First ‘Yakuza 8’ images shared online

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefJapanese electronics and entertainment group, Sony Group Corp. revealed JPY2.31 trillion of revenue ($17.5 billion) in the three months between April and June, representing the first quarter of its financial year. Group profits JPY218 billion ($1.65 billion) in the quarter were.

One of Manchester's richest men has gifted shares in his retail and software giant worth more than £800,000 to a number of his friends. Matthew Moulding, who is chief executive of THG, has bought a further 1.169 million shares in the Manchester-headquartered retail giant at a price of 70.2287p each.

reported by Deadline. Born in the city of Kumamoto on the Japanese island of Kyushu, Shimada landed her first TV role in the 1970 drama “Osanazuma.” Her other TV credits include “Kamen Rider,” “Karei-naru Ichizoku” and “Shiroi Kyoto.”In “Shōgun” — which was based on the James Clavelle novel — the actress portrayed Hosokawa Gracia, a real-life member of the aristocratic Akechi family.

Japanese actress Yoko Shimada, known for her portrayal of Mariko in the 1980 miniseries Shōgun,  a role which earned her a Golden Globe award and an Emmy nomination, has died. According to Japanese media, Shimada died Monday, July 25  from complications of colorectal cancer at a Tokyo hospital. She was 69.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorVariety has been given exclusive access to the first-look images from Neil Marshall’s action crime thriller “Duchess,” starring British actor Charlotte Kirk, who was linked to the downfall of two Hollywood moguls. Principal photography is in its third week on the movie, which is shooting in Tenerife.The film is co-written by Marshall and Kirk, the creative duo behind “The Lair,” which opens London’s horror and fantasy film festival Frightfest next month.Marshall’s credits include “Game of Thrones,” for which he received an Emmy nomination, “The Descent,” for which he won best director at the British Independent Film Awards, and, most recently, 2019’s “Hellboy” and 2020’s “The Reckoning,” which also starred and was co-written by Kirk.

Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentShimada Yoko, the Japanese actor who earned a Golden Globe for her role as Mariko in 1980s miniseries ‘Shogun,’ has died, age 69.Japanese media reported that she died of multiple organ failure due to colorectal cancer, in a Tokyo hospital on Monday (July 25, 2022).Born in 1953 in Kumamoto, a city on the southern island of Kyushu, Shimada made her TV debut in the 1970 drama “Osanazuma.” She became popular in the 1970s playing pure and virtuous types on TV and in films, including the 1974 hit “The Castle of Sand.”Despite limited English-language skills, she had one of the few English-speaking roles in “Shogun” when she was cast in the role of Mariko (aka Lady Toda Buntaro), the love interest of Richard Chamberlain’s shipwrecked British navigator turned samurai. Nevertheless, her portrayal as an aristocratic woman who dies saving her foreign lover’s life earned Shimada her first and only Golden Globe.

EXCLUSIVE: Here’s a first look at Disney+’s Wedding Season, which Deadline can exclusively reveal will launch September 8.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe Asia-Pacific region is now the largest contributor to growth of the global online video industry, a major new study published Monday finds.With the U.S. and Europe fast maturing and China inaccessible, APAC’s large markets – India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Thailand – will be increasingly important to global platforms, said consultancy and research firm Media Partners Asia in its report “Asia Pacific Online Video & Broadband Distribution 2022.”The report, which covers the AVOD and SVOD sectors and spans China, India, Australasia, Southeast Asia as well as South Korea and Japan, shows the overall industry on course to grow by 16% in the current year to $49.2 billion.

James Garner has been told he would be welcomed back at Nottingham Forest with open arms should Manchester United be unable to fit him into their plans for next season. Garner, 21, was brought off the bench by manager Erik ten Hag during the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday.

