The Last Dance starring Dayo Wong has become Hong Kong's highest-grossing domestic film of all time. As of early December, The Last Dance has earned HK$122 million, surpassing the record set in 2023 by A Guilty Conscience which starred Dayo Wong as well.

Written and directed by Anselm Chan, The Last Dance stars Dayo Wong as a wedding planner who changes fields to funeral planning. He works alongside Michael Hui as a Taoist priest who performs traditional funeral rituals. The drama, whose main cast also includes Michelle Wai and Chu Pak Hong, explores themes of family, grief and deathcare.

The Last Dance now ranks in Hong Kong's all-time top ten box office. It also holds the record for the biggest Hong Kong film opening in the territory, taking in HK$6 million on its first day of release on November 9, 2024. With The Last Dance, A Guilty Conscience and Table for Six, Dayo Wong headlines three of Hong Kong's top five domestic films of all time.

Text / Sanwei

Korea's first volleyball film One Win is set to release in cinemas on December 4. The sports drama marks acclaibmed actor Song Kang Ho and writer-director Shin Yeon Shick's third project after Cobweb and Uncle Samsik.

Song Kang Ho portrays former star player Kim Woo Jin who gets hired as the head coach of Pink Storm, a women's professional volleyball club on the edge of disbandment. The job contract states that he only needs to win one game. Meanwhile, their new club owner Jung Won (Park Jung Min) trades promising players away for other team's abandoned players. He also promises to give $20 million to a random spectator if Pink Storm wins even once. Jang Yoon Ju (Three Sisters) takes the role of Pink Storm's captain Bang Su Ji, who has been a backup player for 20 years.

Besides the main cast, One Win also co-stars Park Myung Hoon (The Night Owl), Lee Min Ji (Confidential Assignment 2: International), and Na Hyun Woo (Love in the Big City), and Jo Jung Suk (Pilot) makes a special appearance. Korea's volleyball legend Kim Yeon Koung makes her silver-screen debut in the film, alongside retired star players including Lee Sook Ja, Han Yoo Mi, Shin Jin Sik and Kim Se Jin.

Text / Violet

Netflix Japan has announced the live-action film adaptation of the Japanese BL manga 10Dance set in the world of competitive dancing. Takeuchi Ryoma (Love You as the World Ends) and Machida Keita (Cherry Magic) will star in the film directed by Otomo Keishi (Rurouni Kenshin).

Inouesatoh's manga 10Dance, which won the "This BL is Amazing!" Award in 2019, is a story of passion, rivalry, anguish and fighting spirit between two competitive dancers. Ryoma Takeuchi plays Latin dance champion Suzuki Shinya, while Machida Keita plays ballroom dance champion Sugiki Shinya.

Though Suzuki and Sugiki compete in different dance categories, they are often compared to each other because of their similar names. One day Sugiki invites Suzuki to team up for the 10-Dance Competition, which requires dancers to master five types of Latin dance and five types of ballroom dance. Complete opposites in personality, Suzuki and Sugiki clash and compete while gradually growing closer and becoming attracted to each other.

10Dance will be released in 2025.

Text / Sanwei

A year after the success of the Korean drama Moving, Disney+ releases another highly anticipated original series Light Shop from screenwriter Kang Full and actor Kim Hee Won in his directorial debut. Like Moving, Light Shop is adapted from a hit webtoon by the writer. The mystery horror drama revolves around a light shop where life and death meet as a portal between the world of the living and the afterworld.

Ju Ji Hoon (Kingdom) takes the leading role as the owner of the light shop, while Park Bo Young (Daily Dose of Sunshine) plays an ICU nurse who has an unusual connection with her patients. The cast also includes Kim Seol Hyun (The Killer's Shopping List), Bae Seong Woo (The 8 Show), Uhm Tae Goo (Save Me 2), Lee Jung Eun (Daily Dose of Sunshine), Kim Min Ha (Pachinko), Park Hyuk Kwon (Reborn Rich), Kim Dae Myung (Hospital Playlist), Shin Eun Soo (Twinkling Watermelon), Kim Sun Hwa (The Glory) and Kim Ki Hae (Duty After School).

