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Netflix’s Sam Bankman-Fried limited series The Altruists is rounding out its cast with 10.

Eugene Young, Madison Hu (The Brothers Sun), Karan Soni, Matt Rife, Alex Lawther (Andor) and Naomi Okada will take on series regular roles working alongside leads Julia Garner and Anthony Boyle.

Maddie Hasson (The Recruit), Marianna Phung (Y: The Last Man), Paul Reiser and Robin Weigert will appear in recurring roles.

The story of Sam Bankman-Fried (Boyle) and Caroline Ellison (Garner), two hyper-smart, ambitious young idealists who tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye – and then seduced, coaxed, and teased each other into stealing $8 billion.

“I’m moved beyond measure to get to assemble so many of my favorite actors in the world to explore the many lives caught up in this grand and heartbreaking tragedy,...

Following a highly successful run in China, where it topped TV ratings and became the most-streamed TV series throughout the country, Wong Kar Wai’s 1990s-set drama “Blossoms Shanghai” will stream exclusively in North America on The Criterion Channel. Comprising 30 episodes, the show tracks the rise of a financial titan whose wealth comes in the wake of Shanghai opening its own stock exchange.

Created and directed by Wong, the filmmaker said of the project in a statement, “I am thrilled to continue my long-standing relationship with Criterion with the North American debut of my first series on the Criterion Channel. The series captures the vitality of Shanghai’s roaring 90s, revealing universal human truths about desire and destiny. We hope the series provides insight into the pivotal moment of China’s reinvention.”

Like many of Wong’s works, “Blossoms Shanghai” contains strong romantic elements amid real-life historical foundations. It was...

In the days leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics—a moment of historic pride for China—Guan Hu’s “Black Dog” finds its voice not in the bustling stadiums or glowing city skylines, but in the emptied-out outskirts of Chixia, a rural town gutted by redevelopment. The film, which won the Un Certain Regard Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, is now streaming on Prime Video India, and it is a quietly devastating meditation on alienation, urbanisation, and the delicate thread of trust between a man and a dog, both cast aside by society.

At the heart of the film is Lang, played with aching restraint by Eddie Peng, a former motorcyclist at the local circus and once a celebrity in his town. When Lang returns home after years in prison—paroled early for good behaviour—he finds a place that has changed beyond recognition. His home is still there,...

Charles Nieuwendyk's case in A Man on the Inside season 2 just a got a little more interesting with the reveal of the critically acclaimed mystery comedy's new cast members. Of course, Ted Danson will return as the titular man on the inside, a retired widow who gets back out into society as a spy for hire working with private investigator Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada).

Richcreek Estrada will also be back in her role, as Variety confirms, but season 2 has also gained a fully rounded out cast after adding Danson's real-life wife Mary Steenburgen in a major role. Viewers will be excited to see some talented familiar faces from shows like Veep, Bones, New Girl, Switched at Birth, Being Human, and more small screen favorites.

Constance Marie, David Strathairn, Gary Cole, Jason Mantzoukas, Jill Talley, Linda Park, Lisa Gilroy, Madison Hu, Max Greenfield, Michaela Conlin, and Sam Huntington are the...

Netflix has rounded out the cast of A Man on the Inside’s second season, adding 11 actors to the comedy’s ensemble.

Constance Marie, David Strathairn, Gary Cole, Jason Mantzoukas, Jill Talley, Linda Park, Lisa Gilroy, Madison Hu, Max Greenfield, Michaela Conlin and Sam Huntington have joined the series from creator Mike Schur (Parks and Recreation, The Good Place) and Universal Television. Mary Steenburgen was previously cast in season two; Ted Danson and Lilah Richcreek Estrada will reprise their roles from the first season.

The first season of A Man on the Inside followed Charles Nieuwendyk (Danson), a retired professor who took a job with private investigator Julie (Estrada) and went undercover in a retirement home to see who was behind a robbery there. Season two will see Charles taking on a new assignment at a college.

Steenburgen (who is married to Danson) will play a former musician who plays...

Netflix has rounded out its Season 2 cast for A Man On The Inside, adding 11 to the comedy series starring Ted Danson. Constance Marie (With Love), David Strathairn (The Bourne Legacy), Gary Cole (NCIS), Jason Mantzoukas (Taskmaster), Jill Talley (Mr. Show), Linda Park (Bosch), Lisa Gilroy (Interior Chinatown), Madison Hu (The Brothers Sun), Max Greenfield (The Neighborhood), Michaela Conlin (Bones) and Sam Huntington (Superman Returns) join previously announced Mary Steenburgen.

Created by Mike Schur, A Man on the Inside centers on Charles (Danson), a retired man who gets a new lease on life when he answers an ad from a Pi and becomes a mole in a secret investigation. Season 2 will see Charles (Danson) going undercover at a college.

