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Variety reports that Snoop Dogg is set to star in The Last Man, an original sci-fi movie written and directed by Luc Besson. While the pairing may seem like an odd one, Dogg and Besson have actually worked together before. Dogg voiced one of the main characters in Arthur and the Minimoys, which was released almost 20 years ago.

The plot of The Last Man is being kept under wraps. The only details refer to it as a post-apocalyptic tale believed to be inspired by The Planet of the Apes. It may also be connected to Dogg’s Last Man Standing song, released in 2009. “I’ve been a big fan of Snoop Dogg’s music ever since ‘Who Am I,’” said Besson in a statement. “We first met 20 years ago, and we’ve always wanted to work together again. We just needed the right project that would excite us both — and this is it,...

George Huang’s “Weekend in Taipei” (2024) is the stuff of old, familiar action movies. The narrative is jaded, the characters tiringly dull, action formulaic. There’s not even a shard of pretense to serve up something alluring or formally captivating. The story is dead on arrival. There are molls, figures returning from the past, and an excessively smart kid who pokes into matters he should leave cold. To top it all, the acting seems to belong to some overly sincere league, trying to inject meaning and intention into empty gestures and stiffly boring narratives.

There’s an influential tycoon at the center with a syndicate at his beck and call. The rival has to cook his goose and bring him to account for his many crimes. Luke Evans gives a valiant effort, fully committing to his role, but the screenplay offers little depth to his character or to those he interacts with,...

Weekend in Taipei is an action-drama that revolves around an undercover DEA agent John Lawlor, who falls in love with a mercenary driver, Joey in Taipei. Fifteen years later they crossed paths, and they had too many secrets to uncover. Joey was married to a Taiwanese drug lord, Kwang, and most of her days were spent shopping and driving high-speed cars. She was unhappy in her marriage, and even though it had been almost a couple of decades since she met John, she was still in love with him. Kwang had adopted her son, Raymond, but the boy had never accepted him as his stepfather. He knew that Kwang was a criminal, and he could not figure out why his mother chose to marry him in the first place. Joey always told him that Kwang helped them when she did not have anyone to turn to, but what had happened...

Who doesn’t love a fun action movie? With John Wick and The Fast Saga changing the game for what audiences have come to expect from big-budget action movies, other movies are often relegated to second-class efforts. Luc Besson, the creator of The Transporter and Taken franchises, has cemented his own brand of action movie that has been around for decades. Partnering with co-writer and director George Huang, Besson has produced the new movie Weekend in Taipei, which mines the classic style of nineties-era action movies for a fun, brisk movie experience (check out our review Here).

Weekend in Taipei follows DEA agent John Lawlor (Luke Evans) as he returns to Taiwan after fifteen years away. The last time he was there, he had a romance with criminal transporter Joey (Gwei Lun-mei). Lawlor is in town to pick up evidence to take down drug kingpin Kwang (Sung Kang). Unbeknownst to John,...

“Venom: The Last Dance” (Sony) was the default #1 with a $16.2 million gross. That’s an uninspiring number for the top spot, but the threequel now stands at $394 million worldwide and predecessor “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” totaled $507 million. “Dance” could do the same.

The modestly budgeted “Heretic” (A24) and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” (Lionsgate) are battling for a #2 slot that won’t be certain until Sunday’s actuals come in. Both did around $11 million, a bit over projections.

However, the most noteworthy aspect of the box office on this post-election weekend is that the top 20 is so wildly eclectic that it’s quite possible even the most committed cinematic completist will never see them all.

That’s all the more strange with Veteran’s Day on Monday, making this a four-day weekend for many. Usually that encourages major studios to place their top films, but studios held back due...

“Weekend in Taipei” is a thrilling action movie that flashes back to the 1980s and combines family drama, foreign intrigue, and action. It was directed by George Huang and written by the famous action movie writer Luc Besson. The movie takes viewers on a thrilling ride through Taiwan’s busy streets and criminal underworld.

The main character is John Lawlor, a DEA agent played by Luke Evans, who goes to Taipei against his boss’s orders to complete a personal task. His goal was drug lord Kwang, who Sung Kang played scarily. This isn’t just another simple chase story, though. John meets up with Joey (Gwei Lun-Mei), an old friend now married to Kwang and has a teenage son named Raymond. This changes the story in a complicated way.

The story has many different parts, including a bad agent’s search for justice, a difficult love story, and the...

