Latest news with #SquidGame3
Pink Villa
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
No Other Choice: Lee Byung Hun struggles to sustain family and Son Ye Jin's support in upcoming Park Chan Wook film
No Other Choice is a black comedy thriller movie by popular director Park Chan Wook. It is an adaptation of Donald E. Westlake's novel The Ax. Central characters Lee Byung Hun and Son Ye Jin are set to star as spouses in the upcoming movie, with both playing pivotal roles in the plot development. Giving a glimpse into that, on July 22, the production house CJ ENM dropped the first poster and trailer of the upcoming big-screen release. No Other Choice: First poster and teaser Squid Game 3 fame Lee Byung Hun is set to take on a new morally grey role in No Other Choice. He plays Man Soo, a man who gets laid off from his long-time job at a paper company and struggles to make ends meet following that. The film's trailer opens with Man Soo's intriguing dialogue, 'In the United States, they say getting fired is like 'wielding the axe.' Do you know what they say in Korea? 'You're getting your neck cut.'' It indicates Man Soo's feelings of helplessness on being unable to fend for his family. The bout of unemployment has hit him hard, making him feel like his world has come crashing down. However, he is determined to turn things back, and thus, embarks on a desperate and ruthless job hunt, even resorting to eliminating his competition. The poster shows him, his wife Mi Ri (Crash Landing on You's Son Ye Jin), their two children and the other characters in different branches of a tree. It showcases how all of them were connected to each other, even after being utterly diverse. Regarding Mi Ri's character, we know that she is a key figure in husband Man Soo's struggle to find ways of earning money. Besides Lee Byung Hun and Son Ye Jin, the other key characters featured in the poster are Seon Chul (Park Hee Soon), Beom Mo (Lee Sung Min), A Ra (Yeom Hye Ran) and Si Jo (Cha Seung Won. When will No Other Choice be released? No Other Choice will hit the theatres in September 2025. Its filming was reportedly completed in January this year. The movie was in its post-production phase in the past few months and now it is ready to grace the big screens.
India.com
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Indias Most-Watched OTT Show In 2025 So Far, Has 27.7M Views, Beats Aashram, Panchayat, Squid Game 3
photoDetails english 2933902 With 27.7 million views, the most-watched OTT show in India for 2025 so far surpasses Aashram, Panchayat, and Squid Game 3 and is... Updated:Jul 19, 2025, 08:38 AM IST OTT Revolution Still Rising 1 / 8 The streaming wave in India continues to grow stronger in 2025, with originals outperforming global giants and grabbing mass attention. Recap: India's Top Shows in 2024 2 / 8 In 2024, Mirzapur Season 3 on Amazon Prime Video was India's most-watched OTT series, crossing 30 million views. Squid Game Season 2 became the most-watched international show of all time in India. 2025 Surprise 3 / 8 This year, the crown doesn't go to much-hyped Squid Game 3 or buzzy desi sequels. Panchayat Season 4 4 / 8 Ormax Media's Top 50 Streaming Originals in India, Mid-Year Report (Jan–June 2025) reveals that Panchayat Season 4, starring Jitendra Kumar and Neena Gupta, holds the 3rd spot. Bobby Deol's Ek Badman: Aashram S3 Part 2 5 / 8 The gritty drama continues strong, with Bobby Deol's Ek Badman, the next chapter in Aashram, ranking 2nd on the list. Who Tops the Chart? 6 / 8 At No. 1 is none other than Criminal Justice: A Family Matter, starring the ever-powerful Pankaj Tripathi. With 27.7M views, it beats both old favourites and global sensations. Pankaj Tripathi 7 / 8 Known for his versatility and intensity, Tripathi once again headlined with a compelling legal thriller that resonates with both urban and rural viewers alike. He was last seen on the silver screen alongside Sara Ali Khan in Metro... In Dino. A Gripping Legal Drama 8 / 8 Criminal Justice: A Family Matter follows a sensitive custody battle tangled with deeper family secrets and legal twists, all brought to life by Pankaj Tripathi's sharp courtroom brilliance. The show is available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar.
