Entertainment
Squid Game Season 2 on Netflix: Cast, plot, probable release date
The Korean drama, thriller, horror fiction series Squid Game was released on Netflix in September 2021. This drama series was at its peak of popularity within a few days of its release. While the Squid Game's making cost is around $21 million, Netflix earned more than $900 million. The first had 9 episodes. Now there is speculation about releasing the Squid Game Season 2 on Netflix. However, there is no official announcement yet. But different sources have been expecting that Netflix will announce the next season anytime soon. Here is what we know about Netflix Web Series Squid Game season 2.
Squid Game Netflix: Background
Hwang Dong-hyuk, the creator of the squid game series, started working on this story in 2008. However, the idea of a squid game series came to his mind before 2008. At that time, he used to visit a manga café in Korea regularly. LIAR Game, Battle Royale and Gambling Apocalypse: Kaiji Manga inspired Dong about the Squid Game. He prepared the preliminary draft by 2009. Dong approached different production houses in Korea with his draft. But no houses showed any interest as the plot was strange and unrealistic. So, what was the plot? Let's have a look.
Read Telugu Film RRR: Lifetime Record Breaker and the Pride of Indian Cinema
The series is a story of some defeated and troubled people who are frustrated in the battle of life. In this series, 456 debt-ridden contestants take part in a special game. The final winner will get 39 million US dollars. On the other hand, each eliminated person will get killed. This was the main plot, and the players had to take part in 6 different games in a 9-episode series.
Oscars producer says police offered to arrest Will Smith
Oscars producer Will Packer said Los Angeles police were ready to arrest Will Smith after Smith slapped Chris Rock on the Academy Awards stage.
“They were saying, you know, this is battery, was a word they used in that moment," Packer said in a clip released by ABC News Thursday night of an interview he gave to “Good Morning America.” “They said we will go get him. We are prepared. We’re prepared to get him right now. You can press charges, we can arrest him. They were laying out the options.”
But Packer said Rock was “very dismissive” of the idea.
“He was like, ‘No, no, no, I’m fine,” Packer said. "And even to the point where I said, ‘Rock, let them finish.’ The LAPD officers finished laying out what his options were and they said, ‘Would you like us to take any action?’ And he said no.”
Also read: Will Smith would face little more than a slap if charged
The LAPD said in a statement after Sunday night's ceremony that they were aware of the incident, and that Rock had declined to file a police report. The department declined comment Thursday on Packer's interview, a longer version of which will air on Friday morning.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences met Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations against the group’s standards of conduct. Smith could be suspended, expelled or otherwise sanctioned.
The academy said in a statement that “Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television."
Without giving specifics, the academy said Smith was asked to leave the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre, but refused to do so.
Smith strode from his front row seat on to the stage and slapped Rock after a joke Rock made about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, when he was on stage to present the Oscar for best documentary.
On Monday, Smith issued an apology to Rock, the academy and to viewers, saying “I was out of line and I was wrong.”
Also read: Chris Rock takes to comedy mic, still processing Oscars slap
The academy said Smith has the opportunity to defend himself in a written response before the board meets again on April 18.
Rock publicly addressed the incident for the first time, but only briefly, at the beginning of a standup show Wednesday night in Boston, where he was greeted by a thunderous standing ovation. He said “I’m still kind of processing what happened.”
Bongo to bring Kazakh movie 'Diamond Sword' as 'Hirar Talwar' on April 1
Video streaming platform Bongo will release the Kazakh movie "Diamond Sword" – dubbed in Bangla as "Hirar Talwar" – Friday.
The film is based on true Islamic history directed by acclaimed film director, screenwriter and artist Rustem Abdrashev.
Famous Kazakh stars Kairat Kemalov, Yerkebulan Daiyrov, Meirgat Amangeldin, Madina Esmanova, and Isbek Abilmazhinov played the noted roles.
The film shows the historical era of 13th century Mongol emperor Genghis Khan. When his descendants built their independent kingdoms, the surrounding states of Eurasia were crushed.
The bloody battle started to stop the legendary sultan Abu'l-Khayr Shaybani's tyranny.
This epic movie was first released in 2016 as "Kazakh Khanate: Diamond Sword."
BBC compared "Kazakh Khanate" to the American fantasy series "Game of Thrones."
The movie involved around 500 people in production including famous actors from Russia, Mongolia and Uzbekistan.
Mushfiqur Rahman Manzu, chief content officer of Bongo, said: "We value historical movies that the viewers can relate to. Previously we published 'The Golden Throne' or 'Sonar Singhason' which is another great movie of this Kazakh series."
