The action-packed final trailer for Project Hail Mary has been released, and the movie promises to be a must-see event this March! The brand new trailer introduces Rocky, an alien creature encountered in deep space, who is on a similar mission as Ryland Grace, aka Ryan Gosling. Arriving in theaters across India on 20th March, 2026, the film is part of the international theatrical distribution partnership between Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment, ensuring a major global rollout, including India. Project Hail Mary trailer Based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel (The Martian), Project Hail Mary follows Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), a lone astronaut who awakens aboard a mysterious spacecraft with no memory of his mission or his identity. As fragments of his past begin to resurface, he discovers the planet-saving task that brought him here: confronting a cosmic threat that could extinguish Earth’s sun. The new trailer also introduces Rocky, the groundbreaking alien and Grace’s unexpected companion, a central figure who brings emotional depth and becomes key to the mission’s survival. Armed with ingenuity, scientific grit, and an unlikely companion, Grace might not be as alone as he thinks. The film features a stellar supporting cast including Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, and Milana Vayntrub. Written by Drew Goddard and produced by Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Aditya Sood, Rachel O’Connor, Andy Weir, and Ryan Gosling, Project Hail Mary promises a gripping blend of adrenaline, emotion, and interstellar spectacle. Ryan Gosling's upcoming projects Ryan Gosling is all set to appear in a Star Wars film titled Starfighter. Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy, is set to release on May 28, 2027. He and Will Ferrell are set to team up for a new action-comedy film titled Tough Guys. The film, written by Daniel Gold, tells the story of two henchmen who decide they've had enough of being treated as disposable. They break away from their criminal bosses and try to start a new life on their own terms, bringing humor and action together in this fresh take on crime stories. Distributed by Sony Pictures International Releasing, Project Hail Mary releases in cinemas on 20th March 2026 in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu in IMAX and other premium large formats.
09 February,2026 05:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentRapper-singer Bad Bunny’s unity-themed halftime performance at the Super Bowl on Sunday night has left the internet divided. While many hailed the former wrestler for his performance, others, including US President Donald Trump, slammed the performance, calling it “absolutely terrible.” Amid the controversy, Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, has now wiped his Instagram by deleting all posts and unfollowing everyone, leaving fans confused. Bad Bunny deletes Instagram posts, unfollows everyone Soon after his Super Bowl performance, fans who headed to Bad Bunny’s Instagram noticed something surprising. They noticed that his profile showed zero posts, and that he had unfollowed everyone, with the count dropping to 0, and even his display picture was gone, leaving his account looking completely blank. Bad Bunny’s official Instagram page shows no posts and no followers. His older uploads and posts were also either deleted or archived. The artist and his team are yet to explain the reason for the sudden cleaning of his profile. Nevertheless, the move has left many users puzzled and sparked widespread speculation online. One user on the internet reacted, “Bad Bunny deleting his Instagram after the Super Bowl is peak ‘reset the timeline’ behaviour. That’s the universal sign for ‘I know I broke the internet’,” while another noted, “Because of his message he passed through Super Bowl performance?" Another comment read, “Bro changed human history." About Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance The Puerto Rican rapper and singer carried a bit of his culture to the global stage during his performance. The singer had an entire set inspired by his hometown community in Puerto Rico, where he narrated a love story throughout his show on football’s biggest night. The performance also featured appearances by Ricky Martin, Cardi B and actor Pedro Pascal. In the final minutes of his performance, Bad Bunny named all the South American and Caribbean countries while the performers around him carried flags of these nations. The performance concluded with Bad Bunny saying, “God Bless America” amidst the flags. A message, “Only thing more powerful than hate is love” was flashed. After the performance, Bad Bunny has faced criticism over the display of foreign flags to convey the message of unity.
