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Chinese sales agent Rediance is expanding into distribution, attending EFM as a buyer for China for the first time, on the lookout for commercial auteur films, both new releases and library titles.

It has established a new Beijing-­based joint venture, in collaboration with Zhijiang Pictures Media (Zhejiang) and China Magic Film, for theatrical distribution and marketing in mainland China, aiming to handle six to eight films per year. Rediance will act as the international interface, responsible for acquisitions.

“Many international films such as Anatomy Of A Fall and How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies have done incredibly well in Chinese theatres,...

On Friday February 7 2025, Discovery broadcasts Harpoon Hunters!

Like Father, Like Son Season 1 Episode 3 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Harpoon Hunters,” titled “Like Father, Like Son,” promises to be an exciting journey on the high seas. Captain Joe Dion will take his sons along for an adventure that blends family bonding with the thrill of fishing. This episode will showcase the unique experiences that come with sharing the ocean’s wonders with loved ones.

During their time at sea, the Dion family will aim to land two bluefin tuna, known for their size and strength. The challenges of fishing are heightened when family dynamics come into play, adding a personal touch to the competition and teamwork on the boat. Viewers can expect to see the special moments that arise when a father shares his passion for fishing with his children.

A highlight of the episode will be the dramatic sighting...

In the upcoming episode of “Harpoon Hunters,” titled “Like Father, Like Son,” Captain Joe Dion takes a special journey with his sons. This episode, airing at 9:08 Pm on Friday, February 7, 2025, on Discovery, promises to be filled with excitement and family bonding on the open sea.

As the crew sets out, viewers can expect the thrill of landing two impressive bluefin tuna. The teamwork between Joe and his sons will showcase the skills and knowledge passed down through generations. It’s not just about fishing; it’s about creating memories and sharing a passion for the ocean.

The adventure takes an unexpected turn when the family witnesses a great white shark feeding on a humpback whale. This incredible moment highlights the raw power of nature and the beauty of marine life. It’s a reminder of the wild world beneath the waves and the experiences that come with being a harpoon hunter.

Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest Netflix series, Asura, has been received very well – thanks to the brilliant storytelling, masterful direction, and fantastic acting performances by the cast. In this article, we’re going to look into who is playing what in the show and talk about the character for a bit.

Jun Kunimura as Kotaro

Veteran actor Jun Kunimura — whose most famous work is playing the Japanese priest in Korean director Na Hong-Jin’s The Wailing (2016), which I considered to be the greatest horror movie of this generation — plays Kotaro in Asura. The show begins with Takako discovering her seventy-something father – Kotaro – being unfaithful to her mother for a long time and even having a child. Kunimura is quite fantastic in the role, where most of the acting is done by expression and not words.

Keiko Matsuzaka as Fuji

Keiko Matsuzaka, who has a sprawling career and was also...

Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady's 2007 sitcom "The Big Ban Theory" was hotly contested when it was on the air. In the early 2000s, certain kinds of "geek" interests moved from the cultural fringe directly into the mainstream, and previously derided niche interests like "Dungeons & Dragons," comic books, long-form video games, astronomy, trivia, and fantasy in general all became widely accepted as a new entertainment zeitgeist. New kinds of kid-acceptable pop artists came to be canonized. The geek ecosystem was widespread and easily available to any curious takers.

"The Big Bang Theory," however, was lambasted by some viewers for its inaccurate portrayals of modern-day geeks. The characters on "Big Bang" were all scientists or intellectuals, and they all loved "Star Wars," comic books, and RPGs, but they didn't talk the way geeks talked, nor did they organically celebrate geek culture. "The Big Bang Theory" relied too heavily on outdated...

General Hospital spoilers and rumors tease Drew Quartermaine’s (Cameron Mathison) bizarre behavior could be caused by a physical condition. Is it a case of like father like son, like one time father brother and Drew has a brain tumor?

General Hospital Spoilers – Oscar Nero Died Of A Brain Tumor, Franco Baldwin Had Two

Viewers will remember the old Drew-aside from Billy Miller playing him previously, the character was totally different.

Drew’s son, who came up in Josslyn Jacks’ (Eden McCoy) conversation and was her first serious boyfriend was around sixteen when he died-that was Oscar Nero (Garren Lake Stitt).

Drew’s foster brother when he was a toddler, Franco Baldwin (Roger Howarth) also had a brain tumor, and it returned-Oscar’s behavior wasn’t influenced but Franco’s certainly was influenced!

It all depends on what part of the brain a tumor is, and sometimes brain aneurysms can...