"Movies like 'The Golden Throne' and 'Diamond Sword' are for those who love to watch Islamic history."
Chris Rock takes to comedy mic, still processing Oscars slap
Chris Rock received several standing ovations before he told one joke Wednesday at his first comedy show since Will Smith slapped him in the face onstage at the Oscars.
Rock only briefly addressed the slap to the sold out crowd in Boston, saying he was “still kind of processing what happened."
“Other than the weird thing, life is pretty good,” Rock said midway through his first of two sets. The nighttime performances came just three days after Smith smacked the comedian for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, while presenting an Academy Award.
Rock didn't mention Smith or Pinkett Smith by name at his show in Boston. Wearing all white, he seemed to be almost embarrassed by the multiple ovations he received. As the applause carried on for minutes — with fans yelling “I love you, Chris!” — the comedian appeared to be getting emotional, a guest seated near the stage told The Associated Press.
“How was your weekend?” Rock joked before getting into his set.
Also read: Will Smith would face little more than a slap if charged
Ticket prices skyrocketed after Smith took to the awards stage and slapped Rock on live TV, but the comedian made clear he wasn’t going to talk at length about it Wednesday.
“If you came to hear that, I’m not ... I had like a whole show I wrote before this weekend,” Rock said.
He spent much of the night skewering celebrities and politicians. Among them were the Duchess of Sussex, the Kardashians, as well as President Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and former President Donald Trump.
Outside the venue, a fan showed off a T-shirt featuring the “G.I. Jane” logo and Pinkett Smith’s face. Another had a shirt he made that showed Smith's face and displayed a crude joke about the couple's relationship.
At least one person yelled during the show that Rock should sue Smith.
Rock's joke at the Oscars was about Jada Pinkett Smith's buzzed haircut: “Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it,” Rock said, comparing Pinkett Smith to Demi Moore’s “G.I. Jane” character, who had a buzz cut in the 1997 film.
Smith promptly stood up from his seat at the front of the venue and took to the stage, slapping Rock across the face before sitting back down and yelling at Rock to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth.
Pinkett Smith has spoken publicly about her diagnosis of alopecia, which can cause baldness.
Within an hour, Smith won best actor, receiving a standing ovation. During his five-minute acceptance speech, Smith talked about defending his family and apologized to the academy. A day later, Smith issued an apology to the comedian, to the academy and to viewers at home, saying he was “out of line” and that his actions are “not indicative of the man I want to be.”
Pinkett Smith responded Tuesday with a graphic on Instagram that read: “This is a season of healing and I’m here for it.” She offered no further comment.
Also read: Will Smith apologizes: 'I was out of line and I was wrong'
George Guay, a 24-year-old fan from Boston who grew up on “Everybody Hates Chris,” said he bought a ticket after Rock was slapped by Smith.
“He’s the most popular celebrity so I want to be here,” Guay said before the show, adding that he hoped Rock would open with a response to the situation. “I just want a good show.”
Afterward, some fans were a little disappointed he did not address the controversy more directly. But they also said they could see from his body language that he wasn't sure how to do it.
“As soon as I saw him, his mood was a little bit shocked,” said Dave Henriquez, a 48-year-old musician from Newton, Massachusetts. “I got that it was weighing on him.”
Erin Ryan, a 33-year-old teacher also from Newton who was with Henriquez, said she felt Rock wanted to perform his act, “not make the standup about the one incident.”
Kathryn West-Hines, a 50-year-old Pilates instructor from Malden, Massachusetts, said she came away with even more respect for Rock. “I thought it was amazing, classy,” she said, adding that he wasn't going to let “what happened Sunday” take away his shine.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences condemned Smith striking Rock. Its board of governors met Wednesday to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violations of the group’s standards of conduct. The academy said it had asked Smith to leave the ceremony after hitting Rock, but he refused to do so.
This was not the first time Rock had made a joke at Pinkett Smith's expense. When he hosted the 2016 Oscars, some people boycotted the ceremony over the #OscarsSoWhite group of nominees, including the Smiths. Said Rock then: “Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s panties. I wasn’t invited.”
Wanda Sykes, who co-hosted the Oscars with Amy Schumer and Regina Hall, said she felt physically ill after Smith slapped Rock. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres scheduled to air April 7, Sykes also said letting Smith stay and accept his award should not have happened.
