‘The Rings of Power’ Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?

It’s common knowledge, at this point, that Amazon Studios paid roughly $700 million for the first season of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” That does include more than $200 million for the rights agreement with the Tolkien Estate, but even still, that’s a mammoth amount of money. And instead of going with tried and true showrunners or filmmakers with an established pedigree, Amazon Studios chose relative unknowns, Patrick McKay and J.D.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Next month’s London Korean Film Festival cloaks itself in a panoply of the country’s recent cinema, with a mix of commercial blockbusters, festival titles and documentaries. The long-running event also pays tribute to Kang Soo-youn, the performer who was the first Korean to win a best acting award in Venice and who died in May this year. The event runs from Nov. 3 – 17, 2022 in venues across London and comprises 35 films. It opens with a previously announced screening of “Alienoid.” The Cinema Now section includes: Jeong Ji-yeon’s psychological thriller “The Anchor”; Davy Chou’s “Return To Seoul,” which premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard; Byun Sung-hyun’s “Kingmaker”; “Hot Blooded,” the long-awaited directorial debut by acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Cheon Myeong-kwan; nostalgic road chase movie “Stellar: A Magical Ride”; “Director’s Intention,” by Kim Min-geun.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief EST Studios, the film company established this year by 88Rising co-founder Jaeson Ma and former Vice Media executive Eric Tu, has struck a partnership arrangement with China’s Hugoeast Media. The partnership is looking at an initial slate of eight projects, with EST Studios representing sales at the major film markets including the upcoming Asian Contents and Film Market and Asian Project Market at the Busan International Film Festival. EST will be the exclusive representative for Hugoeast’s titles in North America. In other territories (outside of China) it will handle them on a non-exclusive basis.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Fresh from a chaotic Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, TV coverage of Formula One motor racing is set to shift broadcasting partner in Asia-Pacific. Sports Business reports that pay-TV broadcaster beIN Sports is finalizing a multi-year deal beginning in 2023 reaching across most of its Asia-Pacific footprint, but excluding Australia, where Foxtel recently renewed its deal, and New Zealand.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Patriotic action film “Homecoming” dominated cinemagoing in China over the weekend with a nearly $60 million haul. But the National Day holiday season is in a deep slump compared with recent years. Directed by Rao Xiaozhi, the film is yet another tale of a heroic rescue of Chinese citizens in danger in foreign lands. In this instance, two Chinese diplomats must return to war-torn 2011 Libya to save 125 people who have been left behind. The film opened on Friday and garnered an impressive $59.3 million (RMB421) according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. It accounted for a thumping 67% market share. Imax reported that the film had been shot with Imax-certified cameras and that $3 million of the total came from its screens in China.

Going her own way. MacKenzie Scott, who was formally married to Jeff Bezos, has filed for divorce from her second husband, Dan Jewett, after less than two years of marriage. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Online video is taking up the role of growth engine for the Asia Pacific video industry as free-TV in the region moves into long-term decline, says a new report. The video sector is forecast to remain robust this year, but recession could deal a blow to sector performance in 2023. Video sector revenues – defined as subscription fees and advertising generated by free TV, pay-TV and online video platforms – in 14 Asia-Pacific markets are forecast to will grow by 6.4% in the current year to reach $143 billion, according to Media Partners Asia.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Singapore-based production group Beach House Pictures has teamed up with executive Raghav Khanna to launch new unit Riverland Entertainment in Mumbai, India. The newly-formed production company will develop a slate of unscripted series and documentaries from India. It will do so by partnering with local Indian talent to create content intended for global and Indian audiences, while also leveraging Beach House Pictures’ international expertise and reach, and with access to Beach House’s post-production facility, Space Lion Studios. Khanna, who is a former head of Netflix’s documentary production in Asia-Pacific, is set as MD of the new operation. He will work closely with Beach House Pictures founders Donovan Chan and Jocelyn Little. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief China recorded an unchanged top five films and its weakest box office weekend since Chinese New Year. Nationwide gross box office was just $18.6 million. Comedy drama film “Give Me Five” held on to the top spot for the third week, with a weekend score of $6.3 million (RMB43.3 million), according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. It now has a cumulative of $46.4 million since release on Sept. 9, 2022. The film is the story of a young man who is helping his father rediscover his lost memories. As he does so, he is transported back in time and accidentally alters his parent’s pasts. That means he must reunite the pair or risk never being born. It stars Ma Li Chang Yuan and Wei Xiang and is directed by Zhang Luan.

