Hong Kong Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track… So, we’re going to do the hard work for you.

A mum used her talent for making health and beauty products to help her son who was going through gruelling treatment - and went on to establish a successful business.

Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that Frozen 4 is in the works, with the new installment joining the previously confirmed Frozen 3.

EXCLUSIVE: Peacock has acquired cutesy animated series Mittens & Pants and is planning a Q1 2024 launch.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Two independent management companies in the Asian music scene, MoFo Music and IAMAD, have merged to create a new music production and artist management group, MAD MoFo. The new entity will be led by Hong Kong-based Kelvin Avon and Sydney, Australia-based Philippe-Marc Anquetil. Both are both multi-award winning and multi-platinum selling international producers, songwriters and managers. At the same time, MAD MoFo has announced the launch of a Series A fundraising.

The Goldfinger is described as a Hong Kong crime epic and now it has a UK release date: December 30th in previews and than wider from 5th January.The Goldfinger stars Tony Leung (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Grandmaster) and Andy Lau (The Wandering Earth II, House of Flying Daggers), teamed with Infernal Affairs co-writer Felix Chong (The Silent War, Overheard).The duo first collaborated more than 20 years ago on original 2002 box office sensation Infernal Affairs which earned international acclaim and paved the way for a hit trilogy as well as that 2006 Scorsese remake, The Departed.Cine Asia will distribute the film in the UK.Related: Trailer for The Goldfinger starring Tony Leung and Andy LauInspired by true events and set during the 1980’s, The Goldfinger follows the rise and fall of a multi-billion-dollar company and its chairman Cheng Yi-yan (Leung), who undergoes a major investigation led by an elite anti-corruption investigator (Lau). The result is a relentless and intriguing 15-year investigation in pursuit of the truth.Very much looking forward to this.

Caroline Brew editor Film Movement has acquired the U.S. rights to Maciek Hamela’s “In the Rearview,” following its Cannes Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival premieres. Film Movement has a theatrical release and awards campaign planned with the documentary’s producers and Polish Film Institute, which co-financed the film.

Adele Lim, screenwriter of Crazy Rich Asians and writer-director of Joy Ride, talked about the realities of bringing Asian stories to mainstream global audiences in a panel, ‘Asian Rising Power in Hollywood’, on the second day of Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF). 

IVE have announced the stops and dates for their upcoming 2023 to 2024 ‘Show What I Have’ world tour.Today (November 8), IVE announced the dates for the upcoming Asia, US, Europe, Latin America and Australia legs of their 2023 to 2024 ‘Show What I Have’ world tour. This comes just a month after they kicked off the tour in October with two shows in Seoul, South Korea.The K-pop girl group will kick off the Asia leg of their newly announced tour in November 2023, with two shows in Yokohama, Japan.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Chen Shaojie, the founder and CEO of leading gaming live-streaming platform DouYu, has disappeared and has been incommunicado for some three weeks, according to multiple Chinese media sources. The local reports, subsequently carried by the Financial Times and the Alibaba-owned South China Morning Post based in Hong Kong, allege that Chen’s disappearance is related to discovery by authorities of pornography and gambling content on the platform. Both are illegal in mainland China.

Reuters, no previous Gay Games had fewer than 8,000 participants.But the week prior to the event, only 2,381 athletes had registered to play in Hong Kong, and only 2,458 participants had registered for Guadalajara.The opening ceremonies of the Gay Games last Thursday drew criticism from local anti-LGBTQ conservative politicians, eight of whom backed a petition circulated by anti-LGBTQ groups demanding the Gay Games’ cancellation due to fears of spreading “Western ideology,” reports CNN.Junius Ho, a firebrand conservative lawmaker, suggested that the Gay Games violate provisions within the country’s new national security law that prohibit foreign powers from interfering in Hong Kong’s governance. This is based on the idea that support for homosexuality is a form of Western imperialism and is too closely connected with pro-freedom movements that have warred with China’s Communist-led government.Another lawmaker, Peter Shiu, accused the event of being overly politicized and a form of “advocacy” that was an attempt to impose Western values on Chinese society.Organizers of the Gay Games rebutted those claims, arguing that the event is a non-political celebration of inclusivity.“All our books have been checked by professional accountants, open and transparent,” Lisa Lam, the co-chair of Gay Games, said at a kickoff event last Thursday.