09 February,2026 05:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentOne of the most acclaimed international films of recent times, The Secret Agent is set to release in Cinemas across India on February 27, following an extraordinary global awards run and widespread critical praise as one of the best movies of the year. About The Secret Agent Set in Brazil, 1977, a time of great mischief and unrest, The Secret Agent follows a technology expert who flees a mysterious past and returns to his hometown of Recife in search of peace. However, the city soon reveals itself to be anything but a refuge, drawing him into a world of danger, surveillance, and moral ambiguity. A visually striking and thematically rich political thriller, the film blends grindhouse aesthetics with sharp social commentary, resulting in a story that is both intensely suspenseful and deeply human. This film is being released by PictureWorks in India, one of the leading film distributors of Hollywood Films and World Cinema. PictureWorks releases movies of all genres, languages, including Award-winning Cinema from all over the World. The team speaks about the Indian release Speaking about the Indian release, director Kleber Mendonca Filho said, “The Secret Agent is a film shaped by memory, personal, political, and cinematic. Though set in 1977, it speaks to recurring patterns in society that still feel very present today. I’m thrilled that Indian audiences will experience the film in cinemas, where its atmosphere and tension truly unfold.” Lead actor Wagner Moura added, "Marcelo is not a conventional hero; he is a man trying to remain humane in a world that constantly tests him. The response to the film has been overwhelming, and I’m excited for Indian audiences to connect with its emotional and political resonance.” The Secret Agent Awards Directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Kleber Mendonca Filho and led by a powerful performance from Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent has garnered significant international recognition. The film received nominations at leading global awards ceremonies (Academy Awards, BAFTA) and film festivals, earning praise for its direction, performances, and screenplay. At the Cannes Film Festival, the film emerged as a standout title, with accolades including Best Director for Mendonca Filho and Best Actor for Moura. Its success continued at the Golden Globe Awards, where it won Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for Moura, and Best Foreign Language Film, cementing its status as one of the most talked-about political thrillers in recent years. With its powerful storytelling, striking visuals, and award-winning performances, The Secret Agent stands as one of the most significant political thrillers in contemporary world cinema. The Secret Agent will release in Indian Cinemas nationwide on February 27.
09 February,2026 03:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Epstein files and their horrifying details have had a global impact. The US Department of Justice has been releasing documents containing information from child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s emails and photographs related to alleged wrongdoing. Epstein was accused by multiple women of sexual abuse and harassment, and details of his criminal past, along with his alleged links to powerful individuals, are slowly coming into the public domain. Amid this, survivors have come together to make a powerful statement demanding full transparency. Epstein survivors appear in Super Bowl ad During the Super Bowl 2026 broadcast, Epstein survivors featured in a striking ad campaign calling for the complete release of all remaining files. The public service announcement (PSA) demanded that heavily redacted documents be made fully public, arguing that critical information related to Epstein’s crimes continues to be withheld. The PSA opens with the text: “On November 19, 2025, the Epstein Files Transparency Act was signed into law,” followed by the stark message, “3 million files still have not been released.” Several words in the message appear blacked out to symbolise the information that remains hidden. Women appear on screen with black redaction bars covering their mouths as they say, “After years of being kept apart, we’re standing together.” Holding photographs of their younger selves, the survivors add, “Because this girl deserved the truth. She deserved the truth. Because we all deserve the truth.” The ad concludes with the call to action: “Stand with us. Tell Attorney General Pam Bondi it’s time for the truth.” BREAKING: The Epstein survivors are releasing this ad on this Super Bowl Sunday to send the message that they will not “move on” from the largest sex trafficking scandal in the world. #standwithsurvivors pic.twitter.com/JehYZa1hGw — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 8, 2026 Redacted files to be reviewed by Congress The Department of Justice has announced that members of the US Congress will be allowed to review unredacted Epstein files starting Monday, according to a letter sent to lawmakers and obtained by The Associated Press. Lawmakers will be granted access to unredacted versions of more than 3 million files released so far to comply with legislation passed by Congress last year. To access the documents, lawmakers must give the Justice Department 24 hours’ notice and review the files on computers located at the Department of Justice. Only members of Congress — not their staff — will be permitted to view the files, and while note-taking is allowed, electronic copies are prohibited. First reported by NBC News, the move highlights the continued bipartisan demand for transparency surrounding Epstein’s crimes. The Justice Department has faced criticism over delays in releasing information, failure to properly redact victims’ personal details, and not releasing all 6 million documents collected in connection with the case. Despite these concerns, lawmakers leading the transparency push have described the DOJ’s decision to allow access to unredacted files as a significant victory. Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges of sexually abusing and trafficking dozens of underage girls. The case came more than a decade after Epstein had secretly reached a non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors in Florida over similar allegations. He was accused of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars for massages before sexually abusing them.