Clockwise Top L-r: David Strathairn, Jason Mantzoukas, Max Greenfield, Jill Talley, Linda Park, Lisa Gilroy, Madison Hu and Michaela Conlin

Marie will play Vanessa, a former con-artist who serves as a part-time-source...

Stars: Jackie Chan, Wei Xiang, Han Yanbo, Temur Mamisashvili, Shi Ce | Written by Meng Yida, Xu Wei | Directed by Zhang Luan

Directed by Zhang Luan, Panda Plan is the latest vehicle for international action superstar Jackie Chan, who, at 70 years old, continues to defy the physical limitations of age (and science) with his trademark blend of martial arts and slapstick comedy. The film sees Chan playing a more animated version of himself with a meta twist that both celebrates and gently mocks his decades-long career. The premise is simple yet absurd. Jackie, the beloved movie star, adopts a rare baby panda named Hu Hu at a zoo, only to find himself embroiled in a rescue mission when mercenaries attempt to kidnap the dodgy CGI critter for a mysterious Middle Eastern client.

The film starts with a self-aware action sequence, a chaotic shootout in a church that’s revealed to be...

What’s that? You’ve never heard of Poochinski, the show starring a murdered cop who is resurrected as a crime-solving bulldog voiced by the great Peter Boyle? Well, perhaps that’s because they only made one episode before some executive thought this brilliant TV series just might not find an audience.

Honestly, when stacked against some of the other bizarre pilots that were never picked up, Poochinski starts to look like a pretty good idea. Who wouldn’t love a police procedural starring a detective dog that’s been resurrected from the dead, anyway? Here’s a look at some of the other pilots that, for better or worse, were just too weird to make into a full series…

1 ‘Stick Around’ (1977)

Before he became the lovable foreign mechanic Latka Gravas on Taxi, Andy Kaufman loaned the “Foreign Man” character from his stand-up act to another potential sitcom. Set in...

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The 2025 Oscars are right around the corner. If you’re eager to celebrate film’s biggest night, keep scrolling! We’re breaking down everything you need to know about the Academy Awards telecast, including how to watch the ceremony online for free, where to stream the Oscar-nominated films and more.

More from TVLineOscars Audience Dips 7% But Delivers Multi-Year Highs in DemosThe Handmaid's Tale Sequel Series Casts...

Beijing born Hu Jin Quan, better known as King Hu, worked as an actor, scriptwriter, set decorator and assistant director after joining the Shaw Brothers Studio in 1958. Hu slowly worked his way up as the director of “Sons of the Good Earth” (1965) under the influence of director Li Han Hsiang. Besides launching the film career of its star Cheng Pei Pei, Hu’s highly acclaimed wuxia film “Come Drink with Me” (1966) would put him on the world map. After leaving Shaw, he directed “Dragon Inn” (1967) in Taiwan which became a phenomenal cult classic in Southeast Asia.

Hu continued to achieve more fame with films like “A Touch of Zen” (1971), “The Valiant Ones” (1975), “Raining in the Mountain” and “Legend of the Mountain” both in 1979. Although his later films were less successful commercially, he returned from California to direct “Swordsman” (1990) and “Painted Skin” (1992). Actually, producer Tsui Hark‘s team had to finish...

The Mudan incident of 1871 is one of the most important historical events when it comes to gaining an understanding of the troubled relationship between Japan, Taiwan and China. Depending on the culture you grow up in, the narrative of what happened to the Ryukyuan sailors who shipwrecked off of Taiwan’s southeastern coast shifts towards what kind of message you want people to take away. When Sean Hu was taught about the event in school, the teacher’s version left many questions unanswered, especially since the various accounts of the events are either misleading or contradicting. In his new documentary “Ocean Elegy: The Tragedies of Mudan and Ryukyu” Hu aims to combine these accounts into one narrative, pointing at the differences and contradictions, while also highlighting how the event has shaped the present of the parties involved.

Ocean Elegy: The Tragedies of Mudan and Ryukyu is screening at Cinema at Sea

As mentioned before,...

After recent patriotic blockbusters such as “My People, My Country” (2019) and “The Eight Hundred” (2020), director Guan Hu is back to his “sixth generation” roots, with a film that might not be low budget, but it has a big indie heart. “Black Dog” bagged the Un Certain Regard prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered in May of this year, and its lead canine, Xiao Xin, a Jack Russell-greyhound cross, received the Grand Jury Prize at the Palm Dog Award.

Black Dog is screening at Festival International des Cinemas d’Asie de Vesoul

It’s the summer of 2008 and the Beijing Olympics are about to kick off. On a dusty road in the outskirts of China’s Gobi Desert, a rickety minibus is heading towards its destination when a pack of feral dogs appears on the street in front of it and causes the bus to tip over. Within the shell-shocked passengers,...

