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Soi Cheang’s Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In swept the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards (Hkfa) scoring nine wins including best film, best director and all the technical categories.

The big-budget action thriller, which recreated the now demolished Kowloon City in 1980s Hong Kong, scooped prizes for best cinematography, editing, art direction, costume and makeup design, action choreography, sound design and visual effects.

The $40m feature received its international premiere at Cannes last year, was the second biggest film at the local box office in 2024 with takings of nearly $14m (Hk$108.44m) and was Hong Kong’s entry to the Oscars.

Soi Cheang’s Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In was the big winner at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, taking nine prizes including best film and best director.

The martial arts action thriller, set in the infamous Kowloon Walled City in 1980s Hong Kong, also scored in the technical categories, winning best editing, best cinematography, best art direction, best costume & make-up design, best sound design, best visual effects and best action choreography. Soi Cheang also won best director at last year’s Hong Kong Film Awards for mystery thriller Mad Fate.

The Last Dance, written and directed by Anselm Chan, also triumphed at this year’s awards, taking five prizes including best screenplay, best actress for Michelle Wai’s performance, best supporting actor for Chu Pak-hong, best original film score and best original film song.

The drama about a Taoist priest and a wedding planner who team up...

This combination of Max, Netflix, and ESPN+ will allow you to stream high-quality sports documentaries for $30 per month.

Watching sports isn’t just about live games. It’s also about delving deeply into the tradition of a team, learning more about their history, and being part of something bigger than the individual. Sports documentaries can help viewers learn so much more about their favorite teams and players than they’d ever learn just by watching live games, and there are some truly excellent sports docs out there. We’ve put together a bundle of streaming services that offers great access to sports documentary titles, and you can grab it for just $30 per month. Read more below!

What’s the best budget streaming bundle for watching sports documentaries?

Max

Netflix

ESPN+

Max

This bundle starts with Max, which has a really intriguing lineup of sports documentaries available. Recent arrivals include “Celtics City...

Four years before Tom Hardy was boasting his lavish, long locks as Heathcliff in ITV's 2009 adaptation of Wuthering Heights, the period drama was showcasing one of its best global theatrical exports as Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice dominated the box office and became one of the 2005's 25 highest-grossing movies internationally. Starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen as the iconic Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, Pride & Prejudice 2005 is perhaps the most famous of the modern adaptations, although, according to a rumor that has swirled for years, it almost looked entirely different.

According to the whispers among Jane Austen and period drama fans, Macfadyen's role as Mr Darcy was almost instead given to Tom Hardy, with the actor's career, although just getting started, already showing the signs of the major leading man that would soon arrive. However, in a recent interview with the Thin Blue Paw Foundation, the man...

Jeff Hardy has long been an iconic figure in the wrestling world. During his time in WWE, he earned a special place in the hearts of the WWE Universe with his fearless style and magnetic presence. Now, in his new chapter with Tna, Hardy has returned with a refreshed look that’s as bold and captivating as ever.

Known for his artistic flair and passion for pushing creative boundaries, Jeff has always embraced unique storylines and expressive personas. Teaming up with Dolph Ziggler in Tna, his latest gimmick continues that tradition. It’s clear that the essence of the charismatic enigma remains unchanged; he’s ready to shake things up in Tna just as he did for years in WWE.

Jeff Hardy adopts a new look with Dolph Ziggler Jeff Hardy in his new and creative persona. (Image Credit: Tna)

In a recent promo on Tna Impact, Jeff Hardy debuted...

Some legends are too large to fit in a single frame. We scribbled it after binge-watching Netflix’s The Last Dance in 2020, our hearts pounding from the adrenaline of Michael Jordan’s fadeaways and the nostalgia of a Bulls era we never lived through.

Netflix’s 10-part opus, directed by Jason Hehir, is a dazzling chronicle of Jordan’s 1997–98 Bulls swan song, but it probably has more holes than a sieve when it comes to the full scoop on His Airness. From Jordan’s iron grip on the narrative via his Jump 23 production company to the sidelined voices of teammates, the series cherry-picks its truths.

To borrow a proverb, “A half-told tale is a shadow dressed as light.” Let’s dive into what got left on the cutting room floor.

Michael Jordan’s grip in The Last Dance: It lacked objectivity Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen in The Last Dance...

Warner Bros.’ “A Minecraft Movie” continued its blockbuster run at the U.K. and Ireland box office over the Easter weekend, adding £5.3 million ($7 million) in its third frame, according to Comscore. The video game-inspired hit has now amassed a towering $60.2 million, securing its place as one of the highest-grossing releases of the year so far.