In 1982, Prince urged everyone to “Party like it’s 1999.” Aiming to party somewhere roughly in the middle of that timespan is “Weekend in Taipei,” a throwback in the sense that it recalls the unpretentious — if also unmemorable — pleasures of many boilerplate action movies released in the peak Vcr era. Luc Besson is both a co-writer and producer on this French-Taiwanese enterprise, which provides George Huang his first directorial feature in some time, 30 years after his very different debut, “Swimming With Sharks.”

With “Fast & Furious” alumni Luke Evans and Sung Kang as the male leads, this tale of a DEA agent venturing East to battle a crime syndicate raises expectations of flashy chase and fight scenes. Those are duly met, even if the script Huang and Besson have devised is flimsy stuff. These 100 minutes offer the kind of energetic, no-brainer fun you may remember little of the morning after — but...

It is almost fitting that George Huang’s Weekend in Taipei comes out nearly 30 years after his razor-sharp and ruthless black comedy, Swimming with the Sharks. You just have to wonder what took his son so long to make another movie. That biting, back-stabbing comedy still holds up and showcases the talents of a filmmaker who can embed comedy within any genre.

I mention this because Weekend in Taipei is a comedy wrapped in an action film. This doesn’t mean the movie’s tone is uneven or unsure of itself—far from it. While Huang’s script occasionally stumbles into a few tropes, like Luc Besson’s mysterious character arc or a Parent Trap-esque subplot, the experience is refreshing, super cool, funny, and ultimately one hell of a ride.

Luke Evans in Weekend in Taipei | Image via Ketchup Entertainment Related 6 Times Actors Nailed It as Zeus in Hollywood Weekend...

It’s not that clear cut that Sony’s Venom: The Last Dance will take No. 1 in its third weekend; the movie looking to do around $12M. Exhibitors are betting that A24’s Heretic could do as much, if not more. A24 projections are at $8M at 3,200 theaters for the Hugh Grant horror movie directed by A Quiet Place architects Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.

Heretic, which made its world premiere at TIFF, follows two young Mormon missionaries, who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The R-rated movie counts 94% certified fresh reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. There were some sneaks in Salt Lake City, Ut, but overall previews kick off Thursday at 7Pm. The target is young folks, 18-34.

Venom 3 had a very good second Tuesday on Election Day of $3.3M,...

Plot: On a deep undercover assignment in Taipei, DEA agent John Lawlor was doing everything right… until he fell in love with his informant, beautiful Josephine “Joey” Kwang, one of the Asian underworld’s best transport drivers. Compromised and cover blown, John was forced to flee. Now, years later, John is back in Taipei for the weekend. But is he here to finish the job? Or to win back Joey’s love?

Review: Luke Evans is one of those actors who I always thought deserved to star in an action franchise. His James Bond-esque good looks and debonair stature made him a natural in The Hobbit franchise and The Fast Saga. Having appeared in supporting roles over the last few years, his last significant lead being 2017’s Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, Evans makes a case for headlining more action vehicles with Weekend in Taipei. Co-written by The Transporter and Taken creator Luc Besson,...

Ketchup Entertainment founder Gareth West has partnered with Zero Gravity Management and Ozark producer Mark Williams on a new television division.

The venture will operate as a division of Ketchup Entertainment dedicated to producing and acquiring premium series, with Ketchup also serving as the US distributor.

The partnership will focus on shows across multiple genres, ranging from thrillers and historical dramas to sci-fi and crime. The first slate of original projects is in development, while the acquisitions team is looking at completed shows. The partners anticipate releasing the inaugural series by mid-2025.

“This partnership allows us to create and distribute entertaining,...

A new trailer for Luke Evans upcoming action movie has been released!

The 45-year-old actor plays an American Drug Enforcement Administration agent opposite Gwei Lun-mei in the new movie Weekend in Taipei, written and directed by George Huang.

Here’s the synopsis: “On a deep undercover assignment in Taipei, DEA agent John Lawlor (Evans) was doing everything right… until he fell in love with his informant, beautiful Josephine ‘Joey’ Kwang (Lun-mei), one of the Asian underworld’s best transport drivers. Compromised and cover blown, John was forced to flee. Now, years later, John is back in Taipei for the weekend. But is he here to finish the job? Or to win back Joey’s love?”

Keep reading to find out more…The movie also stars Sung Kang and Wyatt Yang.

In a recent interview, Luke addressed all of the rumors and speculation that he’s going to play the next James Bond.

"I'm not gonna lose you again!" Or will he? Ketchup Ent. has debuted a second official trailer for Weekend in Taipei, an action comedy meets romantic thriller arriving in theaters in November. The original working title was Weekend Escape Project, but now it's in Taipei - directed by a Taiwanese-American filmmaker and starring a Taiwanese actress. From the creators of Taken and The Transporter - Luc Besson co-wrote and produced this in Taiwan. On a deep undercover mission in Taipei, DEA agent John Lawlor was doing everything right... until he fell in love with his informant, beautiful Josephine "Joey" Kwang, one of the best transport drivers. Compromised and cover blown, John was forced to flee. Now, years later, John is back in Taipei for the weekend. But is he here to finish the job? Or to win back Joey’s love? Starring Luke Evans as John, Gwei Lun-mei as Joey,...

Stars: Sung Kang, Lun-Mei Gwei, Luke Evans, Wyatt Yang | Written by George Huang, Luc Besson | Directed by George Huang

The poster for Weekend in Taipei bills it as “From the creator of Taken and The Transporter”. That’s another way of saying Luc Besson, who co-wrote both of those hits with Robert Mark Kamen, co-wrote this film’s script. However, his co-writer this time is the film’s director George Huang, who seems like an odd choice having not directed since he helmed several episodes of American Heiress in 2007. His last credit as a writer was the faux sequel Hard Target 2 in 2016.

In Taipei, mob boss Kwang is going on trial. At the same time that he’s proclaiming his innocence to the gathered reporters, his wife Joey is buying a new Ferrari. After a suitably fast test drive through the streets of Taipei, of course.

In Minneapolis, Agent John Lawlor...

Leonine bringt den Actionthriller „Weekend in Taipei” am 17. Oktober in die deutschen Kinos und hat jetzt den Trailer veröffentlicht.

In „Weekend in Taipeh“ spielt Luke Evans einen Agenten der US-Drogenvollzugsbehörde DEA, den nichts und niemand aufhalten kann, wenn es darum geht, einen Fall abzuschließen. Gegen den Willen seiner Chefin reist er nach Taipei, um dort dem Chef eines taiwanesischen Drogenkartells das Handwerk zu legen. Dort trifft er auf eine alte Liebe, mit der er 15 Jahre nach ihrem letzten Treffen auf Kollisionskurs gerät.

Leonine bringt „Weekend in Taipei” am 17. Oktober in die deutschen Kinos.

Updated with new release date: Sony said Tuesday that it will now open Miramax’s Here, the reteam of Forrest Gump filmmaker Robert Zemeckis and its stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, on November 1. It’s the only studio theatrical release going wide on that day after Samuel Goldwyn’s Liam Neeson title Absolution, Viva’s animated Hitpig and the George Huang-directed Luke Evans movie Weekend in Taipei. There’s been no buzz that Here will land a place at the fall’s film festival troika of Toronto, Venice and Telluride.

Previously, June 21: Sony said Friday that its new film Here, reuniting the director, writer, and stars of the classic Forrest Gump, will open wide via TriStar Pictures on November 15.

Previously, the film had been scheduled for an exclusive run in Los Angeles in New York on that date, with a limited and wide release to follow on November 22 and November 27, respectively.

“Weekend in Taipei” is a France-produced non-stop live-action ‘shoot-em-up’ set in Taiwan, directed by George Huang and co-written by Luc Besson, starring Luke Evans, Gwei Lun-mei and Sung Kang, with an international theatrical release August 21, 2024:

“…‘DEA’ agent, ‘John Lawlor’ (Evans), reunites with Taipei-based mercenary driver, ‘Joey Kwang’ (Gwei), and becomes entangled in a romantic relationship with her.

‘Lawlor, a committed ‘Drug Enforcement Administration’ agent, previously fell in love with Kwang, a Taipei-based ‘transporter’…

“…but was forced to separate due to the disruption of criminal and corruption activities.

“Now, 15 years later, the duo is reunited, but there is no rest for the wicked…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

I’m a sucker for a good kitchen fight scene, and the recently released trailer for Weekend in Taipei opens with a doozy. After his restaurant cover is blown, John Lawlor (Luke Evans) makes use of knives, pans, and even a blowtorch to take down a legion of baddies. I love it.

Weekend in Taipei was written by Luc Besson & George Huang, with Huang directing the action movie. “John Lawlor is a pit-bull DEA agent married to his job – there’s not a bad guy he can’t stop, nothing he won’t sacrifice to close out a case,” reads the official synopsis. “Joey Kang is a top ‘Transporter’ in Taipei – fast-driving and fast-thinking, she’s difficult to pin down, impossible to catch. The two of them weren’t supposed to fall in love, but fate brought them together… before forces of crime and corruption tore them apart. Now, 15 years later,...

"You're in trouble now." Oh boy! Ketchup Ent. has revealed an official trailer for Weekend in Taipei, an action comedy meets romantic thriller arriving in theaters in November later this year. The original working title was Weekend Escape Project, but now it's in Taipei - directed by a Taiwanese-American filmmaker and starring a Taiwanese actress. From the creators of Taken and The Transporter - Luc Besson co-wrote and produced this movie directly in Taiwan. The full-scale project shot for three months in Taipei last year - the action should be on a par with those in Taken, Transporter, From Paris with Love, Danny the Dog." The plot follows a "pit-bull" DEA agent working on job in Taipei, who encounters his old flame, a Taiwanese woman named Joey Kang. They haven't seen each other for 15 years, but now they're thrown into the action again during a weekend in Taipei. Starring Luke Evans,...

Exclusive: Ketchup Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Ozi, Voice of the Forest, an animated feature produced by Appian Way Productions, Mike Medavoy and Gci Film, which features a voice cast led by Amandla Stenberg.

World premiering at last year’s Annecy Animation Film Festival, the film is slated for a wide theatrical rollout later this year.

The film, directed by Tim Harper, follows Ozi (Stenberg), an orphan orangutan who uses her influencer skills to save her forest and home from deforestation.

Intended to raise awareness around the issues our planet’s rainforests face due to growing levels of deforestation, and how this affects ecosystems and climate change, the film also features the voices of Dean Charles Chapman, Djimon Hounsou, Donald Sutherland, Laura Dern, RuPaul Charles, and Urzila Carlson. Intended as the first film in a climate-themed franchise, to be followed by Ocean — a film now in development — it...

Exclusive: Fundamental Films chairman Mark Gao and his CEO Ivy Hua are in Cannes to reconnect with the international industry as part of the Shanghai-based company’s return to international acquisitions and production.

One of the biggest and longest-established Chinese buyers before the pandemic, Fundamental is also an investor in Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp and has a long-standing output deal to release the French studio’s films in China – it will soon release Weekend In Taipei, directed by George Huang and starring Luke Evans and Gwei Lun-mei. It also was also recently signed by UTA for representation across production, distribution and investment opportunities.

Chinese buyers have been a rare sight on the Croisette in recent years, a consequence of travel restrictions during the pandemic and a slowdown in censorship approvals, but now the borders are wide open, and Gao thinks the time is right to step back into the international market.

Exclusive: UTA has signed Shanghai and Los Angeles-based production, distribution and investment company Fundamental Films for representation.

Founded by Mark Gao in 2008, Fundamental Films was one of China’s biggest buyers before the pandemic, releasing films including American Hustle, Limitless, Lucy and the Taken and Transporter franchises.

The company acquired a significant minority share in Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp in 2016, releasing the French studio’s titles in China, as well as co-producing films, including the reboot of the Transporter series and fantasy epic, Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets.

UTA will provide strategic support in expanding Fundamental’s partnerships across film production and distribution, as well as identifying global IP, new business and technology investment opportunities.

Fundamental is releasing EuropaCorp’s upcoming action thriller, A Weekend In Taipei (aka Weekend Escape Project), starring Luke Evans and Gwei Lun-mei, in China this summer.

Commenting on the partnership with UTA,...

Exclusive: Ketchup Entertainment has acquired North American rights to the action film Weekend in Taipei, produced by EuropaCorp’s Luc Besson and Virginie Besson-Silla, and starring Luke Evans (Murder Mystery), Gwei Lun-Mei and Sung Kang (Fast & Furious franchise).

The film from director George Huang (Swimming with Sharks) has been slated for a wide theatrical release this year, with further details on the worldwide roll-out planned by EuropaCorp still to come.

Co-written by Huang and Besson, Weekend in Taipei follows John Lawlor, a pit-bull DEA agent married to his job. There’s not a bad guy he can’t stop, nothing he won’t sacrifice to close out a case. Joey Kwang is a top “Transporter” in Taipei — fast-driving and fast-thinking, she’s difficult to pin down, impossible to catch. The two of them weren’t supposed to fall in love, but fate brought them together…...

