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 […]

Indian filmmaker Nidhi Saxena’s directorial debut “Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman” has unveiled a first trailer and poster ahead of its world premiere at the 29th Busan International Film Festival this October. The film will screen in the “A Window on Asian Cinema” section. The trailer offers a glimpse into a poignant world where […]

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 […]

“Squid Game” is back and Netflix has released the first teaser for its hotly anticipated second season. The footage comes as the final reveal of the streamer’s annual Geeked Week fan event.   The teaser picks things off right after Season 1’s finale, when Seong Gi-hun abandoned his plans to go to the U.S. and […]

“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 […]

“Palworld,” a survival-strategy game known colloquially as “Pokémon With Guns,” is the target of a patent-infringement lawsuit filed by Nintendo and the Pokémon Co. Nintendo said the lawsuit against Pocketpair, the company behind “Palworld,” was filed Sept. 18 in Tokyo District Court. The lawsuit seeks an injunction against the alleged infringement and compensation for damages […]

Arty 2018 Indian folklore horror film “Tumbbad” has belatedly found new life at the box office. Its 2024 rerelease in India has grossed $1.5 million and counting. This success compares with the film’s initial $2 million global haul six years ago and breathes new energy into what has become a cult favorite. “Tumbbad,” which follows […]

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, […]

The two nurses from Kerala, southern India, who are the protagonists of Payal Kapadia‘s Cannes prizewinner “All We Imagine as Light,” will begin their theatrical journey from home. Written and directed by Kapadia in her narrative directorial debut, the film tells the story of two Kerala women in Mumbai — Prabha, a troubled nurse who […]

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 […]

When Netflix’s “Squid Game” became a global phenomenon in 2021, it catapulted its cast into the international spotlight. For Anupam Tripathi, the India-born, Korea-based actor who portrayed Ali Abdul, it marked a turning point in his career that has since spanned continents and industries. “After ‘Squid Game,’ life has turned around a lot for me,” […]

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 […]

KAREENA KINEMA PVR Inox, India’s largest cinema exhibitor, is launching a film festival celebrating Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan‘s 25-year career. The week-long event will run from Sept. 20-27 across 30 cinemas in 15 Indian cities. The festival coincides with the release of Kapoor Khan’s latest film, “The Buckingham Murders,” directed by Hansal Mehta. The […]

SonyLIV is set to introduce “Million Dollar Listing: India,” marking the second international adaptation of the Emmy-nominated real estate reality franchise. Produced by EndemolShine India, the series will debut with a focus on New Delhi’s luxury property market. The show joins SonyLIV’s lineup of unscripted content, following the platform’s success with “Shark Tank India” and […]