Irrfan Khan climbs into Farooki’s ‘No Bed of Roses’ – Bona poised to release ‘Revenant’, ‘Room’ in China

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LOS ANGELES, March 1, (RTRS): Indian star Irrfan Khan (“Jurassic World,” “Life of Pi”) will play the lead role in Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s Bengali and English language “No Bed of Roses” (“Doob” in Bengali).

The cast also includes Nusrat Imroz Tisha, star of Farooki’s “Third Person Singular Number” that was Bangladesh’s entry to the 2011 Oscars and of “Television” that was Bangladesh’s entry to the 2014 Oscars, Parno Mitra (“X: Past Is Present”) and Rokeya Prachy (“The Clay Bird”).

Principal photography will start in late March in Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s Jaaz Multimedia (“Detective”) will produce alongside India’s Eskay Movies (“Romeo vs. Juliet”) with Khan’s IK Company on board as co-producer. Jaaz will distribute in Bangladesh.

Farooki describes the film as a “family story of loss and regain.” “Life can be unkind at times, but death is a great equalizer which restores love, honor and compassion. In this story, the members of two families discover the finer fabric of love when the headman of a family dies. Death doesn’t always take things away, sometimes it gives back,” Farooki told Variety.

Khan said: “When I saw Mostofa’s film “Ant Story” it immediately got me interested. I was impressed with his approach, style and the way he unravels the story. (Farooki’s) works carry a strong humane angle, which is why his characters are multi layered.”

Farooki is one of the proponents of an avant-garde filmmakers’ movement in Bangladesh called Chabial. His 2012 feature “Television” closed the Busan festival and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

“Rogue One” star Diego Luna is in talks to star with Ellen Page in Sony’s remake of “Flatliners,” sources confirm to Variety.

“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” helmer Niels Arden Oplev will direct the film from a script by Ben Ripley. Laurence Mark will produce with Michael Douglas. Production is expected to start in early July.

The original 1990 thriller follows a group of medical students who experiment with “near death” experiences that involve past tragedies until the dark consequences begin to jeopardize their lives.

Luna will most likely portray one of the medical students, according to sources. Sony declined to comment.

Besides a leading role in Disney’s upcoming “Rogue One: a Star Wars Story,” Luna will also star opposite Mel Gibson in “Blood Father” as well as in Ana Lily Amirpour’s “The Bad Batch.”

Luna recently wrote, directed and produced the Sundance Film Festival drama “Mr. Pig,” which stars Danny Glover and Maya Rudolph. He’s represented by WME and attorney Robert S. Wallerstein.

Following director Robert Schwentke’s exit from “The Divergent Series: Ascendant,” Lionsgate has tapped “Age of Adaline” helmer Lee Toland Krieger as its new helmer.

Production is still on track to start this spring in order to meet next year’s June 9 release date. Sources say Schwentke departed the project because he needed a break. His exit wasn’t caused by any pre-production troubles between him and the studio.

The third film in the Shailene Woodley franchise, “The Divergent Series: Allegiant” is scheduled to open on March 18. The first two films — “Divergent” and “Insurgent” — have grossed more than $586 million worldwide.

The pic stars Woodley, Miles Teller, Theo James and Naomi Watts, with Red Wagon Entertainment’s Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher producing.

Bona Film Group is set to release triple Oscar-winner “The Revenant” in China next month. And it expects to have “Room” which earned Brie Larson the best actress Oscar in cinemas later in the year.

In a Weibo social media blog posting Bona said that it would release “The Revenant” on March 18.

Local film news site Mtime reports that the film had originally been eyeing a mid-February release in China, but that the delay will allow cuts to be made.

China’s censors are expected to require multiple cuts due to the film’s graphic violence.

The country has no film rating system and approved movies must be deemed suitable for audiences of all ages.

It is also being reported that Leonardo DiCaprio, who won the best actor Oscar for his performance in the film, will visit China to promote the film’s Middle Kingdom release, which will be jointly handled by Bona, China Film Group and Alpha Pictures.

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