SPOOKY SEQUEL

“ Stree 2 : Sarkate Ka Aatank,” Amar Kaushik ‘s sequel to his 2018 horror-comedy hit “Stree,” is on track to become one of India's biggest blockbusters this year. Produced by Maddock Films and billionaire Mukesh Ambani ‘s Jio Studios , the film debuted on Thursday, Aug. 15, a public holiday in India celebrating Independence Day. It had earned $33.7 million by Sunday, after only four days of release, surpassing the $21.5 million lifetime earnings of “Stree.”

Set in the small town of Chanderi, in “Stree,” the menfolk lived in fear of an evil spirit named Stree who abducts men in the night. The film, written by the prolific Raj & DK pair and Sumit Arora, was based on the folk legend of “Naale Ba” from the southern Indian state of Karnataka. In “Stree 2,” written by Niren Bhatt, Chanderi is being haunted again. This time, women are mysteriously abducted by a terrifying headless entity. Once again, it’s up to the protagonists to save their town and loved ones.

The cast for both films is headlined by Shraddha Kapoor , Rajkummar Rao , Pankaj Tripathi , Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee. “Stree 2” is the latest instalment in Maddock’s Supernatural Universe, which began with “Stree” and was followed by “Roohi” (2021), “Bhediya” (2022) and “Munjya” (2024).

INFLAMMATORY INFLUENCERS

BBC Factual has unveiled “America’s New Female Right,” a one-hour documentary for BBC Three and iPlayer. Produced by Mindhouse Productions , the film explores a growing community of young female content creators posting inflammatory content online.

British journalist Layla Wright , 27, embarks on a journey from Liverpool to the U.S., encountering ultra-conservative influencers throughout the country. The documentary delves into what motivates these women, some as young as 16, to advocate for a movement aimed at reversing progressive policies.

Wright explained: “I wanted to meet the women whose inflammatory posts had suddenly taken over my social media feeds – young women with large online followings who seemed to be nostalgic for a time when women had fewer rights. I was surprised by how unapologetically controversial they were. Despite being just a plane ride away, their views seemed a world apart from my friends and me back home.”

Fiona Campbell and Jack Bootle commissioned the documentary, with Tom Coveney and Anna Dickeson acting as BBC commissioning editors. Arron Fellows and Nancy Strang serve as executive producers for Mindhouse. Alana McVerry directs and produces the film.

Wright, currently working as a creator at Mindhouse Productions, has collaborated with company co-founder and chief creative officer Louis Theroux since 2022. The documentary is slated to premiere on Sept. 2 on BBC Three and iPlayer.