Japan Showbiz Latest News and Updates

is the biggest thing to happen to country music in quite some time, and the same can be said of Beyoncé's to this year's Western style .During a recent album signing in Tokyo, Japan, Beyoncé somehow made a skin-tight latex dress feel like the obvious choice for a . Instead of pairing her latest cowboy hat with a pair of “Levii's Jeans” or another look from Louis Vuitton's , the went out of the box with an all-brown look made up of a shiny bodycon dress, matching opera gloves, and a dramatic snakeskin trench coat.She gave the monochrome look that Texas flair by simply adding a brown cowboy hat and western-style leather belt with a large gold buckle.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter More than eight months (and one Oscar best picture win) after “Oppenheimer” landed in theaters, Christopher Nolan’s historical epic is still finding new audiences. The film opened over the weekend in its final market, Japan, with $2.5 million from 343 theaters. It placed third on the country’s box office charts after two local offerings, the horror movie “Strange House” and the animated “Haikyu!!” According to Universal Pictures, “Oppenheimer” is the biggest opening weekend of 2024 for a Hollywood release in Japan, surpassing “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” ($1.6 million) and “Dune: Part Two” ($1.3 million).

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Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle broke down in tears as she shared an Easter memory from her time with the late Sarah Harding.The Irish singer, 38, who is currently in Japan, took to TikTok on Sunday, 31 March to share that the trip "got her thinking" about her "first time in LA".This led to Nadine sharing a heartfelt story about her bandmate and friend, Sarah, who tragically passed away at the age of 39 after a battle with breast cancer. Sitting outside to record the video Nadine explained that her first time in LA happened to be Easter Sunday and she was there with "our beautiful Sarah Harding." She said: "We went there to record like a game for a song which came out recently, which is crazy because it was all of those years ago that we went and I'm going to try and get through this without crying." Nadine composed herself and said she had been "left alone for a minute" and "didn't expect this at all." Before sharing that "Sarah and I were beside ourselves with excitement" when they went to LA.

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has finally been released in Japan, and the film has been met with mixed reviews. The biopic profiles Robert J. Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, the real-life American physicist who played a pivotal role in the creation of the atomic bomb in World War II.

Oppenheimer” finally premiered in Japan on Friday with trigger warnings after an eight-month controversy over how it would be perceived there.Signs were posted at the entrances to some theaters in Tokyo, warning that the Christopher Nolan film, which was released globally in July, contained images of nuclear tests.The movie tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer — played by Cillian Murphy, who won the Oscar for his portrayal — the physicist behind the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, killing more than 200,000 and ending World War II.“Of course this is an amazing film which deserves to win the Academy Awards.

J. Kim Murphy Some movie stars don’t lose their luster. A 90-year-old ape and a 69-year-old reptile are taking over domestic charts this weekend, as Warner Bros.

What To Watch.What to watch: 7 movies and shows to stream this week — March 15What to watch: 7 movies and shows to stream this week — March 22Starring Ewan McGregor and his wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead, “A Gentleman in Moscow” follows Count Alexander Rostov as he loses everything in Post-revolution Russia. He’s imprisoned in house arrest at a luxurious hotel where he makes all manner of friendships and connections.Now streaming on Apple TV+ “STEVE!” is a documentary trailing Steve Martin and his impressive career in comedy.

Eight months after it began global release, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer opened in Japan today. The Best Picture Oscar winner about the race to develop the atomic bomb has been met with a mix of reactions, some praising the movie and some finding it uncomfortable to watch. There also have been reports of confusion over the devastating 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki not explicitly being depicted.

A flock of very colourful sheep has arrived at Tatton Park for a very special Easter trail. A dozen super-sized Shaun the Sheep sculptures have been placed around the park for families to find.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic Watching “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” I realized that the movie, a standard overly busy and mediocre blockbuster with a pretty awesome wow of a clash-of-the-titans climax, was demonstrating one of the essential principles of Hollywood movie culture today. Namely: All blockbuster movies are now connected! Kong, living in the Hollow Earth, where most of the film is set (the Hollow Earth is a place I’ve never much liked the idea of, since it seems like Earth’s version of a storage basement), is supposedly the last of his kind, but he discovers a child ape who actually looks like an homage to the cuddly creature in the 1967 Japanese film “Son of Godzilla.” This kid gorilla leads Kong to a tribe of scraggly hostile apes who are living in a slave society presided over by the Skar King, an evil ape with blotchy red hair who’s as tall as Kong and wields a skeletal bone whip that looks like it was fashioned out of the spine of a sea serpent.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Takashi Yamazaki, the Japanese filmmaker behind Oscar-winning smash hit “Godzilla Minus One,” has signed with CAA for representation. “Godzilla Minus One,” on which Yamazaki served as writer, director and VFX supervisor, earned the first-ever nomination and win for a Japanese production in the VFX category at the Academy Awards earlier this month. The film beat strong contenders such as “The Creator,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.

