‘Chang Can Dunk’ Director Jingyi Shao Wants Asian American Teens to Have the ‘Chance to Be the Protagonist’, Debuts First Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Singapore’s Mocha Chai Laboratories and Emissary Pictures, a company that straddles New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia, have announced a strategic partnership for the development and production of cross-cultural films, series and content in Asia. The venture will have offices in all four countries and will identify, develop and produce content across genres and formats, including films, television series, documentaries and digital content. The agreement was announced in Hong Kong on the first day of the FilMart rights market. The pair say that they have scripted and unscripted projects in development and production. Slate details, however, remain under wraps as do distribution plans.

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.

Naman Ramachandran “Emily in Paris” star Lucas Bravo is thankful to George Clooney and Julia Roberts, who starred with him in hit 2022 romcom “Ticket to Paradise.” The dashing French star, who is also known for “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” was speaking at a press meet for the 16th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong, where he is a presenter. “George and Julia happen to be the most generous, kind and protective people I’ve ever worked with — they go out of their way to make the set a safe place,” Bravo said. “They gave me an opportunity to improvise, they made me feel loved and accepted. And I’ve learned with them that the bigger the star, the nicer the person, so it gives me a lot of fuel for the rest of my career.”

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic “Chang Can Dunk” doesn’t go the way you’d expect, and that’s a good thing. Here’s a Disney movie about a 5-foot-8-inch Chinese American high school basketball player who bets his rival that he can dunk by the end of the season. He gets his wish about an hour in (that’s neither spoiler nor surprise, since the title literally tells us that Chang can dunk), but there’s still a long way for the character to go — and grow — in a film that believes maturity isn’t achieved by shortcuts. The result marks the attention-worthy debut of writer-director Jingyi Shao, and exemplifies the sort of movies Disney should be making: It has its values in the right place, but doesn’t pretend its hero is perfect. If there’s a villain in “Chang Can Dunk,” that role is arguably filled by the title character (tenaciously embodied by Bloom Li, who keeps us wondering how to feel about Chang). In time, the obsessive teen’s ultra-competitive personality winds up alienating practically everyone in his life, except demanding single mom Chen (an excellent Mardy Ma), whose tough-love approach only amplifies his resentment.

Doyoung, Jaehyun and Jungwoo, members of the K-pop boyband NCT, are set to debut as a sub-unit.Earlier today (March 9), South Korean media outlet Sports Today reported that the three K-pop idols are set to form a trio sub-unit as part of their work with the boyband. Notably, the three singers previously worked together on the song ‘Can We Go Back’, which they performed at the 2022 MBC Gayo Daejejeon, as well as a Christmas medley posted on the official NCT YouTube channel.Their label SM Entertainment has since confirmed the report.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Sideshow and Janus Films have bought North American rights for “Orlando, My Political Biography,” Paul B. Preciado’s film which won four awards at the Berlinale. In “Orlando, My Political Biography,” Preciado sheds light on Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando,” the first novel in which the main character changes sex in the middle of the story.  A century later, Preciado, who is a trans writer and activist, decides to send a film letter to Woolf, telling her that Orlando has come out of her fiction and is living a life she could have never imagined. Preciado organizes a casting and gathers 26 contemporary trans and non-binary people, from 8 to 70 years old, who embody Orlando.

The cast of the new Disney+ movie Chase Can Dunk stepped out for the world premiere!

BreAnna Bell The cast of Hulu’s latest dramedy “Unprisoned” kept the family spirit alive at the show’s premiere at the Hollywood Legion Theater on Thursday night. The show’s cast and crew — including Kerry Washington, Delroy Lindo, Faly Rakotohavana, Marque Richardson, Jee Young Han, Jordyn McIntosh, showrunner Yvette Lee Bowser and creator Tracy McMillan — examined what it means to be a “traditional” family on the red carpet before a screening of the first two episodes. The series follows relationship therapist and single mom Paige (Washington), “whose life is turned right-side-up when her dad (Lindo) gets out of prison and moves to her house to live with her and her teenage son,” according to the show’s official synopsis.

This story about Oscar nominee Todd Field and “Tár” first appeared in the Down to the Wire issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine. It took 16 years for Tár director and screenwriter Todd Field to return to movie theaters and to the awards race after his last film, 2006’s “Little Children,” but it was worth the wait. His sterling portrait of a renowned conductor’s fall from grace nabbed six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Director, and sparked endless theories and hot takes that attempted to unpack its mysteries.You’re three for three when it comes to Oscar nominations for the screenplays of your feature films. How do you process that kind of reception for your work?I don’t know that you do.

