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Chinese distribution company Hishow has launched We Love Cinema, a new label dedicated to highlighting arthouse films from around the world in mainland China.

The new programme, unveiled at the Hong Kong FilmMart, will focus on distribution, marketing and exhibition for movies across arthouse and genre. We Love Cinema will be developing innovative marketing initiatives, for instance a WeChat mini app boasting exclusive contents and bonuses, as well as early screenings and Q&a with filmmakers. As part of the programme, Hishow will also be setting up a network of arthouse cinemas.

The Beijing-based distributor has been ramping acquisitions of international prestige movies. One of its recent acquisitions include Walter Salles’ Brazilian family drama “I’m Still Here” which just won best international feature film at the Oscars, along with Salles’ 1998 film “Central Station.” Other recent pickups include the Oscar-nominated animated feature “Memoir of a Snail” from Australian stop-motion master Adam Elliot,...

Chinese distributor Hishow Entertainment is launching a marketing, distribution and exhibition program, We Love Cinema, to promote arthouse titles in the mainland China market.

The Beijing-based company has also recently acquired Best International Oscar winner I’m Still Here, directed by Brazilian auteur Walter Salles, along with Salles’ 1998 film Central Station, adding to its expanding roster of prestige titles.

In addition to acquiring specialist titles for mainland China theatrical distribution, the We Love Cinema program involves building a marketing strategy and loyalty program for cinema fans. The company is developing online communities and a WeChat mini app through which members can enjoy exclusive contents and bonuses including early screenings, Q&As with filmmakers, limited edition merchandise and special gifts.

The program also involves establishing a network of arthouse-friendly cinemas, working towards a platform releasing strategy, starting off with release in a select number of cinemas for each title, potentially expanding wider...

Quick Links Every Filler Episode of Naruto: Shippuden How Naruto: Shippuden's Filler Hurts The Series Overall Why Naruto: Shippuden Has So Much Filler Compared to Other Anime Series

Naruto: Shippuden is roughly 40% filler, naturally leading potential fans to look for a list of every filler episode. Though Naruto's best filler episodes can develop the series' world and characters, the same can't be said for every episode. As great as some of the filler is, it's easy to see why many fans skip the filler content altogether. Unfortunately, that task might be easier said than done.

For most anime adapting a long-running manga series, the line between filler and not filler can be clear as day. Filler episodes are any episodes that aren't adapting a manga chapter. The problem with Naruto Shippuden is that the lines between filler and not filler are blurred, as many episodes of the beloved series...

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,...

Exclusive: Chinese producer-distributor Hishow Entertainment has been on an acquisitions spree, snapping up several prestige festival titles for distribution in mainland China, including Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, which it plans to give a wide theatrical outing before the end of the year.

The film, which premiered in competition at this year’s Cannes film festival, will first screen at China’s Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, taking place in Xiamen, November 13-16.

Hishow has also acquired French director Laetitia Dosch’s Dog On Trial, a highly-acclaimed debut feature that premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard; Rooney Mara starrer La Cocina, from Mexico’s Alonso Ruizpalacios, which premiered in Berlin; and Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitano, a Venice 2023 competition title that was nominated in the Best International Feature category of this year’s Oscars.

Starting with Megalopolis, the company is planning to roll these titles out theatrically in...

Masashi Kishimoto, the writer and illustrator of the original Naruto manga, recently expressed regret about not fully exploring one popular yet also polarizing character from the series, speaking up on the topic during an interview at a Naruto event in France.

Kishimoto, along with Boruto co-creator Mikio Ikemoto, were interviewed at a French anime event called "Naruto & Boruto: Night at Konoha." The two-day event was sponsored by Cgr Events and ran from Aug. 23-24, 2024. The first Boruto anime movie was screened, along with various clips showcasing the best moments from the Naruto anime series. Kishimoto and Ikemoto were present, answering questions about their current manga, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, as well as the previous Naruto series. Among some revealing behind-the-scenes information regarding the development of Boruto, Kishimoto was asked if there was a character from the original Naruto series that he wished he had explored further.

Related Naruto's Highly...

Naruto fans based in the U.S. can get ready to celebrate after major streaming service Netflix revealed the release date for three of the franchise's highest-rated films.

Via What's on Netflix, it was recently revealed that three Naruto films will be joining Netflix in July for U.S. fans. Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie (directed by Hayato Date), The Last: Naruto The Movie (directed by Tsuneo Kobayashi) and the franchise's latest film, Boruto: Naruto the Movie (directed by Hiroyuki Yamashita), will all arrive on Netflix on July 7, 2024. Readers can check out the Boruto: Naruto the Movie trailer below, which previously streamed on Crunchyroll for U.S. viewers.

