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China Box Office: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Opens in Fourth Place as ‘Suzume’ Reigns - variety.com - China - Japan
variety.com
03.04.2023 / 04:03

China Box Office: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Opens in Fourth Place as ‘Suzume’ Reigns

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” opened in fourth place at the mainland China box office with a muted $5 million haul. Top honors belonged to Japanese animation film “Suzume” for the second weekend. “Suzume” incurred a 55% week-on-week drop, falling from $49.6 million in its opening weekend, to $22.1 million in is second, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. After ten days in Chinese theaters, “Suzume” now has a cumulative total of $80.6 million. Nevertheless, its lead at the top of the box office chart was unassailable. The weekend’s best-placed new release title was “Hachiko,” a Chinese retelling of the Japanese tale of a dog which faithfully waited at a station for its master years after his death. (The story was previously given a U.S. version with Richard Gere in the lead human role.) It earned $8.9 million (RMB61.2 million) in its opening weekend.

Crunchyroll to Launch New Episodes of ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc’ - variety.com - Japan
variety.com
03.04.2023 / 04:03

Crunchyroll to Launch New Episodes of ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc’

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Sony group companies, Aniplex of America and streaming service Crunchyroll are to begin simulcast streams of anime series “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc” from April 9. Crunchyroll will simulcast new episodes every week where the service is available, and exclusively in North America, South America, and Europe.  The underlying manga series was published under Shueisha’s Jump Comics operation, consists of 23 volumes and has seen sales of over 150 million copies. The animation production is by Ufotable. The narrative began when Tanjiro Kamado, a boy whose family is killed by a demon, joins the Demon Slayer Corps to turn his younger sister Nezuko back into a human after she is transformed into a demon.

Korea Box Office: ‘Suzume’ Reigns for Fourth Weekend as ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Makes Second Place Start - variety.com - South Korea - Japan - North Korea
variety.com
03.04.2023 / 01:45

Korea Box Office: ‘Suzume’ Reigns for Fourth Weekend as ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Makes Second Place Start

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” landed into second place at a depressed South Korean box office with a market share barely a fifth that of chart leader “Suzume.” The Japanese animation film earned $4.46 million in its fourth week of release, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). While that was a 26% week-on-week drop, its hold on the chart remained at over 60%. Since releasing on March 8, it has grossed $29.9 million, making it the second highest film of the year in Korea – behind another Japanese animation “The First Slam Dunk” on $35.1 million. “D&D” was the weekend’s top-placed new release and earned $958,000 for a 13% market share. Over the full five days since its opening on Wednesday, it achieved $1.36 million.

Oscar-Winner Guneet Monga Sets Amazon Mini TV Show ‘Gutar Gu’ – Global Bulletin - variety.com - Las Vegas - city Seoul - Tokyo
variety.com
31.03.2023 / 11:49

Oscar-Winner Guneet Monga Sets Amazon Mini TV Show ‘Gutar Gu’ – Global Bulletin

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Amazon MiniTV, a free-of-charge service within the Amazon shopping app and on Fire TV, will next month begin airing short-form teen romance series “Gutar Gu.” The show is produced by Guneet Monga and Sikhya Productions, whose “The Elephant Whisperers” recently won the Oscar for best documentary short. “We at Sikhya are super excited to work with director Saqib Pandor, transforming our well-received short film into its own web series! “Gutar Gu” – a new chapter in the story of Ritu and Anuj, dives deep into the many ups and downs of teenage relationships- navigating strict parents, dating protocols, and the innocence and moments of first love,” said Monga.

Ajay Devgn in ‘Maidaan’: Watch First Teaser for Zee Studios Period Soccer Themed Film (EXCLUSIVE) - variety.com - India
variety.com
30.03.2023 / 06:45

Ajay Devgn in ‘Maidaan’: Watch First Teaser for Zee Studios Period Soccer Themed Film (EXCLUSIVE)

Naman Ramachandran Ajay Devgn headlines “Maidaan,” a soccer themed film that is based on a true story. Set between 1952-1962, the golden era of Indian soccer, the film follows the story of an unknown hero who created history and records for India that have not been surpassed even 60 years later. “‘Maidaan’ is my personal favorite. I rarely say this, its one of the best films I’ve done. It has shaped up very well. Every department of the film, the storytelling, the direction, the performances, everything looks outstanding,” Devgn told Variety. Devgn plays the role of a sports coach. “It’s a sports coach, but sports is the backdrop. Basically, it’s a very human story of a man and his struggle and his dreams and his family. So that’s lovely,” Devgn said.

