City Singapore Showbiz Latest News and Updates

EXCLUSIVE: UK production and distribution firm 108 Media has acquired a majority stake in Singapore-based animation studio Robot Playground Media (RPM).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefWildBrain CPLG, a leading entertainment, sport and brand-licensing agency, has been appointed by Peanuts Worldwide as the exclusive licensing agent for the Peanuts brand in parts of Asia-Pacific.   The companies already have a licensing relationship in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and, more recently, India.

Kotaku, the reason Skull & Bones hasn’t been cancelled despite its tortured development is an agreement between Ubisoft and the Singaporean government.Kotaku senior reporter Ethan Gach quote-tweeted an article from Eurogamer regarding the rumoured November release of Skull & Bones.In the tweet, Gach said the game is on the way regardless of how development goes because of an agreement between Ubisoft and the Singaporean government. For those unaware, Skull & Bones is being developed by Ubisoft Singapore, a studio that has mostly worked with other Ubisoft studios to develop the Assassin’s Creed series.Was originally aiming for early summer.

Billie Eilish has added another leg to her ‘Happier Than Ever’ world tour, announcing six tour dates in Asia this August.The shows, announced today (June 23), will mark Eilish’s first-ever headlining shows in the continent. The singer had previously performed in Singapore, Tokyo and Osaka in 2018 as part of the Laneway and Summer Sonic festivals respectively.The new dates will take Eilish to cities across the Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Japan.

SF9, P1Harmony, EVERGLOW and solo artists Chung Ha and EXO‘s Chen. For the following night’s concert, Kep1er will be joined by boybands ASTRO and ONEUS, the girl group OH MY GIRL and EXO’s Kai.Tickets go on sale at 1pm next Tuesday (June 28), while a pre-sale will run from 10am this Friday (June 24) – find details on both here.

Karen Idelson When writer-director Leon Cheo was crafting his Indeed Rising Voices short “The 25th Filial Exemplar,” he drew inspiration from old Hollywood films with terrifying depictions of the parent-child relationship, both classic (“Psycho”) and unintentionally camp (“Mommie Dearest”).But his initial creative spark came from something much closer to home: an article he read about a man in China who dressed up as his late sister to help ease his mother’s feelings of loss and grief. Cheo’s own parents live in his native Singapore, and he’s aware that as they grow older, he may have to help them navigate the health care system. It’s rare in Asian culture for parents to go into nursing homes or for people outside the family to provide assistance, so he knows that the burden of providing care could very well fall on him.  “It’s an unpaid job that kind of lasts a lifetime,” says Cheo. Cheo amped up the psychological terror and turmoil in “The 25th Filial Exemplar,” infusing the story with the dark tone of a horror movie and adding sibling rivalry to the thematic mix. While it’s often the first-born male child who becomes the favorite in Asian cultures, in this film, it’s the daughter — though the “daughter” is actually the son dressed as his dead sister.

Naman Ramachandran Indian actor Jackie Shroff (“Sooryavanshi”) will play the lead in Singapore-France-India co-production “Slow Joe,” it was revealed at the Cannes Film Market.Shroff will play the late Indian musician Joseph Manuel Da Rocha, known as Slow Joe, a former heroin addict and drug dealer who was born in Mumbai, was disowned by his family, heartbroken at 50 and who moved to Goa and cleaned up. On a trip to Goa in 2007, Lyon-based French musician Cédric de la Chapelle met Joe, now a frail 64-year-old who was making ends meet as a hotel room broker. Joe, also a poet and musician, sang for de la Chapelle, who was captivated by his voice and recorded some of his a cappella songs.Back in France, de la Chapelle played Joe’s songs for music producer Olivier Boccon-Gibod of Horizon Musiques, who was also entranced.

