The Opening Shot (TOS) is a one stop blog for all the filmy freaks who wish to know what's being served on the filmy platter on every Friday. Each week TOS shall preview films releasing in India, U.K. and U.S. as well as list other nations where the previewed films shall release in the same week. So now you will be armed with adequate information about which film is coming to your homeland, and which one should be your pick of the week.
Enjoy!!!!!
Studio – Reliance Entertainment (Previous Film: Double Dhamaal)
Director - Rohit Shetty (Previous Film: Golmaal 3)
In a nutshell....
Bajirao Singham, an honest and diligent cop, fights crime and injustice with his own code of ethics. He crosses path with Jaykant Shikre, a criminal cum politician, who manages to transfer and bring Singham to Goa, a city ruled by Shikre. Now, it is upto to Singham to fight Shikre, being in his own den, or compromise with his ethics and bring no change to the system.
The formidable jodi of Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn is back, and this time, with an action flick. After a seven year gap, Devgn will do all the dishum dishum in this remake of the 2010 hit Tamil film, Singam. We've seen umpteen number of films which revolve around a cop and his struggles against corruption. Singham too tells the same tale, this time, around the bordering areas of Maharashtra and Goa. The film promises to be a complete masala entertainer, rich in action, drama, songs, romance and bit of humour here and there. In short, Shetty's got the mix that usually bears great results at the box office, including his favourite, Goa. So, it's pretty straight forward; Singham will either suffer tremendously because of the same old cliched masala entertainer going kaput, or, will do wonders with the masala entertainer having an edge. I expect the latter to be the fate of Singham, because of the involvement of actors like Ajay Devgn and Prakash Raj, and an almost invincible director, Rohit Shetty. This film will see the return of Kajal Aggarwal to Bollywood, but that isn't of any significance. Singham will surely do wonders at the box office, particularly in the smaller centres where masala entertainers never go down.
Runtime - Unknown
Genre - Action/Drama
Rated - U/A
Principal Cast
Ajay Devgn - Bajirao Singham (Last seen in: Ready)
Kajal Agarwal - Kavya (Last seen in: Kyun! Ho Gaya Na)
Prakash Raj - Jaykant Shikre (Last seen in: Bbuddah...Hoga Terra Baap)
Principal Crew
Yunus Sajawal - Writer
Dudley - Director Of Photography
Steven Bernard - Editor
Ajay Gogavale, Atul Gogavale - Music Directors
Film’s USP
Cast
Anticipation Level - POTW (Pick Of The Week)
The Tree Of Life
Studio – Fox Searchlight Pictures(Previous Film: Win Win)
Director - Terrence Malick (Previous Film: The New World)
In a nutshell....
The Tree Of Life traces the life of an 11 year old boy, Jack, one of the three brothers in the family. Jack is stuck between the world views of his parents, his mother sees the world as a happy place and believes in love and mercy, whereas the father tells his boy to be prepared for the harsh world and teaches Jack to put himself before the others. Things change for Jack as he experiences despair, hatred and death. Jack grows up as a lost soul in the modern world and tries to rediscover himself as he becomes more understanding, and is ready to forgive his father.
Nothing much has been spoken about the film as far as the story is concerned. The makers have kept much of it under wraps and the word coming in from Cannes is that the film is a lot about the metaphysical, and in a surreal way, also focuses on the Big Bang and the evolution of man, a wordless scene that lasts for more than 15 minutes. All I can say is that this must be a treat for the connoisseurs of cinema, the ones who believe in the power of the art more than entertaining the audiences. After all not every film wins the Palme D'Or, and Terrence Malick has a great reputation when it comes to serious cinema. From the reviews that have come in from Cannes, and the UK and US releases, it's easy to figure out that this film is definitely not for those who love the entertainment oriented films. But, a powerful and popular star cast doing this kind of a film is a good fusion and this is what would entice the fans to go and watch it. Second Choice for the Indian audiences.