Guan Hu’s melancholic tale, Black Dog, seems to be a quiet statement at the festivals this season, trying to make its feeble voice heard amongst the loud clamor around the more prominent contenders. The tale of a man and a dog begins when the dog appears first as a nuisance, then as a golden goose, and finally as the surest companion amidst a rapidly altering face of a sleepy town. The story, almost allegorical in nature, does not rely too heavily on dialogue or conversations.

Spoilers Ahead

What is the film about?

Black Dog opens with the singular act of a passenger minibus being overturned by a sudden ambush of a horde of stray dogs in the Gobi desert. The bus is carrying our protagonist, Lang Yonghui. Recently released from jail, Lang heads back to his hometown on the outskirts of the desert. On his first day back in town,...

Nightbitch's cast extends boasts some impressive talent opposite Amy Adams' commanding performance. Nightbitch is a black comedy riff on a classic creature feature, combining the themes of films like An American Werewolf in London with an exploration of motherhood. The film centers around Amy Adams' nameless Mother, who finds herself increasingly frustrated by her domestic life as a mother and wife above all else. Mother finds new freedom in the evenings however, especially as she steadily seems to begin transforming into a dog.

Although the overall film received mixed reviews from critics, Amy Adams' Nightbitch has become a streaming success on Hulu. While the film is anchored by Amy Adams' impressive central performance, the movie also features a strong supporting cast who bring out different shades of the lead character. The stars of Nightbitch range from veterans of the silver screen to modern character actors, all in service of...

Back in 2024, anime fans were treated to a brand-new fantasy action adventure titled Solo Leveling, which promptly made waves as one of the most memorable and talked-about anime series of that entire year. Now anime fans can see why longtime fans loved the original Korean web novel, watching the underdog hero Jinwoo Sung rise to fame as the only Hunter who can increase his levels and stats with combat experience.

Anime fans didn't have long to wait for more, since Solo Leveling is set to dominate the Winter 2025 anime season with more monster mayhem in Season 2. Fans are welcome to rewatch the first season of Solo Leveling to brush up on the plot and characters, or they can narrow things down to five particular episodes that embody all that make Solo Leveling such a fun watch. Those five episodes also included some of the best plot twists, character moments, and...

I remember reading somewhere that words are the most magical thing created by human beings. Some men with weapons in their hands and prejudice in their minds may not understand it, but words have the power to move mountains and comfort a grieving heart, and that too, with the same intensity and passion. In Netflix’s The Six Triple Eight, Lena Derriecott, lost a part of herself when she got the news of her beloved, Abram “Hyman” David, a Jewish pilot, losing his life on the battlefield. In December 1943, the real-life Abram had his first combat mission in San Pietro, Italy, where his plane was shot down by the enemy. The blood-stained letter that we saw at the beginning of the film could be fictional, but it is true that Abram’s death inspired his heart-broken lover to join the army. In real-life, Lena was working at a local hospital...

Hollywood Undead and Tech N9ne have announced a 2025 North American co-headlining tour.

Dates for the “Hollywood & N9Ne Returns” tour kick off April 6th in Reno, Nevada, and run through May 9th in Sayreville, New Jersey. Set It Off and Zero 9:36 will provide support for the outing, which includes numerous Canadian cities, including shows in Toronto and Montreal.

Get Hollywood Undead Tickets Here

A Live Nation ticket pre-sale for select dates begins Wednesday (December 18th) at 10 a.m. local time using the code Joy. General ticket sales start Friday (December 20th) at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.

“The first leg of this tour was something special, and we’re just getting started,” said Johnny 3 Tears of Hollywood Undead of a 2023 outing featuring the two headliners. “Heading back to Canada after so many years makes this next run even more meaningful. Get ready for an unforgettable show every night.

Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan’s largest phones and broadband internet company, unveiled an investment and production slate of two new series and two movies on Tuesday, the first day of the Taiwan Creative Content Fest.

The new titles are part of the giant firm’s effort to build out the creative industries ecosystem and follow a year on from a co-financing deal with Taiwan’s ministry of culture.

“Chunghwa Telecom is not just a platform and internet service. We need to support the content industry,” said Hu Hsueh-hai, president of consumer products.

Asserting that “content is king, and channels are queen,” Hu explained the company’s three goals for 2025 in the content sector. These are to support high-quality content, support top-quality distribution channels (the company claims 10 million mobile users and 4 million fixed-line broadband households); and to prioritize sound business models. That will involve leveraging tech and data.

Culture minister, Li Yuan...