Also from Warner Bros., “Sinners” made a strong debut in second place with $3.2 million. Lionsgate U.K.’s “The Penguin Lessons” opened in third place with $1.4 million. Walt Disney’s “The Amateur” held onto fourth with $1.2 million, pushing its two-week total to $4 million.

A24’s Iraq combat film “Warfare” opened in fifth place with $997,470. Disney’s “Snow White” followed in sixth place with $624,461, bringing its five-week cumulative total to $14 million.

Universal’s stage-to-screen success “Six The Musical” placed seventh with $543,106, and is now at $6.7 million after three weeks. Falling to eighth, Universal’s thriller “Drop...

Hannah Waddingham has always been one of the finest talents in Hollywood’s entertainment industry, and her iconic portrayal of Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso further justifies her excellence as an actress. Though she has worked with a lot of major talents over the years, like Tom Cruise, her work on the said comedy drama served as an exceptional experience for her.

To say the least, not only did Waddingham give one of the best performances of her entire career in Jason Sudeikis’ Apple TV’s hit show, earning numerous major awards for the same, but she also found herself being blown away by her co-star and the show’s lead over a major insecurity: Her incredible height, which makes her stand out but also had her long struggling in Hollywood.

Hannah Waddingham has long struggled with insecurity over her height Hannah Waddingham. | Credits: Ted Lasso / Apple TV+

Over the years,...

The gold hunt reaches its fever pitch this Friday on Discovery’s “Gold Rush.” In a supersized, 122-minute season finale titled “The Last Dance,” Rick, Parker, and Tony make their final push for fortune before winter’s icy grip shuts down operations. It’s a race against time, the elements, and the ever-present fear of coming up empty. […]

Gold Rush: The Last Dance...

On Friday April 18 2025, Discovery broadcasts Gold Rush!

The Last Dance Season 15 Episode 23 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Gold Rush,” titled “The Last Dance,” promises to be an exciting installment for fans of the series. Set to air on Discovery, this episode features intense moments as the miners push to reach their goals before the season comes to a close.

In Vegas Valley, Rick is on a mission. He digs up his last gold of the season, hoping to make a significant find that will boost his totals. The pressure is on as he races against time, knowing that winter is just around the corner. Every scoop of earth could be the difference between success and disappointment.

Meanwhile, Parker is not backing down either. He opens yet another cut in his quest to hit his season goal. With winter approaching, he knows that every moment counts. The stakes are high as he works tirelessly,...

A national money-generating enterprise filled with energy and ideas that had defied the naysayers.

The arrival of a brash leader who thinks he has all the answers and makes bold and unilateral changes.

A rapid collapse that leaves all the principals in disbelief at how one man ruined everything.

The U.S. economic miracle of the past few years as undermined by Donald Trump? No, the Usfl football miracle of the 1980s as undermined by Donald Trump.

Long before tariffs was a word everyday Americans dropped casually, Trump was bulldozing in with another idea that had experts and insiders who never agree on anything shaking their heads. The story is told in 2009’s Small Potatoes: Who Killed the Usfl?, an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about an upstart league that had been humming along until Trump arrived as owner and thought he knew better. (He didn’t.)

After a few years of...

Tom Hardy’s fans are having a ball with his latest releases, MobLand, and his upcoming Netflix action thriller, Havoc. New projects mean Hardy is out and about doing press interviews, where he also ended up talking about his iconic superhero run with Venom. During these interviews, he hinted that Venom and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man came really close to crossing over. Fans at the time felt that “studio politics” was at play (thanks to the way the question was phrased), but in a new interview, Hardy clarified that the crossover didn’t get “killed” but simply “didn’t happen.”

“I didn’t say that at all,” the Venom star said, further explaining his thought process. “That’s kind of moved on from a very simple quote that I said specifically about my children watching Venom.” He previously stressed that his desire to make the Venom and Spider-Man crossover happen...

Here’s Why We Think Tom Hardy’s Venom Lost It’s Potential! (Photo Credit – Netflix)

Venom: The Last Dance hit theaters as the final chapter in Eddie Brock and his gooey alien ride-or-die. And just like that, the trilogy wrapped with the same messy symbiotic energy it began with – wild swings, awkward tone shifts, and a version of Venom that never quite found its bite.

Across all three films, Sony’s Venom franchise never fully embraced what made Venom, well, Venom. It had the pieces: a gritty anti-hero, decades of comic book lore, and Tom Hardy ready to lose himself in the madness. But the movies played it safe instead of diving into the dark and twisted world of one of Marvel’s most terrifying characters. They leaned more into buddy comedy than brutal chaos.

That missing edge was the root of the problem. In the comics, Venom was born from hate,...