Runtime - 138 mins
Genre - Drama/Fantasy
Rated - U/A
Principal Cast
Brad Pitt - Mr. O'Brien (Last seen in: Inglourious Basterds)
Studio – Warner Bros. Pictures (Previous Film: Green Lantern)
Director - Seth Gordon (Previous Film: Four Christmases)
In a nutshell....
Three friends, Nick Hendricks, Dale Arbus and Kurt Buckman, conspire to murder their disrespectful, horrible bosses, Dave Harken, Dr. Julia Harris and Bobby Pellitt, when they realise they are standing in the way of their happiness.
Cool locations, three beautiful girls and a story that leads to confusions. What else can one ask for! Well, that's a difficult thing to answer. And this is the dilemma that puts directors in a tricky situation. The plot is lost and characters become tasteless. Let's just hope this one doesn't turn out to have the same fate as the ones of its kind, the ones that eventually turn out to be daft and hopeless. Selena Gomez is a huge name and has a massive fan following. The case isn't the same with Meester and Cassidy, but both are good enough to tolerate. If the script is well written and the execution is done well, we might just have a summer blockbuster in store. Such films are very hard to predict about, but my gut says it's not going to be special. Guess it'll be purely for the Disney audiences.
Runtime - 100 mins
Genre - Comedy
Rated - 15
Principal Cast
Kevin Spacey - Dave Harken (Last seen in: Paul)
Jason Bateman - Nick Hendricks (Last seen in: Casino Jack)
Jennifer Aniston - Dr. Julia Harris (Last seen in: Just Go With It)
Charlie Day – Dale Arbus (Last seen in: Going The Distance)
Colin Farrell - Bobby Pellitt (Last seen in: London Boulevard)
Jason Sudeikis - Kurt Buckman (Last seen in: The Bounty Hunter)
Jamie Foxx - Dean 'MF' Jones (Last seen in: Due Date)
Principal Crew
Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein - Writers
David Hennings - Director Of Photography
Peter Teschner - Editor
Christopher Lennertz - Music Director
Film’s USP
Cast
Anticipation Level - Second Choice
Beginners
Studio – Focus Features (Previous Film: Hanna)
Director - Mike Mills (US Theatrical Debut)
In a nutshell....
A young man, Oliver, is trying to deal with two stunning revelations that his 75 year old father, Hal, makes. He declares that he is gay, and that he is gravely ill.
Beginners was premièred at 2010's Toronto Film Festival, and was appreciated by the critics as they claimed this film has a lot of substance and is charming. Mike Mills has drawn references from his own life and has modelled Christopher Plummer's role on his own father, when he was 75. This, and the strong cast, definitely has a lot to offer. The plot is very interesting, and it seems some good performances are in store. I think this film will see a decent opening, and was it supposed to release on a different day, it would definitely have seen a greater turn up.
Runtime - 105 mins
Genre - Drama
Rated - 15
Principal Cast
Ewan McGregor - Oliver (Last seen in: Nanny McPhee Returns)
Melanie Laurent – Hanna (Last seen in: Inglourious Basterds)
Christopher Plummer - Hal (Last seen in: Priest)
Principal Crew
Mike Mills - Writer
Kasper Tuxen - Director Of Photography
Olivier Bugge Coutte - Editor
Roger Neil, Dave Palmer, Reitzell - Music Directors
Film’s USP
Cast + Plot
Anticipation Level - POTW (Pick Of The Week)
Cars 2
Studio – Walt Disney Pictures (Previous Film: Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides)
Director - John Lasseter (Previous Film: Cars), Brad Lewis (Previous Film: Tracy)
In a nutshell....
Race car Lightning McQueen, and his tow truck pal, Mater, embark on a journey to Italy, Spain and England to compete in the first World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. During the competition, mater gets sidetracked due an international espionage, while McQueen continues to pursue the Championship. Mater is now torn between helping his friend win the race, and helping with a top-secret mission.