"Have you had any thoughts of harming yourself or others?" Lionsgate has revealed an official trailer for a crime thriller called Like Father Like Son, made by the workout maven Barry Jay (the creator of Barry's Bootcamp). Not to be confused with the wonderful Japanese film also titled Like Father, Like Son (directed by Hirokazu Koreeda) from 2013 - this is entirely different. Eli is a young man whose father waits on death row for the crime of murder in the first degree. As Eli's life begins to fall apart, he discovers similar violent tendencies in himself and takes drastic steps to break the family's cycle of brutality and ensure the string of savagery comes to an end. Starring Dylan Flashner, Ariel Winter, Vivica A. Fox, Jim Klock, Prima Apollinaare, Eric Michael Cole, Mayim Bialik, Dermot Mulroney. Another of these strange dime-a-dozen extremely generic thrillers that no one will end up watching anyway.

Ace Japanese film director Kore-eda Hirokazu is in advanced post-production on “Asura,” a family drama series that marks his second show for global streaming giant Netflix.

“Asura,” which will premiere on Jan. 9, 2025, is a modern take on “Like Asura” a 1979 family drama series that was originally based on a Mukoda Kuniko novel of the same title. Airing on public broadcaster Nhk, it became a template for Japanese family drama series for many years and sparked a feature film adaptation in 2003.

Set in 1979, the story follows four sisters — Tsunako, Makiko, Takiko, and Sakiko — whose lives are shaken by the discovery of their aging father’s affair. Like the “asura,” demigods in Buddhist cosmology, these women embody a whirlwind of emotions, clashing fiercely yet sharing moments of profound connection. As they navigate their differing views on love and life, their journey is marked by both conflict and growth.

“With great respect for...

Chicago – On Friday, October 18th, the 60th Chicago International Film Festival (Ciff) paid tribute to one of Japan’s master directors, Kore-eda Hirokazu. The filmmaker achieved international acclaim for films like “After Life” (1998), “Distance” (2001), “Nobody Knows” (2004), “Like Father, Like Son” (2013) and in 2018, Kore-eda won Cannes’ highest award, the Palme d’Or, with his film “Shoplifters.”

The Exclusive Portraits were captured by photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com at the event that took place at the Gene Siskel Film Center. The 2024 Ciff runs through October 27th.

60th Ciff Honoree “A Tribute to Kore-da Hirozaku”

Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Born in 1962 in Tokyo, JKore-eda Hirokazu graduated from Waseda University and joined TV Man Union, where he directed several prize-winning documentary programs. In 1995, he made his feature directorial debut with “Maborosi,” which became a festival favorite, winning the 52nd Venice International Film Festival’s Golden Osella...

Japanese master filmmaker Kore-eda Hirokazu is set to receive the Career Achievement Award at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival, it was announced today. Featuring a retrospective program of six selected films, the acclaimed writer-director will receive the award on Friday, October 18, at a tribute screening of Nobody Knows, presented in 35mm, and participate in a conversation exploring his storied career. The 60th Chicago International Film Festival runs October 16 – 27, 2024 at venues across the city. The Kore-eda Hirokazu Tribute and Retrospective is co-presented in partnership with the Japan Foundation New York. Additional support is provided by Ana.

In addition to Nobody Knows, which screened at the 2004 Festival, the 60th Chicago International Film Festival retrospective program features films that were showcased in past editions, including 2013’s Like Father, Like Son; the 2016 film After The Storm; 2018’s Shoplifters; and Broker in 2022. 1998’s After Life marks that title’s Chicago International Film Festival debut.

The Cannes Film Festival has named the eight members of its main Competition jury who will join previously announced president Greta Gerwig in deciding the Palme d’Or and other key prizes at 77th edition running from May 14 to 25.

They are Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, U.S. actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green, Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, Spanish director and screenwriter J.A. Bayona, Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda and French actor and producer Omar Sy.

The wife and long-time collaborator of Nuri Bilge Ceylan, screenwriter and photographer Ceylan co-wrote 2014 Palme d’Or winner Winter Sleep and also took co-writing credits on Cannes selected films Three Monkeys (Best Director Prize 2008), Once upon a time in Anatolia (Grand Prix 2011), The Wild Pear Tree (2018) and About Dry Grasses (2023).

Ceylan also appeared as an actress and took art director credits on her husband’s early films...

Exclusive: BAFTA Award nominee Takehiro Hira (Shōgun, Gran Turismo) and Japanese Academy Award winner Akira Emoto have rounded out the cast of Searchlight’s Rental Family directed by Hikari (Beef) and starring The Whale Best Actor Oscar winner Brendan Fraser and Mari Yamamoto (Pachinko).