09 February,2026 03:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentHollywood actress Olivia Colman is mulling over her gender. The actress feels as though she is non-binary. The 52-year-old actress explained that she has never been comfortable with traditional gender roles and describes herself as a "gay man" to her husband of 25 years Ed Sinclair, reports ‘Female First UK’. Olivia, who stars in the new queer film Jimpa, told Them, "Throughout my whole life, I've had arguments with people where I've always sort of felt non-binary. I've never felt massively feminine in my being female. I've always described myself to my husband as a gay man. And he goes, 'Yeah I get that'. And I do feel so at home and at ease”. The Oscar-winning actress shared, "I don't really spend a whole lot of time with people who are very staunchly heterosexual. The men I know and love are very in touch with all sides of themselves. I think with my husband and I, we take turns to be the 'strong one', or the one who needs a little bit of gentleness. I believe everyone has all of it in them”. She added, “I've always felt like that. I'm not alone in saying, 'I don't feel like it's binary'. And I loved that. I came away from making this film with, yeah, I knew I wasn't alone”. As per ‘Female First UK’, Olivia previously recalled how she fell in love with Ed, who was an actor before becoming a screenwriter and producer, as soon as she saw him for the first time when rehearsing for a stage production. The actress said, "I'd gone to two of the rehearsals and there was no one particularly fanciable there. Then I walked in and saw his left-hand profile. At the time he was smoking a ciggie, his feet were crossed, and he's got this lovely bump in his nose and I saw his side profile and just went, 'Oh my God, I'm going to marry him’. I had proper thunderbolts, that's him, that's him! Poor thing, he didn't know”. Olivia previously suggested that her marriage to Ed has lasted for so long because the pair are "not big fighters". This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 10:31 AM IST | Los Angeles | IANSMichael Douglas recently admitted that one of the most iconic roles of his career almost didn't come to him at all. The actor, who won an Oscar for playing "Gordon Gekko" in Wall Street, revealed that he only learned years later that two big Hollywood stars were offered the role before him. According to PEOPLE, while speaking at a film event in New York, Douglas expressed his surprise at learning that he wasn't the first choice for the role. He shared with the audience that the role was first offered to Warren Beatty, then to Richard Gere, before it finally reached him. He admitted he had no idea about this at the time and had always believed he was the first choice. "I must say, we were talking just before, while doing a little preparation for this, since I haven't seen the movie fully in about 40 years... but I saw an article recently that said that Oliver first went to Warren Beatty, who passed on it, then to Richard Gere, who also passed," Douglas told Alicia Malone at the TCM Classic Film Festival New York Pop-up x 92NY event on January 31, as reported by PEOPLE. "I didn't know any of that because you always like to think you were the one," he added. Douglas also discussed how seriously he approached the role from the very beginning, noting that the script felt like "serious work" and something that required his full commitment. "I was really happy and excited to bring my heart into it," he said. "You don't get many good parts in your life." The actor also shared why director Oliver Stone may have ultimately chosen him for the role. Douglas explained that his background helped him relate to the world of Wall Street better than most actors. "I guess when Oliver was asked, he was looking for an actor who had some business acumen. Because I was also a producer, and because I grew up in New York City, went to Allen Stevenson School, and later attended prep schools," he explained. "So I had a familiarity with the East Coast and that kind of lifestyle. I also had friends from early school who were involved in Wall Street, so while I wasn't closely familiar with it, I understood the lifestyle. I guess that's why he chose me," the actor shared. Although others were first in line for the role, Douglas went on to make Gordon Gekko one of the most memorable characters in film history. His performance in Wall Street earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1987. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 10:20 AM IST | Los Angeles | ANIDirectors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg paid a heartfelt tribute to actor Catherine O'Hara at the 2026 Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards, where they won the award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series for The Studio. During their speech, Rogen, according to The Hollywood Reporter, told the crowd that there was no one they wished to thank more in person than Catherine O'Hara. Goldberg then said that he and Rogen grew up in Canada and that O'Hara had been their idol since they were children. "Honestly, there's no one we wish we could thank in person at this moment more than we would love to thank Catherine O'Hara," Rogen said, leading the audience to erupt in applause. Goldberg added, "We grew up in Canada, and she is and was quite literally our idol since we were kids," as per The Hollywood Reporter. O'Hara played movie executive Patty Leigh in the Apple TV comedy The Studio, appearing in all 10 episodes of its first season. She earned a 2025 Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance. Catherine O'Hara passed away on January 30 at her home in Los Angeles after a brief illness. She was 71. Rogen also spoke about how O'Hara's work in Home Alone inspired him to become a filmmaker. He said that the film made him want to make movies. He shared a memory from the set, saying, "Home Alone honestly is the movie that made me want to make movies in a lot of ways." "And I mean, in that movie, she's always yelling, 'Kevin, Kevin,' and on set, she would always be yelling, 'Evan, Evan!' And every time she did it, we were like, 'It's like Home Alone.'" "The best part of her is that she showed you can be an utter genius and also the nicest person in the entire world," Goldberg continued. "Every day, we worked very hard to make the show good enough to warrant her time and her presence. So, ultimately, we would like to thank the DGA for this, but we would mostly like to thank Catherine O'Hara for being such a wonderful person," Rogen concluded their acceptance speech. Soon after O'Hara's death, the cast, crew, and producers of The Studio also paid tribute. Apple TV and Lionsgate Television shared a joint message saying they were heartbroken by the loss of Catherine O'Hara. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 09:56 AM IST | Los Angeles | ANILove seems to be in the air for F1 racer Lewis Hamilton and beauty mogul Kim Kardashian. Rumours of them dating began earlier this year after they were seen holidaying together. Now, it looks like they have taken their romance public with a high-profile outing at Super Bowl LX. The duo was spotted enjoying the game together. Kim Kardashian, Lewis Hamilton spotted together Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton appeared to hard-launch their relationship with a public outing at Super Bowl LX. The pair was seen enjoying the game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, with visuals of them flashing on the giant screen during the international broadcast and quickly going viral online. In one video, Kim Kardashian is seen smiling and chatting with Lewis Hamilton. For the occasion, Kim made a statement in a black coat paired with a diamond choker, debuting chic new bangs, while Lewis complemented her look in a sleek all-black outfit. Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton spotted at the #SuperBowlLX ahead of Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show pic.twitter.com/mr3t6yGuek — Access Bad Bunny (@AccessBadBunny) February 9, 2026 About Kim and Lewis Kim and Lewis have shared a friendship for years, but it appears they are taking their bond to the next level. Prior to their Super Bowl appearance, Kardashian and Hamilton reportedly spent time together in Europe. The duo even attended Kate Hudson’s New Year’s Eve party in Colorado, but they weren’t photographed together. According to an early report in the Daily Mail, Kim and Lewis are not in a serious relationship and are just “friends with benefits”. A source told the portal, “Lewis and Kim are not dating exclusively. He’s not looking to settle down with anyone, including Kim, but they are very cool with embracing the rumours and having a friends-with-benefits vibe.” Kim and Lewis’ previous relationships Both Kardashian and Hamilton have previously been linked with other high-profile figures. Hamilton’s past relationships include Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner. Talking about Kim, she was first married to music producer Damon Thomas; they divorced in 2004. She later married basketball player Kris Humphries. In 2014, she tied the knot with rapper Kanye West, with whom she shares four children—daughters North and Chicago, and sons Saint and Psalm. However, they parted ways in 2022, leading to an ugly legal battle. Prior to dating Lewis, Kim was linked to NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr and comedian Pete Davidson.
