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The Hong Kong box office recorded a rise of 22.2% year-on year over the Easter holiday weekend led by We 12, the action comedy starring all 12 members of Cantopop boy band Mirror.

Gross box office in the territory from March 29 to April 1 was $4.7m (Hk$36.8m) further powered by new releases Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire and Kung Fu Panda 4, according to data provided by Hong Kong Box Office.

Last year, the Easter weekend ran from April 7-10 and marked a return to pre-pandemic levels, up 1.6% on Easter 2019.

Distributed by Edko Films, We 12 topped the four-day chart with revenues of...

Growing up in Hong Kong, the future members of the 12-member boy band Mirror had all kinds of jobs — from personal trainers to dancers and martial arts instructors. “The 12 of us did not debut from a training program,” says Edan (who, like the other members, typically goes by his first name). “We came from different places and backgrounds in Hong Kong, and so we have different strengths.”

One thing that they all had in common was a love of Cantopop, the locally popular genre that blends Cantonese lyrics with a melting pot of disco,...

Trinity CineAsia has acquired UK and Ireland rights to We 12, the upcoming action comedy starring all 12 members of Cantopop boy band Mirror, in a deal with Hong Kong’s Makerville.

The film will open in UK and Ireland cinemas on March 29, the day after its release in Hong Kong through Edko Films, and coincides with the Easter holiday weekend.

Directed by Berry Ho and written by Lai Sze Cheung, the story follows 12 members of an underground organisation who secretly maintain peace in the world using a range of extraordinary skills. After long being separated, they must reunite to steal an...

The caper or heist film is one of the sub-genres of action that has a lot to offer thematically and stylistically if done correctly. If we think back to “To Catch a Thief” or even the “Oceans”-series, the world these stories show are a reflection of a society based on materialism and property, with the thieves sharing the same obsession as the owners of the object they want to steal. On the other hand, given its potential to be an ensemble piece, the caper/heist feature also offers actors the chance to shine. Steve Yuen's “The Moon Thieves”, the director's third feature, tries to combine the two aspects of the genre, but fails to offer some depth to its otherwise intriguing premise.

The Moon Thieves is released exclusively in UK cinemas by Central City Media

Uncle (Keung To) is a major player in the Hong Kong underworld and...

The Hong Kong box office was dominated by a trio of local titles over Chinese New Year, earning almost $8m (Hk$62m) in 10 days.

Taking the top spot was Table For Six 2, with a cumulative box office of $4.07m (Hk$31.86m) as of February 18, while The Moon Thieves ($2.5m/Hk$19.58m) and Rob N Roll ($1.35/Hk$10.54m) ranked second and third respectively.

All three opened on Chinese New Year’s Eve (February 9) when multiple tentpole titles traditionally open to take full advantage of the lucrative festive period.

Ensemble family comedy Table For Six 2 rode on the success of its predecessor,...

Three members of Hong Kong Cantopop band Mirror feature in this fiendishly watchable crime caper which steals much from Ocean’s Eleven and, oddly, Asmr videos

Here is a very silly and yet fiendishly watchable heist thriller that features three members – Edan Lui, Anson Lo and Keung To – of the Hong Kong Cantopop boyband Mirror in major roles. That’s worth knowing not because they break into song at any point, but because that explains the film’s prepackaged feel and why at least one of the actors, Keung To, feels so weirdly miscast as a ruthless gangster. But as with much of the plot mechanics in this film, it’s best not to think too much and just roll with punches.

The obscure objects of desire here are vintage watches: specifically a trio of timepieces owned at one point by Pablo Picasso and a fourth watch alleged to have been...

The concept that the West, and particularly Europe and the US are some kind of heaven, has been a prevalent one in Asia since time immemorial. At the same time, though, the people who have actually taken the leap do realize that this is not always the case, with a number of movies actually highlighting the fact, with “Everybody's Gotta Love Sometimes” being one of the latest. “My Heavenly City” also moves in the same path, presenting three stories that highlight both the good and the bad of Asians living in the US, and particularly New York City.

Heavenly City will start screening in UK cinemas on 10th November, courtesy of Trinity CineAsia

In the first story, Taiwanese Mavis Fang was supposed to be writing her doctoral dissertation but she decided to take a break to deal with “personal issues”, as she deals with loneliness, depression and a sense of not fitting in,...

The crime drama will be released on December 30.

Trinity CineAsia has acquired Hong Kong tentpole The Goldfinger for the UK and Ireland after striking a deal with Emperor Motion Pictures.

The crime drama will reunite Hong Kong superstars Andy Lau and Tony Leung with writer/director Felix Chong for the first time since 2002’s Infernal Affairs. That film, co-written by Chong and directed by Lau and Alan Mak, spawned a trilogy of films and inspired Martin Scorsese’s 2006 Oscar-winning crime thriller The Departed.

UK-based Trinity CineAsia will theatrically release The Goldfinger in UK and Irish cinemas on December 30, co-ordinated with...

“We 12,” a movie featuring the entire group of 12 Mirror Canto-pop stars is part of the expanding production slate of Makerville, the talent and production arm of Hong Kong telecoms and TV group Pccw.

The development is paralleled by an expansion of the production operations of Viu, Pccw’s multi-territory video streamer which recently confirmed its profitability.

Makerville is the talent agency behind Mirror, which was created in 2018 through the “Good Night Show – Kingmaker” talent show on ViuTV, a Pccw terrestrial channel. And it was able to put all the band members on stage Wednesday at a promotional event within the FilMart rights market in Hong Kong.

