https://www.scmp.com/rss/325325/feed Views, news, and reviews of films, from the latest releases to classic oldies. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak After more than four decades of working with world-renowned European auteurs, from Krzysztof Kieślowski and Michael Haneke to Olivier Assayas and Claire Denis, French actress Juliette Binoche has simple advice for creating great art that moves people: be very human and trust one’s intuition. “The purpose of films is to transform the audience so they become richer at the end of watching a film. It is nourishing their soul and putting questions in their lives,” she says in an interview at the 50th... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349876/why-french-film-icon-juliette-binoche-isnt-worried-about-ai-replacing-human-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349876/why-french-film-icon-juliette-binoche-isnt-worried-about-ai-replacing-human-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Kung fu and action comedies dominated Hong Kong’s comedy genre in the late 1970s and 80s, but the city’s film industry was also still making mainstream comedies at the time – and audiences loved them. We take a deep dive into three crowd favourites. Itchy Fingers (1979) Hugely popular upon its release, this odd-couple comedy might feel a bit tame for modern viewers. But director Leong Po-chih, a notable member of the Hong Kong New Wave, was a consummate craftsman. He delivers a well-paced romp... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349459/3-hong-kong-comedy-classics-1970s-and-80s-became-local-favourites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349459/3-hong-kong-comedy-classics-1970s-and-80s-became-local-favourites?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Byeon Woo-seok’s star has been on a sharp rise over the past few years. After sitting out last year’s drama release schedules, he returns this weekend in what is arguably his most hotly anticipated role to date: Grand Prince Ian in the alternate-history fantasy romance Perfect Crown opposite K-pop idol IU (aka Lee Ji-eun). Born in Bucheon, a satellite city southwest of Seoul, in 1991, Byeon spent his early childhood there before relocating to the capital. Influenced by his older sister, he... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3349509/who-byeon-woo-seok-model-turned-actor-starring-opposite-iu-perfect-crown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3349509/who-byeon-woo-seok-model-turned-actor-starring-opposite-iu-perfect-crown?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam This is the 74th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. When a young Joey Yung Cho-yee was dropped by her first record label for her supposedly ordinary looks, few would have bet she would one day stand atop Cantopop as one of its most decorated performers. Yet nearly three decades later, the 45-year-old Hong Kong singer has outlasted her critics and claimed, among other accolades, a dozen most popular female singer trophies from TVB’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349329/not-pretty-enough-joey-yung-became-one-hong-kongs-biggest-cantopop-idols-anyway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349329/not-pretty-enough-joey-yung-became-one-hong-kongs-biggest-cantopop-idols-anyway?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3.5/5 stars After winning the Cristal for a Feature Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, French filmmaker Ugo Bienvenu’s directorial debut Arco went on to be nominated at every major awards ceremony this past season, only to be eclipsed by Netflix’s cultural juggernaut, KPop Demon Hunters. While the latter’s success is undeniable, Arco is more than worthy of recognition, emerging as a charming and delicately handled sci-fi fable with a powerful ecological message. In the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349216/arco-movie-review-annecy-cristal-winner-peter-pan-esque-sci-fi-tale-our-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349216/arco-movie-review-annecy-cristal-winner-peter-pan-esque-sci-fi-tale-our-times?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:15:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3.5/5 stars Shifting gears between careers as a writer, entrepreneur, rally driver and filmmaker, post-80s poster boy Han Han adds another accolade to his cluttered trophy cabinet, scoring the biggest hit of 2026 so far with the motor-racing sequel Pegasus 3. Having clocked up more than 4.3 billion yuan (US$625 million) at China’s box office since its Chinese New Year release, the blockbuster sequel finally brings the continuing exploits of former champion Zhang Chi (Shen Teng) roaring into Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349140/pegasus-3-movie-review-shen-teng-roars-back-han-hans-blockbuster-racing-sequel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3349140/pegasus-3-movie-review-shen-teng-roars-back-han-hans-blockbuster-racing-sequel?