Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva, led by Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, is one of the most anticipated films in Indian cinema this year, packed with cosmic space-inspired CGI and an ensemble cast of A-list Bollywood actors. The Karan Johar-produced fantasy film is the first in a planned trilogy and will hit theaters on September 9. To round off the month, we have Sacred Games’ Saif Ali Khan and Radhika Apte reuniting in Vikram Vedha, a remake of the Tamil film of the same name. Co-starring Hrithik Roshan, Vikram Vedha will premiere in theaters nationwide on September 30.
On the Hollywood side, James Cameron’s Academy Award-winning Avatar is getting a 4K HDR re-release as a hype-building strategy for the much-anticipated sequel, The Way of Water. The VFX-driven film – which grossed $2.874 billion (approx. Rs 22,753 crore) – will have a two-week theatrical run from September 23. On Netflix, Ana de Armas stars in a fictionalized portrait of the late Marilyn Monroe, directed by Andrew Dominique. As the only film to receive an NC-17 rating this year — in India, it’s only rated A — Blonde will premiere at the 79th Venice Film Festival, before hitting Netflix on September 28.
From Cobra Kai 5 to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, September’s biggest TV show
September has more great titles in store for us, including the “live-action” Pinocchio movie taking shape on Disney+ Hotstar. For your convenience, we’ve curated the biggest September 2022 releases coming to theatres, Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar, which you can check out below.
Katputalli
When: September 2
Where: Disney+ Hotstar
An aspiring actor-turned-police officer stumbles upon a pattern of serial murders, targeting young schoolgirls. This remake of the 2018 Tamil film, Ratsaasan stars Akshay Kumar in the lead role as an aimless police officer who recreates scenes from an average crime drama through details researched for several auditions in the past. While the murders in Katputalli drive the story forward, much of the focus is on the personality of sub-inspector Arjun Sethi, as he struggles to balance professionalism with the thrill of his main character’s syndrome.
The quaint hill station town of Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh is placed under total lockdown, as Sethi and his team race against time to catch the killer. As strong leads accumulate, the killer’s presence rings close to home, as his family and loved ones fall under the killer’s radar in a twist of fate. As the name suggests, there also appears to be a recurring theme with puppets, which may be the killer’s trademark. Katputalli marks the second collaboration between Kumar and director Ranjit Tiwari – formerly of Bellbottom – who directs from an adapted screenplay by Asim Arora.
Rakul Preet Singh, Chandrachur Singh and Sargun Mehta top the cast for Katputalli, which was originally titled “Mission Cinderella”.
Pinocchio
When: September 8
Where: Disney+ Hotstar
Riding on the success of Jon Favreau’s “live-action” Disney remake concept, Pinocchio Not released in theaters. The Robert Zemeckis-directed adaptation follows the same plot beats as the 1940s 2D-animated film, chronicling the misadventures of the titular wooden puppet boy. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth breathes life into Pinocchio’s CGI corpse, brought to life from another by the flick of The Blue Fairy’s wand — played by Cynthia Erivo (The Widow). Tom Hanks teamed up with Zemeckis for the fifth time, portraying Geppetto, the famous Italian toymaker/creator-father of Pinocchio.
The kids are led by con-artists Fox Honest John (Keegan-Michael Key) and Gideon the Cat, who persuade him to join Stromboli’s (Giuseppe Battiston) puppet show and become a star. At the other end, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Jiminy Cricket tries to keep Pinocchio out of trouble and guide him on the path to becoming a real boy. From nose piercings to dangerous sea rides, the young boy embarks on an amazing adventure, filled with magical beasts and fantastic spectacles. Like Disney’s “live-action” remakes of the past, Pinocchio will incorporate real-life actors and CGI on the same plane, catering to a new age of audiences.
The Pinocchio trailer features the first look at the wooden-puppet boy in action
Pinocchio marks the fifth collaboration between Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks
Photo Credit: Disney
Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva
When: September 9
Where: Cinema
Production on Brahmastra was in flux since 2014, with the release delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Inaugurating a new cinematic universe, ‘The Astroverse’, the film has a lot at stake – made on a budget of roughly Rs. 300 crores. Written and directed by Ayan Mukherjee, Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva is a present-day fantasy film, which draws inspiration and names from various Hindu legends. The plot centers around Siva (Ranbir Kapoor), a local DJ who cannot burn due to his strange connection with the element of fire. His entire life is turned upside down when Guru Arvind (Amitabh Bachchan), a strange visitor from afar, rushes to help using the power of the titular weapon/ astra – Capable of destroying the entire universe.
As a novice, Shiva must learn to channel his fiery powers and prevent the Brahmastra from falling into the wrong hands. In particular, Junoon, the queen of darkness, played by Mouni Roy, has already sent an army to search for the supernatural weapon. Alia Bhatt (Darlings) joins the cast as Isha, Shiva’s love interest, while Nagarjuna plays Anish, a member of the Brahmin who wields the Nandi astra.
Joining the list as one of the most expensive Indian films ever made, Brahmastra will feature plenty of stunning CGI as the characters in this sprawling three-part epic head off to war. Dimple Kapadia (Tenet), Saurav Gurjar, and Shah Rukh Khan are also part of the lineup — the latter playing a cameo. The film will be released in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada, with SS Rajamouli (RRR) set to “present” the dubbed versions.