Few details of the “We 12” film have yet been disclosed other than its screenwriter Bobo Cheung, director Berry Ho and producer George King. Sources close to Pccw say that it is being fully-financed by the group and could be completed by the end of the year.

Some 16 titles were showcased at a packed launch in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong-based Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp) presented a massive line-up of 16 titles at Filmart, including actor Nicholas Tse’s directorial debut New Police Story 2 and a further two action films also led by Tse.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the first New Police Story, which was directed by the late filmmaker Benny Chan. The new feature reunites the original cast, including Tse, Jackie Chan and Charlene Choi, from the original film. Chan will produce for Tse who will direct for the first time.

The film is set to enter production this year,...

Exclusive: MakerVille, the recently launched entertainment subsidiary of Hong Kong media group Pccw, is set to make a splash at Filmart, unveiling an ambitious slate of movies and premium series, following its debut feature Mad Fate, which had its world premiere at Berlin film festival.

Lofai Lo, MakerVille’s CEO and former General Manager of Pccw’s free-to-air channel ViuTV, sat down with Deadline to talk through the slate and outline the company’s production strategy. In addition to movies with international appeal, which Hong Kong has long been known for, he aims to put local creators on the map with a slate of high-end Cantonese and Mandarin-language TV series that can travel beyond Hong Kong.

“We produce around 2,000 hours of programming a year for ViuTV, and while most is targeted at the local market, it’s allowed us to create an incubator structure where we can experiment with new ideas,...

After successfully debuting with her feature “28+1”, Hong Kong director Kearan Pang experimented with other media and formats, ultimately leading to the inspiration for what would become “Mama’s Affair”. Her work as creative director for singer Joey Yung’s concert series “My Secret Live” as well as a coach on the reality competition “King Maker” gave her some insight into the music industry, the way bands and artists are pushed and how talents are discovered. These themes heavily influenced the characters and the plot for “Mama’s Affair” which sees a former talent manager getting back to her old ways as she seeks to support the dancing and singing skills of a young man, an enterprise resulting in a promising start for a new career, but also in conflicts with her family.

“Mama’s Affair“ is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival

After the birth of her...

Upcoming Hong Kong comedy will star Hins Cheung and Ivana Wong.

Hong Kong’s Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp) is set to release comedy Everything Under Control over the Chinese New Year period in mid-January 2023, buoyed by the recent commercial success of a string of Hong Kong productions.

It marks the second feature of director Ying Chi Wen and stars popular Hong Kong singer Hins Cheung in his second leading film role, Ivana Wong of recent hit comedy Table For Six and Michael Ning (Port Of Call) along with upcoming actors Jeffrey Ngai and Joey Hung Ka-Ho. Ying’s feature debut...

After successfully debuting with her feature “28+1”, Hong Kong director Kearan Pang experimented with other media and formats, ultimately leading to the inspiration for what would become “Mama’s Affair”. Her work as creative director for singer Joey Yung’s concert series “My Secret Live” as well as a coach on the reality competition “King Maker” gave her some insight into the music industry, the way bands and artists are pushed and how talents are discovered. These themes heavily influenced the characters and the plot for “Mama’s Affair” which sees a former talent manager getting back to her old ways as she seeks to support the dancing and singing skills of a young man, an enterprise resulting in a promising start for a new career, but also in conflicts with her family.

Trinity Cine Asia is releasing “Mama’s Affair” to UK screens starting August 19th

After the birth of her son Mei-fung...

Music-biz drama featuring Hong Kong pop stars Keung To and Jer Lau bids for cross-generational appeal but gets lost in cliches

Hotly awaited as the big screen debut for pop idols Keung To and Jer Lau, members of the boyband sensation Mirror, Kearen Pang’s sophomore effort has a cross-generational appeal, as it revolves around the challenges faced by a housewife’s return to the workforce.

After giving up a successful career as a record company executive to raise a family, Mei-fung (Teresa Mo) grows dissatisfied with a marriage that is falling apart, and a distant relationship with her hardworking but reticent 17-year-old son Jonathan (Jer Lau). Thanks to her past contacts, Mei-fung gingerly steps back into the entertainment world, as she starts working at a small arts centre for kids. A chance encounter with Fong Ching (Keung To), a young delivery guy with killer moves and an angelic voice,...

Exclusive: Trinity CineAsia has acquired UK rights to Hong Kong family drama Mama’s Affair, which marks the film acting debut of two members of hot local boy band Mirror, Keung To and Jer Lau, from Hong Kong’s Emperor Motion Pictures.

Directed by Kearen Pang, the film opened at the Hong Kong box office last weekend (August 11), where it took the number one position with a weekend gross of HK10.1m (1.29m), including HK930,440 from previews, in the process out-performing Brad Pitt-starrer Bullet Train now in its second weekend.

Mama’s Affair is being released in the UK on August 19, just one week after its Hong Kong debut. It premiered at Japan’s Osaka Asian Film Festival in March and recently played at New York Asian Film Festival.

Cast in the film also includes Teresa Mo, playing a former top artiste manager, who chose family over career when she got pregnant.

Boy group singers Keung To and Anson Kong to star in two of the films.

Singapore’s mm2 Asia is ramping up production across Asia and in the US, with five films scheduled for release in 2023 as audiences return to theatres after the pandemic.

The titles include Yu Sen-i’s New York-set drama My Heavenly City and Nate Ki’s Hong Kong suspense horror Back Home. They will respectively star Keung To and Anson Kong from popular Hong Kong boy group Mirror.

Angelin Ong, general manager for North Asia at mm2 Asia, said the raft of upcoming features marked a...