket spinoffs On OTT

There is a thread that ties Star Wars and Moana with Baahubali. Their universes are ever expanding, through spinoff series on the canvas of streaming platforms.

For many, the success of a film directly translates to a chance to cash on the success by spinning a new series and stories. It is a win-win for the audience as well, as the makers as well as people get to live with their favourite characters, and makers continue to reap on the benefits of the success and create a multiverse franchise.

IANS takes a look at some big-ticket spinoffs, which are either winning fans all over the global or are in works.

Star Wars

The saga from a galaxy far, far away continues to live on through various films and spin off series. The list of “Star Wars” stories for Disney’s streaming platform keeps on growing. It already includes “The Mandalorian”, and two other previously ordered series — one based on Cassian Andor prior to the events of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”, and another following the adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi between “Revenge Of The Sith” and “A New Hope”.

The Batman

The show will be set in the world that Matt Reeves is creating for “The Batman” film. It will build upon the film’s examination of the anatomy of corruption in Gotham City, and go on to launch a new Batman universe across multiple platforms. It is being created for HBO Max.

Ice Age

Titled “The Ice Age Adventures Of Buck Wild”, the spin-off will revolve around three characters: the prankster possum brothers Crash and Eddie, and the titular weasel, Buck. Simon Pegg will be returning to lend his voice to the role of Buck. It is slated to release in 2022.

Loki
The OTT series will bring back actor Tom Hiddleston as Loki, the trickster demi-god and brother to Thor, for new adventures. It will stream on Disney+ Hotstar in 2021

Falcon And Winter Soldier

The web series will take the audience on new adventures featuring characters played by Anthony Mackie (Falcon) and Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier) in the “Captain America” and “Avengers” movies. It will stream on Disney+ Hotstar.

Baahubali

The success of the magnum opus “Baahubali” film franchise gave way to the opportunity to explore the story through a spin-off series titled “Baahubali: Before The Beginning”. It will explore life on the streets of the fictional city of Mahishmati. Slated to release on Netflix.

Moana

Titled “Moana: The Series”, it takes on from the successful 2016 animated film, which narrates the adventures of a young island princess, who is chosen by the ocean to reunite a mystical relic to a goddess. Her journey starts when she sets sail in search of Maui, a legendary demigod with a hope to save her people. The spin-off series is being described as a “long-form musical comedy” and slated to release in 2023.

Up

The OTT spinoff will bring back one of most loved characters in the film. The animated series is titled “Dug Days”, and it features breakout character Dug the dog who will discover the “dangers of suburbia like puppies, fireworks, and… SQUIRRELS!!”. It will release on Disney+ Hotstar in 2021.

Monsters At Work

The animated spinoff series inspired by the Hollywood hit “Monsters, Inc” will introduce new monsters. The series will follow a new cast of monsters, with special appearances by popular franchise characters Mike and Sulley (voiced by Billy Crystal and John Goodman). It is being made for the streaming platform of Disney.

Boss Baby

Based on the film, the spin-off series, “The Boss Baby: Back In Business”, follows the Boss Baby as he continues to balance his work as a CEO of Baby Corp and home life schedule. It is available on Netflix.

Cars

The world of “Cars” will expand with a new series. The untitled series will follow Lightning McQueen and Mater on a road trip across the country. It will feature old characters and introduce new characters as well. It is slated to release in 2022.

Zootopia+

Slated to release in 2022, “Zootopia+” will feature different characters and locations from the film. The spinoff will feature some of the most popular characters in the 2016 film “Zootopia”, such as Fru Fru, Tiger Dancers and Flash the sloth.

Baymax!

The Big Hero sidekick and healthcare robot Baymax is getting his own OTT series. Set in San Fransokyo, the show will give Baymax new powers to help people. It will release in 2021.

The Princess and The Frog

The spin-off is titled “Tiana”. The film, which was released in 2009, is about aspiring chef Tiana, who kisses a prince turned frog, and also turns into a frog. They then go on a journey to defeat a witch to get back to their human form. It is believed that the series will follow the titular character’s marriage to the prince, her new royalty status, and running her restaurant. It is one of four animated spin-offs expected to launch on Disney+ in 2022.

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Meghan Markle Gives Surprise

As the earlier news’ reported, the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle surprised the audience through her unexpected TV appearance.

Recently, Meghan Markle made a surprise TV appearance, during which she paid tribute to this year’s “most inspiring moments and the people who made them happen”, a media report said.

She made the unscheduled appearance on CNN’s annual Heroes TV special on Sunday.

Speaking about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Markle thanked the “individuals (who) stood up and made sure the most basic needs of our communities were met”, which she said was “universally challenging for everyone”.

