Frater Asia: Last News

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief 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.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief 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 conducted through the International Cricket Council, and spanning the four years 2024-2027, the television broadcast rights to ICC men’s and under-19 tournaments were quickly sub-licensed to ZEEL for a fee of $1.4 billion.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief 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 million admissions and a gross haul of $27.2 million by the evening of Tuesday, its fifth full day in cinemas. On Wednesday morning, the film’s distributor CJ ENM said that the film’s ticket sales total had surpassed 4 million by 9am local time. That would give an estimated box office total of $30 million, that will be confirmed by independent data later in the day. CJ ENM has not disclosed a production budget for the title, but it said that with this level of business the film has now broken even.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief 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 of cloning technology; intelligent sex robots; how artificial intelligence could move Buddhist teachings on from their fixed traditional position; and how people might come to rely on ‘octopuses’ to get by in perpetually flooded cities. The cast includes Pakorn Chatborrirak, Violette Wautier, Waruntorn Paonil, Treechada Hongsyok, Ray Macdonald, Timethai, Thongchai Thongkuntom, Aelm Thavornsiri, Pongsatorn Jongwilas, Chananticha Chaipa, and Wanichaya Pornpanarittichai. Purijitpanya has previously written, directed or edited segments of 2007 film “Body,” 2008 film “4bia” and its 2009 follow-up “Phobia 2” as well as the 2012 feel-good film “Seven Something,” the boundary-pushing 2021 title “Ghost Lab,” and an acclaimed episode of the “Liberation” episode of “Girl from Nowhere” Season 2. The show was first announced earlier this year when Netflix expanded its Southeast Asian production slate.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Taiwan-born actor Shu Qi has completed production of her feature film directing debut, “Girl.” While plot and cast details of the new film remain under wraps, “Girl” is Shu Qi’s original story that she wrote and directed after a prolonged development period. Shu Qi does not appear in the film. The picture is financed by Taiwan’s CMC Entertainment, Wow momentum, J.Q.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Mark Shopiro has been promoted to become head of Amazon’s Prime Video, Canada. He will report into Magda Grace, head of Prime Video, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Shopiro has been at Amazon since 2019, most recently overseeing the engagement, marketplace and sports business for Prime Video in Canada.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Production is under way in Australia’s Victoria state on War Machine, a new sci-fi action thriller film from Lionsgate and Netflix. Produced, directed, and co-written by Patrick Hughes (“The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” “The Man From Toronto”), “War Machine” follows the final 24-hours of the world’s toughest selection program, as a team of Army Rangers encounter a threat beyond their imagination.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “The Twelve,” a court-related drama series starring Sam Neill, has begun production of a third season. It was commissioned by Binge, a streaming platform operated by Australian pay-TV group Foxtel. The show focuses on twelve jurors as they wrestle with their duty to deliver a verdict while also navigating their own personal issues. For the new season Neill (“Peaky Blinders,” “Jurassic World: Dominion”) returns in the role of Brett Colby SC, as the jurors deliberate on a cold case murder trial. The third season of eight one-hour episodes is written by Sarah L.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Paramount Australia and BBC Studios Production Australia are to produce a localized Australian version of British light drama format “Ghosts.” It will play on the Paramount-owned Network 10 linear channel and the Paramount+ streaming platform. The eight-part family comedy series will be set in a haunted country house full of hilarious new ghosts who are as chaotic, unpredictable and messy as Australian history itself. No cast or creative talent has been disclosed, nor a production schedule.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief China’s Mid-Autumn Festival brought a slew of new film releases, but little discernible uplift to the box office. Drama film, “Stand By Me” emerged on top. Official rest days for the Mid-Autumn Festival are Sunday to Tuesday (Sept 15-15), but Saturday (Sept. 14) was declared an “adjusted working day.” That meant that some new titles held back their opening from the conventional Friday to Sunday instead – local sources report nine Chinese-produced films new to the market – but that the total nationwide box office was worth only $28.1 million. Friday-release, “Stand By Me” emerged with $10.3 million (RMB73.0 million), according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Crime action film ‘I The Executioner” topped the South Korea cinema box office weekend with an utterly dominant $15 million haul. The session represented the first half of a long holiday in Korea. Data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic) showed that the film enjoyed a market share of 86% between Friday and Sunday.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Production has begun in Darwin, Northern Territory, on season 2 of Prime Video’s Australian comedy series “Deadloch.” Filming will later relocate to Brisbane, Queensland. The first season saw two very different female detectives thrown together to solve the murder of a man and was set in Tasmania. While the second season sees the return of Kate Box and Madeleine Sami as detectives Dulcie Collins and Eddie Redcliffe, they are joined by Steve Bisley (“The Great Gatsby”), Shari Sebbens (“The Sapphires”), writer Jean Tong (“Heartbreak High”) and in their acting debut role, Genevieve Morris, Byron Coll, Nikki Britton, Anthony J Sharpe, Blake Pavey, Damien Garvey, Ngali Shaw, Bev Killick, Ling Cooper-Tang, Ursula Yovich, Syd Brisbane, Ines English and Lennox Monaghan. “Deadloch” S2 is created and written by Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan who also serve as executive producers alongside Kevin Whyte and Tanya Phegan from Guesswork Television.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Song Kang-ho, star of Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” will headline a series adaptation of hit film “Inside Men.” The project was revealed on Thursday by producer Hive Media Corp. which said that the show is in the early stages of pre-production. Cameras are expected to roll in 2025.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Mike Sneesby has announced his resignation as CEO of Nine Entertainment, one of Australia’s largest media groups. The move follows months of turmoil including the passing of a staff no confidence motion against Sneesby and the group’s board of directors. Sneesby’s departure takes effect from the end of the month.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Period thriller “11 Rebels” has been set as the opening film of next month’s Tokyo International Film Festival. Directed by the prolific Shiraishi Kazuya from a previously-unproduced screenplay by the late Kasahara Kazuo, the film stars popular actors Yamada Takayuki and Nakano Taiga. “We expect this powerful film to mark a spectacular opening to the festival,” Tokyo festival organizers said. The festival runs from Oct.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Mixed martial arts franchise One Championship has come on board “The Beast in Me,” a sports action film starring Russell Crowe and Daniel MacPherson (“Land of Bad,” “Foundation”). In the film, MacPherson plays an out-of-work former MMA fighter who suffers a personal tragedy involving his brother. With the help of a veteran trainer played by Crowe, he sets out to avenge his brother by coming out of retirement to compete in One Championship.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Taiwan-born film director Ang Lee (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Life of Pi,” “Brokeback Mountain”) has been named as one of the five recipients of the Praemium Imperiale award of the Japan Art Association. The awards ceremony will take place in Tokyo on Nov. 19.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Production is under way on “Mothernet,” a drama film that examines the growing relationship between humans and technology. Ho Wi Ding, whose “Pinoy Sunday” and “Cities of Last Things” won multiple prizes, is in the director’s chair. Set in Indonesia’s near future, “Mothernet” is a poignant family drama centered around 16-year-old Rama who is trying to navigate life after a tragic accident leaves his mother in a coma.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Jon Bell’s “The Moogai” was Saturday named winner of the Film Prize at Western Australia’s CinefestOZ festival. With a cash award of A$100,000 ($67,000), it is one of the richest film festival prizes in the world. Sarah and Fergus, a hopeful young Aboriginal couple, give birth to their second baby. But what should be a joyous time of their lives becomes sinister when Sarah starts seeing a malevolent spirit that she is convinced is trying to take her baby.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Columbia Pictures’ “Venom: The Last Dance” has received approval for an Oct. 23, 2024, theatrical release date in China. The date is coordinated with the film’s release in other international territories and is two days ahead of its outing in North America. All foreign films seeking entry into China are subject to import controls and to censorship.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief A handful of holdover confirmed their resilience on what was otherwise a deathly quiet weekend at the mainland China box office. Chinese crime actioner, “Go for Broke” (aka “Chong Sheng”) earned RMB35.4 million ($5.0 million) between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. That lifted it to first place in its fourth weekend of release and gives it a cumulative of $53.4 million.