Trabzonspor boss Abdullah Avci has reportedly "approved" a bumper contract offer for Rangers star John Lundstram in a bid to tempt him to Turkey this summer

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hankyu Hanshin, parent company of all-female musical theater company Takarazuka Revue, has apologized to the family of an actor who died in September last year. The 25-year-old woman died after being harassed by theatre officials and older members of the company, it was alleged. She was found at or near her condominium in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, a case which the local police are treating as probable death by suicide. “The two sides have reached a broad agreement on various issues, including compensation,” the Kyodo news agency reported from a press conference held in Osaka on Thursday.

Suede’s Brett Anderson has teamed up with Nadine Shah for a moving version of Mercury Rev’s ‘Holes’ – check it out below.The collaboration has come about as part of a project led by Paraorchestra, and their founder and artistic director Charles Hazlewood, who have put together the album ‘Death Songbook’.The 12-track record features original compositions and new versions of “iconic songs exploring love, loss and transcendence” by artists including Depeche Mode, Suede and Japan.Watch Anderson and Shah’s live performance of ‘Holes’ here:‘Death Songbook’ will be released on April 19 via BMG, and you can pre-order it here.There will also be two live performances of songs from the album, at London’s Roundhouse on April 24, with Shah and Gwenno joining Anderson and Paraorchestra. Gwenno will also join them at Manchester’s Factory International on April 26.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Veteran Chinese director Zhang Yimou will be presented with a lifetime achievement award at the upcoming edition of the Festival of Far East Film in Italy’s Udine (April 24 – May 2). The lineup will include three films by Zhang: his 2023 political thriller “Under the Light” in its competition section; as well as “To Live” and “Raise the Red Lantern” in its restored classics section. The festival’s total lineup includes 74 films in total – 47 in competition and 28 out of competition) from 11 countries.

The number of men who have come forward to say they were abused by the once-celebrated J-pop agent Johnny Kitagawa is now close to 1,000, according to a BBC documentary airing tonight.

? Experts say it's possible.It's an intriguing concept: Living long is something we all aspire to, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or geographical location. According to , only 25% to 30% of our life expectancy is determined by our genes.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Last May, after “Killers of the Flower Moon” premiered at Cannes Film Festival, Martin Scorsese traveled to Rome with his wife, Helen Morris, to attend a conference titled “The Global Aesthetics of the Catholic Imagination.” There, the director announced that he had responded to an appeal by Pope Francis to artists “in the only way I know how: by imagining and writing a screenplay for a film about Jesus.” The conference was organized by Jesuit publication “La Civiltà Cattolica.” It took place after the journal’s editor, Father Antonio Spadaro, held a series of one-on-one conversations with Scorsese that have just been published in Italy in book titled “Dialoghi sulla fede” (“Dialogues on Faith”). The final chapter of this book is titled, as translated from Italian, “Screenplay for a Possible Film on Jesus” by Scorsese.

Jeff Benjamin As with his long music career, Yoshiki’s eventual foray into fashion seemed inevitable.“I’m the oldest son, and, usually, the son takes over the family business,” Yoshiki, Variety’s International Achievement in Music honoree, says about the expectations for him to take over his parents’ kimono shop. “I was always surrounded by those flashy kimonos.

Jeff Benjamin Yoshiki’s involvement in philanthropy encompasses a diverse range of causes, with his family and upbringing being core influences. “I lost my father when I was young,” Yoshiki says. “He actually took his own life.

Jeff Benjamin Ahead of Milan Fashion Week 2024’s unveiling of the high-end line Maison Yoshiki, its designer and namesake, Japanese rock star Yoshiki, made a last-minute decision to perform on the runway. About 10 minutes into the Feb.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief In these culturally sensitive times, having an American director and showrunner on a quintessentially Japanese series is sure to raise the issue of cultural appropriation. But the Dave Boyle-directed “House of Ninjas,” which Netflix launched in February, stands out not only as a hit, but as a seemingly happy blend of East and West. An original story about the last living ninja family in modern times, the show ranked as the streamer’s top non-English show in 16 countries and regions, as well as reached the top ten list in 92 countries.In an interview with Variety, Boyle (“The Man From Reno,” “Big Dreams, Little Tokyo”) said that surprising career left-turns brought him to the series and helped him keep the show authentically Japanese.

XG have announced an upcoming new single titled ‘Woke Up’, due out in May.XG announced the new song via their social media channels earlier today (March 27), revealing its title, format, release date and cover art. Titled ‘Woke Up’, the new track will be released on May 21 both physically and on digital platforms.Meanwhile, the cover art features a close-up shot of someone’s lips with black lipstick, along with silver grills designed to look like the girl group’s official logo.

HYBE, home to K-pop juggernauts BTS, have inked a new 10-year “global alliance” with Universal Music Group (UMG).HYBE – also home to other K-pop groups such as SEVENTEEN, NewJeans and more – announced an expanded agreement with UMG. The new deal will give UMG “exclusive distribution rights” to HYBE releases for the next 10 years, while HYBE’s roster of artists will have access to the former’s “global network”.The new agreement will also see UMG further working with HYBE’s fan platform Weverse, in order to “[bring] more of a direct connection between UMG artists and their fandom[s]”.

