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Canadian embassy’s apology and explanation after a diplomat created a custom-made T-shirt appearing to make fun of the coronavirus crisis.The offending shirt contained the word Wuhan, the Chinese province in which the virus originated, emblazoned on the ‘W’ bat-like symbol of Wu-Tang Clan and it prompted an official complaint from China.Canada’s foreign service later apologised for the t-shirt, telling Reuters that the logo didn’t deliberately represent a bat, and is instead meant to be the

Vivienne Chow Hong Kong cinema operators and filmmakers are crying for help following a government announcement on Monday that COVID-19 social distancing measures will remain in place until Feb. 17.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefChart positions for the top five films remained largely unchanged over the weekend in China, as the Middle Kingdom’s box office returned to a familiar early-year torpor.Data from Artisan Gateway shows that aggregate revenues amounted to $32.8 million over the Friday to Sunday period, down from $37.5 million the previous weekend.

direct to your inboxThe fight against coronavirus has dominated the last year in practically every nation across the globe.Only a handful of remote island destinations appear to be free from the threat of Covid-19, which has taken the lives of more than 2 million people since the virus emerged in Wuhan, China, in 2019.While some countries have been praised for their approach to the coronavirus pandemic, others, including the UK, face criticism as they struggle to contain second and third waves

direct to your inboxOne year ago today, a man was taken ill at a hotel in York, shortly after arriving in the country from Wuhan in China.He turned out to be the first of more than 3.7 million coronavirus cases confirmed so far in the UK.The identities of the 23-year-old Chinese national, a student at the University of York, and his 50-year-old mother, who were the first two people in the country to test positive for the virus, have remained unknown to this day.The man was suffering from a

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefMildly titillating romantic comedy “Big Red Envelope” topped the box office rankings in China as overall takings in the world’s biggest theatrical movie market amounted to a lowly $37.5 million over the weekend.The new release title may be intended as a critique of obsessions with money, gifting culture and societal status – red packets are gifts of money in Chinese culture, given especially, but not exclusively, at Chinese New Year – but chunks of the audience

Holdover romantic drama A Little Red Flower topped a quiet weekend at China's box office, earning $11.7 million for a local total of $182.8 million. Fellow holdover Shock Wave 2, a crime thriller starring Andy Lau, scored second, adding $7.8 million for a four-weekend haul of $163.2 million, according to data from Artisan Gateway.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefFamily drama film “A Little Red Flower” continued its dominance of China’s box office in 2021 with a third weekend on top of the charts. The weekend was, however, a typically quiet one for January, worth an aggregate $47.1 million according to exhibition and distribution consultancy, Artisan Gateway.While the individual films’ scores are modest, six movies in China achieved grosses over the past weekend that were stronger than any film in North America.

After overtaking North America as the world's biggest box office last year, China's film market is off to a roaring start in 2021. The country's cinemas sold nearly $200 million worth of tickets over the New Year holiday, the strongest first weekend since record-keeping began in 2011.

International box office was led again by China this weekend with local titles A Little Red Flower and Shock Wave 2 at the top of the charts, and Disney/Pixar’s Soul continuing its jazzy run there. The Pete Docter-directed original is soon to become Pixar’s No.