Paramount+ Sets U.K., Korea, Europe, India Launch Dates

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefLocally-produced action franchise movie “The Roundup” blasted its way into the record books and elevated Korean box office to levels not seen for more than two years.The film enjoyed record levels of pre-sales, significant teaser activity the previous weekend and opened officially on Wednesday.Over the weekend proper it rounded up $21.1 million from 2,500 screens nationwide, according to KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).Its five-day cumulative (including the previews) is an astonishing $29.1 million, which makes it the second biggest film of the year, behind only “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and by far the highest grossing Korean film of the year to date. Those figures were earned from 2.5 million spectators between Friday and Sunday, and 3.5 million in five days.

trailer traces the origins of the Joint Economic Area, a fictionalized mint located where present-day North and South Korea are divided. While the aim of reunification is to benefit all citizens and establish a common currency, “in reality, only the rich got richer,” the trailer’s narrator says. “Welcome to capitalism,” Tokyo (Jeon Jong-seo) grimly adds.Like the original, a group of ragtag individuals assemble under the Professor’s (Yoo Ji-tae) tutelage, where they learn the inner machinations of a history-making heist.

SEVENTEEN have announced the North American leg of their forthcoming ‘Be The Sun’ world tour.Today (May 17), the 13-member boyband took to Twitter to reveal their upcoming world tour. Titled ‘Be The Sun’, the tour is set to kick off in Seoul this June, before heading to North America, where SEVENTEEN will play in 12 different cities across the US and Canada.From August to September, SEVENTEEN will perform in US cities such as Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.

Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentJapan’s Tokyo Broadcasting System network is partnering with Naver Webtoon, South Korea’s leading digital comics platform, and Tokyo-based manga production house Shine Partners to launch a new webtoon company. Called Studio TooN and based in South Korea, the joint venture will plan and make webtoons with Japanese and Korean creators for the global market. One of TBS’s aim in launching the company, its first such venture in Korea, is to produce TV dramas, anime and other content from the webtoons.  Studio TooN will begin operations in June of this year with Shine Partners president Keita Iwamoto serving as CEO.     “When webtoon works are visualized, there is a synergy effect as the number of readers increases,” said Naver Webtoon CEO Kim Junkoo.

Creative Artists Agency announced on Monday that CAA Moebius, its annual screening series showcasing diverse graduate student filmmakers, will return as an in-person event from May 18-19.

Paramount Global has handed Marco Nobili and Olivier Jollet key new roles as its seeks to turbo-charge expansion of its international streaming services.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaNeon has teamed with CJ ENM to acquire North American distribution rights to “Broker,” the new film from writer and director Kore-eda Hirokazu. The deal was inked prior to the film’s premiere in Cannes, where “Broker” is slated to premiere in competition.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” opened with a stunning $14.4 million debut weekend in South Korea, far in excess of any film this year at the Korean box office. Its five-day opening score was $29.1 million.Data from the Korean Film Council’s Kobis tracking service shows the film garnered an 87% market share over the weekend, as it lifted nationwide box office to pre-COVID levels for the first time in more than two years.

It’s Friday again, readers. Jesse Whittock here (for the first time, be gentle), taking you through the week’s top headlines.

GOT7 have confirmed they’ll be returning with new music, launching new social media pages and unveiling a refreshed logo.Today (May 6), the K-pop boyband established several new social media pages on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Along with the new channels, the group also unveiled an animated teaser video featuring a brand-new logo, which features a 3D model of a seven-point star.GOT7 OFFICIAL CHANNEL LAUNCHYouTube▶️https://t.co/hWix228hrwInstagram▶️https://t.co/1iErPSDhtDTikTok ▶️https://t.co/fRWWWCbhfG#GOT7 #갓세븐 #MARK #JAYB #JACKSON #JINYOUNG #YOUNGJAE #BAMBAM #YUGYEOM #마크 #제이비 #잭슨 #진영 #영재 #뱀뱀 #유겸 #IGOT7 #아가새— GOT7 OFFICIAL (@GOT7) May 6, 2022GOT7 have also seemingly adopted a new tagline, “GOT7 is our name”, as captioned in most of their new posts following the rebrand.GOT7 IS OUR NAME #GOT7 #갓세븐 #MARK #JAYB #JACKSON #JINYOUNG #YOUNGJAE #BAMBAM #YUGYEOM #마크 #제이비 #잭슨 #진영 #영재 #뱀뱀 #유겸 #IGOT7 #아가새 pic.twitter.com/3R0Rhr85DL— GOT7 OFFICIAL (@GOT7) May 6, 2022In addition, a press release from Warner Music Korea confirms that GOT7 are set to release new music in the near future.

EXCLUSIVE: Fernanda Andrade (Let the Right One In) has signed on for a role in Paramount+’s crime thriller, Finestkind. She joins an ensemble that also includes Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Foster, Toby Wallace, Jenna Ortega, Aaron Stanford, Scotty Tovar, Tim Daly, Lolita Davidovich, Clayne Crawford, Meghan Leathers and Ismael Cruz Cordova, as previously announced.

social media channels.A Mountain of Entertainment. Launches 22nd June.

Paramount+ is to launch in the UK and South Korea next month and will be in India next year, Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish has revealed in the past hour.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeMove over, Eurovision. The “Masked Singer” sensation is now launching an international competition where celebrities from various local editions of the show around the globe will face off in a worldwide battle.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentNetflix has dropped the trailer for “Money Heist: Korea — Joint Economic Arena,” a remake of its hit Spanish crime drama. The streamer also announced that the show will premiere on June 24.The 12-episode series is directed by Kim Hong-Sun (Voice, Black) and is headlined by high-profile actors, including Yoo Ji-tae (“Oldboy,””Healer”), Kim Yunjin (“Shiri,””Lost”), Park Hae-soo (“Squid Game,””Prison Playbook”) and Jeon Jong-seo (“Call,””Burning”).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe South Korean streaming market is consolidating around five major players as it also emerges as a hub for premium local content.New research by consultancy firm Media Partners Asia and its AMPD Research platform show that the country boasted 14.1 million premium video streaming subscriptions at the end of 2021 and that usage of premium platforms accounted for a growing share of total viewing time.SVOD leaders Netflix, Wavve, TVing, Coupang Play and Disney+ captured an aggregate 85% share of SVOD subscriptions in Korea and 83% of SVOD streaming minutes.“Within Korea, nearly 70% of premium video consumption is driven by Korean dramas, movies and variety shows, while U.S. series and movies capture 14%,” said Vivek Couto, MPA’s executive director.

EXCLUSIVE: Ismael Cruz Cordova (The Undoing) is the latest addition to the cast of Paramount+’s crime thriller, Finestkind. He’s set to star alongside previously announced cast members including Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Foster, Toby Wallace, Jenna Ortega, Aaron Stanford, Scotty Tovar, Tim Daly, Lolita Davidovich, Clayne Crawford and Meghan Leathers.