HANS Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck’s documentary “Eternal You” is set to be theatrical released by Dogwoof in the U.K. and Farbfilm in Germany. The buzzed-about documentary explores ways that AI is being used by help people cope with grief, allowing them to interact with avatars of their deceased loved ones.

Stray Kids are hitting the red carpet at the Met Gala for the first time!

Without a doubt, “The Zone of Interest” is one of the most decorated films of the last year. In addition to being our #1 movie of 2023, the Holocaust drama would go on to win the Oscar for Best International Film (complete with one of the most controversial acceptance speeches of the past several years).

Fathom Events will partner with Warner Bros. Pictures in bringing filmmaker Daniela Völker’s documentary The Commandant’s Shadow to theaters across the U.S. on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, with an encore presentation the following day. Screenings will be available in 500+ theaters across the Fathom network of cinemas. Tickets go on sale from today at Fathom Events and participating theater box offices. 

Netflix has issued a huge update on the second season of its hit rom-com drama XO, Kitty.

Wowcher is offering a new 'mystery' summer deal that will get you top-rated garden furniture items without breaking the bank.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief China’s video streamers, much like their counterparts in the west, have passed their peak growth phase and have been forced to refocus their efforts on achieving profitability. In the case of IQiyi, which is a subsidiary of tech giant Baidu but has its own stock market listing on the NASDAQ, that transition has meant reduced content spending and a more rigorous approach to quality and investment in winning shows. “To the Wonder,” which debuted on Sunday in competition at Canneseries, is a product of that less-is-more approach.

Peep Show fans are very happy about the discovery.Celebrating its 20th anniversary last year, Peep Show documented the increasingly tragic lives of bank manager Mark Corrigan (played by David Mitchell) and his layabout flatmate/ occasional musician Jeremy Usborne (played by Robert Webb). The show also featured the characters’ friends and partners, including the drug addict Super Hans (played by Matt King) and Olivia Colman as Sophie.Now, Zodiac Court in Croydon, which is Apollo House in the show – the place where Mark and Jez’s flat was located – is being redeveloped.In a digital image of the new development, fans have spotted what appears to be an Easter egg linking the show.One image features what appears to be a retail unit called ‘SuperHans’, in reference to the show’s beloved character.Check out the image here:A post shared by Dobby Club (@dobbyclub06)Last year, Peep Show co-writer Sam Bain revealed that they received offers to turn the hit Channel 4 sitcom into a play.Speaking to NME, Bain said that he and fellow co-writer Jesse Armstrong (Succession) had to reject the proposal because they couldn’t figure out how to make the show work on stage.The iconic comedy was shot through a POV perspective with the actors performing to camera, while the characters’ internal thoughts were added as narration.

Reports of their break-up first surfaced on March 30, which was then confirmed by Ryu’s representation at C-JeS Studio that same day in a brief statement. Later, Han’s label 9ato Entertainment published a more detailed statement explaining the circumstances behind their decision to part ways.“[Han So-hee and Ryu Jun-yeol] both found their roles as actors to be more important.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ opened on top of the mainland China box office in its first official week of release. But its debut was soft and led the market to one of its quietest weekends of the year. The Universal-DreamWorks Animation picture earned $14.7 million (RMB105 million) between Friday and Sunday, according to data provided by consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.

Gyeongseong Creature star Han So-hee has denied she was dropped by brands over her relationship with actor Ryu Jun-yeol.Han So-hee’s agency, 9ato Entertainment had addressed speculation that the actress was dropped by several brands over her controversial relationship with actor Ryu Jun-yeol.The pair were confirmed to be dating last week, but soon stirred controversy on the internet over rumours that Ryu had started dating Han while still in a relationship with actress Hyeri.Soon after news broke, 9ato Entertainment had confirmed that Han So-hee’s sponsorship deals with soju brand Chum Churum and Nonghyup Bank had expired.“The allegations that actor Han So-hee’s advertisement contracts ended due to the recent issues surrounding the actor’s personal life are completely false,” the agency said, per Korea JoongAng Daily.“The agreement to end Han’s contract for beverage advertisement was made early this year, and for bank advertisement, toward the end of last year,” the agency clarified in its statement.Han So-hee recently starred in the Netflix K-drama series Gyeongseong Creature opposite Park Seo-jun. In a glowing four-star review, NME‘s Rhian Daly called it “a gripping story that’s not for the faint-hearted”.The streaming service has since confirmed that season two of the K-drama series will premiere sometime this year, with both Han So-hee and Park Seo-joon set to return as leads.Meanwhile, Ryu Jun-yeol recently starred in the South Korean film Alienoid: Return to the Future, a sequel to 2022′ Alienoid.

