‘The Mauritanian’ Heads for Theatrical Release in China

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's kids are so grown — and they're the spitting image of their parents! In a photo carousel posted to Instagram over the weekend, Paltrow shared a series of personal pics of her summer adventures. In one sun drenched snap, she poses between her children 18-year-old Apple, 16-year-old Moses, who, with a mop of curly blond hair, now stands even taller than his 5'9" mother.«Summer 2022, you brought it all unsparingly,» Paltrow captioned her post.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Art-house title “Return to Dust” was a surprise weekend winner, topping the mainland China box office in its ninth weekend of release. The astonishing feat occurred on an otherwise depressed weekend in which China’s cinema box office dipped to a three-month low. This reflected the summer season winding to an end and anti-COVID measures once again forcing major Chinese cities into retreat. Data from consultancy Artisan Gateway showed “Return” grossing $5.3 million (RMB36.2 million) between Friday and Sunday. Those three days accounted for nearly half of the $12.7 million (RMB87.4 million) cumulative total it has earned since release on July 8, 2022.

This was yet another soft weekend at the international box office with no major fresh titles and as summer fully closes out in Europe and beyond.

Professional dancer Karen Hauer looked sensational as she showed off her new hair in a photoshoot with one of Strictly Come Dancing's newest professional dancers.

Strictly Come Dancing's four new professionals are set to be introduced to viewers in a cinematic routine filmed alongside the returning cast. European cup winner Vito Coppola, Chinese national champion Carlos Gu, former Under-21 British national champion Lauren Oakley and Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas complete the show's largest-ever line-up of 20 pros this year.They join the returning Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Graziano Di Prima, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Cameron Lombard, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Giovanni Pernice, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington and Nancy Xu.The introductory routine will form part of the Strictly Come Dancing launch show airing on BBC One and iPlayer on 17 September.

Executives from China Film Group were recently treated to a screening of footage from Disney/20th Century Studios’ Avatar: The Way Of Water, receiving a surprise greeting from filmmaker James Cameron in the process. China Daily reported the news which Deadline has confirmed.

EXCLUSIVE: Participant’s Chloé Zhao-exec produced limited scripted series about Vincent Chin had found its writers and director.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Neon has landed U.S. distribution rights to South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s film “Oldboy” and plans to bring the dark revenge thriller back to theaters in honor of its 20th anniversary. It will mark the first time Park’s film plays on the big screen since its initial release on Nov. 21, 2003. Neon has not specified the exact date that “Oldboy” will return to the big screen. “Oldboy,” which Oark co-wrote with Hwang Jo-yun and Lim Joon-hyung, won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, led by jury president Quentin Tarantino. The acclaimed film stars Choi Min-sik as Oh Dae-Su, a man who was kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years. After he’s released, he has five days to find his captor. Yoo Ji-tae and Kang Hye-jung co-star in the film.

EXCLUSIVE: Open Road Films has acquired North American rights to Marlowe, a noir crime thriller that stars Liam Neeson atop an ensemble that includes Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange, Danny Huston, Alan Cumming, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ian Hart, Colm Meaney, Daniela Melchior and Francois Arnaud. Neil Jordan directed the film from script by The Departed’s William Monahan. The film will be released theatrically December 2 through Open Road/Briarcliff Entertainment.

Minions: The Rise Of Gru, drastically changing the fate of the titular antihero.The animated prequel follows Gru in his teenage days, before setting up his evolution into the supervillain fans of the franchise have come to know.However, the Chinese version of the film features a very different ending for Gru and his mentor Wild Knuckles.Instead of riding off into the sunset together, Wild Knuckles ends up in jail while Gru “becomes one of the good guys”.According to posts and screenshots shared on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, subtitled stills had been added to the credits to alter the film’s original ending.In these subtitles, it’s revealed that Wild Knuckles was arrested by the police and locked up for 20 years after a failed heist. He also develops a “love of acting” and sets up a touring theatrical group.Gru, meanwhile, “returned to his family” after fathering his three daughters became “his biggest accomplishment”.DuSir, a film blogger with more than 14 million followers on Weibo, called the changes  “outrageous” and questioned why only Chinese people required “special guidance and care”.In an article, he wrote: “How weak and lacking judgment do they think our audiences are?”These alterations are the latest example of Chinese authorities editing a Hollywood film’s ending.Earlier this year, Warner Bros.