Naman Ramachandran India’s Mithila Palkar (Netflix’s “Little Things”) and Jaaved Jaaferi (“Sooryavanshi”) and Bangladesh’s Siam Ahmed (“Shaan”) have joined the cast of “In the Ring (Story of a Burqa Boxer).”Set in the female Muslim boxing community of Khidderpore, Kolkata, India, the film is a psychological thriller about Shama, a 17-year-old boxer who exchanges places with her double to fight in the national championship when she is framed in her aunt’s murder.The cast also includes Razia Shabnam, one of the first Indian women to become an international boxing referee and coach.The Hindi-language film will be directed by U.S.-based filmmaker Alka Raghuram, who previously directed the acclaimed documentary “Burqa Boxers,” about Muslim women boxers in Kolkata. The project is being produced by Sreyashii Sengupta for Singapore-based Darpan Global and Souvikk Dasgupta for Oriizon Global in India, with Los Angles-based Rick Ambros serving as executive producer.Raghuram said: “I started writing this script while I was filming the documentary ‘Burqa Boxers.’ While the immersion into their world allowed me to tell the documentary story in the style of realism, it also made me want to explore the interior [worlds] of the characters via a more stylized narrative and style.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefProminent Singapore entertainment lawyer Samuel Souw Theng Beng has lost his license to practise law after a court ruled on Wednesday that he should be barred for a series of assaults against his staff.Souw, who headed the eponymous Samuel Souw Law Corporation and the Beam Artistes talent management firm, had previously pleaded guilty to eight Law Society of Singapore accusations of assault between March and April 2019.The Law Society subsequently recommended that action should be taken by The Court of Three, the highest body for the legal profession. Souw now faces criminal charges over the same incidents.In a written judgement, the court said: “It is plain that a reasonable person would, without hesitation, say that as a solicitor [Souw] should not have done what he has done.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefEpic Pictures Releasing has licensed North American rights to Korean action film “Hot Blooded,” from leading Seoul-based film sales agency Finecut. The deal is one of several struck by the agency ahead of Cannes, where it is also launching sales on Critics’ Week title “Next Sohee.”Starring Bae Doona and Kim Si-eun, “Next Sohee” is directed by Jung July, whose acclaimed “A Girl at My Door” played in Un Certain regard in 2014.

Epik High have announced an Asia Pacific tour that so far spans five stops in Southeast Asia and Australia.This July, the Korean hip-hop group will head to Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, Bangkok and Jakarta for the Epik High Is Here Tour, they announced today (May 14). A tour poster hints at four more stops that have yet to be revealed.The tour will kick off in Singapore on July 9 then head to Australia for stops in Melbourne (July 11) and Sydney (July 12).

Lorraine Kelly has spoken out on the heartbreaking conversation she had no choice but to have with her daughter Rosie about safety.The 62 year old, who recently got back on a horse for the first time in 10 years after a riding accident, and her husband Steve share daughter Rosie, 27, together, who spent several years in Singapore before moving back to the UK at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Following her return, ITV presenter Lorraine explained that she was forced to have a serious talk on the importance of safety in public spaces.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefLondon- and Singapore-based 108 Media has announced plans to acquire Malaysian film and TV production firm Revolution Media (previously Ideate Media). Led by Zainir Aminullah, Revolution was founded in 2013 and underwent a management buy-out in 2019.

The Kashmir Files’ has been banned in Singapore by the country’s InfoComm Media Development Authority, on the grounds that it could disturb religious harmony.Backed by ZEE5 and directed by Vivek Agnihotri (“The Tashkent Files”), the Hindi-language film revolves around a university student who learns about the religiously charged political turmoil that led to the death of his parents in Kashmir in the 1990s.The IMDA said that it had consulted with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and that they together found the film to have “exceeded the Film Classification Guidelines for its provocative and one-sided portrayal of Muslims and the depictions of Hindus being persecuted in the on-going conflict in Kashmir. “These representations have the potential to cause enmity between different communities and disrupt social cohesion and religious harmony in Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious society.”Under the Film Classification guidelines, “any material that is denigrating to racial or religious communities in Singapore” will be refused classification.The film, made on a budget of $2 million, was released in cinemas in India and many international territories in mid-March and has grossed some $43 million to date.

Hong Kong actor Kenneth Tsang, known for his roles in "Rush Hour 2" and "Die Another Day," has died while quarantining in a Chinese hotel, according to local media reports. Tsang had been undergoing seven days of quarantine after returning from Singapore on Monday and was found collapsed on the floor of his hotel room by staff on Wednesday, according to the South China Morning Post and other media. The South China Morning Post said Tsang was 87, but other sources gave his age as 86.

Rush Hour 2 and Die Another Day, has died at the age of 86.Tsang was reportedly found unconscious in a quarantine hotel in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui district on Wednesday (April 27) after returning from a trip to Singapore. Tsang was later pronounced dead at the scene.According to the South China Morning Post, Tsang took a COVID-19 rapid antigen test on Tuesday and tested negative.

Sigur Rós have announced the Asia leg of their upcoming world tour.The Asia leg of the upcoming tour will take place in August with shows in Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Thailand. Venues have yet to be confirmed for the band’s concerts in Seoul, South Korea and Bangkok, Thailand.Posted by Sigur Rós on Monday, April 25, 2022The tour will see Sigur Rós perform in Singapore on August 17, with fan presales starting on Wednesday (April 27) and general tickets going on sale via Sistic this Friday (April 29).

