China Showbiz Latest News and Updates

It was six years ago that it closed. During that time the fabric of the Grade II listed building has detoriated badly. The fading green facade is graffiti covered, the roof badly damaged, and windows boarded up.

With “Evil Dead Rise” earning good reviews (96% and 7.5/10 on Rotten Tomatoes) and solid buzz out of its SXSW premiere, New Line wasted no time in locking down director Lee Cronin’s next feature. Next up will be an original horror film, titled “Thaw,” for which Cronin will rewrite the current draft.The picture, originally written by Jeremy Passmore, is set years after the polar ice caps have melted with concurrent rising sea levels.

A new pan-Asian street food bar, takeaway and restaurant, is set to open this weekend on Deansgate, but it’s been over 40 years in the making. Suki Suki will be serving up sticky wings, steaming ramens and katsu curries, but bringing with it generations of culinary pedigree.

Netflix has greenlit the new 2D animated series Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld from first-time showrunner Echo Wu and executive producers Ali Wong (Beef) and Aron Eli Coleite (Locke & Key).

Geese have shared the release date and the title track for their highly anticipated second album, ‘3D Country’.The band will release the album on June 23 via Partisan/Play It Again Sam.Explaining the origins of the lead single ‘3D Country’, frontman Cameron Winter said: “The lyrics are this story I had about a cowboy who does psychedelics in the wild west and fries his brain forever. I was imagining at first he’s this stoic, masculine character like out of a Cormac McCarthy novel, but then he unravels and sees his past lives in Ancient Rome, the Great Wall of China.”He continued: “Ultimately he finds himself in the end and it turns celebratory.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “The Bad Kids,” a hit series from Chinese streamer iQiyi, is to be remade as a Japanese feature film “Gold Boy.” The 12-episode gritty crime thriller depicts the troubles that arise after three children accidentally film a murder. The series was previously licensed to Japanese pay-TV group Wowow.

Donnie Yen has claimed that Quentin Tarantino made Bruce Lee “cartoonish” in his film, Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood.Indeed, John Wick: Chapter 4 star Yen has said that there was nothing flattering about Tarantino’s version of the deceased Enter The Dragon star on-screen in 2019 movie. The movie may have been an Oscar winner, but Mike Moh’s depiction of Lee cast the Jeet Kune Do master as being pompous on set – and getting beaten up by Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth.“Everybody is entitled to their opinions.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce and media group, unveiled a top to bottom corporate restructuring that it says is intended to “unlock shareholder value and foster market competitiveness.”  The group, which has a current market capitalization of $228 billion, will split itself into six divisions of differing sizes. Each unit will have a CEO and a board of directors and can pursue independent fund-raising or even IPOs, when they are ready. At present Alibaba has its shares and ADR shares listed in Hong Kong and New York. Some parts of its media business also have their own Hong Kong share listing Alibaba Pictures. (And there is a healthcare business with yet another share quote.)

Disney’s live-action take on The Little Mermaid has been cleared for theatrical release in China, as has Fast X — the penultimate installment in Universal’s long-running Fast & Furious action franchise. Dates are still to be set for both films in the market which has increasingly been handing out day-and-date releases for Hollywood titles even if audiences have been somewhat tepid of late. Hope springs.

Users of "very common medicines" are being asked not to buy in bulk as shoppers are being warned of shortages on pharmacy shelves.

Shoppers all across the country have been warned of low Calpol stocks on high street shelves.

Naman Ramachandran Yash Raj Films’ “Pathaan” is the biggest Indian hit of the year so far grossing $130 million. The studio’s Akshaye Widhani also served as a co-producer on the film. Part of the release strategy around “Pathaan” was keeping Shah Rukh Khan away from the film’s promotions, creating curiosity around the superstar’s comeback film, the first time he’d headlined a project since 2018’s “Zero.” “There was a lot of excitement and hunger to see India’s biggest movie star on screen after four years. We wanted to preserve that. So when we got into a room with him to talk about marketing the film, we all felt what if we went with a different strategy this time, which is less is more. So we hold back Shah Rukh, not have him seen pre-release, not have him interact with anybody pre-release,” Widhani told Variety. “But once the the film is out, then we come out into the media. That was a conscious decision and one that paid off well, because the whole excitement to go watch him on screen became even more, and the hunger increased when you didn’t see him. And it worked well for us.”

