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Taylor Sheridan’s most underrated movie is blowing up on streaming in 2025, and it’s the franchise that truly needs more shows. While Yellowstone rules TV, this gritty gem proves Sheridan’s magic goes far beyond the Duttons.

Taylor Sheridan as Travis on Yellowstone | Credits: Paramount Network

With tension, raw performances, and rich world-building, it’s begging for spin-offs. So why hasn’t it happened yet? Maybe its streaming resurgence will change that.

Taylor Sheridan’s Sicario is blowing up on Netflix — time for a TV universe? A still from Sicario | Credits: Lionsgate

Netflix’s latest hit isn’t a new blockbuster — it’s Sicario, the 2015 crime thriller that’s suddenly dominating the charts. Written by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, this intense drug war drama has climbed Netflix’s Top 10 nearly a decade after its release. And honestly, it’s a reminder that this is the franchise Sheridan should expand.

Fast means Free Ad-Supported Streaming. In the USA there are at least four (4) free ad-supported streaming platforms that you can Go-to for Korean dramas. ♦ 1) Tubi TV — Owned by: Fox Entertainment (Rupert Murdoch) (Launched: April 2014) (2) Pluto TV — Owned by: Operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global. (Launched: March 2014) (3) The Roku Channel — Owned by: Roku, Inc. (Launched: September 2017) (4) Freevee — Owned by: Amazon (Launched: January 2019) ♦ Being a K-drama addict, I tried them all. In the end, Tubi TV came out on top. First: Tubi has a specific category – K-Drama + – that you can easily search and find something to watch. For many of the other platforms, you have to comb through their database and searching is just too much work! Second: Tubi has a library of K-Content by Cj Enm. Cj Enm is a leading entertainment company in South Korea, producing and distributing a wide range of content, including K-pop, TV series,...

Are Park Bo-Young & Choi Woo-Shik together? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Actors Park Bo-Young and Choi Woo-Shik exuded a sizzling onscreen chemistry in the latest Netflix K-drama, Melo Movie, that made people overindulge in their romantic life off-screen. On February 28, 2025, Bo-Young took to her Instagram handle and shared a series of pictures with her co-star with a caption that read ‘Melo Movie. ’ As soon as the photos went live, they immediately drew attention, sparking speculations among netizens about their real-life dating phase.

The released photos feature the actors strolling around a foreign country hand-in-hand and spending some quality time with each other. Netizens got super curious about their dating life and wondered whether it was just another promotional gig or not, as the pictures got reshared on every social media platform. Some even claimed that Dispatch (a Korean media outlet) pushed these pictures confirming their relationship. Scroll ahead to find out the real truth.

Does Choi Hyun-Wook’s pairing with Moon Ga-Young look off on My Dearest Nemesis? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

After the teaser and photos of My Dearest Nemesis were released, people were concerned about a miscasting of the male lead. Why? Because viewers thought that Choi Hyun-Wook wouldn’t look good besides Moon Ga-Young, and their age gap would show through the scenes, that could make or break the magic of the K-drama. However, people have been saying otherwise now that the show has premiered. Some even came forward to defend all the speculations that were circulating everywhere.

My Dearest Nemesis is a rom-com K-drama based on a popular webtoon written by Yang Hye-Jin with a storyline revolving around the team leader of a department store who realizes that her new boss is her first love. The two met through an online game, and destiny put them together again in front of each other years later.

Lisa Dream Lyrics Hint ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Blackpink’s Lisa released her full album, Alter Ego, and one of the songs sparked speculation about her past heartbreak in 2019. Read on to know what happened in Tokyo.

Lisa is making headlines every now and then. The Blackpink member who began her career in the music industry in 2016 is putting her name on the global map not only with her musical skills but also by showing her acting prowess. Recently, she stepped into the acting industry by debuting in the American series The White Lotus 3. However, she also made waves online by dropping her full album, Alter Ego.

But, now, netizens have noticed that one of the tracks called ‘Dream’ from her album hinted at her past heartbreak. The lyrics have sparked speculations and attracted attention from the listeners. Especially the part where she sang, “Are you happy? Are you sad? Are...

South Korea’s Plus M Entertainment arrives at the 2025 Berlin European Film Market (EFM) with a star-studded lineup led by “Squid Game 2” actor Kang Ha-neul in crime thriller “Yadang: The Snitch” and an international cast including Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, and “Squid Game” actor Hoyeon in Na Hong-jin’s “Hope.”

“Yadang: The Snitch,” from the producers behind record-breaking hit “12:12 The Day” and “Inside Men,” follows professional informants called “yadang” who provide covert information about the drug world to prosecutors and police. When a drug bust at a party attended by high-profile second-generation VIPs leads to a dangerous conspiracy, a seasoned yadang must fight to survive. The film pairs Kang with “Exhuma” star Yoo Hai-jin and “The World of the Married” actor Park Hae-joon.

“Train to Busan” director Yeon Sang-ho returns with “The Ugly,” a mystery thriller starring “Harbin” lead Park Jeong-min and “Parasyte: The Grey” actor Kwon Hae-hyo,...

“Bogotá: City of the Lost” is a 2024 Korean drama categorized as a Crime Thriller, and is streaming on Netflix.

Summary: Sometimes change is good. Sometimes change is bad. All you know is that you have to survive.

Why Move From One Country to Another Country to Be Lost

“Bogotá: City of the Lost”, begins with a reference to the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997-1998 when “severe balance-of-payments pressures in South Korea brought the country to the brink of default”. Because of the country’s financial crisis Guk-Hui’s father uprooted the family. He, and his mother and father moved to Bogotá, Columbia. The father had a friend, Mr. Park, who lived and worked there. They were both soldiers who fought in Vietnam together. The father had high hopes. He was told that if you knew Mr. Park, your success was guaranteed. As soon as they arrived they were in a...

Period action feature Harbin held its lead at the South Korea box office on the first weekend of 2025, claiming 42% of ticket sales from January 3-5, while Sonic The Hedgehog 3 landed in fourth position.

Harbin added $3.2m from 483,917 admissions for a cume of $23.9m and 3.67 million admissions since its release on December 24, according to Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s box office tracking service. Directed by Woo Min-ho, the film stars Hyun Bin as an activist who plots to assassinate Ito Hirobumi, the first prime minister of Japan, in 1909.

Following the plane crash at Muan Airport on December 29, the film...

“Hopeless” is a 2023 Korean film, starring Song Joong-Ki, categorized as a Crime Thriller; and streaming free on Tubi TV. Summary: When you grow up in a hopeless neighborhood, is there nothing you can do with your hopeless life? ♦ I Grew Up in a Hopeless Neighborhood In “Hopeless”, the day before Yeon-Kyu is born, his father abandons him and his mother. He just thought that everyone grew up without a father. Of course, that wasn’t true. One day Yeon-Kyu came home and there was a man in his house who had brought his daughter with him. All of a sudden he had a father and a sister. That’s good. Right? Not really. His stepfather was a drunkard and abusive to him. Even though Ha-Yan wasn’t his blood sister, he stepped in and defended her from some rotten boys at her school. The reward for his chivalry? He got...

Colleen Hoover has gone viral on TikTok for her work as well as the box office success of the adaptation of her novel It Ends With Us, and with so many novels in her collection, it can be tricky to know what order to go about reading them all. Hoover has become one of the most well-known authors on TikTok (or BookTok as the subset discussing books is known), and her books have generated record-breaking sales. She has been credited on social media by many for helping reignite a love for reading.

Many of her novels are fast-paced and easy to get lost in, which is part of why they have garnered so much success. Though a talented writer, Hoover has also faced her share of controversy. Some of her novels, such as It Ends With Us, have come under fire for glamorizing abuse and domestic violence. The prolific writer...

When you think of iconic sitcoms, apart from their ensemble cast, unforgettable moments, and impeccable plots, it is the music that draws the most attention. From Friends’ iconic I’ll Be There For You theme song to The Office’s instrumental catchy opening, it is often the songs that end up laying the foundations of a series’s success. And when you think of How I Met Your Mother, apart from the slap bet or Ted’s never-ending quest for the perfect woman, it is the sitcom’s short and snappy intro that catches the most attention.

How I Met Your Mother | Credit: CBS

However, the song, as famous as it may be, is, unfortunately, also one of the most overlooked aspects of the beloved sitcom. The song, called Hey Beautiful, sounds pretty different when heard in its entirety. But the series mostly used its repetitive ending— pa pa pa pa,...

A man who almost made the final cut for the Married At First Sight season 18 cast spoke out about what his experience was like, which gave some insight into what the producers are looking for during the casting process. Married At First Sight season 17 left a bad taste in everyone's mouths after every single couple failed to stay together. There was also the stunning admission that several cast members were coordinating in secret to make particular storylines happen on the show. The experts have failed to do their jobs once again.

Married At First Sight season 18's matchmaking special featured a man who didn't become a cast member, but he's now revealing some insight into what producers are looking for.

Patrick Lambdin talked about his experience going through the Married At First Sight season 18 casting process. Patrick also posted on Reddit and noted he briefly appeared in the matchmaking special.