Captain James T. Kirk is truly a wanted man. Or at least, the man who plays him on the silver screen seems to be. In one of the most silly lawsuits of all time, Kirk himself, aka Chris Pine, is being sued by his neighbor for the crime of...planting weeping figs.

Pine, now known for the dastardly crime of planting trees, is being sued by his California neighbor Helen Yu, for planting the trees, which apparently have caused some very minor issues in his neighbor's yard. The weeping figs, aka Ficus Benjamina trees, are at the center of a boundary dispute between the two. In Yu's defense, Ficus Benjamina trees are very invasive and are known for having very disruptive roots. However, from what can be gleaned, they aren't illegal to plant in California.

This isn't even the first time Hu has sued Pine, as she once again sued him in 2022 for "trespass,...

“Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio” is a collection of close to 500 Chinese stories written by Pu Song Ling of the Qing dynasty. These fictional tales mostly touch on the themes of rebirth, reincarnation, ghosts, gods and the supernatural. Many filmmakers have adapted numerous of his works into films and TV series since then. Loosely based on a story of the same name and filmed in China, King Hu‘s “Painted Skin” was also his last film.

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One night, a reasonably well off but failed scholar Wang Shun Sheng (Adam Cheng) runs into a pretty young woman, You Feng (Joey Wong) on his way home. Since she is a runaway, he takes pity on her and takes her home. Just when he is about to have his way with her, the sun comes up and she starts to panic. Nonetheless,...

The mood darkens in Pachinko Season 2 Episode 2 as Sunja’s family suffers another loss and the air raids draw closer.

A dream-like change in tone can’t disguise that this is the second bridge episode of this season, keeping us tethered to the unresolved narrative threads of Season 1 of the Apple TV+ series.

The good news is that we might now be at the point where Season 2 can finally start.

(Apple TV+)

It was hard to tell at first if the episode’s first scene, with its deserted streets and smoky skies, was real.

Our expectations were subverted when the ominous gas mask-wearing figure turned out to be a human friend, not a ghostly specter.

Those expectations were subverted again when we learned that the true messenger of Death arrives on a bicycle.

Neither A Gift, Nor A Power

This episode spends a lot of time in the realm between the dead and the living.

Episode 2 of Pachinko is quite the heartbreaking one. The second season is already quite bleak to begin with, but as a show set in two timelines, there’s some sort of reassurance that things will be alright, or at least somewhat alright. But episode 2 is very sad, and it’ll make you want to hug your family for sure. Additionally, I have to admit little Mozasu makes it easy to digest. The second episode marks the onset of the war; Japan already knew something big was coming, but now they’re in panic mode, which leaves the Koreans completely vulnerable. On the other hand, in the 80s, Solomon makes a massive decision, but is it worth the mess? We’ll have to find out, so let’s dive straight into episode 2 of season 2 of Pachinko.

Spoiler Alert

Who Sent Isak To Prison?

Episode 2 begins with the gream scene of war.

The first time you watch Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) brawl Yuriko Oyama aka Lady Deathstrike (Kelly Hu) in 2003's "X2: X-Men United," you may find yourself echoing what Logan says at the outset of their showdown: "Holy s**t." More than 20 years later, the fight between these two super-healing individuals with adamantium-laced skeletons still ranks up there as one of the most savage mutant versus mutant scuffles in all of 20th Century Fox's "X-Men" movies. Despite being restricted by the film's PG-13 rating, this sequence manages to packs in plenty of wince-inducing moments, culminating with Lady Deathstrike's horrifying fate of death by liquified adamantium injection. That she'd spent the whole movie being forced to serve the detestable William Stryker (Brian Cox), who uses a mind control serum to rob her of her agency, only adds to the greater tragedy of the character.

In light of this, it might've felt strange...

Breaking and Re-entering or Huan Qian, is a new Taiwanese action-comedy film that improvises on the ever-popular sub-genre of heist movies with a charming cast of characters. The protagonist, Chang Po-chun, leads a gang of bank robbers to steal a hefty amount of money from a popular institution, but it all goes wrong when he realizes that his ex-girlfriend, Shen Shu-wen, is an employee at the same bank. The strange situation leads to an even more bizarre decision, as Po-chun now wants to return the stolen money through a ‘reverse heist’. Although Breaking and Re-entering is often goofy with its convenient plot lines and comedic style, it makes for a fun and entertaining light watch.

Spoiler Alert

What is the film about?

Breaking and Re-entering opens with a TV advertisement by a popular financial organization in Taiwan, the Wanxi Bank. The President of the bank, Chen Hai-jui, appears in this...

Cheng Pei-Pei, the iconic action star known for films such as Come Drink With Me and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has died. According to Variety, she had been privately battling a degenerative brain disease since 2019. She was 78 years old. “To all her friends, colleagues, and fans, thank you for all...