Prince William was left stunned when a young royal fan took a bite of his finger while on a royal visit in Singapore.

EXCLUSIVE: Los Angeles-based distributor Orchid Tree Media has acquired North American rights to Anastasia Tsang’s A Light Never Goes Out, which is Hong Kong’s submission for Best International Feature at the Oscars. A theatrical release is being lined up in select cinemas. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief CJ ENM Hong Kong, a unit of South Korea’s CJ ENM, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) and local TV network – TVBS to launch a multi-year content fund that would support the co-production and joint distribution of audiovisual content. The “strategic alliance” combines assets including production, distribution and marketing, media networks and technology.

EXCLUSIVE: Golden Globe winner Emma Corrin (The Crown) and Cesar nominee Lucie Zhang (Paris, 13th District) are set to star in Jenny Suen’s English language feature debut Peaches, which Coco Francini (Fingernails) will produce and Oscar winner Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton will executive-produce for Dirty Films.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Warner Bros. Discovery, Taiwan Mobile and the Taiwan Creative Content Agency have signed a multi-year memorandum of understanding to create and distribute Taiwanese original content locally and across international markets. The MOU, signed in advance of next week’s TCCF event, combines the expertise and reach of the three companies to develop, produce and distribute local IP and content for both local and global audiences.

Warner Bros Discovery‘s international restructuring has continued with James Gibbons setting out the shape of his Asia Pacific team, with Japanese Country Manager Masami Takahashi choosing to retire.

Naman Ramachandran Warner Bros. Discovery has revealed several leadership roles across its Asia Pacific (APAC) business, following the appointment of James Gibbons as president, Asia Pacific, in October.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Mister Smith Entertainment has clinched first key international sales on Weston Razooli’s “Riddle of Fire.” Among major territories, Mister Smith has closed Japan (Klockworx), France (ASC Distribution) and Spain (Flamingo Films). Deals build on a co-U.S acquisition by Yellow Veil Pictures and Vinegar Syndrome, which plan a domestic theatrical bow in early 2024, releasing the film on 35mm.

EXCLUSIVE: Quiver Distribution announced they have completed production on the military action/science fiction film Agent Recon, featuring legendary martial arts expert and action hero Chuck Norris (Expendables 2, Walker Texas Ranger), and will launch sales at the American Film Market (AFM) with Millennium Media selling foreign territories. Sci-fi icon Marc Singer (Beastmaster, V) and Hong Kong’s new action vanguard Derek Ting (Agent Revelation), who also writes and directs, unite with Norris to tackle two kinetic genres. 

Warner Bros Discovery has signed a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taiwan Mobile and Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) to create and distribute Taiwanese original content locally and across international markets.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hong Kong-based sales firm Autumn Sun has acquisition worldwide rights to Chinese family-oriented animated film “I Am T-Rex,” directed by Shang Ming and Si Lin, produced by Beijing Create Dream. “I Am T-Rex” follows a young T-Rex named Didi in her coming of age journey after the death of powerful father T-Rex Rog, who is killed by a rival dino gang. She must learn the ways of the T-Rex and claim the crown again with the help of her uncle and a very caring friend.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Japanese drama film “Mountain Woman,” which was one of the standouts titles at last year’s Tokyo International Film Festival, is to be represented for global sales by EST N8. Inspired by “The Legends of Tono,” which is Japanese folklore from the Tohoku region, the film depicts a small Japanese village overrun by famine. The burden falls upon Rin, a woman whose connections with the spirit and natural worlds allow her to rise amidst familial conflicts.

