South Korea is launching a metaverse-based world for ‘Hallyu’ fans

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Spider-Man: No Way Home” shrugged off new health restrictions in South Korea to earn the biggest box office opening weekend since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.The film earned $15.0 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council.

EXCLUSIVE: Tim Connors, the former chief operating officer of Marvel Studios, has joined the studio arm of Asia-based video game company Nexon.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe South Korean government is expected to reintroduce significantly stricter control measures in response to a rising wave of COVID-19 cases. Film releases are expected to be affected.The government eased its restrictions at the beginning of November as part of a living with COVID policy.

Space has long been the go-to location for sci-fi projects and it’s easy to see why. A void that is cold, dark, and deadly, outer space thrives as much on the unknown as it does known variables.

ViacomCBS and CJ ENM have struck a global strategic partnership that will see the pair co-develop and co-finance scripted series and movies, while Paramount+ will launch in South Korea next year.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorViacomCBS and South Korea’s CJ ENM announced global content deal encompasses coproductions for original TV shows and films as well as content licensing and distribution across the companies’ streaming services.Also under the pact, the companies will launch Paramount Plus in South Korea in 2022 as an exclusive bundle with CJ ENM’s TVING streaming service — marking its first launch in Asia.News of the deal comes less than a month after CJ ENM paid nearly $1 billion

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” crept into the background at the South Korean box office over the weekend, as the top three films remained unchanged.Nationwide aggregate revenue was a lowly $5.06 million as audiences avoided cinemas ahead of new health restrictions.Cinemas, along with bars, restaurants, gyms and museums, are among the high-risk places affected by a new tightening of health measures in Korea, intended to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of the

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefCJ ENM Hong Kong, the Chinese-language offshoot of the South Korean media giant CJ ENM, is launching two Taiwanese series at the virtual ATF in Singapore.“The Amazing Grace of Sigma” is a 12-part crime, mystery thriller co-produced with Taiwan-based Rosebud Production.

Eternals.In a new interview with Rolling Stone Korea, the Korean-American actor – known for roles in South Korean movies such as Train To Busan, The Outlaws and more – spoke about what it was like to make his Hollywood debut in Eternals and the process which led him to being a part of the film.“Train To Busan was a global sensation,” he said.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Spiritwalker,” a fantasy action film about a man who wakes up in a new body every twelve hours, grabbed the top spot at the South Korean box office over the weekend.

Naman Ramachandran A man who smuggled copies of smash hit South Korean Netflix series “Squid Game” into North Korea has been sentenced to death, after authorities caught high school students watching the show, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA).U.S.-headquartered independent news agency RFA reported, quoting sources, that the series was smuggled in from China on USB flash drives and that the smuggler faces death by firing squad.“A student who bought a drive received a life sentence, while six

Netflix original Hellbound shot up to top 10 after its release on 19 November.

South Korean superstars BTS were crowned artist of the year at the American Music Awards on Sunday, brushing aside challenges from Taylor Swift, Drake and The Weeknd as they took home a total of three awards and teamed up with Coldplay for a raucous "My Universe" and closed the show with "Butter." "Seven boys from Korea, united by love for music, met the love and support from all the armies all over the world," said BTS' RM after the group won their artist of the year for the first time.