Cited as King Hu’s last pure wuxia film, 1975’s The Valiant Ones is set during the Ming Dynasty of the 16th century in a time when China’s coastlines were under constant harassment from Japanese wokou. As an opening narration explains, these pirates operate nearly unchallenged thanks to their fighting prowess and the corruption of Japanese consuls, Chinese officials, and even the Ming emperor (Chao Lei) himself. Despite the collusion, the monarch must keep up appearances of solving the problem, and so he commissions General Zhu (Tu Kuang-chi) to assemble a group of warriors to combat the pirates. Zhou in turn hires a brilliant captain, Yu Da-you (Roy Chiao), to lead the unit, along with a handful of fighters that includes a husband-wife duo (Wing Bai and Hsu Feng) who could each take on an entire platoon of bandits.

Whether or not Hu felt he was leaving behind the wuxia genre,...

Disney and Wbd shocked the world this week by announcing the first cross-company bundle of streaming services in the industry’s history.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has fulfilled his own prophecy: Nearly a year ago to the day, Zaslav told observers at a tech conference that he believed streaming services would be compelled to bundle together in the near future, as market forces would dictate a consolidation of the streaming industry. That outcome has largely come to pass, as a market saturated with on-demand services and an increased focus on profitability has left some entertainment executives searching for answers. Disney and Wbd decided to take matters into their own hands this week, announcing on Wednesday that they would launch a bundle of Disney+, Max, and Hulu at some point this summer. The move appears intended to help both companies reduce churn for their streamers, and The Streamable’s...

The latest trailer for "Deadpool & Wolverine" suggests the movie might be even more of a cameo-fest than we'd previously predicted.

Hugh Jackman is back as Logan, of course, and he's bringing leftover characters from the erstwhile 20th Century Fox's Marvel Universe. We already knew Elektra (Jennifer Garner), Pyro (Aaron Stanford), and Toad would be back. So will Wolverine's archenemy Sabretooth, perhaps finally giving Logan a chance at closure.

Around the 1:50 minute mark of the new trailer, you were probably focused on the decapitated head of a Giant Man variant (his rotting skull concealed within his ant-styled helmet). I'm much more curious about the characters standing beneath this makeshift base, who look to be familiar (mutant) faces from previous "X-Men" films: Yuriko Oyama/Lady Deathstrike from "X2" and Azazel from "X-Men: First Class."

Both are seen at too far a distance to determine if their previous actors...

The world went crazy with the recent trailer drop of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s upcoming MCU film Deadpool & Wolverine. With some iconic throwbacks to past events in the MCU to bringing in characters from the X-Men franchise, the trailer has shown it all.

Alongside the thrills of the movie, a still from Deadpool & Wolverine also suggested the appearance of five X-Men characters in the film. With some actors allegedly reprising their roles while some X-Men characters are making their on-screen debut, here’s what we know about the characters who show up in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Deadpool and Wolverine jump into a portal in Deadpool 3

5 X-Men Characters Who Were Allegedly Seen In Deadpool 3 Trailer

With a plethora of characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Deadpool & Wolverine open the door for X-Men characters to jump into the realm of Marvel. Having to keep track of hundreds of characters,...

Just like a prayer, the latest trailer for the highly anticipated "Deadpool & Wolverine" arrived this morning, showing off even more of Wade Wilson's first entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If bringing the R-rated Merc with a Mouth into the Marvel Studios world wasn't enough, with all the naughtiness that entails, surely Hugh Jackman picking up Wolverine's claws again will seal the deal.

Of course, since "Deadpool & Wolverine" is bringing the characters from 20th Century Fox's universe of Marvel movies into the MCU, there are even more recognizable faces who will be popping up. Along with reports of Jennifer Garner reprising her role as Elektra and the appearance of Pyro in the first trailer for the movie, the latest batch of footage shows off some returning characters from previous "X-Men" movies. Perhaps even more interesting is where those characters appear in the trailer, especially when it comes...

The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for its 77th edition (May 14-25)

The competition includes films by Andrea Arnold, David Cronenberg, Yórgos Lánthimos, Paul Schrader and Paolo Sorrentino.

Festival director Thierry Frémaux revealed the Official Selection at a press conference at the Ugc Normandie theatre in Paris alongside festival president Iris Knobloch.

Previously announced titles include Quentin Dupieux’s The Second Act, which will open the festival on May 14 out of competition, George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Kevin Costner’s Horizon, An American Saga and Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.

Barbie director Greta Gerwig will preside over the jury.