Mint
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
India's most watched OTT show in 2025 so far has no big star, yet 27.7M views; beats Aashram, Panchayat, Squid Game 3
The world of OTT in India is now bigger than ever, with original shows and films releasing across multiple platforms almost every day. Spanning a wide range of genres and languages, OTT content is breaking boundaries and offering Indian audiences a wide range of choices to enjoy online. In this vast sea of content across platforms like Netflix, JioCinema, JioHotstar, ZEE5, Prime Video, and more, one show stood out in the second half of 2025, emerging as the most-watched original OTT show with over 27 million views. It wasn't Bobby Deol's Aashram, Jitendra Kumar's Panchayat, or even the global hit Squid Game 3. This series captured the attention of viewers nationwide with only one popular actor in the lead. The most viewed original OTT show is Pankaj Tripathi's Criminal Justice: A Family Matter, as per a Top 50 streaming originals in India list. Ormax Media has released its Top 50 streaming originals in India list for the first half of 2025. The ranking includes only original content that was released directly on streaming platforms, excluding licensed or dubbed titles. The viewership figures represent the number of unique individuals who watched at least one full episode of a series or a minimum of 30 minutes of a film on any streaming platform. Notably, the numbers reflect actual viewers, not the number of OTT accounts used, with each viewer counted only once, regardless of how many times they watched the particular show or episode. Topping the list is Pankaj Tripathi's Criminal Justice, Season 4 on JioHotstar, which attracted a massive 27.7 million viewers. The show returned with its new season, bringing back Pankaj Tripathi as lawyer Madhav Mishra. It also starred Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Surveen Chawla, Khushboo Atre and Asha Negi. The first three episodes of Criminal Justice Season 4 were released on May 29, 2025. After the initial release, new episodes were released weekly. The show received a positive response from the critics and viewers. Taking the no 1 spot, Criminal Justice Season 4 surpassed hit shows, including Bobby Deol's Ek Badnaam Aashram Season 3 Part 2, which took the second place with 27.1 million viewers. Coming in third is Jitendra Kumar's much-anticipated Panchayat Season 4 on Amazon Prime Video, with a total viewership of 23.8 million. Following the top three, Jaideep Ahlawat's Paatal Lok on Amazon Prime Video bagged the fourth spot with 16.8 million viewers. In fifth place arrived the finale season of the Korean global sensation, Squid Game Season 3, drawing 16.5 million viewers. Others on the list were-- The Legend of Hanuman Season 6 with 16.2 million views, The Royals at 15.5 million views, The Secret of the Shiledars with 14.5 million views, Chidiya Udd at 13.7 million views and Jewel Thief with 13.1 million views.
CNBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
Netflix earnings are coming Thursday. Here's what top analysts expect
Netflix is slated to release its second-quarter results Thursday after market close, and analysts are expecting another blockbuster. Analysts surveyed by LSEG anticipate that the streaming giant will post earnings of $7.08 per share and $11.066 billion in revenue. Those results would signify earnings growth of 45% year over year as well as a 15.8% jump in revenue when compared to the prior-year period. The anticipated gains come after the streamer posted a major earnings beat for the first quarter of the year, where it saw revenue rise 13%. That was due to the company increasing pricing for its plans toward the end of January. NFLX 6M mountain NFLX, 6-month Since the start of the year, Netflix shares have surged, ratcheting up nearly 42% year to date and about 50% in the past six months. That compares to the S & P 500's year-to-date gains of 6% and the broad index's 5% jump over the past six months. Heading into earnings, much of Wall Street is still bullish. According to LSEG data, 34 out of 49 analysts covering Netflix have rated it a strong buy or buy, while the remaining 15 have given it a hold rating. Here's what some of the analysts are saying prior to the results. Wedbush Securities: Outperform rating and $1,400 price target Analyst Alicia Reese's target signals around 11% upside from Tuesday's close. "We believe that Netflix is well-positioned to accelerate ad tier revenue contribution over the next several years by adding and improving live events, enhancing its advertising solutions and targeting capabilities, expanding its ad partnerships, and broadening its content strategy. While massive subscriber growth was the primary driver in 2024, we expect price increases to drive revenue growth in 2025, and the ad tier to drive revenue higher in 2026. As Netflix expands, its contribution margin can massively exceed our