Sizzling Samachar : A live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon; The I Am Legend sequel will focus on an alternate ending; Gerard Butler is set to play a CIA Operative in the upcoming film Kandahar

Welcome to your daily dose of entertainment news on OTTplay. I'm your host Nikhil. Let's look at the top stories.

A live-action film of How to Train Your Dragon is in development

The beloved DreamWorks franchise How to Train Your Dragon is returning to the silver screen. Universal just announced a live-action adaptation of the franchise is in development and will hit the screens in 2025. Dean DeBlois, the filmmaker and animator who originally directed the Academy Award-nominated How to Train Your Dragon trilogy is returning for the upcoming project. Based on the book series by Cressida Cowell, the massive franchise is set in the mythical Viking village of Berk and follows a timid but rebellious teen Hiccup who forms an unbreakable bond with a dragon.

Akiva Goldsman reveals the sequel for I Am Legend will focus on the alternate ending of the original

Akiva Goldsman is reuniting with Warner Bros and has been given the responsibility of two big projects — the I Am Legend sequel and Keanu Reeves’ Constantine 2. Additionally, he is already part of projects such as the upcoming Apple TV series The Crowded Room, and the Star Trek spin offs Strange New Worlds and Picard. The I Am Legend sequel will star Will Smith, who is reprising his role, and Michael B. Jordan. Even though Will Smith’s character dies in the original ending of the film, Goldsman has revealed the sequel will follow the alternate ending in which he survives. It has also been revealed that the story based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel of the same name, will take inspiration from HBO’s critically acclaimed new TV series The Last of Us in how to depict a world 20 to 30 years after a zombie apocalypse.

Gerard Butler is set to play a CIA Operative in the upcoming film Kandahar

The official trailer of Ric Roman Waugh’s latest feature, Kandahar just dropped and it features Gerard Butler back in a major action blockbuster. He will essay the role of a CIA agent named Tom Harris who takes on the daunting task of wiping out a nuclear reactor in Iran. His mission is exposed to the media and he is forced to escape to the city of Kandahar with his translator. Bollywood star Ali Fazal is also part of the cast along with Travis Fimmel, Olivia-Mai Barrett, and Nina Toussaint-White.

Barry Keoghan is set to play Billy the Kid in a new biopic

Barry Keoghan’s newfound fame after the success of the Oscar-nominated film The Banshees of Inisherin has landed his next project. The 30-year-old actor will be next seen portraying the infamous outlaw Billy the Kid in a new biopic. He is reuniting with his American Animals director Bart Layton for this film. Just like his future on-screen character, Keoghan is Irish by birth and they both lost their mothers at a very young age. Layton has revealed the production might start in the first half of 2024.

Daniel Radcliffe, Maya Rudolph, and Edgar Wright will star in Andy Samberg's Digman!

A number of Hollywood stars are joining the cast of the upcoming adult animated series Digman!. Maya Rudolph, Danielle Radcliffe, and Edgar Wright are among a few stars who will be part of the show, with Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Andy Samberg in the lead. Samberg is stepping in as the voice of the titular character, Rip Digman. He will also serve as co-creator along with Neil Campbell. His Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-star Melissa Fumero will also play an important role in the show, and actors Jane Lynch, Kyle Mooney, Cole Escola, Lauren Lapkus, and Paul Rust are also joining the cast. The project is already shaping up to be a fun series.

Rana Daggubati and Venkatesh Daggubati are set to star in Netflix’s Indian Remake of Ray Donovan

Several Indian remakes of foreign shows such as The Night Manager and Class have been hitting the screens recently, and the Hindi remake of The Good Wife is also set to premiere this year. Netflix recently unveiled the first trailer for Rana Naidu, an Indian adaptation of the hit Showtime series Ray Donovan, which follows the titular character working as a mediator for a law firm that handles celebrities and wealthy clients. The upcoming series will star Baahubali actor Rana Daggubati in the titular role, originally played by Liev Schreiber. Whereas Dagupatti’s uncle and veteran Telugu star, Venkatesh Daggubati, will take over the role of Rana Naidu’s father, a role that was essayed by Jon Voight in the original series.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has decided to scrap the roles of Shabana Azmi and Mumtaz in Heeramandi

The perfectionist filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is working on a new series with Netflix titled Heeramandi. Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Huma Qureshi, and Manisha Koirala are already part of the project. Bhansali had offered the legendary actresses Shabana Azmi and Mumtaz, brief but vital roles in the series, unfortunately, they will not be able to take up the roles. As a result, Bhansali has decided to scrap their roles entirely because he wrote the characters with the stalwart actresses in mind.

Well that's the OTTplay Sizzling news news for today, until the next time it's your host Nikhil signing out.

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• Written by Sneha Singh