Cameras are now rolling in Japan, with production to wrap around May. A release date has not been set.

Deadline first told you about the project, which follows a lonely, down-and-out American actor (Fraser) living in Tokyo. He starts working for a Japanese “rental family” company to play various stand-in roles in other people’s lives. Along the way, he forges some surprising human connections and discovers unexpected joys within his built-in family.

“It’s an absolute dream to bring Rental Family to the world,” said Hikari. “I am truly so thankful for my collaboration with my partners at Searchlight and Sight Unseen and for their never-ending support,...

Following what happened in the US during the last decade or so, the quality of Asian dramas has skyrocketed during the last few years, with a significant surge of talent from cinema towards streaming platforms, with Korea definitely paving the way in the regard, and Japan following. The result is quite impressive to watch, since, frequently, the level of these titles is equal to the one of movies.

Without further ado, here are 20 Asian dramas in random order proving the fact in the most eloquent fashion.

1. Cigarette Girl by Kamila Andini

“Cigarette Girl” is not a typical story of two broken hearts crushed by unfortunate circumstances, a trope over-used in the soap opera format. It also has a bit of history to offer alongside a basic insight into the women's hardships in Indonesia not such long time ago. “Your duty is to clean the house and find yourself a husband...

It's not the first time that internationally acclaimed maestro Hirokazu Koreeda put his effort on a serial drama. In 2019 he directed the first episode and coordinated the collective show “A Day-Off of Kasumi Arimura” and before that, in 2012, he directed the lovely (a personal favourite) “Going My Home”, starring Hiroshi Abe as a clumsy father struggling with his roles as son and as father too. However, his recent “The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House” has been propelled to global audience by the intervention of giant platform Netflix. The show is co-written, co-produced and co-directed by Koreeda, alongside a handful of Japanese filmmakers and is based on a famous manga of the same title that has sold more than 1.8 million copies in Japan.

Click the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix

After seeing maiko (apprentice geishas) walking the street of Kyoto on a school trip, 16-year-old inseparable best...

A two-time winner at Cannes, the Jury Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival for “Like Father, Like Son,” and winning the coveted Palme d’Or prize at the 2018 festival for “Shoplifters,” Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda is one of the most beloved and acclaimed international filmmakers we have. He’s been working extremely fast of late, a film a year since 2016, only interrupted in 2020 by the global pandemic.

Continue reading ‘Monster’ Exclusive Clip: Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Acclaimed & Compassionate Mystery Melodrama Is In Select Theaters Now at The Playlist.

“Any kind of a first encounter with something is out to make an impact,” reflects Celine Song about the power of first love. The subject lies at the heart of the writer-director’s first feature film, “Past Lives,” in which two people from Korea who had once formed a close relationship when they were 12 reunite in person in New York City after 24 years apart. The screenwriter believes the feelings between characters Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) are especially strong, even after over two decades, because Nora “effectively disappeared” when she immigrated with her family to the United States and “in that way, it’s almost as though she’s passed.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

Song has a background in playwriting, but when she had the idea for “Past Lives,” she “knew that it needed to be told cinematically because of the way that time and space works in the film.

Exclusive: Cameras have started rolling in Tokyo on Akashi, the debut feature from Japanese and Canadian writer-director Mayumi Yoshida.

Yoshida, best known as an actor for her role in The Man in The High Castle, will also star in the film alongside veteran performers Hana Kino, Chieko Matsubara, Kunio Murai, and rising performer Ryo Tajima.

Described as a “coming-of-age love story,” Akashi follows Kana (Yoshida), an artist who is at a crossroads in her career. After finding out her Grandmother (Kino) has passed, she returns home to Tokyo for the funeral, where she rekindles a romance with childhood love Hiro (Tajima) and uncovers a family secret about her Grandpa (Murai).

Akashi is written and directed by Yoshida, who developed the script through the TIFF Writer’s Studio. The pic produced by Nach Dudsdeemaytha,...

“Family of Darkness” is set to unravel a gripping tale in Season 1 Episode 5, titled “Like Father, Like Son,” airing on Investigation Discovery at 10:01 Pm on Thursday, December 7, 2023. The episode delves into the profound impact of a young boy discovering he is adopted, sparking a journey that takes an unexpected turn.

