Entertainment
Asian Blaxpoitation heroine that was inspiration for ‘Kill Bill’ protagonist revived for TV series
- Southeast Asian action hero Cleopatra Wong, played by Singaporean actor Marrie Lee (aka Doris Young) in a series of films in the late 1970s, is being revived for an upcoming show.
- Created by Filipino filmmaker Bobby Suarez, the character served as the inspiration for Uma Thurman’s character Beatrix "The Bride" Kiddo in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” movies and was
- Independent studio The Ink Factory, which has obtained the rights to the charfblacter, is co-producing the new series with Singapore-based Beach House Pictures.
- Chinese American writer Tasha Huo (“Tomb Raider”) and Thai-British writer Chris Cornwell (“A Discovery of Witches”) will share writing duties for the new project.
Cleopatra Wong, the badass Singaporean Interpol agent from the Asian grindhouse scene of the ‘70s, is back.
The Southeast Asian action hero, who reportedly was the inspiration for Uma Thurman’s character Beatrix ” The Bride” Kiddo in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” movies, is being revived for an upcoming TV show set in the 21st century, according to Variety.
BTS’s RM releases new solo album
- BTS’ RM dropped “Indigo,” his new solo album, on Friday.
- The album contains 10 tracks in total and features several artists, including Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak, Tablo, Kim Sawol and Mahalia.
- RM also recently released a music video for the song “Wild Flower,” which features guest vocalist youjeen.
- Last month, RM shared the album’s complete tracklist on social media.
BTS’s RM dropped “Indigo,” his new solo album, on Friday.
The album contains 10 tracks in total and features several artists, including Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak, Tablo, Kim Sawol and Mahalia.
Ang Lee’s son to star as Bruce Lee in upcoming Ang Lee-directed biopic
- A Bruce Lee biopic is in the works, with Oscar-winning director Ang Lee helming the project and his son, Mason Lee, playing the late martial arts icon.
- The “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” director is developing the project at Sony’s 3000 Pictures from a script by “Capote” screenwriter Dan Futterman.
- “I feel compelled to tell the story of this brilliant, unique human being who yearned for belonging, possessed tremendous power in a 135-pound-frame, and who, through tireless hard work, made impossible dreams into reality,” Ang Lee said of the project.
- Ang Lee will also share producer credits with Lawrence Grey, Ben Everard, Brian Bell and Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee.
A biopic about late martial arts icon Bruce Lee is in the works at Sony’s 3000 Pictures with director Ang Lee attached to helm the project.
Ang Lee, who is most known for his directorial work on “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Life of PI” and “Brokeback Mountain,” will base the depiction on a script by “Capote” screenwriter Dan Futterman.
Netflix teases revenge K-drama ‘The Glory,’ starring Song Hye-kyo
- Netflix has released a poster and teaser trailer for “The Glory,” premiering Dec. 30.
- The series stars Song Hye-kyo as Moon Dong-eun, a woman with a life mission to get revenge on her childhood bullies.
- Lim Ji-yeon will play Dong-eun’s bully, Park Yeon-jin. Lee Do-hyun also joins the cast as the mysterious Ju Yeo-jung.
- “The Glory” is written by screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, who is best known for writing other series like “Goblin,” “Heirs,” “Secret Garden” and “Descendants of the Sun.
Netflix released an announcement trailer for a mysterious new K-drama series titled “The Glory.”
The series will star Song Hye-kyo, who is best known for her lead roles in K-dramas like “Full House,” “That Winter, the Wind Blows” and 2016’s “Descendants of the Sun.” Song plays Moon Dong-eun, a woman looking to enact revenge against her childhood bullies.
‘Itaewon Class’ star Park Seo-joon to join ‘The Marvels’ in 2023
- “Itaewon Class” star Park Seo-joon will be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in “The Marvels” next year.
- Disney made the announcement during a special Disney Content Showcase, which was held at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on Wednesday.
- Park, 33, is set to become the third actor of Korean descent to appear in the MCU after Claudia Kim in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015) as Helen Cho and Ma Dong-seok in “The Eternals” (2021) as Gilgamesh.