The anticipation builds for the Season 15 Episode 23 of “Gold Rush,” titled “The Last Dance.” This episode promises to be a thrilling conclusion to the season, showcasing the hard work and determination of the miners as they race against time. With winter looming, the stakes have never been higher.

In this episode, Rick is set to dig up his last gold of the season from Vegas Valley. After a long and challenging season, he hopes to make a significant find that could boost his totals. The tension is palpable as he works against the clock, knowing this could be his final chance to strike it rich before the cold weather sets in.

Meanwhile, Parker is not backing down. He opens yet another cut, driven by the desire to hit his season goal. With his eyes on the prize, Parker is determined to make the most of the remaining time. His relentless...

Despite saying goodbye in Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy isn’t shutting the door on his symbiote days just yet. While critics never fully embraced the Venom franchise, audiences worldwide clearly didn’t mind. By the time The Last Dance hit theaters in 2024, the trilogy had grossed nearly $1.8 billion globally. And with numbers like that, you'd expect Marvel and Sony to keep milking the symbiotic saga for all it’s worth.

But following the final installment, Hardy seemed ready to move on from his role as Eddie Brock, even hinting that his dream Spider-Man crossover never came to be. Naturally, fans wondered: would he only return to the role if the web-slinger finally entered the picture? Apparently not. When asked directly by ComicBook if a crossover was the only way back into the black goo, Hardy surprisingly responded:

"No. I love Venom, and I had a great time doing that,...

While the Venom franchise never received much in the way of critical acclaim, the trilogy had grossed around $1.8 billion worldwide by the time Venom: The Last Dance landed in theaters last year.

At the time, Tom Hardy said he was done playing Eddie Brock and, more recently, suggested he'd pushed for a crossover with Spider-Man that never came to fruition. So, is the only way he'll return if Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures finally make that happen?

ComicBook.com asked Hardy that question, and he responded, "No. I love Venom, and I had a great time doing that, so no."

While Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home teased the possibility of a meeting, it doesn't appear to be in the works for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Hardy could make a Multiversal cameo appearance as the Lethal Protector, though it doesn't seem likely.

Several months ago, there were...

If Asia is a galaxy, contemporary Asia is the planet the Far East Film Festival (Feff) of Udine has observed since its first edition in 1999. Now in its 27th year, the festival remains focused on the evolving landscape of Asian cinema. This year’s lineup includes 75 titles from 11 countries: 7 world premieres, 15 international premieres, 20 European premieres, and 19 Italian premieres. The selection spans popular cinema, auteur films, and tributes to the past, offering a deep look at today’s Asia.

Graphic designer Roberto Rosolin captures this perspective in Feff’s official image, reinforcing the festival’s ever-curious gaze.

In 2024, legendary filmmaker Zhang Yimou received the Golden Mulberry for Lifetime Achievement Award at Feff. This year, the honor goes to a queen of Asian cinema: Sylvia Chang—actress, singer, director, screenwriter, producer, and radio DJ. “Icon” may be overused, but few words truly capture her impact. Audiences will be able to celebrate her...

The Far East Film Festival in Italy’s Udine has unveiled the full line-up for its 27th edition, which will honour Taiwanese actress and filmmaker Sylvia Chang with an honorary award.

Chang will receive Feff’s Golden Mulberry for lifetime achievement award in recognition of a career spanning several decades. Daughter’s Daughter, for which she received an honourable mention at Toronto in September, will screen at the festival alongside a restored version of Tsui Hark’s comedy Shanghai Blues from 1984.

The festival will open with Green Wave, a Chinese father-son comedy drama directed by Xu Lei, which won the...

Tom Hardy has revealed that a Venom and Spider-Man movie "got close" to being made.The 47-year-old actor portrayed Eddie Brock/Venom from the 2018 eponymous flick ‘Venom’ until ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ in 2024, and has now revealed his character nearly got to share the screen with Tom Holland’s web-slinger - though studio politics between Marvel and Sony ultimately prevented the blockbuster from happening.Speaking with The Playlist, Hardy said: "We got close. We got as close as I could possibly imagine getting, apart from doing a film together, which I would have loved to have done because that just means so much fun."The ‘MobLand’ star - who has Louis Thomas, 18, with his ex-girlfriend Rachel Speed, and two children with wife Charlotte Riley - emphasised he wanted to do the Venom/Spider-Man crossover to thrill young fans.He said: "Fundamentally, for me, it would be for the kids. "Because,...

The fans want it, the actors involved with both franchises want it, and studio higher-ups at Marvel and Sony have promised that it will happen some day. Even so, after six movies featuring the characters releasing under the Sony Pictures banner over the past few years, we have yet to see Venom and Spider-Man interact on the big screen.