“They made sure those around them did not have to suffer in isolation,” she said.

“In the face of this devastating reality, we saw the power of the human spirit and the remarkable ways that communities respond in challenging times.

“We saw the good in people, in our neighbours and in entire communities coming together to say they would not stand by while our neighbours went hungry,” the Duchess was quoted as saying.

Markle and her husband, the UK’s Prince Harry are presently based in Los Angeles after having stepped back as senior royals in March.

For their last public appearance as working members of the Royal Family, Harry and Meghan joined the Queen and other senior royals at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9.

They have since begun their new life of personal independence in the US, pursuing charity projects.

Despite the raging pandemic, the Sussexes delivered meals to residents of Los Angeles through Project Angel Food, which helps feed the chronically ill, reports CNN.

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‘A lot is changing for talent from our country’

American actor of Indian origin, Ravi Patel, says a lot is changing for talent from our country in Hollywood. He notes that Indian actors are gaining visibility as well as power in the West.

Indian origin American actor Ravi Patel says that Indian actors are coming to the limelight and gaining more visibility in Hollywood. ‘A lot is changing for talent from our country in Hollywood’, he adds.

“I agree, It really has. I think I’ve been quite lucky in that sense. As my career has ascended, so have Indians in the fabric of America. As I’ve moved up in Hollywood, better roles for Indians have shown up. I’m just so grateful for it. And now my parents are doing It, which is a hilarious plot twist,” Ravi told IANS.

Patel is best known for his the autobiographical comic documentary “Meet The Patels”, and will soon be seen in the Gal Gadot-starrer “Wonder Woman 1984”. The actor has also featured in the series like “Scrubs”, “Master Of None” and “Grandfathered”, and his career trajectory closely parallels the rise of Asian Americans in Hollywood. He says he feels lucky to have witnessed the rise of the Indian community in the West.

For Ravi, it was easy to evade being stereotyped. “I do roles that I love. It’s that easy. And if I see something that I think is inappropriate, I speak up,” he said.

Asked how the representation of Asians has changed in the West, the actor replied: “Asians are at the top of most companies in this country. We are killing it in America. We are gaining both visibility and power in the country. The recent election was a great example — Asian Americans were the most pursued demographic. It was our coming out party. And this is just the beginning.”

When it comes to men adding to the dialogue of gender equality in the West, the actor, who is currently seen in the Hindi web series “Bhaag Beanie Bhaag”, feels “listening is the key to understanding this gap”.

Asked about his role in the much-anticipated sequel of global hit “Wonder Woman”, he said: “I’m also not allowed to discuss my role, other than to say I love my wig in it.”
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Indian Vibes On Grammys

Amid all the noise about snubs and transparency, there are a few Indian tunes that have struck the right note at the Grammy Award nominations this year.

This is not the first time that Indian classical music has got recognition by the Recording Academy. A peek into the past would highlight that music rooted deep in Indian culture and ethos did win accolades in the oast — Zakir Hussain, Ricky Kej and Ravi Shankar being shining examples.

This year, sitar player Anoushka Shankar’s album “Love Letters” has been nominated in the Best Global Music Album category. Singer Shilpa Rao has collaborated with Anoushka for the musical chapter.

“Anoushka Shankar, what should I say, thank you for all the love and hard work you have put into this album and thank you so much for this beautiful collaboration. Big love to everyone who is part of this album. This is one step closer to the dream,” said Shilpa, who has teamed up with Anoushka on the track “Those words” that featured on the album “Love Letters”.

Another Indian link is sitarist-actor Neha Mahajan, who has been credited for the song “Mi sangre”, one of the tracks in Ricky Martin’s album “Pausa”, which has been nominated in the Best Latin Pop category.

On the other hand, Mumbai-born and US-bred singer-songwriter Priya Darshini bagged her first ever Grammy nomination in the Best New Age Album category. She has been nominated for her debut album, “Periphery”.

“Periphery” has nine songs. The album, manufactured by Chesky Records, is a blend of American pop and traditional Carnatic music with songs like “Jahaan”, “The Banyan Tree” and “Sanware sanware”.

“A live album, recorded entirely on one mic getting a nod from the Academy is quite surreal. I have dreamt of this day since I was little, but I never really thought dreams like this could come true for someone like me — a tamizh ponnu (tamil girl) from Goregaon! I thank the universe for proving me wrong,” Priya wrote in an Instagram post.

According to Chesky Records, Periphery “explores the various connotations of what ‘home’ means to Priya Darshini, as she introspects on her cultural identity as a South Indian growing up in Mumbai and transplanted to New York City”.

