Sizzling Samachar: ‘Barbie’ becomes Warner Bros’ highest-grossing film of all time; Denis Villeneuve hints that 'Dune: Part 3’ is in early development; Disney+ cancels 'The Spiderwick Chronicles'

Welcome to your daily dose of entertainment news, I'm your host Nikhil News from Hollywood first.

‘Barbie’ becomes Warner Bros’ highest-grossing film of all time

The biggest blockbuster of the summer, Barbie, has already passed several box-office milestones and has grossed over a whopping $1.3 billion worldwide as yet. It had already surpassed some of the biggest Warner Bros hits such as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Aquaman, Joker, and The Dark Knight Rises last week. According to the latest figures, the Greta Gerwig film, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has already surpassed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II and has become the highest-grossing film by Warner Bros. of all time. While the film is expected to face some competition from Gran Turismo, Barbie is expected to continue its impressive theatrical run. Well, it’s surely the time to party for Greta Gerwig and the team.

Denis Villeneuve hints that 'Dune: Part 3’ is in early development

Fans of the Dune franchise were left disappointed last week after Warner Bros. announced that Dune: Part 2 will be postponed from 3rd November 2023 to 15th March 2024. The decision was made by the studio as a result of the ongoing dual actors and writers strike in Hollywood. However, director Denis Villeneuve has provided an update on the future of the franchise adapted from Frank Herbert’s iconic novels. The filmmaker confirmed that the third story from Herbert’s trilogy titled Dune: Messiah is in early development. He added that the script for the third film is partially complete. The news is certainly music to our ears, as Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 1 took home six Academy Awards and is widely regarded as the best film of 2021.

Disney+ cancels 'The Spiderwick Chronicles'

Disney+’s cost-cutting measures have taken another casualty and this time it is the highly-anticipated TV adaptation of The Spiderwick Chronicles. The news comes as a shock to fans of the novels written by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, considering the production for the series has already wrapped. The studio is currently hoping that another streaming platform will purchase the distribution rights for the series. Christian Slater and Jack Dylan Grazer play the lead roles in the new series adaptation. The novels were previously adapted into a film in 2008 starring Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Seth Rogen, and Martin Short.

‘Jawan’ receives UA certification from CBFC

The runtime for the upcoming Shah Rukh Khan film Jawan has been confirmed. According to reports, the CBFC has granted the film an UA certification and will have a runtime of 2 hours, 49 minutes. Directed by Atlee, the film also stars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi in prominent roles, and the plot revolves around a commando who teams up with a group of women to fight against injustice in society. Jawan is scheduled to release in theatres on September 7, 2023.

Rashik Khan’s ‘Section 108’ casts Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Regina Cassandra

Bollywood filmmaker Anees Bazmee recently announced the release of the upcoming film Section 108. As per new reports acclaimed actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been cast in the film alongside Rocket Boys and Farzi actress Regina Cassandra. The film will reportedly tell the story of one of India’s biggest scams and will be directed by Rashik Khan. The film will be produced by CinemaWala Ventures and Three Arrows, but further details have been kept under wraps. Section 108 is slated to release on February 2, 2024.

‘Stolen’ starring Abhishek Banerjee to premiere at the Venice Film Festival

Paatal Lok and Stree actor Abhishek Banerjee, who recently impressed us in the creature comedy Bhediya is set to star in the upcoming film Stolen. The film is touted as an edge-of-your-seat thriller and is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Stolen joins an illustrious list of thrillers this year at Venice alongside, David Fincher's The Killer, starring Michael Fassbender, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, Priscilla directed by Sofia Coppola, and Poor Things starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Dafoe.

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

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