Five years after the talking cars entertained us and made us laugh out loud, the master of animated storytelling, John Lasseter, is back with a sequel of Cars. The Oscar winning director has a lot in store for us this time around, as the cars go international with the World Grand Prix championship. With the addition of the likes of Michael Caine and Emily Mortimer, the cast has gone bigger and stronger. The trailers promise this one to be a great summer entertainer, as the plot gets dynamic and interesting. The studio name, the credibility of the writer-director, the popularity of the cast, and most importantly, the success of its predecessor, will give Cars 2 a huge opening at the box office. But, due to the not-so-great reviews after the US release, the anticipation has gone down.
Runtime - 112 mins
Genre - Animation/Adventure/Comedy
Rated - U
Principal Cast
Owen Wilson - Master (Last heard in: Fantastic Mr. Fox)
Michael Caine – Finn McMissile (Last heard in: Gnomeo & Juliet)
Larry The Cable Guy - Himself (Last heard in: Cars)
Ben Queen, Dan Fogelman, John Lasseter, Brad Lewis - Writers
Michael Giacchino - Music Director
Film’s USP
Cast + Plot
Anticipation Level - Second Choice
Singham
Studio – Reliance Entertainment (Previous Film: Double Dhamaal)
Director - Rohit Shetty (Previous Film: Golmaal 3)
In a nutshell....
Bajirao Singham, an honest and diligent cop, fights crime and injustice with his own code of ethics. He crosses path with Jaykant Shikre, a criminal cum politician, who manages to transfer and bring Singham to Goa, a city ruled by Shikre. Now, it is upto to Singham to fight Shikre, being in his own den, or compromise with his ethics and bring no change to the system.
The formidable jodi of Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn is back, and this time, with an action flick. After a seven year gap, Devgn will do all the dishum dishum in this remake of the 2010 hit Tamil film, Singam. We've seen umpteen number of films which revolve around a cop and his struggles against corruption. Singham too tells the same tale, this time, around the bordering areas of Maharashtra and Goa. The film promises to be a complete masala entertainer, rich in action, drama, songs, romance and bit of humour here and there. In short, Shetty's got the mix that usually bears great results at the box office, including his favourite, Goa. So, it's pretty straight forward; Singham will either suffer tremendously because of the same old cliched masala entertainer going kaput, or, will do wonders with the masala entertainer having an edge. I expect the latter to be the fate of Singham, because of the involvement of actors like Ajay Devgn and Prakash Raj, and an almost invincible director, Rohit Shetty. This film will see the return of Kajal Aggarwal to Bollywood, but that isn't of any significance. Singham will surely do wonders at the box office, particularly in the smaller centres where masala entertainers never go down.
Runtime - Unknown
Genre - Action/Drama
Rated - Unknown
Principal Cast
Ajay Devgn - Bajirao Singham (Last seen in: Ready)
Kajal Agarwal - Kavya (Last seen in: Kyun! Ho Gaya Na)
Prakash Raj - Jaykant Shikre (Last seen in: Bbuddah...Hoga Terra Baap)
Studio – Marvel Studios (Previous Film: X-Men: First Class)
Director - Joe Johnston (Previous Film: The Wolfman)
In a nutshell....
Captain Steven Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project, Project Rebirth, after being deemed unfit for military service to fight the Nazis in World War II. He is physically transformed into a super soldier known as Captain America. Together, with his sidekick Bucky Barnes, Captain America fights the Red Skull who is the head of Hitler's advanced weaponry division. Red Skull has his own plans of world domination by the means pf a magical object known as Tesseract.