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee For an actress often hailed by the Taiwanese press as the “box office guarantee” of her generation, Gingle Wang Ching began her career with a startling lack of vocabulary: she had no idea what the word “action” meant on a film set. Her very first scene in her debut feature, 2017’s All Because of Love, required her to walk down a school corridor, open a classroom door and step inside. What should have taken minutes instead took 33 takes. “I didn’t understand anything at all,” Wang, 28, tells the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348889/how-gingle-wang-went-clueless-novice-one-taiwans-top-young-actresses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348889/how-gingle-wang-went-clueless-novice-one-taiwans-top-young-actresses?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Celebrated novelist Eileen Chang Ai-ling was not only a film fan, but she also worked as a film critic and wrote movie scripts. Chang’s own novellas were often considered difficult to adapt for the screen. “Her stories are beautiful because of their language and details, not their plots,” critic Paul Fonoroff wrote in the South China Morning Post. Nevertheless, the great Hong Kong director Ann Hui On-wah has tried three times, with Love in a Fallen City (1984), Eighteen Springs (1997) and Love... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348750/how-did-ann-hui-bring-eileen-changs-love-fallen-city-and-eighteen-springs-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348750/how-did-ann-hui-bring-eileen-changs-love-fallen-city-and-eighteen-springs-life?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A student who featured in a controversial Hong Kong documentary has said she did not give her consent to it being shown at an Italian film festival, reiterating her objection to it being screened publicly. Ah Ling, one of six students who featured in the coming-of-age documentary To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self, said she was only notified by Ying Wa Girls’ School on Friday that the film would be screened at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, this month. The school also did not address her... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349052/student-controversial-hong-kong-documentary-hits-out-planned-italian-screening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349052/student-controversial-hong-kong-documentary-hits-out-planned-italian-screening?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:57:43 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar Ryan Gosling’s highly anticipated science-fiction epic Project Hail Mary, based on Andy Weir’s novel of the same name, is a blockbuster hit. According to box-office revenue tracker Box Office Mojo, the film, which had a budget of US$200 million, opened to US$80.5 million domestically and has since grossed an impressive US$330 million worldwide. Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a science teacher tasked with saving the planet after he wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of how he got there. On his... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3348786/meet-james-ortiz-voice-rocky-alien-ryan-gosling-starrer-project-hail-mary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3348786/meet-james-ortiz-voice-rocky-alien-ryan-gosling-starrer-project-hail-mary?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Later this month, Indonesian cinema-goers will finally get to see what audiences in Berlin saw in February: Jokor Anwar’s Ghost in the Cell. The horror-comedy, which had its world premiere at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival, has been celebrated by influential trade magazine Variety for rising above mere “escapist entertainment” to channel societal anxieties about corruption and environmental destruction. Yet it is only the latest example of Southeast Asia’s creative moment... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348980/southeast-asia-seeks-soft-power-outlast-us300-billion-buzz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3348980/southeast-asia-seeks-soft-power-outlast-us300-billion-buzz?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Matt Glasby Matt Glasby This is the latest instalment in our From the Vault feature series, in which we reflect on culturally significant movies celebrating notable anniversaries. Released 25 years ago this month, the 2001 film Bridget Jones’s Diary was a huge success, earning its star, Renée Zellweger, an Oscar nomination and spawning three sequels that helped the franchise gross nearly US$900 million worldwide. A London-set romcom about one woman’s search for a “nice, sensible man”, it cleverly repackaged certain... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348077/why-bridget-joness-diary-feels-so-dated-25-years-after-beloved-romcoms-release?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348077/why-bridget-joness-diary-feels-so-dated-25-years-after-beloved-romcoms-release?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh One of the highlights of this year’s Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is a collection of five animated short films from Taiwanese director Joe Hsieh Wen-ming. Awash with vivid imagery of an often erotic and violent nature, Hsieh’s work also channels a palpable sense of compassion, not least in its depictions of mother-child relationships. His latest film, Praying Mantis (2025), marks the animator’s second collaboration with celebrated Hong Kong art-house auteur Yonfan, following the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348633/why-fierce-mothers-and-violent-monsters-star-joe-hsiehs-animated-films?