Pirate site advertises Dishoom leak; Star Trek’s new chapter revealed; and more

Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP

Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP

Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP

Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP

AFP

Emergency meeting over Dishoom piracy threat

Indian film producer Mukesh Bhatt says that The Film & Television Producer's Guild of India held an emergency meeting after they learnt about the potential online leak of the upcoming film Dishoom. "We have received shocking news that a pirate site is advertising that Dishoom will soon be shown. If a pirate site advertises that there will be a leak, there could be nothing more frightening for a producer," said Bhatt, who is also president of the guild. "Each and every producer, wherever they were and whether they were busy, cancelled their appointments and came to my office." Dishoom, starring Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez and John Abraham is set for release on July 29. Recently, films to have been leaked ahead of their release include Udta Punjab and Great Grand Masti. While the former still managed to attract decent numbers at the box office, the latter made a less than sparkling debut. – IANS

Eddie Redmayne casts spell over Comic-Con

Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne brought the wizarding world of Harry Potter to real life over the weekend as he helped hand out wooden wands to the 6,500-plus audience at a Comic-Con panel and made everyone perform a spell. Redmayne, the lead actor of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, asked the audience to shout the incantation for the light-up spell "Lumos Maxima" to unveil a new trailer of the film which is due out in November. Fantastic Beasts, due out in November, is a spin-off from the magical Harry Potter universe created by JK Rowling. The annual four-day Comic-Con convention is taking place in San Diego. – Reuters

Title of new Star Trek TV show revealed

The next chapter of the Star Trek franchise will be called Star Trek: Discovery. The title and footage of the starship Discovery were teased at a Comic-Con panel celebrating the series' 50th anniversary with actors from every previous series, including William Shatner. Executive producer of Discovery, Bryan Fuller, said the show coming to the CBS All Access streaming video service will draw upon the optimistic tone established by Trekcreator Gene Roddenberry. "We have to celebrate a progression of our species," Fuller told fans gathered inside the San Diego Convention Center. "Right now, we need a little help." The brief teaser featured close-ups of a Starfleet vessel called the USS Discovery moving out of a docking station located within an asteroid. "The idea of naming it Discovery just felt so intrinsic to what Star Trek represents and where we need to go as a species and how we're going to collectively come together as a planet," added Fuller. – AP

Marvel reveals new film slate and celebrity surprises at Comic-Con

Marvel treated fans at Comic-Con to their first look at a new Black Panther movie cast, the mysterious Doctor Strange, a Spider-Man teen movie and an Oscar-winning actress as the new Captain Marvel. The audience, many of whom had queued overnight, were introduced to the lead cast of the Black Panther movie, directed by Creed filmmaker Ryan Coogler. Chadwick Boseman plays the titular hero while Michael B Jordan is his arch nemesis, Erik Killmonger, and Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o plays the warrior Nakia. Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson was revealed as Captain Marvel, but no details were given on the 2018 movie. Benedict Cumberbatch introduced a scene from Doctor Strange, due out in November, in which neurosurgeon Stephen Strange, who lost the use of his hands in an accident, meets the Ancient One – played by Tilda Swinton – to harness the mysterious world of magic and alternate dimensions. Meanwhile Spider-Man: Homecoming, starring Tom Holland, was revealed to be a teen comedy, following 15-year-old Peter Parker as he transitions into adulthood. Finally, the cast of 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy 2 entered amid cheers, as new footage revealed Sylvester Stallone in the film, and Kurt Russell playing Star Lord's father Ego. – Reuters

Sigourney Weaver hopes to reprieve Alien role

Sigourney Weaver, the original star of the Alien film franchise says she's hopeful about reprising her role as tough-as-nails survivor Ellen Ripley in another sequel. Weaver told the Comic-Con crowd, during a panel celebrating the 30th anniversary of the sci-fi sequel Aliens, that District 9 filmmaker Neill Blomkamp pitched her an idea for another instalment when they were working together on his 2015 film Chappie. "Four months later, I got a script that was so amazing and gives the fans everything they are looking for – plus innovates in a lot of ways," said Weaver. The actress, who will soon begin production on filmmaker James Cameron's Avatar sequel, isn't sure when they would work on the project. Alien director Ridley Scott is currently crafting a Prometheus sequel titled Alien: Covenant. Weaver last portrayed Ripley on screen in the 1997 sequel Alien Resurrection. – AP

Kamal Haasan remains in hospital

Indian actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan, who fractured his leg following a fall nearly two weeks ago, is still undergoing treatment in a private Chennai hospital. "He's still expected to stay in the hospital for a few more days. Having already undergone a minor surgery for compound fracture, he's currently kept under observation," a source said. "Doctors have instructed him to rest for a month. He was all set to commence the second schedule of his upcoming trilingual film from the last week of July. However, due to this unfortunate incident, the shoot has now been postponed to September." Sixty-one-year-old Haasan is directing and playing the lead in Sabaash Naidu, which is slated for release early next year. – IANS