Hong Kong: Last News

The Hong Kong Film Development Council (HKFDC) has revamped its film financing program with the launch of a new scheme to support the local industry through a bumpy post-pandemic market. 

Naman Ramachandran In a major move set to electrify action film aficionados, Shout! Studios has nabbed worldwide rights (excluding select Asian territories) to the coveted Golden Princess movie library, a treasure trove of 156 Hong Kong cinema classics that’s been MIA from Western markets for decades. The deal, which brings together Hollywood’s indie powerhouse with one of Hong Kong cinema’s most prestigious catalogs, includes genre-defining works from directing legends John Woo and Tsui Hark, alongside star-studded vehicles featuring Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Leslie Cheung.

Hong Kong moviegoers continued to prove their willingness to turn out for local productions in 2024, pushing Anselm Chan’s funeral drama The Last Dance to become the most successful local film of all time at the Hong Kong box office with over $18 milion. 

The prosecution never rests in Donnie Yen’s new action-infused legal drama The Prosecutor, in which the veteran martial artist plays a righteous cop who quits the force to join the Department of Justice when he feels the legal system is letting too many criminals slip through its fingers.

South Korea’s Exhuma has topped the field, earning 11 nominations at the 18th Asian Film Awards, followed by Hong Kong’s Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In with nine nominations.

Naman Ramachandran Martial arts legend Sammo Hung has been tapped as jury president for the 18th Asian Film Awards, while South Korean supernatural thriller “Exhuma” and Hong Kong action pic “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” dominate the nominations. South Korean supernatural thriller “Exhuma,” helmed by director Jang Jae-hyun and marking the return of veteran actor Choi Min-sik, leads with 11 nods including best film, director, actor and actress. The film weaves elements of feng shui and traditional shamanism in its story of an ominous grave investigation.

Girls’ Generation leader Taeyeon has announced her upcoming 2025 tour ‘The Tense’, featuring concerts in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and moreToday (January 7), Taeyeon released a poster for her upcoming 2025 tour ‘The Tense’, which will feature concerts across East and Southeast Asia. It is set to kick off this March with a three-day concert at the KSPO Dome in Seoul, South Korea.Thereafter, the Girls’ Generation singer will head to Taipei and Manila in the same month.

Naman Ramachandran The Asian Film Awards Academy (AFAA) has tapped actor Dean Fujioka as Ambassador for its upcoming 18th edition, along with four Youth Ambassadors who are fellow actors – Aokbab Chutimon (Thailand), Austin Lin (Taiwan), Lo Chun Yip (Hong Kong) and Okada Masaki (Japan). Fujioka, known for “Fullmetal Alchemist” and winner of Best Actor at the 12th Confidence Drama Awards for “Monte Cristo: A Beautiful Revenge,” started his career in Hong Kong before gaining recognition across Asia in Taiwanese dramas. The Youth Ambassadors bring diverse experience to their roles.

The thermostat on the dashboard is oscillating between single and negative figures, indicating that the first snow of the year isn’t far off.

Actress Sophiya Haque was famed for portraying Poppy Morales in Coronation Street, with the star having appeared in the ITV soap from 2008 until 2009. Poppy was a barmaid and manager at The Rovers Return. Her final scenes saw her being dragged out of the iconic pub by Becky Granger (Katherine Kelly) following a spat with her and Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson), and she was never seen on the cobbles again.

The much-loved BBC One drama, Call the Midwife, is set to return this Christmas with new midwife Joyce Highland, played by Renee Bailey.

Another Christmas visit to Nonnatus House is on the horizon thanks to a festive special of Call the Midwife. After becoming a holiday staple in many households, the BBC period drama that follows a close group of midwives in London's East End will be split into two 60-minute episodes for the first time ever, complete with a Christmas cliffhanger.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor London-based international documentary sales and production outfit Dogwoof has secured further international sales for Shiori Ito’s “Black Box Diaries,” which was Oscar-shortlisted last week for documentary feature. The film premiered in competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and has since been an audience and critical favorite at international festivals worldwide, picking up several awards on its journey. Dogwoof has secured further sales in territories including BBC Storyville (U.K.), ZDF/Arte (Germany and France), Sky Digi Ent.

