Netflix Series ‘Better Than Us’ to Get China-Backed Indie-Produced Second Season (EXCLUSIVE)

WASHINGTON -- The National Zoo has struck a new extension of its longstanding agreement with the Chinese government that will keep the zoo's iconic giant pandas in Washington for another three years.But the agreement also calls for all three pandas — baby Xiao Qi Ji and parents Mei Xiang and Tian Tian — to return to China at the end of 2023.“It will certainly be bittersweet,” said zoo spokeswoman Annalisa Meyer of the eventual departure of the trio.

It was a drama-filled weekend at the Chinese multiplex. Tencent's big-budget video game adaptation Monster Hunter was yanked from cinemas one day into its release over a scene local audiences decried as derogatory.

“Dune” and “Godzilla vs Kong” producer Legendary is considering its options, including legal ones, against Warner Bros.

Chinese, Japanese, dirty knees, look at these” as the chanters would pull at their eyes.The “Monster Hunter” scene in question features rapper MC Jin (Jin Au-Yeung) saying, “Look at my knees.” “What kind of knees are these?” his white male scene partner asks.  “Chi-nese!” Jin’s character responds, emphasizing the “knees” pun.Also Read: 'Monster Hunter' Trailer: Milla Jovovich Fends Off Gigantic Dragons With Fire Swords (Video)Users on Weibo, a popular social media platform in China, quickly

Germany’s Constantin Film has issued an apology over dialogue in its feature game adaptation Monster Hunter which led to an online backlash in China this weekend, and subsequently resulted in the movie being pulled from Middle Kingdom cinemas.

Refresh for latest…: Sunday’s international box office reporting looks vastly different to what was expected coming into the weekend. A Friday gross that portended a high-teens launch for Monster Hunter in China was quickly thwarted when local authorities pulled the feature game adaptation from the country’s cinemas.

“Monster Hunter”, the new creature feature based on the popular video game, is reportedly being pulled from theatres in China due to a scene that numerous Chinese viewers have deemed to be racist.

An online backlash that swirled in China on Friday over a scene in Monster Hunter has resulted in the movie being pulled from the country’s cinemas. The Paul WS Anderson-directed feature game adaptation had been eyeing the market as one of its biggest plays, but a short exchange in the film has been perceived as racist by local audiences, and led to its run being abruptly halted late yesterday, the first day of its official launch.

Rebecca Davis editorChinese regulators are in the midst of censoring the Hollywood title “Monster Hunter” after controversy broke out online on opening day over a ten second-long exchange in the film that patriotic local viewers say “insults China.”The fantasy action film is produced, written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, and stars his wife Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, T.I., and others.

Universal's The Croods: A New Age was the decisive winner of a competitive three-way race at China's box office over the weekend, topping both holdover local hit Caught in Time and the latest release from venerated Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou. Croods 2 opened in China to a healthy $19.2 million, which was $5 million more than its five-day holiday start in North America.

ViacomCBS’s UK broadcaster Channel 5 and PBS Masterpiece have confirmed that period veterinary drama All Creatures Great And Small will return for a second six-part season.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefHit variety TV show “China’s Got Talent” has been renewed for a seventh season and will be produced by Shanghai Canxing Culture and Media for Star China Media.The “Got Talent” property was created by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment, with the international rights represented by Fremantle. The two companies are the format’s co-owners.“ ‘China’s Got Talent’ is renowned for discovering new and incredible local talent.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefHong Kong has picked youth drama “Better Days” as the territory’s contender for the Academy Awards’ best international feature film race. The announcement was made on Friday by the Hong Kong Film Producers Association.Directed by Derek Tsang, and adapted from the novel “Young and Beautiful,” the China-Hong Kong co-production tells the story of a girl who is harassed at school and becomes embroiled in a murder.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefChinese action film “The Rescue” has pulled forward its local and international release plans. It will now go out in a plum pre-Christmas slot on Dec.

Fremantle and Syco Entertainment have announced that China’s Got Talent has been renewed for a seventh season, but declined to reveal what network will broadcast the show, raising questions about Dragon TV’s future involvement.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorChina’s ByteDance submitted a revised proposal related to the sale of TikTok to U.S. buyers to the Trump administration, which said it has extended its deadline for the divestment to Dec.

Studiocanal confirmed Wednesday that it has pre-sold the world, apart from the U.S.

Zhang Yimou’s “One Second” has been pulled from China’s Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, where it had been given pride of place as the opening film. Political sensitivity over historical events, once again, appears to have led to the decision.This is the second time that “One Second” has been yanked by Chinese authorities from a prominent slot at a major festival.