As the story unfolds, viewers will witness the emotional rollercoaster of the boy’s quest to find his biological parents. However, the search takes a dark twist, leading him down a path eerily mirroring the criminal life of his estranged father. “Like Father, Like Son” promises to be a captivating exploration of nature versus nurture, as the young man grapples with the shadows of his family’s past and navigates the challenging terrain between love and legacy.

With suspense, drama, and a narrative that keeps audiences guessing, this episode of “Family of Darkness” is a must-watch for those fascinated...

Exclusive: In a world where the space for specialist and non English-language cinema is shrinking in cinemas, it’s encouraging to see that Tokyo-based Gaga Corporation is committed to bringing a diverse range of theatrical releases to Japanese audiences.

Launched in 1986, the company is one of Japan’s longest established buyers, releasing between 20-25 films a year, with its president and CEO Tom Yoda a familiar face on the international festival and markets circuit. The company is also an active producer of Japanese films, with recent titles including Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Monster, which is screening as a Special Presentation in Toronto, following its Best Screenplay award in Cannes.

As Japan was moving out of the pandemic, the company says it was pleased with the box office results for acquisitions such as Todd Field’s Tar, French filmmaker Claude Zidi Jr’s opera-themed Tenor and multiple Oscar winner Everything Everywhere All At Once,...

Tubi opens June with an intense WWII drama “Inglourious Basterds.” Allied officer Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) assembles a team of five tough Jewish soldiers to spread fear throughout the Third Reich. They have one assignment: assassinate Nazi leaders. Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed the unconventional war drama. Eli Roth, Melanie Laurent, and Christopher Walz co-star.

Watch the trailer of “Inglourious Basterds”:

The network is also streaming the original documentary “Mystery Unsolved: The Adnan Syed Story” on June 7. The murder of teenager Hae Min Lee was the focal point of a “Serial” podcast, which questioned if boyfriend Syed was her killer. After serving 22 years in prison, Syed was released, still proclaiming his innocence. Now, he may return.

Another streamer original, “Magic Carpet Rides,” arrives June 14. It centers on a social influencer torn between sharing her budding romance or honoring her boyfriend’s request to keep their life private.

Check...

In the throes of Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s latest narrative Cannes competition film Monster are two boys learning about their feelings for one another.

“There haven’t been many Japanese films that address these topics,” acknowledged the 2018 Shoplifters Palme d’Or winner, speaking at a Thursday press conference for the film, about the LGBTQ themes among the young boys in Monster.

“When I discovered the screenplay, I thought to myself, this story should not be viewed from that angle. It’s an inner struggle,” he added.

Monster follows Saori (Ando Sakura), a take-no-prisoners widowed mother bringing up her son Minato (Kurokawa Soya), who is weathering tough times in his elementary school. Mom learns that son’s odd behavior may have to do with his teacher, who Minato says hit him. The pic is told from several different points of view, including that of the teacher, Hori (Nagayama Eita), Minato, and the friend he adores,...

Cannes Film Festival head honcho Thierry Frémaux often likes to speak of the “Cannes family,” meaning the extended stable of international auteurs whom the festival helped discover, nurtured and has made regulars on the famed red-carpet steps of the Palais des Festivals. Today’s standard-bearer for Japan’s great tradition of humanist filmmaking in Cannes is undoubtedly Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose features have been included in the festival’s official selection seven times, a record for his home country. Incidentally, the leitmotif of Kore-eda’s work is also family — families broken, families in turmoil and families found. His most celebrated films at Cannes have all centered on the theme, albeit in various and inventive ways.

Like Father, Like Son, winner of the 2013 Cannes jury prize, told the story of two boys mistakenly switched at birth, the discovery of which — years later — confronts the parents with the agonizing decision of whether to...

Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s seventh go-round in Cannes competition, Monster, received a six-minute standing ovation Wednesday in the Grand Theatre Lumiere. He won the Palme d’Or back in 2018 for Shoplifters. Can he do it again?

Kore-Eda spoke in Japanese: “Thank you. Some people couldn’t be here. Can’t wait to go back to Japan and show them the film…tell them about this absolutely wonderful premiere. It will stay in my heart.”

It’s the filmmaker’s ninth movie overall at the fest (counting two that appeared in Un Certain Regard). Monster is his first movie since his 1995 debut feature Maborosi that the director has not had a screenplay credit on.

Monster follows Saori (Ando Sakura), a take-no-prisoners widowed mother, who is now bringing up her son Minato (Kurokawa Soya) who is weathering tough times in his elementary school. Mom learns that son’s odd behavior may...

Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda is a Cannes Film Festival regular at this point, with five of his last nine features premiering on the Croisette. Moreover, Kore-eda’s film do well at the fest, too: 2013’s “Like Father, Like Son” won the Jury Prize that year, while “Shoplifters” won the coveted Palme d’Or in 2018. Last year’s “Broker” did well, too, winning the Ecumenical Jury Award and Song Kang-ho winning Best Actor.

Continue reading ‘Monster’ Trailer: Hirokazu Kore-eda Returns To The Cannes Film Festival With His Latest Drama at The Playlist.

The lineup for the 76th installment of the Cannes Film Festival has finally been announced. Nineteen films will be competing to take home the prestigious Palme d’Or, including a record six films helmed by women. The festival will be taking place in the French Riviera from May 16 to May 27. This year’s jury will be headed by Ruben Östlund, who won his second Palme d’Or last year for “Triangle of Sadness.”

Knowing a filmmaker’s previous track record at Cannes can sometimes help give an idea as to who might be in the best position to claim the Palme. For instance, five of this year’s entries come from directors who have previously won the Palme. Another five are from auteurs who have had previous films win a prize in the main competition other than the Palme. Another five are from directors having their first film screen in the main competition.

Image Source: Getty / Alberto E. Rodriguez

The Wayans family might be taking over our TV screens again, this time in a new potential series at CBS. On Oct. 10, Deadline exclusively reported that dream duo Damon Wayans, 62, and his son Damon Wayans Jr., 40, are set to star in an untitled father-son comedy at the network, which now has an official pilot order, per a Feb. 8 update.

According to the outlet, the multicamera sitcom "revolves around legendary talk radio host and happily divorced 'Poppa' (Wayans), who has to drag his grown son (Wayans Jr.), who has all his charm and none of his drive, kicking and screaming into adulthood before he turns 40." It'll be executive produced by the comedy pair, along with former "Last Man Standing" executive producer Kevin Hench, and cowritten by Wayans.

The yet-to-be-titled series marks Wayans's return to network comedy following his wildly successful sitcom "My Wife and Kids.

CBS has made its first comedy pilot order this season, and it went to the network’s script with the highest-profile talent pairing attached, Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. Four months after Deadline broke the news of the father-son project being in development at CBS, the multi-camera comedy, co-written by the elder Wayans and former Last Man Standing executive producer Kevin Hench, remains untitled.

It centers on a legendary talk radio host and happily divorced “Poppa” (Wayans) who has his point of view challenged at work when a new female co-host is hired, and at home where he finds himself still parenting his adult son (Wayans Jr.), a brilliant dreamer who is trying to pursue his passion while being a responsible father and husband.

Wayans, Hench and Wayans Jr. executive produce. CBS Studios, where Wayans Jr.’s Two Shakes Entertainment has been based since its launch, is the studio.

Exclusive: In a dream on-screen sitcom pairing two decades in the making, Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. are set to star in a father-son multi-camera comedy. CBS is developing the untitled project, co-written by the elder Wayans and former Last Man Standing executive producer Kevin Hench.

The comedy revolves around legendary talk radio host and happily divorced “Poppa” (Wayans), who has to drag his grown son (Wayans Jr.), who has all his charm and none of his drive, kicking and screaming into adulthood before he turns 40.

Wayans, Hench and Wayans Jr. executive produce. CBS Studios, where Wayans Jr.’s Two Shakes Entertainment has been based since its launch, is the studio.

This marks Wayans’ return to network comedy after he co-created, executive produced and starred in ABC’s My Wife and Kids, which ran on ABC for five seasons from 2001-05. It is on that multi-cam show that his son,...

Kore-eda Hirokazu will be the star turn at Emerging Japanese Films, a Los Angeles showcase organized by Japan’s Visual Industry Promotion Organization.

The event, running Sept. 27 – Oct. 1, 2022, at the Harmony Gold Preview House, consists of four newly-released, dramatic and awards-worthy Japanese feature films and a retrospective night that honors Kore-eda, whose “Shoplifters” won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2018.

Kore-eda will take part in a live video conversation after the screening of his “Like Father, Like Son,” a child-swap drama film that Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks previously optioned for remake.

The four newer films to be screened include: Katayama Shinzo’s “Missing,” which recently took Fantasia 2022 by storm; Miyake Sho’s sensitive “Small, Slow But Steady,” which played at the Berlin festival earlier this year; “Riverside Mukolitta,” an emotional journey directed by Ogigami Naoko which has played at major Asian festivals including Busan, Tokyo and Taipei...

Picturestart has acquired the rights to the Mary H.K. Choi novel “Yolk” to adapt as a television series, Variety has learned exclusively.

“Yolk” is about two twenty-something Korean sisters in New York — Jayne and June. One has cancer, the other has health insurance, so they swap identities based on the oldest gag in the racism book: All Look Same. By “swap,” June means stealing her little sister’s identity without her knowing because they’re long estranged. And when Jayne finds out, she extorts her big sister for a room in her baller Manhattan apartment. Tit for tat. Of course, deep down they need each other, though they’d sooner die than admit this. And now June might really die, especially if Jayne flunks out of fashion school and loses “their” health insurance. As they struggle to understand each other, the one thing they can agree on? Mom and Dad...

Hirokazu Kore-eda is one of the great contemporary masters of filmmaking. Works such as Shoplifters, which won the Palme d’Or in Cannes in 2018, and Like Father, Like Son, which garnered the Jury Prize in 2013, are evidence of his mastery. So there was a lot of excitement at the prospect of seeing his latest film in Cannes. Sadly, Broker not only does not live up to our expectations, but it also positively shatters them. Perhaps the reason for this disappointment can be found in the film’s language: set in South Korea and in Korean, this is the Japanese director’s second foray into foreign-language film, following his substandard The Truth. Maybe Kore-eda simply doesn’t travel well.

Broker is a tale about abandoned babies, baby trafficking, adoption and families. A common theme Kore-eda returns to is the subject of what family really means. As Shoplifters so brilliantly showed, sometimes...

A previous Palme d’Or winner (Shoplifters), Broker becomes Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s eighth trip to Cannes – this follows Distance (2001), Nobody Knows (2004), Air Doll (2009), Like Father, Like Son (2013), Our Little Sister (2015), After the Storm (2016). It stars Song Kang-ho, Bae Doona, Gang Dong-won, and Lee Ji-eun.

Another tale about family – this latest (first Korean language film for the filmmaker) once again reconfigures the essence of what family represents.

Another film just underneath the 3 point average, with nineteen of our jurors voting – we got an average of 2.9.

Click on the grid below for a larger version and latest updates!…...

Following the sparsely attended media conference for Close at Cannes this morning, journalists packed their way into the press room to hear Broker director Hirokazu Kore-Eda and cast, giving them a standing ovation.

Like Close, Broker is another movie being rumored for the Palme d’Or.

The film centers around Sang-hyun (Song Kang Ho) and Dong-soo (Gang Dong Won) as “brokers of goodwill,” who connect unwanted babies with new parents on the black market. When a new baby is dropped off, Sang-hyun and Dong-soo embark on a road trip to meet prospective parents, but are surprised when the birth mother (Lee Ji Eun) unexpectedly shows up to join them on their journey.

The movie was acquired on May 13 well before Cannes kicked off with domestic rights going to Neon.

Kore-Eda previously won the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for Shoplifters, which wound up being nominated for a...

Kore-eda Hirokazu, director of the well-received Cannes competition film “Broker” says his diverse and lonely characters constitute a family of choice.

“This film tells the story of a family which came together by choice. Each character had been rejected. They set off on a car journey, as if by accident. Each has committed offences. They all try for once in their life to do something good, to a greater or lesser degree,” said Kore-eda.

He was speaking at a standing room only press conference at the Cannes that veered between four languages and seemed to be filled with young film fans as much as journalists and camera crews.

“The more things are serious, the more I want to add a touch of humor. Song Kang-ho was the ideal actor for this film as he has these two sides in himself,” the director said, explaining the film’s style and presentation.

Cj Enm says sales have been made to 171 countries.

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Broker has been sold to 171 countries ahead of its premiere in Competition at Cannes, according to Korean sales agent Cj Enm.

Cj would not disclose all the buyers but did confirm that the film has been acquired for France (Metropolitan), Germany and Italy (Koch Films), Scandinavia (Triart Film), Benelux (September Film), Hong Kong and Macau (Edko) and Australia and New Zealand (Madman).

Previously announced deals included North America (Neon) and Japan (Gaga).

Cj says the “overwhelming” sales results are on par with those of Bong Joon Ho’s...

Marks first Korean-language film from the Japanese Palme d’Or winning director of ‘Shoplifters’.

Tokyo-based Gaga Corporation has acquired distribution rights in Japan to Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Broker ahead of its premiere in Competition at Cannes.

It marks the first Korean-language film from the Japanese director, who previously won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2018 with Shoplifters and the jury prize in 2013 with Like Father, Like Son.