Netflix‘s You has been released – find details and see a new teaser trailer below.The show, which stars Penn Badgley as serial killer Joe Goldberg, was renewed for a fourth run last year before its third season even aired. That season eventually hit screens in October last year.Now, Netflix have confirmed that You‘s fourth season will debut in two parts, with the first arriving on February 10, and the second exactly a month later.A new teaser trailer has been shared along with the release date announcement, which sees Goldberg living in London and stripping away his old identity.“I’m not the lovable bookstore manager in New York or the shop clerk in L.A. or the doting husband in the suburbs.

A woman allegedly pushed her 3-year-old nephew off of a pier in Chicago and watched him struggle as he sank below the surface.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Korean film producer Baek Jaeho has been named as the inaugural recipient of the Choon-yun Award, a prize set up in honor of Lee Choon-yun, the late chairman of the Korean Association of Film Art & Industry. The award, worth KRW10 million ($7,100), will be presented on the sidelines of the Busan International Film Festival on Oct. 6 in conjunction with IOK Company. Baek participated in the production of 2021 title “Snowball” and was previously involved in indie films “Jane” in 2016 and last year’s “Role.” He also acts and directs. Veteran director Kang Je-kyu praised Baek as ”a filmmaker who maintains his values and outspreads his potential in the insufficient independent film environment.”

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Shares of Tencent Music Entertainment, China’s largest online music company, made a slow but steady start Wednesday in trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. At the lunchtime trading break, the shares had climbed to HK$18.22, up from their opening at HK$18.00. They are traded under the number 1698. The company already has a listing on the New York Stock Exchange and the debut in Hong Kong is by way of an introduction that raises no fresh capital and does not involve the issue of new shares. The establishment of a secondary listing allows the company to reduce the risk of a delisting by the U.S. authorities or problems from Chinese authorities if they deem the company to be in breach of data security regulations.

https://t.co/0O60tPrtxS“Adnan’s case was a mess — is a mess. That’s pretty much where we were when we stopped reporting in 2014,” Koenig said.

at Westminster Abbey, Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin was taken to Windsor Castle, processed up the Long Walk at Windsor Castle and received with a committal service at St George’s Chapel. Then, following the pomp and ceremony of the day, the Royal Family were able to bid their matriarch a final farewell away from the public eye, as a private burial took place in the King George VI Memorial Chapel.To mark the milestone, the Palace shared two images of the late monarch: one showing her with her husband (then fiancé), sister, and parents as a young princess; and the other a previously unseen, candid snap of the monarch on her own, walking among the heather on her Balmoral estate.Posted to the official Royal Family social media accounts, the first photo is a striking black and white family portrait.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor A judge has overturned the murder conviction of Adnan Syed — whose case was the focus of the viral “Serial” podcast back in 2014 — and the Baltimore man has been released from prison after serving more than 22 years behind bars. The ruling Monday by Judge Melissa Phinn of Baltimore City Circuit Court vacated Syed’s murder conviction, after she found that prosecutors failed to turn over evidence that could have helped Syed at trial — specifically, evidence that two other suspects may have been involved in committing the crime. “At this time, we will remove the shackles from Mr. Syed,” Judge Phinn said after announcing the decision, according to the New York Times.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Comedy drama film “Give Me Five” held on to the top spot at the mainland Chinese box office with a weekend score of just $7.4 million (RMB50.8 million). The film is the story of a young man who is helping his father rediscover his lost memories. As he does so, he is transported back in time and accidentally alters his parent’s pasts. That means he must reunite the pair or risk never being born. It stars Ma Li Chang Yuan and Wei Xiang and is directed by Zhang Luan.

Jimmy Neary lived the dream of millions of New York City immigrants, carving out a legacy in America for himself and his family.  His adopted city is now paying tribute to the native of Ireland in perpetuity, on what would have been his 92nd birthday. Jimmy Neary Way was dedicated on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, at 5 p.m.

EXCLUSIVE: Star Trek: Picard has set phasers for legacy in the Paramount+ series latest and perhaps final appearance at New York Comic Con next month – and they will have some friends on deck.