Taiwan Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Warner Bros Discovery has announced the first ever localized version of the Tom And Jerry series, featuring the famous cat and mouse duo as they take their rivalry to Singapore.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Tom and Jerry,” one of the most iconic animation franchises in history, is to get a localized new version made with Southeast Asian audiences in mind. The cat and mouse duo will take their chases to the streets, buildings and cityscapes of Singapore in a 7 x 3-minute series of shorts, produced locally in Asia, and in association with Warner Bros. Animation.

The 1975’s Matty Healy was spotted strolling around sunny Los Angeles for the first time since his on-stage antics sparked outrage in Malaysia.The British singer made headlines after kissing his bandmate on stage during a performance, causing a stir in the country over their LGBTQ+ laws. Dressed casually in a white vest and blue baggy shorts, the 34 year old was seen examining the wheels of his flashy BMW soft-top car while out in West Hollywood.The Sound singer hunkered down next to the pavement, getting up close and personal with the silver rims of his car as he chatted with a man who appeared to be a valet.

The 1975 have axed the remaining dates on their Asian tour following a performance in Malaysia in which frontman Matty Healy protested anti-LGBTQ laws in the country, leading to their set being cut short by organizers. The band's performance at Kuala Lumpur’s Good Vibes festival on Friday, July 21, was brought to an abrupt end after Healy spoke about his conflicted feelings while on stage in a country where same-sex relationships are illegal and those convicted can be imprisoned.

The 1975 have cancelled shows in Indonesia and Taiwan after being banned from Malaysia following a performance there on Friday.While headlining the Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur, frontman Matty Healy criticised the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws and kissed bassist Ross MacDonald. As a result, not only was the band’s set cut short but the Malaysian government also cancelled the remainder of the festival.The event’s promoters said in a statement on Saturday: “We deeply regret to announce that the remaining schedule of Good Vibes Festival 2023, planned for today and tomorrow, has been cancelled following the controversial conduct and remarks made by UK artist Matty Healy from the band The 1975”.“This decision adheres to the immediate cancellation directive issued at 1:20pm, 22 Jul 2023, by the Ministry Of Communications And Digital”, it went on.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent “God Is a Woman,” a doc by Swiss-Panamanian filmmaker Andrés Peyrot about Pierre Dominique Gaisseau’s 1975 journey to Panama to make a film on the island-dwelling Kuna people — whose women play a unique and sacred role — will open the Venice Film Festival’s Critics’ Week. The section’s out-of-competition opener reconstructs the legend of this film that was passed down from the elders to the new Kuna generation, but never made it to the screen. Gaisseau, a French explorer and filmmaker who won an Oscar in 1961 for the doc “The Sky Above, the Mud Below,” lived with the Kuna people on a Panamanian island for a year and filmed their most intimate ceremonies. He then promised to return with the film, but never did. He ran out of funding and a bank confiscated his reels, which Peyrot unearthed 50 years later.

Venice Critics’ Week has announced the line-up for its 38th edition, running August 30 to September 9 alongside the Venice Film Festival.

The 1975 have cancelled two tour dates in Asia after a Malaysian music festival was axed over pro-LGBT+ comments made by the band’s frontman Matty Healy.

According to Malaysian law, same-sex activity is illegal and carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment with whipping.Following the stunt, the frontman walked off the stage calling out, “alright, we gotta go. We just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, I’ll see you later.”The Good Vibes Festival released a statement shortly after announcing that Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital had canceled the three-day event due to the “controversial conduct and remarks” made by Healy.“We sincerely apologize to all our ticket holders, vendors, sponsors, and partners,” they added.

The 1975 has cancelled upcoming shows in Taiwan and Indonesia after being officially “blacklisted” from Malaysia after frontman Matty Healy openly defied the country’s draconian anti-LGBTQ laws while headlining a musical festival in Kuala Lumpur.

The 1975 have announced the cancellation of shows in Jakarta, Indonesia and Taipei, Taiwan after having their headlining set at Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival cut short and being banned from the country earlier this week.Indonesia’s We The Fest announced today (July 23) that The 1975, who were set to headline the third day of the festival tonight, have cancelled their remaining shows in Asia “due to current circumstances”.“The band never take the decision to cancel a show lightly and had been eagerly looking forward to playing for fans in Jakarta and Taipei but unfortunately, due to current circumstances, it is impossible to proceed with the scheduled shows,” the band said, per a statement shared by We The Fest.A post shared by WE THE FEST (@we.the.fest)We The Fest has also announced that ASAP Ferg has been added to the festival’s line-up today, though it is currently unclear if he will be taking over as a headlining act.Live Nation Taiwan shared a similar statement, adding that refund information will be shared on Monday (July 24).pic.twitter.com/Rrd6c2vW73— Live Nation Taiwan (@LiveNationTW) July 23, 2023The 1975’s cancellation of their Indonesia and Taiwan shows comes after frontman Matty Healy criticised Malaysia’s government while performing at the country’s Good Vibes Festival on Friday night (July 21). Healy also kissed bassist Ross MacDonald onstage, before announcing just seven songs into their set that they had been banned from Malaysia and had to leave.“I made a mistake.