Related Naruto's Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Finally Receives an Official English Release

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex will receive an official English release that continues the adventure of Naruto's son three years after the previous series.

Netflix Scores IMDb's Three...

Heroes face their evil counterparts in various forms, from alternate selves to robotic duplicates, forcing difficult fights and self-reflection. Menma, Sukuna, and Metal Sonic embody the darker sides of Naruto, Yuji Itadori, and Sonic, showcasing jealousy, manipulation, and destruction. From Afro-Droid to Zangetsu to Goku Black, these villains challenge our heroes in battles of agility, speed, and power, revealing their deepest fears and weaknesses.

The best evil versions of popular anime heroes often don't appear very often, especially in modern series, but when they do, they are definitely memorable. The brightest lights cast the deepest shadows: the kinder and nobler a hero is, the worse their villainous selves will be when they rear their heads. It’s rare that a hero isn’t notably disturbed upon meeting them.

There are many ways a hero can come face-to-face with their opposite self – their evil counterpart could be an artificial construct that...

Road To Ninja: Naruto the Movie explores an alternate reality where Naruto is an evil villain named Menma, fueled by hatred and a desire to rule the shinobi world. Menma's hatefulness is mentally energizing and gives him access to power-ups and a stronger bond with the Black Nine-Tails, making him even more powerful than Naruto. Menma's abilities, combined with his disdain for society, make him one of the most dangerous and powerful characters in the Naruto universe.

Despite growing up in considerably onerous circumstances, Naruto Uzumaki maintained one of the most positive and wholesome personalities within his cohort of shinobi. Personality-wise, he was too good to be true. This begs the question: what would Naruto have been like if he'd let all the negativity, pain, and loneliness in his life consume him? Interestingly, this question was explored in an alternate Naruto reality, and the short answer it gave -...

In the alternate world of "Genjutsu World," Sakura realizes the depth of Naruto's pain and understands how special he is as a friend. Naruto and Sakura already share a close bond and have the potential for a romantic relationship based on their shared experiences. In the Genjutsu World, Sakura's perception of Sasuke changes when she realizes he is not interested in her, leading her to appreciate Naruto even more. #Naruto #Sakura

From early on in the story, more than a few Naruto fans hoped that the future Hokage would end up with Sakura Haruno. However, despite teasing a possible relationship between the two on several occasions, the relationship was strictly platonic by the series' end. A large part of their friendly disconnect is due to Sakura's over-the-top infatuation with Sasuke. But if Sakura were to ever decide that chasing after Sasuke just wasn't worth the rejection, is there anyone...

Sakura's limited foundations and lack of relevant backstory prevented her from having a significant impact on the plot like Naruto and Sasuke. The alternate history in Road To Ninja: Naruto the Movie highlighted Sakura's lack of strong narrative connections to her own story, unlike other characters. By giving Sakura a unique backstory, such as her father potentially being a candidate for Fourth Hokage, she could have remained visible and relevant in the story.

Within the Naruto franchise, Sakura Haruno never really lived up to her narrative potential, however, an alternate reality where her dad became the Fourth Hokage proves how she could have had a bigger role. While Sakura started out important, as the series' lore grew in scope, her plot relevancy quickly faded. Road To Ninja: Naruto the Movie, however, shows how an early tweak to her design could have better utilized her potential.

The 2013 Naruto movie provided...

After numerous death and arson threats, a debut anime music event in Shiga, Japan has been abruptly canceled.

Ani x Loca (or AniLoka) Fes in Shiga, a music event designed to "invigorate Japan from the countryside with anime songs," was suddenly called off to ensure the safety of both performers and attendees. Takahiro Yamada, Ani x Loca's composer and organizer, issued a detailed apology statement explaining why the event will no longer be held on Dec 22. In one section, he briefly summarizes one of the threatening messages received by an organization partnered with Ani x Roca. "It was early December. He stabs a student to death at a nearby station. Sprinkles gasoline inside the venue and sets it on fire. Kills all the visitors within the facility..." The message also described a shooting attempt against a specific staff member.

Related Kyoto Animation Arson Prosecutors Seek the Death Penalty Four years...

As one of the most influential shonen anime of all time, the Naruto franchise consistently balances its high-voltage action scenes and heavy drama with lighter, more pleasant fare such as comic relief. However, while the series puts romance on the back burner during its preliminary arcs, it eventually introduces several canonical couples that fans know and love.

The best couples in Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden represent true love, and many of these amorous pairings gave underutilized characters a long-overdue shot at happiness with a special someone. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has provided even more insight into some of these couples, proving that even in a world full of violence and suffering, love conquers all.

Updated on September 17th, 2023 by Louis Kemner: The Naruto fandom takes a keen interest in the love lives of each major Naruto character, and the best Naruto couples really fuel the fans' imaginations. It's...