South Korean revenge thriller Revolver has secured distribution deals worldwide through Plus M Entertainment ahead of its local release on August 7.

The crime drama, starring Cannes award-winner Jeon Do-yeon and directed by Oh Seung-uk, has been acquired for North America (Well Go USA), Latin America (Impacto Cine), Middle East and North Africa (The Plot Pictures), Hong Kong and Macau (Neofilms), Poland (Media4Fun), Mongolia (The Filmbridge), Saarc (Premiere 9) and Cis (Provzglyad).

It was previously secured for France (Bac Films), Germany (Plaion Pictures), Taiwan (Moviecloud), Vietnam (Runup Vietnam), and Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei (Purple Plan).

The film reunites Jeon, who won...

Hopeless Records will celebrate its 30th anniversary next month with an exhibit and performances at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The punk label will head to Cleveland on the weekend of Aug. 24 and 25, with the first day featuring acoustic performances by Illuminati Hotties, Waterparks’ Awsten Knight, the Wonder Years’ Dan Campbell, and a special guest DJ set from Scene Queen. A Q&a panel hosted by Alt Press founder Mike Shea will also take place.

The performances are part of Hopeless Records’ traveling road show, which will also...

Stars: Lee Je Hoon, Hong Xa Bin, Koo Kyo-Hwan, Esom, Song Kang | Written by Kwon Sung Hui | Directed by Lee Jong-Pil

The Dmz is a lethal no man’s land that divides the Korean Peninsula. For South Korea, it’s a first line of defence against an invasion from the North. For North Korea, it’s a last measure to stop its citizens who try to escape from the country. Sergeant Lim Kyu Nam is stationed on the north side of it, but not for much longer. His ten-year enlistment is almost up. But he isn’t going home, he’s planned out an escape to the South, where he at least has a chance to live the life he dreams of.

Unfortunately, Dong-hyuk discovers his plans and tries to make his own escape. When he tries to stop him, they both get caught and accused of desertion. The only...

by Khushi Jain

17 year old Yeon-gyu bashes open the head of a fellow student in the school playground and thus begins the Korean gangster film “Hopeless.” For his debut, Kim Chang-hoon dips his toes into a dark genre and creates something that respectfully nods to its predecessors. Premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, “Hopeless” is a well-made saga of mob violence.

Hopeless Debuts Exclusively on Digital June 25 ,courtesy of Wellgo USA

Yeon-gyu (Hong Xa-bin) lives in a tiny, tightly packed apartment with his docile mother, abusive alcoholic stepfather and stepsister Hayan (Kim Hyoung-seo “Bibi”). He starts working for a local gangster Chi-geon (Song Joong-ki), mainly stealing bikes and occasionally helping manipulate a political election, so as to earn enough to one day leave the fictional ‘Myeongan City' for Amsterdam (where he believes everyone lives a good life). The world that he willingly enters forcibly...

Hong Xa-bin as struggling teen Yeon-gyu, in the South Korean gritty drama Hopeless. Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment

I’ve praised many Korean crime and action exports recently. Hopeless will not be one of them, perhaps due to high expectations following the others. This one is aptly titled, providing a depressing tale set among the bottom of the urban economic ladder, and the limited options available to the youth and adults stuck in the slums.

The protagonist is Yeon-gyu (Hong Xa-bin), a teen who just wants to keep his distance from an abusive stepfather and finish his education without hassles. He’s a good guy who would do well in most other circumstances. But in this neighborhood, his efforts to help others turn out to be futile, or worse, including losing his menial part-time job . Local thugs add to his woes, driving him into the crime realm for physical and financial survival.

Costa-Gavras, the celebrated Franco-Greek master who’s won an Oscar and a Palme d’Or, has teamed with French sales company Playtime for his latest film, “Last Breath.”

Currently in post-production, “Last Breath” boasts a strong international cast led by Denis Podalydès (“Deception”) and Kad Merad (“Welcome to the Sticks”), who star alongside Marilyne Canto (“The Starry Sky Above Me”), Charlotte Rampling (“Dune”), Ángela Molina (“Broken Embraces”), Karin Viard (“Strangers by Night”), Hiam Abbass (“Succession”) and Agathe Bonitzer (“Maria Montessori”).

Costa-Gavras penned the film, based on the book “Le Dernier Souffle” by Régis Debray and Claude Grange. A Cannes regular, Costa-Gavras won the Palme d’Or for “Missing” in 1982, served on the jury in 1976 and won the Jury Prize with his political thriller “Z” which went on to win an Oscar. He has also been feted as guest of honor at Cannes Classics, the selection dedicated to heritage films.

“We...

South Korean revenge thriller Revolver, starring Cannes award-winner Jeon Do-yeon and directed by Oh Seung-uk, has been sold to key territories in Europe and Asia by Plus M Entertainment.

The upcoming feature has been acquired for France (Bac Films), Germany (Plaion Pictures), Taiwan (Moviecloud), Vietnam (Runup Vietnam), and Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei (Purple Plan).

The film reunites Jeon, who won best actress at Cannes in 2007 for her performance in Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine, with director Oh, having previously starred in the filmmaker’s The Shameless, which played in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2015.

In Revolver, Jeon stars...

he Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) marked the closing of its third edition with a screening of Micheal Mann's Ferrari, a Red Sea International Film Financing project, and revealed the winners of its highly anticipated Yusr Awards. The festival also welcomed Hollywood icon Nicolas Cage, receiving a Red Sea Honoree award, and joining the 2023 Honoree line-up of Diane Kruger, Ranveer Singh, and Abdullah Al-Sadhan. Kristoffer Borgli's comedy horror Dream Scenario, starring Nicolas Cage, will screen as the Final Festival Gala on Saturday 9th December.

Two juries deliberated to finally select winners across 14 categories; led by Jury President Baz Luhrmann. Seventeen films in competition, as well as 23 shorts, were in the running for the coveted awards.

The festival this year celebrated its biggest year yet in terms of attendance – welcoming almost 6,000 accredited guests and selling more than 40,000 tickets across all screenings and In Conversations.

The Closing Ceremony...

Oscar winner Nicholas Cage received a Red Sea Honouree award

Zarrar Kahn’s Karachi-set thriller In Flames won the $100,000 Golden Yusr award for best feature film at the 2023 Red Sea International Film Festival, which announced its winners on Thursday evening (December 7).

A Canada-Pakistan co-production and Pakistan’s entry to the Oscars, In Flames is the story of a mother and daughter trying to survive after losing the family patriarch. It world premiered in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.

Indian production Dear Jassi, directed by Tarsem Singh, won the $30,000 Silver Yusr. Based on the true story of an Indian couple who fell foul of the class system,...

The third annual Red Sea Film Festival handed out its Yusr Awards on Thursday night, with Zarrar Kahn’s In Flames taking Best Feature and Farah Nabulsi’s The Teacher scoring a pair of wins including Best Actor for Saleh Bakri. See the full list below.

Elvis director and two-time Oscar nominee Baz Luhrmann headed the Rea Sea jury, which handed out awards in 17 categories.

The Saudi Arabian fest also gave a Red Sea Honorary Award to Nicolas Cage. The Oscar winner, whose Dream Scenario will close the festival on December 9, joined fellow 2023 honorees Diane Kruger, Ranveer Singh and Abdullah Al-Sadhan.

“Over the past eight days, we have welcomed the world to Jeddah and celebrated this vibrant global film community together – with a goal of bridging cultures and creating new ties,” said Jomana Al-Rashid, Chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation. “We’ve done that with over 125 films from Saudi Arabia,...

At the closing ceremony of the 3rd edition of the Red Sea Film Festival Thursday, which took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in front of an audience that included Hollywood stars Nicolas Cage, Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Jason Statham and Adrien Brody, the Golden Yusr for best film and a $100,000 cash prize went to Pakistani-Canadian horror film “In Flames,” directed by Zarrar Kahn.

The director said that the indie movie was shot for “just $300,000 — the size of a Red Sea Fund production grant.” He urged “everyone who gets a grant to go make a movie, because this was made for nothing.”

The Silver Yusr prize for best feature film went to Tarsem Singh for “Dear Jassi.” The film, an India/Canada/U.S. co-production, is based on the true story of a Canadian Punjabi woman who ran afoul of her family’s expectations when she chose to marry a working-class...

Zarrar Khan’s In Flames has picked up the Yusr Award for best competition film at the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The festival, which attracted such Hollywood stars as Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Chris Hemsworth and Sharon Stone, on Thursday evening unveiled the winners of its Red Sea competition honors, the so-called Yusr awards, as well as other prizes.

Khan’s Pakistani-Canadian horror pic that bowed in Cannes portrays a mother and daughter having to navigate loss, oppression and vulnerability after the death of the family patriarch. The debut feature is rendered as a ghost story as they must find strength in each other if they are to survive the malevolent forces that threaten to engulf them.

The Silver Yusr award for best feature went to Tarsem Singh’s modern day tragic drama Dear Jassi, which bowed in Toronto, where it won the 2023 Platform Prize.

