https://www.scmp.com/rss/524339/feed Lee Byung-hun is a highly acclaimed South Korean performer, celebrated for his versatile roles in both domestic and Hollywood productions. He has a distinguished background in action and dramatic cinema, notably portraying Storm Shadow in the *G.I. Joe* franchise and the enigmatic Front Man in *Squid Game*. His accomplishments include being the first South Korean to present an Oscar at the Academy Awards and having his handprints at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Beyond acting, he is an... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com James Marsh James Marsh In 2025, Asian cinema continues to make its mark around the world. Animated features from mainland China and Hong Kong, as well as Japan, have shattered box office records, while filmmakers and performers from across the region have been honoured at the world’s most prestigious film festivals. From established auteurs to promising newcomers, the region remains a thriving hotbed of rich and diverse commercial and artistic talent. Below are our picks of the 12 best films released this year across... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337826/12-best-asian-films-2025-ranked-ne-zha-2-no-other-choice-and-kokuho?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3337826/12-best-asian-films-2025-ranked-ne-zha-2-no-other-choice-and-kokuho?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 08:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran The year 2025 was another big one for Korean dramas, with a wide range of exciting new shows. While the industry may not have produced as many stand-outs as in previous years, the past 12 months still delivered emotional highs. Here is our pick of the top 15 Korean dramas of the year, from good to great. 15. Melo Movie Lead cast: Choi Woo-shik, Park Bo-young, Lee Jun-young, Jeon So-nee Our Beloved Summer scribe Lee Na-eun proved that she was no one-hit wonder with her second series Melo Movie,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3337569/15-best-k-dramas-2025-ranked-melo-movie-when-life-gives-you-tangerines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3337569/15-best-k-dramas-2025-ranked-melo-movie-when-life-gives-you-tangerines?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu It is now the middle of October and we have reached a mid-month slump, where the Mid-Autumn celebrations are over, but the Halloween fun remains just out of reach. However, that does not mean Hongkongers must wait in limbo at home. Even the “non-eventful” weeks of the month can be fun. Here are five things to do this weekend. 1. Romeo + Juliet with the Hong Kong Ballet Debuting in 2021, the Hong Kong Ballet’s Romeo + Juliet is returning to the stage with five shows from October 17 to 19. Set... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3329194/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-17-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3329194/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-17-19?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 02:15:08 +0000 James Mottram James Mottram Park Chan-wook, the celebrated South Korean auteur behind such esteemed works as Oldboy and The Handmaiden, is not a filmmaker one typically associates with comedy. It came as a surprise, then, even to his lead actor, Lee Byung-hun, when the script for his latest film, No Other Choice, turned out to be funny. “There were so many comical elements to it, so I was a little bit puzzled,” Lee admits at a recent interview with the Post. “The very first question I asked Director Park was, ‘Did I read... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3328905/no-other-choice-why-korean-auteur-park-chan-wook-reunited-lee-byung-hun-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-movies/article/3328905/no-other-choice-why-korean-auteur-park-chan-wook-reunited-lee-byung-hun-comedy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 11:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran A hit American TV show gets a Korean reimagining with massive star wattage, while the latest Korean food K-drama and a highly anticipated webtoon both take shape in this week’s coverage of Korean small-screen casting news. 1. Solo Leveling Han So-hee (My Name) has been approached to join the high-profile Netflix series Solo Leveling. Byun Woo-seok has already been confirmed as the male lead of the series, which is based on a sensationally popular webtoon of the same name. The story takes place... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3324461/k-drama-casting-news-about-lee-byung-hun-han-so-hee-ahn-hyo-seop-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3324461/k-drama-casting-news-about-lee-byung-hun-han-so-hee-ahn-hyo-seop-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Just six months into the year and our ranking of the best 2025 K-dramas to date could compete with the full annual rankings for many other years. It has been a strong and diverse few months for K-dramas, and thankfully there appears to be much more to look forward to in the coming months as well. Below are our picks of the 10 best K-dramas so far this year. 10. The Haunted Palace Lead cast: Bona, Yook Sung-jae Final Nielsen rating: 11 per cent In this breezy and entertaining period mystery... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3316311/10-best-k-dramas-2025-so-far-squid-game-3-when-life-gives-you-tangerines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3316311/10-best-k-dramas-2025-so-far-squid-game-3-when-life-gives-you-tangerines?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2025 08:15:08 +0000 Pierce Conran Pierce Conran Lead cast: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Im Si-wan, Wi Ha-joon, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young Korean filmmaker Hwang Dong-hyuk’s death-game spectacle Squid Game returns for its third and reportedly final season with six new episodes that follow on directly from the mid-tournament cliffhanger at the conclusion of December’s season 2. We will steer clear of spoilers here, but this article does assume that readers are caught up until the end of season 2. It should also be noted that critics were able... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3316053/squid-game-season-3-review-thrilling-conclusion-probes-humanitys-dark-depths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3316053/squid-game-season-3-review-thrilling-conclusion-probes-humanitys-dark-depths?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:13 +0000