Celebrated filmmaker Mira Nair is set to direct a series based on Nicolas Cage-starrer National Treasure films. The rebooted series, which comes from the films’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer and original writers Marianne and Cormac Wibberley, has been officially ordered at streamer Disney Plus, reported Deadline. The new show explores the timely issues of identity, community, historical authorship and patriotism. It will be told from the point of view of Jess Morales, a 20-year-old dreamer who, with her diverse group of friends, sets off on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover her mysterious family history and recover lost treasure. Jess Morales is taking the torch from Benjamin Gates, the character that Cage played in the original 2004 movie and its 2007 sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets. The Wibberleys serve as executive producers with Jerry Bruckheimer Television, with ABC Signature as the studio. Nair, known for movies such as The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding and Queen of Katwe, most recently directed the BBC series A Suitable Boy.

Ranveer smilingly gazes at Deepika

Bollywood star Ranveer Singh on Wednesday treated fans to adorable pictures with wife Deepika Padukone as he can’t take his eyes off her. The pictures prove that Singh is still head over heels in love with his wife. The Bajirao Mastani star hopped on to Instagram and shared a carousel of pictures featuring the Om Shanti Om star. The photographs seem to have been taken on a set. In the post, the first photo catches the duo in a candid moment as they both smilingly gaze at each other. The other pictures showcase Deepika and Ranveer while they sit on a bench chatting with two crew members. The snap sees the duo dressed in casual ensembles, Deepika donned an off-white full-sleeve top and a pair of blue denim, on the other hand, Ranveer donned a blue T-shirt and beige pants. Ranveer added a heart emoticon in the caption to the post. Celebrity followers including Riddhima Kapoor Sahni and more than 7 lakh fans liked the post. Deepika herself couldn’t stop herself from writing in the comments section. She wrote, “Too handsome Ranveer Singh” and added a lovestruck emoticon. Quite an active social media user, the Band Baja Baarat star keeps on updating fans on his activities by posting pictures and videos.

Vicky Kaushal practises archery

Indulging in archery training for his role in the upcoming film The Immortal Ashwatthama, Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal on Wednesday shared a sneak peek from his preparations for the movie. The Raazi star hopped on to Instagram to share a picture that sees him practising the skill of archery with a bow and arrow. In the picture, Kaushal is dressed in a blue T-shirt and a pair of shorts along with knee guards. The actor is also holding a bow and arrow while looking at his target. He is also seen wearing a cap in the photo and his back is towards the lens. The Masaan star quoted American choir director-musician Kirk franklin and wrote in the caption, “Hard-work is something you marinate over time… it’s not microwaveable. #kirkfranklin (sic).” Celebrity followers including filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra and more than 3 lakh fans liked the post while many chimed into the comments section to appreciate the efforts put forth by the star for his new role. Bollywood actor Siddhanth Chaturvedi chimed into the comments section as he complimented the star’s biceps and posted a quirky comment as he took inspiration from Chalao Na Nayano se baan re from Ajay Devgn-starrer film Bol Bachchan. “Chalao na Triceps se Baan re… (sic)” and dropped a high-voltage and bow-and-arrow emoticon.

‘Black Widow’, ‘Cruella’ to debut simultaneously

In its biggest pandemic-related streaming move, Disney has now opted to make its upcoming movies, Black Widow and Cruella, available on its streaming service Disney+ Premier Access at the same time that the films will hit the theatres. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Black Widow, which was earlier slated for a May 7 release, will now be coming out on July 9. Disney+ subscribers will be able to watch it on the day of its release for an additional $30. Previously, Disney had released Mulan and Raya and the Last Dragon for the same price through the Premier Access tier. Similarly, the Emma Stone-starrer Cruella, which is another big-budget tentpole, will debut in theatres and on Disney+ Premier Access on May 28. Meanwhile, the animated movie Luca will skip big screens entirely and hit Disney+ June 18. New release dates for upcoming Disney films were also revealed with Ryan Reynolds’ Free Guy moved to August 13, while Marvel’s Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will debut on September 3. Fans have long been awaiting the release of Black Widow, which was originally set to premiere in theatres in March 2020 but was pushed back several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic.