Korea Box Office: ‘Suzume’ Expands in Third Week as Japanese Animation Extends Strong Year

Taylor.After another dazzling weekend of high-profile ‘Eras Tour’ concerts at Houston’s NRG Stadium, mega pop star Swift will swing into Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on April 28, April 29 and April 30.And, as you may have expected, tickets are not cheap.At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats at the Falcons’ stadium turned Taylor’s home for a single weekend was $724 before fees on Vivid Seats.That’s quite a bit heftier a price tag than when we originally reported on ticket prices for the shows and prices started at $455 before fees.However, given the glowing reviews for the ‘Eras Tour,’ elaborate costume changes, stunning set design and relationship drama surrounding Taylor, it’s obvious:Swift truly puts a show you can’t put a price on — these aren’t concerts; they’re events.Want to know more about how to see Taylor live in Atlanta from April 28-30?Keep reading.We’ve got everything you need to know and more below.All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.A complete breakdown of all the best prices on upper-deck, lower-level and floor seats for each of Taylor’s three Atlanta concerts can be found below.(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time.

shared a steamy picture of himself Saturday wearing nothing but a cowboy hat and a handcuff necklace while on the set of his Amazon Prime show “Outer Range.” “Prepping for a scene for Outer Range Season 2. We are taking things in a different direction now,” teased the 55-year-old in the caption. “It’s a shifting world and we have to be sensitive to all.

Willie Nelson.On April 29-30, the legendary country singer is going all out for his 90th putting on a two-day concert at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl featuring some of the biggest names in music to help him celebrate his entry into life as a nonagenarian.Just a few of the superstars taking part in the festivities include Neil Young, Chris Stapleton, Snoop Dogg, Kacey Musgraves and The Chicks.That’s not all though.Mega headliners like Beck, The Lumineers, Sheryl Crow, Billy Strings and Miranda Lambert will be there too.Heck, even Roseanne Cash and Tom Jones are performing.We’re still barely scratching the surface — there are still 17 more huge acts you won’t want to miss.And the best part of all is you can still grab last-minute tickets.At the time of publication, two-day passes to the the multi-day extravaganza start at $303 before fees on Vivid Seats.For those that want to get up close and personal, tickets are a bit more expensive.$3971 before fees is the cheapest pass in the section closest to the stage.But if you love the Red Headed Stranger, you can’t put a price on seeing him live.Need to know more about the year’s biggest birthday bash?We’ve got all the details for you below.As noted earlier, Nelson really has invited the entire industry to the party.In addition to the musicians listed above, here’s who is set to perform at his 90th Birthday Party on April 29-30 (the highlighted artists are currently on tour; you can find more information about their tours by clicking on them):Allison RussellBob WeirCharley CrockettEdie BrickellLeon BridgesLukas NelsonLyle LovettMargo PriceNathaniel RateliffNorah JonesOrville PeckParticle KidSturgill SimpsonThe Avett BrothersTyler ChildersWarren HaynesZiggy MarleyYou can find the

told Sky News. Wootton noted that the recent news of Markle, 41, penning letters to King Charles III, 74, about her concerns of racism in the royal family seems conveniently timed as the coronation draws closer.While Prince Harry, 38, attends his father’s big day solo, Markle will stay behind in California with their kids Prince Archie, 3, and Princess Lilibet, 1. “What they wanted wasn’t achieved,” a source told People, referring to a family reconciliation.