“Taking her roots from Indian Classical music, Priya’s knowledge of music from all over the world has resulted in a fresh, imaginative and fascinating new sound. She displays an exciting combination of range, technique, unconventional compositions, a feminist perspective and a prodigious voice that truly sets her apart from other vocalists,” the record stated in the brief of the album.

Indian American producer Vivek J. Tiwary has been nominated in the Best Musical Theater Album category for the Broadway hit, “Little Jagged Pill”. Tiwary is one of the producers of the musical, which is based on Alanis Morissette’s classic work.

From Priyanka Chopra to Sunidhi Chauhan, several Indian stars in the past have made their international singing debuts but they failed to get acknowledgement at the Grammys. Is it because they tried to win over a western audience singing the West’s songs in a western style, or is it because Indian classical music resonates globally more only now? The answer, perhaps, lies in a mix of both reasons..

Meanwhile, the 2021 Grammy Awards nominations are all about women power with Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa leading the way. Beyonce is leading the contender at the 2021 Grammy Awards with nine nods. She is followed by Taylor Swift, Roddy Ricch and Dua Lipa, who earned six nominations each.

The 63rd Grammy Awards will be held on January 31, 2021 and will be showcased live in India on Vh1 India.

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Target Number One: Unveils A shocking true story

Target Number One (Canadian film on Zeeplex); Cast: Antoine Olivier Pilon, Josh Hartnett, Jim Gaffigan, Stephen McHattie, Don McKellar, JC MacKenzie, Amanda Crew; Direction: Daniel Roby; Rating: * * and 1/2 (two and a half stars)

It starts off on a quiet, lazy note but by the time the film has reached its halfway mark, you realise Target Number One is trying to be gritty, slowburn fare, based on a shocking true story.

Daniel Roby’s Canadian crime drama draws inspiration from the real-life story of Alain Olivier, a drug addict in Quebec who ended up in a Thailand jail for years after a sad twist of events. Alain had become a pawn in a top secret operation of the Canadian law enforcers that went wrong.

Olivier is reimagined here as Daniel Leger, played by Antoine Olivier Pilon. Leger’s arrest becomes the focus of an obsessive probe by Victor Malarek (Josh Hartnett), an investigative journalist who wants to crack the case of the drug addict.

Maintaining a parallel narrative structure, the story unfolds through two sub plots. The first is about Leger, who gets involved in a drug sting of the Canadian police in Thailand. The sting operation bombs and Leger lands in a Thai jail.

The other storyline follows Malarek, high-profile television journalist who ends up probing the Leger case only to become obsessed about it.

Roby sets out to balance the contrasting characters of the two sub plots — Leger’s life in the Thai prison bears struggles that are vastly different from Malarek’s as he goes about trying to crack the case. The parallel narratives are woven seamlessly, but in doing so Roby does not give due focus on Leger. Somewhere, the pace of the film falter too, simply failing to pick up.

There is an element of pathos about Leger’s life despite his criminality, and writer-director Roby brings it alive on screen without resorting to melodrama. Roby’s credibility lies in making his characters humane. Malarek, for instance, may be top star in his field of work, but his frenzied and undivided attention towards work creates room for discord at the home front. His marriage lurches on the brink of failure.

Yet, you get a feeling Roby wasted too much time training his camera on Malarek’s family woes. The track only serves to act as distraction from what should have been the film’s focal point — a story of the Canadian man who was forsaken by his own government to cover up an elaborate gaffe.

The setting of the storyline is the nineties and Ronald Plante’s cinematography is suitably rendered in a way that it imparts a feel of the era and also gives the narrative an impact of realism, without getting too loud about it. Hartnett and Pilon topline a cast that exudes their roles effectively, in a film that harks back to the way thrillers used to be made once upon a time.

Target Number One is slightly off target owing to inadequate storytelling treatment.

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‘Black Panther’ Sequel Shoot To Begin In 2021

The sequel to the superhit superhero film Black Panther will begin filming in July next year, in Atlanta.

The sequel was temporarily put on hold after the sudden demise of Chadwick Boseman, who played the titular superhero, last year. Initially, the plan was to start production in March next year, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Now, several sources state that Marvel is looking at readying the sequel for a shoot, which will start in Atlanta in July and last for six months.

Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta is in talks to play one of the antagonists. Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke and Angela Bassett are expected to return for the next chapter, with many hinting that Wright’s character Shuri may take on a more prominent role.

There has been no update yet on who might take over late Boseman’s central role and neither has the studio revealed its plans on how they will proceed without Boseman, although they have indicated that they will not use CGI to include the late star in the film.

Boseman shot to global superstardom playing Black Panther and his alter ego, T’Challa, in the 2018 film. He was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016. In August, the actor died at home in Los Angeles, with his wife and family members by his side.

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