“Minions: The Rise of Gru,” were in for a surprise after the ending was altered to have Gru, the main villain of the Illumination franchise, turned from an evil man to a good dude.The Chinese version of the animated film has an array of post-credit scenes in which a variety of subtitles say Gru “eventually became one of the good guys” who was “dedicated to raising his family.”In the United States, viewers find out how Gru tricked the police and learned to defeat his enemies to become the ultimate villain.Since “Minions” takes place before the “Despicable Me” series, Gru is not supposed to be the hero.Other post-credit scenes also feature the cops arresting Gru’s mentor, Wild Knuckles.In the Chinese adaptation, though, the police are not deceived and instead apprehend Knuckles, who is later jailed for two decades for his crimes.

Continuing its hypersonic run, Paramount/Skydance’s Top Gun: Maverick has, in its 13th weekend of release, crossed the $1.4B mark worldwide, lifting the cume to a touch over $1.403B through today.

New Music Friday! It's every audiophile's favorite day of the week, and some of our favorite artists from all different genres have blessed us with new tunes.Demi Lovato shared her latest album, featuring the fiery, viral anthem «29.» K-pop sensations BLACKPINK dropped their latest single, «Pink Venom.» Maren Morris and Zedd teamed up again for a new single, «Make You Say,» featuring BEAUZ. And Blake Shelton brought back his '90s mullet for the music video for his latest, «No Body.» Ahead of 88rising's Head In The Clouds Festival this weekend, Thai rapper MILLI and Chinese singer Jackson Wang partnered on a new single, «Mind Games.» Both artists will be performing at the Los Angeles festival, alongside acts like mxmtoon, keshi, Jay Park and more.Also new this week, new singles from Offset, Anitta feat.

Goop founder and CEO Gwyneth Paltrow will guest-star on “Shark Tank” as a guest shark.Paltrow will plunge into the competitive entrepreneurship show alongside Doordash CEO and co-founder Tony Xu when the 14th season starts Friday, Sept. 23.The pair of Paltrow and Xu will accompany long-standing Sharks Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin O’Leary in various episodes.The Oscar-winning actress, whose 1998 performance in “Shakespeare in Love’ won her Best Actress nods at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards, established her lifestyle brand Goop in 2008.Goop has influenced conversation around style, travel, work, food and beauty to physical, mental and spiritual wellness as well as autonomy.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterMGM has parted ways with Universal Pictures for international film distribution.In a joint press release, MGM has announced that Warner Bros. will distribute its upcoming movies overseas. However, the arrangement does not include “Bond 26,” the next chapter in the James Bond series, as well as director Chinonye Chukwu’s historical drama “Till” (set for Oct.

Wilson Chapman editorEverybody’s gonna be kung fu fighting — a fourth film in the “Kung Fu Panda” series will release in 2024, Universal Pictures announced Friday.The film, which is slated for a March 8, 2024 release, will be the first film in the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise since 2016, when the DreamWorks Animation series concluded a planned trilogy. The films focus on Po (Jack Black), an excitable panda bear living in a fantasy version of ancient China.

There will be more Kung Fu Panda. Universal has set a March 8, 2024 theatrical release for the fourth installment to the Jack Black voiced franchise which has grossed $1.8 billion through three movies.

Gwyneth Paltrow had 48 hours in NYC with her mini-me! In a series of photos shared on her Instagram Stories, the Goop founder documented her time in the Big Apple with her and Chris Martin’s 18-year-old daughter, Apple Martin.  The 49-year-old gave her followers the first glimpse of her daughter as she snapped a picture of her on the phone, while the NYC skyline stands behind her. “48 hours in NYC with this beauty,” the proud mom captioned the photo that was clearly taken from across the room, with a pink arrow pointing at the teen. After sharing that they got facials and ate vegan Chinese food, Paltrow’s daughter made another appearance as her mom snapped a picture of her, rocking a white dress at dinner, while she looks away from the camera.