We've all been waiting for the super league of extraordinary people to come to the big screen after reading about them and watching them in the animated form. But before they all come together, each hero's journey needs to be understood, the powers he possesses and the reason why he is so important to the world. And this is the reason why, this weekend, we shall be introduced to the first ever Avenger, Captain America. Joe Johnston has a great reputation for his CG loaded films that have done exceptionally well at the box office. Which is why I think he shall do proper justice to this film. Chris Evans as Captain America seems a good choice if not perfect. He has some superhero experience, and seems to have improved in things more than one. The trailers are impressive and promise some super entertainment. However, it is the rest of the cast that has got me interested. Tommy Lee Jones and Hugo Weaving will surely add to the effectiveness of this film. At the box office, this film will have an awesome opening thanks to the popularity of the series, the success of Thor and the love for America's greatest hero. A July blockbuster is on the cards.
Runtime - 125 mins
Genre - Action/Adventure/Sci-fi
Rated - PG-13
Principal Cast
Chris Evans - Steve Rogers/Captain America (Last seen in: Scott Pilgrim vs.The World)
Tommy Lee Jones - Colonel Chester Phillips (Last seen in: The Company Men)
Hugo Weaving - Johan Schmidt/Red Skull (Last seen in: The Wolfman)
Sebastian Stan - James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes (Last seen in: Black Swan)
Hayley Atwell – Peggy Carter (Last seen in: The Duchess)
Samuel L. Jackson - Nick Fury (Last seen in: Thor)
Principal Crew
Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Joe Simon (comics), Jack Kirby (comics) - Writers
Shelly Johnson - Director Of Photography
Robert Dalva, Jeffrey Ford- Editor
Alan Silvestri - Music Director
Film’s USP
Cast
Anticipation Level - POTW (Pick Of The Week)
Friends With Benefits
Studio – Screen Gems (Previous Film: Friest)
Director - Will Gluck (Previous Film: Easy A)
In a nutshell....
Dylan and Jamie think it is going to be easy to add the simple act of sex to their friendship, without facing complications as many Hollywood romantic comedies suggest. But soon they discover that such a relationship brings along with it a lot of complications.
Friends exploring sex among themselves trying not to get emotionally involved, isn't a new concept in Hollywood. In fact, we saw two such movies not more than a year ago. No Strings Attached and Love And Other Drugs are films that explored areas which Friends With Benefits is presumably going to explore. So cliches are bound to follow. However, Will Gluck's previous comedies were impressive if not the best. Besides, the hotness quotient of Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake is supposedly more than what Aston Kutcher and Natalie Portman offered in No Strings Attached, thereby giving Friends With Benefits a better attraction. Profanity and vulgarity come along with such sex comedies and this one isn't an exception. With Woody Harrelson in the mix, I'm sure that his scenes would be funnier. The film will perhaps see a good opening, but it would really come down to how different it is that would see it enjoy a longer run of success.
Runtime - 109 mins
Genre - Comedy/Romance
Rated - R
Principal Cast
Justin Timberlake - Dylan (Last seen in: Bad Teacher)
Mila Kunis - Jamie (Last seen in: Black Swan)
Patricia Clarkson - Lorna (Last seen in: Easy A)
Woody Harrelson - Tommy (Last seen in: Bunraku)
Emma Stone - Kayla (Last seen in: Crazy, Stupid, Love)
Principal Crew
Keith Merryman, David Newman, Will Gluck, Harley Peyton - Writers
Studio – Warner Bros. Pictures (Previous Film: Horrible Bosses)
Director - David Yates (Previous Film: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 1)
In a nutshell....
Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their pursuit of hunting down all the Horcruxes in order to make Lord Voldemort vulnerable to death. As they do so, they also need to keep a track on the Deathly Hallows as having them would perhaps make the possessor the conqueror of death. Now it is upto Harry and the Order Of The Phoenix to battle for the good against the Dark Lord and his gang of Death Eaters.