The first four episodes of Light Shop will be released on Disney+ on December 4. Two new episodes will be released every following Wednesday.

Text / Violet

Korean actor Joo Won makes his silver-screen return eight years after Sweet Sixteen in the disaster human drama Firefighters from Friend writer-director Kwak Kyung Taek. Based on the true story of the 2001 Hongje-dong fire tragedy, Firefighters follows a team of firefighters who join forces at the fire scene with one goal – to save and survive. The film's main cast includes Kwak Do Won (Steel Rain 2: Summit), Yoo Jae Myung (Kingmaker) and Lee Yoo Young (Perhaps Love).

Firefighters begins with an emergency call reporting a fire in Hongje-dong. The firefighting team, including new joiner Cheol Woong (Joo Won) and chief Jin Seop (Kwak Do Won), rush to the scene to rescue the victims, who could be someone's family, friends and loved ones.

Firefighters also co-stars Kim Min Jae (Cobweb), Oh Dae Hwan (I, The Executioner), Lee Joon Hyuk (12.12: The Day) and Jang Young Nam (Cobweb). The film will be released in Korean cinemas on December 4.

Text / Violet

GMMTV unveiled its 2025 drama lineup in an event titled "GMMTV 2025 Riding the Wave" on November 26. As part of its annual tradition, the Thai TV production and artist management agency gathered its stars to introduce a bevy of new projects for the coming year.

BL makes up the bulk of the announced 2025 drama lineup, with the exceptions of the psychological romance I Love "A Lot of" You, the fantasy drama WU and two girls love dramas. I Love "A Lot of" You stars Nanon Korapat as a young man tasked to win the love of a woman with five personalities, portrayed by Mind Atitaya. WU reunites High School Frenemy's bromance pairing of Sky Wongravee and Nani Hirunkit for a fateful encounter between an athlete and a fortune teller.

In the GL department, Milk Pansa and Love Pattranite star in the heartwarming Whale Store xoxo about girls coming together to run a neighborhood grocery store. They're also part of the messy relationship drama Girl Rules with View Benyapa, Mim Rattanawadee, Namtan Tipnaree and Film Rachanun.

Meanwhile, the messy BL romance Only Friends, one of the GMMTV's most talked-about hits of 2023, will return with the sequel Only Friends: Dream On. Earth Pirapat, Mix Sahaphap, Joss Way-ar, Gawin Caskey, Ohm Pawat and Leng Thanaphon form the new cast of rotating lovers, with Neo Trai reprising as Boston. Neo, Ohm and Leng are also among the sprawling cast for the anthology MU-TE-LUV which features seven different stories about people turning to supernatural means to change their luck.

18-year-old Mick Metas, the younger brother of Win Metawin, takes his first leading role alongside fellow young actors Luke Peemsan, Chokun Puttipong and Aston Ratiphat in the high school romcom Boys in Love. Also rising to leading couple status are Winny Thanawin and Satang Kittiphop for the youth summer romance That Summer, and Junior Panachai and Mark Jiruntanin for the romcom My Romance Scammer about marriage scams that turn into love. Ohm Thitiwat, who recently joined GMMTV, appears in My Romance Scammer as well in a new pairing with Fluke Jeeratch.

Most of GMMTV's established BL pairings have new dramas coming. First Kanaphan and Khaotung Thanawat are in the magical and fluffy healing romance Cat for Cash, Perth Tanapon and Santa Pongsapak in the romantic comedy Love You Teacher, and Sea Dechchart and Keen Suvijak in the frenemies-to-lovers romance Head 2 Head.

Opposites attract for Tay Tawan and New Thitipoom in the romcom A Dog and A Plane about an uppity flight attendant and a petty paramedic, and for Pond Naravit and Phuwin Tangsakyuen in Me and Thee about a soap-opera-loving mob boss who falls hard for a peace-loving photographer. Expect darker tones and more mature turns for Force Jiratchapong and Book Kasidet in the mysterious crime romance Melody of Secrets, and Joong Archen and Dunk Natachai in the police crime thriller Dare You to Death.

