Shekhar Kapur to Direct for “New York, I Love You”

After the success of the film, Paris, je t’aime, which brought together acclaimed filmmakers to create short films in homage to the City of Lights, the love is now spreading to New York.  With New York, I Love You, 12 filmmakers will direct shorts illustrating the universal theme of encountering love within the five boroughs of New York City.  Sadly, the late Anthony Minghella planned on directing a segment. His friend and one of Virgin Comics’ Chief Visionaries Shekhar Kapur will be helming the segment.

As Shekhar stated on his blog, “Two days before Anthony Minghella went in for an operation on a tumor they had just discovered, Anthony called me to see if I would direct a short he had written. I will direct the film now—with Anthony in my heart and in presence of his soul.” Read the entire blog entry here.

Shekhar Kapur on CNN: Talk Asia

Shekhar Kapur, director of the Oscar-winning Elizabeth and one of Virgin Comics’ Chief Visionaries, will be on CNN: Talk Asia over the weekend to talk about his films, passions, and inspirations. Click here to get the show times or submit questions for him to answer.

Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Check out Virgin Comics Chief Visionary, Shekar Kapur’s directorial masterpiece “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” starring Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush & Clive Owen

In theaters this Friday October 12, 2007

http://www.elizabeththegoldenage.net/site.html

http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/elizabeththegoldenage/

SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT UNITES WITH VIRGIN COMICS TO CREATE ONLINE VIDEO GAME FRANCHISE

Leading Game and Worldwide Comic Companies Join Forces to Develop and Publish Massively Multiplayer Online Video Game Based On the Popular Ramayan 3392 A.D. India-Mythology Inspired Comic Book Series

SAN DIEGO, California & NEW YORK, New York (AUGUST 9, 2007) — Through a deal that joins two of the world’s most innovative entertainment brands, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), a global leader in the online gaming industry, is teaming up with Sir Richard Branson and Deepak Chopra’s Virgin Comics to bring the popular, India-based Ramayan 3392 A.D. comic book universe to life as an MMO video game initially for the PC. The deal was announced today by John Smedley, President of SOE and Sharad Devarajan, Co-Founder and CEO of Virgin Comics.

“Ramayan has inspired the lives of millions of people through the ages. The re-imagining of this great ancient epic through the creativity of a game platform re-affirms the fact that Ramayan is one of the greatest stories ever told,” said Deepak Chopra. “The fact that the same creative team of young Indians that created the story will be involved in working with SOE’s game development team, is a testament to the innovative and mythic minds of these gifted Indian creators who will take a new generation to new frontiers across the seas of consciousness into new realms of mystery, magic, adventure, and transformation.”

Through this exclusive multi-year, worldwide license agreement, SOE will develop and publish an MMO based on Ramayan’s story of mythological lore. Virgin Comics will serve as a creative consultant on the project. Virgin’s creative involvement with SOE’s game development team will be spearheaded by its President and head, Suresh Seetharaman, who has also overseen the development of the comic series. Also involved is acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, a co-founder of Virgin Comics.

“Virgin Comics approached us with a portfolio of amazing comic properties based on Indian lore. We particularly love Ramayan 3392 A.D., as we feel Virgin Comics’ telling of The Ramayana is particularly gripping, graphically brilliant and lends itself extremely well to an MMO,” said Smedley. “This a fantastic time for us to expand our games to include this culturally rich storyline and we are honored to do this with a diversified, creative and experienced company like Virgin Comics.”

Virgin Comics’ Ramayan 3392 A.D., initially released as a comic in late 2006, re-imagines one of India’s greatest epics into a futuristic realm. Gotham Chopra, Virgin Comics’ Chief Creative Officer commented, “While many of the characters and settings remain familiar to the original lore, we never intended to re-tell the story, but essentially use it as the key inspiration for something fresh. What remains intact to our story are some of the core universal themes like duty, honor, sacrifice, and fraternity while also mining uniquely Indian ideas like karma (how action and consequence are linked) and the malleability of time itself. To bring all of these ideas into a game with SOE is just awesome.”

Devarajan concluded, “In a world increasingly dominated with games influenced by a western Tolkien mythos, Ramayan will offer gamers a chance to experience a whole new universe of characters and archetypes derived from one of the oldest cultures on Earth. Our mission at Virgin Comics has always been to allow this generation of Indian youth to have a creative platform through which to speak to the world. Through this collaboration with the likeminded visionaries at SOE, our young Indian creators will make gaming history worldwide.”