Written and directed by Kore-eda, Broker stars Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Lee Ji-eun, Doona Bae and Lee Joo-young. The story follows two men who have taken a child from a ‘baby box...

In the wake of the Cannes Palme d’Or and Oscar winning success of Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite, Neon is re-teaming with Cj Enm to pick up the North American distribution rights to Broker, from writer-director Kore-eda Hirokazu ahead of the pic’s global premiere at Cannes.

Broker is debuting in competition at this year’s festival, and is produced by Zip Cinema.

Broker centers around Sang-hyun (Song Kang Ho) and Dong-soo (Gang Dong Won) as “brokers of goodwill,” who connect unwanted babies with new parents on the black market. When a new baby is dropped off, Sang-hyun and Dong-soo embark on a road trip to meet prospective parents, but are surprised when the birth mother (Lee Ji Eun) unexpectedly shows up to join them on their journey.

Neon’s Jeff Deutchman, EVP of Acquisitions & Production, negotiated the North America deal with Namyoung Kim on behalf of Cj Enm.

Kore...

Neon has teamed with Cj Enm to acquire North American distribution rights to “Broker,” the new film from writer and director Kore-eda Hirokazu. The deal was inked prior to the film’s premiere in Cannes, where “Broker” is slated to premiere in competition. Kore-eda is no stranger to the festival, having previously won the Palme d’Or in 2018 for “Shoplifters” and winning the Jury Prize in 2013 for “Like Father, Like Son.”

“Broker” was produced by Zip Cinema. Neon and Cj Enm previously teamed on “Parasite,” the South Korean thriller that won best picture at the 2020 Oscars.

“Broker” follows Sang-hyun (Song Kang Ho) and Dong-soo (Gang Dong Won) as “brokers of goodwill,” who connect unwanted babies with new parents on the black market. When a new baby is dropped off, Sang-hyun and Dong-soo embark on a road trip to meet prospective parents, but are surprised when the birth mother (Lee Ji...

La Brea Father and Son Trailer — NBC‘s La Brea: Season 1, Episode 9: Father and Son TV show trailer has been released. Cast and crew La Brea stars Natalie Zea, Zyra Gorecki, Jag Bal, Vanessa Buckley, Chloe De Los Santos, Nicholas Gonzalez, Virginie Laverdure, Karina Logue, Stephen Lopez, Eoin Macken, Ione Skye, and [...]

Continue reading: LA Brea: Season 1, Episode 9: Father and Son TV Show Trailer [NBC]...

(Warning: This post contains spoilers through Episode 510 of “Lucifer.”)

After years of dreaming about it, the “Lucifer” team finally pulled off a musical episode during the second half of the drama’s fifth season, which launched Friday on Netflix. While the hour, titled “Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam,” is sure to be an instant hit with fans, TheWrap can reveal that one element of the episode did not go as originally planned — until star Tom Ellis came to the rescue.

“Lucifer” showrunners Ildy Modrovich and Joe Henderson told TheWrap that of the songs they picked for the musical episode, there was just one they couldn’t get approval to use: Cat Stevens’ “Father and Son,” which was meant to be the duet between Lucifer (Ellis) and his father, God (played by Dennis Haysbert).

“I’m so happy with the song we ended up with, because it’s one of the things...

When Cat Stevens’ Tea for the Tillerman hit record stores in the fall of 1970, albums like James Taylor’s Sweet Baby James, the Carpenters’ Close to You, and Bob Dylan’s New Morning were dominating the charts. But this British folk-rocker stood out from his peers immediately, with songs that spoke directly and passionately about his quest for spirituality, fulfillment, and the meaning of life. The album quickly became a touchstone for the era, making Stevens a star.

Tillerman continued to resonate with generations of listeners, well after Stevens — now...

Cat Stevens, ‘70s troubadour, singer-songwriter, inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and known to millions for his hits including “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out,” “Wild World,” “Father and Son,” and “The First Cut Is the Deepest,” has partnered with New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds to produce Peace Train, a children’s book celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the iconic song’s original release on his multiplatinum album Teaser and the Firecat.

Peace Train

Featuring joyful illustrations and the timeless lyrics of the much-loved peace anthem released in 1971, this hopeful picture book continues Stevens’s commitment to children’s education and shared love for people of all cultures and identities. Stevens invites readers to hop on the Peace Train and join its growing group of passengers who are all ready to travel together to a better world of peace and human understanding.

