BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 24 - Alia Bhatt's maiden production venture, Darlings, is taking a direct-to-digital route via Netflix. Directed by Jasmeet K Reen, Darlings is a black comedy-drama that stars Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma, and Roshan Mathew in the lead roles.## "Darlings holds a very special place in my heart. It's my first film as a producer that too with Red Chillies. We are very proud and happy with how the film has shaped up and we hope it will entertain and engage audiences the world over", Alia said in a statement.## The Gangubai Kathiawadi actress took to Twitter and announced the news. "Hey, darlings. I want to tell you something big but the network is not good here. Hello..hello?" she wrote. ## Hey, darlings. I want to tell you something big but the network is not good here. Hello..hello?#Darlings #DarlingsOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/oMKXdNvXSA— Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) May 24, 2022 ## Darlings marks Alia Bhatt's third film to stream on Netflix. Her previous two movies, Gangubai Kathiawadi and RRR also released on Netflix after completing their theatrical run. Darlings is Alia's second direct-to-digital release after Sadak, which was premiered on Disney Plus Hotstar in 2022. ## The movie is said to be a dark comedy about a mother-daughter relationship. Shefali Shah will be seen playing Alia's mother in the film. It is produced by Alia's Eternal Sunshine Production with Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment. The premiere date on Netflix is yet to be set. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 19 - SS Rajamouli's global blockbuster "RRR" is all set for its digital premiere on ZEE5 and Netflix. While ZEE5 will stream South Indian versions, Netflix bought the Hindi streaming rights, and all the versions will be streaming on May 20. ## Earlier, Netflix had announced the "RRR" Hindi digital release on June 2, which has now been preponed to May 20th, coinciding with Jr. NTR's birthday. The Hindi version will start streaming from 12 AM tonight free of cost for all the subscribers. ## You said you couldn't wait to see them and WE COULDN'T EITHER!! RRR 🐯❤️‍🔥 ARRIVES ON NETFLIX IN JUST 1̶3̶ ̶d̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶ 24 HOURS 🤯🥳 pic.twitter.com/Idrn7XXQJg— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) May 19, 2022 ## The South Indian versions, including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam, will also be free of cost for all ZEE5 subscribers. Earlier, the makers had set the Pay-Per-View model on the streamer for South versions of "RRR", and they have now decided to go with the proper post-theatrical streaming plans. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 18 - The South Korean survival drama series, "Squid Game" broke all the records of viewership when it was released on Netflix in September last year. Netflix renewed the show for the second season after getting a thundering response worldwide, becoming the streamer's most profitable series ever. ## Ever since the second season of this blockbuster series has been announced, the fans are eager to know when it will debut. Many have been hoping it to release this year, but it looks like they will have to wait for a longer time as the series isn't coming until the end of 2023. ## Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk told Vanity Fair that he predicts the next batch of episodes won't be ready for release until the end of 2023 at the earliest. The Vanity Fair report states, "[Hwang] only has about three pages' worth of ideas that he plans to turn into a script, so there isn't much he can say about season 2 except that there will be more games".## "Humanity is going to be put to a test through those games once again", Hwang said. "I want to ask the question, Is true solidarity between humans possible?"## Netflix had greenlit the second season in January this year. "Squid Game" is by a long shot Netflix's biggest-ever TV show, based on the streamer's calculation that subscribers worldwide streamed 1.65 billion hours of the show in the first 28 days of its release on the platform. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 18 - Alia Bhatt's biographical drama film, Gangubai Kathiawadi, is a blockbuster hit on Netflix, despite being a non-direct OTT release. The movie is simply unstoppable as it stormed the viewership chart on Netflix. ## Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Gangubai Kathiawadi has hit 34.4 million viewing hours on Netflix in the first 20 days, which is simply brilliant. What is more surprising is that it has hit approx. 4 million viewing hours more in the 3rd week than in the second week. ## The movie debuted on Netflix on April 26 after completing its 8-week hit theatrical window and was the number 1 non-English movie worldwide with 13.8 million viewing hours, followed by 8.3 million viewing hours in the second week, lending at number 3. Surpassing all the expectations in the 3rd week (May 9 - May 15), the movie hit 12.2 million viewing hours. ## Gangubai Kathiawadi continues to trend worldwide on Netflix. Currently, it is trending in the top 10 in 23 countries while in week 2, it was trending in 20 nations. For the third week in a row, Gangubai Kathiawadi is the number 1 movie on Netflix in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, and Kuwait, among others. ## Meanwhile, on the other hand, the Hindi version of Thalapathy Vijay's, Beast (Raw) debuted in the top 5 on the streamer with 4.8 million viewing hours. The original Tamil version hit 4.05 million viewing hours in the first five days. Anil Kapoor's, Thar, remained in the top 10 with 4.2 million viewing hours for a total of 7.8 million viewing hours. ## Prabhas-fronted, Radhe Shyam Hindi version was one more movie in the top 10. Released in the last week, the film has scored 5.5 million viewing hours in 13 days and is among the least-watched Indian movies on the streamer in the first two weeks. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 18 - It might sound strange or unbelievable to say that movies backed by OTT platforms going the theatrical way but it seems this is indeed going to happen as Netflix is considering releasing some movies in theaters this year with an exclusive theatrical window of 45 days. ## During the covid-19 pandemic, the popularity of streaming platforms has gone up exponentially. However, it looks like Netflix has understood what theaters bring as it is finally reportedly opening up more to the theatrical experience. ## Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw reported on Sunday that Netflix is considering releasing some movies in theaters this year with an exclusive theatrical window of 45 days. That's longer than the window Netflix has typically given the movies it releases in theaters, and more in line with what is emerging as a new windowing standard. ## One of the movies the streaming giant is considering bringing to theaters is Daniel Craig's "Knives Out" sequel. Scheduled to release in late 2022, "Knives Out 2" mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson. It is the sequel to 2019's movie that was a surprise box-office hit, grossing $165 million in the US and $311 million worldwide in 2019 off of a $40 million production budget. ## This is not the first time Netflix is taking the theatrical route for its movies. The recently released Oscar-nominated movies, "Don't Look Up" and "The Power of the Dog," were given two-week theatrical windows before they became available to stream. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 16 - SS Rajamouli's global blockbuster, "RRR" is all set to premiere its Hindi version on Netflix from June 2nd. The period action drama starring Jr. NTR, Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt, and Ajay Devgn, in playing in theaters since March 25th and has had a glorious run at the box office so far. ## Netflix had already acquired the global streaming rights for the Hindi version of the film a long time ago. The Hindi version will stream after 70 days of its theatrical release, as planned earlier. At the box office, "RRR" has grossed over 310 crores at the domestic box office and is superhit. ## Did you hear that ROAR? THAT'S US SCREAMING IN EXCITEMENT! 😱🤯😱🤯😱😳RRR is coming to Netflix in Hindi and WE. ARE. READY. pic.twitter.com/ksSd0U5irA— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) May 16, 2022 ## Meanwhile, the South Indian versions of "RRR", including the original Telugu languages, will stream on ZEE5 from May 20th via the Pay-Per-View model before it makes way for all subscribers after some time. Excluding the Hindi version, the movie has grossed over Rs. 590 crores gross domestically. Worldwide, the film has minted Rs. 1112 crores. ## Produced by DVV Entertainment, "RRR" is a fictional story about two Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao), and their fight against the British Raj. Set in 1920, the plot explores the undocumented period in their lives when both the revolutionaries chose to go into oblivion before they began the fight for their country.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 4 - Alia Bhatt's recently released box office hit "Gangubai Kathiawadi" has made a smashing debut on Netflix, securing the number 1 spot among the most viewed non-English movies globally in its opening week. ## Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, "Gangubai Kathiawadi" was released in theaters on February 25 and became a box office hit by grossing approx. 