09 February,2026 09:53 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFilmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson took home the top honor at the 2026 Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards for his critically acclaimed film One Battle After Another. The ceremony, hosted by Kumail Nanjiani at the Beverly Hilton, recognised the best directors in film, television, and commercials over the past year, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Anderson, competing against Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Guillermo Del Toro (Frankenstein), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme), and Chloe Zhao (Hamnet), emotionally called his directing team on stage and paid tribute to first director Adam Somner, who passed away in November 2024. "This is an incredible, incredible honor. We're going to take it with the love that it's given and the appreciation of all our comrades in this room," the filmmaker said, but noting "obviously we are up here minus one." The evening marked the first show presided over by new DGA president Christopher Nolan, who opened the ceremony highlighting the challenges filmmakers currently face. Nanjiani joked about directors' communication skills, saying they can "take a complex idea and turn it into something an actor can understand," as per the outlet. The DGA's unique format allows each theatrical feature nominee a stage moment before the winner is announced. Leonardo DiCaprio praised Anderson for giving Los Angeles "a cinematic identity that feels almost forensic." Michael B. Jordan celebrated Coogler's collaborative spirit, while Jacob Elordi joked with Del Toro, "You're the greatest friend a monster could have." Timothee Chalamet teased Safdie about his self-styling, and Steven Spielberg presented Zhao's award, commending her for bringing Hamnet to life. Zhao humorously suggested a drinking game for every mention of Spielberg throughout the night. Additional wins included The Studio, The Pitt, Dying for Sex, SNL50, Mr. Scorsese, and 2000 Meters to Andriivka. First-time feature director Charlie Polinger (The Plague) thanked his collaborators, while female directors notably topped five categories, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The 2026 DGA Awards underscored the artistry, collaboration, and diversity defining the past year in film and television direction. Check out a complete list of this year's DGA winners below. Theatrical Feature Film Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another (Warner Bros. Pictures) Directorial Team: Unit Production Manager: Will Weiske First Assistant Director: Adam Somner Second Assistant Director: Trevor Tavares, Ian Stone Second Second Assistant Director: Dominic Pacitti, Rafael Sanz-Jimenez Additional Second Assistant Director: Nuekellar Hardy, Chunning Chang, Kit Conners, Kasia Trojak, Tyler Young (WINNER) Ryan Coogler, Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures)Directorial Team: Unit Production Manager: Will Greenfield, Kenneth Yu First Assistant Director: Marvin Williams Second Assistant Director: Amir R. Khan Additional Second Assistant Director: Gregg Carr, Desiree Stevenson Guillermo Del Toro, Frankenstein (Netflix)Directorial Team: Unit Production Manager: J. Miles Dale First Assistant Director: Walter Gasparovic Second Assistant Director: Chad Belair Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme (A24)Unit Production Manager: Anthony Katagas, Joe GuestFirst Assistant Director: Jeremy MarksSecond Assistant Director: Zach CitarellaSecond Second Assistant Director: Kailyn DabkowskiAssistant Unit Production Manager: Max Samu, Suk Yi Mar, Samson JacobsonLocation Manager: Matthew Kania, Ross Brodar. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 09:46 AM IST | Los Angeles | ANIAdam Sandler revealed how he was introduced to director Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed him in the critically acclaimed Punch Drunk Love, through an unexpected phone call from Tom Cruise, according to People. Sandler shared the story during a live conversation with film critic Leonard Maltin at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in Santa Barbara, California. "I don't remember a hundred percent, but I was shooting (2000's) Little Nicky ... I was on the set," the 59-year-old actor said, recalling how he first connected with Anderson, whom he had never heard of at the time, as quoted by People He added, "I got a phone call. I knew Tom Cruise a little bit. I get a phone call. My friend who's here tonight, Jonathan, I think comes up to me and says, 'Tom Cruise is on the phone for you.' I go, 'Oh, okay.' And I go, 'Hello?' And Cruise goes, 'Adam, I'm with my friend right now. He's a really wonderful director.'" Sandler continued, "Cruise goes, 'He wrote a movie for you. He wants to talk to you.' I go, 'Okay ... now?' And he goes, 'Yeah.' I said, 'I'm shooting a movie