Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney Call Off Divorce Amid Reconciliation Attempt

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief EST Studios, the film company established this year by 88Rising co-founder Jaeson Ma and former Vice Media executive Eric Tu, has struck a partnership arrangement with China’s Hugoeast Media. The partnership is looking at an initial slate of eight projects, with EST Studios representing sales at the major film markets including the upcoming Asian Contents and Film Market and Asian Project Market at the Busan International Film Festival. EST will be the exclusive representative for Hugoeast’s titles in North America. In other territories (outside of China) it will handle them on a non-exclusive basis.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Veteran media executive Fotini Paraskakis is launching Empire of Arkadia, an Asia-focused content company. The firm expects to unveil its debut slate in time for MIPCOM later this month. Paraskakis is joined in the venture by Japanese media executive Shigeko (Cindy) Chino and former Discovery APAC and EMEA president, Arthur Bastings. The trio describe Empire of Arkadia’s mission as bringing Asian-inspired stories, in both scripted and non-scripted sectors, to the international stage. They will lead with “forwarding-thinking stories that speak to younger generations.”

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Fresh from a chaotic Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, TV coverage of Formula One motor racing is set to shift broadcasting partner in Asia-Pacific. Sports Business reports that pay-TV broadcaster beIN Sports is finalizing a multi-year deal beginning in 2023 reaching across most of its Asia-Pacific footprint, but excluding Australia, where Foxtel recently renewed its deal, and New Zealand.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Comedy action film “Confidential Assignment 2: International” remained at the top of the South Korean box office for the fourth consecutive weekend. Its enduring success came despite a slew of new releases intended to catch the National Foundation Day holiday weekend traffic. Between Friday and Sunday “Confidential Assignment 2” garnered $2.19 million from 304,000 ticket sales, and a market share of 29%. The weekend earnings lift it to a $43.3 million cumulative since release on Sept. 7, 2022. It is only the fourth film this year to have passed the six million spectators mark and the third Korean film to do so, following “The Roundup” (12.7 million) and “Hansan: Rising Dragon” (7.26 million).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Patriotic action film “Homecoming” dominated cinemagoing in China over the weekend with a nearly $60 million haul. But the National Day holiday season is in a deep slump compared with recent years. Directed by Rao Xiaozhi, the film is yet another tale of a heroic rescue of Chinese citizens in danger in foreign lands. In this instance, two Chinese diplomats must return to war-torn 2011 Libya to save 125 people who have been left behind. The film opened on Friday and garnered an impressive $59.3 million (RMB421) according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. It accounted for a thumping 67% market share. Imax reported that the film had been shot with Imax-certified cameras and that $3 million of the total came from its screens in China.

Going her own way. MacKenzie Scott, who was formally married to Jeff Bezos, has filed for divorce from her second husband, Dan Jewett, after less than two years of marriage. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief China recorded an unchanged top five films and its weakest box office weekend since Chinese New Year. Nationwide gross box office was just $18.6 million. Comedy drama film “Give Me Five” held on to the top spot for the third week, with a weekend score of $6.3 million (RMB43.3 million), according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. It now has a cumulative of $46.4 million since release on Sept. 9, 2022. The film is the story of a young man who is helping his father rediscover his lost memories. As he does so, he is transported back in time and accidentally alters his parent’s pasts. That means he must reunite the pair or risk never being born. It stars Ma Li Chang Yuan and Wei Xiang and is directed by Zhang Luan.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Sally Aitken a two-time Emmy nominated writer and director (“Playing with Sharks”) and producer and media executive Aline Jacques (“Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story”) have launched SAM Content. The Sydney-based independent production company will develop and produce all genres of unscripted and scripted projects for local platforms and the international marketplace. They open their doors with four film and TV shows in production with Australian broadcasters and screen agencies. They include an untitled Wiggles project in partnership with Augusto Entertainment’s Cass Avery and Daniel Story, and with funding from federal screen agency Screen Australia. The Wiggles is a successful children’s musical group that has been on the scene for 30 years and has been involved with both TV and film.

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Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief A new trailer for the second season of futuristic fantasy actioner Alice in Borderland was the highlight of a slate of Japanese film, series and cartoons unveiled by Netflix on Sunday as part of its Tudum fan experience. Japanese content is doing well for the streamer, both within the country which is Netflix’s most valuable in the Asia-Pacific region, and increasingly overseas. Though the country is awaiting its “Squid Game” breakout show, the company has signaled that it is investing more in the Japanese-language category. The Sunday presentation included a group interview segment in which Yamazaki Kento and Tsuchiya Tao, who play Arisu and Usagi from “Alice in Borderland,” Mori Nana and Deguchi Natsuki who play Kiyo and Sumire in “The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House,” and Ai Fairouz , voice actress for Jolyne Cujoh in “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean,” talked about their personal growth and shared thoughts on now reaching fans all over the world.