Veteran Hong Kong actor Tony Leung passed through the Tokyo Film Festival this afternoon, where he led a masterclass session following a screening of 2046, his sixth collaboration with filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai. 

EXCLUSIVE: Concrete Utopia, South Korea’s International Film Oscar entry this year, will hit theaters in NY and LA on Dec. 8 with a wide release on Dec. 15.  In the U.S, 815 Pictures and Seismic Releasing are releasing the Lotte Entertainment feature.

Naman Ramachandran Chinese superstar actor and producer Fan Bingbing will be the 2023 recipient of the Singapore International Film Festival‘s (SGIFF) Cinema Icon Award. The festival will screen three of Fan’s films, curated by her – the recent “Green Night,” “Buddha Mountain” and “Double Xposure” – and the star will walk the red carpet on opening night, Nov. 30.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hong Kong-based studio Edko Films will launch “Table for Six 2,” a sequel to its 2022 smash hit, at TIFFCOM, the rights market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival. The heartfelt comedy is again written and directed by Sunny Chan, who enjoyed breakout success with “Table for Six,” a comedy-drama that starts with an awkward family reunion dinner where past and present romantic relationships are tangled and almost anything that could go wrong did. For the sequel. Chan has reunited the original cast – Stephy Tang, Louis Cheung, Ivana Wong, Lin Min Chen, Peter Chan Charm Man – for three weddings and their aftermath.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic In America, doing what Andy Lau does in Hong Kong film industry satire “The Movie Emperor” would likely net him an Oscar nomination. Or at least an MTV Movie Award.

Guangzhou-based director Choy Ji has filmed Hong Kong from a perspective we’ve rarely seen before in his debut feature Borrowed Time, which played at Pingyao film festival this week after screening in Busan’s New Currents competition. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Chinese movie conglomerate Hengdian Films has inked a contract to fit Imax with Laser premium large format screen systems at 20 of its cinema locations. The order is the Imax’s largest recorded during the past four years. Hengdian Films is a pre-existing Imax client and the new deal will expand its Imax screen count to 27 when completed.

Audrey Diwan’s highly anticipated English-language Emmanuelle reboot starring Noémie Merlant in the titular role has begun shooting in Paris.

K.J. Yossman “House of Kardashian,” the documentary about television’s most famous family, is heading to Australia among other territories. FOXTEL have picked up the three-part doc series, made by 72 Films, for the Australian market.

Jax is teaming up with Simple Plan! – Just Jared Jr Why didn’t Prince William and Princess Kate attend? – Celebitchy What to know about Millie Bobby Brown‘s romance – Popsugar Big Pretty Little Liars family news – Just Jared Jr Celebrities like Emma Stone, Conan O’Brien, and Neil Patrick Harris have all come out to Escape Room LA for some of the city’s best puzzle-based games. The Downtown LA location just opened a new escape room called “Black Dragon”, which was inspired by Hong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City. The high level of production is beyond impressive, giving participants a fully immersive experience inside a dark labyrinth of tiny shops and narrow alleys. Join in on the secretive mission to stop the Black Dragon Gang by picking up tickets at EscapeRoomLA.com. Check out the gallery for a sneak peak!

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Two titles which debuted at Cannes this year were named as the major prize-winners at the seventh edition of the Pingyao International Film Festival in China. Wei Shujun’s black comedy-thriller “Only the River Flows” won the festival’s Fei Mu prize for best Chinese film.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is towering over the global box office with estimates of $126 million to $130 million in its first weekend of release. It’s a seismic start for any concert film, but this is particularly impressive because it was announced just six weeks ago and unspooled on the big screen with minimal marketing dollars. “The Eras Tour” which is produced by Swift and distributed by AMC Theatres, collected a projected $31 million to $33 million from 94 international markets.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Tiger Stripes,” the Malaysian coming-of-age, body horror film that debuted in Cannes’ Critics Week section has been set as the opening title for this year’s Singapore International Film Festival (Nov. 30 – Dec.