The drama overshadowed some historical wins at an Oscars. The deaf family drama “CODA” became the first film with a largely deaf cast to win best picture. For the first time, a streaming service, Apple TV+, took Hollywood’s top honor, signaling a profound shift in Hollywood and in moviegoing. Wins for Ariana DeBose of “West Side Story,”Troy Kotsur of “CODA” and Jane Campion, director of “The Power of the Dog,” all had made history.
Telugu Film RRR: Lifetime Record Breaker and the Pride of Indian Cinema
Following the legacy of superhero fever in international films, the Telugu film RRR movie takes the audience to the highest peak of entertainment. This movie not only became a box office hit, but also left Bahubali behind. Not to mention, the Telugu film titled RRR appeared as a symbol of the progressive nature of Indian cinema. Released on March 25, 2022, the excellent performance of the movie shocked the film-enthusiasts. Thanks to the RRR-crew, the cinema has gone far beyond its targeted destination, even though the production has been delayed several times. Let's take a closer look at the interesting facts and features of the RRR movie.
RRR Plot: A Tale of Two Revolutionaries
This historical film depicts the context of British India in the 1920s. According to the storyline, during the reign of the British government, Rama Raju, - a devoted Indian police officer, took charge of capturing Komaram Bheem, - a formidable tribal leader. The story advanced through different incidents, and some clamor of inevitable clashes began to ring. In this film the dimensions of conflicts kept changing and those were full of twists. Above all, the mighty expeditions of the two Indian revolutionaries take precedence.
SS Rajamouli (Srisaila Sri Rajamouli) wrote the screenplay of this epic action drama with the story of KV Vijayendra Prasad (Koduri Viswa Vijayendra Prasad). The dialogues of this film were written by Sai Madhav Burra. The overall creative teamwork helped to boost the performances of the actors.
Read Oscar Winners 2022: Who Won the 94th Academy Awards?
More than 50 years later, MSG to host another concert for Bangladesh
Globally renowned German rock band Scorpions and popular Bangladeshi band Chirkutt are set to perform at a historic concert to celebrate Bangladesh’s 50 years of Independence at the world-famous Madison Square Garden in New York City, US on May 6.
Scorpions announced this on their official social media handles and website on Wednesday, breaking the news that Chirkutt will accompany them on this historic musical celebration titled The Golden Jubilee Bangladesh Concert.
“The Bangladesh Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division is organizing the event with the support of the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, the United Nations Development Programme, the U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh, and local sponsors with the intent of gaining a global audience and celebrating Bangladesh’s golden anniversary through a live, one-night-only musical performance in the World’s Most Famous Arena,” Scorpions announced on their website.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the United Nations Development Programme’s global awareness campaign on cyber security programs for the youth and children, especially in underdeveloped countries, the band added.
This upcoming event will also mark the 50 years anniversary of the historic ‘Concert for Bangladesh’, the charity concert organized for the aid of Bangladesh during the 1971 Liberation War by English singer, songwriter, and the former lead guitarist of cult popular band The Beatles George Harrison and world-famous Indian sitar maestro Pandit Sri Ravi Shankar at the same venue.
Initiated with a mission to draw international attention to the war genocide and fund relief for refugees from then East Pakistan, the pair of concerts was organized on August 1st, 1971 featuring legendary names in world music including Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and more.
With over 110 million records sold around the world, the band will play fan favourites from their incredible catalogue including “Wind of Change,” “Still Loving You,” “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” “Send Me an Angel,” and many more.
Founded in Hannover, West Germany in 1965, Scorpions were part of the first wave of metal in the 1970’s with their debut album, Lonesome Crow, released in 1972. The band rose to arena status with seminal releases Lovedrive, Virgin Killer and Animal Magnetism. In the ’80s, Scorpions amassed a string of Billboard chart-toppers from Love at First Sting and Blackout, including multiple Top 10 singles “Rock You Like a Hurricane” and “No One Like You,” as well a string of successful singles such as “Send Me an Angel,” “Still Loving You,” and “Wind of Change,” according to its official website.
The band was also ranked #46 on VH1’s Greatest Artists of Hard Rock and their hit “Rock You Like a Hurricane” also landed #18 on VH1’s list of the 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs.
Celebrated across the globe, the iconic rock act has sold more than 110 million albums worldwide and has received multiple honours including World Music Award winners, a postage stamp in Brazil, a Star on Hollywood Rock Walk, and Echo honours. Most recently, they were honoured with the Lower Saxon State Award.