China’s ‘Bad Kids’ Series Set for Film Remake in Japan – Global Bulletin - variety.com - China - city Seoul - Japan
variety.com
29.03.2023 / 12:35

China’s ‘Bad Kids’ Series Set for Film Remake in Japan – Global Bulletin

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “The Bad Kids,” a hit series from Chinese streamer iQiyi, is to be remade as a Japanese feature film “Gold Boy.” The 12-episode gritty crime thriller depicts the troubles that arise after three children accidentally film a murder. The series was previously licensed to Japanese pay-TV group Wowow.

Sumo Wrestling Drama ‘Sanctuary’ Set for Launch at Netflix, Trailer Unveiled - variety.com - Japan - city Sanctuary
variety.com
29.03.2023 / 08:35

Sumo Wrestling Drama ‘Sanctuary’ Set for Launch at Netflix, Trailer Unveiled

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Netflix will give a May launch to “Sanctuary,” a sports drama series set in the specialized world of Japanese sumo wrestling. Produced by the Slowtide company for the streamer, the show follows a juvenile delinquent who becomes a sumo apprentice. He soon finds himself on a collision course with a voiceless wrestler carrying a secret. Netflix pitches it as “a gritty look into the underbelly of professional sumo, a world full of young men with ambitions for money, women, fame, and power […] where some may find sanctuary with a history of more than 1,500 years in Japan’s traditional culture and as a religious ceremony.”

China Box Office: ‘Suzume’ Japanese Animation Debuts With $50 Million, Year’s Biggest Non-Holiday Opening - variety.com - China - South Korea - Japan - Berlin
variety.com
27.03.2023 / 05:45

China Box Office: ‘Suzume’ Japanese Animation Debuts With $50 Million, Year’s Biggest Non-Holiday Opening

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Japanese animation film “Suzume” made just shy of $50 million on its opening weekend in mainland Chinese theaters. Data from consultancy Artisan Gateway, shows “Suzume” grabbing the top spot at the box office with $49.6 million (RMB342 million) between Friday and Sunday. That is the biggest opening score by any film this year outside of the Chinese New Year holiday week in late January. The next best is “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” which opened with $19.4 million in mid-February. Directed by Shinkai Makoto, “Suzume” was a hit in Japan where it was released late last year and has remained on screens for a $105 million total. It played in February at the Berlin Film Festival, where it came away largely empty-handed, but has subsequently performed strongly in the Asian territories where it has released. (In South Korea, where it is now the second highest grossing film released in 2023, its third weekend is its strongest to date.)

Korea Box Office: ‘Suzume’ Expands in Third Week as Japanese Animation Extends Strong Year - variety.com - South Korea - Japan - North Korea
variety.com
27.03.2023 / 02:25

Korea Box Office: ‘Suzume’ Expands in Third Week as Japanese Animation Extends Strong Year

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hit Japanese animation “Suzume” improved its box office performance in its third week of release in South Korea and remained far ahead of all competing titles. “Suzume” earned $6.06 million over the weekend between Friday and Sunday, a 7% increase on its previous weekend, itself a strong hold that almost equalled its opening session. Data is sourced from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). The film, which has been a huge hit in Japan and some other Asian territories, enjoyed a 66% share of the entire Korean cinema box office over the most recent weekend and expanded its cumulative haul to $23.9 million after 19 days on release.

Netflix Announces Series ‘Ooku: The Inner Chambers’ at Anime Japan Event - variety.com - Japan - Tokyo - city Baku
variety.com
25.03.2023 / 07:07

Netflix Announces Series ‘Ooku: The Inner Chambers’ at Anime Japan Event

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Netflix has announced new series “Ooku: The Inner Chambers,” the first anime adaptation of a hit Japanese manga by Yoshinaga Fumi. At the ongoing Anime Japan convention in Tokyo, the streamer also unveiled “Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune,” another anime series, adapted from a military sci-fi novel by Carlo Zen and set to upload in May. Directed by Abe Noriyuki and produced by Studio Deen, “Ooku” is inspired by tales emerging from the Ooku women’s quarters within Edo Castle and imagines that gender roles are reversed. After a plague threatens the male population women take up positions of authority. The new (female) Shogun Yoshimune enquires into why the women adopt male names when taking power and starts to unravel other mysteries within the inner sanctum. The original manga was published by Hakusensha / Melody.