Monthly Indie Shorts Film Festival – a festival that awards shorts every month to select submissions – announced this month’s contenders. With only four films, Asian entries make up only a fraction of this month’s selection. The entries come from far-reaching lands, however; from the UAE to Japan, the December entries seem to span across the entire Asian continent.

We’ve noted the Asian selections below. The rest of the selection can be found here.

The (Dis)order by Jabran Zafar (Pakistan)

Synopsis: The plot revolves around a guy trying to order a pizza.Two of his ‘alter egos’ worsen the situation.

madamaikku anjel (Don’t be afraid of stupidity) by Balamurugan (Malaysia)

Synopsis : Kathir & Yathu are siblings under the care of their mother with their father’s demise. Their father was a Nadaswaram (Indian classical instrument) at a nearby temple for decades. He passed the knowledge to his...

Classic rock staple singer-songwriter Yusuf/Cat Stevens is commemorating the 50th anniversary of his two 1970 albums, Mona Bone Jakon and Tea for the Tillerman, with super deluxe box sets. One of the bonuses included is an unearthed music video for his song “Lady D’Arbanville.” Produced for the Mona Bone Jakon release, the music video is one of the earliest ever made.

The black and white video features the inspiration for the title character, Patti D’Arbanville, an actress and model best known for her work with artist Andy Warhol. She also appeared in Real Genius, Time After Time, and played Cathy Smith in the John Belushi biopic Wired. She was Stevens’ girlfriend at the time, and also the inspiration for his song “Wild World.” “Lady D’Arbanville,” which imagines her sleeping, is a metaphor for her being dead. The short film was shot in an English, Gothic-era mansion.

You can...

A Fistful Of Dollars Welcome to this week's Stay-At-Home Seven suggestions of films to catch on television and streaming services. As always, you can read last week's column here. Plus check out our Streaming Spotlight on cinematic battles that defy expectations.

Like Father, Like Son, Film4, 1.30am, Tuesday, November 17

Keita (Keita Ninomiya) is a bright six-year-old whose workaholic dad Ryota (Masaharu Fukuyama) likes control and order. He's not a bad man but he likes things to stay in place. So when the hospital where Keita was born calls to say they need to set up a meeting, he tells his wife Midori (Machiko Ono - who more or less bends to his every whim - "I hope it's nothing messy." Sadly for him, it's something very messy indeed - the news that his son is not really his son at all but rather a child belonging to provincial shopkeepers Yukari and Yudai.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his two 1970 albums, Mona Bone Jakon and the classic Tea for the Tillerman, with huge reissues dedicated to both LPs.

Both boxsets come packed with dozens of unreleased tracks — 24 unearthed recordings for Mona Bone Jakon and 21 for Tea for the Tillerman — as well as discs full of demos, alternate takes, outtakes, and live recordings from the era.

Among the unreleased tracks are “Can This Be Love?” and “I Want Some Sun,” which Stevens dropped prior to the reissues’ December 4th release.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens touches on classic films in the new video for “Wild World.” The track comes off his reimagining of Tea for the Tillerman for the landmark album’s 50th anniversary.

The rerecorded “Wild World” is perhaps the track that deviates the most from the studio version, now a waltz that opens with a slow-burning clarinet. Directed by Effie Pappa, the video features child actors gambling in a nightclub similar to Rick’s in Casablanca, with elements of Bugsy Malone and Wes Anderson films.

A young Ingrid Bergman requests a tune.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens celebrated the 50th anniversary of his classic album Tea for the Tillerman — and the release of his new rerecorded version, Tea for the Tillerman² — with a performance of “Wild World” on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

The singer-songwriter and his band were situated in a coffee shop with artwork evoking the Tea for the Tillerman album cover on the walls, showing a young boy and girl climbing a tree. His rendition of the song was fairly straightforward, with an additional waltz section from the new album thrown in the middle.

Cat Stevens was just 22 years old when he created his masterpiece, Tea for the Tillerman. It was his second album of 1970, as he reflected on his year of convalescence after contracting tuberculosis. 50 years later, under the name Yusuf, he’s decided to rerecord his breakthrough for the album’s anniversary, aptly titling it Tea for the Tillerman².

Decades spent not drinking or smoking have left his voice remarkably preserved. At 72, he sings in a deeper, grittier register, making the songs sound more mystical than they did in 1970. The new arrangements...

Yusuf, who you may also know as Cat Stevens, is a little more than a week from celebrating the 50th birthday of Tea for the Tillerman with Tea for the Tillerman², a rerecorded version of his iconic 1970 album. Today, the songwriter shared a new video for his new riff on “Father And Son,” a frankly genius recreation of…...