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Matt Damon is one of the most bankable stars and highest-grossing actors of all time. He rose to stardom in 1997 with Good Will Hunting, a film he co-wrote and starred in alongside his lifelong friend Ben Affleck. Their work earned them an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, while Damon was also nominated for Best Actor, launching him into Hollywood's firmament.

From there, Damon quickly became a leading man with standout roles in The Talented Mr. Ripley, the Jason Bourne series, and Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's trilogy. He earned additional Oscar nominations for Invictus and The Martian. He's also starred in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, Martin Scorsese's The Departed, and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, the last of which is Damon's highest-grossing film to date at $975 million.

Despite his many successes, Damon's filmography is not without misfires. Green Zone, Promised Land, Downsizing, Suburbicon, and The Last Duel...

Acclaimed actor Pedro Pascal prepares to fight monstrous villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's The Fantastic Four: First Steps, his nine-year-old creature feature roars on the streaming charts. Pascal's 2016 monster film, The Great Wall, is now a hit on HBO Max.

Via Flix Patrol, The Great Wall is climbing up HBO Max's top 10 U.S. movie chart. The star-studded China-based film ranks 6th on the chart, moving up two spots from yesterday. The Great Wall debuted via HBO's streaming service on Jul. 1, hitting the top 10 three days after its premiere.

The Great Wall features a formidable cast, with Pascal starring alongside Matt Damon, Willem Dafoe and legendary Hong Kong actor Andy Lau. The film was directed by award-winning filmmaker Zhang Yimou and co-written by Jason Bourne franchise screenwriter Tony Gilroy.

The story in The Great Wall centers around two European mercenaries, Irishman William Garin (Damon) and Spaniard Pero...

Among the notable crime films in Hong Kong cinema, “Infernal Affairs,” stands as one of the most influential, even inspiring an Academy Award-winning American remake by Martin Scorsese, “The Departed.” Yet, while the remake has its merits, the original remains a masterpiece in its own right. Whereas many of its contemporaries leaned heavily into stylized action, Lau and Mak opted for a more grounded picture that functions as a character-driven drama, building suspense through deliberate pacing. These qualities, along with its star-studded cast, earned the movie critical acclaim upon its 2002 release and spawned two sequels.

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As an ongoing rivalry lingers between law enforcement and the criminal underworld, two men with opposing professions take on secret roles. Lau Kin-ming poses as a police officer to spy on the Hong Kong Police Force as a mole for Triad boss Hon Sam. On the other side,...

It’s impossible to talk about Chinese-language cinema without mentioning Hong Kong — a truth underscored at this year’s 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff).

This year’s program dives deep into the city’s storied cinematic past, treating audiences to classics like Jackie Chan’s complete Police Story series. Alongside the retrospective is a forward-looking focus: a Hong Kong New Power Projects Showcase that has presented five productions looking for mainland Chinese partners. It’s all helped spark a conversation about how a city of just 7.5 million people has produced such a rich legacy of influential films — and what the next wave of Hong Kong cinema might look like.

But what’s not being lost on anyone is how Hong Kong cinema is struggling, with its box office down to a 13-year low as of the latest report, with production numbers also diving. Many of the city’s filmmakers...

Gambling has always been a great technique to tell stories, especially in Asian movies where the stakes are often as high emotionally as they are financially. Asian filmmakers have mastered the genre, making everything from gritty vengeance thrillers to sleek action comedy. They mix high drama, suspense, and fascinating characters into movies that people love to see, even when they’re not at the casino.

This selection is for you if you like movies that mix luck, talent, trickery, and psychological warfare. We’ve put together a list of some of the top Asian gambling movies that highlight how risky and rewarding the casino business can be. These movies have been graded or acclaimed on IMDb.

And if you want to test your luck after the credits roll, make sure to visit the best rated casino sites for a safe and exciting online gaming experience.

1. God of Gamblers (1989) – IMDb 7.2

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Filmmaker Peter Chan Ho-sun delivered a remarkably candid and deeply personal masterclass at the Shanghai International Film Festival, offering rare insights into his creative process and the personal battles that have shaped his three-decade career.

In conversation with Zhang Ji, a longtime collaborator who has written several of Chan’s films including “Dearest,” the director reflected on his artistic evolution from intimate love stories to epic historical dramas.

Speaking to a packed audience, Chan traced his journey through what Zhang identified as two distinct thematic trilogies in his body of work, with particular focus on his 2007 war film “The Warlords” and his latest work “She’s Got No Name,” which opened the festival.

Zhang Ji contextualized Chan’s career by identifying an early “Trilogy of Identity and Displacement” comprising “Comrades: Almost a Love Story,” “Alan & Eric: Between Hello and Goodbye,” and “Perhaps Love.” These films, he noted, all centered on shifting identities and geographical displacement,...

Shanghai—The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival opened on 13 June with jury president Giuseppe Tornatore hailing the gathering as “a powerful message of peace and coexistence” amid global strife.

The Oscar-winning Italian raised a toast—“To Shanghai! To peace! And to the eternal power of cinema!”—at the Gala Night on 14 June, cheered by a red-carpet crowd that included Andy Lau, Zhang Ziyi and more than 200 other luminaries.

Marking 130 years of world cinema and 120 years of Chinese film, this edition received a record 3,900 submissions from 119 nations; 410 titles are screening in 43 theatres across the city until 22 June.

Twelve features—eleven world premieres and one international—are vying for the Golden Goblet, to be judged by a seven-member panel that pairs Tornatore with artists from China, India, Argentina, Greece and others.

“There is no pre-established rule,” Tornatore told reporters, pledging that the jury will “devote ourselves to the experience” rather than formulas.

Exclusive: Hong Kong star Ekin Cheng and fast-rising actress Natalie Hsu are set to receive honorary awards at the New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff) next month.

Acclaimed actor and singer Cheng will accept the Star Asia Award on July 14, honouring nearly four decades on screen, while Hsu will receive the Screen International Rising Star Award on July 12, recognising a string of roles in recent major films.

Both most recently starred in Jill Leung’s romantic fantasy drama Last Song For You, which received seven nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards including a best actress nod for Hsu and...

Peter Chan’s She’s Got No Name, starring Zhang Ziyi, is to be divided into two parts for its theatrical release– the first of which is set to open the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival.

The 1940s Shanghai-set crime thriller had a runtime of 150 minutes when it premiered out of competition at Cannes last year. In a video released on Siff’s WeChat and Weibo social media accounts, director Chan explained that the film will now be released in two parts.

Both films are interconnected and can also be seen as a standalone. “It’s a special arrangement and a big risk to me,...

Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Lilo & Stitch” debuted at the top of the China box office over the May 23–25 weekend, pulling in RMB62.3 million ($8.7 million), according to Artisan Gateway.

The family title marked the strongest performance among a quiet slate, offering a rare Hollywood success in a year dominated by local productions.

After three weekends in the lead, “The Dumpling Queen” slipped to second with $3 million. The Cmc Pictures title has now grossed $53.5 million. Directed by Andrew Lau and starring Ma Li, the rags-to-riches biopic continues to draw solid returns.

Financial thriller “A Gilded Game” retained third place with $2.5 million. The Universe Entertainment release has now earned $38.5 million, thanks to its star pairing of Andy Lau and Ni Ni and a topical plot focused on ambition and corruption in the corporate world.

Wanda Pictures’ comedy “The Open Door” ranked fourth with $1 million, bringing its total to $18.2 million.

“Ne Zha 2...

Films about the finance industry can be notoriously challenging to convey to a mass audience, requiring at least a basic familiarity with – and interest in – the stock exchange and its many vagaries. Not everyone, after all, finds shares, securities and U.S. Treasury bonds to be glamorous material. This is the challenge faced by “A Gilded Game“, which is only partially successful in meeting it.

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The story is a very familiar one for the genre (think “Wall Street” or “The Wolf of Wall Street”), perhaps too much so: we follow Gao Han (Ou Hao), who has just graduated from university and lands an internship at an investment bank. There, the young, wide-eyed man is soon introduced to the cynicism of high finance, where only money matters – the law and morality be damned. Can Gao preserve his integrity, or will he have to compromise his ethics and...

Cmc Pictures’ crowd-pleasing biopic “The Dumpling Queen” maintained its strong grip on the top spot at the China box office for the third consecutive weekend.

The film earned RMB32.1 million ($4.5 million) over the May 16–18 frame, pushing its cumulative gross to $46.9 million, according to Artisan Gateway. Starring Ma Li and directed by Andrew Lau, the film tells the real-life story of Zang Jianhe from Qingdao who builds a dumpling empire in Hong Kong after being stranded there in the late 1970s.

Financial drama “A Gilded Game” from Universe Entertainment held second place with $3.7 million, lifting its total to $32.6 million. Directed by Herman Yau, the Hong Kong-produced drama stars Andy Lau, Ni Ni, and Jasper Liu, and follows a principled finance intern in a global investment bank.

In third, Wanda Pictures’ comedy “The Open Door” added $1.7 million for a running total of $15.7 million.

Box office titan “Ne Zha 2” continued its marathon run,...

Cmc Pictures’ biographical drama “The Dumpling Queen” maintained its lead at the China box office for a second consecutive weekend, earning RMB46.9 million ($6.5 million) from May 9–11.

The film has now grossed $39.7 million since its release on April 30, according to Artisan Gateway. The film, which stars Ma Li and is directed by Andrew Lau, tells the real-life story of Zang Jianhe from Qingdao who builds a dumpling empire in Hong Kong after being stranded there in the late 1970s. It resonated with audiences during the extended May Day holiday period.

In second place, Universe Entertainment’s financial thriller “A Gilded Game” collected $4.8 million. Directed by Herman Yau, the Hong Kong-produced drama stars Andy Lau, Ni Ni, and Jasper Liu, and follows a principled finance intern in a global investment bank, has reached a cumulative total of $26.4 million.

“The Open Door,” a comedy distributed by Wanda Pictures, held third position with $2.1 million.

Chinese audiences turned out in decent numbers over the May Day holiday weekend, propelling Cmc Pictures’ “The Dumpling Queen” to the top of the box office.

The biographical drama debuted with a RMB123.3 million ($17.1 million) from April 30 to May 4, according to figures from Artisan Gateway. The film, which stars Ma Li and is directed by Andrew Lau, tells the real-life story of Zang Jianhe from Qingdao who builds a dumpling empire in Hong Kong after being stranded there in the late 1970s.

In second place was Universe Entertainment’s financial thriller “A Gilded Game,” which earned $11.5 million over the weekend. Directed by Herman Yau, the Hong Kong-produced drama stars Andy Lau, Ni Ni, and Jasper Liu, and follows a principled finance intern in a global investment bank.

Box office mainstay “Ne Zha 2” continued its historic run, collecting $6.5 million in its 14th weekend. The animated fantasy has now grossed $2.13 billion,...

Award-winning, veteran cinematographer-turned-director Anthony Pun presents “Cesium Fallout”, his third feature film following “Extraordinary Mission” (co-directed with Alan Mak) and “One More Chance”. The film has been boasting of being Hong Kong’s first nuclear radiation disaster movie as its unique selling point, and it has proved a box office success. Certainly, Pun’s extensive experience behind the camera on many visually stunning blockbusters, combined with a stellar cast of new-generation actors and beloved veterans, has certainly contributed to the film’s wide appeal.

Cesium Fallout is screening at Far East Film Festival

Simon Fan (Andy Lau) is an environmental protection expert with a dark cloud over his past. In the 1996 prologue, we first meet Simon as a bold and enthusiastic financial secretary on the verge of implementing a more libertarian trade policy, aimed at boosting Hong Kong’s economic growth and speeding up market efficiency. However, despite the good intentions behind his actions,...

Exclusive: China Lion Film Distribution has acquired all media rights from Universe Films to the upcoming Andy Lau-starrer A Gilded Game for release in Canada, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

China Lion has set May 8, 2025, as the theatrical release date in Australia and New Zealand, and May 9, 2025, as the theatrical release in North America.

The financial drama is expected to be a strong performer in China during its Chinese Labor Day holiday release in early May. Above you can watch the first international trailer.

Hong Kong film icon Andy Lau leads the cast playing financial markets expert Todd Zhang, mentoring a new hire played by Oho Ou (Raid On The Lethal Zone). Entering into the fast-paced financial world and tackling an IPO as his first big move, Ou’s character must learn to exist in the high-pressure world, surrounded by interns eager to compete for business fame.

China’s box office remained steady but subdued over the April 25–27 weekend, with Cococartoon’s animated megahit “Ne Zha 2” once again topping the charts.

The long-running title earned RMB21.9 million ($3 million) for the weekend, pushing its cumulative gross to $2.12 billion, according to Artisan Gateway. Now in its thirteenth weekend of release, “Ne Zha 2” continues to extend its record as the country’s highest-grossing film of 2025.

“We Girls,” produced by Meila Media, held second place with $2.1 million. The prison-set female ensemble drama now has a cumulative gross standing at $30.7 million after four weekends in theaters.

New opener “Bocchi the Rock! Recap Part 1” from Aniplex, based on the popular anime series, debuted in third place with $1.3 million.

“Fox Hunt,” the political thriller about China’s global anti-corruption campaign, from Shanghai Film Group, landed in fourth with $1.3 million. Its cumulative gross has now climbed to $11.5 million.

Warner Bros.’ and Legendary...

Richard Norton, the Australian actor and martial arts expert who demonstrated his considerable skills alongside Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Cynthia Rothrock in action films, has died. He was 75.

Norton’s death in Melbourne was announced this weekend in a Instagram post by his wife, Judy.

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The charismatic Norton, proficient in judo, karate, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and many other disciplines, spent two decades as a bodyguard working for the likes of The Rolling Stones, Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor.

He also served as a fight choreographer on the 1993-2001 CBS series Walker Texas Ranger, starring his good friend Norris, and on features including The Condemned (2007), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Dark Phoenix (2019) and the Suicide Squad films of 2016 and 2021.

Along the way, he trained Scarlett Johansson, Charlize Theron, Sophie Turner, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ben Affleck, Margot Robbie, Charlie Hunnam,...

Trinity CineAsia has secured theatrical distribution rights for “Ne Zha 2” across 37 European territories, including the U.K., Ireland, Germany, France and Spain, from Beijing Enlight Media. The animated blockbuster, which has shattered box office records, will debut in the U.K. and Ireland on March 21, with previews beginning March 14.

The Chinese animated epic has made history as the highest-grossing animated film worldwide, surpassing “Inside Out 2,” and becoming the first non-Hollywood production to crack the global all-time top 10 box office chart. It currently ranks sixth behind only “Avatar,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” and “Titanic.” The film has also achieved the unprecedented milestone of grossing $1 billion in a single market – China – where it was released on Jan. 29. It passed $2 billion in China over the weekend.

“Rarely do you get a film that truly defines the era, shows again the unique power of cinema to move audiences,...

Though they have their roots in Chinese cinema, kung fu movies have become iconic and beloved the world over. From gravity-defying stunts to high-flying kicks, these films have captivated audiences for decades with their mesmerizing style. Some of the best kung fu movies were also responsible for turning now well-known screen legends into household names, such as Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee.

The kung fu film genre gained prominence in the early '70s following the waning popularity of the wuxia films, characterized by their supernatural tropes of Chinese myths and legends. As more hard-hitting kung fu action reached the international shores, the martial arts subgenre brought a cultural revolution to cinematic history. Several of these films came to be adored across the globe, but only the best kung fu movies, like Enter the Dragon, have truly withstood the test of time.

Updated on March 4, 2025, by Christopher Raley: Kung fu...

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The Gorge is a sci-fi horror action film directed by Scott Derrickson from a screenplay by Zach Dean. The Apple TV+ film follows Levi Kane and Drasa, two elite snipers who are assigned to protect the guard towers on opposite sides of a massive gorge. They soon develop feelings for each other, but their love story is threatened by what’s inside the gorge. The Gorge stars Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sigourney Weaver, and Sope Dirisu. So, if you loved the fun action sequences, wild creature designs, and entertaining characters, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

The Maze Runner (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – 20th Century Studios

The Maze Runner is a dystopian sci-fi action film directed by Wes Ball from a screenplay co-written by Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers, and T.S. Nowlin. Based...

By Monika S-r

Another joint project by actor Andy Lau and director Johnny To, after “A love on diet”, “Fulltime killer” and Fat Choi Spirit, the film is classified as action, drama and thriller, with some humoristic scenes. The film won a number of awards, including one for Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best actor, at the 23rd Hong Kong film awards.

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This is the story of a Buddhist ex-monk and bodybuilder named Big, who is endowed with the mysterious power of seeing the karma of other people. Big works as a stripteaser, which, in view of his silhouette, turns out to be a lucrative business. During one of his shows, he meets a beautiful woman-cop and notes that she has a very bad karma. He decides to help her.

The film’s story is interesting but also heavy...

Johnnie To’s collaborations with writer-director Wa Ka-fai often defy genre classification. Among the strangest yet most compelling of their team-ups is 2003’s Running on Karma, a film that’s by turns a romantic comedy, a procedural thriller, and a wire-fu action movie. All of it is couched in a magical-realist philosophical rumination on the Buddhist notions of karma and the possibility of atoning for past sins.

Andy Lau, sporting a ludicrous muscle suit, plays “Biggie,” a monk turned bodybuilder who left his order due to the stress of being able to see people’s past lives and thus know that negative karma would soon catch up with them in their current incarnation. Biggie finds himself drawn into the hunt for a serial killer whose contortionist abilities lead to a number of elaborate escapes and skirmishes with Biggie as well as cops. Paired with Criminal Investigation Department rookie Lee Fung-yee...

The “Cesium Fallout” narrative takes place against the backdrop of Hong Kong from 1996 to 2007, a time of major political change and social anxieties. The film starts off with a terrible fire at a recycling plant that starts a Cesium 137 leak that puts the lives of seven million people in danger. Not only does this premise lead to action, but it also represents deeper worries about environmental crises and government choices.

The story intertwines governmental inertia with the urgent actions of frontline heroes as we follow Simon Fan (Andy Lau), a former politician haunted by a personal tragedy. The striking images of dusty skies and jumbled landscapes in the film create a sense of dread, and the editing and sound design make tense moments even worse.

“Cesium Fallout” follows the usual rules for disaster movies, but it also offers a new viewpoint that points out problems with the way things are set up.

Within “High Forces,” we meet Gao Haojun, played by Andy Lau, who used to be a special operations officer and is now a security expert for Hangyu Airlines. Gao’s tense relationship with his ex-wife, Fu Yuan (Liu Tao), and their blind daughter, Xiaojun (Zhang Zifeng), is revealed at the beginning of the narrative, which delves into family dynamics.

Gao joins the first flight without knowing that his family is also on board, which sets up the hijacking dramatically and randomly. This coincidental turn of events adds to the tension as hijackers, led by the unstable Mike (Qu Chuxiao), take over the plane and demand a large ransom.

The film’s pacing is off, with moments of forced emotional depth interspersed with intense action. Some flashbacks show Gao’s mistakes from the past and his ongoing guilt over his daughter’s blindness.

These narrative techniques are meant to give characters more depth,...

Quick Links The Departed Owes Its Success to Infernal Affairs Martin Scorsese Knows How To Craft Crime on Screen Martin Sheen Helps Finalize The Departed’s Cast The Departed Finally Scored Scorsese Some Respect

Martin Scorsese’s 2006 epic crime thriller The Departed garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success at the box office and has since become regarded as one of the best crime films ever made. Featuring a gripping narrative, engaging production design and a stacked collection of performers, the film offers audiences a lot to engage with and never stops once the plot unfolds, where the film’s enticing outline involves an undercover state trooper infiltrating a gang and a corrupt police officer trying to outsmart one another, which leaves viewers excited for what comes next in the story.

At the same time, The Departed’s eclectic cast portrays a wide variety of characters that add depth to...

What if you could start over, change your identity and lead a completely different life? What different choices would you make, and could you really escape your past? These are some of the questions at the heart of “Key of life”, a philosophically minded Japanese comedy that is, for the most part, touching and thoughtful.

Key of Life is streaming on Jff Theater until 2025/02/01 11:00:00 [Jst]

Junitsu Kondo and Takeshi Sakurai could not be more opposed human beings. Kondo is a ruthless, cold killer for hire who leads a high-flying lifestyle. Sakurai is a jobless, penniless actor who cannot achieve anything, even his own suicide. Fate makes them cross paths in a sento as Kondo slips on a bar of soap, hits his head on the floor and becomes totally amnesiac. Sensing an opportunity, the wily Sakurai swaps his belongings with Kondo’s and steals his identity, setting wild events in motion.

Remakes have a (not entirely unjust) bad reputation. They lack originality and, more often than not, end up being a pale imitation of another piece of art in one way or another. Yet, sometimes, a remake comes along that offers something new. We've seen this plenty of times before in the science fiction genre, with new technology allowing filmmakers to really let their imaginations go wild, resulting in sci-fi remakes that even surpass the originals.

Something similar happens whenever a Hollywood remake of a non-American movie is announced, be it non-English language or otherwise. Beyond the fact that U.S. remakes make it easier for American audiences to avoid exposing themselves to different cultures, languages, and concepts, these films also tend to lose something in translation. Again, though, there are a number of American remakes that've actually proven to be quite good.

All of this is to say that, despite their poor reputation,...

Over the weekend, a new Chinese comedy swept the box office, showing that Chinese films are popular. The movie “The Untold Story” stars Roy Chiu and Lang Yue-ting, made RMB80.8 million ($11.4 million) in just two days, making it the year’s most successful movie.

The movie, which Zhang Yan directed, is about an undercover police officer with a complicated life because he is also a cab driver and restores cultural artifacts. Its quick success is a sign of a bigger trend in the Chinese film market: 79.3% of all the money made at the box office this year has gone to Chinese films.

Over the weekend, international movies had a range of success. “Venom: The Last Dance” kept going strong in its third weekend, making $7.5 million, bringing its total to $83.2 million. “Cesium Fallout,” a Hong Kong movie about a nuclear disaster starring Andy Lau and Karen Mok, came in second with $7.4 million in its second weekend.

Chinese melodrama film “The Untold Story” opened on top of the mainland China box office on its debut weekend, despite playing for only two days.

It earned RMB80.8 million ($11.4 million), according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.

Adapted from a novel, the film tells the story of an undercover drugs cop, who sometimes goes undercover as a taxi driver, and restorer of cultural relics. The film (aka “That Untold Story”) stars Roy Chiu and Lang Yue-ting and is directed by Zhang Yan.

In second place was “Venom: The Last Dance,” playing its third weekend in China. It scored $7.5 million between Friday and Sunday, for a running total of $83.2 million after 19 days in Chinese cinemas.

Close behind in third place was “Cesium Fallout,” a nuclear disaster film that opened a week earlier.

Produced through Hong Kong’s Edko Films and starring Hong Kongers Andy Lau and Karen Mok, the film was directed by Anthony Pun,...

Edko Films’ disaster film Cesium Fallout has bounced to the top of China’s box office from Monday (November 4) after opening in second place behind Venom: The Last Dance.

It had grossed a total of $16.8m (RMB120m) as of November 7, up from its $12.1 (RMB86.5m) opening weekend, which included previews.

The Cantonese-speaking Guangdong province in southern China contributed significantly to the film’s success, accounting for 26.8% of its nationwide cumulative box office. Hong Kong films are generally released in this province in their original Cantonese language, instead of being dubbed in Mandarin for other provinces. Guangdong was also instrumental...

The superhero movie “Venom: The Last Dance” remained the top film at China’s box office last weekend. For the second week in a row, it brought in 104 million yuan ($14.6 million). This keeps the film as one of the most successful international releases in China this year.

The sequel, called “Venom 3” overseas, has now earned over 70.8 million yuan (US$10.3 million) in China after 12 days in theaters. This puts it ahead of other recent major Hollywood films like “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which made 60.6 million yuan, and “Oppenheimer” with earnings of 63.3 million yuan. Box office analysts say these numbers show the film’s broad appeal, especially given recent challenges for Western films in China after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last Saturday, the movie took in 7 million yuan from over 100,000 screenings. This makes it the second highest for any comic book sequel’s second Saturday, only behind “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and its 8.9 million yuan earnings.

“Venom: The Last Dance” held top spot at the mainland China box office for the second consecutive weekend. It beat newly released Andy Lau-starring thriller “Cesium Fallout.”

“Venom: The Last Dance” earned RMB104 million ($14.6 million) over the weekend, according to data from consultancy service Artisan Gateway. That is more than 50% lower than its debut weekend, but still lifts the film to a $70.8 million cumulative after 12 days on release. That is a pace very similar to “Alien: Romulus” in China and could see “Venom” among the top three Hollywood films in China this year.

Opening in second place, “Cesium Fallout” earned $9.8 million in its opening weekend. Produced through Hong Kong’s Edko Films and starring Hong Kongers Andy Lau and Karen Mok, the film (previously titled “Burning City” and “Fallout”) is billed as China’s first nuclear radiation disaster film. It was directed by Anthony Pun, with Alibaba Pictures handling the China release.

It's pretty amazing that acclaimed American filmmaker Martin Scorsese finally took home the Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture for a movie that was, for all intents and purposes, a remake of a foreign-language gangster film that originated in Hong Kong. After all, Scorsese is an artist who has largely seen his career defined by idiosyncratic films that practically no other filmmaker could ever recreate.

The Departed concerns itself with the story of two moles, one planted in the Massachusetts State Police Department and the other finding his way into Boston's Irish Mob. Four years earlier, Hong Kong directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak brought that same story to life through a different geographical lens, and its name is Infernal Affairs.

Related 10 Best Foreign Gangster Movies, Ranked

Foreign films often break the mold and reel audiences in for generations, and gangster movies are a great example of this.

What Is Infernal Affairs About?...

Touted as Hong Kong’s first radiation-disaster blockbuster, Anthony Pun’s Cesium Fallout chronicles the political and frontline responses to a national catastrophe as it unfolds on the outskirts of the city. Emulating the blockbusters of Irwin Allen and Roland Emmerich, the rampant urban destruction is complemented by a star-studded ensemble of some of the local industry’s most prominent talent. Andy Lau takes top billing as the scientist drafted to advise Karen Mok’s bullheaded politician when a fire breaks out in a landfill site riddled with illegal radioactive waste. As the leadership bickers over the appropriate response and who is to be reprimanded, it falls to the blue collar heroes of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department to tackle the inferno head on.

Yu Bai and Louise Wong are among the heroes in helmets putting their lives on the line for the sake of seven million innocent souls,...

The Last Dance, one of the most highly anticipated Hong Kong films of the year, has been acquired for UK and Ireland distribution by Trinity CineAsia from Emperor Motion Pictures.

Trinity CineAsia plan to release the film theatrically on November 15, following its opening in Hong Kong on November 11.

The drama features a starry cast led by Dayo Wong, whose recent hits include Hong Kong’s highest-grossing film A Guilty Conscience and blockbuster Table For Six, alongside veteran Michael Hui, who won best supporting actor at the 2023 Hong Kong Film Awards for Where The Wind Blows.

Wong plays a debt-ridden wedding...

Exclusive: China Lion Film Distribution has acquired all rights from Hong Kong outfit Universe Films to the Andy Lau-starrer High Forces for release in North America.

China Lion has set an October 25, 2024, release for the film throughout Canada and the United States. The action-thriller, recently released in mainland China and throughout Asia, has been a popular title during the Chinese Golden Week holiday.

Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau leads the cast as Gao Haojun, a professional bodyguard by trade. Distanced from his family after a car accident takes the sight of his daughter, he is pulled back into their circle when a flight they’re aboard is overtaken by armed hijackers.

Directed by Oxide Pang, known for The Detective and Out Of Inferno, the film co-stars Lui Tao and Zhang Zi Feng, star of Aftershock.

The film...

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” took second place at the mainland China box office over the latest weekend, leading off a season of re-releases that will encompass the full “Harry Potter” franchise.

The weekend’s top-ranked film was “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death” which took RMB77.4 million ($10.9 million) in its second full weekend in Chinese theaters, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. Since releasing on Sept. 30, in time to capture the full National Day holiday period, the Chen Kaige-directed film has earned $139 million. The film is the second part of a three-film set that kicked off this time last year with “The Volunteers: To the War.”

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” earned $6.6 million. Warner Bros. Pictures, the studio behind the franchise, said that the films will pay in some 3,400 theaters across 295 cities in China and that they will be available in standard...

The London East Asia Film Festival (Leaff), the capital’s premier celebration of East Asian cinema and culture, proudly returns for its 9th edition, launching on 23rd October 2024 at the iconic Odeon Luxe Leicester Square with the UK premiere of Escape, a gripping drama by acclaimed director Lee Jong-Pil. The festival will run until 3rd November 2024, culminating in the highly anticipated world premiere of the Hong Kong feature, Little Red Sweet.

This year’s programme promises an extraordinary showcase of cinematic gems from Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and Philippines, all woven around the powerful theme of survival, resilience, and aspiration. Through the visionary lens of East Asia’s most talented filmmakers, Leaff invites audiences to experience profound and thought-provoking stories that offer unique insight into the region’s rich cultural tapestry.

With over 20 UK and world premieres, Leaff will captivate audiences at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square and the Cinema at Selfridges,...

Box office in China over the country’s crucial National Day holiday season fell by 23% according to Maoyan, a leading movie ticketing platform.

Gross nationwide revenues ran at approximately RMB300 million ($42.5 million) per day from Tuesday last week to Monday, adding up to RMB2.10 billion ($297 million), Maoyan Research Institute said. Some 52 million tickets were sold in the seven-day period.

Leading the pack was the war film “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death,” which clinched the top spot at the box office with RMB805 million ($114 million). The film saw significantly higher ticket purchases for multiple viewers than other films, indicating a strong appeal to families.

The crime film “Tiger Wolf Rabbit” secured second place with RMB359 million ($50.8 million), closely followed by the sci-fi film “Bureau 749” at RMB356 million ($50.4 million). Jackie Chan’s action-comedy “Panda Plan” ranked fourth with RMB215 million ($30.5 million). The fifth place was “High Forces,” starring Andy Lau,...

The Chinese film industry saw mixed results during the 2022 National Day holiday period. While the war epic “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death” was a box office success, total ticket sales were down compared to last year.

Directed by Chen Kaige, “The Volunteers 2” earned nearly $46 million over the weekend, capturing over a quarter of screen time. After one week, the film made $113 million. It could reach $199 million by the end of its run, according to projections. Despite this hit, the overall holiday box office showed weakness.

The crucial $108 million mark was reached on the third day of the seven-day holiday. Last year, it was achieved one day earlier. Total weekend ticket sales were $108 million, notably lower than the $168 million high from 2021. This drop reflects concerns about China’s economic slowdown affecting consumer spending.

Other popular films included the crime drama “Tiger Wolf Rabbit” in second place with $19 million.

Chen Kaige’s war epic “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death” was the dominant force at the mainland China box office over the weekend. But the end of the National Day holiday week maintained the trend of relative weakness.

“The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death” scored RMB324 million in commemoration of China’s founding in 1949.

The film is directed by Chen Kaige and stars Zhu Yilong, Xin Baiqing and Zhang Zifeng. It represents the second instalment of his patriotic “The Volunteers” trilogy. Part one was released at the same period last year.

Ticketing agency Maoyan reports that “Volunters 2” now has a cumulative of RMB802 million after seven days and it is now estimating that the film could finish its theatrical run with RMB1.4 billion ($199 million). That would put it in the top ten films this year.

Comparison with the same season last year is clumsy as...

Hong Kong’s Edko Films has closed a string of key deals for Anthony Pun’s disaster feature Cesium Fallout.

Niu Vision Media will open the film in North America on November 1, day-and-date with Hong Kong and mainland China. The film is also heading to Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei through mm2 Entertainment, opening on November 7, and to Taiwan through Sky Films on November 8. The Polish release through 9th Plan is not yet scheduled.

Edko Films is also in negotiations for Australia and New Zealand, Cis and France at Acfm.

Starring Andy Lau, Cesium Fallout is billed as Hong Kong’s first radiation disaster film,...

This year’s TIFF Tribute Awards are shaping up to be shiny indeed. Today, Toronto International Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey has announced a pair of additional honorees who will be receiving TIFF Tribute Awards at this year’s festival. They include American award-winning (including recently picking up one of our own IndieWire Honors!) actor and rapper Jharrel Jerome, who will receive the TIFF Tribute Performer Award, and award-winning actor Zhao Tao, who will be presented with the TIFF Special Tribute Award.

Both actors have films at the festival this year: Jerome leads William Goldenberg’s fact-based “Unstoppable,” which will world premiere at TIFF, while Tao returns to the festival for the North American premiere of Jia Zhang-he’s “Caught by the Tides.”