Tatiana Siegel On a chilly Oscars eve, Donnie Yen has just returned from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, where he was rehearsing for the Academy Awards along with a slew of fellow global superstar presenters like Spain’s Antonio Banderas and India’s Deepika Padukone. The “John Wick: Chapter 4” scene-stealer, who hails from southern China, feels good about how the following night might unfold, namely for his friend and Hong Kong neighbor Michelle Yeoh. Her victory and that of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” would be a landmark moment for Asian representation, he says.  “I’ve known her for more than 20 years, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here — to support her and share in a possible historical moment,” he says of his “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny” co-star. “And ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ has a lot of Chinese language and it talks about the Chinese heritage, which I find out has been so accepted and embraced here. So, that really warmed my heart. I’m sure hoping for Michelle.” 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Japanese animation film “Suzume” made just shy of $50 million on its opening weekend in mainland Chinese theaters. Data from consultancy Artisan Gateway, shows “Suzume” grabbing the top spot at the box office with $49.6 million (RMB342 million) between Friday and Sunday. That is the biggest opening score by any film this year outside of the Chinese New Year holiday week in late January. The next best is “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” which opened with $19.4 million in mid-February. Directed by Shinkai Makoto, “Suzume” was a hit in Japan where it was released late last year and has remained on screens for a $105 million total. It played in February at the Berlin Film Festival, where it came away largely empty-handed, but has subsequently performed strongly in the Asian territories where it has released. (In South Korea, where it is now the second highest grossing film released in 2023, its third weekend is its strongest to date.)

Kanye West has seemingly backtracked on his spate of anti-Semitic comments made over the last few months by saying he “likes Jewish people again” after watching Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street. West posted a photo of the 2012 film’s poster to Instagram alongside a caption that read: “Watching Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street made me like Jewish people again,” he declared.“No one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred towards millions of people,” he continued. “No Christian can be labeled antisemite knowing Jesus is Jew.”“Thank you Jonah Hill I love you.”A post shared by Ye (@kanyewest)West’s spate of anti-semitic comments began when he tweeted that he was going to go “death con 3 [sic] On JEWISH PEOPLE” back in October.West was declared ‘Antisemite Of The Year’ by the watchdog group StopAntisemitism in response to his anti-Semitic comments in the last few months.

EXCLUSIVE: Alex Boniello (Jessica Jones) has been cast as Jack of Diamonds in the Disney+ original movie Descendants: The Rise of Red (formerly known as The Pocketwatch), the latest installment in Disney Branded Television’s Descendants franchise.

Al Franken ended his week hosting “The Daily Show” with a bang on Thursday night — or rather, with a chant. The former senator led the audience in chanting “USA” after joking TikTok should be banned in the country, because only American companies should be able to steal user data and spy on them.Franken’s comments, of course, came in light of the congressional hearing held on Thursday, in which TikTok’s CEO was grilled about safety concerns.

Ben Croll Mixing two parts maternal melodrama, one part fugitive thriller, and finishing with a precocious, child-actor twist, Nippon TV’s “Mother” format has proven an irresistible international cocktail, driving remake rights and series exports across the globe. Taking a victory lap of sorts at this week’s Series Mania Forum, Nippon TV’s director of international business development Yuki Akehi joined Spanish producer Eduardo Galdo to unpack this format-sales phenomenon. Created by Yuji Sakamoto and initially commissioned for broadcast in 2010, “Mother” follows a thirtysomething schoolteacher who feels her first ever pangs of maternal instinct when confronted with an 8-year-old pupil from an abusive home. Instinctively absconding with the girl and heading out on the lam, the new fugitive and her willing charge forge deep bonds beyond a legal framework.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Taiwan has become a go-to destination for Chinese language series production over the past few years, as international streamers have taken the initiative and as the local content trend has become entrenched in Asia. While some of Taiwan’s advantage may have been handed to it as a result of regional political factors, the movement has led to greater interest in Taiwan stories, both historical and modern.Five Taiwan TV projects are being pitched at Series Mania, that are deemed to have international appeal according to Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), a government-backed agency that has become noticeably proactive over roughly the same period.