190 crores worldwide. It completed 8 weeks in theaters before it was made available on Netflix on April 26. Not so surprisingly, the movie has become an instant hit on the OTT as well. ## "Gangubai Kathiawadi" was the most viewed non-English movie worldwide on Netflix in the week from April 25 to May 1. The movie scored 13.8 million viewing hours in its first 6 days and secured the top spot, becoming the first Indian movie on Netflix to achieve this. Spanish movie, "Honeymoon with My Mother" was the second most-watched movie with 10.6 million hours, though it was released on April 29. ## Talking about "Gangubai Kathiawadi", the film is trending in the top 10 in 25 countries on Netflix. It is currently the platform's number One movie in India, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates while it is also in the top 10 in Canada, Trinidad, and Tobago, United Kingdom, Kenya, South Africa, Australia, among others. ## "Gangubai Kathiwadi" is loosely based on the true story of Gangubai Harjivandas, popularly known as Gangubai Kothewali, whose life was documented in the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai written by S. Hussain Zaidi. The film depicts the rise of a simple girl from Kathiawad who had no choice but to embrace the ways of destiny and swing it in her favor. ## Produced by Jayantilal Gada and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the movie also stars Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari, and Seema Pahwa in pivotal roles with Ajay Devgn featuring in an extended cameo appearance.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 27 - Alia Bhatt and Shantanu Maheshwari-starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi arrived on Netflix much to the delight of cinemagoers. Gangubai Kathiawadi was released in theatres on February 25 and introduced a commendable talent, Shantanu, who's seen essaying the role of Afshan, smitten by Kamathipura's madame Gangubai.## Impressing the audience with a power-packed debut, Shantanu has positioned himself as Bollywood's heartthrob. His introduction to the celluloid was hailed as flawless and promising by the trade pundits and audience. His arrival on OTT is a treat for those who've missed catching his spark in theatres.## Shantanu Maheshwari says, "I am really grateful for all the love that the audience has showered on me. I couldn’t have asked for a better debut. Gangubai Kathiawadi's arrival on OTT is yet a powerful reminder of how surreal this film's experience has been for me. I am grateful to Sanjay Leela Bhansali sir who offered me the role of Afshan. I am thrilled to see the reaction of the digital audience".## The actor rose to fame with Dil Dosti Dance and he followed it up with Girls on Top, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, India’s Best Dramebaaz, and Khatron Ke Khiladi 8. With Gangubai Kathiawadi, he took his biggest jump, transitioning from an actor known for his boy-next-door roles to an SLB hero.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 24 - Netflix is gearing up for the finale of one of the most-watched shows ever, Stranger Things. Stranger Things season 4 is being released in two parts, with Part 1 coming on May 27 and Part 2 on July 1. ## Now, it has been revealed that each episode of Season 4 of this science fiction horror drama series has cost Netflix approx. $30 million. The 9-episode series overall cost the streamer $270 million, which makes it the costliest ever for Netflix. This is a significant increase in Stranger Things' previously reported episode budgets, which were said to be less than $10M per episode in season 3. ## While Netflix has not confirmed this reported price tag for the series, costs could've increased due to its long production schedule and potential salary increases for its stars. If Stranger Things season 4's reported budget is correct, it will make these the most expensive episodes of television ever. ## "Stranger Things 4's" $30 million per episode cost won't make it the most expensive show ever though. Amazon Prime Video's upcoming "Lord of The Rings - The Rings of Power" has reportedly cost $465 million for season 1, which is the costliest ever. HBO Max's upcoming "House of the Dragon" series has cost approx. $200 million. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 22 - Netflix might be losing its subscribers at a rapid pace but Abhishek Bachchan, Yami Gautam, and Nimrat Kaur's social comedy film, "Dasvi" is turning out to be a successful outing on the platform. ## Directed by Tushar Jalota, "Dasvi" was released on April 7 on Netflix and Jio Cinema simultaneously, skipping the theatrical release. While the viewership numbers of the movie on Jio Cinema are not revealed, the same is making a big noise on Netflix and has already clocked more than 10 million viewership hours on the platform. ## "Dasvi" debuted at number 4 in Netflix's top 10 movies during its opening weekend. In the first 3 days (April 8-10), the movie clocked 5.69 million viewership hours, followed by 4.02 million in the next week (April 11-17), for a total of 9.71 million viewing hours in the first 10 days. The data from April 18 are not revealed yet but they are supposed to be around 3 million for the full week. ## Produced by Maddock Films, Jio Studios, and Bake My Cake Films, "Dasvi" has been trending in the top 10 in 12 countries. It is number 1 in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Mauritius. ## The movie received mixed reviews from critics and positive responses from the audiences. The script and dialogue of the film are doctored by famous poet Dr Kumar Vishwas. Bachchan plays the role of an uneducated politician, with Gautam as an IPS officer and Nimrat Kaur as Chief Minister Bimla Devi "Bimmo" Chaudhary. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 31 - Ranveer Singh-fronted sports biopic, "83" has had an impressive debut on Netflix after completing its theatrical run. The Kabir Khan-directed lent in the top 5 most-watched non-English movies on Netflix worldwide. ## "83" movie was released in theaters worldwide on December 24 last year and was recently made available on OTT platforms - Disney Plus Hotstar and Netflix on March 21. In its opening week (March 21 - March 27) on Netflix, the movie got 10.5 million viewing hours and was the 4th most-watched movie on the streamer. ## Based on India's maiden cricket world cup triumph in 1983, "83" has been trending in the top 10 films in 20 countries. Among the Asian countries, the movie is the number 1 on Netflix in India, apart from Bahrain, Bangladesh, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates. It is also the number 1 movie in Africa's Mauritius. ## Meanwhile, the Swedish action thriller film, "Black Crab", which was released on March 18 directly on Netflix, garnered a massive 40.5 million viewing hours and remained the number 1 non-English movie on Netflix during the same week. "In Good Hands" and "Without Saying Goodbye" were number 2 and 3 with 28.93M and 13.85M viewing hours, respectively. ## Moving on to "83", the movie has had a decent outing at the box office. During its theatrical run, it grossed approx. 193 crores worldwide, however, due to the high stake involved in it, the movie was declared a box office flop. It was still the second highest-grossing Bollywood movie of 2022 at the worldwide box office after "Sooryavanshi". ## The movie is produced by Reliance Entertainment, Phantom Films, Vibri Media, KA Productions, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, and Kabir Khan Films. It also stars Deepika Padukone, Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Chirag Patil, Dinker Sharma, Nishant Dahiya, Harrdy Sandhu, Sahil Khattar, Ammy Virk, Adinath Kothare, Dhairya Karwa, and R. Badree. ##

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, March 17 - There is good news for the fans of "Kung Fu Panda". Netflix, one of the leading streaming platforms, has greenlit an animated "Kung Fu Panda" series with "Jumanji" actor, Jack Black, roped in to voice the main character, Po, reports Variety. ## Jack Black is not new in voicing Po in the "Kung Fu Panda" film franchise. He first lent his voice in the original "Kung Fu Panda" film in 2008, before reprising his role in "Kung Fu Panda 2" in 2011 and "Kung Fu Panda 3" in 2016. It is one of the highest-grossing animated film franchises with three films grossing $1.8 billion at the worldwide box office. ## Meanwhile, the Netflix series is titled "Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight", in which, a mysterious pair of weasels set their sights on a collection of four powerful weapons. Po must leave his home to embark on a globe-trotting quest for redemption and justice that finds him partnered up with a no-nonsense English knight named Wandering Blade. ## Together, these two mismatched warriors set out on an epic adventure to find the magical weapons first and save the world from destruction — and they may even learn a thing or two from each other along the way, as per Variety. The series is in the works at DreamWorks Animation, which was behind the film series. ## The first look images from the series have also been revealed. Have a look - ## Jack Black returns in the new TV series #KungFuPanda: The Dragon Knight - check out the first look photos: pic.twitter.com/GRtIh8olam— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) March 16, 2022 ## Stay tuned...