‘LOST’ IS FOUND

Specialty distributor, Trinity CineAsia is releasing China’s summer blockbuster “Lost in the Stars” in the U.K and Ireland on some 30 screens from Friday.

“I was fortunate to watch the film when it opened in China and once I saw it I just knew we had to have it,” said Cedric Behrel of Trinity CineAsia. “‘Lost In The Stars’ is a very clever, uncanny thrill of a ride that harks back to classic Hitchcock and any noteworthy thriller since – the master himself had in fact once optioned the rights to the same story. We organized the fastest turnaround premiere known to man and we’ve been delighted by the reactions to the early previews. It epitomizes the best of what new Chinese cinema can bring to audiences.”

The film – a suspense drama about a man who believes that his wife is an imposter – has been the breakout hit of China’s summer season. It is written and produced by Chen Sicheng, the force behind the “Detective Chinatown” and the “Sheep Without a Shepherd” franchises, has grossed $482 million in mainland China. CMC Pictures has seen it score $1.05 million in North America.

LECTURE

Acclaimed writer, comedian and author Meera Syal will be the Alternative MacTaggart speaker at the 2023 Edinburgh TV Festival (Aug. 22-25). The recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship at this year’s BAFTA Television Awards, Syal’s credits include “Goodness Gracious Me,” “The Kumars at Number 42, “The Split,” “Anita and Me,” “Yesterday” and “Paddington 2.” Syal will speak to festival executive chair, Fatima Salaria, in a session produced by Nisha Parti, about her experiences throughout a multifaceted career, the highs and the lows of being a trailblazing British Asian woman in the film and TV industry and reflecting on the importance of representation and giving voice to unheard stories.

DEVILISH DEALS

Seoul-based film sales agency Finecut has struck multiple deals for “Devils,” a body switch action thriller involving a notorious psychopathic killer and a detective. It stars Jang Dong-yoon (“Project Wolf Hunting”) and Oh Dae-hwan (TV’s “The Red Sleeve).

The film was launched at the Cannes Market and has been licensed to Kadokawa Kplus for Japan, Moviecloud for Taiwan, Mockingbird Pictures for Vietnam, Silver Box for CIS and Viva Networks for Philippines. Finecut expects to complete a North American distribution deal shortly.

Produced by Contents G and The Contents On, the film will have its international premiere at as part of the ‘New Flesh’ competition at the Fantasia Film Festival in Canada.

SPOOKED UP MARRIAGE

Netflix has picked up rights to smash hit Taiwanese horror-comedy “Marry My Dead Body.” Directed by Chen Wei-hao the film tells the story of Wu Ming-Han (portrayed by Hsu Kuang Han), a straight policeman who is homophobic and afraid of ghosts. While collecting evidence for a case, he accidentally picks up a red envelope and is forced to a ‘ghost marriage” with Mao Pang-Yu (Austin Lin), who died under mysterious circumstances. The duo must work through their differences and join forces to solve the case and ,in seeking justice for Mao, embark on a ludicrous and tear-inducing journey together.

“Marry My Dead Body” has taken Taiwan by storm, earning box office revenue of $11.5 million (NTD 360 million). Netflix will upload it on Aug. 10.

FAN FAVOR

Weverse, the fandom app developed at Korea’s HYBE Corp. and which launched in 2019 and played a part in propelling K-pop giants BTS to their elevated status, has passed 100 million downloads. It also claims 9.8 million monthly active users. Now describing itself as a ‘super-app’, Weverse offers a diverse range of features, including merchandize, original content, and direct fan-to-fan and fan-to-artist interactions. Since July last year it has included a global live streaming service. that allows fans to connect with their beloved artists in real-time. Weverse’s concert streaming service accumulated nearly 1.3 billion views and has brought fans around the world together to experience the excitement of a live performance virtually. Performers supported include BTS, Blackpink, Jeremy Zucker, New Hope Club, Hirate Yurina, AKB48 and Imase.

BRAND AMBASSADOR

Bollywood star and youth icon Tiger Shroff has signed up as anime outfit Crunchyroll‘s Indian brand ambassador. “This strategic alliance marks a significant milestone for the brand, aimed at establishing a deeper and authentic connection with the young and engaged anime community in the country,” Crunchyroll said.

PROMOTION

Fremantle has promoted Milan-based branded entertainment director Roberta Zamboni to global head of branded content sponsorship, reporting into Andrea Scrosati, global COO and CEO continental Europe. In her new role, Zamboni will be responsible for introducing new business models and streamlining the way Fremantle strategically approaches bringing value at scale to branded entertainment. She will be supported by Katie Deeley, VP global branded content sponsorship.

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