Off Jumpol and Gun Atthaphan reunite with Not Me director Anucha Boonyawatana for Burnout Syndrome, which co-stars Dew Jirawat in his first BL drama appearance. In My Magic Prophecy, Sea Tawinan plays a fortune teller whose ominous visions tie him to a doctor portrayed by real-life doctor Jimmy Jitaraphol. Wandee Goodday's Great Sapol and Inn Sarin pair up for the second time in GMMTV's first period BL drama Memoir of Rati about love that defies class and societal restrictions in early 20th-century Siam.

The final project announced at GMMTV's 2025 presentation is Ticket To Heaven headlined by Gemini Norawait and Fourth Nattawat. Written and directed by Aof Noppharnach Chaiyahwimhon, the coming-of-age romance highlights the struggle between faith and love for two boys at a seminary school in the 1990s.

Text / Sanwei

China's 37th Golden Rooster Awards were held in Xiamen on November 11. Zhang Yimou's blockbuster comedy-drama Article 20 was named Best Film, and its leading actor Lei Jiayin won Best Actor for his role as a municipal prosecutor striving for fairness and justice amid personal and professional struggles.

New-generation actress Teresa Li was crowned Best Actress for her performance in Han Yan's Viva La Vida, which also won Best Screenplay. Chen Kaige won Best Director for the historical war drama The Volunteers: To the War, the first in a planned trilogy of films set during the Korean War.

Best Supporting Actor went to Endless Journey's Lawrence Wang, and Best Supporting Actress to Gone with the Boat's Liu Dan. Endless Journey was also recognized for Best Music.

Han Han's Pegasus 2 received two technical prizes for Best Sound and Best Art Direction. Technical awards were also given to One and Only (Best Cinematography) and No More Bets (Best Editing).

Animated adventure Dragonkeeper was selected as the Best Art Film. Zhang Yudi's The Midsummer's Voice was named the Best Directorial Debut, while Liu Taifeng's Another Day of Hope was the Best Low-Budget Feature. Oppenheimer was the Best Foreign-Language Film.

Text / Sanwei

The 61st Golden Horse Film Awards was held on November 23 in Taipei. Lou Ye's docufiction drama An Unfinished Film, which is about a film crew reuniting in Wuhan to shoot a film as lockdowns begin during the pandemic, took the top prizes of Best Film and Best Director.

New-generation Hong Kong actress Chung Suet Ying was crowned Best Actress for her performance in Adam Wong's The Way We Talk. Geng Jun's LGBTQ+ black comedy Bel Ami snagged three awards including Best Actor for Zhang Zhiyong, Best Cinematography and Best Editing. Shih Ming Shuai from Gatao: Like Father Like Son and Yang Kuei Mei from Yen and Ai-Lee were named Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.

Huang Xi's Daughter's Daughter was recognized for Best Original Screenplay, and Wang Xiaoshuai's Above the Dust for Best Adapted Screenplay. John Hsu's horror comedy Dead Talents Society, which had led with 11 nominations, missed out on the top prizes but won in many technical categories including Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, Best Makeup & Costume Design, Best Action Choreography and Best Original Film Song. Best Original Film Score went to Stranger Eyes.

Chiang Wei Liang and Yin You Qiao won Best New Director for Mongrel, while BIG's Cheng Feifei won Best New Performer. Lau Kek Huat's From Island to Island picked up Best Documentary as well as Best Sound Effects. Best Short Film winners are Wan Kin Fai's Side A: A Summer Day (Live Action), Chan Cheuk Sze and Kathy Wong's Colour Ideology Sampling.mov (Documentary) and Shek Ka Chun's Father Figure (Animated).

Late actress Cheng Pei Pei and cinematographer Lin Wen Chin were honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Li Si Jian, who has six decades' experience in spray painting and set design, was recognized as the Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year.

Text / Sanwei

Akasaka Aka and Yokoyari Mengo's popular manga Oshi no Ko, which has already inspired a hit anime, is being adapted into a Japanese live-action series and feature film as a joint project by Amazon and Toei.

