Riteish Deshmukh directed a Marathi epic about a 17th-century warrior king—and it just crushed every opening weekend record in Indian regional cinema history with $4.6 million in three days.
Riteish Deshmukh's Raja Shivaji Breaks Marathi Box Office Records on Opening Weekend
Riteish Deshmukh stepped behind the camera for Raja Shivaji, a historical epic about the rise of young Shivaji Bhonsale—the warrior who challenged established empires to found the Maratha kingdom. Released May 1 in Marathi and Hindi, the Jio Studios and Mumbai Film Company production grossed INR 43.66 crore ($4.6 million) across its first three days in India. That's the biggest opening weekend in Marathi-language cinema history.
The previous benchmarks weren't close. Sairat (2016), the highest-grossing Marathi film of all time at $13.7 million, opened to $1.3 million. Timepass 2 (2015) and Mauli (2018) each opened to $1.2 million. Deshmukh directs and stars as the titular Shivaji, with an ensemble that includes Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Boman Irani, Fardeen Khan, and Genelia Deshmukh. Music is by Ajay-Atul; cinematography by Santosh Sivan. After its opening weekend, the film sits at No. 7 on the all-time Marathi grossers list.
Maharashtra led with packed cinemas, while the Hindi-language version gained traction in broader markets. Regional cinema just delivered a record that's hard to ignore.
Gobble's Take: When a regional-language film outopens every predecessor by this margin, the Bollywood establishment should be paying close attention.
Source: Variety
Netflix's 'Lord of the Flies' Miniseries Brings Golding's Classic to TV for the First Time
Jack Thorne, the writer behind Adolescence, has adapted William Golding's Lord of the Flies into a 4-part Netflix miniseries — the first-ever TV adaptation of the novel. Thorne told Collider the book has deep personal significance: "That has been the book, all my life. It's one that's lived with me in lots of different ways." The series follows schoolboys stranded on a tropical island after a deadly plane crash, with no adults to stop civilization from collapsing into primal violence.
The cast centers on Piggy (David McKenna), Jack (Lox Pratt), Simon (Ike Talbut), and Ralph (Winston Sawyers). Leadership struggles fracture the group fast. Boys who were once friends end up hunting each other. Thorne's approach to adapting the material reflects his broader career philosophy — embracing chaos and never knowing what's next until it presents itself, a method that's driven 25 years of work across film, TV, and stage.
Thorne's current slate is stacked. Beyond Lord of the Flies, he's behind three Enola Holmes films, the stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow, and The Beatles' upcoming cinematic universe — four biopics directed by Sam Mendes, one for each Beatle.
Gobble's Take: If Adolescence made you rethink teenage boys, this miniseries is about to make it worse.
Source: Collider
Met Gala 2026: "Fashion Is Art" Dress Code Demands Wearable Masterpieces
Law Roach starts plotting Zendaya's Met Gala look five months out. The stylist confirmed the timeline on a April 30 Reddit AMA, explaining it kicks off with the designer, then moves to inspiration, then his team. For 2026, they're working against a theme that's genuinely ambitious: "Costume Art," anchored by a "Fashion Is Art" dress code.
The exhibition pairs historical and modern garments from the Met's curatorial departments with art objects spanning 5,000 years. It also marks the inauguration of the nearly 12,000-square-foot Condé M. Nast Galleries wing. Curator Andrew Bolton put it plainly: "The dressed body is front and center in every gallery you come across." Attendees—including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Nicole Kidman, Kim Kardashian, and Sabrina Carpenter—are invited to express their own relationship to fashion as an embodied art form.
Expect sculptural gowns, draped silhouettes, sheer and naked styles. Roach himself predicted at least one guest will recreate a literal masterpiece—"Maybe we'll see someone dressed as the Mona Lisa," he told E! News in March. Past looks set the bar high: Rihanna's Guo Pei gown is already near-legendary, and Zendaya's 2017 debut featured a brightly colored Dolce & Gabbana parrot print gown. The steps open May 4.
Gobble's Take: If fashion is the common thread through 5,000 years of art history, your outfit this Monday has no excuse.
Source: E! News
Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter's Coachella-Born Collab Wins Billboard's Best New Music Poll
"Bring Your Love" by Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter topped Billboard's best new music poll with 88.99% of the vote. The duo first debuted the single during Madonna's surprise guest appearance at Carpenter's recent Coachella set, then officially released the studio version on Friday. A vibrant visualizer accompanied the drop, putting the lyrics front and center in bold text.
The dancefloor-ready track held off competition from Zara Larsson's Midnight Sun: Girls Trip, Kacey Musgraves' Middle of Nowhere, Bella Poarch's "Ribcage," and the Devil Wears Prada 2 soundtrack. Madonna co-produced the song with Stuart Price, her longtime collaborator who worked with her on 2005's Confessions on a Dance Floor. There's also a broader Madonna-Devil Wears Prada crossover moment: a teaser for her upcoming Confessions II album—due July 3—played in theaters ahead of the film, featuring Madonna alongside Vogue's Anna Wintour.
The Coachella debut made the studio release feel like a payoff, not just a drop.
Gobble's Take: Your workout playlist needs this duo to make Mondays vanish.
Source: Billboard
Quick Hits
- Super Mario Galaxy Movie Tops Korea Box Office: Nintendo's animated sequel earned $3.8 million from 575,000 tickets in its opening weekend, edging Devil Wears Prada 2. Variety
- Netflix's 'Man on Fire' Beats Reacher at Launch: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's 7-part action series explodes as an instant hit, pulling viewers from Amazon's tough guy turf. Collider
In Case You Missed It
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- 27 Years Later, The Mummy Is the #1 Thing People Are Watching on Max — and It Makes Total Sense
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