Socially-conservative Japan seems to be in no rush to follow its neighbors in East Asia and roll out the pink carpet to the LGBTQ community or recognize same-sex marriages. But where the Japanese entertainment industry is slowly heading, courts and municipal authorities are following. The untroubled July arrival of the country’s first same-sex dating reality […]

LEVELING UP Sony-owned anime company Crunchyroll has acquired North American and select international theatrical rights for “Solo Leveling – ReAwakening.” The presentation represents a recap of the “Solo Leveling” anime series’ hit first season and a sneak peek of the first two episodes of the second season. Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment will bring “Solo […]

“Territory,” Netflix’s Down Under answer to “Yellowstone,” has unveiled a trailer ahead of its online premiere on Oct. 24. The series, previously known as “Desert King,” is headed by Anna Torv, star of “Mindhunter” and “The Newsreader,” and Michael Dorman (“For All Mankind,” “Patriot”). The show is created by Timothy Lee (“Mystery Road,” “Bump”) and […]

Oscar-winning duo Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe (“Two Distant Strangers,” HBO’s “BS High”) are to direct and executive produce “Sk8 or Die: The Lee Ralph Story.” The upcoming series is an anthology exploring the wild and highly unique life of Lee Ralph, a former pro skateboarder turned folk hero and recluse. Vinnie Bennett (“Fast & Furious […]

Revenues from India’s premium video-on-demand sector surged by 38% to generate $1.04 billion in the first half of this year, compared with $760 million in the first half of 2023. Local content, especially live sports, were the dominant programming categories, across the country’s ad-supported (AVOD), freemium and paid subscription (SVOD) services, according to a new […]

Warner Bros. Discovery will give Max, its enhanced streaming service, its first outing in the Asia-Pacific region beginning next week in a partnership with Japan’s U-Next. As in Europe and other territories where it has already launched, Max represents both a wider content offering to Japanese viewers than forerunner HBO and a technological upgrade. However, […]

Disney India (previously Disney Star) is seeking $940 million of damages from Indian media conglomerate Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, it was revealed on Wednesday. The claim relates to a cricket rights deal that collapsed in January this year. After Disney won a 2022 bid for TV and digital rights to men’s and women’s cricket events […]

GRACIE PERIOD Streaming service, Paramount+ has commissioned “Playing Gracie Darling,” a mystery drama series about the aftermath of a girl’s sudden disappearance. The six-part show is created and written by Miranda Nation (“Undertow”), directed by Jonathan Brough (“Rosehaven,” “The End”) and produced by Curio Pictures. When Joni was 14, her best friend Gracie Darling disappeared […]

Korean crime comedy action film “I The Executioner” has amassed more than $30 million of gross revenues on its sixth day of release, making it one of the fastest movies in local history to reach that mark. Kobis, the cinema data service operated by the Korean Film Council, reported that the film had reached 3.71 […]

Science fiction and socially conservative Thailand are an unlikely mix which is explored in upcoming anthology series “Tomorrow and I,” that global streamer Netflix will release later in 2024. Directed by Paween Purijitpanya, the four-part show reimagines everyday scenarios in intriguing ways. The 70-minute episodes cover: bringing loved ones back from the dead through use […]

Meta says that it will ban Russian state media companies including RT, Rossiya and Segodnya from posting on its platforms. It accused the Russian companies of deceptive influence operations and attempts to evade detection. “After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets: Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are […]

Taiwan-born actor Shu Qi has completed production of her feature film directing debut, “Girl.” While plot and cast details of the new film remain under wraps, “Girl” is Shu Qi’s original story that she wrote and directed after a prolonged development period. Shu Qi does not appear in the film. The picture is financed by […]

Mark Shopiro has been promoted to become head of Amazon’s Prime Video, Canada. He will report into Magda Grace, head of Prime Video, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Shopiro has been at Amazon since 2019, most recently overseeing the engagement, marketplace and sports business for Prime Video in Canada. Dan Slepak will step into the […]

Production is under way in Australia’s Victoria state on War Machine, a new sci-fi action thriller film from Lionsgate and Netflix. Produced, directed, and co-written by Patrick Hughes (“The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” “The Man From Toronto”), “War Machine” follows the final 24-hours of the world’s toughest selection program, as a team of Army Rangers encounter a threat beyond their imagination. “Reacher” star Alan Ritchson […]

“The Twelve,” a court-related drama series starring Sam Neill, has begun production of a third season. It was commissioned by Binge, a streaming platform operated by Australian pay-TV group Foxtel. The show focuses on twelve jurors as they wrestle with their duty to deliver a verdict while also navigating their own personal issues. For the […]

Paramount Australia and BBC Studios Production Australia are to produce a localized Australian version of British light drama format “Ghosts.” It will play on the Paramount-owned Network 10 linear channel and the Paramount+ streaming platform. The eight-part family comedy series will be set in a haunted country house full of hilarious new ghosts who are […]

China’s Mid-Autumn Festival brought a slew of new film releases, but little discernible uplift to the box office. Drama film, “Stand By Me” emerged on top. Official rest days for the Mid-Autumn Festival are Sunday to Tuesday (Sept 15-15), but Saturday (Sept. 14) was declared an “adjusted working day.” That meant that some new titles […]

Crime action film ‘I The Executioner” topped the South Korea cinema box office weekend with an utterly dominant $15 million haul. The session represented the first half of a long holiday in Korea. Data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic) showed that the film enjoyed a market share of […]

North American distribution rights to Mina Suvari-starring zombie horror-comedy film “All You Need Is Blood,” have been picked up by Level 33 Entertainment. The company is planning to launch the film on the KINO Studio app on Oct. 19. Following the KINO premiere, the film will be available across all customary VOD outlets. The film […]