A new 50p coin that will excite Star Wars fans has been unveiled, commemorating one of the most notable aspects of the film franchise.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Previews for Universal Pictures and Dreamworks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” put the Chinese-themed film in fourth place at the mainland China box office, a week ahead of its official theatrical debut. Over the March 15-17 weekend, however, first and second places remained with holdover titles “The Pig, The Snake and the Pigeon” and “Dune: Part Two.” Taiwanese crime film “The Pig, The Snake and the Pigeon,” already playing on Netflix in territories outside China, topped the mainland China chart for the third successive weekend. According to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway, it earned $11.1 million (RMB79.1 million), for a cumulative of $73.2 million (RMB520 million).

EXCLUSIVE: America’s undiscovered K-pop stars are getting their shot at fame.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Dune 2” launched in mainland China cinemas this weekend with a solid $19.9 million three-day haul. That put it in second place, narrowly behind holdover crime-drama “The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon.” Data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway, showed that “The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon” earned $21.3 million (RMB151 million) between Friday and Sunday, for a 10-day cumulative of $54.1 million (RMB384 million).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Film projects to be produced by Andrew Lau (“Infernal Affairs,” “Initial D”) and Han Sanping, the former head of China Film Corp., are among the new in-development titles that grace the FilMart slate of Hong Kong studio Media Asia. The Peter Lam-controlled studio is also poised, at an event within FilMart on Monday, to detail its new alliance with China’s Alibaba Pictures Group. Lau is producing “Behind the Scene,” a book-to-film adaptation to be directed by Lee Kwong-yiu (“Insanity”) in which four friends uncover a meticulously planned murder that is carefully disguised as a kidnapping. Suspicions fall on a bank president who is involved in counterfeiting. Han is aiming to produce “Fading Tracks,” another crime title that is also adapted from a novel.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” notably features the acting return of Christoper Walken, who hasn’t been seen on the big screen in four years. The Oscar winner had a trio of films released in 2020 (“The War with Grandpa,” “Percy” and “Wild Mountain Thyme”) and then went on a hiatus from moviemaking (he did show up in the 2022 television series “Severance.”) Now, he joins “Dune: Part Two” as Shaddam IV, aka the Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe. Why did Walken decide to make “Dune: Part Two” his comeback? It’s a question Vanity Fair asked the Oscar winner in a new interview, to which Walken responded: “I had, of course, seen the first ‘Dune’ a number of times.

Blood Free, starring Ju Ji-hoon and Han Hyo-joo. Read on for everything you need to know about the show.Blood Free is set in a future where humans no longer consume natural animal meat.

Stray Kids are one of the biggest groups coming out of the South Korea.

—the largest unbroken caldera in the world—when our safari guide stops our vehicle in front of a dozen elephants. It is in this quiet moment of observation when Vanessa Berlowitz, the executive producer of National Geographic's , Queens, casually mentions the kind of random fact you know you’ll never forget.“Wrinkles on an elephant help them stay cool because their wrinkles retain ten times more water than smooth skin," she says.That’s my headline, I decide: “Elephants Reveal the Best Reason to Embrace Your Wrinkles.”And yet, little did I know that coming up with a headline—and a particular focus for this piece—was going to take weeks to figure out.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent MALAGA — Antonio Chavarrías’ “Holy Mother,” Celia Rico’s “Little Loves” and Diogo Viegas’s “Alice’s Diary” play at this year’s 3rd Spanish Screenings Content, the Malaga Festival’s part of the Spanish Screenings XXL, Spain’s biggest international industry platform in its history, featuring over March 4-7 and – when it comes to Málaga – the monumental number of 222 titles. In production volume, Spain has never had it so good.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Following its world premiere in the competition section of the Berlin Film Festival, Beta Cinema has revealed first sales across Europe and to Australia and New Zealand for Andreas Dresen’s “From Hilde, With Love.” The drama about anti-Nazi activists in Berlin, which is led by “Babylon Berlin’s” Liv Lisa Fries and introduces Johannes Hegemann in his first big screen appearance, will be released in France by Haut et Court, in Italy by Teodora and throughout Scandinavia by Angel Films. Beta Cinema also closed deals for Benelux (September Film), Portugal (Outsider), former Yugoslavia (Discovery), Hungary (Cirko) and Czech Republic (Film Europe). Palace Film picked up the film for Australia and New Zealand.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Streaming platform Disney+ will add four new Korean-language original series to its 2024 lineup. Its “Blood Free,” “Unmasked,” “The Tyrant” and “Gangnam B-Side” land in addition to a third season of “The Zone: Survival Mission” and the previously announced “Uncle Samsik” and “Light Shop” from webtoon pioneer and creator of the platform’s 2023 series hit “Moving.” “Blood Free,” which is to star Ju Jihoon (“Kingdom”) and Han Hyojoo (“Moving”), follows a former bodyguard haunted by the failures of his past. He finds himself recruited to protect the CEO of a controversial lab-grown meat company who is also a survivor of the fateful attack that changed his life. Set in modern-day Seoul, “Unmasked” follows a group of investigative journalists who are fighting for their careers after broadcasting a controversial story.