Strand Releasing has acquired the North American rights to Ray Yeung’s “All Shall Be Well,” which world premiered at this year’s Berlinale and won the Teddy Prize for best film. The movie played last week as the opening film at the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

“All Shall Be Well” chronicles the lives of two women, Angie and Pat, a couple living in Hong Kong who have been together for over four decades. After Pat’s unexpected death, Angie finds herself at the mercy of her extended family as she struggles to retain both her dignity and the home that they shared for over 30 years.

A universal tale, the movie also explores the limitations of Hong Kong’s laws, which don’t allow same-sex marriage. Patra Au Ga Man and Maggie Li Lin Lin star in the lead roles of Angie and Pat, respectively.

The deal was done...

How many times must a soul be slaughtered before its very essence dies? The violation of the human body and of its own psyche leaves indelible scars many of which will never heal. This dehumanization untethers the spirit from the vessel, eventually leaving nothing behind but a walking tomb. In Li-da Hsu's third outing a Girl posits that she “doesn't feel anything now”, brushing off the sheer horror and disbelief upon a Boy's face on what he has just heard. Such a flippant proposal of selling one's body at such an age would cause alarm throughout the globe but in “A Boy and a Girl” this is simply comes off as normal as morning coffee.

A Boy and A Girl is screening at Asian Pop Up Cinema

Showing zero interest in the world beyond his phone, a Boy (Yu-Heng Hu) lackadaisically stumbles through his own daily existence; headed nowhere fast,...

Taking place alongside Filmart, the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf) is one of Asia’s oldest and most established project markets, helping a string of award-winning films to get made.

Recent Haf successes include Mongolian drama If Only I Could Hibernate, which was selected for last year’s Cannes Un Certain Regard, and Huang Ji and Ryuji Otsuka’s Stonewalling, which won best film at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards and was sold to KimStim for North America.

However, Haf is now just one component in an expanding range of activities organised by Hkiff Industry, the industry platform of Hong Kong International Film Festival (Hkiff). This year, the festival has partnered with CAA China to launch the Hkiff Industry-caa China Genre Initiative (Hcg), which is presenting six selected projects to an industry-wide audience during Haf.

Hkiff Industry director Jacob Wong explains that a genre initiative is a logical next...

Even though described by its director as semi-autobiographical, “You Are the Apple of My Eye” is probably one of the most biographical films in history. For starters, the movie is based on the semi-autobiographical, homonymous novel by the director, who used his entire savings and mortgaged his house to raise money, saying that he did it to impress his ex-girlfriend, who provided the inspiration for this film's female protagonist. Furthermore, the movie was filmed almost entirely on location in Changhua County, including the high school which Giddens attended. The result was a crowning success, with the film receiving positive reviews, a number of awards and was a huge success in the box office, both locally and in other Asian countries.

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The film begins in 1994 and focuses on Ko Ching-teng, a mischievous and poor student who frequently gets in trouble...

“Kuei-mei, a Woman” is a cinematic gem that has not only earned critical acclaim in its time but has also left an indelible mark on the history of filmmaking. Selected as the Taiwanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 58th Academy Awards and recipient of the Golden Horse Award for Best Feature Film in 1985, Chang Yi's movie has garnered international recognition for its profound portrayal of sacrifice and perseverance. Nowadays, its themes and cinematography resonate even more.

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

Set against the backdrop of post-revolution Taiwan in the 1950s, the movie unfolds the poignant narrative of its titular character, brilliantly brought to life by the esteemed actress Yang Hui-shan. Born into poverty in mainland China, Kuei-mei embarks on a journey fraught with challenges as she migrates to Taiwan and enters a marriage of convenience with an alcoholic widower.

Sandra Oh is pretty in a light blue dress while hitting the purple carpet at the premiere of her new movie The Tiger’s Apprentice on Saturday (January 27) held at Paramount Studios’ Sherry Lansing Theatre in Los Angeles.

The 52-year-old actress joined several of her co-stars at their big premiere, held just less than a week before the movie releases on Paramount+.

Joining Sandra at the premiere were Sherry Cola, Kheng Hua Tan, Leah Lewis, Brandon Soo Hoo, Deborah S Craig, Diana Lee Inosanto and Patrick Gallagher, as well as author Laurence Yep, who penned the children’s book series the film is based on.

Keep reading to find out more…

The Tiger’s Apprentice follows Chinese-American teenager Tom Lee (Soo Hoo), whose life changes forever when he discovers he is part of a long lineage of magical protectors known as the Guardians. With guidance from a mythical tiger named Hu (Henry Golding...

As February quickly approaches, viewers will undoubtedly want to make sure they check out the myriad of films Paramount+ has to offer next month. Given the range of options, audiences of all kinds will likely find something worth watching. Although relatively new to the world of streaming, Paramount+ has managed to provide a number of quality films for its subscribers. Thankfully, the upcoming month is no different for the streaming platform.

