Netflix Pushed for Authenticity in ‘Thai Cave Rescue’ Series

The Eye Network had a very good Friday night in the ratings wars.

Netflix has shared the first look at its upcoming K-drama, The Fabulous, starring SHINee’s Minho.The much-anticipated first glimpse at the new series was shared by Netflix on October 5, and features snippets pulled from The Fabulous encompassing the fast-paced, glamorous world of South Korea’s illustrious fashion scene. Freelance photo editor Ji Woo-min (played by SHINee’s Minho) is at the heart of its schemes, crossing paths and eventually developing a romance with PR manager Pyo Ji-eun (Rookie Cops’ Chae Soo-bin).It also features cameo appearances from several top South Korean models, most notably including Choi So-ra, best known as the winner of the third cycle of Korea’s Next Top Model. Slated to make its global premiere on the streaming platform on November 4, The Fabulous, set against the backdrop of Seoul’s fashion industry and will depict the stories of young men and women as they navigate their work, personal lives, friendships and romances, along with their struggles to stay afloat in a fast-changing and competitive fashion landscape.Other cast members previously announced to be joining Minho and Chae on The Fabulous include Kim Min-kyu, a past Produce X 101 contestant, as well as Byun Jun-seo (Woori The Virgin), Lee Mi-do (Kiss Sixth Sense, House Of Lies), Kwon Hae-sung (Cafe Minamdang, The Devil Judge) and rookie actress Ye Seon-ho, among others.The first official details of the upcoming romance series first surfaced as early as September 2021.

BreAnna Bell Ryan Murphy’s Jeffrey Dahmer series “Monster” is breaking new records. In its second week on the Netflix Top 10 chart, the series has become Netflix’s ninth most popular English-language TV show of all time. Netflix measures overall popularity by counting hours viewed in a title’s first 28 days on the streamer. After 12 days alone, “Monster” has been viewed for 496 million hours — and it still has 16 more days to climb even higher on the chart. According to Netflix’s figures, at least 56 million households have consumed all 10 episodes (approximately 8.8 hours total) of the limited series thus far. The Evan Peters-led series also leads the English TV chart for the second consecutive week, earning 299.84 million hours viewed. The accomplishment makes it the second most watched English-language series in a week behind “Stranger Things 4.”

Netflix has made the decision of dropping the LGBTQ tag from Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story after experiencing backlash from viewers. The series about the Milwaukee serial killer was categorized with the LGBTQ tag but was recently removed following criticism from the community.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Further media industry upheaval is on the cards, as the world exits from COVID and heads towards possible recession, warned financier and media advisor Joe Ravitch. “A lot of trends are now being reversed,” said Ravitch, partner and co-founder of Raine group. He was speaking at the APOS conference in Singapore, where U.S.-based Raine has recently opened a local office. Where the pandemic kept people indoors and online, since the loosening of health restrictions theatrical cinema, theme parks, concerts, gyms and in-person sport and music events have rebounded. People’s online behavior has also been altered.

Creating locally authentic content has been key to Netflix’s success in producing shows in Asia that have resonated globally, according to Minyoung Kim, Netflix Vice President of Content, APAC ex India, speaking at APOS, which is taking place virtually and in-person in Singapore this week (September 27-29).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Asian streaming firm Viu is approaching profitability by staying its lane and sticking with the business principles that have made it a regional success story – Asian content, AVOD and SVOD models under one roof, and resistance to over-expansion. “The industry for streaming has matured very rapidly [in part due to COVID],” said CEO Janice Lee, speaking Wednesday at the APOS convention in Singapore. “But what makes Asia different is that Asia has not yet reached mature market status.” After some six years in business Viu is now EBITDA positive. “We always been focused on monetization. Our AVOD-SVOD mix remains the sustainable model,” said Lee, who also confirmed the company has been able to raise subscription prices in selected markets. The launch of advertising-supported models is now a direction being embraced by the sector giants Netflix and Disney.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Kevin Mayer says that the investment strategy at Candle Media, the hard-charging entertainment startup that he heads with Tom Staggs, is product of his career time at Disney and TikTok. While those two companies are behemoths and Candle Media a newcomer, the claim is not as outlandish as it seems. At Disney, Mayer was largely responsible the launch of the direct-to-consumer streaming businesses that became Disney+. And as Disney, Pixar and other group content was made exclusive and contained within a walled garden, it stoked demand for premium independently-made content. Candle Media sets its sights on becoming just such a supplier.

