‘The Passport,’ ‘Please Bear With Me’ Score Prizes at Bucheon’s NAFF Project Market

It was a major win for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team as they made their debut at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and a record-breaking win for U.S. networks airing the championship.

The Harry Potter film franchise came to a conclusion with 2011′s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, and our favorite young witches and wizards of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are all grown up.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Indonesian genre specialist Timo Tjahjanto has begun production on “The Shadow Strays,” a new action film project. Tjahjanto is one half of a writing-directing pair with Kimo Stamboel that are colloquially known as the Mo Brothers and previously delivered “Headshot.” However, it was as a solo director that Tjahjanto (“May the Devil Take You Too,” “The Night Comes for Us”) was signed to a multi-film deal with Netflix in 2022. He delivered his first picture under that arrangement later that year. “The Big 4” debuted in Netflix’s non-English language top ten.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Korean TV series and films are increasing still further their hold on streaming audiences across East Asia. They accounted for half of viewing time in the first half of the year, according to new third-party research. Korean-made premium VOD content captured 50% of SVOD viewership and 42% of freemium viewership between January and June 2023, with a record 58 million VOD users tuning in nine East Asian territories (Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam), according to Singapore-based research and consultancy firm Media Partners Asia. The analysis is based on the measured media consumption activity of 40,000 Asia Pacific consumers, conducted by AMPD, the analysis firm’s sister company.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Exports of K-pop albums increased by 17% year on year to reach an all-time record of $133 million in the first six months of the year. The U.S. is now the second biggest overseas market for Korean music worth $25 million, having overtaken China, but still trailing Japan ($48 million), according to data from the Korea Customs Service. The next largest were Germany, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Canada, the U.K. and France.The record was achieved despite the absence of BTS as a group (though BTS members Jimin, and Suga put out solo efforts) and saw Stray Kids, Tomorrow X Together, Seventeen, Ateez and Twice all make an international impact.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Netflix is to release its Japanese live action film “Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead,” on Aug. 3. The horror comedy film is based on the hit manga (comic book series) by Aso Haro and Takata Kotaro that debuted in the Shogakukan magazine Monthly Sunday Gene-X in October 2018. It has also spawned an animated series that plays on Hulu in North American and other territories. The underlying comic is a wackily original melding of the salaryman gag manga – a popular genre in Japan seldom exported abroad – with the sort of zombie holocaust story that has become a Hollywood staple.

After 10 seasons and 218 episodes, Raymond Reddington's story has finally come to a close. Thursday night, the two-hour series finale of the hit NBC show,, wrapped up the James Spader-led crime drama with both endearing and shocking moments, including two major deaths. The show, which began back in 2013, is no stranger to killing off major characters, including lead Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), Tom Keen (Ryan Eggold), Mr.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Specialty distributor, Trinity CineAsia is releasing China’s summer blockbuster “Lost in the Stars” in the U.K and Ireland on some 30 screens from Friday. “I was fortunate to watch the film when it opened in China and once I saw it I just knew we had to have it,” said Cedric Behrel “‘Lost In The Stars’ is a very clever, uncanny thrill of a ride that harks back to classic Hitchcock and any noteworthy thriller since – the master himself had in fact once optioned the rights to the same story. We organized the fastest turnaround premiere known to man and we’ve been delighted by the reactions to the early previews. It epitomizes the best of what new Chinese cinema can bring to audiences.”

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Pixar animation film “Elemental” expanded further at the South Korean box office in its fourth weekend of release, giving the film its third weekend triumph in four weeks of release. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” took third place from preview screening ahead of its official release on Wednesday. “Elemental” earned $6.11 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the box office tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That represented a 14% increase on its previous weekend performance and was the best of its four weekends so far. It also increased its market share to 49%, also its strongest market position, despite only adding a handful of additional screens.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Toho International, an offshoot of the storied Japanese film and TV giant Toho, is to launch twin e-commerce sites serving the growing legion of North American fans of Japanese pop culture. One platform is specific to the Godzilla brand. The other, iiZO, will cater to a wider range of anime fans who will be served with original Japanese merchandize. The moves are being headed by Kristin Parcell GM at Toho International, and her U.S.-based team who joined the firm from Crunchyroll at the end of last year. They foresee the twin initiatives as a business with $100 million of revenue within a few years. Their in-house operation comprises anime and “Godzilla” brand experts, and also includes specialist in merchandizing, buying and fashion. The sites go live at unspecified dates this summer.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Kino Lorber has picked up North American rights to Pham Thien An’s debut feature “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell.” The Vietnamese drama appeared in Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight section and was winner of the Camera d’Or. The company plans a theatrical release as well as a digital and home video releases on all major platforms after the film makes multiple stops on the international film festival circuit. “The sudden death of his sister-in-law brings unexpected responsibilities to Thien (Le Phong Vu), who is reluctantly tasked with bringing his five-year-old nephew Dao to their countryside hometown. On the road, Thien is drawn into a search for his long missing older brother, haunted and spurred forward by a series of sublime dreams that reignite suppressed memories, forbidden desires, and specters of his own youth. What began as a journey home becomes a pilgrimage marked by visual splendor and mystical overtones, a quest for understanding and certainty in a Vietnam that seems unable to provide any clear answers. As Thien battles with his own existential question of what is worth living for, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell interrogates the persistence and complexity of faith, not only in the spiritual but in the delicate beauty of earthly existence,” said Kino Lorber by way of a long synopsis.

