Gaga Corp., Leading Japanese Indie Film Company, Sold to Gaming Firm Genda

MBC Studios is developing a series adaptation of popular Saudi writer Osamah Almuslim’s best-selling debut horror novel Khawf (Fear).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Negotiations are under way to secure a December or more likely an early January release for Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” movie in mainland China cinemas. The film, which has grossed some $250 million worldwide since debuting on Oct. 13, is currently being reviewed by Chinese authorities.

EXCLUSIVE: Meera Syal, Alison Hammond and the BBC’s Black Ops creator Gbemisola Ikumelo scooped awards at this afternoon’s Women in Film & TV Awards 2023.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival launched its third edition on Thursday with a characteristically starry red carpet featuring the likes of Michelle Williams, Johnny Depp, Sharon Stone and Will Smith.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Though the Red Sea Film Festival will feature a slew of films from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region – including 11 feature films from Saudi Arabia – there is a rich roster of international fare set to launch locally from Jeddah. Kaleem Aftab, the festival’s director of international programming, says they received lots more submissions for this year’s third edition.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor AGC Intl., the international sales and distribution arm of Stuart Ford’s fast-growing independent content studio AGC Studios, has picked up world rights from Image Nation Abu Dhabi, MBC Studios and VOX Studios on Yasir Al Yasiri‘s “HWJN,” and from O3 Medya and Dhafer L’Abidine’s Double A Productions on L’Abidine’s “To My Son.” Saudi fantasy romance ‘HWJN’ will open the Red Sea Film Festival on Nov. 30, while the emotional family drama “To My Son” will premiere in Red Sea’s Arab Spectacular section.

Stuart Ford’s AGC International has picked up world rights to two Arab-produced titles, HWJN by Yasir Al-Yasiri and To My Son byDhafer L’abidine, ahead of their debuts at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival. 

EXCLUSIVE: Cuban star Mario Cimarro and Hong Kong actress Nina Paw Hee-Ching are joining the cast of historical scripted drama series Coolie, produced by Meileen Choo’s Singapore-based Cathay Film Company.

The family of Emmy winning filmmaker Ross McDonnell has confirmed his death after remains were discovered on a beach in New York City.

Lady Gaga and Will.i.am are plotting a future collaboration. The pair were seen leaving a restaurant in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening (November 21) carrying large folders under their arms.

During this year’s Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm finally gave some definitive news about what to expect on the big screen with the galaxy far, far away. We have a movie from Dave Filoni, which is expected to be an “Avengers”-style convergence of all the live-action TV shows.

The UK government has used its Autumn Statement to quell industry concerns around the new tax credit but declines to raise relief for indie film, while Equity has slammed the Conservatives for “undermining public service broadcasters and pursuing a culture war against marginalised groups.”

Following the “Star Wars: Ahsoka” series created by writer/director/producer Dave Filoni, who wrote all eight episodes himself and directed two, Lucasfilm has named the filmmaker the Chief Creative Officer at the company. “Now I’m what’s called chief creative officer of Lucasfilm,” Filoni told Vanity Fair this week, and noting the role will place him in the early development process of all “Star Wars” projects and in a much more expansive capacity than his previous advisory duties.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Leading Korean star Jung Woo-sung (“A Moment to Remember”) will star opposite Shin Hyun-been (“Hospital Playlist”) in “Tell Me That You Love Me,” an original series for Genie TV. The show is a remake of the hit Japanese series of the same name that first aired at Tokyo Broadcasting Systems linear channel in Japan some 28 years ago in 1995. The new show will upload to Genie’s own streaming service on Nov. 27 and the same day in Japan on Disney+.

Japanese gaming firm Genda Inc is acquiring a 78.05% stake in leading Tokyo-based buyer and producer Gaga Corp. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Mystery-horror film “Five Nights at Freddy’s” landed on top of the South Korean cinema box office. But fellow new release title “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songs and Snakes” managed only a fourth placed start. “Five Nights” earned $1.78 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council.

pop-u-lar!Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth rushed to the defense of Lady Gaga on Wednesday after “Bachelor” alum Carly Waddell called the pop star “so extra” for singing songs from “Wicked” during lunch back in college. “I’m ready to sing FOR GOOD with our girl Gaga,” Chenoweth, 55, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), referring to the show’s penultimate ballad.

Four years ago, before “The Rise Of Skywalker” came out, a bombshell hit Hollywood: Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige would develop a “Star Wars” movie. The man who made the MCU in a galaxy far, far away? Fanboys were ecstatic or furious with little in-between.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief All three of Sony Group Corporation’s entertainment segments – film and TV, music and Games and network services – improved their profitability between July and September, the second quarter of the Japan and Hollywood conglomerate’s financial year. Group revenues increased by 8% in local currency terms to JPY2.83 trillion, compared with JPY2.75 trillion in the same quarter last year. But Sony’s financial services unit and its entertainment technology segment pulled down group sales and profitability. The group’s net after tax profits dropped a hefty 29% to JPY200 billion.

Rockstar Games have confirmed a sixth installment in their bestselling Grand Theft Auto franchise is on the way, and the first trailer for the video game will be released in December.