A woman allegedly pushed her 3-year-old nephew off of a pier in Chicago and watched him struggle as he sank below the surface.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Japan’s biggest film group Toho announced that it has taken a controlling stake in TIA (previously Toho Interactive Animation), a production company behind the “100 Nichikan Ikita Wani,” film and anime series “iii icecrin,” “iii icecrin2” “Ninja Collection” and “That Is the Bottleneck.” Originally known as I&A, the company was established in 2017 by ILCA and Anima. The name changed to TIA after Toho bought a nearly 35% from the two founders in 2020. Toho has now bought out Anima’s stake, giving it a 67.4% majority holding and cause to rename the company again, this time to Toho Animation Studio. Deal terms were not disclosed.

at Westminster Abbey, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin was taken to Windsor Castle, processed up the Long Walk at Windsor Castle and received with a committal service at St George’s Chapel. Then, following the pomp and ceremony of the day, the Royal Family were able to bid their matriarch a final farewell away from the public eye, as a private burial took place in the King George VI Memorial Chapel.To mark the milestone, the Palace shared two images of the late monarch: one showing her with her husband (then fiancé), sister, and parents as a young princess; and the other a previously unseen, candid snap of the monarch on her own, walking among the heather on her Balmoral estate.Posted to the official Royal Family social media accounts, the first photo is a striking black and white family portrait.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video compete for second position behind Netflix in Australia, the Asia-Pacific region’s most developed streaming market. But, increasingly, all premium SVOD suppliers are focusing on profitability rather than simple growth. A new report from consultancy and research firm Media Partners Asia, “Australia Online Video Consumer Insights & Analytics” shows that Australian consumers streamed 24 billion minutes of premium online video between January and August this year. SVOD platforms accounted for 70% of viewing time, while broadcaster-operated platforms (BVOD) claimed 30%. The numbers reflect a mixture of measured usage and a panel of viewers.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Luang Prabang Film Festival held annually in Laos’ cultural hub will make an in-person return to action in December. The festival operated as a virtual event in 2020 under pandemic conditions. But was forced to cancel its 2021 edition. The town has no permanent movie theater and the festival uses temporary facilities, but previous editions have attracted big crowds. All events are open to the public and are free of charge. Over four days (Dec. 8-11, 2022) organizers will put on a mix of some twenty film screenings, public discussions and Q&A sessions with local audiences. This year, the LPFF will add a second night venue.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Action star, Jai Courtney is to narrate “For the Love of Pets,” a factual animal welfare series set in Australia. Commissioned for the 9Network Australia and filmed in 4K, the 8-part series follows the heart-warming stories of the staff, volunteers and animals that come through the doors of the Animal Welfare League of South Australia Inc. (AWL) and Vets4Pets Emergency Hospital in Adelaide. Production is by Context Media with production funding from Omnicom Media Group subsidiary, OMnet Australia. Escapade Media is on board to handle international distribution and says that it is close to announcing a raft of licensing deals.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Comedy drama film “Give Me Five” held on to the top spot at the mainland Chinese box office with a weekend score of just $7.4 million (RMB50.8 million). The film is the story of a young man who is helping his father rediscover his lost memories. As he does so, he is transported back in time and accidentally alters his parent’s pasts. That means he must reunite the pair or risk never being born. It stars Ma Li Chang Yuan and Wei Xiang and is directed by Zhang Luan.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief For the second weekend running, comedy action film “Confidential Assignment 2: International” held top spot at the South Korean box office. And it did so with a massive 75% share of the market. But as the Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) holiday retreated into the rear-view mirror numbers, both for the sequel film and the nationwide box office, came crashing down. “Confidential Assignment 2” earned $6.89 million over the latest Friday to Sunday period, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). That figure was down 57% compared with its opening salvo of $21.0 million a week earlier.

Deadline first reported news of Patrick’s addition to the “1923” cast.“’1923’ will introduce a new generation of the Dutton family and explore the early 20th century when pandemics, historic drought, the end of Prohibition and the Great Depression all plague the mountain west, and the Duttons who call it home,” an official plot synopsis from Paramount reads.The new show is set to debut on Paramount+ this December, joining a growing number of Sheridan projects that will debut this fall, including the mothership “Yellowstone” series (back on the Paramount Network on Nov. 13); “Tulsa King” starring Sylvester Stallone, which is outside of the “Yellowstone” universe (also Nov.