Chinese Arthouse Hit ‘Return To Dust’ Pulled From Screens And Streaming Platforms In China

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor TikTok parent ByteDance has begun talks with music labels about expanding its music-streaming service into more than a dozen markets in a move that would place it in direct competition with Spotify, Apple Music and other major streaming services, according to the Wall Street Journal. According to the report, the initial plan is to expand the company’s Resso service, which is currently only available in India, Indonesia and Brazil, into more than a dozen markets, although the U.S. is not said to be part of the next phase of expansion. The Journal’s sources say significant hurdles remain in the negotiations, but ByteDance wants the service to eventually be integrated within TikTok and to serve as a major platform for distributing music around the world.

The Senate this week took a step toward approving billions of dollars in new military aid to Taiwan, a move that is sure to inflame tensions with Chinese Communist Party officials who have already called the proposal "abusive" and "dangerous." The Senate on Tuesday started work on an amended version of the annual defense policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  The version called up on the Senate floor includes legislation from Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that authorizes $6.5 billion in assistance that Taiwan could use to boost its military capabilities. The Senate is hoping to pass the bill after the midterm elections.

A man who says he waited nearly four hours for his takeaway to arrive claims he was told days later that the order was never placed to begin with. Iain Lucas, hoped to spend his Saturday night enjoying the takeaway with his family.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Patriotic rescue film “Homecoming” largely dominated the Chinese box office over the latest weekend and brought to a close a deeply-depressed National Day holiday period. “Homecoming” earned $21.5 million between Friday and Sunday to lift its ten-day cumulative to $163 million, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. That score accounted for a 71% share of the weekend’s $30.3 million total. Second-placed film “Ordinary Hero” earned just $2.2 million, giving it a ten-day total of $19.7 million. Previous top-ranking film, “Give Me Five” held on to third place, despite the volley of new releases on either September 30 or October 1. It collected $1.7 million for a cumulative of $60.8 million since release on Sept. 9, 2022.

A decent crispy shredded duck is a great thing indeed. Pulled apart with forks, covered in gloopy hoi sin sauce, stuffed in a pancake, and then stuffed into a face. It’s reliable. The Peking Duck at Peace Garden, which in olden times was the Czech Bar on Booth Street West, is a different ball game. In fact, it’s barely even the same sport.

Away from her excelling acting career and £1.3million home renovation project, Michelle Keegan is known for being a huge fitness fanatic and even co-owns a fitness brand with her husband Mark Wright. However, despite her enviable relationship with exercise and washboard abs, the 35 year old is a self-confessed “foodie” and loves nothing more than tucking to takeaways and curries with her beau. Speaking to The Sun, 35 year old Mark gave fans a glimpse inside his and Michelle’s shared love of the foodie lifestyle, explaining that: “She loves a Chinese takeaway and a curry.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hong Kong multi-hyphenate Peter Chan Ho-sun is far too intellectual to call himself an “arms dealer,” as Sony Pictures has in casting itself as an unattached supplier to streaming platforms. But politeness and Bob Dylan references aside, Chan’s new company, Changin’ Pictures, aims to become a major independent purveyor of premium Asian TV content for the streamers. The company is using this week’s Busan International Film Festival as its launchpad and will unveil the first five series of its 20-title pan-Asian slate.  Chan’s thesis is that global audiences are hungry for Asian content but have not been able to access it easily under legacy film and TV distribution systems. With streaming making everything accessible everywhere, and audiences no longer balking at subtitles, quality Asian drama can and will travel.

It was a varied offering at the international box office this weekend with newcomers from Hollywood and offshore markets, as well as notable holds, as we inch closer to full-on action later in October. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Soi Cheang Pou-soi’s crime thriller “Limbo” is the front-runner in the Golden Horse Film Awards, with 14 nominations. It is narrowly ahead of Taiwan-produced “Coo-Coo 043” and “Incantation,” which both have 13 nominations. All three films compete for the best feature award, best director, supporting actor, art direction, makeup and costume design, original film score, film editing and sound effects. The Taiwan-based Golden Horse Awards have long been considered as the most prestigious prize race for Chinese language films, but they have been boycotted by mainland Chinese films and filmmakers for the past three years on the order of mainland Chinese authorities. This followed a pro-Taiwan independence speech given from the stage in 2018 by a local prize winner.

Seann William Scott), a reverend who tries hard to seem cool; Cheryl (Aya Cash), who moved to Flatch with Father Joe before he dumped her and stuck around to run the local newspaper; Kelly’s nemesis Nadine (Taylor Ortega); and the eccentric Big Mandy (Krystal Smith). Season 2 will continue to follow their mundane daily lives as Jaime Pressly joins the fun as Barb, who’s returning to Flatch following a messy divorce. Where to watch: Sept.

Universal Music has announced a new partnership with General Motors’ Buick brand to release music inspired by the car maker.The first song to be released under the deal is ‘Guang Zhi Suo Xiang’ performed by Liu Lingfei, a leading musical theatre actor in China. Oh yes, I probably should have mentioned that this is a deal between the Chinese divisions of the two companies.That song was actually unveiled last month, to coincide with this year’s Buick Owners Day in China, and an accompanying video was put out earlier this month.According to the two brands, “the song and its accompanying music video are crafted to depict Buick owners’ lives and deepen their pride of Buick ownership”.The news now is that there’s more of this sort of thing to come.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief China recorded an unchanged top five films and its weakest box office weekend since Chinese New Year. Nationwide gross box office was just $18.6 million. Comedy drama film “Give Me Five” held on to the top spot for the third week, with a weekend score of $6.3 million (RMB43.3 million), according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. It now has a cumulative of $46.4 million since release on Sept. 9, 2022. The film is the story of a young man who is helping his father rediscover his lost memories. As he does so, he is transported back in time and accidentally alters his parent’s pasts. That means he must reunite the pair or risk never being born. It stars Ma Li Chang Yuan and Wei Xiang and is directed by Zhang Luan.

Disney yesterday began overseas rollout on the remastered rerelease of James Cameron’s Avatar in five early markets with the Na’vi seeing a collective $877K gross. The 4K high dynamic range version was No. 1 in France at $513K, coming in 8% ahead of the comparable 3D rerelease of Titanic in 2012.