- While Disney and Marvel are still keeping specific details under wraps, rumors suggest that Park might play Amadeus Cho, the Korean American successor of Bruce Banner as The Incredible Hulk.
- Other projects unveiled during Disney’s Wednesday event include the second season of “The Zone: Survival Mission.”
- Documentaries centering on K-pop, such as “BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star,” “Super Junior: The Last Man Standing” and a J-Hope solo documentary were also featured.
South Korean actor Park Seo-joon will make his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut in the upcoming film “The Marvels.”
Disney made the announcement during a special Disney Content Showcase at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on Wednesday.
ITZY smiles like a ‘Cheshire’ for new comeback album
- JYP Entertainment girl group ITZY released their new mini-album “Cheshire” on Wednesday, led by a title track of the same name.
- ITZY corresponded with NextShark over email about their new album and their recent FIFA World Cup commercial for McDonald’s.
- “Cheshire” was co-written by Justin Reinstein, who previously worked on NMIXX’s “Funky Glitter Christmas” and the TWICE album “Between 1&2.”
- The album includes the B-sides Snowy,” “Freaky” and the previously released English-language single“Boys Like You.”
- The group debuted “Cheshire” live on stage for the first time on Wednesday during the 2022 MAMA Awards, in which they were nominated for Artist of the Year, Worldwide Fans’ Choice Top 10 and Best Female Group.
K-pop girl group ITZY has dominated this year.
Last month, they wrapped up their sold-out CHECKMATE world tour. In July, they dropped their fifth mini-album of the same name led by the title track “Sneakers.” The album skyrocketed to No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking their first placement in the top 10 and cementing them as only the fourth K-pop girl group to do so. In August, they headlined KCON LA 2022, joining an all-star assembly of K-pop acts.
‘I used to steal from here’: Dwayne Johnson rights his wrongs at Hawaii 7-Eleven
- In an Instagram post, American actor Dwayne Johnson claimed that he used to steal a Snickers candy bar from a 7-Eleven in Hawaii every day for almost a year when he was 14 years old.
- To atone for his childhood sins, Johnson recently returned to the same 7-Eleven and bought all of the Snickers bars in the store.
- As a bonus, the actor also paid for all the items of the customers who were in the store at the time, racking up a $298 bill.
- The actor handed the purchased chocolate bars to the store’s clerk and told him to give them to customers who look like they are going to steal one.
Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, returned to his childhood 7-Eleven in Hawaii to “right his wrongs” decades later.
In an Instagram post, the American actor claimed that he used to steal a Snickers candy bar every day for almost a year when he was 14 years old.
Collin Gosselin of ‘Jon & Kate Plus 8’ says the show tore his family apart in new interview
- In a recent interview with "Entertainment Tonight," former child reality star Collin Gosselin shared that he thinks the show “Jon & Kate Plus 8” ruined his family.
- Collin starred in the TLC reality show along with his parents, Jon and Kate Gosselin, and his seven siblings: Hannah, Alexis, Joel, Leah, Aaden and twins Cara and Madelyn.
- When Jon and Kate divorced in 2009, the show was retitled "Kate Plus 8" and continued airing until 2017.
- According to Collin, his relationship with his mother ended in 2016 after she admitted him into an institution at age 12 due to "special needs."
- After he got out, he and his sister Hannah lived with Jon, who was granted temporary full custody of the pair.
- Collin, who plans to enlist in the Marine Corps, said that he has not spoken to his siblings "in probably five or six years now" but still hopes to have a meal with his family one day and “catch up on… the time that [they] lost."
Former child reality star Collin Gosselin, one of the eight siblings featured in the TLC reality show “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” has revealed that he has not spoken with most of his brothers and sisters for years.
From 2007 to 2009, Collin starred on the show along with his parents, Jon and Kate Gosselin, and his seven siblings: Hannah, Alexis, Joel, Leah, Aaden and twins Cara and Madelyn. The show’s title was changed to “Kate Plus 8” after Jon and Kate’s divorce in 2009 and continued airing until 2017.