Return To Dust, an arthouse hit in China last summer before being pulled from release, opens Stateside this weekend with Film Movement presenting on two screens – NYC’s BAM Rose Cinema and the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, expanding to LA and Seattle next Friday.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Korean TV series and films are increasing still further their hold on streaming audiences across East Asia. They accounted for half of viewing time in the first half of the year, according to new third-party research. Korean-made premium VOD content captured 50% of SVOD viewership and 42% of freemium viewership between January and June 2023, with a record 58 million VOD users tuning in nine East Asian territories (Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam), according to Singapore-based research and consultancy firm Media Partners Asia. The analysis is based on the measured media consumption activity of 40,000 Asia Pacific consumers, conducted by AMPD, the analysis firm’s sister company.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Exports of K-pop albums increased by 17% year on year to reach an all-time record of $133 million in the first six months of the year. The U.S. is now the second biggest overseas market for Korean music worth $25 million, having overtaken China, but still trailing Japan ($48 million), according to data from the Korea Customs Service. The next largest were Germany, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Canada, the U.K. and France.The record was achieved despite the absence of BTS as a group (though BTS members Jimin, and Suga put out solo efforts) and saw Stray Kids, Tomorrow X Together, Seventeen, Ateez and Twice all make an international impact.

Paramount/Skydance’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is off and running overseas with a $39.8M cume through Thursday in 48 international box office markets. This includes Wednesday openings in some markets and a strong paid preview program. With domestic’s Wednesday/Thursday plus previews, that brings the global total on the Tom Cruise-starrer to $$63.6M through yesterday.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Specialty distributor, Trinity CineAsia is releasing China’s summer blockbuster “Lost in the Stars” in the U.K and Ireland on some 30 screens from Friday. “I was fortunate to watch the film when it opened in China and once I saw it I just knew we had to have it,” said Cedric Behrel “‘Lost In The Stars’ is a very clever, uncanny thrill of a ride that harks back to classic Hitchcock and any noteworthy thriller since – the master himself had in fact once optioned the rights to the same story. We organized the fastest turnaround premiere known to man and we’ve been delighted by the reactions to the early previews. It epitomizes the best of what new Chinese cinema can bring to audiences.”

Barbie won’t be banned in the Philippines after all, following a week-long review by local censors and government officials, although a scene with a controversial map of the South China Sea might be blurred for release.

The box office prospects for “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” are expected to be through the roof.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The upcoming Asian-American feature film “Chopin,” starring Eddie Liu (“Kung Fu,” Never Have I Ever, “Silicon Valley”) and Violett Beane (“God Friended Me,” “The Flash”), officially wrapped a 25-day shoot on June 4. Announced last year, the film is now in post-production and scheduled for an early 2024 premiere. The film is the feature directorial debut of Vincent Lin, a successful commercials director and co-founder of Valiant Pictures. The film, written by Lin, also stars Golden Horse Film Award winner Leon Dai (“Your Name Engraved Herein,” “Cannot Live Without You”) and Taiwanese legend Wu Min (“The Queen!”).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief

Can Tom Cruise save summer?

Vietnam’s decision to ban the movie has been making headlinesNow Warner Bros. is attempting to clarify its intention.The film, directed by Greta Gerwig, was set to hit theaters in the country on July 21, aligning with its big-screen release in most countries around the world.However, Vietnam announced the movie will not be released due to a scene that includes a map using the “nine-dash line” — a set of line segments that represents China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea — which Vietnam claims violates its sovereignty.But the studio rejects the need for controversy.“The map in Barbie Land is a child-like crayon drawing,” a spokesperson for the Warner Bros.

Days after Vietnam banned Warner Bros’ upcoming Barbie due to a scene depicting a map of the South China Sea with the “nine-dash line” that is contested by its government, the Philippines is now weighing whether it will follow suit.

highly-anticipated “Barbie” movie has been banned in Vietnam.The film, directed by Greta Gerwig, was set to hit theaters in the country on July 21, aligning with the cinematic release in most countries around the world. However, state media announced the movie will not be released due to a scene that includes a map using the “nine-dash line” — a set of line segments that represent China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea — which Vietnam claims violates its sovereignty.

Vietnam has banned commercial screenings of Warner Bros’ Barbie due to a scene that depicts a map of the South China Sea with the “nine-dash line” that is contested by the Vietnamese government. 