The Eagles have announced a farewell live tour across North America with Steely Dan – find all the details below.The legendary band will begin the run of shows – titled ‘The Long Goodbye’ – at Madison Square Garden in New York on September 7 ahead of further performances in Boston (September 11), Newark (16) and Elmont, New York (20).Resuming in early October, the group’s final tour is then set to visit Denver, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland and Atlanta before additional stop-offs in other cities throughout November.‘The Long Goodbye’ will see The Eagles – comprising Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill and Deacon Frey – “perform as many shows in each market as their audience demands”, per a press release.The tour is expected to continue into 2025, but further dates – potentially including the UK and Europe – are yet to be announced.The Eagles, who’ll be commemorating their 50+ career with the concerts, will be supported by Steely Dan on all confirmed dates.Tickets go on general sale at 10am local time next Friday (July 14) – you’ll be able to buy yours here.

James Middleton, the brother of the Princess of Wales, has announced that he and wife Alizée Thevenet are expecting their first child together. Sharing a snap of Alizée cradling her bump, as the couple's dog Mable appears rather excited about the coming arrival, James wrote: "We couldn’t be more excited … well Mable might be [red heart emoji] "It was a very difficult start to the year after losing my beloved Ella however we will end the year with the most precious little addition to our growing family [red heart emoji]" Congratulatory messages have already begun rolling in, with TV presenter Ben Fogle leading the way, with a simple "Congratulations" Another commenter added: "Huge congratulations to you both!!" while a third wrote: "Omg congratulations! I’m expecting too and the baby will be here at the end of the year as well.

Kate Middleton's younger brother is about to be a dad! James Middleton took to Instagram on Wednesday and shared that he and his wife, Alizee, are expecting a baby.«We couldn’t be more excited … well Mable might be ❤️,» the proud dog dad wrote in his caption. «It was a very difficult start to the year after losing my beloved Ella however we will end the year with the most precious little addition to our growing family ❤️.»Ella was James' Cocker Spaniel, who died in January. In the post, James posted two photos of Alizee and the couple's doggies as she shows off her baby bump. A post shared by James Middleton (@jmidy)The baby news comes nearly two years after Kate and Pippa Middleton's younger brother tied the knot in France.

Barack Obama,61, Michelle Obama, 59, and their daughters, Sasha, 22, and Malia, 24, recently visited Greece. On their itinerary was dinner at Cantina, a glamorous waterfront restaurant on the island of Sifnos.

A.D. Amorosi “The Idol” has been the TV season’s spite-watch de rigueur – a mess of untenably dated misogyny, homophobia, angry interpersonal sexual violence and traumatic hair styles, all of it was justified in the service of reminding the world: Never trust a dude with a rat tail. However, for all of the menacingly off-putting storylines, visceral physical assaults and mawkish dialogue that made up “The Idol,” the show’s icily epic music — made by its creators and actors, in and out of character — has been mesmerizing… thrillingly so, even, through the program’s bad, brief run. The music was initially broken down as a series of EPs released between June 9-30, and now those weekly teasers are captured in full on “The Idol (Music from the HBO Original Series),” a soundtrack that stands as a far more rewarding and cohesive document than its televised counterpart.

Selome Hailu Though the Television Critics Association’s (TCA) summer 2023 press tour was canceled as a result of the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, the annual TCA Awards move forward. This year, the final season of “Succession” was joined by two Season 1 series, “The Last of Us” and “The Bear,” as the most-nominated projects. Each was nominated for five awards among the fourteen total categories. TCA also added two new categories to the list this year, splitting Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming into separate awards for children’s and family programming.

King Charles' decision to turn down the heating at Buckingham Palace has apparently caused panic in the art world as concerns have been raised over the maintenance of the monarch's paintings.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Oh Seok-geun, head of the Asian Contents and Film Market in Busan, has resigned. Oh’s exit follows the resignation earlier this week of Busan International Film Festival chairman Lee Yong-kwan and the earlier departure of festival director Huh Moonyoung. “I submitted my resignation to the BIFF. I decided this was the best choice I could make. I hope my decision will help solve the BIFF situation,” Oh told Variety. A spokesman for the festival confirmed that Oh had tendered his resignation and said that the organization will frame its response next week.