‘Color Purple’ Director Blitz Bazawule Reunites With Warner Bros As Studio Lands ‘Black Samurai’ Package Following Bidding War

Addie Morfoot Contributor Shiori Ito’s feature documentary “Black Box Diaries” about the investigation of the director’s own sexual assault, earned a standing ovation following its Hot Docs Canadian premiere on Monday. The 103-minute film tracks Ito’s arduous, five-year struggle to bring to justice renowned TV reporter Noriyuki Yamaguchi, who sexually assaulted her. In 2015, Ito – then a 26-year-old intern at Thomson Reuters – went out for a drink with Yamaguchi, only to become intoxicated and taken against her will to his hotel room.

King Charles has returned to public duties for the first time since revealing his shock cancer diagnosis.The monarch has been undergoing treatment after publicly sharing the news of his health battle on 6 February. The King, 75, visited a cancer treatment centre on Tuesday, 30 April, alongside his wife Queen Camilla, 76.The monarch met with patients and medical specialists, as patron of Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support. He was seen waving and smiling at royal fans who had waited patiently to catch a glimpse of the monarch as he returned to public duties.The visit marked the first of Charles' upcoming public-facing engagements.

SEVENTEEN is celebrating their best!

Ricky Martin and his two sons, Valentino and Matteo, are touring Japan. Meanwhile, Martin’s ex-husband, Jwan Yosef, is enjoying art and adventure with his friends at the Biennale, an international art exhibition in Venice, Italy.

GKIDS, the Academy Award®-winning producer and distributor announced a multi-territory acquisition of The Colors Within (Japanese title: Kiminoiro) which is directed by Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice), with production from studio Science SARU (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off). 

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for its 2024 edition, running from June 9 to 15. (scroll down for full list of titles and events)

Carolyn Giardina “The Imaginary,” an upcoming hand-drawn animated fantasy film from Japan’s Studio Ponoc that will play in competition at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, is set to debut July 5 on Netflix. An Oscar-qualifying run is also planned.

Naman Ramachandran Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) South Asia has a sizzling summer slate lined up in the kids space including a mix of anime and homegrown IP. Launching on the Indian animation-focused Pogo channel in May is new Indian IP “Jay Jagannath.” The series portrays the friendship between the Hindu God Lord Jagannath, who has taken the form of a child, Jagan, and his devout follower Balaram.

ADOR and entertainment giant HYBE.This is according to a new exclusive report by South Korean news outlet Korea JoongAng Daily, which cited a source with “knowledge in the matter”. This comes shortly after news that HYBE and ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, the woman behind NewJeans, are in a power struggle over the K-pop agency.“NewJeans will make a comeback in Korea with a new single in May, whether or not ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin cooperates with HYBE,” the source told the publication.

Following two sold-out limited seasons at London’s Barbican, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s acclaimed stage version of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli classic My Neighbour Totoro will transfer to the West End early in 2025.

Jamie Lang Anime artist Yoshitoshi Shinomiya cut his teeth working on films by superstar Japanese filmmaker Makoto Shinkai, including the director’s box office smash hit “Your Name.” Now, Shinomiya is prepping his feature directorial debut, “A New Dawn,” a profoundly personal film inspired by the changing Japanese landscape after the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. Tokyo-based Asmik Ace (“Inu-Oh,” ” Tekkonkinkreet”) and France’s Miyu Productions (“Chicken for Linda,” “Dozens of Norths”) are producing the feature, which the former will distribute globally. “A New Dawn” unwinds inside an inactive fireworks factory that is about to go into administrative action.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Variety has been granted exclusive access to the trailer (below) for Portuguese director Miguel Gomes‘ “Grand Tour,” which will have its world premiere in Cannes Film Festival’s Competition section. Variety can also exclusively reveal that that distribution on “Grand Tour” will be handled in France by Tandem, and in Italy by Lucky Red, and that Gomes’ next film will be “Savagery.” “Grand Tour” kicks off in 1917 in Burma. It centers on Edward, a civil servant for the British Empire, who runs away from his fiancée Molly the day she arrives to get married.

Park Chan-wook is developing his acclaimed film Oldboy for the first time as an English-language series in partnership with Lionsgate Television. Park, who directed and co-wrote the original film, is set to produce the series alongside producing partner Syd Lim.

Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki, will be feted with the Honorary Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. This marks the first time Cannes has handed its Honorary Palme d’Or to a collective. 

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Studio Ghibli, the animation studio behind “My Neighbor Totoro” and the Oscar-winning animated feature “The Boy and the Heron,” is being awarded an Honorary Palme d’Or at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival. It marks the first time that the award will be given to a group.

Led by Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Warner Bros has crossed the $1B mark at the international box office, becoming the first studio to reach the milestone this year. Getting there in just 15 weeks, this also sets a new speed record for WB, besting the 17 weeks it took in 2018. The full international estimate through today is $1.04B.

88rising will return to Coachella over the next two Sundays with a new ‘Futures’ set that will shine a light on four Japanese artists – find out more in NME’s interview with 88rising founder and CEO Sean Miyashiro.First announced April 8, the line-up for 88rising Futures includes viral sensations and NME Cover artists Yoasobi, rapper Awich, J-pop boyband Number_i, and the label’s own boundary-breaking group, Atarashii Gakko!. The set will also include appearances from Korean hip-hop legends Tiger JK and Yoonmirae, plus Chinese singer and dancer Xin Liu, 88rising’s newest signing.The programming reflects Miyashiro’s observations of widespread growth and appreciation of Japanese artists in today’s music landscape, he told NME, and 88rising’s efforts to celebrate and spotlight Japanese music “on what is the world’s most influential, prestigious music festival stage”.“There’s so much music coming out of Japan of all genres, and there’s so many people wanting to make music and be artists,” he said.

Lauren Sanchez isn’t afraid to make a fashion statement. The journalist, pilot, author and philanthropist wore a stunning corset dress for a dinner at the White House, which she attended with her fiancé Jeff Bezos. Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos embrace family time in Japan’s cherry blossom wonderlandLauren Sánchez’s Style Guide: How she incorporates red into her looksSanchez wore an off the shoulder red gown that was form fitting, with some details at the top that gave it a corset-like look.

Angelique Jackson In a competitive situation, Warner Bros. has landed “The Color Purple” director Blitz Bazawule’s next project, which takes on the legendary Yasuke, an African warrior who became the first Black samurai.

BBC Studios Launches First Kids Streamer In Korea