I'd been waiting for this day, to preview the most important movie event in the history of cinema. The boy wizard is back, and once he goes this time, he will never return. The last in the series, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part II is the film readers and fans of the series have waited for ever since 2001, to witness the final confrontation between the Dark Lord and the Boy Who Lived. Such is the aura surrounding this film that it's the most anticipated one in the history of cinema, anywhere and everywhere in the world. People have literally grown with the characters of this film and I'm sure this one will leave behind emptiness in such lives, including my own. The young actors have gotten better with age, and now since the stakes are higher than ever, the entire unit behind the film has put its best foot forward. The reviews that have come in so far have gone gaga over the magnitude and brilliance of the film. Both, the critics and the lucky one who got the chance to watch this one have praised this one to the highest level. Some have also gone on to suggest that it can also get an Oscar nomination. No other film will stand a chance to even get an inch closer to the success this film will enjoy at the box office. It wouldn't be a surprise to see HP7 - Part 2 to shatter all records. The only thing I'm doubtful about is the 3D. But that's too little a thing to worry about. Personally, I wish to catch this one a minimum of 4 times.
Runtime - 130 mins
Genre - Action/Adventure/Mystery/Drama
Rated - U/A
Principal Cast
Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter (Last seen in: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 1)
Rupert Grint - Ron Weasley (Last seen in: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 1)
Emma Watson - Hermione Granger (Last seen in: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 1)
Ralph Fiennes – Lord Voldemort (Last seen in: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 1)
Alan Rickman - Severus Snape (Last seen in: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 1)
Helena Bonham Carter - Bellatrix Lestrange (Last seen in: King's Speech)
Tom Felton - Draco Malfoy (Last seen in: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 1)
Michael Gambon - Albus Dumbledore (Last seen in: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 1)
Robbie Coltrane - Rubeus Hagrid (Last seen in: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 1)
Dame Maggie Smith - Minerva McGonagall (Last seen in: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 1)
Principal Crew
Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowling (novel: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows) - Writers
Eduardo Serra - Director Of Photography
Mark Day - Editor
Alexandre Desplat - Music Director
Film’s USP
Cast + 8th film in the series
Anticipation Level - Pick Of The Week (POTW)
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Studio – Eros Entertainment Ltd. (Previous Film: Chalo Dilli)
Director - Zoya Akhtar (Previous Film: Luck By Chance)
In a nutshell....
Kabir and Natasha are engaged, and before tying the knot, Kabir wishes to go for a bachelor trip with his two best friends, Imraan and Arjun. So he plans a 3 week road trip with them. His only problem is that Arjun is busy with work and cannot make it. After much coaxing, Arjun agrees. Thus, the friends set out on a holiday of a lifetime to Spain. The pact is that each has to do the ultimate sport of the choice of the other, and there is no backing out. Apart from having fun, this journey is set to change their lives, opinions and perceptions forever.
Everything about this film looks and feels perfect. Songs, drama, adventure, friendship, love and a lot of fun time; all these elements seem perfectly placed in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. A film that would mainly cater to the youth, it has a deeper meaning and a sense of maturity. When a film is in the reliable hands of the Akhtar family, one can only expect finesse from the end product. Besides, the overwhelming cast is a big attraction. A first of its kind in Bollywood, ZNMD will also be visually appealing because of its road trip through the exotic locations of Spain. It sure has a lot of potential but may appeal only to the multiplex audiences which will hamper its box office collections in addition to the strong competition from the boy wizard's last film releasing on the same day. However, this film will surely do well in terms of quality just like Luck By Chance.
Runtime - Unknown
Genre - Drama
Rated - U/A
Principal Cast
Hrithik Roshan - Arjun (Last seen in: Guzaarish)
Abhay Deol - Kabir (Last seen in: Aisha)
Farhan Akhtar - Imraan (Last seen in: Karthik Calling Karthik)
Katrina Kaif – Laila (Last seen in: Tees Maar Khan)
Kalki Koechlin - Natasha (Last seen in: Shaitan)
Principal Crew
Reema Kagti, Zoya Akhtar - Writers
Carlos Catalan - Director Of Photography
Anand Subaya - Editor
Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonca - Music Directors