Refresh for latest…: Disney/Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is off to a disappointing start with a $130M global opening. Of that, $70M is from 52 international box office markets as the the fifth installment in the beloved 42-year-old franchise came in below projections.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Production is under way on a second season of lesbian drama “Fragrance of the First Flower,” an Asian drama series from Taiwan’s GagaOOLala. The first season, comprising six episodes that debuted in 2021, follows the life of Yi-Ming (portrayed by Lin ZaiZai), a married woman with a son, who finds herself reunited with Ting-Ting (played by Cheng Lyan), a girl from her past. Their encounter sparks a connection that opens the door to the possibility of escaping Yi-Ming’s monotonous married life. In season two, expanded to 12 episodes, Yi-Ming embarks on a new chapter as a newly divorced single mother and a career woman. This fresh start brings challenges as she navigates the hardships of single parenthood and societal pressures. Even though Taiwan has legalized same-sex marriage in 2019, this does not mean that LGBTQ+ relationships have been fully accepted in mainstream society. Yi-Ming grapples with whether she can truly follow her heart and pursue a life with Ting-Ting. The original cast will return and new characters will be introduced.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Warner Bros. Discovery will rebrand its kids’ TV channel Boomerang to Cartoonito in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, with effect from July 28. The company said that the “switch is a result of positive feedback to the Cartoonito-branded block on Boomerang and Cartoon Network launched in 2022, and is focused on being more inclusive to pre-school aged viewers.” Sources close to the company explained that the move is “part of a big regional and global commitment by WBD to preschool content.” It follows Cartoonito rebrands and launches in other international territories including EMEA and LatAm.

Taipei Film Festival is aiming to shine an international spotlight on Taiwanese actors through a new initiative, Top Talents, that will showcase nine actors including major stars Kai Ko and Chen Bolin. 

The Match Factory has posted fresh deals of for veteran Italian director Marco Bellocchio’s Cannes 2023 Palme d’Or contender Kidnapped about the true story of the kidnapping of a young Jewish boy.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Following the announcement of the North American acquisition by Cohen Media, The Match Factory has revealed further sales in key territories for Marco Bellocchio’s Cannes Competition title “Kidnapped.” The film adapts the true story of the kidnapping of the young Jewish boy Edgardo Mortara, starring Paolo Pierobon, Fausto Russo Alesi, Barbara Ronchi, Enea Sala and Leonardo Maltese. The film has its release secured in the following territories: U.K. and Ireland (Curzon), Australia and New Zealand (Palace Entertainment), Japan (Fine Films), Latin America (Cine Video y TV), Spain (Vertigo Films), Benelux (Cherry Pickers), Switzerland (Agora Films), Poland (Best Film), Portugal (Alambique), Greece and Cyprus (Rosebud.21), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Aerofilms), Ex-Yugoslavia (MCF Megacom), Hungary (Vertigo Media), Baltics (Kino Pavasaris), Bulgaria (Art Fest), Israel (United King Video), Ukraine (Traffic Films), Taiwan (Light Year Images) and Indonesia (Falcon Pictures). Further territories are in negotiation.

EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based Goodfellas has unveiled a raft of deals on French genre title Vincent Must Die by Stéphan Castang following its buzzy world premiere in Cannes Critics’ Week in May.

Luke Evans (“Murder Mystery,” “Nine Perfect Strangers”) and Taiwanese female actor Gwei Lun-mei (“Black Coal, Thin Ice,” “Girlfriend, Boyfriend”) will co-star in “Weekend Escape Project,” an action thriller being produced in Taiwan by Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp.  The film marks a further comeback for EuropaCorp after a four-year hiatus that followed Besson’s personal travails and financial difficulties at the company. Besson and Virginie Besson-Silla are producing the movie for EuropaCorp. Kinology is handling international sales. 

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang, the arthouse darling known for works including Venice Golden Lion winner “Vive L’Amour” and “The River,” which scored the Berlin Silver Bear, will be celebrated by the Locarno Film Festival with its Honorary Leopard achievement award.  The iconoclastic auteur, who is a key figure in Taiwan’s so-called Second New Wave, will receive the prize from the Swiss fest dedicated to indie cinema during an Aug. 6 ceremony held on its 8,000-seat outdoor Piazza Grande venue. The tribute to Tsai Ming-liang will also involve an onstage conversation with the director on the future of cinema and a screening of the helmer’s 2020 film “Days” (Rizi), as well as an art gallery exhibition of his experimental works.

The Locarno Film Festival will fete multi-award-winning Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang with an Honorary Career Leopard award at the upcoming edition running from August 2 to 12.

“I don’t know,” Newsom responded. “When Ronald Reagan was governor, livin’ in here – ““I’m asking when Gavin Newsom is president.”Newsom didn’t pick up on it at first: “Let me say this, I – ” he began to answer.That’s when Hannity self-corrected: “I mean when Gavin Newsom is governor.