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorHBO Max’s new series “One Perfect Shot” is a masterclass in filmmaking. Ava DuVernay hosts and executive produces the series, inspired by the Twitter account of the same name.Patty Jenkins, Aaron Sorkin, Kasi Lemmons, Jon M. Chu, Malcolm D.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefProduction has wrapped on the long-gestating “Ajoomma,” a feature film that delves into the fascination that Korean pop culture holds for middle-aged women in Asia. The story, said to be based on the mother of director He Shuming, involves a K-drama-obsessed widow from Singapore who tries to find new purpose in life and instead ends up getting lost in Korea. The script was co-written by He and Kris Ong.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefSony Music Group (SMG) Wednesday announced the opening of its new headquarters for Southeast Asia, based in Singapore.The flagship office will be home to SMG companies including Sony Music Entertainment (SME), Sony Music Publishing (SMP) and artist and label services company The Orchard. It will also serve as the new base for Sony Interactive Entertainment, creators of PlayStation.An opening ceremony saw the attendance of Singapore’s Minister of State for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Minister of Culture, Community and Youth, Alvin Tan, and Lim Tse Yong, VP of the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefAsian sports streaming platform SPOTV has launched in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and The Philippines. The move was announced on the first day of the virtual FilMart rights market.The service is available as a subscription-based app that includes linear channels and on demand event coverage. The sports it covers include MotoGP World Championships and World Superbike Championships; World Badminton Federation Tour; the Korean Baseball League; V.League Japan and Formula E motor racing.

Ashley Cain's whole world turned upside down on 25 April 2021, when his daughter Azaylia passed away at the age of eight months following a long and arduous battle with leukaemia. She was just eight weeks old when she was first diagnosed with an aggressive and rare form of the blood cancer and had been receiving care at Birmingham Children Hospital. After multiple rounds of chemo and a bone marrow transplant, the family were told the devastating news that Azaylia's leukaemia had returned.

Singapore’s highest court on Monday declined to overturn a colonial-era law that criminalises sex between men. The Court of Appeal left it up to the Parliament to change laws and pointed to the government’s promise to not enforce the law.LGBTQI advocacy group Pink Dot SG called the court’s refusal to strike down section 377A of the country’s penal code “a devastating blow” to the community. The petition was filed by retired medical practitioner Dr.

A Singapore investment firm has bought a four-star hotel in Manchester city centre for more than £24m.

Naman Ramachandran Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen has wrapped shooting of his first Mainland Chinese feature “The Breaking Ice.”Hailed as one of Asia’s brightest young directors, Chen competed in the shorts competition at Cannes in 2007 with “Grandma” and won the Camera d’Or with his debut feature “Ilo Ilo” in 2013. His sophomore feature “Wet Season” premiered in competition at the Toronto International Film Festival.

WarnerMedia has bolstered its Asian original production teams in advance of the launch of HBO Max in the region, with three hires made in Singapore and India.

Manchester International Festival has announced its new creative director.

Peng Shuai is denying making any claims of sexual assault following a misundersood social media post.

Richard Kuipers Promising ingredients for a juicy murder mystery are spoiled by weak plotting and anemic drama in “Precious Is the Night.” Set among Singapore’s wealthy elite and their household servants in 1969, this plodding tale about a randy doctor involved with an unhappily married socialite and her two housemaids is impeccably decorated and handsomely photographed but fails to produce much tension or intrigue.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefIranian first film “Hit The Road,” directed by Panah Panahi, was named the winner of the Silver Screen Award for best film. The prizes were announced on the final Saturday of the Singapore International Film Festival.Best Film“Hit The Road” dir.

Naman Ramachandran The online edition of the Singapore Comic Con lasts nearly a month (Dec. 3, 2021 – Jan.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefAmazon Prime Video is hatching plans to launch its streaming service in Southeast Asia, the company said on Thursday.

Naman Ramachandran Acclaimed Germany based Indonesian filmmaker Monica Vanesa Tedja is preparing for her feature directorial project “Dear Family,” selected at the Southeast Asia Film Lab, which is part of the Singapore Media Festival.Tedja got hooked on the medium watching her father film family vacations with his handycam when she was seven.

Naman Ramachandran Diverse aspects of the human condition are key drivers of the projects from Vietnam selected at the Southeast Asia Film Lab, which is part of the Singapore Media Festival.Linh Dan Nguyen Phan went to film school in New York and then went to Vietnam and worked as a cinematographer and also directed a few shorts.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefBandLab Technologies, a Singapore-based venture capital fund that owns historic music media title NME, will reorganize itself under the new name Caldecott Music Group.Headed by Kuok Meng Ru, scion of one of Singapore’s most famous business families, the company will operate under three divisions: tech, media, and retail.The BandLab Technologies name will be retained as the brand for the tech division.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefCanadian-owned Beach House Pictures and Singapore producer-distributor Clover Films are receiving support from the Singapore government for their international outreach efforts.The partnerships were supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)’s enhanced Capability Partnership Program.