Twelve taken to hospital in South Korea after plane passenger opens door mid-flight at 700 feet

Police in Korea on Tuesday raided three major multiplex chains and the offices of three film distributors on suspicion of box office manipulation, according to multiple local media reports. News agency Yonhap, citing officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Police, said the six entities are alleged to have obstructed the business of the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) by falsely counting audience numbers for some local films.

Disney+ series “Snowdrop,” has died. She was 29.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Korean-produced crime action film “The Roundup: No Way Out” dominated proceedings at the South Korean cinema box office for the second successive weekend. Its massive haul now totals $60 million. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” opened with a puny second place. The Friday to Sunday period saw the film bring in $10.4 million from 1.32 million ticket sales and account for a 72% market share, according to data from Kobis, the data tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). Including pre-release previews and strong midweek sales, the film has now rushed on to an aggregate of $59.6 million that has been earned from 7.78 million spectators.

Netflix this week announced six new Korean romance titles slated for the rest of 2023. They are: “See You in my 19th Life,” “King the Land,” “Behind Your Touch,” “Destined With You,” “A Time Called You,” and “Doona!” The titles were unveiled at an in-person event called “K-romance obsession” in Seoul. Guests were mostly K-drama influencers from around the Asia Pacific region and the event was decked out with reds, pinks and vast numbers of heart decorations. Guests were offered snack food that had been featured in earlier hit K-drama shows including “Crash Landing on You,” “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” “Business Proposal” and “Alchemy of Souls.”

Hong Sung-eun’s sensitive drama “Aloners” is a reflective interrogation into modern loneliness, as well as the silent brutalities of today’s urban life defined by competition, technology and nonstop productivity. The film follows a depressed young woman named Jina (Gong Seung-yeon), who works at a call center. She is currently the top employee in the office and is praised for having handled the greatest number of calls despite having lost her mother recently. Productivity is the most-valued trait in her workplace, and Jina knows this well. She treats all her clients equally, whether they happen to be deranged, abusive or pleasant. Her voice is always polite and calm regardless of how her often-entitled clients behave, but her eyes appear soulless. She looks like someone with a serious but completely asymptomatic disease.

Declan Rice says nothing has been decided about his future amid transfer links with Manchester United.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Alice Rohrwacher’s “La Chimera,” in which “The Crown” star Josh O’Connor plays a British archeologist named Arthur who gets involved in an international network of stolen Etruscan artifacts during the 1980s, has sold worldwide after premiering positively in Cannes. The Match Factory has inked deals for the film in the U.K. and Ireland (Curzon); Australia and New Zealand (Palace Entertainement); Benelux (September Film); Germany (Piffl Medien); Hong Kong (Edko);  Spain (Elastica); South Korea (M&M International); China (Jetsen); Japan (Bitters End); Taiwan (Swallow Wings); Austria (Stadtkino); Baltics (A-One); Bulgaria (Art Fest); CIS (Mauris Film); Czech Republic & Slovakia (Aerofilms); Finland (B-Film); Denmark (Filmbazar); Former Yugoslavia (MCF): Greece (Cinobo); Hungary (Cirko); Middle East and North Africa (Moving Turtle); Poland (Aurora Films); Portugal (Midas); Romania (Independenta); Singapore (Anticipate Pictures); Thailand (Documentary Club); and Ukraine (Arthouse Traffic). 

Jordan Banjo and his wife have revealed their baby has been rushed to hospital after what has been an 'emotionally draining, frightening week'. The I'm A Celebrity star, who recently appeared on the all-star South African series, has been going through a tough time after his son was diagnosed with sepsis and suspected meningitis.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Crime action film “The Roundup: No Way Out” dominated the South Korean box office on its official opening weekend with a thumping $21.9 million performance. The film, the third in a franchise that pits a heavy-fisted cop, portrayed by Ma Dong-seok (aka Don Lee), against colorfully devious rogues, crushed all competing titles by taking an 88% market share. In terms of admissions, it attracted 2.82 million into cinemas between Friday and Sunday. The film’s official opening was on Wednesday (May 31). But it also enjoyed wide previews through much of the preceding week. Adding in the weekday takings and the preview activity, “The Roundup: No Way Out” has a current aggregate of $34.1 million and has sold a total of 4.51 million tickets, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council.