Despite rumors that Tom Hardy and Tom Holland were set to show up in each other's franchises at various points, the closest we've come to any kind of crossover is Eddie Brock getting (briefly) zapped to MCU’s Earth-616 thanks to Doctor Strange’s botched spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

While speaking to The Playlist, Hardy confirmed that there were early plans in place for some kind of Spidey/Venom crossover movie, and it came very close to happening.

“We got close. We got as close as I could possibly imagine getting,...

Finally, Tom Hardy weighs in on the Venom crossover with Spider-Man that never got to be. Venom originated as one of Spider-Man's most famous villains, and despite Marvel Comics' attempts to rebrand the character as an anti-hero and give him his own rich mythology, Venom is forever linked to Spider-Man in fans' minds. Ever since the release of Venom in 2018, fans have been hoping for some crossover between Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock / Venom and Tom Holland's Peter Parker / Spider-Man. Despite a promising tease at the end of Venom: Let There Be Carnage that found Eddie Brock transported into the MCU, the post-credit scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home showed Venom transported back to his universe, with The Last Dance picking up that storyline.

Speaking with The Playlist, Hardy was asked about any plans to have Venom crossover with Spider-Man. Hardy spoke about how the Venom: Let There Be Carnage...

When Tom Hardy announced Sony’s third Venom movie, Venom: The Last Dance, fans’ hopes about seeing the razor-sharp toothed symbiote tangoing with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man became dashed. Could Venom and Spidey cross paths eventually? Maybe. However, Calling your movie “The Last Dance” feels like a nail in a coffin for future opportunities on the silver screen. While speaking with Mike DeAngelo of The Discourse Podcast, Tom Hardy eluded to “studio politics” getting in the way of his Venom crossing over with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.

During an interview about Hardy’s upcoming crime series MobLand, DeAngelo asked if “studio politics” prevented him from shooting webs alongside Holland’s friendly-neighborhood-wall-crawler. DeAngelo told Hardy the question came from his kid, who wanted to see the two Marvel characters clash on the big screen.

“Same problem with my children as well,” Hardy said about his kids’ disappointment that Venom and Spidey...

ESPN, Disney+, and Skydance Sports are collaborating on a multi-part documentary series centered on the Kansas City Chiefs. The project, produced by Words + Pictures (known for Giannis: The Marvelous Journey and involving key figures from The Last Dance), promises an in-depth look at the team’s history and unprecedented access to their 2024 season. Here’s […]

Inside the Chiefs Dynasty: New Docuseries Coming to ESPN & Disney+...

The Kansas City Chiefs are continuing to expand their TV footprint. ESPN, Disney+, and Skydance Sports today are developing a six-episode docuseries, produced by Words + Pictures in association with Skydance Sports, NFL Films, 2Pm Productions, and Foolish Club Studios.

The doc is told through the lens of current-day players, executive leaders and coaches. Filmmakers were given unprecedented access to the players during the 2024 season, which included a franchise-record 15-win regular season and a third-straight trip to the Super Bowl.

The series will also look back at the 65-year history of the team’s franchise, and the ups and downs through the years. It will include extensive photo and video archives and new, intimate interviews.

“No team in sports has been more captivating over the last decade than the Kansas City Chiefs. To get the chance to go behind-the-scenes of the team’s modern-day dynasty with its signature stars, and...

ESPN, Disney+, and Skydance Sports are in development on a docuseries about the Kansas City Chiefs.

Directed by Kristen Lappas and produced by much of the the team behind The Last Dance, the six-parter will look at the history of the storied NFL team. There’s also a focus on the 2024 season which ended with the Philadelphia Eagles easily winning over the Chiefs by a score of 40-22 at Super Bowl Lix.

“ESPN and Disney+ know that sports fans are interested in stories that take them beyond the X’s and O’s, and this series will explore the legacy of the Chiefs franchise while also showcasing the emotional highs and lows of building a championship-winning team,” Burke Magnus, president of content, ESPN, said in a statement on Friday.

The original ESPN docuseries also follows the NFL partnering with David Ellison’s Skydance to launch the sports-focused entertainment venture Skydance Sports.

It’s been a tough few years in the Asian film market since the pandemic, but “3 Body Problem” and “Better Days” director Derek Tsang believes that we can expect growth in Asian co-productions, with grants and regional tie-ups playing a growing role in boosting the sector.

“I can see that many filmmakers are already exploring the possibilities of co-producing films with other regions and their producers. Even our government in Hong Kong is encouraging filmmakers to explore the opportunity by providing schemes that grants co-productions with other countries,” Tsang told Variety in an interview at the recently concluded Hong Kong FilMart.