ABC revealed.The much-anticipated crossover will air on ABC at 9 p.m. following the “Jeopardy! Masters” tournament, which will see the return of some of the game’s top contestants, including Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Andrew He, Sam Buttrey and James Holzhauer. Fans are thrilled to get to see Jennings, 48, Bialik, 47, and White, 66, face off in the game show, solving puzzles to win $1 million for charity.A thread on the “Jeopardy!” Reddit forum even has people making predictions.“Watch Vanna absolutely smoke both of them and leave us all confused,” one person said, to which another quipped in response, “She does have all the answers.”Someone said seeing White win wouldn’t be surprising considering “she’s spent decades studying by way of being on the show.”“Vanna knows the writers’ thought processes when creating puzzles. Pat [Sajak] has said she even submits puzzles of her own for possible use on the show.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Only a few months have passed since Ice Spice and PinkPantheress locked in their first top 10 single with “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2,” and now the two rising stars front a new Skims campaign, alongside singers Nessa Barret and Raye. “I’m excited to launch this next generation of Skims shapewear with a campaign that celebrates these incredible musical artists,” Kim Kardashian said in a statement. “Ice Spice, Nessa Barrett, Pinkpantheress, and Raye are super talented women and truly reflect our Skims community.” The campaign is composed of minimalistic earth-toned imagery, featuring each of the artist’s modeling the brand’s newest assortment of shapewear such as the Seamless Sculpt Brief Bodysuit, Seamless Sculpt Catsuit, Seamless Sculpt Bandeau and Seamless Sculpt Shorts — all available to shop on the Skims website starting Apr. 27.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Cinedigm has acquired all North American rights to the Japanese sci-fi horror film “New Religion.” “New Religion” is a surrealist body horror film written, directed and produced by first-time feature filmmaker Kondo Keishi. It stars Seto Kaho, Nunami Daiki, Oka Satoshi and Ryuseigun Saionji. After her daughter’s death, divorced Miyabi begins working as a call girl. One day, she meets an unsettling customer who wants to take pictures of her body parts. Soon, she realizes that every time she allows her body to be photographed her daughter’s spirit gets closer. She must decide how far she is willing to go to connect with her daughter once again.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” opened in fourth place at the mainland China box office with a muted $5 million haul. Top honors belonged to Japanese animation film “Suzume” for the second weekend. “Suzume” incurred a 55% week-on-week drop, falling from $49.6 million in its opening weekend, to $22.1 million in is second, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. After ten days in Chinese theaters, “Suzume” now has a cumulative total of $80.6 million. Nevertheless, its lead at the top of the box office chart was unassailable. The weekend’s best-placed new release title was “Hachiko,” a Chinese retelling of the Japanese tale of a dog which faithfully waited at a station for its master years after his death. (The story was previously given a U.S. version with Richard Gere in the lead human role.) It earned $8.9 million (RMB61.2 million) in its opening weekend.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” landed into second place at a depressed South Korean box office with a market share barely a fifth that of chart leader “Suzume.” The Japanese animation film earned $4.46 million in its fourth week of release, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). While that was a 26% week-on-week drop, its hold on the chart remained at over 60%. Since releasing on March 8, it has grossed $29.9 million, making it the second highest film of the year in Korea – behind another Japanese animation “The First Slam Dunk” on $35.1 million. “D&D” was the weekend’s top-placed new release and earned $958,000 for a 13% market share. Over the full five days since its opening on Wednesday, it achieved $1.36 million.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief American rap musician Cardi B has joined the voice cast of upcoming animation film “Baby Shark’s Big Movie!” The film is the first feature-length spin-off from “Baby Shark’s Big Show!,” a pre-school series which began in 2021 on Nickelodeon-branded channels and platforms and is now in its second season. The show is co-produced by Nickelodeon Animation and Seoul, Korea-based The Pinkfong Company and directed by Alan Foreman (“The Casagrandes,” “Welcome to the Wayne”). Its narrative follows Baby Shark and his family as they move to Chomp City, the big city of sharks.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Online story platform Wattpad and Thai media firm GMMTV have joined forces to adapt digital comic “My ID Is Gangnam Beauty!” for TV. The show will begin production this summer and be known as “Beauty Newbie” when it begins airing on GMMTV in early 2024. The adaptation will follow Liu, a young woman who feels the need to get plastic surgery, and Guy, who is seen as having a perfect face. The show asks whether, in a world that judges and criticizes based on appearance, romance can blossom between two people who see themselves so differently?  The underlying webtoon by Maenggi Ki has been viewed 1.4 billion times and has a significant following in Thailand, where Korean culture is popular and beauty pageants remain a mainstay of mass TV.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Indie sales agency All Rights Entertainment has achieved a string of pre-sales on “Lendarys,” a family adventure animation film that is currently in advanced stages of production and set for delivery later this year. The film was licensed to KMBO (France); Flins & Piniculas (Spain); Another World Entertainment (Denmark and Norway); Njuta Films (Sweden); Outsider Films (Portugal); Blitz Film (Ex-Yugoslavia), Five Stars Distribution (Israel), Selim Ramia and Co. (Middle East and North Africa), The Film Group (Greece & Cyprus), Kino Swiat (Poland), Nashe Kino (CIS excluding Baltics), ACME Film (Baltic States) and Madness Entertainment (Mexico).

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Japanese animation film “Suzume” made just shy of $50 million on its opening weekend in mainland Chinese theaters. Data from consultancy Artisan Gateway, shows “Suzume” grabbing the top spot at the box office with $49.6 million (RMB342 million) between Friday and Sunday. That is the biggest opening score by any film this year outside of the Chinese New Year holiday week in late January. The next best is “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” which opened with $19.4 million in mid-February. Directed by Shinkai Makoto, “Suzume” was a hit in Japan where it was released late last year and has remained on screens for a $105 million total. It played in February at the Berlin Film Festival, where it came away largely empty-handed, but has subsequently performed strongly in the Asian territories where it has released. (In South Korea, where it is now the second highest grossing film released in 2023, its third weekend is its strongest to date.)

