Frater Asia: Last News

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“The Battle at Lake Changjin II” passed $500 million in total sales and remained unchallenged atop the mainland Chinese box office over the latest weekend.Data from consultancy Artisan Gateway showed no positional change among the top five films on a weekend that came a week after the Chinese New Year holiday wound down. Bona’s “Lake Changjin II” earned $43.5 million over the Friday to Sunday weekend, ahead of comedy “Too Cool to Kill” with $37.3 million over the same three days. In third place over the weekend was drama “Nice View” with $21.6 million and animation “Boonie Bears: Back to Earth” with $14.0 million.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Yanagawa,” which this week won the top prize at the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas in France, has been set as the opening title of the 17th Osaka Asian Film Festival in Japan. The festival, which runs as an in-person event, March 10-20, 2022 will close with multinational co-production “Miss Osaka.”Yanagawa, was directed by Korean-Chinese auteur Zhang Lu, and was filmed in China and Japan.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“The Battle at Lake Changjin II” passed the $200 million landmark at the China box office at midday local time on Thursday, the film’s third day of release. Data from Alibaba’s Beacon data tracking service showed the film lying comfortably on top of the mainland Chinese box office chart with RMB166 million (26.1 million) earned on the third morning of the Lunar New Year holidays.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“The Battle at Lake Changjin II” lived up to its blockbuster billing with a more than $75 million box office haul by lunchtime on Tuesday, its opening day in mainland Chinese theaters.The film, aka “Watergate Bridge” had grossed RMB487 million ($76.5 million) by 1.30 pm, according to online ticketing agency Maoyan and Alibaba’s Beacon data service. At this pace a $100 million opening day is possible.State media has forecast that the film may propel the Chinese New Year (aka Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival) week to over $1 billion and that the 149-minute film could eventually become the highest-grossing film of all time in China.To do that, it would have to surpass “The Battle at Lake Changjin” which was released on Oct.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure” ran off with nearly half the weekend bullion at the South Korea box office. On its heels was political drama-thriller “Kingmaker,” as local titles finally overthrew the long-running “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ahead of a public holiday.Most South Koreans will enjoy two consecutive public holidays on Monday (“Seotdal Geumeum” or New Year’s Eve) and Tuesday (Lunar New Year), meaning that the Friday to Sunday weekend was the first part of a five-day holiday season. The three-day nationwide box office total was $5.58 million.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“The Matrix: Resurrections” fell out of the top five chart positions at the mainland Chinese box office over the latest weekend. The top spots were reclaimed by local, holdover titles.China Film Co.’s patriotic pandemic drama “Embrace Again” was the top film over the latest Friday to Sunday weekend, with a weekend score of $5.3 million, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. Since Dec.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Spider-Man: No Way Home” was gifted a sixth successive victory at the South Korean box office in a weekend with no releases of commercially significant films.“Spider-Man” played out to a lowball $1.23 million haul between Friday and Sunday. That was only 18% down on its previous weekend score and lifted its running total since release on Dec. 15, 2021, to $60.3 million.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Seobok,” a rare South Korean sci-fi film with “Squid Game” star Gong Yoo, will get its launch next month in North America via streaming platform Rakuten Viki.Licensed from distributor WellGo USA, the film will be available exclusively through Rakuten Viki’s TVOD service for $2.99. Rakuten Viki has exclusive rights for the movie for two weeks in the U.S. and Canada, from Feb. 1 to Feb.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Venom: Let There Be Carnage” gave a much-needed jolt to the South Korean box office with a $6.66 million opening weekend.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“The Battle at Lake Changjin” became the fourth most successful film in the world this year as it maintained its grip on the China box office for a second weekend.Even as the National Day holiday season wound to an end, “Changjin” scored $109 million over the weekend according to data from Artisan Gateway. That gave it a cumulative total of $633 million, earned since Sept.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“No Time To Die” kept its place at the top of the South Korean box office for the second weekend. But, with no significant new releases competing against the James Bond title, it was a hollow victory.The Universal-released “No Time To Die” earned $1.83 million in Korea on its second weekend of release, according to data from Kobis, the Korean Film Council-backed tracking service.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief‘F9’ enjoyed a second weekend at the front of the South Korean box office. It was joined by ‘Cruella’ in keeping the nationwide gross total over $6 million for a second week.Action franchise movie, “F9” grossed $3.21 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from the Korean Film Council’s Kobis tracking service.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Spiral: From The Book of Saw” carved out the top spot at the South Korean box office over the weekend. But it was a thin slice of a painfully quiet weekend.Korea’s aggregate nationwide box office was just $2.60 million, almost unchanged from last week and within a whisker of being the smallest weekend total in three months.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefKorean actress Oh In-hye died of a cardiac arrest in a South Korea hospital on Monday evening. She was 36.Earlier in the day, a friend found Oh unconscious at her home in Incheon, South Korea.

By Patrick Frater

By Patrick Frater

By Patrick Frater

By Patrick Frater

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Ip Man: Kung Fu Master,” the latest in a long line of Ip Man movies from Hong Kong and mainland China, has found its way to the virtual Cannes Market, where it is being represented by Hong Kong- and Paris-based All Rights Entertainment.Directed by Li Liming and produced by Kai Pictures, it stars Dennis To in his third go at the role of Ip Man, the martial artist who famously tutored Bruce Lee, and whose life has spawned two competing biopic franchises.To previously portrayed the kung fu ace in Herman Yau’s “Ip Man: The Legend Is Born,” and Jeff Lau’s “Kung Fu League.” Ip’s oldest son, Ip Chun, described To’s performances as the most accurate portrayal of his father.

By Patrick Frater

By Patrick Frater