Brandy say reuniting has been like seeing family again. ET spoke with the stars of the beloved 1997 film, , on the set of Disney's in which they're reprising their iconic roles as Cinderella and Prince Christopher, all grown up. Disney announced Brandy's return as Cinderella back in November, but the studio really brought it home for fans when they announced that Paolo was joining her. The lead duo will return to their royal roots as King and Queen, with their onscreen daughter, Chloe Charming, played by Malia Baker.In Cinderella and King Charming's perfectionist daughter, Chloe, joins forces with Red (Kylie Cantrall), the rebellious daughter of the Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora).

“Yellowjackets” on Wednesday at the TCL Chinese Theatre.Lynskey, who previously revealed that someone on the set of the Showtime series commented that they expected her to lose weight for a scene in which she strips to her underwear and jumps in the water, said the conversation has gotten “exhausting.”“I’m tired of it. I wish I could just talk about my acting. Or even, I dunno, my husband or what cereal I like,” she told TheWrap on the red carpet.

BreAnna Bell “Each survivor must determine if the darkness is coming for them or from them,” reads Showtime’s official description for Season 2 of “Yellowjackets” and the writers this season reveal they were not holding back as they embarked on this follow up to their explosive debut. Executive producers Jonathan Lisco and Drew Comins teased the themes of trauma and ptsd explored in Season 2 of Showtime’s thrilling drama “Yellowjackets,” and how it will affect the present-day players at the second season premiere held at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theater on Wednesday night. With new cast members including Simone Kessell and Lauren Ambrose, who portray adult Lottie and Van, the teenage and adult yellowjackets crew along with creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson walked the red carpet to the theater for a special screening which was followed by a brief Q&A segment.

Descendants: The Rise of Red.” Montalban will play the role of King Charming, reuniting with Brandy as Cinderella after they stared as the dynamic royal duo in ABC’s 1997 “Wonderful World of Disney” TV movie “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.”  “The Rise of the Red” comes as the latest installment in Disney’s “Descendants” franchise.  

Actor and martial artist Dannie Yen has big biggest stateside release this weekend when “John Wick: Chapter 4” hits theaters everywhere. But US audiences may not realize just how prolific Yen is in the Chinese film industry.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The odds of the U.S. banning TikTok are higher after the app’s CEO testified before a House committee, according to some analysts. During the hearing, American politicians expressed frustration over what they saw as evasive and unconvincing answers about China’s influence over TikTok — and the communist regime’s ability to track user data — as well as its efforts to curb misinformation and harmful content, particularly in relation to children who use the app. In his D.C. appearance Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said the popular app, used by more than 150 million American users monthly, as committed to ensuring privacy and security. He insisted, as TikTok has claimed before, that the company has never furnished U.S. user data to the Chinese Communist Party (nor has the CCP ever made such a request). Chew talked up TikTok’s “Project Texas,” intended to bring user data fully under the aegis of U.S.-based personnel and hosted on Oracle infrastructure.

 spout protest on Truth Social. In an all-caps post, he said, “Everybody knows I’m 100% innocent … Our country is being destroyed as they tell us to be peaceful!”“This is no legal system, this is the Gestapo, this is Russia and China, but worse,” he added of the ongoing deliberation. “Disgraceful!”Watters asked Graham Wednesday how Trump is “feeling about this deal” and whether or not they’ve spoken, which Graham confirmed they had.