Hosea Chanchez‘s introduction to Los Angeles was a series of unfortunate events. At 17, he dropped out of school and drove across the country with his cousin in his Mitsubishi Eclipse, expecting to stay with a family member and pursue his dream of being a working actor. His housing plans fell through, but his relative organized for him to temporarily crash with a friend.“I ended up staying one night with this young lady, and I had no idea that she was on drugs and was dating her drug dealer,” he said during this week’s “Renaissance Man.”If it sounds ominous, it was.

BreAnna Bell Following the success of their years-long partnership that spawned seven original films including Natalie Morales’ “Plan B” and “Crush,” Hulu Originals has renewed its first look deal with comedy production company American High. Jason Zaro (“Brigsby Bear”) will serve as co-producer across the new slate of films for Hulu. The renewed partnership comes on the heels of the successful release of “It’s a Wonderful Binge” in November 2022, which starred Kaitlin Olson, Danny Trejo, Nick Swardson, Tim Meadows. The movie serves as a sequel to the first Hulu original comedy under the American High banner, “The Binge,” which featured Vince Vaughn, Skyler Gisondo, Eduardo Franco, Dexter Darden.

which debuted at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and is now streaming on Hulu; “Banana Split”starring Hannah Marks, Liana Liberato and Dylan Sprouse; “The Binge,” which stars Skyler Gisondo, Dexter Darden, Eduardo Franco and Vince Vaughn; “Looks That Kill” starring Brandon Flynn; Josh Friedlander’s “Holly Slept Over;” “The Ultimate Playlist of Noise” starring Emmy-nominee Madeline Brewer and Keean Johnson; Natalie Morales’ solo feature directorial debut “Plan B;” Talia Osteen’s “Sex Appeal;” Sammi Cohen’s directorial debut “Crush”starring Rowan Blanchard and Auli’i Cravalho; and “It’s A Wonderful Binge,” the sequel to the original “Binge”title, which stars Kaitlin Olson, Danny Trejo, Nick Swardson and Tim Meadows and released in November.In addition to producing multiple films per year, American High aims to finance and acquire a number of third-party films that align with the mission of its brand.

Hulu Originals has renewed its first look output deal with American High.

Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired North American rights for German director Christian Petzold’s new film Afire, following its award-winning world premiere in competition at the Berlin Film Festival.

"The song I've thrashed on the radio. Dua Lipa was great on it, the remix is good, and you're a great singer, but there was just something sh*t about it,” Kyle shared.

Sideshow & Janus Films have snapped up North American rights for Mexican director Lila Avilés’s family drama Tótem following its world premiere in competition at the Berlinale last week.

EXCLUSIVE: Kino Lorber has struck a deal with Paris-based sales firm Wide for North American distribution rights to Carlos Conceição’s Locarno Film Festival war drama Tommy Guns.

K.J. Yossman “Cunk on Earth” star Diane Morgan and “Intelligence” creator Nick Mohammed have each inked independent deals with BBC Studios. Both comedians, who act and write, have signed deals for development, co-production and distribution of new scripted material, which BBC Studios will rep and distribute internationally. Mohammed is a double Emmy nominee who created and co-starred in “Intelligence” alongside “Friends” star David Schwimmer. He is perhaps best known for his role as Nate in “Ted Lasso” and will be seen in the upcoming feature “Maggie Moore(s)” opposite Jon Hamm and Tina Fey. Mohammed is also an associate of the Inner Magic Circle. Morgan recently had a hit with “Cunk on Earth” in which she starred as professional dim-wit Philomena Cunk. She is also known for comedy show “Mandy,” which she created, wrote and directed, and has starred in shows including “After Life” and “Motherland.”

Jenelle Riley Deputy Awards and Features Editor Ruben Östlund has no trouble being “harsh” to his audience. The Swedish filmmaker behind wonderfully discomforting movies like “Force Majuere” and “The Square” is also making crowds squirm with his latest film, “Triangle of Sadness.” Set on a luxury yacht where the 1% enjoy their privilege — until a shipwreck finds the rich relying on a toilet maid named Abigail (played by BAFTA nominee Dolly de Leon), —“Triangle of Sadness” won the Palme d’Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, repeating the honor Östlund received for “The Square” in 2017. And now the film is nominated for three Academy Awards, including picture, director and original screenplay.

William Earl Netflix is looking to enhance its first major foray into live content by adding pre- and post-show programs to complement Chris Rock’s March 4 standup special “Selective Outrage.” The live March 4 special is a big experiment for the service, which has also disclosed how the live stream function will work on the platform. The live pre-show, dubbed “The Show Before the Show,” will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET and originate from Los Angeles’ famed Comedy Store nightclub on Sunset Boulevard. The special will be hosted by Ronnie Chieng and feature Leslie Jones, Deon Cole and Arsenio Hall, among others, as well as appearances aond commentary from Amy Schumer, Cedric the Entertainer, Ice-T, Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, Paul McCartney, Sarah Silverman and Wanda Sykes.