NewJeans have made a surprise announcement of two new single albums and a 2025 world tour – find all details below.The K-pop girl group have been teasing new music since the beginning of this month, and have unveiled not one, but two new single albums. NewJeans shared the announcement via their app Phoning, where they revealed the first single album will drop on May 24, and then on June 21.The first single album will be called ‘How Sweet’ and will feature its title track and another song called ‘Bubble Gum’.

Acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi wowed international audiences and critics with his drama “Drive My Car,” which earned the Best International Feature Film Oscar in 2022. The venerated director is back with “Evil Does Not Exist,” an ecological fable with genre elements about a father and daughter living in the wilderness outside Tokyo.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hybe, the Korean firm behind K-pop’s BTS, has struck an expanded 10-year deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), providing Hybe’s roster of artists and labels access to UMG’s leading global network. UMG will further collaborate with Hybe’s global superfan platform Weverse, bringing more of a direct connection between UMG artists and their fandom. Hybe and UMG will additionally collaborate on artist promotions and marketing activities in North America under the oversight of Scooter Braun – who, in his time as CEO of Hybe America, acquired QC Media Holdings and incorporated SB Projects as well as Big Machine Label Group into the existing roster. Hybe and UMG first teamed up in 2017 on BTS, through a distribution agreement in Japan. In 2021, the companies expanded their relationship with a global strategic agreement which saw collaborations across multiple projects and use of Weverse for fan communication.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Saudi Arabia, where popular anime characters such as “Captain Tsubasa” and “Dragon Ball” protagonist Son Goku have been engrained in the culture for decades, is taking its love affair with Japanese manga content to the next level. In late March, just a few weeks after the death of “Dragon Ball” creator Akira Toriyama, it was announced that the world’s first theme park dedicated to the megahit Japanese manga and animation franchise will be built in Qiddiya, the massive entertainment and tourism project outside the Saudi capital of Riyadh through a joint venture between Qiddiya and Japan’s Toei Animation.

Fletcher has denied having any involvement with the controversial group MMS (Modern Mystery School).In a post on X/Twitter yesterday (March 25), the New Jersey singer – full name Cari Elise Fletcher – wrote: “I am no longer involved with MMS.“I was listed on the website because I took a few introductory classes followed by a one week course out of curiosity. Further insight into the organization did not resonate with me in any way.”She added: “I do not support, subscribe or condone any mission or rhetoric that is anti- LGBTQ+ in any form, spiritually, politically or otherwise.”You can see the statement in the post below.pic.twitter.com/UnafxAYFTD— FLETCHER (@findingfletcher) March 25, 2024Fletcher joined Modern Mystery School?!? #fletcher #mileycyrus #shawnmendes #modernmysteryschool @No Culty Vibes @No Culty Vibes @No Culty Vibes ♬ original sound – No Culty Vibes Replying to @Mir_el26 okayyy Fletcher’s not in a cult.

mimiirose are set to make their return to music under new management later this year.Today (March 26), K-pop agency Pocket7 Entertainment announced that all five original members of mimiirose have signed a new exclusive contract with the company. This comes months after the quintet left YES IM Entertainment, following fraud allegations against its CEO Im Chang jung.“We are glad to welcome mimiirose, a group with a very unique and original music style, as the first new family members under the company,” Pocket7 Entertainment said in a statement to Korea JoongAng Daily.

Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oli Sykes has teamed up with Japanese horror manga artist Junji Ito for a new clothing collection.Sykes’ alternative apparel company Drop Dead is due to launch a range of shirts, hoodies, tops, jackets and accessories made in partnership with Ito at 7pm GMT this Friday (March 29).“Junji Ito is a genius. His style is only topped by his substance.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Universal’s “The Fall Guy” will open in mainland Chinese cinemas next month, ahead of its debut in the U.S. and star Ryan Gosling’s native Canada. The film is set to release officially in China on April 30.

Netflix unveiled its anime line-up for the year at the AnimeJapan event in Tokyo, including feature film Ultraman: Rising and TV series Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance and Rising Impact.

NCT Dream have released their brand-new mini-album ‘Dream( )scape’, which dropped alongside a music video for title track ‘Smoothie’.In the trippy music video for ‘Smoothie’, members of the boyband wield swords while slicing up giant fruits. Other scenes in the clip also feature various fruit-inspired visuals, alongside thrilling action scenes and more.“Smoothie Smoothie Smoothie, shake it all out and grind it / Smoothie Smoothie Smoothie, Smoothie Smoothie Smoothie / Dirty taste, take it,” the band rap on the new song’s chorus.‘Dream( )scape’ marks NCT Dream’s seventh mini-album and features six new tracks: ‘icantfeelanything’, ‘Smoothie’, ‘Box’, ‘Carat Cake’, ‘Unknown’ and ‘Breathing’.NCT Dream are set to embark on a world tour in support of their new mini-album.

Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 had a rock ‘em sock ‘em weekend at the international box office, adding $55.3M from 69 markets for a $135M overseas running cume, and $268.2M global (there are several key markets still to release, including France, Australia, the UK and Korea).