Tsang began working as an actor in Hong Kong in 2002, and made his directorial debut with “Lover’s Discourse” in 2010. He became the first Hong Kong helmer to earn an Oscar nomination for his 2019 drama “Better Days” – it was nominated for best international feature film at the 93rd Academy Awards,...

Asian Pop-Up Cinema is set to hold its 10th anniversary gala on Saturday, April 5, 2025, with filmmakers, actors, and cinephiles in attendance to celebrate the milestone, emceed by Fox 32’s Joanie Lum at CineCity Studios Chicago (2429 W. 14th St.). The centerpiece of the event features a conversation with the directors of six films in this year’s 19th Asian Pop-Up Cinema festival, representing six different regions throughout Asia. Tickets (starting at $350) available at www.asianpopupcinema.org/2025-Gala.

Behind The Lens: Six Directors, Six Perspectives

Moderated by Asian Pop-Up Cinema founder and executive director Sophia Wong Boccio, “Behind the Lens: Six Directors, Six Perspectives” presents a wide-ranging conversation about the Asian film industry and its role in global cinema. The panel guests include:

Anselm Chan, director of The Last Dance: Extended Version (Hong Kong) Junichi Yasuda, director of A Samurai In Time (Japan) Tom Lin Shu-Yu, director of Yen And AI-lee (Taiwan) Lee Mi-Rang,...

The Vampire Diaries followed Elena Gilbert and the Salvatore brothers. The three took on all matters of supernatural enemies while falling in and out of love with each other. With high-stakes and epic finales, there are some episodes that get overlooked or fly a little under the radar.

The game-changing final episode of season two is one of the highest-rated episodes of the series and one of the best episodes for Damon fans, but an earlier episode in the season has tons of brilliant Damon moments and is a fantastic episode. “The Last Dance” is when audiences first see Klaus in action when he possesses Alaric’s body. He learns that Bonnie is super-charged and confident she can kill Klaus if he shows up.

“The Last Dance” Is Eclipsed by the Intense Season 2 Ending

"The Last Dance" is just as good as the finale, but it doesn't get the same praise,...

Exclusive: While Hong Kong’s film industry has not had the easiest ride since the pandemic, it continues to defy expectations by throwing up locally produced films that have been breaking records at the local box office.

The most recent of these, Emperor Motion Pictures’ The Last Dance, released in November 2024, has become the highest-grossing Hong Kong film of all time – indeed the highest-grossing Chinese-language film ever at the Hong Kong box office – grossing more than $20M (Hk$161M).

The film has also performed strongly on its international release – taking more than $800,000 in the UK, where it’s the third highest grossing Hong Kong film of all time behind Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle and Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love. It has also done well in other territories, including North America, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia, grossing $4M (RM18M) in the latter, a...

International distributors are bringing The Last Dance, Hong Kong’s biggest local film of all time, back to cinemas on April 4 with the release of an extended version.

The 139-minute version of the funeral rites drama, directed by Anselm Chan and starring Michael Hui and Dayo Wong, is scheduled for a day-and-date release in Hong Kong through producer Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp), Malaysia (Lotus Five Star), Singapore (Clover Films), Australia and New Zealand (Magnum Films) and North America (Magnum Films).Taiwan will release the extended version in May through Sky Films.

Emp, which also handles international sales, has closed a...

The world premiere of The Brightest Sun by Japan’s Nakashima Tetsuya will open the 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival (Hkiff), along with Pavane For An Infant by Malaysia’s Chong Keat-Aun.

Johan Haugerud’s Dreams (Sex Love), winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlinale last month, has been set as the closing film.

The full line-up of the festival, which runs from April 10-21, was announced on the first day of Filmart with Hong Kong star Louis Koo, this year’s filmmaker in focus, and Angela Yuen, the new festival ambassador, in attendance.

Nearly 200 films from 69 countries...

The 18th annual Asian Film Awards (Afa) announced the winners and special award recipients at a ceremony held at the West Kowloon Cultural District’s Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong on March 16, 2025. Sixteen competitive prizes and five honorary prizes were given out. The Afa ceremony featured a glamorous Red Carpet and Award Ceremony attracting participants from all over Asia, and was a great success. At this year’s Afa, the Hong Kong actor-director Sammo Hung served as the jury president leading other jury and voting members composed of filmmakers from around the world in selecting the winners. Daishi Matsunaga, along with fellow director Stanley Kwan, served as presenters.

Here are all the awards and nominees of this year’s edition

Best Film

All We Imagine as Light (India, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg)

Black Dog (Mainland China)

Exhuma (South Korea)

Teki Cometh (Japan)

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Hong Kong)

Best...

Despite the challenges currently faced by the Hong Kong film industry, a wave of new filmmakers has emerged in recent years. Backed by government funding and the mentoring of experienced local producers and directors, these talents have seen encouraging box office results at home as well as festival play and some commercial success overseas.