“Dahmer” Netflix series just launched to some impressive premiere numbers, and considering how many people checked out the true crime limited series in its first week, its ’80s and ’90s-infused soundtrack is no doubt of interest.Jeffrey Dahmer was one of the most notorious serial killers in American history. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he committed a series of brutal murders, often dismembering his victims and keeping body parts as souvenirs.

Netflix has released a first look preview at Bridgerton spin-off series Queen Charlotte, sending fans wild.The streaming giant took to social media over the weekend to share a short clip of Line of Duty star India Amarteifio as Young Queen Charlotte and Corey Mylchreest as Young King George. Netflix penned: "When Charlotte met George, a Ton love story began.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Full and proper confirmation of a second season of mystery horror series “Hellbound” was high on the agenda of Netflix’s consumer-oriented Tudum presentation. Korean shows have repeatedly achieved top ratings among the streamer’s non-English roster, and last November’s release of “Hellbound” was the show that finally edged aside “Squid Game” after several weeks of breakthrough success. (The Tudum presentation offered “Squid Game” fans some extra footage that confirmed the identity of the mysterious ‘front man’. Take a look here.) “Hellbound” is derived from a webtoon created by series director Yeon Sang-ho, who previously directed “Train to Busan” and “Peninsula.” It featured otherworldly angels who emerged to condemn individuals to hell at a specific future time, minutes or years away.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Illumination, the studio behind the “Despicable Me” franchise, has tapped Mike Moon to form a new label, Moonlight. The goal is to broaden the range of films that Illumination makes beyond the kid-friendly fare that’s been its stock in trade. Moon most recently served as the head of adult animation at Netflix, a post he stepped down from in July to “pursue other opportunities.” His exit came as the streamer, battered by a swooning stock price, was laying off animators and dialing back its ambitions in the space. In addition to his new role as president of Moonlight, the company said that Moon will serve as a senior creative advisor to Illumination. Moonlight’s films will be distributed under Illumination’s distribution partnership with Universal Pictures. Illumination said the goal is for Moonlight to “produce animated films that push beyond the family genre.”

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has unveiled the winner of the $20,000 Israeli Series Development Award following a week in which it has deepened ties with the nation.

Few movie dramas in recent years have generated as much fevered online speculation as Andrew Dominik’s Marilyn Monroe movie Blonde.

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV Critic The rescue, in summer 2018, of a youth soccer team and their coach from a flooded cave system in Thailand remains one of the most outright inspiring stories of recent years. Amidst intense interest and scrutiny, an international team came up with a plan to anesthetize the boys and maneuver them out of the flooded caves before monsoon rains intensified. It’s a tense story, and one with an outcome that isn’t just upbeat but is genuinely astounding. Little wonder that it’s lent itself to repeated retellings, including last year’s documentary “The Cave” and this year’s quietly released Ron Howard drama “Thirteen Lives,” starring Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell as the heroic British cave divers.

It’s the reality show that’s had us gripped every night as we watch newlywed strangers navigating their way through the incredible ups and explosive downs of married life. But Married At First Sight UK’s dating expert Paul C Brunson has told us that he’s had to have extra therapy sessions to cope with the intensity of the show.

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 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.

restructuring to its leadership for that department. The team, led by Karen Toliver (VP Animation Film Content) and Traci Balthazor (VP Animation Film Production), aims for better collaboration closer to traditional animation film studios, resulting in 30 different roles that are no longer needed, an individual with knowledge of the decision said.