Indonesia Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Naman Ramachandran Korean action drama “A Shop For Killers” has become the most viewed local original on Disney+ in the Asia Pacific region (Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Philippines) so far in 2024, the streamer has revealed. Set in contemporary Korea, the eight-part series follows college student Jeong Jian who dives for cover in her childhood home after a series of highly skilled assassins come after her.

EXCLUSIVE: Here’s your first look at actor Ravi Patel (Wonder Woman 1984, Animal Patrol) suited up in Kiss Of The Con Queen, the true crime thriller inspired by the life of accused fraudster Hargobind Tahilramani dubbed the “con queen of Hollywood” after allegedly impersonating movie executives in an elaborate and high profile fraud scheme. 

“We don’t need a lot of content, we just need lots of really good content,” Kelvin Yau, President of Asia Pacific and Marketing iQIYI, concluded when quizzed on his company’s editorial strategy during a keynote session on streaming this morning at Filmart in Hong Kong.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Ahead of its U.S. premiere at SXSW, “The Queen of My Dreams” has been sold to a flurry of international markets, including in the U.K. and Ireland to Peccadillo Pictures.

EXCLUSIVE: Indonesia’s MD Pictures has announced that its horror prequel Badarawuhi Di Desa Penari is the first production in Southeast Asia to be filmed with Imax-certified digital cameras.

After a successful return as a physical event last year, Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (Filmart, March 11-14) is taking place again this year against a complicated backdrop, both in terms of market realities and the shifting geopolitics of the region. 

RIIZE have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘RIIZING Day’ fan-con world tour, with concerts in the US, Asia and more.Today (March 5), RIIZE revealed that they would be going on a fan-con world tour in 2024, titled ‘RIIZING Day’, featuring concerts and stops in nine different cities and territories in the coming months.The boyband’s tour will kick off with a two-day concert at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul, South Korea on May 4 and 5. In the same month, the group will play hold shows in Tokyo, Japan and Los Angeles, California.The following month, RIIZE will bring their ‘RIIZING Day’ fan-con tour to Hong Kong and Taipei, before heading to the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand in July 2024.

Room to Read, a global education nonprofit tackling illiteracy and gender inequality, announced a partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery for the premiere of , the first nonprofit-led animation and live-action film project to promote gender equality through the stories of young women around the world.

Naman Ramachandran Filming is currently underway in Bali and Milan on “Forza” from Indonesia’s Adhya Pictures (“Glenn Fredly: The Movie”) and U.S.-based Riva Studios. Written and directed by Marco Balsamo, who previously produced “The Brave,” the film tells the story of Bima, an 11-year-old boy, living in poverty in Bali, who dreams of becoming a professional soccer player so he may provide for his loving family. When Bima meets Marco, a professional soccer player from Bali Royal FC who is on the brink of retirement from his football career, Bima’s once unachievable dream becomes a reality because he is given a rare chance to trial with a youth academy in Europe.

The sun-soaked shores of Bali have become the latest backdrop for reality TV sensations Amber Turner and Chloe Meadows during the TOWIE cast trip, as they set Instagram ablaze with envy-inducing bikini snaps. The duo, known for their glamorous escapades on and off-screen, stunned as they showcased their sun-kissed figures against the breathtaking Balinese landscape. In a series of social media posts, Amber and Chloe treated their combined millions of followers to glimpses of their exotic getaway, highlighting pristine beaches, lush palm trees, and crystal-clear waters.

With 7.35 million admissions at the box office, horror-comedy film Agak Laen has become the second biggest Indonesian box office hit of all time.

Alex Ritman “La Cocina,” the Rooney Mara-starring drama that recently bowed in competition at the Berlinale, has been acquired for most international territories. HanWay Films has closed sales for France (Originals Factory), Australia and New Zealand (Vendetta), Spain (Avalon), Italy (Teodora Film), Benelux (Cherry Pickers), Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Scandinavia (Mis.

Dan Edgar has revealed his new romance with Ella Rae Wise, after splitting from Amber Turner last year. Dan, 33, and Ella, 23, had reportedly grown close during a TOWIE cast trip to Bali. It comes just a couple of years after the new couple had made headlines after Ella accused her now-boyfriend of acting 'inappropriately' during a night out.

