ONEUS return with sultry ‘Same Scent’ music video and eighth mini-album ‘Malus’

Hellbound, the dark fantasy K-drama that stormed Netflix in 2021, has officially been confirmed to be renewed for a second season.The news came during the streaming platform’s TUDUM event today (September 24), which shares previews and first looks at the brand’s upcoming slate of programming.Towards the end of the segment on Netflix’s forthcoming Korean series, Hellbound’s return was announced with an eerie teaser clip.In it, a skeleton in a glass box was seen writhing and pulsating before the glass smashed and the bones transformed back into the body of a living person. “Brace yourselves, hell on Earth returns,” Netflix said in the YouTube description.

Money Heist: Joint Economic Area has been shared at Netflix’s TUDUM preview event.Today (September 24), the streaming platform is sharing first looks at some of its upcoming programmes around the world, kicking off with a section dedicated to its Korean slate.TUDUM Korea began with an exclusive new clip from part two of the remake of Money Heist. It was introduced by Lee Hyun-woo, who plays Rio in the series, and shows a fatal face-off between former comrades.“The Joint Task Force tightens its grip as the genius heist team unravels its plan,” reads the official YouTube description.

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.

BLACKPINK have become the first-ever K-pop girl group to achieve a Number One album in the UK.The South Korean band hit the top spot today (September 23) with their second full length record, ‘Born Pink’, which was released last Friday (September 16).BLACKPINK previously peaked at Number Two in the United Kingdom with their debut album, 2020’s ‘The Album’ (via the Official Charts Company).Martin Talbot, Chief Executive at the Official Charts Company, said: “Congratulations to BLACKPINK.“Being any kind of chart first is a record which can never be taken away, so for their new album ‘Born Pink’ to become the first UK Official Number One by a K-pop girl group is a fantastic achievement – and puts them in the record books forever!”Back in 2019, BTS became the first Korean act to hit Number One in the UK albums chart with ‘Map of The Soul: Persona’.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The Emmy-winning Netflix series “Squid Game” is set be the most popular TV-inspired Halloween for the second year in a row. According to data collected by CasinoTop10, Squid Game costumes outnumbered Google searches for any other film and TV character costumes, beating out other popular costume inspo such as Harley Quinn, Cruella, Spiderman, the Joker and more. In the ultra-popular series, hundreds of debt-ridden people sign up to compete in order to win a life-changing cash prize.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic African American boxing champ Muhammad Ali famously refused to fight for his country, justifying himself with the oft-quoted quip, “No Viet Cong ever called me n—–.” That’s one-half of American history, and an important one. “Devotion” tells the other, presenting the story of a Black pilot so determined to defend — and die for, if need be — the United States that he was willing to endure institutional bigotry to become the Jackie Robinson of the skies: Jesse Brown, the first aviator of color to complete the Navy’s basic training program. A square but satisfying social justice drama set against the backdrop of the Korean War, “Devotion” impressed on the biggest screen possible at the Toronto Film Festival two months before its Nov. 23 theatrical release. Featuring elements of both “Green Book” and “Red Tails,” the film is more than just a stirring case of Black exceptionalism; it also celebrates the one white officer who had Brown’s back, Tom Hudner, treating the bond these two men formed as something exceptional unto itself. Director JD Dillard dazzles with see-it-in-Imax airborne sequences, but the meat of the film focuses on the friendship between Brown (“Da 5 Bloods” star Jonathan Majors) and his white wingman, played by Glen Powell, the “Hidden Figures” actor who most recently appeared in “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Anna Marie de la Fuente Buenos Aires-based FilmSharks subsidiary The Remake Company has closed a remake deal with Italy’s Marco Belardi and his new label Bamboo Prod. for Ariel Winograd’s latest film “Today We Fix the World” (“Hoy se Arregla el Mundo”).  Produced by powerhouse shingle Patagonik, the family dramedy was picked up by Netflix for several key territories after its theatrical release by Disney’s Star early this year.  Mexico’s BH5 has also acquired the remake rights and is about to produce its version while talks are underway with Korean and French companies, said FilmSharks founder and CEO, Guido Rud. Winograd is already a known quantity in Italy. His last film “Ten Days Without Mom” topped the box office in Italy when it was released.

Stray Kids have unveiled snippets of their forthcoming ‘Maxident’ mini-album through a mashup clip.On September 19, the eight-member boyband shared a mashup video comprising tracks from their upcoming seventh mini-album ‘Maxident’. The record, due out on October 7 at 1pm KST, will be accompanied by the release of the music video for its lead single ‘Case 143’.The new clip previews all eight tracks on ‘Maxident’ including its lead single and unit tracks ‘3RACHA’, ‘Taste’ and ‘Can’t Stop’.

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.

Girl band Blackpink front row at Paris fashion week. Hour-long queues for BTS merchandise in Las Vegas. Ariana Grande dressed in a glittery emerald two-piece from Miss Sohee.