Oshi no Ko reveals the ups, downs and darkness of the entertainment industry through the lives of a pop idol and her two children. Sakurai Kaito (Ao Haru Ride) and former =LOVE member Saito Nagisa play twins Aqua and Ruby, fans who are reincarnated as the children of legendary idol Hoshino Ai, portrayed by former Nogizaka46 member Saito Asuka (My Home Hero). The siblings delve into the complicated and mysterious world of showbiz to find the truth behind their mother's death.

Singer ano plays influencer MEM-cho while Hana Nanoka plays actress Arima Kana. Together with Ruby, they form the girl group B-Komachi. Kayashima Mizuki plays Kurokawa Akane, an actress who has a crush on Aqua. Other cast members include Yoshida Kotaro, Kurashina Kana, Kaneko Nobuaki, Mokudai Kazuto, Inagaki Raizumi, Hamada Mari, Naenano, Totaro, Kuroda Hiromu, Adachi Yumi, Kaname Jun, Kan Hideyoshi, Ishii Anna, Takezai Terunosuke, Aoyagi Sho, Kikuchi Hina, Shida Mirai, Tozuka Junki and Yamashita Koki.

Live-action Oshi no Ko is written by Kitagawa Ayako, and directed by Smith and Matsumoto Kana. The series will premiere on Prime Video on November 28, while the movie sequel will be released in Japan on December 20.

Text / Sanwei

Hear Me: Our Summer, the Korean adaptation of the acclaimed 2009 Taiwan romantic comedy film Hear Me, is set to release in Korean cinemas on November 6. The melodrama previously made its world premiere at the 29th Busan International Film Festival in early October.

New-generation actors Hong Kyung (Troll Factory), Roh Yoon Seo (20th Century Girl) and Kim Min Ju (The Fault is Not Yours) take up the leading roles in Hear Me: Our Summer. Hong Kyung takes the role of Yong Joon who works as a part-time food deliverer and struggles with not having a dream. One day, he makes a delivery to a swimming pool and falls in love at first sight with Yeo Reum (played by Roh Yoon Seo) who is taking care of her younger sister and deaf swimmer Ga Eul (played by Kim Min Ju). Yong Joon approaches Yeo Ram with sign language and they begin to connect as they experience the ups and downs of chasing love and dreams in their 20s.

Hear Me: Our Summer marks A Day writer-director Jo Sun Ho's second feature.

Text / Violet

iQIYI is launching the new global audition program Starlight Boys, also known as Youth With You International, on the iQIYI International platform. The reality show will be hosted by Korean singer-actress Lee Sung Kyung.

Starlight Boys gathers 69 contestants from all over the world to compete for a position in a nine-member boy group. Some contestants have previously debuted or participated in audition programs before, such as Youth With You 3's Duan Xingxing, Produce X 101's Han Gyul, Fantasy Boys' Hong Sung Min, Asia Super Young's Hoang Phan, King Maker V's Kingston Wong, and The Coming One 2's Luo Junwei. The contestants will be guided by a star-studded group of mentors including Lee Seung Gi, Big Bang's Dae Sung, dancer Choi Young Jun, Hanhae, Kwon Eun Bi, Pentagon's Hui, The Boyz's Eric and STAYC's Yoon.

The first episode of Starlight Boys is set to air on October 26.

Text / Violet

The 32nd China TV Golden Eagle Awards were held on October 20. Tencent's sci-fi drama Three Body, based on Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem novel that also inspired a Netflix series, won Best Television Series as well as Best Director for Yang Lei.

Revolutionary historical drama The Forerunner, Wong Kar Wai-produced period series Blossoms Shanghai, 90s-era drama Wild Bloom, blockbuster police crime drama The Knockout, human suspense drama The Long Season, costume romance series A Dream of Splendor, Yunnan-set romance drama Meet Yourself and Daylight Entertainment's grassroots biographical drama Bright Future were named Outstanding Television Series.

Zhao Liying was crowned Best Actress for her performance in Wild Bloom, while Fan Wei garnered Best Actor for The Long Season. Best Supporting Actor and Actress went to Ordinary Greatness's Wang Jingchun and The Knockout's Gao Ye, respectively. Blossoms Shanghai was recognized for Best Screenplay.