The current line-up of the band features its founding member Rudolf Schenker (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Klaus Meine (lead vocals), Matthias Jabs (lead guitar, backing vocals), Paweł Mąciwoda (bass, backing vocals) and Mikkey Dee (drums).
Tickets for this special concert will go on sale on Monday, April 4 via Ticketmaster. Further information is available on the band’s official website https://www.the-scorpions.com/.
Oscar Winners 2022: Who Won the 94th Academy Awards?
After the elegant opening of the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, the colourful carnival of films has rocked Hollywood's Dolby Theatre in California. Sensational performances by Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes, and Amy Schumer made the names of the 2022 Oscar winners resound throughout the gallery. Among the movies that have already been nominated, the best works have made their way to get closer to the golden statuette of Oscar. Let's get to know the names of those who achieved the honour of winning the Oscars in 2022.
Who are the Winners of Oscar 2022?
Best Picture > Philippe Rousselet, Patrick Wachsberger and Fabrice Gianfermi for ‘CODA’
Rousselet and Wachsberger both are France-based producers. Gianfermi is an American producer. previously Rousselet and Gianfermi co-produced the 2011 sci-fi movie Source Code. Wachsberger is famous for producing the blockbuster movie The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), and Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005).
Read Oscars audience tops 15 million, exceeding last year
Best Actor > ‘Will Smith’ for the leading role 'Richard' in King Richard
Will Smith is a two time Oscar nominee. This time the actor portrays a legend who was the mentor of the famous tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams as well as their father.
Best Actress > ‘Jessica Chastain’ for the leading role of 'Tammy Faye' in The Eyes of Tammy Faye
This American actress received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for the 2013 movie Zero Dark Thirty. This time, Chastain grabbed the Oscar playing the character of Tammy Faye, a world-renowned media personality.
Best Supporting Actor > ‘Troy Kotsur’ for the role of 'Frank Rossi' in CODA
American actor Kotsur won the Oscar for the first time as a deaf actor. He has also won awards at six different major film festivals worldwide for his role as Frank in CODA.
Read Jessica Chastain wins best actress Oscar for 'Tammy Faye'
Best Supporting Actress > ‘Ariana DeBose’ for the role of 'Anita' in West Side Story
The emerging American singer and dancer stunned the Hollywood neighbourhood with her character Anita in West Side Story. She achieved this honor for the first time as an openly queer woman.
Best Director > ‘Jane Campion’ for directing The Power of the Dog
Jane Campion is one of the most anticipated names at the Oscar this year. First female Palme d'Or holder at the Cannes and winning awards at 21 events worldwide just for The Power of the Dog have led her to win the 2022 Oscar.
Best Original Screenplay > Kenneth Branagh for ‘Belfast’
Northern Irish Branagh, widely known as an actor and director, has shown his prowess in screenwriting in his sixties.
Read Will Smith confronts Chris Rock, then wins best actor Oscar
Best Adapted Screenplay > Sian Heder for ‘CODA’
This Massachusetts-based female screenwriter first came to prominence by writing the screenplay of the 2005 film Mother. And this time her Oscar-winning screenplay follows the story of the 2014 French-Belgian movie La Famille Belier.
Best Cinematography > Greig Fraser for ‘Dune’
The best works of this Australian cinematographer include the film Lion (2016) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012). In 2022, he finally got the best value of his work through Dune.
Will Smith would face little more than a slap if charged
Will Smith’s slap seen ’round the world at the Oscars was clearly a crime, legal experts say, but the chances of prosecution are slim and even if convicted he’d likely face little more than a slap of his own — on the wrist.
Smith left millions of witnesses stunned Sunday when he marched onto the stage of the Dolby Theatre and smacked Chris Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who was sitting with the actor in the front row.
The Los Angeles Police Department has said it was aware of the incident but was not investigating because Rock declined to file a police report.
While police could technically open an investigation based on the Academy Awards broadcast, they wouldn’t do so without Rock’s participation, said defense lawyer Alan Jackson, a former Los Angeles County prosecutor who oversaw high-profile cases.
“Would they ever in a practical world do that when Chris Rock is saying, ’I won’t cooperate with a criminal investigation?′ Not in a million years,” Jackson said. “LAPD is probably breathing a relative sigh of relief that they don’t have to get involved with two high-profile actors duking it out on a world stage.”
The Los Angeles city attorney’s office, which prosecutes misdemeanor crimes, declined to comment, but said it couldn’t bring charges without a police referral.
“If he’s going to be charged, I can’t speak to what the charge would be,” spokesman Rob Wilcox said.