Brahmastra trailer: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt all set to go dark forces
Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor in Brahmastra
Photo Credit: Star Studios
Avatar 4K re-release
When: September 23
Where: Cinema
An upgraded version of James Cameron’s Avatar is returning to theaters, aimed at the core audience for the long-awaited Avatar: The Way of Water. The 2009 sci-fi epic will be presented in “all formats”. A director who made a strong push for 3D with the premiere of Avatar 13 years ago, it’s a more immersive experience. It’s also worth noting that there aren’t many 4K HDR screens in India — Gadgets 360 has reached out to PVR, INOX and Cinépolis for clarity.
In the green alien world of Pandora live the Na’vi, a population of tall, blue-colored creatures that seem primitive, but are highly evolved. As a means of mining resources for the dystopian planet Earth, paralyzed ex-Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) enters a toxic, alien world through a neural link, allowing free movement and interaction on Pandora. As a newly-affiliated mobile member of the gang, Jake finds himself torn between two worlds, as he falls in love with a woman named Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and is drawn into her people’s battle for survival.
In addition to becoming the first film to gross more than $2 billion at the time, Avatar won three Oscars – Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Best Visual Effects – and was considered a technological marvel of its time. The film also stars Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver. The sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is set more than a decade after the events of the first film and is expected to improve on the visuals.
Golden
When: September 28
Where: Netflix
This fictional account of Marilyn Monroe’s inner life began to come to life in early 2010, as filmmaker Andrew Dominik took on the task of adapting Joyce Carol Oates’ best-selling novel. After a traumatic childhood, Norma Jean Mortensen rose to stardom in 1950s Hollywood under the name “Marilyn Monroe”. However, her on-screen appearance is in stark contrast to her private life of love problems, abuse and drug addiction. Dominic – who previously worked on two Mindhunter episodes – tries to break down psychological barriers and explore the growing divide between Monroe’s public and private personas in Blonde.
Ana de Armas (Knife Out, The Gray Man) plays Monroe, sporting a blonde hairdo and iconic black mole. Upon the release of the trailer, the casting choice received some backlash, with many criticizing her ethnic background and pointing out the Cuban accent she still maintains in her performance. Monroe’s official estate, however, defended the casting, saying that De Armas “captures Marilyn’s glamour, humanity and vulnerability” – as seen in an early cut of the film.
Adrien Brody ( Detachment ) joins the lineup as Arthur Miller, popular playwright and Monroe’s third husband. Bobby Cannavale plays professional baseball star and second mate Joe DiMaggio, while Xavier Samuel portrays famous actor Charles Chaplin Jr. The biopic maintains a classic Tinseltown feel by presenting itself in black and white and rare episodes in color.
Don’t worry darling
When: September 30
Where: Cinema
After winning an Independent Spirit Award for her debut feature BookSmart, Olivia Wilde is back with a sensual psychological thriller, Don’t Worry Darling. Set in a 1950s experimental utopian community called the Victory Project, the film follows young couple Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack Chambers (Harry Styles) as they go about their seemingly perfect lives, filled with game nights and dinner parties. romance Husbands spend all day at the project’s headquarters, developing “progressive materials,” while wives live in luxury. All they ask in return is discretion.
Alice’s obsession with her husband’s work starts to eat away at her and their idyllic lifestyle begins to crack. Houses begin to shake, objects in the sky become distorted, and objects in the house appear to be hollow inside. All investigative roads lead to the project’s founder, Frank (Chris Pine), who dismisses Alice’s claims as delusional — raising tensions within the civilized community. Wilde co-stars as Bunny in Don’t Worry Darling. She is also the author of a screenplay adaptation by a past colleague, Katie Silberman.
Judging by the plot beats in the trailer, Don’t Worry Darling seems to be heavily inspired by The Stepford Wives (1975), which — spoiler alert — turned all the women into robots, forced to follow rules and live “in harmony” forever. In a strange town. Don’t Worry Darling also stars Gemma Chan (The Eternals), Kiki Lane (The Old Guard), Nick Kroll, Kate Berlant and Asif Ali. The film releases in the US on September 23, while Indians will get to see it at the end of the month.
Vikram Vedha
When: September 30
Where: Cinema
Filmmaker couple Pushkar-Gayatri made their Bollywood debut by remaking their own Tamil film, Vikram Vedha. The neo-noir thriller follows a pragmatic cop Vikram (Saif Ali Khan) on a quest to nab Vedha (Hrithik Roshan), a local gangster. The play is cut short when Veda voluntarily surrenders and begins to tell three stories, all of which make him question and change his perception of good and evil.
If the name is anything to go by, the plot parallels a collection of Indian folklore Baital Pachisi – known as Vikram and Betal – where the stories merely serve as distractions to achieve a larger, moral goal. With Vikram Vedha’s Hindi remake, Pushkar-Gayatri wanted to retain the gritty tone of the original, and aimed for a wider reach among the Hindi-speaking film community.
In addition to the uncredited roles of Rohit Saraf, Yogita Bihani and Sharib Hashmi (Dhakad) — the film reunites Radhika Apte as Vikram’s wife — Khan and Apte worked together on Netflix’s Sacred Games.