Unlike Hong Kong’s previous generation of filmmakers, which specialized in crime thrillers and martial arts action movies, these younger directors tend to work with much smaller budgets and focus on realistic characters and social issues relevant to their hometown of Hong Kong. Few of these filmmakers are aiming for mainland Chinese audiences, due to the high costs, cultural differences and censorship issues that complicate releasing films in that market.

For nearly two decades now, the Hong Kong Film Development Council (Hkfdc) has provided a range of funding programmes to support local filmmakers, including the Film Production Financing Scheme,...

Payal Kapadia’s Indian co-production “All We Imagine as Light” won best film at the 18th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong, capping a remarkable journey that began with a Grand Prix win at Cannes last year.

Yoshida Daihachi won best director for “Teki Cometh,” while Sean Lau won best actor for “Papa” and Shahana Goswami best actress for “Santosh.” Sandhya Suri won best new director for “Santosh,” capping a strong year for Indian co-productions at the awards, where the country has been a bridesmaid in recent years.

Honors were evenly spread otherwise, with “Exhuma,” “Stranger Eyes” and “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” all collecting a brace of awards each.

Proceedings kicked off with a performance featuring the composer of the film that is the toast of Asia at the moment – “Ne Zha 2,” Chu Wan Pin, alongside Jonathan Wong.

During the awards, Dr. Wilfred Wong, chair of the Asian Film Awards Academy,...

Running during the same week as Hong Kong’s Filmart, the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf) is one of Asia’s longest-running project markets. In its 23rd edition this year, the three-day Haf will feature 25 shortlisted projects in-development from March 17 to 19.

This year’s projects include Yellow, which is produced by top Japanese fillmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda for new director Miyoh Yamaura, as well as Republic of Mahalaxmi Apartment, the debut feature from Niladri Mukherjee, which is produced by Indian director Aditya Vikram Sengupta.

According to Hkiff Industry Director Jacob Wong, Haf received 276 in-development project submissions from 45 countries and regions this year, including Hong Kong, Thailand, Turkey, Kazakhstan and South Korea.

“Geographically, Hong Kong is at the southernmost of East Asian and northernmost of Southeast Asia, and seems like an ideal place to bring together people from both regions,” Wong tells Deadline. “We do all the other things because we...

UK-based, pan-European distributor Trinity CineAsia has acquired theatrical rights from Beijing Enlight Media for record-breaking Chinese animation Ne Zha 2 across 37 territories, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, France and Spain.

The film has grossed more than $2Bn, overtaking Inside Out 2, and ranking sixth among the highest-grossing films worldwide, behind Avatar, Avatar: The Way Of Water, Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Titanic.

A theatrical release in UK and Ireland has been set for March 21 with previews from March 14. Other European releases will follow with theatrical outings expected for France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Benelux and Scandinavian territories. Trinity CineAsia managing director Cedric Behrel told Deadline that he plans to give the film a theatrical release in as many other European territories as possible.

It’s understood that streaming rights for the film are being negotiated separately. Four Hong Kong companies – Intercontinental Film Distributors, Emperor Motion Pictures, Mandarin Films...

Dhoom Dhaam Ott Verdict (Week 3) (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Yami Gautam and Pratik Gandhi are truly creating Dhoom Dhaam in the digital world. Their romantic action comedy, which premiered on Valentine’s Day, February 14, has become the most-viewed Indian film of 2025 on Netflix. It has surpassed the viewership of Allu Arjun’s blockbuster Pushpa 2: The Rule by a huge margin. Scroll below for our exclusive week 3 Ott verdict.

Continues its successful streak among global top 10 non-English films

Dhoom Dhaam has found its spot among the Global top 10 non-English films for the third week on Netflix. It has amassed a viewership of 2.5 million in the week between February 24 and March 2. It was trending among the top 10 in as many as 11 countries across the globe.

However, Yami Gautam and Pratik Gandhi starrer slipped to the 8th spot from the 2nd spot this week. A dip was expected since the Rishab Seth’s...

Maika Monroe raised her profile significantly with what was arguably 2024's most terrifying horror movie "Longlegs." The film from director Osgood Perkins, who's just now delivered the Stephen King adaptation "The Monkey," was a modest sensation when it arrived last summer, propelled in part by a marketing campaign that did everything right to make "Longlegs" a hit. Though the film didn't quite live up to the frankly unreasonable amount of hype this marketing campaign built, it was a big enough hit that it not only made distributor Neon feel like an emerging A24 rival worthy of the label, it introduced wider audiences to both Perkins and Monroe, both of whom had been toiling away for years before "Longlegs" captured the public's attention.