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Netflix has announced new series “Ooku: The Inner Chambers,” the first anime adaptation of a hit Japanese manga by Yoshinaga Fumi. At the ongoing Anime Japan convention in Tokyo, the streamer also unveiled “Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune,” another anime series, adapted from a military sci-fi novel by Carlo Zen and set to upload in May. Directed by Abe Noriyuki and produced by Studio Deen, “Ooku” is inspired by tales emerging from the Ooku women’s quarters within Edo Castle and imagines that gender roles are reversed. After a plague threatens the male population women take up positions of authority. The new (female) Shogun Yoshimune enquires into why the women adopt male names when taking power and starts to unravel other mysteries within the inner sanctum. The original manga was published by Hakusensha / Melody.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Taiwan has become a go-to destination for Chinese language series production over the past few years, as international streamers have taken the initiative and as the local content trend has become entrenched in Asia. While some of Taiwan’s advantage may have been handed to it as a result of regional political factors, the movement has led to greater interest in Taiwan stories, both historical and modern.Five Taiwan TV projects are being pitched at Series Mania, that are deemed to have international appeal according to Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), a government-backed agency that has become noticeably proactive over roughly the same period.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hybe Corp., the talent powerhouse behind K-pop sensation BTS, said on Friday that it will sell its share stake in agency rival SM Entertainment. The move would finalize Hybe’s admission of defeat in a dramatic takeover battle in which it was out-gunned by Korean tech leader Kakao Corp. Hybe initially bought a 14.8% stake in SM in February from SM’s founder and K-pop pioneer Lee Soo-man. Hybe expected to be able to buy the remaining 3% tranche held by Lee according to agreed conditions and then launched an open offer to other shareholders to buy a further 15%. But SM’s management opposed Hybe’s quasi-takeover and harnessed Kakao and its subsidiary Kakao Entertainment with a range of measures. These included a content distribution deal and the sale of newly issued shares and bonds to the Kakao pair.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Multi-territory Asian streaming platform Viu is to deliver a Thai version of hit drama series “Reborn Rich.” The 16-episode Korean drama was produced by Korea’s JTBC Studios and Viu, aired on JTBC in Korea between November and December 2022 and was branded as a Viu Original in the 16-territoires in which it operates. Its story sees a long-term employee of a large family-run conglomerate falsely accused of embezzlement. After he is shot on an overseas business trip, he finds himself in the body of the family’s grandson and decides to use his new identity as a means by which to take revenge on the family and the corporation.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Viz Media has picked up a wide collection of rights in North America and Latin America to animated Japanese sports series “Captain Tsubasa: Junior Youth Arc.” The series is adapted from a popular manga by Yoichi Takahashi and is licensed by Shueisha Inc. The deal includes digital streaming, TV, electronic sell-thru, home video and merchandise rights for North and Latin American territories. The new series is currently being produced by Studio KAI, with the official main staff including: director Ono Katsumi; character design and executive animation director, Watanabe Hajime; and series composition, Tomioka Atsuhiro. The voice cast includes Sanpei Yuko as Tsubasa Ozora, Gukuyama Jun as Karl Heinz Schneider and Suzumura Kenichi as Wakabayashi Genzo and Hyuga Kojiro as Sato Takuya. It is set to launch October 2023.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Leading Japanese publisher, Kodansha is to launch an online comic book distribution service from May. Titled K Manga, the operation will go live in May and be exclusive to readers in the U.S. The company is publisher of many of the best-known manga titles in history including “Attack on Titan” and “Ghost in the Shell.” These and some 400 others will be available at the launch of the serialization platform.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Streaming platform Paramount+ has set a release date for Korean series “Yonder” that is one of the first titles flowing from Paramount Global’s alliance with CJ ENM. The show will premiere on April 11 in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France.  Set in 2032, “Yonder” is a science fiction-drama series about a man who receives a message from his deceased wife inviting him to a mysterious space. The space is designed for the dead to be able to live on by uploading memories of their lifetime from their brain. The show raises questions about life and death and what it means to have eternal happiness as humanity faces a world altered by advancements in science and technology.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Leading South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in, star of “Burning,” “The Throne” and Netflix series “Hellbound,” must report to the police on Friday in connection with the alleged use of a variety of drugs. Allegations of Yoo’s drug use emerged a month ago and he has previously spoken with authorities. The Yonhap news agency now specifies that he will be considered as a criminal suspect when he presents himself to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Friday. It is unclear whether Yoo will be formally arrested at that time. Yoo became a person of interest in early February after the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety revealed that he had bought suspicious quantities of the sedative Propofol in a series of purchases starting in 2021. Propofol is a strong sedative that can also be used as an anesthetic. The authorities have looked into several doctors’ offices and clinics in Seoul that may have administered the drug.