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348633/why-fierce-mothers-and-violent-monsters-star-joe-hsiehs-animated-films?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 2.5/5 stars A bus blast on Valentine’s Day in 1998 that killed 16 and injured dozens in Wuhan, in China’s Hubei province, provides the blueprint for We’re Nothing at All, a trenchant drama that marks a rare rekindling of Herman Yau Lai-to’s passion for socially conscious storytelling after the veteran Hong Kong filmmaker’s mostly bombastic action blockbusters over the past decade. Anchored by visceral performances from a pair of singer-actors, who play the misanthropic gay couple at the heart of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348613/were-nothing-all-movie-review-herman-yaus-grim-social-critique-too-heavy-handed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348613/were-nothing-all-movie-review-herman-yaus-grim-social-critique-too-heavy-handed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram 2/5 stars It will come as a surprise to absolutely no one that Nintendo’s crown jewels, those lovable plumbers Mario and Luigi, are back. The Super Mario Bros Movie was a staggering hit in 2023, grossing US$1.36 billion and showing just how beloved these video game icons really are. Now comes the inevitable sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Loosely inspired by the 2007 video game Super Mario Galaxy and its 2010 follow-up, the film takes us back to the hallucinogenic Mushroom Kingdom and its... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348483/super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-nintendo-sequel-looks-great-lacks-laughs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348483/super-mario-galaxy-movie-review-nintendo-sequel-looks-great-lacks-laughs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:00:09 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3.5/5 stars The Russian city of Vladivostok provides the setting for Humint, the latest globe-trotting thriller from South Korean action specialist Ryoo Seung-wan. Set in the high-stakes world of international espionage, the film features Zo In-sung (Escape from Mogadishu) and Park Jeong-min (Uprising) as agents from South and North Korea, respectively, who attempt to foil a human trafficking ring. After opening in South Korean cinemas during the Lunar New Year holiday, Humint launches globally... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3348472/netflix-movie-review-humint-dynamic-korean-spy-thriller-ryoo-seung-wan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3348472/netflix-movie-review-humint-dynamic-korean-spy-thriller-ryoo-seung-wan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Anthony Wong Chau-sang is generally known as a character actor who specialises in crazed and outlandish roles. However, long before the Hong Kong cinema veteran became associated with these extreme stereotypes, he spent the early 1990s proving his expansive acting range, as showcased in these three films. 1. Full Contact (1992) Wong plays second fiddle to Chow Yun-fat in Ringo Lam Ling-tung’s hyperviolent actioner, but it is a meaty supporting role that links Chow to his would-be nemesis, played... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347937/3-anthony-wong-films-early-1990s-show-hong-kong-actors-wide-range?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347937/3-anthony-wong-films-early-1990s-show-hong-kong-actors-wide-range?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 03:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 73rd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. In the golden age of Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing was a star so bright that he rewrote the rules of conservative Asian society. Affectionately nicknamed Gor Gor – Cantonese for “older brother” – the Cantopop legend’s talent spanned disciplines and extended far beyond the city’s borders. Even now, decades after his death in 2003, fans from around the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348009/how-leslie-cheung-broke-all-rules-become-hong-kongs-greatest-modern-superstar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3348009/how-leslie-cheung-broke-all-rules-become-hong-kongs-greatest-modern-superstar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:15:13 +0000 Aaina Bhargava Aaina Bhargava Art Basel Hong Kong remains the leading fair and art event in Asia when it comes to discovering prominent, established and upcoming artists, particularly those who are from Asia or its diaspora. With the new sector, Echoes, featuring curated presentations by three artists or collectives as well as the Asia debut of Zero 10 dedicated to digital art, here is our selection of artists to look out for at the forthcoming fair. Aya Shalkar and Uuriintuya Dagvasambuu Art from Central Asia has been... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3347695/art-basel-hong-kong-previews-open-today-here-are-9-artists-look-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3347695/art-basel-hong-kong-previews-open-today-here-are-9-artists-look-out?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:00:16 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram 3.5/5 stars In a strange quirk of scheduling, They Will Kill You opens in the same week as Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. Both are films about estranged sisters reunited and fighting for their lives as they are hunted by a group of murderous perpetrators looking to make a satanic sacrifice. Without a doubt, They Will Kill You is bloodier and funnier, easily leaving its rival in the dust. Zazie Beetz stars as Asia Reaves, an ex-con with a bleak past. After shooting her abusive father dead and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347659/they-will-kill-you-movie-review-zazie-beetz-leads-delicious-slice-midnight-madness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347659/they-will-kill-you-movie-review-zazie-beetz-leads-delicious-slice-midnight-madness?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:00:09 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Since the pandemic, the once-mighty South Korean film industry has struggled to return to its former glory. The year 2025 proved particularly trying, as it failed to produce a large-scale breakout capable of reminding audiences what they were missing. That dry spell finally came to a decisive end over the past few weeks, thanks to the staggering success of the Lunar New Year holiday title The King’s Warden, a broadly appealing period drama that continues to defy expectations on its... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3347651/10-most-watched-korean-films-ever-kings-warden-draws-nearly-15-million-film-goers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3347651/10-most-watched-korean-films-ever-kings-warden-draws-nearly-15-million-film-goers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram 2/5 stars Ready or Not injected some freshness into the horror genre back in 2019. Samara Weaving was terrific as Grace, the sacrificial spouse who survives a deadly game of hide-and-seek with her Satan-worshipping in-laws. Unfortunately, the sequel feels stale by comparison. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a follow-up devoid of original ideas and too reliant on bone-crunching violence. Picking up directly after the events of the original, with dead bodies aplenty, the story finds Grace in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347529/ready-or-not-2-here-i-come-movie-review-elijah-wood-joins-samara-weaving-gory-sequel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347529/ready-or-not-2-here-i-come-movie-review-elijah-wood-joins-samara-weaving-gory-sequel?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis The late Hong Kong action maestro Benny Chan Muk-sing made his name with the hit triad love story A Moment of Romance (1990) and the acclaimed police thriller Big Bullet (1996), before going on to direct popular action extravaganzas such as 2013’s The White Storm. Bridging these two eras are two pivotal films from the early 2000s that demonstrate Chan’s unique flair for action – Heroic Duo and Invisible Target. Heroic Duo (2003) Shot before 2002’s mega-hit Infernal Affairs fully rejuvenated the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347240/how-two-benny-chans-2000s-films-bridged-old-school-stunts-and-modern-hong-kong-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347240/how-two-benny-chans-2000s-films-bridged-old-school-stunts-and-modern-hong-kong-action?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:15:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Chuck Norris, the US martial artist and Hollywood action star most famous for his role in Walker, Texas Ranger, has died, his family said on Friday. He was 86. The martial arts expert turned actor starred in a slew of action films since his acting debut with a cameo in a 1968 Dean Martin film The Wrecking Crew. Four years later, his epic fight with the kung fu superstar Bruce Lee in The Way of The Dragon helped turn Norris into an icon on big and small screens alike. “It is with heavy hearts... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347388/action-movie-star-chuck-norris-dies-86?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347388/action-movie-star-chuck-norris-dies-86?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:09:00 +0000 Matt Glasby Matt Glasby This is the latest instalment in a feature series reflecting on instances of East meets West in world cinema, including China-US co-productions. In the early 2000s, long before China began opening up to the commercial possibilities of Western cinema, the idea of filming a potential blockbuster in the country seemed nothing short of revolutionary. Previous efforts were either prestige pictures, such as 1987’s The Last Emperor or tiny indies like A Great Wall (1986). But anyone who could mount an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346728/how-doa-dead-or-alive-tried-create-new-kind-blockbuster-amid-chaotic-china-shoot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346728/how-doa-dead-or-alive-tried-create-new-kind-blockbuster-amid-chaotic-china-shoot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung After the dust settles following the March madness of Art Basel, Art Central and the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) is due to celebrate its semi-centennial this April – a milestone that serves as a retrospective of the city’s storied cinematic output. Despite arriving at a difficult time for the local film industry, amid a slew of cinema closures, the 50th edition, which runs from April 1 to 12, strikes a hopeful note with a strong showing of the... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3347107/see-chen-kaige-and-juliette-binoche-hong-kong-international-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3347107/see-chen-kaige-and-juliette-binoche-hong-kong-international-film-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 4/5 stars Life rarely turns out the way one may have hoped – that is the core idea behind Ciao UFO. The engrossing drama takes a sci-fi-tinged urban legend as its launch pad for a nostalgic trip through instantly recognisable scenes from recent Hong Kong history, as experienced by three former childhood friends who find their dreams slipping away as adults. Having premiered at the 2019 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, this delicate tale of longing and regret by director Patrick Leung Pak-kin... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347002/ciao-ufo-movie-review-charlene-choi-leads-nostalgic-trip-through-recent-hong-kong-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3347002/ciao-ufo-movie-review-charlene-choi-leads-nostalgic-trip-through-recent-hong-kong-history?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:20:31 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh The Hong Kong International Film Festival returns in April, celebrating its 50th edition with a mouth-watering retrospective of classics from the last half-century of Chinese-language cinema. New and old works alike from masters of the art form, including Zhang Yimou, Tsai Ming-liang and Hou Hsiao-hsien, will play alongside a typically eclectic selection of some of the finest recent offerings from around the world. Acclaimed Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen’s latest work, We Are All Strangers,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346869/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2026-highlights-12-must-see-movies-and-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346869/hong-kong-international-film-festival-2026-highlights-12-must-see-movies-and-programmes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Sean Penn, who won a best supporting actor Oscar for One Battle After Another on Sunday, was in Ukraine on Monday where he met President Volodymyr Zelensky in a show of support for the war-torn country. An Agence France-Presse reporter saw the Mystic River star getting out of a black car in central Kyiv earlier on Monday, wearing sunglasses and carrying a box of cigarettes. Penn, a vocal advocate for Ukraine who has visited the country several times, on Sunday won his third acting Oscar but was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346801/oscar-winner-sean-penn-skips-academy-awards-ceremony-visit-zelensky-kyiv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346801/oscar-winner-sean-penn-skips-academy-awards-ceremony-visit-zelensky-kyiv?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:32:57 +0000 Agencies Agencies This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another was crowned best picture at the 98th Academy Awards, handing Hollywood’s top honour to a comic, multi-generational American saga of political resistance. The ceremony on March 15, which also saw Michael B. Jordan win best actor and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346693/oscars-2026-live-updates-98th-academy-awards-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346693/oscars-2026-live-updates-98th-academy-awards-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 23:02:40 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Herman Yau Lai-to began his career as a cinematographer before transitioning to the director’s chair. He gained notoriety as a pioneer of Hong Kong’s Category III (adults-only) exploitation era, directing gruesome genre classics such as the 1993 serial killer thriller The Untold Story and 1996’s Ebola Syndrome. Since then, the prolific filmmaker – an academic with a PhD in cultural studies who is just as often recognised by his signature rock ‘n’ roll T-shirts – has worked ceaselessly. Known for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346304/how-hong-kong-director-herman-yau-went-gory-cult-films-action-blockbusters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346304/how-hong-kong-director-herman-yau-went-gory-cult-films-action-blockbusters?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 04:45:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Singer-turned-actor Seo In-guk is currently starring in Netflix’s high-concept workplace romantic comedy Boyfriend on Demand. The 38-year-old shares the screen with another performer who has recently traded the concert stage for sound stages: Blackpink’s Jisoo. Born in Ulsan in southeast South Korea, Seo grew up in a working-class household; his mother worked at a recycling centre and his father was a welder. Seo was athletic as a child, taking part in ssireum (traditional Korean wrestling),... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3346353/who-seo-guk-jisoos-co-star-netflix-k-drama-boyfriend-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3346353/who-seo-guk-jisoos-co-star-netflix-k-drama-boyfriend-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 08:15:08 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa The 98th Academy Awards will take place on March 16 this year, honouring the film industry’s finest stars and films from the past 12 months. As we wait for the event, Hollywood has announced the award nominees. Ryan Coogler’s Michael B. Jordan-led vampire horror film Sinners leads the way with a record 16 nominations. One Battle After Another comes a close second with 13 nominations, followed by Marty Supreme, Frankenstein, Sentimental Value and Hamnet. Timothée Chalamet, 30 – who’s competing... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3346444/6-youngest-ever-actors-win-oscar-anna-paquin-timothy-hutton?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3346444/6-youngest-ever-actors-win-oscar-anna-paquin-timothy-hutton?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 22:00:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters Top names in ⁠Hollywood will gather on March 15 to hand out the ⁠annual Academy Awards at a red-carpet ceremony brimming with drama in the major races. One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a one-time political radical now parenting a teenager, was seen as the front runner for the coveted best picture prize after stacking up trophy after trophy at recent ceremonies. The vampire story Sinners, a celebration of blues music ‌and black culture in the segregation-era US South, made... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346481/sinners-against-one-battle-after-another-best-picture-academy-awards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346481/sinners-against-one-battle-after-another-best-picture-academy-awards?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:15:07 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu This is the 72nd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. What do Chow Yun-fat, Timothee Chalamet and Doh Kyung-soo have in common? They have all had to keep up with the razor-sharp mind of Hong Kong actress and television host Carol “Dodo” Cheng Yu-ling. From teaching Hollywood heartthrobs Cantonese to hosting the city’s most prestigious galas, Cheng’s presence is ubiquitous. Anyone who has watched the TVB anniversary awards or the local... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346208/how-carol-dodo-cheng-went-acting-chow-yun-fat-interviewing-hollywood-stars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346208/how-carol-dodo-cheng-went-acting-chow-yun-fat-interviewing-hollywood-stars?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3/5 stars One of the most beguiling aspects of Gamer Girls is that it never acknowledges its characters’ gaming addiction for what it is. Too distracted by the craving for just one more match to function at your day job? Never mind. Needing to grind out another 500 hours of playtime within weeks to qualify for tournament selection? No problem. Despite its casual treatment of the gruelling, burnout-inducing realities of esports, and its light-touch approach to the toxic misogyny that often... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346211/gamer-girls-movie-review-angela-yuen-leads-ensemble-beguiling-hong-kong-esports-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346211/gamer-girls-movie-review-angela-yuen-leads-ensemble-beguiling-hong-kong-esports-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:15:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh The future of Hollywood has never looked more uncertain, with the encroachment of artificial intelligence threatening to eradicate jobs across the industry, while the impending merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery casts doubt over the studio system itself. Nevertheless, for the everyday movie-goer, there remains – for now, at least – a steady stream of enticing prospects to lure us out of our homes and into the nearest multiplex. Below are 12 of the most exciting new releases coming to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346088/12-new-hollywood-films-watch-march-june-2026-including-toy-story-5-and-michael?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346088/12-new-hollywood-films-watch-march-june-2026-including-toy-story-5-and-michael?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 23:15:10 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram 2/5 stars Ryan Gosling flies almost entirely solo in Project Hail Mary, a disappointingly derivative sci-fi mash-up of Interstellar, The Martian and Tom Hanks’ desert island drama Cast Away. Gosling plays former teacher Ryland Grace, who wakes up on a spacecraft. Coming out of years of stasis, he is bleary-eyed and disoriented. With his two fellow crew members dead, he must figure out why he is on board. Gradually, flashbacks reveal the truth: the sun is being attacked by an organism and, within... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345942/project-hail-mary-movie-review-ryan-gosling-stranded-disappointing-martian-clone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345942/project-hail-mary-movie-review-ryan-gosling-stranded-disappointing-martian-clone?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Natasha Tang Natasha Tang Paris’ dining scene spans Michelin temples to market-fresh bistros. One night, you’ll chase truffle-infused classics near the Louvre; the next, fusion plates in a Marais atelier or natural wines by the canal. Whether you’re here for Paris Fashion Week, art museum exhibitions, long strolls by the Seine or garden escapes, seek out these under-the-radar spots for a real taste of the city. Jaja This courtyard spot sits at the back of a quiet Marais passage, part historic town house, part... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3346077/unsung-eats-5-best-places-eat-and-drink-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3346077/unsung-eats-5-best-places-eat-and-drink-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters For Piper Curda, who voices the animal-loving college student ⁠Mabel Tanaka in Hoppers, caring about the planet does not necessarily make the character an activist. “I think Mabel presents as an activist. I don’t know if she’d call herself one,” Curda says. “She’s just like, ‘I care. Why does that need a label?’” With that said, Curda does hope Mabel’s determination rubs off on audiences. “I do hope her drive to make the world a better place inspires people, whether that’s little girls or... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346062/how-hoppers-star-piper-curda-hopes-inspire-people-pixars-new-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346062/how-hoppers-star-piper-curda-hopes-inspire-people-pixars-new-film?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:11:43 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong martial arts maestro Chang Cheh’s legendary acrobatic fighters, the Venom Mob, have remained firm favourites of genre fans abroad since their screen debut in 1978. The bedrock of that enduring popularity is The Five Venoms (also known as Five Deadly Venoms), the cult classic that launched their iconic run. For the uninitiated, the Venom Mob are not a fictional movie team like Marvel’s Avengers, but a group of actors – brought together by Chang – who appeared in different roles in a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345671/how-five-venoms-pioneered-superhero-team-chinese-martial-arts-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345671/how-five-venoms-pioneered-superhero-team-chinese-martial-arts-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Oscar nominee Timothee Chalamet is the front runner to take home the golden statuette for Marty Supreme – but he definitely has not won fans in the ballet and opera worlds. In a town hall discussion late last month with Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey hosted by CNN and Variety, the 30-year-old Chalamet was discussing the future of movie theatres and whether the advent of streaming will spell doom for cinemas. “If people want to see it – like Barbie, like Oppenheimer – they’re going to go see it... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345840/timothee-chalamet-faces-music-saying-no-one-cares-about-opera-and-ballet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345840/timothee-chalamet-faces-music-saying-no-one-cares-about-opera-and-ballet?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 18:45:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Geoffrey Rush, Rose Byrne, Cate Blanchett – voice coach Victoria Mielewska has trained some of Australia’s most famous thespians in the delicate art of the accent and says actors and actresses from Down Under have a unique talent for getting it right. Byrne, a native of the greater Sydney area, is vying for the best actress award on March 15 at the 98th Academy Awards for her powerhouse role as an overwhelmed mother in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (2025). So uncannily convincing is her American... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345543/rose-byrne-australian-why-actors-down-under-are-so-good-american-accents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345543/rose-byrne-australian-why-actors-down-under-are-so-good-american-accents?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Actor Shawn Hatosy is generally known for his portrayal of dangerous characters like Andrew “Pope” Cody in TNT’s drama series Animal Kingdom. Yet his portrayal of Dr Jack Abbot on HBO Max’s hit medical series The Pitt has not only made him a fan favourite, but also earned the veteran actor his first-ever Emmy award in 2025 for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. Here’s everything to know about Shawn Hatosy. Shawn Hatosy is of Irish-Hungarian heritage Shawn Wayne Hatosy was born in... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3345692/meet-emmy-winner-shawn-hatosy-who-plays-fan-favourite-dr-jack-abbot-pitt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3345692/meet-emmy-winner-shawn-hatosy-who-plays-fan-favourite-dr-jack-abbot-pitt?