Ye mocked for dining with white supremacist at Japanese restaurant
- Twitter users mocked Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, after a picture of him having dinner with white supremacist Nick Fuentes was shared on Monday.
- The picture was reportedly taken at Matsutake Sushi and Steak in Frederick, Maryland, after Ye, walked out of a "Timcast IRL" podcast interview with right-wing host Tim Pool, who asked the 45-year-old rapper about his past antisemitic comments.
- Several Twitter users also made fun of his shoes, which look like fishing boots.
- “He had a long day fishing give him a break,” one Twitter user wrote.
- “Ye finding out that they won't serve you fish sticks in a Japanese restaurant even if you come dressed like the Gortons Fisherman,” another user tweeted.
- The Monday night incident was not the first time Ye and Fuentes made headlines for being seen together. Ye reportedly brought Fuentes to dinner with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, prompting the former president to deny any knowledge of who Fuentes was at the gathering.
Twitter users are having a blast mocking Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, after a picture of him having dinner with white supremacist Nick Fuentes at a strip mall hibachi in Maryland started circulating online.
The picture was reportedly taken at Matsutake Sushi and Steak in Frederick, Maryland, on Tuesday after Ye walked out of a “Timcast IRL” podcast interview conducted by right-wing host Tim Pool, who asked the 45-year-old rapper about his past antisemitic comments.
K-pop power couple HyunA and DAWN call off engagement
- K-pop power couple HyunA and DAWN have called off their engagement and are no longer dating.
- On Wednesday, HyunA posted about their split on Instagram.
- “We broke up. We’ve decided to be good friends and coworkers. Thank you all for being supportive of our relationship,” the former Wonder Girls and 4Minute member wrote, as per Hypebae’s translation.
- Back in February, the K-pop power couple, who started dating in 2016, officially announced their engagement.
- They were Cube Entertainment labelmates before joining PSY’s P Nation in 2018. In September 2021, they released their joint EP “1+1=1.”
K-pop power couple HyunA and DAWN have called off their engagement and are no longer dating.
On Wednesday, HyunA posted about their split on Instagram.
BTS announce upcoming Disney Plus documentary series
- BTS are set to appear in an upcoming Disney Plus documentary series.
- Fans reportedly first heard the recent news about "BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star" via a Disney Plus Singapore tweet posted on Wednesday.
- The tweet, which features a video of the K-pop boy group announcing the series, has already garnered over 428,000 views and 135,000 likes.
- "It’s time for the second chapter," the tweet states. "Chart the incredible journey of pop icons BTS in the new docu-series BTS MONUMENTS: BEYOND THE STAR, an exclusive #DisneyPlusSG series coming soon."
- The upcoming series will feature "stories of our growth and of our music from our debut to today. ... It shares candid stories that have never been told, so please look forward to it," BTS reveal in the video.
BTS are set to appear in an upcoming Disney Plus documentary series.
Fans reportedly first heard the recent news about “BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star” via a Disney Plus Singapore tweet posted on Wednesday. The tweet, which features a video of the K-pop boy group announcing the series, has already garnered over 428,000 views and 135,000 likes.
George Takei fires back at ‘cantankerous old man’ William Shatner in latest salvo of decades-long feud
- George Takei did not hold back in an interview on Monday as he appeared to call out his former “Star Trek” cast member William Shatner for being a “cantankerous old man.”
- Takei alluded to Shatner in an interview with The Guardian, describing the former Enterprise captain as “a prima donna.”
- Takei believes that none of the former “Star Trek” cast members got along with Shatner.
- Promoting his new memoir, “Boldly Go, Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder,” Shatner told The Times UK via IndieWire that his fellow actors have used his name for “publicity.”
- Takei hit back, saying that he’s done mentioning Shatner’s name in interviews.
George Takei did not hold back in an interview on Monday as he appeared to call out his former “Star Trek” cast member William Shatner for being a “cantankerous old man.”
Takei alluded to Shatner in an interview with The Guardian, describing the former Enterprise captain as “a prima donna.”