Naman Ramachandran Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” debuted in pole position at the mainland China box office ending the four-week reign of “Her Story” at the top. Data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway showed “Mufasa: The Lion King” bowing with RMB56.1 million ($8 million). In second place, superstar Donnie Yen‘s Hong Kong action-drama “The Prosecutor” from Maoyan Pictures earned $7.1 million for a $18 million cumulative total in the Middle Kingdom.

EXCLUSIVE: Justin Chon (Chief of War, Pachinko), Bobby Hundreds and Garrett Basch (What We Do in the Shadows, Reservation Dogs) are developing the half-hour series Burnfield based on Hundreds and Chon’s experience in the streetwear scene, preemptively bought by FX, sources tell Deadline.

It may not seem like the most obvious choice for a Christmas movie – a brutal action film with a protagonist traumatized by a failed mission in the jungle – but Triggered (Topakk) is one of the ten films selected for this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) and is opening across the Philippines on December 25. 

GFRIEND have announced their upcoming 2025 ‘Season of Memories’ Asia tour, in conjunction with their 10th anniversary, with concerts in Japan, Taiwan and more.On December 17, GFRIEND announced that they would be bringing their 2025 ‘Season of Memories’ tour and concerts to cities across Asia. They are slated to kick off the tour with a three-night concert in at the Olympic Hall in Seoul, South Korea from January 18 to 20.According an announcement by their label Source Music, GFRIEND will then embark on their Asia tour in March, with shows in Osaka, Yokohama, Hong Kong and Taipei announced so far.

Olivia Rodrigo is due to donate a substantial amount of money to several women’s charities across the globe.Per a Billboard report, the ‘Good 4 U’ singer-songwriter has announced that she will be donating a hefty sum of money, taken from ticket sales for her ‘Guts’ world tour, to key organisations focusing on women’s issues.The singer has been a vocal reproductive rights activist, having announced the launch of The Fund 4 Good initiative earlier this year as part of the ‘Guts’ world tour.The sum will amount to over US$2million, and will be spread across 10 organisations that champion girls’ education, women’s reproductive rights and the prevention of gender-based violence.The 10 charities are the US’ National Network of Abortion Funds, Canada’s Women’s Shelters’ Europe’s Women Against Violence Europe, Thailand’s the Pratthanadee Foundation, South Korea’s Korea Foundation For Women, Hong Kong’s Harmony House Limited, Singapore’s Aidha, Japan’s NPO Women’s Saya-Saya, Australia’s Wesnet and finally the Philippines’ Jhpiego.The upcoming donations come after Rodrigo – who is half-Filipina– in October performed in the Philippines for the first time, and donated all of her concert’s profits to Jhpiego.She wrote: “I got to visit the organization while I was in Manila and was so impressed by the work they are doing providing healthcare to women and girls in the Philippines. It was the most special show and the most meaningful trip.

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

Naman Ramachandran Maxtime Pictures’ “Her Story,” a comedy-drama film told from a largely female perspective, topped the mainland China box office for the fourth consecutive weekend. The box office remained sluggish despite a few new releases, with Hollywood holdover “Moana 2” dropping out of the top five and Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter” making a modest debut. Data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway showed “Her Story” sliding from its previous weekend’s showing by earning RMB52.1 million ($7.3 million) between Friday and Sunday.

Gracie Abrams performed ‘That’s So True’ and ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry’ on Saturday Night Live – watch footage of the performance below.Last night (December 14), the singer-songwriter made her debut as a musical guest on the show with a song from ‘The Secret of Us’ as well as an additional track featured on the deluxe version of the record.Performing in front of a fireplace and a candlelit set, Abrams sang ‘That’s So True’, a live favourite from the ‘Secret of Us’ tour that she included in the album’s deluxe version in October.She recently teased there is also a “very vulgar” version of the hit song, although it “will never see the light of day”. She also performed ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry’, taken from the June version of the record.Earlier this month, Taylor Swift performed with Abrams during her final leg of her blockbuster ‘Eras Tour’, with the two delivering a mash-up of ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry’ and Swift’s ‘Last Kiss’, taken from her 2010 album ‘Speak Now’.They had previously teamed up on ‘Us’, taken from Abrams’ latest album.