Viz Media Poised to Score With Soccer Anime Series ‘Captain Tsubasa’ (EXCLUSIVE) - variety.com - Paris - USA - Japan
variety.com
23.03.2023 / 04:23

Viz Media Poised to Score With Soccer Anime Series ‘Captain Tsubasa’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Viz Media has picked up a wide collection of rights in North America and Latin America to animated Japanese sports series “Captain Tsubasa: Junior Youth Arc.” The series is adapted from a popular manga by Yoichi Takahashi and is licensed by Shueisha Inc. The deal includes digital streaming, TV, electronic sell-thru, home video and merchandise rights for North and Latin American territories. The new series is currently being produced by Studio KAI, with the official main staff including: director Ono Katsumi; character design and executive animation director, Watanabe Hajime; and series composition, Tomioka Atsuhiro. The voice cast includes Sanpei Yuko as Tsubasa Ozora, Gukuyama Jun as Karl Heinz Schneider and Suzumura Kenichi as Wakabayashi Genzo and Hyuga Kojiro as Sato Takuya. It is set to launch October 2023.

Kodansha Launching K Manga Japanese Comics Platform in U.S. - variety.com - Japan
variety.com
21.03.2023 / 17:13

Kodansha Launching K Manga Japanese Comics Platform in U.S.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Leading Japanese publisher, Kodansha is to launch an online comic book distribution service from May. Titled K Manga, the operation will go live in May and be exclusive to readers in the U.S. The company is publisher of many of the best-known manga titles in history including “Attack on Titan” and “Ghost in the Shell.” These and some 400 others will be available at the launch of the serialization platform.

Gina Noer’s Teen Sex Movie ‘Like & Share’ Wins Top Prize at Osaka Asian Film Festival - variety.com - China - Canada - Japan - Indonesia - Hong Kong - Taiwan
variety.com
20.03.2023 / 13:57

Gina Noer’s Teen Sex Movie ‘Like & Share’ Wins Top Prize at Osaka Asian Film Festival

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Like & Share” from Indonesia’s Gina S. Noer was named the best picture and collected the Grand Prix on Sunday at the Osaka Asian Film Festival. “All of us on the jury were struck by the film’s clear and powerful message, which affirms young women’s sexual curiosity and desire while clearly saying no to sexual violence. The style of the film is also original. The sweet, poppy feeling that fascinates the audience in the first half of the film becomes darker as the story progresses, making us shudder. “Like & Share,” with its strong message and brilliant direction, is a film that needs to be seen now more than ever,” said the jury in a statement.

Korea Box Office: ‘Suzume’ Charges to $15 Million Total on Second Weekend - variety.com - South Korea - Japan - North Korea
variety.com
20.03.2023 / 05:33

Korea Box Office: ‘Suzume’ Charges to $15 Million Total on Second Weekend

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Japanese animation “Suzume” retained the top spot at the South Korean box office for a second weekend, far outstripping holdover titles and newcomers including “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.” On its second weekend of release, “Suzume” earned $5.65 million, just a small fraction below its opening weekend score of $5.71 million. Underlining its dominance, the film increased its market share from 60% previously to 62%. After 12 days of release, the film has accumulated $15.8 million, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).

‘Fly Me to the Moon’ Wins Unprecedented Five Awards at the HAF Project Market - variety.com - China - Japan - Hong Kong - Taiwan - county Lawrence
variety.com
15.03.2023 / 14:41

‘Fly Me to the Moon’ Wins Unprecedented Five Awards at the HAF Project Market

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Fly Me to the Moon,” a work-in-progress from Hong Kong, dominated the prizes presented at the Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum project market. It collected five awards and was invited to continue its journey at Cannes in May. Directed by first-time feature maker Sasha Chuk and produced by the veteran Stanley Kwan, the film tells the tale of a pair of sisters moving from Hunan to Hong Kong in the 1990s. They are faced with an identity crisis, poverty and their father’s drug addiction. It entered the market with $640,000 of its intended $705,000 production budget in place, and more than filled the gap with the prizes announced on Wednesday.