Infinity and Beyond 2023 won Best Television Variety Program, and the music program's host He Jiong won the Best Television Host award for the first time. He Jiong was also the host of the Golden Eagle Awards ceremony along with actress Liu Tao.

Veteran actor You Benchang and director Zhang Shaolin were honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Text / Sanwei

Taiwan's 59th Golden Bell Awards were held on October 20 in Taipei. The family drama Living produced by Ruby Lin swept six awards including Best Television Series, Best Directing (Hsu Chao Jen, Lin Chih Ju), Best Actor for Wu Kang Ren, Best Actress for Yang Kuei Mei, Best Supporting Actor for Joe Cheng, and Best Newcomer for Hsieh Chan Jung.

Cheryl Yang, who had been nominated times at the Golden Bell Awards, finally got her first trophy, winning Best Supporting Actress for her role in Oh No! Here Comes Trouble. The fantasy comedy-drama series also won for Best Writing.

In the Mini-Series categories, crime legal drama Port of Lies was the biggest winner with seven awards including Best Mini-Series, Most Popular Drama Program, Best Directing, Best Writing and Best Actor for Christopher Lee. Following last year's win for Shards of Her, Tiffany Ann Hsu claimed her second consecutive Best Actress, this time edging out Imperfect Us co-star Ariel Lin for the prize. Imperfect Us also garnered Best Supporting Actor for Kai Ko, Best Costume Design and Best Original Song ("Finland" by Tanya Chua).

Best Variety Show Host winner Miao Ke Li nabbed another Best Supporting Actress prize for Let's Talk About CHU. The romance series also earned Best Newcomer for Chan Tzu Hsuan.

Late photographer Huang Pak Hsiung and veteran actor Liang Hsiu Shen were honored with this year's Special Contribution Awards.

Text / Garden
Translation / Sanwei

The 2024 Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards took place at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) on October 6. Wong Kar Wai's sensational Chinese drama Blossoms Shanghai was crowned Best Creative, and male lead Hu Ge was recognized as Best Lead Actor. Coupang Play's Korean teen comedy Boyhood was named Best OTT Original at the ceremony.

Taiwan romance drama Imperfect Us walked off with Best Lead Actress (Ariel Lin) and Best Original Song (Tanya Chua, Learn to Live Again) awards, while Mask Girl's Ahn Jae Hong and Yeom Hye Ran swept the Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards. Winners of Best Newcomer were Eye Love You's Chae Jong Hyeop, A Killer Paradox's Kim Yo Han, and Shut Up's Nimura Sawa.

Netflix's Parasyte: The Grey received Best Visual Effects. Rising Star of the Year winners include Hong Kong's Anson Kong (Warriors Within 2), Japan's Ayaka Miyoshi (Globe-Trotter Travel Guidebook) and Korea's Jo Yoon Su (The Tyrant).

Kazakhstan drama 1286 won Best Asian TV Series, while Best Director went to Netflix's Indonesian series Cigarette Girl (Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah). Thai game show 2FACES and Korean cooking reality show Jinny's Kitchen 2 were both presented Best Reality and Variety award. Lovely Runner breakout stars Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon obtained the People's Choice Award. Creative Beyond Border and New Technology awards went to Shaman: Whispers From The Dead and streaming service KOCOWA, respectively.

Text / Violet

The 33rd Buil Film Awards ceremony was held on October 3 in Busan, Korea. Crime actioner Revolver was hailed as Best Film, and it swept the Best Supporting Actress (Lim Ji Yeon) and Best Cinematography (Kang Kuk Hyun) awards. Historical blockbuster 12.12: The Day also won three prizes – Best Director (Kim Sung Su), Best Actor (Jung Woo Sung) and Male Star of the Year (Lee Joon Hyuk).

Jeong-sun's Kim Geum Soon walked away with Best Actress, while Song Joong Ki picked up Best Supporting Actor for Hopeless. Cobweb's Krystal Jung came away with the Best New Actress trophy. The period black comedy also received Best Music award (Mowg).

