As the promotions for Nitesh Tiwari’s epic Ramayana begin, producer Namit Malhotra and star Yash travelled to Las Vegas to present the film at the CinemaCon. At the annual cinema exhibition for theatre owners and the industry, they presented Ramayana Part One to the West. On the sidelines, the two explained the film’s vision and scale in various interviews.

Speaking to Reuters, Yash, who plays Ravana, explained how he has tried to bring nuance to the asura. “I have tried to internalise… the whole essence of Ravana and tried to make him as human as possible at times,” Yash said, adding that “it’s important for people to relate to him.”

The film’s first glimpse, called the Rama glimpse, was unveiled globally earlier this month. While many praised the visual effects and scale, some criticised the character designs, particularly those of the asuras, for looking too Western-inspired. While talking about Ravana and the asuras’ depiction in the film, Yash added, “Since we have global ambitions, we need to make it familiar to a Western audience as well.”

Ramayana will be released in two parts, with a combined budget of up to $500 million, making it one of the most expensive film productions in the world and easily the most expensive Indian film by quite a distance.

Ramayan Part One will be released globally on November 8, coinciding with Diwali. The second will come out in 2027. The films also star Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.

In a sensational reveal, iconic artist Lana Del Rey has released ‘First Light,’ the enthralling theme song for the much-anticipated video game ‘007 First Light.’ Teaming up with acclaimed composer David Arnold, the track seamlessly merges classic Bond motifs with Del Rey’s unique atmospheric flair.

A brand new video game is being released for fans of the ‘Bond’ franchise, and people cannot seem to get enough. Ahead of its official launch, famed singer Lana Del Rey is heading the game with a brand new and unique theme song.

Lana Del Rey to work on theme song for upcoming ‘James Bond’ game

The upcoming game, ‘007 First Light’, is set to feature a theme song led by famed singer Lana Del Rey. As per the BBC, it has been confirmed that the singer, best known for hit songs such as ‘Summertime Sadness’, ‘Say Yes To Heaven’, and ‘Diet Mountain Dew’, worked with renowned composer David Arnold on the theme song. The song is titled ‘First Light’ and has a duration of 3 minutes and 24 seconds. David Arnold has worked on the music for five James Bond films before this project, further increasing anticipation for the upcoming song and the video game itself. Arnold also expressed his excitement about working with Lana Del Rey for the song, citing that “That’s why I was so excited to work with Lana, an artist who brought elegance, atmosphere and her totally unique character to this piece, which I hope will open the world of Bond to a whole new audience.”As per the composer, the song is a blend of “a long line of genre-defining songs.”Earlier in 2024, Del Rey told the outlet how she wanted to work on a film about the world’s most famous spy, and her song ‘24’ was written with that in mind. At the time, Sam Smith and their song, ‘Writing’s On The Wall’ was selected as the lead song for the 007 film that year, though the singer had kept her hopes up.

About ‘007 First Light’

The video game’s story acts as a standalone, following James Bond as he is recruited into MI6 and goes on missions to solve crimes. This is the first game about the 007 agent since ‘007 Legends’ was released in 2012. Lana Del Rey will provide the theme song, while Patrick Gibson will play the role of 007 agent James Bond. Famed singer Lenny Kravitz will also join the game, and has been confirmed to voice the lead villain, Bawma’s character. The game is officially set to be released in May this year, while the song is now available for streaming on various platforms.

It is unclear if it is in response to the much-awaited Dunesday clash or just Disney diversifying into the exhibition side of cinema, but the movie giant is now partnering with theatre chains to bring a new large-format screen certification. Infinity Vision, a giant screen format, is being seen as a rival to IMAX and will roll out in time for the release of Avengers: Doomsday in December.

IMAX is globally recognised as the gold standard of premium large-screen formats. Studios regularly set release dates based on how many IMAX screens are available to present their films.

Last year, several theatre chains held meetings about the possibility of establishing an industry-wide certification for their premium screens. So far, AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc.’s XL, Regal Cineworld Group’s RPX and Cinemark Holdings Inc.’s XD are all marketed separately. Bloomberg’s report says Disney is in talks with multiple chains, but hasn’t disclosed how many chains it’s signed up so far. Theatre operators would still be able to offer their own big-screen brands alongside the Infinity Vision certification.

A timeline for its rollout has not been announced, but industry insiders estimate that it could be as early as September, when Avengers: Endgame, Disney’s highest-grossing film ever, re-releases in theatres.

Avengers: Doomsday marks the return of the Russo Brothers to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as directors. The film also brings back Robert Downey Jr., who no longer plays Iron Man but instead plays the antagonist Doctor Doom. Dune Part Three, on the other hand, is the conclusion of Villeneuve’s trilogy of Frank Herbert’s saga, starring Timothee Chalamet in the lead role.