arrested on Tuesday, accused the DA’s office of reading an indictment “motivated by political calculations” and demanded that he turn over communications, documents and testimony relating to what it called the “unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority and the potential indictment of former President Donald Trump.”Bragg slapped back at the GOP’s accusations, calling the letter “an unprecedented inquiry into a pending local prosecution,” Newsweek reported. “The letter only came after Donald Trump created a false expectation that he would be arrested the next day and his lawyers reportedly urged you to intervene.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Jimmy O. Yang and Amazon are back in the funny business: The “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Love Hard” and “Silicon Valley” star has lined up his second standup comedy special with streamer Prime Video, titled “Guess How Much?” Set to launch May 2, the event is a followup to Yang’s first Amazon comedy special, “Good Deal,” which launched in August 2020. In his new standup engagement, Yang will poke fun at “love languages, loser friends, and negotiating with his Asian parents,” per Prime Video. Aside from his memorable parts in “Crazy Rich Asians,” Netflix’s “Love Hard” and HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” Yang is best known as the author of “How to American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents,” which chronicles his journey from life as a young Chinese immigrant to becoming a comedian and actor.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor In front of a panel of skeptical and often hostile U.S. representatives, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew tried to make the case for why the popular app is not a security threat to the country — and why a government ban of the app would be the wrong course of action. A U.S. ban of the app would hurt the country’s economy, reduce competition and “silence the voices of over 150 million Americans,” Chew said in testimony submitted to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The hearing, titled “TikTok: How Congress Can Safeguard American Data Privacy and Protect Children from Online Harms,” was held Thursday morning in Washington, D.C. The Biden administration recently demanded that ByteDance divest its ownership stake in TikTok or potentially be banned in the U.S. over national-security concerns given TikTok’s Chinese ownership. Under pending congressional legislation, which has bipartisan support, President Biden would have the authority to ban TikTok under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The chairwoman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee opened a hearing featuring the CEO of TikTok by telling him that “your platform should be banned.”

who last week announced she is pregnant, was called to give up the $10,000 she was paid, plus interest, and pay a $30,000 fine, according an SEC complaint. A spokeswoman for Paul declined to comment. Emails left with representatives for the other celebrities named in the SEC complaint weren’t immediately returned Wednesday.

ski crash with actor Gwyneth Paltrow caused a man to suffer long-term injuries, including to his mental health and cognitive ability, a Utah court heard on Wednesday, during a second day of testimony in a Park City courthouse. Retired optometrist Terry Sanderson is seeking $300,000 in damages for the impact of a collision between the two at the Deer Valley resort in Utah, which experts testified left the now 76-year-old with lasting damage.

Sofia Coppola’s 16-year-old daughter has shared a video revealing that she was grounded for trying to charter a helicopter. The teenager said in her now-viral video that she wanted to travel from New York to Maryland to have dinner with her camp friend.

Christina Ricci is always down to play around in the weird and macabre world of Netflix's She just can't say whether or not that's actually in the cards just yet.The celebrated actress walked the carpet at the season 2 premiere of, held at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Wednesday, and she spoke with ET's Deidre Behar about both of the highly rated TV shows she's been a part of just in the past year.In, Ricci stars as the seemingly sweet and supportive teacher Marilyn Thornhill, who is ultimately revealed to be secretly evil. She's ultimately defeated by some angry bees and a swift kick in the face, but her actual fate is left somewhat ambiguous.However, Ricci understandably played coy when asked if she might be a part of the hotly anticipated second season, telling ET, «I don't think I'm allowed to say.»However, Ricci happily added, «On my end, the door is open» for a return, if the show wants to bring her back.«She was so fun to play!» Ricci marveled.

Melanie Lynskey says she feels very «fortunate» for the best things in her life, including her career, her sweet husband, Jason Ritter, and their adorable daughter.The celebrated actress walked the carpet at the season 2 premiere of , held at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Wednesday, and she spoke with ET's Deidre Behar about Ritter, and his casting in the second season of her popular showtime series.«I don't think I can tell you anything,» Lynskey admitted, when it came to details about who Ritter would be playing in the hit psychological horror drama, and added that she didn't have anything to do with his casting — which was entirely the idea of creator Ashley Lyle.«Ashley, in fact, came to him and said, 'Would you want to do this particular thing?' And he was really excited,» said Lynskey, who also added that she and Ritter «have no scenes [together]. We didn't work together.»Ultimately, Lynskey said it was «kind of helpful to not work together because, you know, one of us has to be with our child.»Lynskey and Ritter — who began dating in 2013 — got engaged in 2017 and welcomed their baby girl in December 2018.

Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, Melanie Lynskey, and Tawny Cypress look amazing at the premiere of their Showtime series, Yellowjackets!