The Apprentice star Charlotte 'Lottie' Lion has revealed she ended up in hospital with a mystery illness while travelling abroad on holiday.The 23 year old, who appeared on the 2019 series of the BBC show, shared a selfie on her Instagram on Wednesday, 21 February, which appeared to have been snapped in a hospital bed and showed her wearing an oxygen mask over her face. It wasn't clear where in the world the picture was taken, but on February 8 the TV star was posting from the paradise island of Bali in Indonesia.The law and social sciences student tried to make light of the worrying situation, writing "Onlyfans material?", followed by two laughing face emojis, referring to the adult content site.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Black Tea,” Abderrahmane Sissako‘s lushly lensed romance drama set in China, has been bought by major distributors in key territories ahead of its world premiere in competition at the Berlin Film Festival. Gaumont, which co-produced the film, has sold it to Caramel (Spain), Academy two (Italy), Pandora Films (Germany, Austria), Cineart (Benelux), Films4you (Portugal), Provzglyad (CIS), Mozinet (Hungary), Another World Entertainment (Norway), Film Bazar (Denmark), MCF Megacom (Former Yugoslavia, Albania), Filmstop (Latvia, Estonia), MB Taip Toliau (Lithuania), Imovision (Brazil), AV Jet (Taiwan), Falcon (Indonesia), Pathé BC (Sub-Saharan Africa, Maghreb) and New Cinema (Israel).

MAY 202402: Seoul, South Korea03: Seoul, South Korea04: Seoul, South Korea11: Osaka, Japan12: Osaka, Japan18: Jakarta, Indonesia25: Tokyo, Japan26: Tokyo, JapanJUNE 202402: Nagoya, Japan15: Hong Kong, China16: Hong Kong, China22: Bangkok, Thailand23: Bangkok, Thailand29: Singapore, Singapore30: Singapore, SingaporeAUGUST 202410: Manila, the Philippines11: Manila, the PhilippinesTBALatin America: August to September 2024US: September 2024Europe: October to November 20242024 NCT DREAM WORLD TOUR <THE DREAM SHOW 3>SEOUL ➫ 2024.05.02-04OSAKA ➫ 2024.05.11-12JAKARTA ➫ 2024.05.18TOKYO ➫ 2024.05.25-26NAGOYA ➫ 2024.06.02HONG KONG ➫ 2024.06.15-16BANGKOK ➫ 2024.06.22-23SINGAPORE ➫ 2024.06.29-30MANILA ➫ 2024.08.10-11LATAM ➫… pic.twitter.com/L6FeXT8dVS— NCT DREAM (@NCTsmtown_DREAM) February 20, 2024In other touring news, K-pop girl group aespa have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘SYNK: Parallel Line’ world tour, featuring concerts in Asia, Australia and more.

Lee Hi will be holding a “mini-live performance” in Singapore next month, as part of Marquee Singapore’s ‘OH-K!’ event.The nightclub announced the details for its ‘OH-K!’ event today (February 20), revealing Lee Hi as its special guest performer. The event is being billed as one that “spotlights a diverse and eclectic mix of Korean artists and DJs”.Lee Hi will be performing at Marquee Singapore on March 16, with tickets on sale now via the nightclub’s official website.

Naman Ramachandran Streamer Lionsgate Play has teamed with Grameenphone, a leading telecom services provider in Bangladesh, to expand its presence in the country. Grameenphone, part of Norway’s Telenor Group, has some 82 million subscribers, to whom it offers a bouquet of streaming services.

aespa have announced their upcoming 2024 ‘SYNK: Parallel Line’ world tour, featuring concerts in Asia, Australia and more.Today (February 19), the K-pop girl group announced their new tour, titled ‘SYNK: Parallel Line’, on their official Weverse artist page. aespa’s 2024 tour currently features 19 concerts across 13 different cities in Asia and Australia from June to September 2024.The tour will kick off at the end of June with a two-night concert in Seoul, South Korea.

EXCLUSIVE: Singapore’s Momo Film Co has boarded Indonesian filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja‘s third feature film, Levitating (working title).

Claudia Sanchez’s documentary Transmexico took the Audience Choice Award on Saturday at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, which revealed winners in its juried categories as it wraps its 39th edition.

Diego Ramos Bechara editor “TransMexico,” “Edge of Everything” and Andragogy” are among the winners of the 39th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The SBIFF, whose mission is to discover and showcase the “best in independent and international cinema,” has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting roughly 100,000 attendees for a packed week slatted with screenings of over 200+ films. A panel of jury members selected the winners, which included Lesley Chilcott, Alex Keledjian, Chris Landon, Lael Loewenstein, Jacqueline Lyanga, David Magdael, Gail Mancuso, Greg Nava, Pituka Ortega Heilbron, Carla Renata, Gil Robertson, Ondi Timoner, Clay Tweel and Ali Wolfe.

Naman Ramachandran Streaming subscription growth in the Southeast Asia region slowed dramatically in 2023, but revenue from those subscriptions grew at a robust rate, a new study has found. The report from data analytics company AMPD, that is part of consultancy and research firm Media Partners Asia, shows that the region – that includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – added only 1.3 million net new SVOD subscribers in 2023, compared with 11 million in 2022. But subscription revenues grew at 12.5% to $1.4 billion.