The Paramount+ original, The Tiger's Apprentice, will hopefully delight families looking for a child-friendly movie everyone would enjoy. Fans of horror will have a few different films available, and musical lovers will also have a movie right up their alley. In addition, those looking for something heartwarming should look no further than The Peanut Butter Falcon, and for audiences who love films about the old days of Hollywood, Margot Robbie's 2022 box office flop is a must-watch.

The Tiger's Apprentice Stream on Feb.

Catherine Breillat on Léa Drucker in Last Summer (L’Été Dernier) and Alfred Hitchcock’s heroine wardrobe: “I said to Léa, think about Vertigo and Kim Novak! But then I think she is more Tippi Hedren.”

Catherine Breillat’s Last Summer stars Léa Drucker and Samuel Kircher with Olivier Rabourdin, Clotilde Courau, Serena Hu, and Angela Chen. The film is based on May el-Toukhy’s 2019 Queen of Hearts, starring Trine Dyrholm, Gustav Lindh, and Magnus Krepper. Last Summer shares a theme with the NYFF Opening Night Gala selection, Todd Haynes’s May December, where a reversal of age also takes central stage.

Catherine Breillat, with Anne-Katrin Titze, reveals the Christophe Honoré, Winter Boy, Paul Kircher and Samuel Kircher connection for Last Summer

Breillat, incomparably daring as ever, tells the story of Anne (Drucker), a successful lawyer, who lives with her businessman husband Pierre (Rabourdin) and their two headstrong, adopted daughters,...

Apple TV+ Reveals First Look at Star-Studded “Palm Royale”

Apple TV+ has revealed the first look for its upcoming star-studded series “Palm Royale.” Loosely based on the novel “Mr. and Mrs. American Pie” by Juliet McDaniel, the Palm Beach-set series will follow Maxine Simmons as she tries to break into Palm Beach high society in 1969, asking the enduring question: “How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has?”

Kristen Wiig leads the cast as Maxine opposite Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb, Amber Chardae Robinson, Mindy Cohn, Julia Duffy, and Kaia Gerber with guest appearances from Carol Burnett and Bruce Dern.

“Palm Royale” will make its global debut on Apple TV+ with its first three episodes on March 20, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 8.

7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month apple.com “Bridgerton” Sets Two-Part Spring Premiere

The secret is...

“The Tiger’s Apprentice” animated feature, directed by Raman Hui, is an adaptation of a book trilogy by Laurence Yep, streaming February 2, 2024 on Paramount+:

“…San Francisco-raised ’Tom’ becomes the magical apprentice of the tiger ‘Mr. Hu’.

“Together with a band of mythological misfits, their job is to protect the ancient ‘phoenix’ from ‘Vatten’ and the ‘Clan of Nine’ who wish to use its powers for evil…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

"Mess with a tiger, you get the claws!" Paramount Animation has revealed the first look teaser trailer for an animated action movie titled The Tiger's Apprentice, adapted from the same book series. The animated project has been in development for years, and after finally starting production in 2020, the studio decided to cancel the theatrical release and instead send it directly to streaming on Paramount+. Which is a shame because this looks worthy of being seen in theater! Tom Lee, a Chinese-American boy, after the death of his grandmother, discovers he is part of a lineage of magical protectors known as the Guardians. With guidance from a mythical tiger named Hu, Tom trains up to take on Loo, a force that is as powerful as a Guardian but with evil intentions to use magic to destroy humanity. The Tiger's Apprentice stars Henry Golding as Mr. Hu and Brandon Soo Hoo as Tom,...

Mostly known for elevating the wuxia genre in unprecedented heights, with films like “A Touch of Zen” and “Dragon Inn”, King Hu has also implemented his impressive aesthetics to this 1979 film, which lingers between the thriller and the ghost story, as usual including Zen Buddhist philosophy. Eureka Entertainment presents this epic in all of its 191 minutes, in a fully restored edition, in stunning 4K.

Legend of the Mountain is screening at Five Flavours

The story is adapted from a Song Dynasty folk tale and revolves around Ho Yunqing, a young scholar who is tasked by an eminent monk to transcribe a Buddhist sutra said to have immense power over the spirits of the afterlife. To execute his work in peace, he travels to the abandoned premises of an ex-general deep in the mountains, where he encounters a number of strange people. These include Mr Tsui, the man who welcomes him in the area,...