estimates, driving outsized free cash flow." Bank of America: Buy rating and $1,490 price target Analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich's target implies more than 18% upside from Tuesday's closing level. "Netflix has been a top performer in our coverage (up ~42% YTD) driven by: sustained earnings momentum, positive subscriber trends and defensiveness related to tariffs. We continue to view Netflix as well positioned given the company's unmatched scale in streaming, further runway for subscriber growth, significant opportunities in advertising and sports/live and continued earnings and FCF growth." BMO Capital Markets: Outperform rating and $1,425 price target Analyst Brian Pitz's target calls for around 13% upside. "Raising 2Q25E and 2H25E revenue and OpInc estimates reflecting record-breaking Squid Game 3 viewership data, FX, and an attractive content slate in 2H25E. Netflix continues to trade above its forward averages, though AI tailwinds are beginning to proliferate, with multi-year benefits ahead given 'hundreds of billions' of user interactions globally. AI tools should prove complementary to current CGI/VFX products, enhancing production workflows, expanding Creator capabilities, and driving user engagement." Jefferies: Buy rating and $1,400 price target Analyst James Heaney's target implies around 11% upside. "With the stock up 42% YTD and trading near 5YR highs, investor sentiment has turned more cautious ahead of the Q2 print. However, we continue to see a favorable set-up over the next 12mos, as recent US price hikes, a strengthening 2H content slate, and improving ads monetization sustain mid-teens rev growth in 2H25 and FY26. We believe an increase in the FY25 op. margin guide to 30%+ could act as an additional positive catalyst for the stock." Evercore ISI: Outperform rating and $1,350 price target Analyst Mark Mahaney's target reflects more than 7% upside. "We view NFLX as one of the least risky stocks this quarter. We view the Street's Q2 Revenue, Operating Income and EPS estimates as reasonable. While the Street's sequential revenue growth of +5% is ahead of typical seasonality (flat to +2% Q/Q over the past three years), we note that NFLX should benefit from a significant sequential FX tailwind as well as from full quarter impacts of recent price increases in select markets. Further, NFLX has a very consistent recent track record of exceeding its Revenue and Operating Income guidance." Loop Capital: Hold rating and $1,150 price target Analyst Alan Gould's target suggests almost 9% downside. "We remain quite bullish on Netflix the company, but remain neutral on the stock due to valuation with the stock trading at almost 50x earnings. … NFLX deserves a premium multiple, but we do not agree with the bull case that NFLX deserves the same multiple as a great consumer company such as Costco. NFLX's has won the streaming wars, but its business continues to evolve which we believe provides it with less earnings durability; it has shown more historic volatility."
Pink Villa
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
KPop Demon Hunters Had a Kiss Scene? Makers Reveal Truth Behind Rumi and Jinu's Love Story
KPop Demon Hunters is the internet's latest obsession. From the songs to the outfits, the voice actors and the aesthetic, everything has captured the hearts of K-pop fans around the world. The love story of demon hunter Rumi and a demon Jinu has particularly interested the audience. There were rumors that their romance would end in a kiss between the two leads, but that never transpired on the screen. Creative Director Maggie Kang, who is the woman behind the famed production, revealed a surprising reason for the same, claiming that they were looking for 'restraint' between the two leads and not showing the direct skinship eventually helped them. Arden Cho's Rumi and Ahn Hyo Seop's Jinu were meant to kiss, but did not because… Taking part in a Reddit AMA about the movie, KPop Demon Hunters' creative mind, Maggie Kang, responded to a question about why the kiss scene, which was supposed to be their closure, was eventually taken out. Replying to user 'Daliburrito' about 'why did they cut the kiss scene', she said, 'The restraint is s*xier'. As fans of the animated film we totally agree but our romantic hearts will forever yearn for what it could have been! The desperate need for some action from the two beautifullly crafted leads has been very palpable ever since its release on June 20. So much so that it has not only taken over multiple Netflix charts but also maintained a stronghold on them, falling only by 6% in the viewership, a feat seldom achieved by even the biggest of shows, more so for films. Major releases like the final season of Korean blockbuster Squid Game 3 and KPop Demon Hunters have been bringing in all the numbers for the OTT giant this month. They've each been competing fiercely in their own categories, showing less potential for slowing down.