Naman Ramachandran Film and media company Buffalo 8 has acquired worldwide distribution rights to “Dig Me No Grave” from Djonny Chen’s prolific U.K.-based outfit Silent D Pictures. The deal was revealed at the Berlin European Film Market (EFM). “Dig Me No Grave” follows the harrowing journey of an ageing hunter who embarks on a final quest for an elusive elk.

BTS‘ Jungkook during a solo concert.Over the weekend, Ahn Hyo-seop held a show in Tokyo, Japan as part of his ‘The Present Show – here and now’ Asia tour. The trek had also featured shows in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines from 2023 to 2024.During the show, he showcased his singing skills with a cover of ‘Standing Next to You’ by BTS’ Jungkook.

Parasite producer Barunson E&A has a new CEO.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Choi Yoonhee has been named as the new CEO of Barunson E&A, the Korean sales and production firm that is making a splash at the European Film Market in Berlin this week. Choi, who joined the firm in 2021 from CJ ENM, takes over from Gene Hong (Brian) Park and Kwak Sin Ae.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Taiwanese streamer Catchplay has added its original series “Not a Murder Story” to its available lineup in Indonesia. The eight-part series combines a gripping criminal thriller narrative with an exploration of greed and deception. The story revolves around Dong, an aspiring actor who finally gets an opportunity to become famous and successful, but wakes up one day next to a dead woman.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Three Japanese films enjoying their world premieres, along with festival favorites “City of Wind” and “Solids by the Seashore,” are set to appear in the 13-title competition section of the Osaka Asian Film Festival in March. The event will be held March 1-10 at venues including ABC Hall, Cine Libre Umeda, T-Joy Umeda and the Nakanoshima Museum of Art. The opening and closing films will be announced in early February. The 19th edition of the festival, which will eventually contain 55 feature and short films, is set to also include three special programs – a “Thai Cinema Kaleidoscope,” “Taiwan: Movies on the Move,” and “Special Focus on Hong Kong” – as well as its regular Spotlight Section on underrated Asian films and the Indie Forum of more challenging and innovative works. The competition titles are: “City of Wind,” by Mongolia’s Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir; “Fire on Water,” by Malaysia’s Sun-J Perumal; “Hyphen,” by The Philippines Joy Arnaldo; “The Lyricist Wannabe,” by Hong Kong’s Norris Wong; “The Missing,” by The Philippines’ Carl Joseph E.

Naman Ramachandran Top Indonesian star Laura Basuki headlines auteur Razka Robby Ertanto’s “Yohanna,” which has its world premiere in competition at International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film follows young nun Yohanna, whose encounter with the underworld of child labor in the eastern island of Sumba, one of the poorest places in Indonesia, restores her sense of purpose in life.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The CinemAsia Film Festival in Amsterdam has unveiled titles from seven different Asian countries for its competition section. The festival will play at the Studio/K, Rialto De Pijp and Rialto VU venues March 5-10, 2024. The event will close with the out-of-competition screening of “Gaga,” a drama about indigenous communities in Taiwan, directed by Laha Mebow. “Gaga” documents the challenges faced by a commune after the death of a respected tribal elder who, while alive, had held things together.

Naman Ramachandran Indonesian film star Arifin Putra (“The Raid 2”) and emerging actor Eloise Lovell Anderson (“Villain”) have wrapped principal photography on Sean Cronin’s vampire road movie “Bogieville.” Written by Henry P. Gravelle (“The Over Easy Courthouse Cafe”), the film follows a couple on the run who come across a derelict trailer park, Bogieville. Convinced to stay by the sinister caretaker, they soon learn that he is a guardian to the residents of Bogieville, a pack of vampires.

Ed Sheeran will be flying between Asia and the UK every week during the Asian leg of his tour.Sheeran is set to kick off the Asian leg of his ‘+ – = ÷ x’ tour later this month. The first two shows will take place in Japan, before heading to Taiwan and Southeast Asia in February.

Naman Ramachandran Arabella Burfitt-Dons’ dark coming-of-age music drama film “Finding My Voice” has completed principal photography and is currently in post. Debutant Anais Garness is in the lead role of teenage aspiring singer-songwriter Melanie Kendall, raised in a North London council apartment by her mother Lisa, portrayed by “Bionic Woman” star Michelle Ryan.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Newen Connect has closed a raft of sales on “Kina & Yuk,” a live action family adventure from the team behind “Ailo’s Journey,” ahead of the Unifrance Rendez-Vous showcase. Directed by Guillaume Maidatchevsky (“Ailo’s Journey”), the feature is a wild arctic tale following two foxes who are separated by the melting polar ice and must overcome a number of dangers in the hope of being reunited and raise a family together. The movie was released in French theaters by UGC on Dec.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Prime Video Southeast Asia is cutting its originals team in Singapore and moving to a “leaner operating model,” as part of the globe wave of redundancies announced earlier this week.