While his features are praised for their inventive and stylish fight sequences, costumes and other aspects, one of King Hu's trademarks was the influence of Buddhist philosophy in his works. Destiny is perhaps the most significant motif linking all of his works, with many of his characters fulfilling their fate in the form of a prophecy or their principles, which is the fight against corruption within the world. King Hu has created tales that might be staged in the distant past, albeit one spiced with fantasy elements, but in the end they also reflect the present with its reliance on narratives to make sense of events and actions. In one of his last projects “The Wheel of Life”, which he co-directed with Hsing lee and Pai Ching-jui, we are told three tales from different periods in time, showcasing the influence of fate on people and the world around them,...

Perhaps one of the most legendary titles in the genre, King Hu's iconic martial arts epic “Come Drink with Me” was a revelation when it first premiered in the mid-60s. Being one of the first films to adapt a stylish bent to the martial arts scenes while still keeping it's artistic touch, the film essentially launched Shaw Brothers as a studio for adrenaline-charged, hard-hitting action films.

Come Drink With Me is screening at Five Flavours

In the middle of the countryside, a group of bandits takes the imperial envoy Chang hostage in order to demand the return of their leader. Although she is really a girl, the renowned fighter Golden Swallow who claims to be Chang's brother, arrives to secure his release. Tracking them down, she takes on the bandits in their hideout at a Buddhist temple, massacring dozens before she's wounded by a poison dart. Subsequently, she...

After “Come Drink With Me” Hong Kong director King Hu probably could have stayed with Shaw Brothers Studio, but instead left the country for Taiwan where he would form his own company and in the years to come, make some of the best movies of his career. While the budget and conditions had certainly changed, Hu continued exploring the themes of his last feature in “Dragon Inn”, arguably his most popular movie aside from “A Touch of Zen”. As one of the most referred to entry in the wuxia genre, it not only provided cinephiles with great fight choreographies, great performances and a wonderful setting, with the architecture of the inn itself being the star of the show, “Dragon Inn” also proved how the genre would blend a highly entertaining formula with a very interesting and (after all these years) still quite appealing social commentary about the relationship of subject and ruler.

Hailed as one of the biggest epics of the wuxia genre, “A Touch of Zen” is a true masterpiece of the category that stands apart particularly due to its technical prowess and high symbolism. The script is based on a short story titled “The Magnanimous Girl” by Pu Songling that was published in 1679.

A Touch of Zen is screening at Five Flavours

Gu is a talented painter and scholar who still lives with his mother, who worries about him being unambitious, unmarried and his decline to apply for a civil servant position. Eventually, a young girl named Yang and her mother settle in an abandoned house nearby, which everybody considers haunted. Gu's mother however, does not seem at all bothered by the fact and she proceeds in an effort to arrange a marriage between Gu and Yang. The girl declines but she and Gu strike a peculiar friendship, after she...

New York, Aug 27 (Ians) US researchers have found that a type of gene therapy can some day help treat people with hepatocellular carcinoma — the most common form of liver cancer — and metabolic diseases like diabetes.

The team led by University of California-Davis discovered a gene therapy that induces the body to create microRNA-22 (miR-22), a naturally occurring molecule, aided in treating mice with hepatocellular carcinoma.

The miR-22 treatment also reduced liver inflammation and produced better survival outcomes with no observable toxicity compared to the US Fda-approved liver cancer treatment lenvatinib.

“This research introduces miR-22 gene therapy as a promising and innovative approach for treating hepatocellular carcinoma,” said Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan, Professor from the Uc Davis Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

“The study’s findings suggest that miR-22 therapy could provide better survival outcomes, enhance anti-tumour immunity, improve metabolism and reduce inflammation.”

In the study published in the journal Molecular Therapy,...

**This review has minor spoilers.**

Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own.

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Human beings live in societies whether they like it or not. Some people like being in their society, while others hate being in theirs. And then there is a third group of people who stay silent by trying their best to fit in. Our protagonist Shu (Liang Cuishan) belongs to this group. Shu is someone who seems to fit well in her society. She is a devoted partner to her fiancé. She leads a mundane life and takes care of him in a dutiful manner as scripted by society. But what happens when someone living in this kind of bubble gets out, finds happiness outside her comfort zone, cherishes every moment of it and soon realizes that the past few years of her life might be a mistake?...

When best friends Mike and Stevie are deep in the trenches of an intense gaming marathon Mike’s older brother Tobz interrupts to throw some shade their way but when Stevie challenges Tobz to a battle, the cracks of fragile masculinity begin to show. Yuan Hu’s electric comedy short Sticks of Fury is packed with style and substance. The premise, as mentioned above, sets an almighty playing field for a rivalry that will know no end. Hu utilises plenty of visual flair as the short plays out, with exaggerated camera angles, bursts of animation, and quick cuts that all accentuate the intensity of the battle of egos. As lifelong Street Fighter fans (Guile and Blanka clearly being the best characters!), we just had to ask Hu to join us for an extensive dive into the making of his short film, talking through the practicalities of a shoot preparation that...