‘Kiss of the Con Queen’ Secures Asia Distribution as Production Expands - variety.com - Ireland - Thailand - Japan - Indonesia - Cambodia - Tennessee - city Bangkok - city Jakarta, Indonesia
variety.com
15.03.2023 / 02:05

‘Kiss of the Con Queen’ Secures Asia Distribution as Production Expands

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Filming has begun on Tom Waller’s true-crime thriller, “Kiss of the Con Queen,” with real-life victim Eoin O’Brien (“The Last Full Measure”) taking the lead role. He plays actor duped by an impersonator to travel to Indonesia on the promise of auditions for a leading role in a DC origins series, only to discover that he had been scammed by the infamous Con Queen of Hollywood. In the real world, the alleged perpetrator, 41-year-old Indonesian food blogger Hargobind Tahilramani, is accused of pretending to be both male and female Hollywood executives and having swindled hundreds of victims of millions of dollars. He was arrested in 2020 after an FBI manhunt and is currently in prison in the U.K. where he is fighting against possible extradition to the U.S. The U.K. court hearings have been dramatic and disturbing.

Phoenix Waters Ties Knot With Agog Films to Expand Asia Film Financing, ‘Chungking Mansions’ to Resume Shooting - variety.com - Japan - Hong Kong - city Hong Kong
variety.com
14.03.2023 / 12:39

Phoenix Waters Ties Knot With Agog Films to Expand Asia Film Financing, ‘Chungking Mansions’ to Resume Shooting

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief U.K.- and Hong Kong-based company Phoenix Waters Prods. has formally partnered with Hong Kong’s Agog Films to create Phoenix Waters Asia, a new venture aimed at increasing content production in Asia. The venture was announced on the sidelines of a film investment conference held Tuesday in Hong Kong at the FilMart rights market, where Phoenix Waters Prods. CEO Bizhan Tong was a speaker. The two companies previously collaborated on “Chungking Mansions,” an ambitious pan-Asian action film on which Tong is director, and where production was previously scheduled for last year. Tong told Variety that lensing will start later this year, “after address any issues that could hinder filming in Hong Kong.”

Good Move Media Bends With Japan’s ‘Plastic’ for FilMart Launch (EXCLUSIVE) - variety.com - California - Japan - Tokyo - Hong Kong - Burma - city Shanghai
variety.com
14.03.2023 / 05:25

Good Move Media Bends With Japan’s ‘Plastic’ for FilMart Launch (EXCLUSIVE)

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hong Kong-based indie sales agent Good Move Media has added Japanese music drama “Plastic” to its FilMart slate. The film is directed by Miyazaki Daisuke, the Japanese helmer behind “Yamato (California),” which had festival play in 2016, and 2019 slacker youth title “Tourism” in 2019. The new picture is the story of teenagers Juna and Ibuki, who set out to find the psychedelic rock band Exne Kedy. Exne Kedy is a fictional creation from musician Ide Kensuke, who previously released punky album “Kensuke Ide With His Mothership — Contact From Exne Kedy and the Poltergeists,” but the band is actually credited as performing and providing part of the music track in the film. “Plastic” is recently completed and headed for a theatrical release in Japan in July.

Udine Far East Film Festival Celebrates 25 Years of Asian Films - variety.com - Italy - South Korea - Thailand - Japan - Hong Kong - city Hong Kong - Mongolia
variety.com
14.03.2023 / 02:15

Udine Far East Film Festival Celebrates 25 Years of Asian Films

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, is back in full force in 2023, celebrating its 25th anniversary edition from April 21–29. A key component of the celebrations will be a focus on the Asian films of the 1980s. “We have never programmed these films, nor put together this kind of program before,” says Thomas Bertacche, the FEFF’s co-head. “But these were the films and directors that inspired us to shape Udine into the festival that it is today.” Pitching the historical lineup as “hidden treasures,” the selection is expected to include early works by Japan’s Kurosawa Kiyoshi, Thailand’s Nonzee Nimibutr and South Korea’s Jan Sung-woo.

Hong Kong Makes the Most of Hosting Asian Film Awards as ‘Drive My Car’ Is Named Best Movie - variety.com - China - India - Japan - Indonesia - Hong Kong - Philippines - city Hong Kong - city Busan - Macau
variety.com
12.03.2023 / 17:51

Hong Kong Makes the Most of Hosting Asian Film Awards as ‘Drive My Car’ Is Named Best Movie

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The much-decorated Japanese drama “Drive My Car” was named the best film Sunday at the Asian Film Awards, defeating hot favorite “Decision to Leave.” Other notable awards went to Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda whose “Broker” debuted at Cannes, but which was largely shunned in his home country. “Decision to Leave,” which started the evening with ten nominations, was nevertheless rewarded with three awards, best screenplay, best production design and best actress for China’s Tang Wei.

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