right now.' He goes, 'He'll be quick.' So I go, 'Okay.' And then he gets on the phone, and then it's Paul and he goes, 'Hi. I just want to tell you I really like your movies.' I said, 'Oh man, that's cool. Thank you.' And he goes, 'And I wrote you a movie. I think it's really good. Would you mind if I brought it over to you so you could read it?' And I said, 'Yeah, man, anytime.' And that was that," as per People. Sandler said he then went to see Anderson's 1999 film Magnolia, which the director wrote and directed, and recalled his excitement at the opportunity. "I was in the front row eating popcorn alone and I remember going, 'This guy wants to use me, man?' I got really excited, called him up. I said, 'Where's that script? Bring it over!'" Reflecting on his experience working on Punch Drunk Love, Sandler spoke about rehearsing with Anderson and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. "That was something that I'll never forget. We were rehearsing with Paul. We rehearsed a lot before that movie, and I remember being up at Paul's house and rehearsing with film and doing that scene and doing other scenes all around the lawn of PTA's property," he said, according to People. He added, "We'd walk around and do... and do the scenes, and we'd go at it [from] different directions. And then on the day when we shot that [scene] we kind of kept to ourselves and stayed in our own little worlds, and then when Paul called action, we went at it and went toe to toe, and felt what we felt, and I loved it." Sandler concluded by praising Hoffman's craft and character, "I'm very proud that I worked with Phil. I loved him as a guy and I loved one of the best actors of our generation," as quoted by People.
09 February,2026 09:37 AM IST | Washington | ANIWho says animation is only for children? Indian-born American filmmaker and showrunner Adi Shankar defies the odds by going against the grain. As the sequel to Devil May Cry prepares to stream on Netflix from May 12, the producer, who moved from independent Hollywood films to adult animation, tells mid-day that with language and cultural barriers dwindling and people eager to lap up worldwide content, the territorial gatekeeping some studios have had is crumbling. “Netflix and YouTube built a global marketplace for media. It’s pulling cultures closer together faster. They can give your work global distribution and marketing support on day one,” says Shankar, adding that if the story is strong, it can find its audience anywhere. “These platforms connect the world, and when something hits, it hits everywhere,” he adds. Adi Shankar He notes that major studio systems were and some still are Intellectual Property [IP]-driven like [Batman, Superman, Iron Man, Terminator, etc]. It’s easy to get locked out of the playing field if one doesn’t have access to top-tier IP. To create value for himself, he made six unauthorised fan films [Bootleg Universe] on YouTube. “I was doing it to be rebellious, but it proved that I could handle iconic IPs at a level that it felt like a reinvention, not a photocopy,” he asserts. With the popularity of his shorts, the dynamic is flipping. Now IP holders are coming to him to reinvent and reimagine their properties. He reasons that most game-to-animated series adaptations fail during development, not in execution. The problem, he says is, “A lot of adaptations are treated like assignments, where a committee starts shaping it before anyone has a singular point of view. The result is something that’s faithful on the surface with names, lore, easter eggs, but [is actually] spiritually hollow. The real [need] is [to have an] authorship that can execute.” Shankar was thrilled to be “embraced by the industry pretty quickly”. But insecurities grew as the discourse around the label of diversity intensified. “I became conscious of being labelled an ‘outsider’ once diversity conversations became a constant topic around 2016,” he explains. It was over a dinner with Ryan Reynolds when the actor said that the Indian accent, an insecurity he carried, was “sexy”, that Shankar’s mind got rewired. “I had internalised this idea that Americans heard it as ‘dorky’. In that moment, [I realised] how much of this ‘outsider-ness’ is projection.” Adi Shankar’s animation work 2017 ‘Castlevania’2022 ‘The Guardians of Justice’2023 ‘Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix’2023 ‘Castlevania: Nocturne’2025 ‘Devil May Cry’ What is ‘Devil May Cry’ all about?The adult animated urban fantasy follows Dante, a wisecracking, orphaned demon hunter for hire, who gets caught in a demonic invasion of Earth, orchestrated by the terrorist White Rabbit, while also navigating conflicts with the government organisation, Darkcom Did you know?Adi Shankar was the executive producer on ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ (2012)
08 February,2026 07:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar BasuADVERTISEMENT
