https://www.scmp.com/rss/328490/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Tribune News Service Tribune News Service By Christopher Borrelli Seventy years ago, Godzilla, King of the Monsters! debuted in Chicago theatres as half of a double bill with a Roger Corman prison flick, Swamp Women. Infamously, the monster movie underwent an extensive facelift between its Japanese premiere in 1954 and its landfall in the United States two years later: two independent production companies bought the American rights on an agreement that anything too Asian or unsettling be removed for American audiences. Out went all the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3373559/how-godzillas-appearance-has-evolved-over-70-years-puppet-costume-cgi https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3373559/how-godzillas-appearance-has-evolved-over-70-years-puppet-costume-cgi Sun, 08 Nov 2026 08:15:10 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 89th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. While Tony Leung Chiu-wai is arguably the most decorated actor in Hong Kong cinema history, he would be the last person to tell you so. In an era where cinema is dominated by spectacle and carefully curated self-promotion, Leung remains a rarity. Despite being one of Asia’s biggest stars, he performs with remarkable subtlety and treats fame as little more than an inconvenient... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3373247/how-tony-leung-chiu-wai-became-hong-kongs-most-decorated-and-reluctant-movie-star https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3373247/how-tony-leung-chiu-wai-became-hong-kongs-most-decorated-and-reluctant-movie-star Thu, 05 Nov 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Those recovering from the Halloween weekend may need a relaxing day of meditation or curling up with a film. Others, however, might want to continue the fun with a full day of music and drinks. Regardless, there is something for everyone, whether it is a new market to visit or an exhibition to see. Here are five things to do in Hong Kong this weekend. 1. Goods On Wax Vol. 2 Goods On Wax returns on Saturday, November 7, offering a full day of community gathering centred around music, vinyl... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373354/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-november-6-8 https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373354/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-november-6-8 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:15:05 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung The Hong Kong Sinfonietta has spent decades trying to make classical music feel less like a members-only club. The orchestra’s CEO, Margaret Yang, says the belief that classical music concerts are exclusively formal affairs is outdated and restrictive. This is why she is taking classical music beyond the concert hall. The Music in Films festival, launched in October with Movie Movie – the film and lifestyle brand under Hong Kong cinema chain Broadway Circuit – features three recent films that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373112/hong-kong-sinfonietta-unlocks-classical-musics-inner-world-using-films https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373112/hong-kong-sinfonietta-unlocks-classical-musics-inner-world-using-films Thu, 05 Nov 2026 04:45:04 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 4/5 stars Winner of the best director prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, La Bola Negra – the new film from Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, collectively known as Los Javis – is a staggering cinematic tapestry. It functions as a speculative adaptation of a famously incomplete 20th century literary work, a heart-wrenching coming-of-age drama set at the height of the Spanish civil war and a sprawling maximalist epic of queer representation and acceptance spanning more than 80 years. La... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3373083/la-bola-negra-review-cannes-winning-queer-epic-towering-cinematic-achievement https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3373083/la-bola-negra-review-cannes-winning-queer-epic-towering-cinematic-achievement Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:15:05 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Yoo Yeon-seok, Seo Hyun-jin Latest Nielsen rating: 1.9 per cent In The Perfect Lie, a tense Korean adaptation of the 2017 British series Liar, a cautious slice-of-life romance rapidly morphs into a dark psychological thriller about personal boundaries. Seo Hyun-jin (The Trunk) is Kang Ji-seon, a teacher struggling to adjust to her new junior school. Her empathetic nature allows her to home in on her withdrawn student Min Hyun-soo (Kang Ji-yong), who is concealing his ongoing grief... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3373205/disney-k-drama-perfect-lie-yoo-yeon-seok-seo-hyun-jin-twisty-date-rape-drama https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3373205/disney-k-drama-perfect-lie-yoo-yeon-seok-seo-hyun-jin-twisty-date-rape-drama Wed, 04 Nov 2026 10:15:06 +0000 Jimmy Shiu Jimmy Shiu Can a global kung fu superstar famous for death-defying stunts and slapstick humour direct a grand Italian opera? When it was announced that Jackie Chan would direct Turandot for this centenary Sino-Italian production of Giacomo Puccini’s final masterpiece, many in the classical music world were understandably sceptical. Yet, Chan’s first opera production proves that his cinematic flair is a remarkably natural fit for the beloved masterpiece set in ancient China. Premiering in Guangzhou in May... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373074/jackie-chan-has-directed-his-first-italian-opera-did-action-star-crush-it https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3373074/jackie-chan-has-directed-his-first-italian-opera-did-action-star-crush-it Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:15:06 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram Even by the high standards of contemporary Korean cinema and television, anticipation was palpable when Possible Love premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in September. The film marked the first release in eight years from Lee Chang-dong – the novelist, former politician and filmmaker whose previous work, the 2018 mystery drama Burning, was one of that year’s most critically acclaimed. Given that his preceding film, 2010’s Poetry, arrived another eight years prior, new Lee... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3373060/possible-love-director-lee-chang-dong-class-divide-and-desire-his-oscar-hopeful-drama https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3373060/possible-love-director-lee-chang-dong-class-divide-and-desire-his-oscar-hopeful-drama Tue, 03 Nov 2026 07:15:07 +0000 Stephen McCarty Stephen McCarty Nora Lum is a hapless, clueless kitchen klutz who cannot tell one end of a wok from the other. And with that as her default position as she embarks on an Asian, primarily Chinese, culinary exploration of the United States, with the aim of mastering stove, saucepan and skillet, her prospects look decidedly dim. At the outset of Awkwafina: The Unlikely Cook on Apple TV, Lum confesses that she cannot even “steam an egg”; yet she is an expert at incinerating trays of spare ribs; at turning any sort... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372957/awkwafina-goes-kitchen-nightmares-cooking-her-heritage-will-grandma-approve https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372957/awkwafina-goes-kitchen-nightmares-cooking-her-heritage-will-grandma-approve Tue, 03 Nov 2026 04:15:06 +0000 Andrew Sun Andrew Sun The Chicken Egg Boy shop in Sheung Wan is even more crowded than normal. It almost always has fans patiently queuing for a funky egg waffle with a twist, but on this early autumn afternoon, the influencers and media are here to try a new creation. Shop founder Natalie Lau has combined a trifecta of Hong Kong snacks into one parcel: an egg waffle with a pineapple bun top and char siu pork stuffed into each of the egg panels. As part of the promotion, a costumed mascot version of Stephen Chow... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372685/stephen-chows-most-beloved-characters-meet-ai-and-have-world-their-sights https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372685/stephen-chows-most-beloved-characters-meet-ai-and-have-world-their-sights Mon, 02 Nov 2026 23:15:06 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram For the veteran filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki, a childhood spent gorging on 1970s and 80s Hollywood sci-fi in the Japanese city of Matsumoto – where his father worked as a baker – left a lifelong impression. “Ever since I was really small, going to the cinema felt like a special event for me,” says the 62-year-old director, whose early cinematic diet consisted of titans such as Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Back to the Future. “These films almost served as my origin story,” he... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372925/godzilla-minus-zero-director-takashi-yamazaki-going-deeper-japanese-monster-sequel https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372925/godzilla-minus-zero-director-takashi-yamazaki-going-deeper-japanese-monster-sequel Mon, 02 Nov 2026 10:15:06 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo For Hong Kong musicians, performing at the Coliseum in the city’s Hung Hom neighbourhood represents the pinnacle of success. Throughout its 43-year history, the 12,500-capacity venue has hosted legendary international artists from Whitney Houston to David Bowie and Elton John, and local icons such as Anita Mui Yim-fong, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing and Joey Yung Cho-yee. For 26-year-old singer-songwriter Gareth Tong Ling-shan, who performs professionally as Gareth.T, landing his inaugural solo... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372677/hong-kong-singer-songwriter-garetht-why-coliseum-shows-will-be-basically-gladiator https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372677/hong-kong-singer-songwriter-garetht-why-coliseum-shows-will-be-basically-gladiator Sun, 01 Nov 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Matt Glasby Matt Glasby Sometimes, through no fault of their own, good films slip through the cracks. They fall out of fashion, are misunderstood by critics or are poorly distributed, and it can take the passage of time – or a miracle – to bring them back into the light. So it is with Nancy Kelly’s 1991 period piece Thousand Pieces of Gold, adapted from Ruthanne Lum McCunn’s 1981 novel and starring Rosalind Chao from The Joy Luck Club. The film is a sincere, authentic-feeling drama based on the incredible true story of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372574/why-chinese-immigrant-story-thousand-pieces-gold-1991-lost-old-west-classic https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372574/why-chinese-immigrant-story-thousand-pieces-gold-1991-lost-old-west-classic Sat, 31 Oct 2026 10:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran November promises to be a remarkably busy month for K-drama fans, offering a wealth of choices that include the year’s biggest fantasy epic and two sequel seasons to recent hits. Here is what to watch over the coming month. 1. The Remarried Empress Lead cast: Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk, Lee Se-young November’s splashiest show is undoubtedly the big-budget adaptation of the fantasy romance webtoon The Remarried Empress. Shin Min-a plays Navier, the beautiful empress of the Eastern... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3372714/12-best-new-k-dramas-watch-november-2026-including-blue-road-netflix https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3372714/12-best-new-k-dramas-watch-november-2026-including-blue-road-netflix Fri, 30 Oct 2026 13:15:06 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong cinema has always thrived on a certain kind of beautiful madness – precisely the quality local audiences cherish most. However, when the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Cepa) opened the mainland Chinese market to Hong Kong co-productions in 2004, cross-border film collaborations surged. Hong Kong filmmakers zealously partnered with mainland companies, drawn by bigger budgets, lower production costs and the prospect of reaping financial rewards from a massive new audience. But... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372243/how-hong-kong-cinema-forever-changed-after-cepa-and-mainland-china-co-production-boom https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372243/how-hong-kong-cinema-forever-changed-after-cepa-and-mainland-china-co-production-boom Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam When Ocean Park launched its Halloween celebrations in 2001, pumpkins, witches and vampires helped turn a visit to the theme park into a seasonal fright night. Twenty-five years later, haunted houses drawing on Hong Kong ghost stories share this year’s programme with family activities, live performances and a dark-fantasy collaboration with a pop star. The history of Halloween at Ocean Park is not simply a timeline of increasingly bigger productions and more elaborate effects. It is also a story... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372571/screams-scandals-how-hong-kongs-ocean-park-has-spooked-halloween-guests-25-years https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372571/screams-scandals-how-hong-kongs-ocean-park-has-spooked-halloween-guests-25-years Fri, 30 Oct 2026 04:45:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Jung Yong-hwa, Hong Seung-hee, Lee Yi-kyung, Park Yoo-na Jung Yong-hwa (Sell Your Haunted House) and Hong Seung-hee (To the Moon) headline Oh! My Guard, a frothy fantasy romantic comedy set in the entertainment world. The general rule with K-drama romcoms is that opposites attract, and at first this appears to hold true for TV actor Uhm Tae-bong (Jung) and wealthy agoraphobe Oh Hae-ra (Hong). Though Tae-bong is a major star, he isn’t afraid to be seen in public, waving and talking to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3372570/k-drama-oh-my-guard-jung-yong-hwa-hong-seung-hee-stumble-trifling-fantasy-romcom https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3372570/k-drama-oh-my-guard-jung-yong-hwa-hong-seung-hee-stumble-trifling-fantasy-romcom Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:15:08 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Halloween weekend in Hong Kong offers far more than the usual bar or club crawl. From big-stage music and carnival energy to an artsy cocktail night, themed workouts and a family-friendly market, there are many ways to mark one of the city’s biggest celebrations. Read on to plan your perfect Halloweekend. 1. Spooky Halloween 2026 festival After its inaugural run in 2025, Hong Kong’s Halloween music carnival is officially back, taking over the Wan Chai Harbourfront Event Space from October 30 to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3372501/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-halloween-weekend-october-30-november-1 https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3372501/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-halloween-weekend-october-30-november-1 Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:15:06 +0000 Zabrina Lo Zabrina Lo You may know her voice from Disney’s 1998 film Mulan, her resolute gaze as the invincible Agent Melinda May in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2020), or her furious martial arts moves as Zang Chunli in the 1994 film adaptation of the video game Street Fighter. Ming-Na Wen’s on-screen image as a fearless warrior mirrors her formidable career. A Disney Legend with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she remains one of the few Chinese-American actors to build an expansive filmography across... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372236/why-mulan-and-marvels-ming-na-wen-getting-down-business-kitchen https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372236/why-mulan-and-marvels-ming-na-wen-getting-down-business-kitchen Thu, 29 Oct 2026 04:45:07 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 2/5 stars In Michihito Fujii’s romantic drama You, Like a Star, Suzu Hirose and Ryusei Yokohama play young lovers trapped in a turbulent, decades-spanning relationship that defines their lives. Adapted from the novel by Yuu Nagira, who provided the source material for the actors’ last on-screen collaboration, Wandering (2022), the drama touches on intriguing and volatile topics without ever daring to broach them fully. The result is a polished but aggressively generic chronicle of romantic... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372376/you-star-review-suzu-hirose-ryusei-yokohama-reunite-tragic-love-story https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372376/you-star-review-suzu-hirose-ryusei-yokohama-reunite-tragic-love-story Wed, 28 Oct 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Ahn Hyo-seop, Hong Hwa-yeon, Chang Ryul, Jung Eugene Latest Nielsen rating: 2.4 per cent South Korea’s obsession with cooking shows continues apace with the chef-centric romantic comedy Final Table, which pairs Ahn Hyo-seop (Business Proposal) with rising star Hong Hwa-yeon (Buried Hearts). Following the international success of Korean reality cooking shows such as Culinary Class Wars, the K-drama industry has seen an explosion of food-themed programming seeking to capitalise on the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3372426/prime-video-k-drama-final-table-ahn-hyo-seop-unbearable-unappetising-culinary-drama https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3372426/prime-video-k-drama-final-table-ahn-hyo-seop-unbearable-unappetising-culinary-drama Wed, 28 Oct 2026 09:15:11 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam On the first night of his “After Hours Til Dawn Tour” at Kai Tak Stadium on October 24, Abel Tesfaye, professionally known as The Weeknd, debuted a brand new track titled “Hong Kong”. The track heavily sampled pop diva Faye Wong’s original Cantonese vocals from the song “Seasonal Wind” (also known as “Monsoon”), seamlessly blending her melody with his signature R&B style. The surprise debut was met with thunderous applause and set social media ablaze. But what is the deeper social significance... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372288/who-lyricist-behind-song-inspired-weeknds-hong-kong https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372288/who-lyricist-behind-song-inspired-weeknds-hong-kong Tue, 27 Oct 2026 13:15:05 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3.5/5 stars It is a deliciously metafictional irony that the vendetta in We Are Born Good ignites because a protagonist refuses to eat beef. Playing like a gentler Hong Kong reimagination of the Netflix series Beef, the film charts how a petty argument between two strangers spirals into a life-altering feud. Beyond this shared premise, audiences will find an entertaining and almost cathartic comedy of errors, trading the race and class hostilities of its American counterpart for an intimately... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371886/we-are-born-good-review-chung-suet-ying-yeung-wai-lun-have-beef-dark-comedy-drama https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371886/we-are-born-good-review-chung-suet-ying-yeung-wai-lun-have-beef-dark-comedy-drama Tue, 27 Oct 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Zain Syed considers Hong Kong his only home. A native Cantonese speaker born and raised in Fo Tan in the city’s New Territories, he did not set foot in his ancestral homeland – Pakistan – until he was 31. Yet, at home, he is too often viewed as a foreigner. “I’m actually immune now,” he says with a shrug. “Even now, it’s 2026, people would still be like, ‘Are you black?’ It’s crazy. I’m writing in Chinese, and they ask me, ‘Can you read it?’ If I can write it, can I read it? Is that the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372135/hong-kong-pakistani-rapper-zain-syed-growing-outsider-and-embracing-his-roots https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372135/hong-kong-pakistani-rapper-zain-syed-growing-outsider-and-embracing-his-roots Mon, 26 Oct 2026 23:15:06 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam “Two wrongs don’t make a right. If you wrong a wrong, you get a wrong. If you wrong that wrong, it is a wrong-wrong. If you wrong that wrong-wrong, it’s a triple-wrong. How many more wrongs until we get this right? The easiest way to make things right is to give people rights. When you give people rights, they can do right. And rights are very powerful – they undo all wrongs.” This is one of stand-up comedian Sammy Obeid’s most viral clips, where he cleverly dissects the Israel-Palestine... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372114/why-pro-palestinian-comedian-sammy-obeid-refuses-stay-silent https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372114/why-pro-palestinian-comedian-sammy-obeid-refuses-stay-silent Mon, 26 Oct 2026 13:15:05 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh In The First Taste of Loneliness, one of the highest-profile Chinese art-house film debuts of 2026, three generations of women – played by Zhou Xun, Xi Meijuan and Wang Shengdi – struggle to put their lives back on track after the death of their family’s patriarch. This beautifully crafted family drama from Chinese writer-director Gu You (previously known as Gu Xiaogang) premiered in competition at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea earlier this month. Zhou stars as Jiang Yue,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372127/why-zhou-xun-risked-it-all-amazing-long-take-first-taste-loneliness https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3372127/why-zhou-xun-risked-it-all-amazing-long-take-first-taste-loneliness Mon, 26 Oct 2026 07:35:57 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu “I think about quitting all the time,” says Jordan Leung, known to his Instagram followers as @69ranch. As one of Hong Kong’s most prominent stand-up comedians to emerge in recent years, Leung’s pessimism is surprising. “I don’t wanna make social media content,” the 33-year-old admits. “Now I’m just fixated on likes and stuff … I don’t know how much longer I can do this.” Sitting directly across the table from him, it is not always easy to tell when Leung is being sincere or performing his... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371883/stand-comedian-jordan-leung-moving-us-and-hong-kong-show-backlash https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371883/stand-comedian-jordan-leung-moving-us-and-hong-kong-show-backlash Sun, 25 Oct 2026 04:15:07 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Korean actor Kim Jae-young and his signature locks are back on screen in the currently airing romcom Make Me Tingle, where he takes on the daring role of a sex toy entrepreneur. Since his 2013 acting debut, Kim has played a variety of brooding characters that take advantage of the lithe, imposing frame that helped him start in entertainment as a model. However, Kim was not initially aiming for a career in front of the camera. Rather, he harboured an ambition to be a chef and has said in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3371920/who-kim-jae-young-imposing-star-k-dramas-make-me-tingle-and-judge-hell https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3371920/who-kim-jae-young-imposing-star-k-dramas-make-me-tingle-and-judge-hell Sat, 24 Oct 2026 11:15:05 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Yim Si-wan, Seol In-ah, Kim Jung-hyun, Yeonwoo Latest Nielsen rating: 4.7 per cent In the romantic comedy Love in Disguise, Yim Si-wan plays a vain corporate heir suspected of murder who hires a new personal bodyguard, unaware that his protector is actually a female detective in disguise (played by Seol In-ah of Business Proposal). The series marks a return to more conventional K-drama fare for Yim, following his intense roles in the action film Mantis (2025) and the second and third... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3371895/prime-video-k-drama-love-disguise-yim-si-wan-seol-ah-lead-gender-reversal-romcom https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3371895/prime-video-k-drama-love-disguise-yim-si-wan-seol-ah-lead-gender-reversal-romcom Fri, 23 Oct 2026 11:15:05 +0000 Cathy Fan Cathy Fan While the Tang dynasty (618-907) is synonymous with a golden age of Chinese arts and culture, its glittering reign was fractured by one of history’s most devastating civil wars. Today, the life and work of the revered Tang dynasty calligrapher Yan Zhenqing, a key figure in that 1,200-year-old tragedy, are capturing the attention of millions, partly thanks to an AI microdrama. The series titled Yanbian Qingmei, which roughly translates to Green Plums by the Inkstone, has accumulated more than 100... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371727/how-ai-microdrama-yanbian-qingmei-driving-interest-ancient-chinese-calligrapher https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371727/how-ai-microdrama-yanbian-qingmei-driving-interest-ancient-chinese-calligrapher Thu, 22 Oct 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam This is the 88th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. With her signature polka dot gowns, umbrella skirts and velvet-deep contralto voice that defied the high-pitched norms of her era, Paula Tsui Siu-fung did not just become a Cantopop superstar; she defined the very archetype of the Hong Kong diva. Over a career spanning more than five decades, her record-shattering live performances and unprecedented album sales have cemented her... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371486/how-cantopop-diva-paula-tsui-defined-era-her-contralto-voice-and-polka-dot-dresses https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371486/how-cantopop-diva-paula-tsui-defined-era-her-contralto-voice-and-polka-dot-dresses Thu, 22 Oct 2026 23:15:06 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Nam Ji-hyun, Kim Jae-young South Korea finds itself at an interesting juncture in its social evolution in the mid-2020s. Following the success of works such as the 2016 book Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 and its hit 2019 film adaptation, which brought the country’s gender inequality into sharp focus, the imbalance remains stubbornly stark. People now recognise this imbalance and are unafraid to label it for what it is – “patriarchy” is no longer a dirty word. Yet change has been slow. South... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3371782/hbo-max-k-drama-make-me-tingle-nam-ji-hyun-kim-jae-young-lead-tame-sex-romcom https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3371782/hbo-max-k-drama-make-me-tingle-nam-ji-hyun-kim-jae-young-lead-tame-sex-romcom Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:15:05 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu As we inch closer to the end of October, the city is ready to embrace the spooky and cosy ambience of the season – though the sweltering weather means we cannot ease into an autumnal mood just yet. Whether it is trying dishes with seasonal ingredients or checking out a new movie, here are five things to do in Hong Kong this weekend. 1. M+’s Myths and Monsters As the first major survey exploring two centuries of Asian fantasy visual culture, the latest exhibition at M+, “Myths and Monsters: The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371736/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-23-25 https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3371736/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-23-25 Thu, 22 Oct 2026 08:15:07 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram 3.5/5 stars From Venom and Morbius to Birds of Prey and The New Mutants, elevating side characters to centre stage in Marvel and DC comic-book adaptations rarely takes flight. Clayface, however, is an exception. Set in the Gotham underworld, the new film features no sign – or even mention – of Batman, but no matter. A grisly but delicious tale of Hollywood excess, this DC thriller is part crime, part horror and certainly not one for the squeamish. Tom Rhys Harries (Suspicion) stars as Matt... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371568/clayface-review-dc-spin-delivers-grisly-vengeance-fuelled-body-horror-thriller https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371568/clayface-review-dc-spin-delivers-grisly-vengeance-fuelled-body-horror-thriller Wed, 21 Oct 2026 19:00:06 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 2.5/5 stars In Bird of Paradise, a dutiful middle-aged Hong Kong woman takes up pole dancing and shatters her thankless routine of cooking and cleaning for her family. Marking the feature debut of writer-director Joey Wu Chui-yi, this perfectly pleasant family drama offers an easy watch for viewers seeking light-hearted domestic quibbles. More sophisticated audiences, however, will find it slightly shallow and naive. Crucially, the film provides a rare leading role for Catherine Chau Ka-yee. She... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371368/bird-paradise-review-catherine-chau-takes-pole-dancing-light-hearted-family-drama https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371368/bird-paradise-review-catherine-chau-takes-pole-dancing-light-hearted-family-drama Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:15:04 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), which closed on October 15, drew 277,027 visitors, roughly 40,000 more than last year and the highest since 2015. The 10-day event screened more than 300 films from 59 countries. Alongside 95 world premieres, the programme featured the Asian premieres of several prestigious award winners from Cannes and Venice, including Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or winner Fjord and May el-Toukhy’s Golden Lion recipient Woman Unknown. Other highlights included... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371348/busan-2026-10-festivals-best-movies-midday-meal-satoko-always https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371348/busan-2026-10-festivals-best-movies-midday-meal-satoko-always Mon, 19 Oct 2026 13:15:05 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam Paddy Ma Wendi, a director of vertical dramas since 2023, has had a front-row seat to how fast and hard artificial intelligence has affected the mobile-first entertainment genre in 2026. Digital content farms have started churning out short productions – serialised stories made for smartphones and usually watched in portrait mode – using the latest AI technology. “When I was in the US [for a live-action vertical drama], I usually hired about 20 to 30 people, including the actors,” says Ma, who... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370957/how-ai-reshaping-microdramas-vertical-video-format-takes-generational-jump https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370957/how-ai-reshaping-microdramas-vertical-video-format-takes-generational-jump Sun, 18 Oct 2026 04:45:05 +0000 Matt Glasby Matt Glasby Before The Dark Knight made him a household name in 2008, Christopher Nolan crafted intricate thrillers such as Following (1998), Memento (2000) and Insomnia (2002). But 2006’s The Prestige, which turns 20 this month, is the most labyrinthine by far. Made just after Batman Begins (2005), but a far stranger and more personal proposition, it is set in 1890s London. Here, we are introduced to stage magicians Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), who risk their lives, and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370672/what-christopher-nolans-prestige-reveals-about-his-cinematic-obsession-20-years https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370672/what-christopher-nolans-prestige-reveals-about-his-cinematic-obsession-20-years Sat, 17 Oct 2026 11:15:05 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Grace Chang, also known by her stage name Ge Lan, died in August at the age of 93. She is widely remembered today for her lively performance in Mambo Girl, the 1957 Chinese-language musical that made her a star. Famed for pure roles expressing the aspirations of would-be middle-class Hong Kong girls, Chang initially played characters who were hip, popular, socially adept, conscientious and relatively well-off, possessing no hint of sexuality; her character in Mambo Girl is almost... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370576/why-1960-film-wild-wild-rose-late-grace-changs-greatest-cinematic-triumph https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370576/why-1960-film-wild-wild-rose-late-grace-changs-greatest-cinematic-triumph Fri, 16 Oct 2026 04:45:06 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram 3/5 stars Taika Waititi, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Jojo Rabbit (2019), brings his trademark quirk to Klara and the Sun, a sunny-side-up sci-fi fable that occasionally delivers flashes of darkness. Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 novel of the same name, the film is set in a future where AI companions are the norm. The effervescent Klara (Jenna Ortega) is one such android, albeit a discontinued B1 model now being hawked from a city discount store. Klara’s escape comes when a young girl,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371093/klara-and-sun-review-jenna-ortega-android-upbeat-saccharine-sci-fi-fable https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3371093/klara-and-sun-review-jenna-ortega-android-upbeat-saccharine-sci-fi-fable Fri, 16 Oct 2026 03:28:10 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Mid-October is a tease for Halloween fans – spooky season feels tantalisingly near, yet still just out of reach. Luckily, Hong Kong offers plenty to keep you busy until then, and remember that Monday is a public holiday. Whether you are after a new piece of ink, a perfect pour-over, a night at the ballet or a deeper stretch, there is more than one way to fill the long weekend. 1. Hong Kong China International Tattoo Exhibition 2026 The Hong Kong China International Tattoo Exhibition 2026 will... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370938/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-long-weekend-october-16-19 https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370938/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-long-weekend-october-16-19 Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:16:56 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh Lead cast: Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk, Lee Se-young Shin Min-a is, for all intents and purposes, Korea’s first Disney Princess as she plays the titular royal in the lavish new K-drama The Remarried Empress. Adapted from Alphatart’s web novel of the same name, this star-studded romantic fairy tale tells the story of Navier Ellie Trovi (Shin), whose position in the mythical Eastern Empire is threatened when her once-faithful husband, Emperor Sovieshu (Ju Ji-hoon), takes a mistress:... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3370679/disney-k-drama-remarried-empress-shin-min-reigns-lavish-royal-romance-fantasy https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3370679/disney-k-drama-remarried-empress-shin-min-reigns-lavish-royal-romance-fantasy Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:15:05 +0000 Edmund Lee Edmund Lee 3.5/5 stars In Good Trip, a father and daughter’s impromptu final excursion unfolds as a deceptively playful comedy road movie. It tackles one of the most agonising subjects a family can face – the impending death of a parent – with surprising, life-affirming levity. Co-directed by Norris Wong Yee-lam (The Lyricist Wannabe) – who also wrote the screenplay – and Wong Hoi (Let It Ghost), and produced by the acclaimed filmmaker Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting, the film avoids unbearable sentimentality; it... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370541/good-trip-review-nick-cheung-chung-suet-ying-play-father-and-daughter-road-comedy https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370541/good-trip-review-nick-cheung-chung-suet-ying-play-father-and-daughter-road-comedy Tue, 13 Oct 2026 07:15:06 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh 3.5/5 stars Lead cast: Koji Yakusho, Kento Kaku, Kenichi Matsuyama In Netflix’s new comedy series Did Someone Happen to Mention Me?, Koji Yakusho stars as a world-famous Japanese actor who discovers that almost the whole of Japan has forgotten him. Playful and lighthearted, the eight-episode series follows the veteran performer as he loses his celebrity status overnight and is forced to reassess his character and relationships while rebuilding his life and career. Created by acclaimed... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3369868/netflix-drama-did-someone-happen-mention-me-review-koji-yakusho-leads-amnesia-comedy https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3369868/netflix-drama-did-someone-happen-mention-me-review-koji-yakusho-leads-amnesia-comedy Mon, 12 Oct 2026 15:00:14 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram When Kitao Sakurai, the Japanese-American director of a new film adaptation of the Street Fighter video game franchise, called to say she had the role, Callina Liang reacted the way anyone might expect. “I was in a park screaming at the top of my lungs,” the 26-year-old actress reveals with a giggle over Zoom. Starring Andrew Koji (Warrior) as Ryu and Noah Centineo (Black Adam) as Ken, the film allows Liang to live out her 16-bit dreams, playing Chun-Li, the franchise’s first-ever female... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370287/who-callina-liang-actress-playing-chun-li-new-street-fighter-movie https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370287/who-callina-liang-actress-playing-chun-li-new-street-fighter-movie Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:15:05 +0000 Kavita Daswani Kavita Daswani In a city known for hype-filled events, from the Oscars and Grammys to countless Hollywood premieres, the recent opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles occupied its own stratosphere, drawing a constellation of celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry and Pharrell Williams. Many of the names at the museum’s September 19 grand opening were there to wish founder George Lucas, creator of the sprawling Star Wars franchise, and his wife, Mellody Hobson,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370324/its-chinese-architect-manga-how-asian-influences-abound-los-angeles-lucas-museum https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3370324/its-chinese-architect-manga-how-asian-influences-abound-los-angeles-lucas-museum Mon, 12 Oct 2026 04:45:47 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Ji Chang-wook, Mio Imada Cross-cultural media ties between Japan and South Korea continue to blossom with Merry Berry Love, a rural romance starring Ji Chang-wook (The Worst of Evil) and Mio Imada (Trillion Game). Co-produced by South Korea’s CJ ENM and Japan’s Nippon Television, the show airs locally on Nippon TV and streams globally on Disney+. Although written and directed by South Korean creatives, the story unfolds largely on Charo Island, in rural Japan. Imada plays Karin... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3370330/disney-k-drama-merry-berry-love-ji-chang-wook-goes-japan-hollow-romantic-comedy https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3370330/disney-k-drama-merry-berry-love-ji-chang-wook-goes-japan-hollow-romantic-comedy Sun, 11 Oct 2026 07:15:05 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Kim So-hyun, Choo Young-woo Latest Nielsen rating: 2.36 per cent Kim So-hyun (My Lovely Liar) and Choo Young-woo (The Tale of Lady Ok) share the screen in this university-set slice-of-life drama, which teases a slow-burn romance between two frustrated young adults trying to find their place in a society that does not always play by the rules. Between Steps is notably the final drama from veteran director Ahn Pan-seok, whose credits include the romance Something in the Rain and the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3370311/disney-k-drama-between-steps-kim-so-hyun-choo-young-woo-ahn-pan-seoks-final-romance https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3370311/disney-k-drama-between-steps-kim-so-hyun-choo-young-woo-ahn-pan-seoks-final-romance Sat, 10 Oct 2026 08:15:06 +0000 Kavita Daswani Kavita Daswani For Dorothy Wang, documenting her life is hardly new territory. After years of appearing on reality television, including Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, Bling Empire and Bling Empire: New York, the socialite-entrepreneur and heiress – her father Roger Wang is the billionaire founder of Chinese real estate company Golden Eagle International Group – has spent much of her adult life sharing her life with the public. But when she met lawyer Brandon Yankowitz through mutual friends in 2022, she found... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370293/bling-empires-dorothy-wang-back-time-its-her-wedding-her-rules https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3370293/bling-empires-dorothy-wang-back-time-its-her-wedding-her-rules Sat, 10 Oct 2026 04:15:04 +0000 James Marsh James Marsh Lead cast: Son Suk-ku, Eita Nagayama Son Suk-ku and Eita Nagayama team up for the transnational crime thriller The Blue Road, Netflix’s upcoming K-drama in which they play rival detectives on the trail of a viciously creative serial killer whose crime spree spans South Korea and Japan. Adapted from the 2002 manhwa (Korean comic) – itself a cross-border collaboration steered by Takashi Nagasaki (aka Keishi Edogawa) and Gaya Kwon – and set against the backdrop of the 2002 World Cup co-hosted by... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3370303/netflix-k-drama-blue-road-son-suk-ku-eita-nagayama-hunt-vicious-serial-killer https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3370303/netflix-k-drama-blue-road-son-suk-ku-eita-nagayama-hunt-vicious-serial-killer Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:15:05 +0000