“John Wick: Chapter 4” won’t be in theaters until next spring, but the first footage was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday.While the movie didn’t have an official presence at Comic-Con, there was a surprise appearance by Keanu Reeves on Collider’s Directors on Directing panel, where he and director Chad Stahelski debuted a new trailer.The trailer opens with John Wick (Reeves) in the snow. He’s talking to Hiroyuki Sanada (who fans of the franchise will know was originally pegged as the villain for the third film; here he seems much more serene), who says, “Have you given any thought to where this ends?” (His dialogue serves as the teaser trailer’s narration.) He goes on: “The Table will never stop.” Wick, at the end of the third film, was on the outs of the sinister High Table, even after paying a debt of part of a finger.

#DuneMovie pic. twitter. com/H31MTEcvcSIn other exciting news, last week it was announced that Souheila Yacoub would be joining the cast.

John Wick: Chapter 4 has been shared today – you can check out the image below.Reeves returns to play the titular assassin for the fourth instalment of the franchise, alongside Laurence Fishburne, Shamier Anderson, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård and British singer Rina Sawayama in her feature debut.The first look at Reeves’ return in the role sees the assassin seemingly saying a prayer in front of an alter.Check out the image here:And so it begins… #JW4 pic.twitter.com/xBgHCRWqJf— John Wick (@JohnWickMovie) July 21, 2022Back in December, Lionsgate announced John Wick: Chapter 4 would be released in cinemas worldwide on March 24, 2023.The new release date was revealed in a short teaser from the studio, pushing the film back nearly a year from its planned release on May 27, 2022.Speaking about the film’s script last year, Fishburne said: “As much as it’s the same world as the other three films, it’s just deeper.“It’s much deeper in terms of the code of the assassin and the relationship that he has with one character in particular who I think Mr. Watanabe is playing… is really the heart and soul of it.”John Wick: Chapter 4 will be directed by Chad Stahelski and produced by Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefFans at Comic-Con will Saturday get a fresh taste of Sony’s “Knights of the Zodiac,” a fantasy action film based on the popular Japanese “Saint Seiya” manga and anime series.Tomek Baginski directs a diverse cast headed by Famke Janssen and Sean Bean, as well as American-born Japanese sensation Mackenyu in the title role as Pegasus Seiya.For Toei Animation, the Japanese studio behind the properties, the effort is the result of a decade-long strategic overhaul. And putting together the $60 million first leg in a major movie franchise took a circuitous route through Hungary and COVID disruptions.

EXCLUSIVE: UK distribution and production company Blue Finch Films has released a first look image for Vancouver-based directorial duo Cody Kennedy and Tim Rutherford’s fantasy drama The Last Video Store as it wraps shooting in the Canadian port city of Hamilton.

SISTAR are set to reunite for their first-ever performance since their disbandment in 2017.On July 19, JTBC reported that the girl group — which comprised members Hyolyn, Bora, Soyou and Dasom — will be reuniting to perform on the final episode of live music show Yoo Hee Yeol’s Sketchbook. The programme will be ending its 13-year run with its 600th episode, which is set to air on July 22 KST on KBS.The quartet released their final single ‘Lonely’ in May 2017, later appearing on South Korea’s four major weekly music shows to perform their most successful hits, ‘Touch My Body’, ‘Shake It’, ‘Loving U’ and ‘I Swear’, before officially disbanding on June 4 the same year.Former members Hyolyn and Dasom had previously teamed up in August 2021 for the single ‘Summer Or Summer’ for Contents Lab VIVO’s ‘How To Spend 2021 Well’ project, the proceeds of which were donated to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Season 3 of Apple TV+’s animated comedy Central Park will premiere Sept. 9. It will feature original cast member Kristen Bell who is rejoining the series as a new character, Abby, Paige’s (Katherine Hahn) little sister. (first-look image above)

Sena Kana is one of the rising acts we’re most excited about at Just Jared, and we want our readers to get a chance to exclusively get to know her even better.

KARA singer Nicole Jung is set to make her return to music as a soloist later this month.Nicole’s label, JWK Entertainment, issued a statement via Korea JoongAng Daily on July 14 announcing that the singer is set to drop a new digital single on July 27. “She has finished filming her new song’s music video and is preparing to actively promote her activities through music shows,” the brief statement read.