Universal Music China Plans Major Expansion of Local Recording Operations

(continued below)These are just a handful of the strict regulations President Xi Jinping has ordered in the name of "national rejuvenation". He's also clamping down on the video game and internet industry, having launched anti-monopoly, data security and other enforcement actions against companies.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe Chinese government’s crackdown on the tech and entertainment sectors has now turned to “sissy idols,” “effeminate men” and all things “overly entertaining.”The measures were sketched out in an eight-point plan on Thursday by the National Radio and Television Administration.

The Chinese government has issued new orders to its broadcasters in its continuing crackdown on culture, business and social mores. This time, it called for a ban on what it termed “effeminate men,” asking instead that “revolutionary culture” be touted.

Reuters has reported.Their message included criticism that the industry supports an “effeminate” male image, to the detriment of Chinese men, they said. The National Radio and Television Administration of China also intends to put the squeeze on stars’ outsized salaries while encouraging such entertainment tycoons to volunteer to aid public welfare programs.

BEIJING -- China’s government banned effeminate men on TV and told broadcasters Thursday to promote “revolutionary culture,” broadening a campaign to tighten control over business and society and enforce official morality.President Xi Jinping has called for a “national rejuvenation,” with tighter Communist Party control of business, education, culture and religion.

Netflix asked him to change the location of his new film Hustle from China to Majorca.Sandler, who signed a new deal with Netflix at the start of 2020 to make four more original films, explained that the streaming giant changed his original concept for the new film about a basketball recruiter who travels overseas.“It was written originally that I find a player in China and somehow, Netflix is not in China,” Sandler said on The Dan Patrick Show.“So they were like, ‘Would you guys please make it

Thursday appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” in which he discussed his new sports comedy “Hustle.” In the flick, which is currently in the post-production phase, Sandler plays a washed-up basketball agent who attempts to save his flatlining career by recruiting a talented overseas player to the NBA.“It was written originally that I find a player in China and somehow, Netflix is not in China,” the “Happy Gilmore” star told Patrick.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefFrank Zhu, former head of Chinese animation studio Pearl Studio, has joined Tencent-owned Riot Games as MD for Riot Games’ China Entertainment.

Pearl Studio alum Frank Zhu has joined Riot Games as the League of Legends and Valorant publisher’s  Managing Director of China Entertainment.

Get the day's biggest stories sent direct to your inbox so you never miss a thing

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefChina on Monday announced strict new rules that will ban children from playing online games during weekdays and limit them to just three hours per week.The rules were unveiled by the National Press and Publication Administration in order to curb gaming addiction among teenagers, state news agency Xinhua reported.Gamers aged below 18 will be limited to one hour of online game play, between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

BEIJING -- China is banning children from playing online games for more than three hours a week, the harshest restriction so far on the game industry as Chinese regulators continue cracking down on the technology sector.Minors in China can only play games between 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and Kung Fu Panda film franchises feature heavily, along with the Minions from the “Despicable Me” movies.Beijing's historic sites have long drawn tourists.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Free Guy” grabbed a convincing win at the top of the China box office, marking the end of a Hollywood drought and was earned despite difficult conditions.The family-friendly comedy earned $23.8 million in three days, according to data from Artisan Gateway. That was fully 56% of the nationwide theatrical haul between Friday and Sunday.It earned $3.77 million of its total from Imax screens.

Refresh for latest…: One of the only Hollywood titles to recently be granted a China release date, Disney/20th Century Studios’ Free Guy flew into the market with a $23.9M start. This is a solid launch in the Middle Kingdom, particularly in the current climate, and helped push the Ryan Reynolds-starrer past $100M at the international box office. The full offshore weekend was $37.3M in 47 markets, a slight 23% drop from last session, and the total overseas cume is now $100.3M for $179.6M global.

After a two-month blackout period in China for Hollywood movies, Disney/20th Century Studios’ Free Guy is looking to lead all pics in the country at the weekend B.O. with a $18M+, possibly $20M take. That’s a promising start for one of the first big movies from Hollywood after a long-hiatus, besting the $15M opening weekend of A Quiet Place Part II, and the $7.8M first weekend of Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefChina announced further steps to control celebrity fan culture, which regulators say has become “chaotic.” The moves came as one of China’s most prominent stars Vicki Zhao Wei was scrubbed from the internet and another star, female actor Zheng Shuang was embroiled in a tax scandal.The Cyberspace Administration of China on Friday issued a pair of connected notices.

Music Business Worldwide (MBW), the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced that from October 1 any music that breaches a fresh set of government rules will be scrapped from karaoke bars.Among the contraventions include music that “violates the state’s religious policies or promotes cults and superstitions,” “insults or defames others” or “endangers national security or harms national honour or interests”.A Reddit user posted a direct translation of the new government rules in

Nicole Kidman has become the center of a social media debate after arriving in Hong Kong to film her latest TV series, The Expats.The Nine Perfect Strangers actress reportedly touched down in the Chinese city last week after flying in from Australia, but her apparent lack of isolation has caused uproar with many.MORE: Nicole Kidman's son Connor Cruise reveals bold new look with rare photo of himselfNicole was granted a quarantine waiver and according to local media, she has been spotted out