“From ‘Moonlight’ to ‘Unstoppable,’ Jharrel Jerome’s depth, strength, and vulnerability on screen have made him one of his generation’s finest actors. It’s an...

Considering the huge box office success of the initial film, it is no surprise that a sequel would soon arrive, with Frant Gwo continuing the saga based on Liu CIxin's short story, with a prequel this time.

on Imprint Asia by clicking on the image below

The story begins in the early days of the Moving Mountain Project, with a coalition of the world's nations having decided to place huge machines in strategic locations around the Earth in order to move the planet away from the dying Sun, while additional ones in the Moon are to move that planet away from Earth, in order for the latter to avoid the former's gravitational pull. While all this will be happening, a number of the population will be placed in underground facilities, which leave, though, a large part of the planet's inhabitants simply to die. Expectedly, strikes and...

The First Raintown Film Festival will officially take place at Paragon Cinemas, Taiping Mall, from September 13 to 15, 2024. This three-day event will showcase four local feature films, six short films, one film talk, one film workshop and an outdoor film screening. Filmmakers will be present for post-screening Q&a sessions to interact with the audience. All activities are free and open to the public. Please register in advance to reserve your ticket.

In celebration of Taiping's 150th anniversary, the festival will show four local films shot in Taiping, including “Rain Town” directed by Tunku Mona Riza, “Rain Dogs” directed by Ho Yuhang from the project Star Chinese Movies Network initiated by Andy Lau in 2006, “Jagat”, the winner of Best Film in 28th Malaysia Film Festival directed by Shanjey Kumar Perumal, and a documentary “Ah Kew The Digger” directed by Khoo Eng Yow which delves into Taiping's history with the narration of Taiping historian Lee Eng Kew.

The inaugural Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation, to be held in Phnom Penh for the first time, is set to captivate audiences with a spectacular lineup of cinematic treasures. Presented by the Asian Film Awards Academy, in collaboration with Westec Media Limited and financially supported by Hong Kong's Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (Ccida), Film Development Fund and Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, the programme will showcase 7 specially selected Hong Kong films at Fable Cinema, Factory Phnom Penh from 3 to 7 July 2024!

As part of the programme, The Dynamic Cityscapes of Hong Kong Films Exhibition will be held concurrently at Factory Phnom Penh from 4 July until 4 August 2024, 10Am – 7Pm daily. The admission is free and exhibition materials are in English and Khmer. The Dynamic Cityscapes of Hong Kong Films Exhibition is a celebration and demonstration of Hong Kong's diverse cityscapes, recreating the most memorable scenes that appeared in the specially selected films,...

Leading Chinese film studio, Alibaba Pictures has announced a slate of seven tentpole movies that it hopes will reinvigorate the mainland China box office.

The titles straddle martial arts, drama, history, sci-fi and comedy and are presented as the first elements of the company’s second five year plan.

They were revealed on Monday at a major event within the ongoing Shanghai International Film Festival and with large numbers of relevant producers, directors and stars in attendance.

“At a time when the film market needs vigor, we need more tentpole productions to keep it working,” said Li Jie, Alibaba Pictures president. In notes provided, the company pointed out that the mainland China box office last year recovered to 85% of its pre-pandemic level and that, so far in 2024, the Chinese box office is the world’s largest.

However, there are worries that recent film industry prosperity may falter. Indeed, 2024 box office...

“You always attack a movie scene as late as you possibly can. You always come into the scene at the last possible moment.” This bit of advice from the great screenwriter William Goldman has guided most moviemakers. The overwhelming majority of films begin with trouble already brewing and end before everything can be settled. But sometimes, a filmmaker takes the opposite approach. These visionaries begin as early as possible, even after the opening of a different movie. Thus, the prequel was born.

Seriously though, most prequels come less from the minds of creatives and more from studios trying to milk every dollar from their sweet, sweet IP. For that reason, audiences have rightly developed a general skepticism toward the concept. But every once in a while, a genuinely talented filmmaker finds value in telling the story before the story. They use the plot beats we already know to give their...

The Great Wall, starring Matt Damon, has made it to the Netflix top 10 in the US, ranking No. 4 for the week. The movie faced criticism for promoting a white savior narrative and whitewashing the cast, among other issues. Despite making $334.9 million worldwide on a $150 million budget, The Great Wall is considered a flop in Matt Damon's career.

Matt Damons The Great Wall has made it onto the Netflix top 10 in the US. Released in 2016, The Great Wall is a Zhang Yimou movie about a group of European mercenaries who are imprisoned in China and are conscripted to help out a secret army that maintains and defends the Great Wall from fantastical enemies. In addition to Damon, The Great Wall features an ensemble cast that includes Willem Dafoe, Pedro Pascal, Tian Jing, Andy Lau, Zhang Hanyu, Lu Han, and Kenny Lin.

Now, Netflix has calculated their Top 10 most-watched movies in the...