The London East Asia Film festival came to a close on Sunday night with the UK premiere of Concrete Utopia, Korea’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2024 Oscars. After the event’s Best Film award went to Iron Mask, by Kim Sung Hwan, artistic director Hyejung Jeon presented its Rising Star award to Hong Xa-bin for his performance in Kim Chang-hoon’s Hopeless and its Best Actor award to Concrete Utopia’s Park Bo-young.

Actress Park later returned after the film for a Q&a with director, Um Tae-hwa, to discuss the film’s themes of survival, which suddenly seemed shockingly relevant after recent events in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza.

Starring Lee Byung-hun, Um’s film is a dystopian fable that recalls British writer J.G. Ballard in its depiction of a South Korean high-rise that is somehow left unscathed after a terrifying earthquake rips through the country.

Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” opened with an unconvincing second place debut at the South Korean cinema box office.

It earned $406,000 between Friday and Sunday and $499,000 over its full four-day opening period. Its market share was a shade below 9%, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).

That left “Love Reset,” a local romantic comedy, at the top of the chart for the third successive weekend. It dropped only 21% to $1.84 million between Friday and Sunday and claimed a 40% market share. After 19 days on release, its cumulative total is $11.7 million.

Directed by Nam Dae-joong, “Love Reset” is the story of a young couple in the midst of divorce who are involved in a car accident and lose their memories. When the amnesiac pair fall for each other again, their families try to trigger their memories and set them back on the road to separation.

South Korean cinema box office slumped to its second lowest weekend of the year, continuing a recent weakening trend that was briefly punctuated last month by the local holiday season.

Between Friday and Sunday, aggregate nationwide revenues in Korea were just $5.11 million. Since the end of summer, there has only been one weekend when the cinema industry earned more than $10 million – a deeply depressed picture in what was the world’s fourth largest box office market in the pre-covid era.

“Love Reset,” a local romantic comedy, was the only title that acquitted itself with much dignity. In its second weekend of release, the film dropped only 8% week-on-week to record $2.34 million, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). After 12 days on release, it has a cumulative of $8.86 million.

Directed by Nam Dae-joong, “Love Reset” is the story of a young couple in the...

Leaff 2023 brings a diverse programme from East and Southeast Asia, including international and UK premieres. This year, our programme will be showcased through these strands: Retrospective: Director Chung Ji-Young, Leaff’s Official Selection, Competition, Stories of Women, Halloween Horror Special, Cherish the World, Lgbtqia+ and Classics Restored. The festival will open and close at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square. Other screenings and Q&As will take place at Odeon Luxe West End and the Cinema at Selfridges.

For more information about tickets, please visit: https://www.leaff.org.uk/2023tickets

Here is the full programme:

Opening Gala

The Boys + Q&a with the Director | Dir. Chung Ji-Young | Korea | 2023 | 124 mins

Closing Gala

Concrete Utopia + Q&a with Director, Actor Park Bo-young | Dir. Um Tae-hwa | Korea | 2023 | 130 mins

Leaff Official Selection

The Breaking Ice | Dir. Anthony Chen | Singapore | 2022 | 97 mins

Dan Dan | Dir. Song Chuan | China | 2022 | 103 mins

Hidden Blade | Dir. Cheng Er | Hong Kong | 2022 | 128 mins

In Broad Daylight | Dir.

Romantic comedy “Love Reset” grabbed the box office crown in South Korea on the weekend following the Chuseok holiday period. But numbers reverted to the pre-festival downtrend.

Directed by Nam Dae-joong, “Love Reset” is the story of a young couple in the midst of divorce who are involved in a car accident and lose their memories. When the amnesiac pair fall for each other again, their families try to trigger their memories and set them back on the road to separation.

It earned $2.54 million between Friday and Sunday, with a 42% share of the market. That was enough to depose Chuseok holiday winner “Dr Cheon and the Lost Talisman.” Over its opening five days “Love Reset” earned $4.53 million.

That performance was not enough to wrest the Korean box office from its fall slump – a downtrend that was only briefly punctuated by last week’s prolonged public holiday. The nationwide weekend total was just $6 million,...

First looks at both upcoming films revealed.

South Korea’s Plus M Entertainment is set to launch sales on romantic drama Love In The Big City and revenge thriller Revolver at Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market.

A first look at both titles can be seen above.

Revolver reunites Cannes best actress winner Jeon Do-yeon with director Oh Seung-uk for the first time since The Shameless, which played in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2015. Jeon is also known for roles in Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine, for which she won the best actress award at Cannes in 2007, and more recently Netflix feature Kill Boksoon,...

Stars Acting Up At Busan

Oscar-winning Korean actor Youn Yuh-jung will headline the Actors’ House section of the upcoming Busan International Film Festival, it was announced on Thursday.