DEVI: A Living Goddess?

Her name is Sajani Shakya, she is 10 years old, and is worshiped in Nepal. Sajani is considered to be a living goddess and earthly manifestation of the goddess Taleju—though some sources refer to her as the incarnation of Durga or even Kali. A recently published New York Times article, talks about Shakya’s visit to Washington D.C. a couple of weeks back. Shakya was in the US primarily to promote an upcoming British documentary, “The Living Goddess” that focuses on the young goddesses of the Nepal valley. (For more info in the Kumari Devi from Nepal, click here.)

In Virgin Comic’s story of DEVI created by Shekhar Kapur—Director of the eight-time Academy Award nominated film, Elizabeth and the critically acclaimed movies, Four Feathers, Bandit Queen, Mr. India, and Masoom—a native of the mythic Indian city of Sitapur, Tara Mehta has no idea that she is about to become the centerpiece of a divine battle between the Gods of Light that created her, and the demon Lord Bala. In a never-ending war, innocent souls are the unfortunate but acceptable collateral damage. Tara Mehta, all-too-human Goddess and reincarnation of the divine female force, begins to wonder if either side deserves to win in Sitapur—a modern city atop the ancient, mixed amongst the profane, and where the divine drifts towards diabolical!

Shekhar Kapur’s Snakewoman: Trailer

Pulp Secret Video Blog on Virgin Comics

http://www.pulpsecret.com/episode/PSR_20070611

Looking ahead to Shekhar Kapur’s Snake Woman: Tales of the Snake Charmer #1 (June 27, 2007)

Trapped in a cycle of reincarnation since the early 18th century, Snake Woman is the story of one woman and sixty-eight men struggling with their own karmic bonds, all triggered by the curse of an angry Naga, or Snake Goddess. As punishment for the murder of the Snake Goddess’ consort, the King Cobra, these 68 men—part of a British fortune hunting expedition, plundering the Kabini jungles of India—are cursed to eternal reincarnation, to be hunted by a woman imbued with the powers of the Snake Goddess. Only once this woman—the Snake Woman—is able to kill all sixty-eight of them within a single lifetime, will the cycle of reincarnation end.

In the intervening three centuries, the 68 have become a powerful secret organization. They conspire only to destroy the Snake Woman and to propagate their incarnate selves. It is into this mix that Jessica Peterson—the current incarnation of the Snake Woman—is thrown. She is blindsided by her lethal new abilities—and, perhaps, more disturbingly, her violent impulses. Yet, as internal politics threaten to tear the 68 apart, other characters come to the fore, including the reincarnation of the King Cobra, and the surreptitious Snake Charmer.

The end of Snake Woman #10 saw our eponymous heroine clearing out of 68-ridden Los Angeles, searching for the simple life, the words of James Harker still ringing in her ears… “none of us can seem to stay away from each other. It’s just how it works…” Still, Jess does her best, heading to Mexico, then South America, and finally ending up six months later in Goa, India, attempting to keep the goddess at bay with various illicit substances. But greater cosmic and karmic forces are in effect than the chemicals of man can control, and it is not only the 68 who will follow Jess and the Snake Goddess back to the country where the Snake Woman saga began. There are other powers awakening, some good… and some more evil than either Jess or Harker has reckoned with before now.

Snake Woman: Tale of the Snake Charmer promises to be the most exciting chapter yet in this pioneer Virgin Comics series. So do yourself a favor and pick up Snake Woman: Tale of the Snake Charmer #1, on-sale June 2007!

See you on the inside…

VC Editorial Team

Exclusive sneak peeks at initial pages straight from Vivek Shinde’s drawing board (click to see full image):

What’s out in June?

Devi # 12

She is Tara Mehta, avatar of the DEVI, a celestial warrior who hosts the essence of an entire pantheon. Forever torn between the divine and the human, she has found some semblance of peace in devoting herself to making a better world. But all that is about to change. As ancient specters of Armageddon awaken from their slumber, and the countdown to a final cataclysm begins, Tara comes face to face with her most formidable opponent: herself.