Supernatural horror blockbuster Exhuma's writer-director Jang Jae Hyun received the Yu Hyun-mok Film Arts Award. Female Star of the Year went to Following's Shin Hye Sun.

A Lonely Island in the Distant Sea collected the Best Screenplay award for Kim Mi Young, while Best New Director and Best New Actor went to Lee Jeong Hong (A Wild Roomer) and Kim Young Sung (Big Sleep), respectively. Winner of the Technical Award was Noryang: Deadly Sea (Jeong Seong Jin, VFX).

Text / Violet

Nominations for the 61st Golden Horse Film Awards have been announced. Taiwan horror comedy Dead Talents Society, the sophomore feature of Detention director John Hsu, leads the race with 11 nominations. Geng Jun's B&W queer drama Bel Ami and Tom Lin's B&W mother-daughter drama Yen and Ai-Lee follow with eight nominations each.

John Hsu's Dead Talents Society, Geng Jun's Bel Ami, Ray Yeung's Teddy Award winner All Shall Be Well, Yeo Siew Hua's mystery thriller Stranger Eyes and Lou Ye's docufiction drama An Unfinished Film are all in the running for both Best Film and Best Director. Dead Talents Society, Stranger Eyes and Bel Ami also received nods for Best Original Screenplay along with Yen and Ai-Lee and Huang Xi's Daughter's Daughter. Three films are shortlisted for Best Adapted Screenplay: Chiang Jui Chih and Yao Hung I's Gatao: Like Father Like Son, Wang Xiaoshuai's Like the Dust and Fujii Michihito's Taiwan-Japan co-production 18×2 Beyond Youthful Days.

Bel Ami's Zhang Zhiyong, The Way We Talk's Yau Hawk Sau, A Journey in Spring's King Jieh Wen, The Embers' Chang Chen and Mongrel's Wanlop Rungkumjad are nominated for Best Actor, while All Shall Be Well's Patra Au, Yen and Ai-Lee's Kimi Hsia, The Way We Talk's Chung Suet Ying, Daughter's Daughter's Sylvia Chang and Love Lies' Sandra Ng are nominated for Best Actress. Best Supporting Actor nominations go to Lee Kang Sheng (Stranger Eyes), Mo Tzu Yi (The Embers), Zeng Guo Cheng (Yen and Ai-Lee), Daniel Hong (Mongrel) and Shih Ming Shuai (Gatao: Like Father Like Son). Best Supporting Actress nominations go to Sandrine Pinna (Dead Talents Society), Pets Tseng (BIG), Yang Kuei Mei (Yen and Ai-Lee), Lu Yi Ching (Mongrel) and Eugenie Liu (Daughter's Daughter).

Yu Aier (Some Rain Must Fall), Feifei Cheng (BIG), Tang Yung Hsu (Salli), Lin Cheng Hsun (Intimate Encounter) and Alisia Liang (The Chronicles of Libidoists) will compete for Best New Performer. Best New Director nods go to Qiu Yang for Some Rain Must Fall, Peng Tzu Hui and Wang Ping Wen for A Journey in Spring, Ye Xingyu for Three Castrated Goats, Chaing Wei Liang and Yin You Qiao for Mongrel, and Ho Miu Ki for Love Lies.

As previously announced, late actress Cheng Pei Pei and cinematographer Lin Wen Chin will be the recipients of this year's Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 61st Golden Horse Film Awards will be held in Taiwan on November 23. Visit the Golden Horse Film Awards official website for full list of nominations.

Text / Sanwei

Thai actors Billkin Putthipong Assaratanakul and PP Krit Amnuaydechkorn, who are commonly referred to together as BKPP, will star in Thailand's remake of the 2022 Taiwan blockbuster Marry My Dead Body. Titled The Red Envelope, the supernatural mystery comedy-drama is a collaboration between the artists' companies and film studio GDH 559, the maker of hits like Bad Genius, Friend Zone and the recent How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies starring Billkin.

GDH's "Project Red" partnership with Billkin Entertainment and PP Krit Entertainment was announced earlier this year, and The Red Envelope is the first title of the project. It is also Billkin and PP Krit's first onscreen work together since 2021's I Promise You the Moon, the sequel to their breakout series I Told Sunset About You.

A hit in Taiwan and beyond, the original film Marry My Dead Body starred Greg Hsu as a homophobic police officer who picks up a red envelope and ends up in a "ghost marriage" with the spirit of a young gay man played by Austin Lin. Billkin will portray Greg Hsu's character in The Red Envelope while PP Krit will be in Austin Lin's role.

In the film announcement posted on GDH 559's official Instagram account, the studio says that the story would be reinterpreted in a fun and different way for the Thai version. The Red Envelope is produced by horrormeister Banjong Pisanthanakun (The Medium) and directed by Chayanop Boonprakob (Friend Zone).

The Red Envelope will be released in Thailand in early 2025.

Text / Sanwei

Following the horror blockbuster Exhuma, Kim Go Eun swiftly makes her silver-screen return in the Korean romantic comedy Love in the Big City alongside Noh Sang Hyun (Love My Scent). Love in the Big City previously premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in mid-September.

Based on the same-titled novel by Park Sang Young, Love in the Big City stars Kim Go Eun as Jae Hee, a free-spirited soul who attracts attention with her bold style and attitude. While he's not interested in her, Heung Soo (Noh Sang Hyun) is caught by Jae Hee for a secret he never wants to be revealed. Though they're not each other's type, the two connect in ways that others don't understand. They start living together in harmony as roommates.

Love in the Big City is scheduled to be released in Korean cinemas on October 2.

Text / Violet

tvN's acclaimed mystery suspense thriller series Stranger returns with its spin-off, Dongjae, the Good or the Bastard, four years after the second season. Created by Stranger's screenwriter Lee Soo Yeon, Dongjae, the Good or the Bastard is led by Lee Joon Hyuk reprising his role of prosecutor Seo Dong Jae. Park Sung Woong (The Killing Vote) co-stars as a new character.

Dongjae, the Good or the Bastard unravels a new story from the perspective of morally gray prosecutor Seo Dong Jae. Due to the stigma of his sponsor scandal in the past, Dong Jae expects to have a dark future at the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office. He takes charge of a murder case of a high school girl. During the investigation, he discovers the corruption of Lee Hong Construction and CEO Nam Wan Sung (played by Park Sung Woong).

Before its official release on TVING, Dongjae, the Good or the Bastard is set to make its world premiere at the 29th Busan International Film Festival in early October.

Text / Violet

Nagano Mei and Satoh Takeru are working blood cells in the upcoming Japanese live-action film based on the manga series Cells at Work! by Shimizu Akana and the spin-off manga Cells at Work! Code Black by Harada Shigemitsu and Hatsuyoshiya Issei. Cells at Work! anthropomorphizes the inner happenings of the human body by following blood cells hard at work day and night to protect human health. The manga was previously adapted into an anime series and stage plays.

The live-action Cells at Work! film depicts "the biggest battle in the history of the body." Nagano Mei plays the protagonist, a clumsy Red Blood Cell who is getting the hang of the job, while Satoh Takeru co-stars as a White Blood Cell who fights off pathogens. Ashida Mana plays a healthy high school girl, and Abe Sadao plays her unhealthy father who has irregular lifestyle habits.

The cast of cells and bacteria includes Yamamoto Koji as Killer T Cell, Naka Riisa as NK Cell, Matsumoto Wakana as Macrophage, Maika Pugh as Platelet, Kataoka Ainosuke as the pneumonia-causing Pneumococcus, and Niira Shinya as Streptococcus Pyogenes. Sometani Shota, Fukada Kyoko, Itagaki Rihito, Kato Ryo, Kato Seishiro, Ozawa Maju and SEKAI NO OWARI's Fukase also appear in the film.

Cells at Work! is directed by Takeuchi Hideki (Fly Me to the Saitama) and features action direction by Ouchi Takahito (Rurouni Kenshin series). CG and VFX are handled by Shirogumi, the studio behind Godzilla Minus One. Official Hige DANdism writes and sings the film’s theme song 50%.

Cells at Work! will be released in Japan on December 13, 2024.

Text / Sanwei