In Monroe's case, the Australian actress gained some notoriety for her role in 2014's "It Follows," one of the best horror movies of the 2000s — even if it...

For whatever reason, Sony became convinced that crafting an entire franchise set in the Spider-Man universe without featuring the webslinger himself was a good idea. In fairness, Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel Studios did create the most successful box office franchise in history by taking lesser-known characters and giving them the A-list character treatment. But the key thing there was that those early Marvel Cinematic Universe films were actually pretty good. At the least, they were solid blockbuster entertainment. Sony, on the other hand, has pumped out a string of truly bewildering films based on the Marvel characters to which it owns the rights.

"Morbius," for example, became nothing short of a joke upon its 2022 release, with Sony then trying to double down on that joke with a theatrical re-release that also flopped. Just in case the studio hadn't already doomed its then lamentably-titled "Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters (Spumc)," Sony delivered,...

Tom Hardy is back in action — literally. The “Venom” star leads Gareth Evans’ highly-anticipated Netflix action-thriller, “Havoc.” Hardy plays Walker, a bruised detective fighting his way through the criminal underworld that is threatening to engulf an entire city.

The film’s official synopsis reads: “In the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong, Walker finds himself with a number of factions on his tail: a vengeful crime syndicate, a crooked politician, as well as his fellow cops. When attempting to rescue the politician’s estranged son, whose involvement in the drug deal starts to unravel a deep web of corruption and conspiracy, he is forced to confront the demons of his past.”

“The Raid” filmmaker Evans writes and directs the film, which co-stars Jessie Mei Li, Justin Cornwell, Quelin Sepulveda, Luis Guzmán, Michelle Waterson, Sunny Pang, Jim Caesar, Xelia Mendes-Jones, Yeo Yann Yann, Timothy Olyphant, and Forest Whitaker. Evans also produces along with Hardy,...

Asian Pop-Up Cinema has announced the full program for its 19th edition, running March 20 – April 13, 2025. The Festival is dedicated to showing works from regions throughout Asia, with films screened at the AMC Newcity 14 (1500 N. Clybourn Ave.), and select presentations at the Chinese American Museum of Chicago and the Shultz Auditorium at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Opening the 19th edition of the film festival on March 20 is Taiwan’s Dead Talents Society, a supernatural comedy with director John Hsu appearing in person alongside star Chen Bo-Lin, who is set to receive the Festival’s Bright Star Award.

The Festival’s Centerpiece presentation is the U.S. premiere of director’s cut of Hong Kong drama The Last Dance on April 4, featuring a career-defining performance from star Michelle Wai, who will receive the Festival’s Extraordinary Actors Award.

The Closing Night on April 13 presents the first, and last, film by Keizo Murase,...

Venom: The Last Dancebrings Eddie Brock's story to a dramatic conclusion, with the 2024 Sony hit now set to be released on streaming. The film depicts a symbiote invasion of Earth orchestrated from the shadows by the villainous Knull, forcing Eddie and Venom to protect their world from the extraterrestrial threat. Meanwhile, a shady government organization also hunts the pair, giving them yet another obstacle in their final adventure.

The Last Dance introduces plenty of new characters, some of whom have a major role in the Marvel Comics universe. The sequel also features several major actors joining the Sony Spider-Man Universe for the first (but perhaps not the last) time. These are the most important characters that fans need to know before they see Venom 3 on Netflix when it hits the streaming service on February 25.

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on February 19, 2025: Venom: The Last Dance was the final entry in Sony's Venom trilogy,...

Not many people can say they’ve been kicked out of a locker room at the Olympics or have made NBA superstar Kevin Durant cry, but director Jake Rogal got an all-access pass to the Paris Summer Olympic Games for Netflix’s basketball documentary “Court of Gold.”

Rogal, who produced the Michael Jordan documentary “The Last Dance,” returned to the basketball court but took a much more international lens for the Olympics action. He traded Jordan for current basketball superstars like LeBron James, Steph Curry and Durant, plus foreign talents including Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama. Across six episodes, “Court of Gold” follows basketball teams from the U.S., France, Serbia and Canada as they chased Olympic glory in Paris last summer. Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground produced the series.

“What Jake did a masterful job of is the diplomacy and the management of so many moving parts,...

Hong Kong Filmart prides itself on the fact that each year it alerts the global entertainment industry to which way the winds of the content business are flowing across Asia.

So expect much attention going into this year’s 29th in-person edition of the event to be on what’s happening online and, specifically, the event’s decision to sharpen its digital platform into what organizers are describing as “a comprehensive IP Catalogue.”