Introduced in 2021, Actors’ House is a special series that connects audiences and film enthusiasts with iconic actors from the current generation through its in-depth discussions. “There’s much anticipation to hear her words of wisdom, as she’s known for her insightful observations,” said the festival.

Others this year include: Han Hyo-joo, Song Joong-ki and Korean-American actor and author John Cho. Han is known for performances in 2015’s “The Beauty Inside,” “W” (2016), “Happiness (2021), and last year’s “The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure.” She will be in Busan with Netflix-backed “Believer 2” and recently appeared in the Disney+ original series, “Moving.”

Song, who hosted the 2021 Busan festival’s opening ceremony, was recently seen in “Hopeless,” one of the handful of Korean films in Cannes this year.

The Busan International Film Festival put aside many of its recent internal and local political problems to Tuesday unveil a large selection ranging from bleeding edge art titles to international festival favorites.

“The difficult times are not behind us, but hard work has made this year’s festival better than ever,” said programmer and interim festival chief Nam Dong-chul, speaking at an online press conference.

International guests expected to attend the festival include Luc Besson, Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, Japanese directors Hamaguchi Ryusuke and Kore-Eda Hirokazu, Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and Korean Americans Justin Chon (“Gook”) and Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”).

Hong Kong-based superstar Chow Yun-fat has been named as Busan’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year and will be in person to receive the award. The Korean Cinema Award will presented to the late Yun Jung-hee, the actress who starred in “The General’s Mustache” and Lee Chang-dong’s 2010 drama “Poetry.

The Busan International Film Festival has unveiled its selections for the popular Korean Cinema Today – Special Premiere and On Screen strands.

The On Screen section, introduced in 2021, showcases series and this year boasts six world premieres – five from Korea and one from Indonesia.

Tving show “I Am a Running Mate,” about an ordinary student trying to become student president marks the directorial debut of Han Jin-won, winner of best original screenplay as a co-writer for Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite.” The series merges the coming-of-age genre with elements of a political drama, and stars Yoon Hyun-soo, Lee Jung-sic, Choi Woo-sung, Hong Hwa-yeon and Lee Bong-jun. Three of the nine episodes will screen at the festival.

“The Deal,” a Waave original series, is a tale of criminal intrigue in which two young men kidnap their friend and demand KRW10 billion ($7.5 million) as ransom. The cast features Yoo Seung-ho’s streaming debut alongside Kim Dong-hwi,...

Kelly Clarkson fans will have an extra dose of chemistry this September.

That’s because the Grammy-winner’s tenth studio album, chemistry, which features the heartbroken hit “mine”, is getting an expanded deluxe re-release hitting store shelves and streaming platforms on September 22.

chemistry, which also launched the vocal powerhouse’ 10-show Las Vegas residency this summer at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Theatre, has been met with a wide range of critical praise from major outlets like The New Yorker and Vulture, praising the project for vulnerability and strength.

Read More: Kelly Clarkson Turns ‘Piece By Piece’ From ‘Hopeful’ To ‘Hopeless’ With Post-Divorce Lyrics Change

The deluxe edition will feature a new track titled “you don’t make me cry” which features her 9-year-old daughter, River Rose! The talk show host also shares 7-year-old son, Remington, with her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.

The multi-platinum hit-maker will be hitting the “Today Show”‘s stage...

It seems like the turn towards the crime thriller, which was actually one of the driving forces behind the current popularity Korean cinema enjoys, is back for good, as titles like “The Childe”, “Hopeless” etc eloquently highlight this year. Kim Jae-hoon also moves in the same direction for his feature debut, by coming up with a movie that channels John Woo's “Face Off” significantly, but definitely going much further.

Devils screened at Fantasia International Film Festival

Having lost his colleague who was also his brother-in-law to a serial murderer two years ago, homicide detective Jae-hwan is unable to contain his hatred toward the murderer and dives headfirst into hunting the brutal killer, in a way that blurs the lines of who is the criminal and who is the lawman. Eventually, he comes face to face with the murderer Jin-hyeok, actually getting him exactly where he wanted, but at that exact moment,...

Cast also includes Ji Chang-wook and Lim Ji-yeon from Netflix’s ‘The Sound Of Magic’ and ‘The Glory’ respectively.

Cannes best actress winner Jeon Do-yeon has reunited with director Oh Seung-uk on the Korean filmmaker’s latest feature, Revolver, which began shooting in South Korea last month.

Jeon is known for roles in Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine, for which she won the best actress award at Cannes in 2007, director Oh’s The Shameless, which played in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2015, and more recently Netflix feature Kill Boksoon, which premiered at the Berlinale in February.

Oh’s upcoming Revolver,...