Sadhu – The Silent Ones # 1

In the 19th century, when the sun did not dare set on the British Empire, James Jensen went to India as a soldier in Her Majesty’s Army. Losing his family to betrayal and brutal violence, Jensen became a SADHU, a mystic warrior who must walk the spiritual path to salvation. As the latest chapter of the saga begins, emptiness rules James Jensen’s heart, and he wanders aimlessly. His travels bring him to the Kumbh Mela, an epic gathering of mystics, where deadly enemies and shadowy allies lie in wait. But an even bigger surprise awaits James, as he learns that a loved one might still live!

Shekhar Kapur’s Snakewoman: Tales of the Snake Charmer #1

Jessica Peterson’s life used to be ordinary. And then, suddenly, it wasn’t. In the blink of an eye, she went from dive-bar waitress to reincarnated goddess, the “Snake Woman”. Since then, things have never been more different. She hunts and is simultaneously hunted by the 68, a secret society composed of the reincarnated souls of the British explorers who desecrated the snake-goddess’ temple in the jungles of India over 300 years ago. James Harker, head of the 68, has been secretly mentoring Jessica, but now she rejects him and his world, hoping to escape her murderous tendencies and reclaim the direction of her life. But as the modern-day incarnation of her ancient mate comes to the fore, will she be able to turn her back on destiny? Don’t miss the beginning of this NEW MINISERIES. Perfect for new readers!

Ramayan 3392 A.D. Reloaded #1

The epic tale Ramayan 3392 A.D. has just been reloaded! The quest of the hero Rama, his loyal brother Lakshman, and the beautiful Seeta has just begun, with the original creative team now guided by comic impresario Ron Marz. This issue marks a jumping-on point for readers, and sees the beginning of a regular series of character-driven back-up features, penned by Marz and drawn by a series of superstar comics artists. In this issue, Marz and Michael Avon Oeming (Powers, Red Sonja) tell the tale of Rama himself, while in the lead feature the wounds Rama has suffered in battle have left him at death’s door, and only a miracle can save him. If Rama perishes … so does the world’s hope.

Deepak Chopra’s INDIA AUTHENTIC #2: KALI

Virgin Comics presents as part of Deepak Chopra’s INDIA AUTHENTIC, the story of the most primal and feared aspect of the Indian Mother Goddess, the legend of Kaali.

She was born in a crimson haze. She bathed in the blood of a thousand hearts, devoured a million creations and smeared on herself, the ashes of infinity…and then she slept.

When Rakta Veej the Blood Demon and his unstoppable army of bloodspawns lay siege to Amaravati, the City of Gods, the Gods desperately invoke the slumbering Vampiric spirit of Kaali the Destroyer to fight their battle. But once the battle is done, will Kaali stop there? Or will her primal instincts cause her to turn on the Gods themselves.

Guy Ritchie’s Gamekeeper #1: Extended Edition

Enhance your experience of Guy Ritchie’s Gamekeeper with this special extended edition of Gamekeeper #1! As Brock’s past comes back to haunt him, he is sucked into a web of politics, science, money and death… Will his animalistic instincts be enough for him to survive? Go behind-the-scenes and get an exclusive look at the making of Gamekeeper #1, including original script pages from Andy Diggle and artist layouts of key scenes. With a special variant ink cover by John Cassaday, you won’t want to miss out on this extraordinary special edition!

Virgin Comics: Hello Blogosphere!

For those new to Virign Comics, it is a partnership between Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, author Deepak Chopra, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and the company our CEO Sharad Devarajan co-founded in 1997, Gotham Entertainment Group (www.gothamcomics.com).

Similar to the success of Japanese anime and manga, our mission is to define a new wave of Indian character entertainment and permeate this style and vision to audiences from Boston to Beijing to Bangalore.

Guided by Deepak Chopra and Shekhar Kapur, our studio of artists and writers are sparking a creative renaissance in India—leading the country’s transition from outsourcer to a source of innovative and dynamic creations and creators. With a unique creative and cultural identity, the 500 million youths of India today are sparking a transition in thinking for their country and for their world.

Our Shakti line of comics collects stories based on ancient Indian mythologies but re-imagined for a global audience.

The Director’s Cut brings together iconic filmmakers and the best comics writers, including Shekhar Kapur + Zeb Wells, John Woo + Garth Ennis, Guy Ritchie + Andy Diggle.

The Virgin Voices imprint collects comics created by innovative minds from artists of different media like Dave Stewart and Nicolas Cage.

For more info visit www.virgincomics.com