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Matt Glasby Matt Glasby This is the latest instalment in our From the Vault feature series, in which we reflect on culturally significant movies celebrating notable anniversaries. As a movie, V for Vendetta is far from perfect. But viewed today, 20 years after its cinema release, its existence feels nothing short of miraculous. In the aftermath of 9/11, Hollywood studios were reluctant to make anything that could be considered politically incendiary. A few years later, however, films such as War of the Worlds (2005)... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345250/why-anarchist-thriller-v-vendetta-relevant-ever-20-years-after-its-release?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345250/why-anarchist-thriller-v-vendetta-relevant-ever-20-years-after-its-release?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Salomé Grouard Salomé Grouard When filmmaker Elizabeth Lo is asked which questions she wishes she got more often, she laughs before answering. “I wish people asked more about my other projects, especially Stray,” she tells me, sipping a coffee in Hong Kong, hours before flying back to Los Angeles for a final round of awards season events. Point taken. The acclaimed documentary director doesn’t want to be defined solely by her latest work, Mistress Dispeller, which follows a Chinese couple through a turbulent time in their... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3345504/elizabeth-lo-her-oscar-shortlisted-film-about-chinas-mistress-dispellers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3345504/elizabeth-lo-her-oscar-shortlisted-film-about-chinas-mistress-dispellers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Just because the Chinese New Year festivities have wrapped up does not mean Hong Kong’s social calendar is taking a breather. From free entry for one of the city’s most popular museums to an International Women’s Day wellness social and a coffee and music festival, the first full weekend of March is packed with a diverse mix of events. Here are five things to do this weekend. 1. Asia Coffee Music Fest This weekend, Hong Kong will host its first Asia Coffee Music Fest at Kai Tak Sports Park,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3345582/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-march-6-8-festival-fitness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3345582/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-march-6-8-festival-fitness?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 02:49:51 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3/5 stars Macau filmmaker Tracy Choi Ian-sin revisits the tender, nostalgic tone of her directorial debut, Sisterhood (2016), for this semi-autobiographical lesbian drama. Girlfriends charts a young woman’s coming-of-age experience and ongoing quest to find her place in the world through three episodes from separate periods of her life, unfolding in reverse chronological order and under different names. It opens in 2024 Hong Kong, where the Macau-born director Lok (Fish Liew Chi-yu) has been... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345395/girlfriends-movie-review-fish-liew-and-jennifer-yu-reunite-tender-lesbian-romance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345395/girlfriends-movie-review-fish-liew-and-jennifer-yu-reunite-tender-lesbian-romance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 2/5 stars Viewers who like their cops-and-robbers thrillers loud, frenetic and illogical are in for a blast – along with car chases, bruising one-on-one fights and all too many extended shoot-outs – with Ultimate Revenge, an unabashedly derivative addition to Hong Kong’s once-feted action cinema tradition. While its gritty approach to action might excite diehard fans of the genre, this latest effort by emerging director Terry Ng Ka-wai (The Unwavering Brotherhood, 2024) has presumably blown most... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345268/ultimate-revenge-movie-review-hong-kong-police-and-robbers-drama-all-brawn-and-no-brains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345268/ultimate-revenge-movie-review-hong-kong-police-and-robbers-drama-all-brawn-and-no-brains?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar The 51st César Awards were held on February 26 in Paris, celebrating the best of French cinema from the past year. The honorary César was awarded to Jim Carrey, who delivered an emotional speech in French. Carrey’s presence also sparked controversy when conspiracy theorists online claimed that The Mask actor had been replaced by a clone or that an impersonator had attended the prestigious ceremony in his stead – all because of his seemingly altered appearance. The rumours gathered steam when... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3345262/meet-jim-carreys-partner-min-ah-who-he-gave-shout-out-51st-cesar-awards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3345262/meet-jim-carreys-partner-min-ah-who-he-gave-shout-out-51st-cesar-awards?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 10:00:48 +0000