This year's edition of Cannes film festival offered a number of high quality titles from Asia, both in competiton(s) and side bar programmes. One of the most awaited films was Takeshi Kitano's “Kubi” screened in Premiere section, in director's presence. Back to the samurai genre, 20 years after the critically acclaimed “Zatoichi” and with a period piece based on his own historic novel published in 2019, Kitano struggled to bring his characters close to the audience, but stayed faithful to the title by making many heads roll. “Kubi” (which was also the title of his novel) means “neck”, a beloved target of the samurai sword. This is allegedly the last film by “Beat”, if we take his statement before the festival kicked off seriously.

A year after his drama “Broker” brought Palme D'Or for Best Actor to Song Kang-ho, and five after he was awarded Palme D'Or for “Shoplifters”, Hirokazu Koreeda...

On June 14, Song Joong Ki took to his fancafe to confirm that he and his wife Katy Louise Saunders were blessed with a healthy son in Rome. He also reassured the fans that the wife and son are completely healthy.

He said that he was in his wife’s hometown and he is eternally grateful to the fans for being a part of the wonderful time. He expressed his happiness and gratitude towards his family for being there as well.

Song Joong Ki revealed his relationship with his British girlfriend, who is now his wife, in December of last year. He is currently getting ready for the release of the films Bogotá and Hopeless. Born in 1985, Song Joong Ki made his acting debut in the 2008 film A Frozen Flower.

After that, he performed in films like Itaewon Murder Case, A Werewolf Boy, Battleship Island, and Space Sweepers, as well as in dramas like Sungkyunkwan Scandal,...

Text written on June 6, 2023 by Jean-Marc Thérouanne

Asia in the juries :

Franco-Afghan writer and director Atiq Rahimi was the only Asian member of the prestigious jury at the 76th Cannes Film Festival

Fench-Cambodian director Davy Chou was the only Asia-related member of the Un Certain Regard jury

Davy Chou

Shlomi Elkabetz was the only member of the short film jury and the Cinef with a connection to geographical Asia.

Asia in the selections:

Asia, from the Near to the Far East, was present with 31 features and 13 shorts in all the official and parallel sections of the 76th Cannes Film Festival.

In compétition :

– China: Youth (Spring) by Wang Bing

– Japan: Monster by Kore-eda Hirokazu,

Kim Dong-ho, Hirokazu Koreeda

– Turkey: About Dry Grasses by Nuri Bilge Ceylan,

and The Pot-au-feu by French-Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung and Wim Wenders' Perfect Days, set in Japan.

Out of compétition :

– Korea: Cobweb by Kim Jee-won,...

by Khushi Jain

17 year old Yeon-gyu bashes open the head of a fellow student in the school playground and thus begins the Korean gangster film “Hopeless.” For his debut, Kim Chang-hoon dips his toes into a dark genre and creates something that respectfully nods to its predecessors. Premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, “Hopeless” is a well-made saga of mob violence.

Hopeless screened at Cannes Official poster – 76th edition © Photo © Jack Garofalo/Paris Match/Scoop – Création graphique © Hartland Villa

Yeon-gyu (Hong Xa-bin) lives in a tiny, tightly packed apartment with his docile mother, abusive alcoholic stepfather and stepsister Hayan (Kim Hyoung-seo “Bibi”). He starts working for a local gangster Chi-geon (Song Joong-ki), mainly stealing bikes and occasionally helping manipulate a political election, so as to earn enough to one day leave the fictional ‘Myeongan City' for Amsterdam (where he believes everyone lives a good...

With his debut feature “Hopeless”, director Kim Chang-hoon tells a story about a 17-year-old highschooler Yeon-gyu (Xa Bing-hon) who seeks to escape domestic violence in a very wrong milieu, and a mid-level gang boss Chi-geon who (Joong-ki Soon), on the one hand comes to his rescue, and on the other – involuntarily drags him into a deeper abyss. This slow-pacing noir had its premiere towards the end of the festival in Un Certain Regard competition, in the presence of the jury consisting of John C. Reilly, Alice Winocour, Paula Beer, Davy Chou and Émilie Dequenne.

We met with Kim at the rooftop terrace of the festival Palais, a day after the premiere to inquire about the brutal milieu depicted in the movie, his impressions from Cannes and his methods. Since his biography is still a blank page that needs to be filled, we asked him to present himself in his own words,...

When Jake Owen announced the track list for his upcoming album Loose Cannon, his first in four years, one song’s writing credits stood out above all the others: “On the Boat Again” is credited to Devin Dawson, Kyle Fishman, Rocky Block, Blake Pendergrass and…Willie Nelson. It’s easy to hear why.