A24 follows You Hurt My Feelings last weekend with dual-language romance Past Lives, starting a platform release on four screens in New York and LA including Q&As led by talent who have been champions of the film, including Steve Buscemi, Jodie Turner-Smith and Lulu Wang. Expanding this month.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Aniplex, a Sony business unit best known as a major producer and distributor of anime films and series including the hit “Demon Slayer,” is to acquire Japanese IP development and talent management firm Origamix Partners. The firm will be expanded into live-action production. The deal was announced Wednesday and will become effective from June 1. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed other than Aniplex obtaining “a full share” of the company. Sony said that Origamix, which has previously been behind the “Kingdom” film franchise and the “Alice in Borderland” series, now in its second season at Netflix,” will be renamed Myragion Studio.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief South Korean box office held strong over the weekend, with “Fast X” enjoying a second lap at the head of the field, followed by a growing chasing pack. “Fast X” earned $3.12 million between Friday and Sunday in Korea, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That was a 38% decline compared with its opening weekend, but pumped the film’s total to a speedy $11.4 million after 12 days. Three other titles jostled for position ahead of Monday’s Buddha’s Birthday public holiday and delivered multi-million-dollar performances.

Nearly 200 travelers’ worst nightmares came true after an unruly airline passenger opened the emergency door MID FLIGHT!

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief In late night proceedings on Wednesday, a Seoul court dismissed police requests for the formal arrest of prominent Korean actor Yoo Ah-in on drug charges. The star of “Burning,” “The Throne” and Netflix series “Hellbound,” appeared at the Seoul Central District Court on charges that he used five different drugs. Local media photos showed that Yoo’s hands were tied with what appeared to be a blue cloth or cord before and during his 90-minute daytime court appearance. Footage also showed that he was hit by a bottle of coffee thrown by a disgruntled fan, before Yoo was led away, unhurt, by bodyguards.

Joe Alwyn has attended his very first event since headlines were made about his split from Taylor Swift.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Fast & Furious 10” (aka “Fast X”) drove off with the top prize at the South Korean box office on its opening weekend. It earned $4.99 million between Friday and Saturday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). And over its full five-day run, from a Wednesday opening, it earned $6.76 million. Kobis showed the film claiming a 48% market share. The speedy start for “Fast X” was enough to depose “Guardians of the Galaxy 3,” which had ridden atop the Korean chart for the two previous weekends. In its third weekend on release “GOTG 3” earned $3.04 million, a 48% week-on-week decline, giving it a cumulative of $26.9 million after 19 days on release in Korea. That is the fourth highest total for any film that has played in Korean cinemas this year.

Kumar Mangat Pathak’s Mumbai-based Panorama Studios is teaming with South Korea’s Anthology Studios, co-founded by former Warner Bros exec Jay Choi, Cobweb director Kim Jee-woon and Parasite star Song Kang-ho, on a Korean-language remake of India’s Drishyam franchise. 

Dakota Johnson, Jodie Turner-Smith and Elizabeth Olsen were just a few of the stars to attend the Gucci 2024 Cruise fashion show at the Gyeongbokgung Palace on Tuesday (May 16) in Seoul, South Korea.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Shares of Netflix jumped more than 10% Thursday on news that the streamer had signed up almost 5 million customers for its ad-supported plan within six months of launch. At Netflix’s first-ever upfronts event Wednesday — held virtually — the company touted that it had signed up nearly 5 million global monthly active users following its initial introduction in early November 2022. About 80% of viewing by subscribers on the ad plan is on a TV, and the median viewer age of 34, according to the company. In addition, Netflix said more than 25% of new customer signups are now choosing the ad plan in the 12 countries where it has been rolled out, including the U.S.

Jennie Kim and V are once again igniting the romance rumors!