Unmasked, Blood Free, The Tyrant, Gangnam B-Side, Uncle Samsik and Light Shop, as well as the long-awaited third season of reality programme The Zone: Survival Mission. Blood Free will star Ju Ji-hoon (Kingdom) and Han Hyo-joo (Moving) in a tale of a former bodyguard haunted by the failures of his past, Meawhile, Unmasked, set in contemporary Seoul, follows a team of investigative journalists fighting for their careers as they reckon with the aftermath of broadcasting a controversial story.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor “From Hilde, With Love,” which world premiered Saturday in competition at the Berlinale, has debuted its trailer (below). The film, directed by Andreas Dresen, centers on a group of young anti-Nazi activists in Berlin during World War II. (Read Variety‘s review here.) The film, which is being sold by Beta Cinema and is produced by Claudia Steffen and Christoph Friedel for Pandora Film, stars “Babylon Berlin” breakout Liv Lisa Fries and Johannes Hegemann.

Jessica Kiang It is increasingly weird to recall that for a while, French director Bruno Dumont was the kind of filmmaker who reminded you, often forcibly and somewhat against your will, that the word “auteur” contains most of the letters of “austere.” “The Empire,” another of the director’s proudly off-kilter comedies that pitches the bumbling denizens of a small French village into a vast, sinister conspiracy extending far beyond their foreshortened horizons, hovers several light years — and two janky light sabers — away from austerity. Unfortunately, though, the air out there is also a little thin on hilarity, with the film’s one-gag setup becoming stretched to the point that it doesn’t even matter that it’s a pretty good gag.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor When Laila Stieler’s script for “From Hilde, With Love,” which world premiered Saturday in competition at the Berlinale, first came to director Andreas Dresen he was a little reluctant to take the project on. The issue was not the script but the subject-matter: set in Nazi-era Berlin, “From Hilde, With Love” is a love story about two real life members of the pro-Communist, German resistance movement known as the Red Orchestra, Hilde and Hans Coppi. More than 50 members of the group were guillotined in Berlin’s Plötzensee Prison between 1942 and 1943, including the Coppis.

Catherine Bray Two years after their Berlinale prizewinner “Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush,” veteran German director Andreas Dresen and his regular screenwriter Laila Stieler reteam for the moving drama “From Hilde, With Love.” Drawing on the compelling real-life case of the Hilde and Hans Coppi, a young married couple arrested and executed for treason by the Gestapo in wartime Berlin, the film cross-cuts between an idyllic summer romance and much darker later events.

Daniel Dae Kim is opening up about the end of The Good Doctor.

Daniel Dae Kim is sharing his thoughts about the upcoming seventh and final season of The Good Doctor, on which he serves as an executive producer. “It’s been a wonderful ride”, he told Deadline in an interview on the red carpet Thursday night at the premiere of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Kim portrays Fire Lord Ozai in the Netflix live-action series.

SPOILER ALERT: The following interview reveals plot points.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Billy Dee Williams appeared on Entertainment Weekly’s “Dagobah Dispatch” podcast and discussed the backlash he’s faced throughout the years due to the “Star Wars” franchise. Williams debuted as Lando Calrissian in “The Empire Strikes Back,” which includes a moment in which Lando makes a deal with the Empire that leads to Han Solo being captured and frozen in carbonite. Some “Star Wars” fans still have not forgiven Lando and the backlash extended into Williams’ real life.

William Earl The entertainment law firm of Gendler & Kelly has changed its name as of today to Gendler, Kelly & Cunningham, reflecting the elevation of partner Sarah Cunningham. Cunningham joined the firm in 2018 and was promoted to partner in 2021. The etching of her name on the firm’s door comes as recognition of her contributions to the respected boutique outfit founded in 1996 by Michael Gendler and Kevin Kelly.

Addie Morfoot Contributor Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck’s documentary “Eternal You,” which will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in the world cinema doc competition section on Saturday, explores ways that artificial intelligence is being used to comfort the bereaved. The doc follows people from around the globe who are using AI to to create avatars of the deceased people to allow their loved ones to interact with them.

Annika Pham Passion and Perseverance, the two watchwords at this year’s TV Drama Vision in Göteborg will resonate across this year’s program where a record 700 delegates will take the pulse of what’s hot and upcoming from the Nordics and Europe. Unfolding parallel to the Göteborg Film Festival, the Nordics’ biggest TV drama showcase and networking event will run Jan 30-31. “This is what we need!” said TV Drama Vision honcho Cia Edström about the passion infused in the 60-plus series to be showcased – and about perseverance in the industry, to be debated by the 100 guest speakers – including U.S.

Do we have a hot new Hollywood couple on our hands?!