“On the Boat Again” borrows the chorus melody of Nelson’s 1980 touring anthem “On the Road Again,” changing the lyrics to summon that most cherished of Southern weekend outings: boat day. “On the boat again/I just...

Written and directed by Kim Chang-hoon, the debut feature Hopeless is marked by a morose atmospheric tone that forces the audience to be spectators in the dismal lives of others. Despite the story being ripe with promise, its progress is hampered by an overlong runtime, shoddy editing and its inability to tap into any other feelings besides discontent.

In Myeongan City, South Korea, 17-year-old Yeon-gyu (Hong Xa-bin) is starting trouble. He gets into a violent altercation at school and is quickly reprimanded. His mother expresses disappointment but doesn’t do much to discipline him. In addition to his mom, he lives with his alcoholic stepfather and step-sister Hayan (Kim Hyoung-seo), who he treats like trash. Yeon-gyu is working to save enough money to travel to Holland, but with everyone in the family making meager earnings, travel outside the city is a distant goal. Outside of that, the young boy doesn...

Kim Chang-hoon’s feature directorial debut plays in Un Certain Regard.

Korea’s Plus M Entertainment has sold Cannes Un Certain Regard title Hopeless to a raft of territories led by Japan (Happinet) and France (Bac Films).

The first feature from director Kim Chang-hoon stars top Korean actor Song Joong-ki of TV’s Reborn Rich and rising actor Hong Xa-bin. The latter plays a teenager who is sucked into the violent world of a local thug.

The film has also sold to Taiwan (MovieCloud), Hong Kong (Edko Films), India (Mvp Entertainment), the Philippines (Viva Communications), Thailand (Sahamongkolfilm International), Vietnam (Lotte Entertainment Vietnam), Singapore,...

South Korean executive Jeongin Hong never planned to become a movie mogul. After studying economics at Princeton and putting in distinguished stints in private equity at Boston Consulting and Goldman Sachs (“I’m a science and economics guy,” he says), he was lured back to the family business in 2015. His family’s firm happens to be JoongAng Group, arguably Korea’s largest media conglomerate. Founded by Hong’s grandfather, Hong Jin-ki, the company publishes Korea’s most widely read newspapers, owns a university and a skyscraper, and controls major broadcaster Jtbc, among many other business lines. Hong was initially pulled back into the patrilineal corporate fold to help with corporate strategy; but in 2017 he proposed to his elder brother, JoongAng Group’s current CEO, Jeongdo Hong, that the time was right to further capitalize on the Korean content wave still sweeping the globe by restructuring their conglomerate’s collection of...

Scarlett Johansson is one of the most famous people on the planet and one of the most in-demand actors around. But in the mid-to-late-2000s, that was far from the truth. She was a young, struggling actor who was being given opportunities that didn’t interest her with no clear, exciting path forward in her career. And apparently, Johansson was almost broken down completely after losing the lead role in “Gravity.”

Read More: Scarlett Johansson & Gwyneth Paltrow Deny Rumors Of Feud On ‘Iron Man 2’ Set, Johansson Says She’s “Done” With MCU: “Chapter Is Over”

In a new interview with Variety, Scarlett Johansson talked about a tough time in her career.

Continue reading Scarlett Johansson Says She Felt “Frustrated And Hopeless” After Getting Turned Down For ‘Gravity’ & ‘Iron Man 2’ at The Playlist.

As film events kick into full swing with no shortage of highly anticipated releases this year, the prestigious Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the Official Selection for its 76th edition, which will take place from May 16 to May 27, 2023. Here is a list of the Asian films selected for each section including Competition, Un Certain Regard as well as special screenings:

Competition

Monster

Kuru Otlar Ustune / About Dry Grasses

Perfect Days

Jeunesse

Monster, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Japan Un Certain Regard

The Breaking Ice

If Only I Could Hibernate

Hopeless

Out of Competition

Cobweb

Midnight Screenings

Kennedy

Cannes Premiere

Kubi

Special Screenings

Man in Black...

Get your tux out of the mothballs and brush up on your French phrasebook: After feverish speculation about what might premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the lineup has finally been announced.

Thierry Frémaux’s annual press conference, which you can watch below, has wrapped and we now know what will debut on the Croisette when Cannes takes place May 16-27. We already knew there’d be a spot for Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” that Harrison Ford and James Mangold would be bringing fedora couture with “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (filling this year’s blockbuster spot reserved by “Top Gun: Maverick” last year), and that, controversially, the Johnny Depp-starring film “Jeanne du Barry” by Maïwenn would open the festival.

Among the titles now confirmed to appear at Cannes are Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City,” Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” Todd Haynes’ “May/December,...