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Disney

Disney
Disney
The Walt Disney Co was founded by Walter Disney, who is best known for creating such cartoon characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and for pioneering theme parks. The group has theme parks in the US, Europe, Japan, China and Hong Kong.
Video-generation model Seedance 2.0 is displayed at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Center in Beijing on March 25.Photo: Xinhua
Artificial intelligence

ByteDance adds watermarking, IP checks to Seedance 2.0 ahead of global launch

TikTok parent ByteDance says guardrails will protect Seedance 2.0 as it expands globally despite intense scrutiny from Hollywood.

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Wellness

How a California studio is helping autistic artists break into Hollywood

Artificial intelligence

ByteDance said to hold Seedance AI video tool launch after copyright row

American cinema

12 new Hollywood movies to watch in spring 2026, from Toy Story 5 to Michael

The Mandalorian and Grogu, Mortal Kombat II and The Devil Wears Prada 2 join Toy Story 5 and others in our list of exciting coming releases.

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Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, and Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Tim Allen, in a still from Toy Story 5. The return of Pixar’s flagship franchise is among a slate of Hollywood films coming to Hong Kong cinemas in the next few months of 2026. Photo: Pixar
American cinema

How Hoppers star Piper Curda hopes to inspire people in Pixar’s new film

Curda says she hopes her character’s determination to save animals rubs off on viewers of Daniel Chong’s environmentally friendly animation.

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Artificial intelligence

China’s tech giants pursue AI, semiconductor talent in US amid fierce rivalry

ByteDance, Baidu, Alibaba Cloud and MiniMax are among the firms now actively recruiting fresh talent in the US.

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Artificial intelligence

ByteDance ‘strengthening safeguards’ after Seedance AI video controversy

Pledge comes after Hollywood, governments speak out against tool amid deluge of video clips featuring celebrities, copyrighted characters.

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Characters from Star Wars, a Disney property, are among the copyrighted material the Seedance tool can purportedly produce. Photo: Reuters
Fame and celebrity

Who is Oli Higginson, the actor who plays footman John in Bridgerton?

He is married to Disney alum Meaghan Martin, who was in Camp Rock with Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers.

Tourism

Land ahoy! Cruise ships now come with their own ‘private’ islands

Norwegian to MSC are investing millions in grand resorts on Caribbean islands. Here are some where you can find relaxation, if not solitude.

Interview

In conversation: Hong Kong creative duo Offgod:Tate, aka Tate and Andrew Mok

The Hong Kong-born, Gen Z brothers talk about collaborating with Adidas, and meeting their heroes Pharrell Williams and Takashi Murakami.

Hong Kong-born brothers Tate and Andrew Mok are the multidisciplinary creative duo known as Offgod:Tate. Photo: Jocelyn Tam
Fame and celebrity

Everything to know about Coco Jones – who performed at the Super Bowl

The former Disney star and Grammy-winning artist performed at the NFL Super Bowl pregame show alongside Charlie Puth and Fred Beam.

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Coco Jones attends the 68th Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 1, in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Getty Images
United States

Disney theme parks chief Josh D’Amaro to succeed Bob Iger as CEO

The 28-year Disney veteran will take the helm of the company after years of overseeing its largest business segment.

TV shows and streaming video

Disney needs a new CEO to succeed Bob Iger. Who’s in the running?

Iger, 74, will step down as Disney boss for the second time at the end of 2026. Four internal candidates have been vying for the job.

Robotics

Forget soulless humanoid robots like Tesla’s Optimus. This one’s more Wall-E

Fauna Robotics’ humanoid robot Sprout is an attempt to start a focus on ‘approachable’ robots inspired by Wall-E and BB-8, not Terminator.

Fauna Robotics’ new humanoid robot Sprout shows off its dexterity while being operated remotely at the company’s headquarters in New York on January 14, 2026. Photo: AP
TV shows and streaming video

Mostly unseen footage shows the crazy year building world’s first Disneyland

The new documentary Disneyland Handcrafted on Disney+ reveals just how fragile the creation of California’s Disneyland was.

Workers construct the front gates of California’s Disneyland in a still from Disneyland Handcrafted, a new documentary on Disney+. Photo: TNS
Malaysia

Malaysia’s Michelle Yeoh nominated for worst actress Razzie

Three years after her historic Oscar win, Michelle Yeoh faces competition from Natalie Portman and Ariana DeBose for the dubious honour.

Hong Kong economy

Ex-Hong Kong Disneyland boss to take reins as CEO of Kai Tak Sports Park

Andrew Kam will take over from CEO John Sharkey, who is stepping down after a nearly 10-year stint.

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Viral stories

Filipino woman worships green statue for 4 years, finds out it is animated character Shrek

Woman treats green ogre figure with great reverence; says she will continue to worship ‘kind-hearted’ cartoon statue.

A woman in the Philippines spent four years worshipping a green Buddha statue, only to be told by a friend that it was a 3D-printed figure of the animated character Shrek. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/IG@thetropixs
Your Perfect Week

Our cheat sheet for what to do in Hong Kong, January 11-17

Disney on Ice skates into town, the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon takes over, and Cristal Room hosts a star Beijing chef.

United States

Warner Bros prefers Netflix, snubs Paramount’s updated takeover bid

Warner Bros board calls Paramount’s US$108 billion offer ‘risky leveraged buyout’ and reaffirms its commitment to US$82 billion Netflix deal.

American cinema

Hollywood in 2026: what to expect, from movies and China focus to ‘Dunesday’

Hollywood faces a pivotal year of change in 2026, with the potential Netflix/Warner deal, AI actors and nostalgia fever among key factors.

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Robert Downey Jnr attends the Marvel Studios Panel at SDCC in San Diego, California, in 2024. Avengers: Doomsday is currently scheduled to release on December 18, 2026. Photo: Getty Images
Horoscopes

Horoscopes: what’s your luck like in January 2026, Earth Ox month?

It’s going to be smooth sailing for the Dragon, Horse and Dog, but those under the Ox sign need to be careful while on the road.

The Chinese zodiac is comprised of 12 animals. Illustration: SCMP Graphics
India

Netflix-Warner deal sparks concern in India’s entertainment sector

Films in Indian cinemas could be screened for a shorter period before they move to Netflix’s streaming platform, an association warns.

Robotics

How a Chinese start-up is scaling 3D printing from sneakers to robots

Materials expert Wang Wenbin founded PollyPolymer in 2017 and developed a mature 3D-printing technology for footwear two years later.

United States

Paramount vs Netflix: Ellison guarantees US$40 billion for son’s Warner Bros bid

Pledge from Oracle’s co-founder is designed to quell financing fears as Paramount fights Netflix for control of Warner Bros Discovery assets.

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has agreed to personally guarantee US$40.4 billion in equity financing for Paramount’s US$108.4 billion bid for Warner Bros. Photo: TNS
Taylor Swift

All about the Taylor Swift-approved book, The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

In an episode of her new Disney+ docuseries, Swift listened to this Barack Obama-recommended book by Liz Moore – now it’s coming to Netflix.

The audiobook Taylor Swift was listening to in her The End of an Era docuseries, The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, is going viral. Photos: EPA, Riverhead Books
Fame and celebrity

Oscars will move to YouTube in 2029, leaving US network ABC

Landmark deal with Google’s video giant ends a 50-year TV broadcast era and takes Hollywood’s biggest night fully online.

Fame and celebrity

Meet Malachi Barton, the second most Googled actor in the US in 2025

Barton was most recently in Disney’s Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, is set to star in the Jonas Brothers’ Camp Rock 3 – and he’s BFFs with Ariana Greenblatt.

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