News of celebrities in trouble has been a fixture in LA since Hollywood’s early days, and questions frequently arise about whether the rich and powerful receive a different brand of justice.
“The celebrity thing is coming into play, unfortunately,” said former LA District Attorney Steve Cooley. “If some Joe Blow committed this act in front a police officer, would he would be able to walk away from it? Probably not.”
If Smith is not charged, it could imperil the justice system’s credibility, said Jody Armour, a law professor at the University of Southern California.
“How can what appears to be an obvious criminal act committed in the open publicly not result in any criminal consequences?” Armour asked. “Do different standards apply to celebrities and noncelebrities? Apparently, we seem to all recognize that is the case. But what does that recognition say to us about the legitimacy and credibility of our criminal justice system?”
While the famous can use their status to influence decision-makers, their fame can work against them if the prosecutor decides to make an example of a crime by someone well-known.
“I would surprised if the city attorney does not seriously consider it because it was so public,” said Alison Triessl, a criminal defense lawyer who has handled many misdemeanor battery cases. “Are they sending the wrong message if they don’t prosecute him?”
Triessl said there’s no question a crime was committed, and there’s no need for the victim to file a report. Charges are routinely brought in domestic violence cases without cooperation from the victim because the crime is against the state for violating its penal code.
“It sends a message that you can commit a crime and you won’t be punished,” she said. “This was a very wrong message.”
If Smith were charged, he would face a misdemeanor battery count, which carries a penalty of up to six months in jail. Even if prosecuted and convicted, there are alternatives to going to court that could lead to a penalty as light as having to attend anger management classes.
Cooley said if he were advising Smith, he’d have him voluntarily enroll in anger classes and then try to convince prosecutors not to bring charges in the interest of justice because he had recognized his problem and was dealing with it.
Cooley said he’d want more information on the case as a prosecutor before making any decisions. He said said LAPD was premature in announcing they weren’t getting involved.
Stephen Downing, a retired LAPD deputy chief, said a case could be brought. But he said it was reasonable not to waste resources when Rock apparently wasn’t injured or ruffled enough to file a complaint.
“Rock carried on as if nothing happened to him,” Downing said. “He didn’t even put a hand to his cheek. There didn’t appear to be an injury. If he had knocked him to the floor and rendered him unconscious, I think action would have been taken.”
US actress to star opposite Shakib Khan in upcoming film
US television actress Courtney Coffeyy will share the screen with Shakib Khan in his upcoming film.
The film ‘Rajkumar’ will be directed by Himel Ashraf.
The announcement was done in an event at World Fair Marina Convention Hall in New York on Tuesday.
‘Rajkumar’ will be produced under the banner of SK Films, Shakib Khan's production company.
READ: Coming-of-age film ‘CODA’ wins best picture
He said, “The world cinema market has become more advance now. We are still far behind. Many people are reluctant to invest on large scale films. I am producing this film with a challenge.”
Shooting for this film will begin soon, said director Himel Ashraf.
This will be the debut for Courtney Coffeyy in Bagladeshi films. Besides TV acting she is a regular theater artist.
Oscars audience tops 15 million, exceeding last year
Television ratings for the Oscars rebounded somewhat from last year's record low, but the event clearly doesn't have the appeal to viewers that it once had.
Sunday's ceremony reached an estimated 15.36 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen company numbers released on Monday by ABC. A more detailed estimate is expected Tuesday, with elements like out-of-home viewing added.
Also read: Coming-of-age film ‘CODA’ wins best picture
“CODA” won best picture in Sunday's ceremony, but all of the winners and losers were overshadowed by best actor winner Will Smith storming the stage to slap comic Chris Rock because of a joke Rock made about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Held in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 ceremony had reached a startlingly low 9.85 million viewers. That led to several changes in the Oscars going into this year, including the addition of hosts and awarding eight categories ahead of the broadcast and editing them into the live show.
While that clearly seemed to help, an audience of 15 million is still below the 23.6 million people who watched the Oscars in 2020. Until last year, that was the smallest-ever audience for an Oscars ceremony.
Also read: Will Smith confronts Chris Rock, then wins best actor Oscar
Nielsen did not immediately have more specific viewership numbers for Sunday's show. The research company Samba TV said its own statistics indicate some 1.5 million more households watched the Oscars after the Smith-Rock incident than were watching before.
Viewership for live television events, with the notable exception of NFL football games, has been declining for several years with the advent of streaming and cord-cutting. Some Hollywood observers believe that the relatively niche appeal of many films honored by the Oscars has also limited the audience.