Whereas the primary focus of the online platform across previous editions was on “exhibition planning and operation” — meaning it functioned “like an online booth” — this new format will allow exhibitors “to showcase their projects in detail, creating a more efficient marketplace for IP trading,” according to event organizers, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (Hktdc).

It will also help those heading to Hong Kong to prepare for what’s ahead. While the physical edition of Filmart is...

Thailand’s M Studio is beginning talks with buyers at the EFM for Death Whisperer 3, following-up the biggest local film of all time at the Thai box office.

Nadech Kugimiya continues to lead the cast of the hit horror franchise, also known by its original Thai title Tee Yod. This time, his character sets out on a rescue mission when his youngest sister is kidnapped by a mysterious cult that leads him to a cursed village.

Dated for release on October 8, it is directed by Narit Yuvaboon who steps up from his producer’s role on the first two films.

Anselm Chan’s The Last Dance leads the pack going into the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards (Hkfa) with 18 nominations.

It is followed by Soi Cheang’s Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In with 14 nods and Philip Yung’s Papa with 11 nominations. All three films will face off alongside Adam Wong’s The Way We Talk and Ray Yeung’s All Shall Be Well, in both the best film and best director categories.

The 18 nominations secured by The Last Dance is the highest in Hkfa’s history since Teddy Chen’s Assassins And Bodyguards received the same number in 2010. Chan...

On February 10, 2025 Asian Pop-Up Cinema announced key highlights of its 19th edition, running March 20 – April 13, 2025. The Festival is dedicated to showing works from regions throughout Asia, with films screened in person weekends at AMC Newcity 14 (1500 N. Clybourn Ave.) This year’s program is the first to include a juried competition. The full program for the 19th Asian Pop-Up Cinema film festival will be announced on February 24, 2025; tickets for Opening, Closing, and Centerpiece presentations are on sale now on the official website Here, with full program tickets going on sale February 24.

Opening the 19th season of the groundbreaking film festival on March 20 is Taiwan’s Dead Talents Society, John Hsu‘s supernatural comedy follow-up to his horror blockbuster Detention. A raucous mash-up of Monsters, Inc. and All About Eve, the hilarious satire of influencer culture and horror tropes and moving ode to underachievers won the Audience Award at Fantastic Fest and...

HBO has announced that its original nine-part documentary series Celtics City will debut on Monday, March 3 at 9:00 p.m. Et/Pt on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. New episodes will debut weekly through April 28.

Celtics City was directed by Emmy-winner Lauren Stowell (Taquarius Wair: Unstoppable), executive produced by Bill Simmons and Connor Schell, and co-executive produced and showrun by Gabe Honig (The Captain).

Celtics City chronicles the remarkable saga of the Boston Celtics, the NBA’s winningest and most storied franchise, from its founding as one of the league’s original teams to its triumphant 2024 championship – along the way delving into the fierce rivalries, defining moments, and societal forces that have shaped the organization’s enduring legacy.

Featuring never-before-seen archival footage and over 80 interviews with past and present Boston Celtics legends – from Bob Cousy and Larry Bird to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – the series...

Despite negative reviews, Venom was a hit in 2018. Grossing $856 million at the worldwide box office on a reported $116 million production budget, the movie's success continued when it hit physical media (it's said to have earned $70.7 million in DVD and Blu-ray sales).

Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Venom: The Last Dance weren't quite as successful - earning $501.5 million and $474.5 million, respectively - but Sony Pictures has still made a lot of money from the Lethal Protector.  

Todd McFarlane and David Michelinie co-created the iconic villain who has little in common with Tom Hardy's interpretation of Eddie Brock. Talking to Cbr, McFarlane shared his thoughts on how Venom has been translated to screen and his evolution from bad guy to anti-hero.

"Well, I didn't have, I didn't have any input into any other and again, it doesn't bug me, right? Like I understand what the rules are. So they did their movie.

Get ready for an exciting celebration of Asian cinema! Besides the awards ceremony, the 18th Asian Film Awards presents a series of special programmes, including Asian Cinerama, Masterclasses, and the In Conversation series.

A Palette of Cinematic Delights — Asian Cinerama

The Asian Film Cinerama will present a selection of nominated films and special screenings, with filmmakers and actors participating in post-screening Q&As to share their creative journeys. Last year, screenings were a full house, with prominent filmmakers including Japanese master Hirokazu Koreeda, Sri Lankan director Prasanna Vithanaga, and China’s award-winning actress Jiang Qinqin discussing their filmmaking experiences. This year, top international filmmakers will return, giving audiences the chance to enjoy the best of Asian cinema on the big screen.

Inspiration from the Legend — Masterclass

Film enthusiasts can attend masterclasses hosted by the biggest names in Asian cinema, diving into the art and philosophy of filmmaking. Last year, the...