Having already directed plenty of action-thrillers, a few sci-fis and — last year — a whole load of mutts (the Venice-bowing “Dogman”), Luc Besson is now set to venture into epic fantasy territories with one of the most famous big screen characters of all.

The French director is to direct an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s’ “Dracula,” telling the story of 15th century Prince Vladimir who cursed God following the death of his beloved wife and is turned into a vampire. Later, in 19th century London, he discovers his wife’s doppelgänger and dooms himself by pursuing her.

Variety understands that Christoph Waltz is in talks to star, as is Caleb Landry-Jones, which would reunite Besson with his lead in “Dogman,” which bowed in Venice last year. Like “Dogman,” Besson’s EuropaCorp is producing.

Kinology is talking to buyers about the project at the European Film Market.

Billed as Besson’s big...

EuropaCorp has named Jean-Marc Lacarrère CEO of the company, set to officially take on his new role on March 1, the Paris-based studio’s board of directors announced on Wednesday (February 14).

EuropaCorp founder and filmmaker Luc Besson had stepped in as interim CEO after French-Swiss executive Axel Duroux resigned after a nearly four-year term in December following a series of shake-ups as the group continues to restructure and ramp up its film and audiovisual production. Besson will remain as chairman of the board of directors.

After a long career in various positions at Canal+, Lacarrère served as director of new production...

EuropaCorp, the production company founded by Luc Besson and taken over by New York fund Vine Alternative Investments in 2020, has appointed Jean-Marc Lacarrère as its new CEO.

Lacarrère will begin his new role on March 3, succeeding Axel Duroux, the French-Swiss executive who helmed the company for nearly four years and stepped down in December.

A French media expert, Lacarrère previously worked at the Canal+ Group, and managed the music publishing and production company La Bande Son, which was later acquired by Studiocanal. He also headed the digital news channel now known as CNews, went on to join Bolloré Média Group to spearhead Direct Cinéma and headed Canal+’s free-to-air division. He has also worked with “The Bureau” producer Alex Berger and Benjamin de Rothschild, and was appointed president of CanalPlay and head of international SVOD for the Canal+ Group. He joined Vivendi Content in 2017, before setting up Harvest Mood Films,...

EuropaCorp CEO Axel Duroux, the French-Swiss executive who joined the Paris-based company in 2020, has stepped down from his position.

Luc Besson, who co-founded EuropaCorp in 1999, will act as the interim CEO for a limited period starting immediately, EuropaCorp said in a release.

Duroux will remain a shareholder and will continue to work closely with EuropaCorp as special advisor to the chairman until mid-May “in order to ensure the best possible handover to the new management team,” the company added.

EuropaCorp was taken over by New York fund Vine Alternative Investments in 2020, after being placed on a debt waiver by a French commercial court. As part of its restructuring plan, EuropaCorp received a new credit line of $100 million to develop a slate of films and start producing again. Besson, who previously had an operational role in the company, became artistic director with a five-year contract renewable for another two years.

The...

New CEO and projects to be announced in 2024 as group restructures, ramps up audiovisual production.

EuropaCorp CEO Axel Duroux has resigned from his position and company founder and former CEO Luc Besson will step into the role as interim for a limited period, effective immediately, according to a group statement on Thursday (December 14).

The shake-up is part of the group’s desire to restructure and ramp up its film and audiovisual production. Duroux replaced Besson in the position in September 2020 and signed on for a four-year term that was mandated to end in September 2024.

A spokesperson for EuropaCorp told Screen...

Rebel Wilson brided a little too hard on the set of her latest movie!

The actress and comedian took to her Instagram Story on Thursday to show off a nasty injury she obtained while filming her upcoming wedding comedy, “Bride Hard”, which is currently in production in Savannah, Georgia.

“Not the way I wanted to end this movie!” Wilson captioned the painful-looking shot, showing off the stitches and a bloody nose. “3 stitches and in hospital last night after a stunt accident at 4am.”

Rebel Wilson/Instagram

Despite the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes that have halted all major studio productions, “Bride Hard” was granted an Interim Agreement to continue filming amid the strikes, because it is an independently produced film.

“This list includes productions that are signed to agreements within the scope of the strike order, but have signed Interim Agreements allowing them to resume,” reads the official list from SAG-AFTRA.