Mike Wass As the reigning queens of K-pop, there’s a lot riding on Blackpink’s sophomore album. The girl group would be forgiven for playing it safe, but they defy expectations on “Pink Venom” (out now) by touching on timely topics, adding a certain F-word to their vocabulary, and sprinkling in slow jams. Assisting Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa with the pivot is an eclectic batch of collaborators, who are now lifting the veil on the creative process. Bekuh Boom — aka singer-songwriter Rebecca Rose Johnson — has been with Blackpink since the beginning. Literally. “I met them when they were still trainees,” she remembers. “We had the same Korean teacher.”

Netflix has unveiled the first trailer for its upcoming Korean music reality show Take 1, starring MAMAMOO, AKMU, Rain and more.The new visual was shared on September 15, and features a number of South Korean musicians – Yim Jae-beom, Yoo Hee-yeol, Park Jung-hyun, Rain, AKMU, MAMAMOO and Sumi Jo – as they gather to discuss what it means for them to stage “the most meaningful performance of their careers”, according to a press release from Netflix.Each participating act is given a countdown clock, indicating the amount of time they would have to prepare for their performances, for which they’re only given one song to perform. Take 1 lands on Netflix on October 14.Take 1 marks the first music reality show Netflix has produced, and will see the participating musicians devise the ultimate performance. They will be allowed to choose who they would like to invite for their performances, what they wish to sing as well as the location of the performance, but will only have one take to nail it.Helming the upcoming series is director Kim Hak-min, who previously worked on the Korean music reality programme Two Yoo Project Sugar Man 3 in 2019.

FINAS) has partnered with the Singapore Film Commission (SFC), the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) for the inaugural Malaysian Development Lab for Fiction Feature Films (mylab). An incubator program for scriptwriters, directors, producers to work on developing scripts and film projects under lectures and the guidance of regional and international experts in scriptwriting, directing, producing, distribution, and markets and festivals, mylab focuses on projects at an early stage of development, with a team of scriptwriter, director and/or producer attached, targeted at regional or international audiences. It aims for each project to deliver a package of script, budget, financing plan, dossier and pitch-ready materials at the end of the program.

Netflix Korean series Squid Game are set to attend this year’s Emmy Awards in Los Angeles this weekend.South Korean news outlet Yonhap News Agency reported on September 7 that actors Lee Jung-jae (who starred as Seong Gi-hun), Park Hae-soo (Cho Sang-woo) and O Yeong-su (Oh Il-nam, Player 1) will be departing from Seoul to head to Los Angeles for the awards ceremony on September 8, 9 and 10 respectively.Meanwhile, actress Jung Ho-yeon (Kang Sae-byeok) will be flying to Los Angeles directly from an unspecified country where she’s currently residing for work, per her management.The nine-episode hit Netflix series was nominated for awards across six categories at the 74th Emmy Awards, set to be held at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles: Best Drama Series, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor (for Lee Jung-jae), Best Supporting Actor (for O Yeong-su and Park Hae-soo) as well as Best Supporting Actress (for Jung Ho-yeon).Notably, the 77-year-old O’s attendance at the upcoming Emmys will mark his first time attending an awards ceremony overseas in his 58-year career. The South Korean actor previously bagged the award for Best TV Supporting Actor for his role in Squid Game at the Golden Globes in January, however did not attend the ceremony in person.Speaking to Yonhap News Agency on the nomination, O said: “I feel it meaningful that we have won nominations for the prestigious global awards.

Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (October 5-14) has announced its full line-up, including opening film Scent Of Wind, directed by Iran’s Hadi Mohaghegh, while Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai will be honoured as Asian Filmmaker Of The Year.

BLACKPINK’s latest single ‘Pink Venom’ has been deemed unfit for broadcast by South Korean broadcasters KBS.KBS (Korean Broadcasting System) has removed BLACKPINK’s recent single ‘Pink Venom’ from rankings on its weekly music programme Music Bank. According to a previously-released evaluation report by the broadcaster, per KoreaJoongAng Daily, KBS had deemed the track unsuitable for broadcast due to its lyrics.The broadcaster ruled that ‘Pink Venom’ had violated article 46 of Broadcasting Regulations set by the Korea Communications Standards Commission.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Two Korean and two Indian movies make the cut in the Busan International Film Festival’s New Currents main competition section. Thet are joined by one each from Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Germany. The section has a track record of making significant discoveries among new Asian films and directors.The selected titles are eligible for multiple awards, including the New Currents Award, the FIPRESCI Award, the NETPAC Award, and the KB New Currents Audience Award. The selection comprises: “Ajooma,” directed by Hu Shuming (Singapore-Korea); “Blue Again” from Thailand’s Thapanee Loosuwan; “Hail to Hell,” by Korea’s Lim Oh-jeong; “Memento Mori: Earth,” by Vietnam’s Marcus Vu Manh Cuong; “No End,” directed by Nader Saeivar and flying the flags of Germany, Iran and Turkey; “A Place Called Silence,” by Malaysia’s Sam Quah; “Shivamma,” fromIndia’s Jaishankar Aryar; Japanese director Kubota Nao’s “One Thousand and One Nights”; “A Wild Roomer,” from Korea’s Lee Jeong-hong; and The Winter Within,” directed by Aamir Bashir, and structured as a co-production between India, France and Qatar.