Asia Pacific: News and Reviews from The Hollywood Reporter

L.A.’s Mystery Banker Behind Hollywood’s China Money

Dominic Ng is already fielding calls from Chinese investors interested in Paramount, as the low-profile chairman/CEO of East West Bank is one of the few financial connectors between U.S. studios (Universal, Fox, Lionsgate) and the emerging power.

China Box Office: ‘The Mermaid’ Becomes First Film to Gross $500M

Stephen Chow’s romantic eco-comedy is the first Chinese film and the seventh movie ever to cross the half-billion mark in a single territory.

Japan Box Office: ‘The Hateful Eight’ Opens at No. 8 in Limited Release

Elsewhere, ‘The Finest Hours’ bows at No. 4 and ‘The Martian’ takes its total to $23 million after four weekends at No. 1.

Takeshi Kitano Joins Scarlett Johansson in ‘Ghost in the Shell’

Rupert Sanders is directing the live-action adaptation of the Japanese manga.

‘Old Stone’ (‘Lao Shi’): Berlin Review

Canadian-Chinese director Johnny Ma’s debut depicts a small-town cabbie’s descent into madness and crime after having his savings sucked dry in the aftermath of a traffic accident.

Fox’s Star Plus to Adapt ‘Prisoners of War,’ the Original ‘Homeland,’ for India

The Hindi remake of the Israeli show will come from Bollywood director Nikkhil Advani.

China Box Office Pulls in Massive $1B in February, Topping U.S.

The monthly haul was up 50 percent from 2015.

China Clears ‘The Revenant’ for Release, Cuts Expected

Although the details are still being hashed out, the film, which won three Oscars on Sunday, has been cleared to open in the world’s second-largest movie market in March.

‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Becomes China’s Biggest Animated Film Ever

The record is an important milestone for Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Shanghai-based Oriental DreamWorks venture, which spared no expense in animating the film in both English and Chinese.

China’s Wanda Confirms Investment in French Entertainment Complex

The Legendary Pictures owner is also expected to participate in the bidding for Turkish cinema operator Mars Entertainment.

South Korean Lesbian Thriller ‘The Handmaiden’ Presold to 116 Countries

Amazon Studios will distribute the upcoming film by Park Chan-wook in the U.S.

China’s Wanda Offers Piece of Legendary Pictures to Local Investors (Report)

The conglomerate is looking to raise $1.5 billion for its film unit Wanda Pictures, which includes Legendary and domestic Chinese movie businesses.

Bollywood Star Sanjay Dutt Released from Jail

The actor was convicted in an illegal arms possession case which linked him to the 1993 Mumbai bombings.

Thriller ‘Trivisa,’ Chinese Comedy ‘Chongqing Hot Pot’ to Open Hong Kong Film Festival

‘Creepy,’ directed by Japan’s horror king Kurosawa Kiyoshi, will close the festival.

Imax China to Install 100 New Screens in 2016, Bullish on Growth

In an earnings report Thursday, the company’s China subsidiary reported that adjusted profit surged 66.9 percent in 2015.

Embezzlement Scandal at Japan’s NHK Leads to Public Apology, Voluntary Exec Pay Cuts

The $1.8 million fraud is the latest in a string of scandals to hit the public broadcaster and follows the firing of news anchor Kenichi Tsukamoto last week for making the drug “poppers” in his apartment.

China’s Wanda to Announce “Major Deal” This Week, Says Chairman Wang

The billionaire business leader’s remarks have sparked speculation that Wanda could be the minority buyer of Paramount Viacom is courting.

Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, MGM Buy Stakes in Hong Kong Gaming Company Fifth Journey

Universal, Lionsgate, MGM in Gaming Company Stakes

Japan Box Office: ‘Star Wars: Force Awakens’ Biggest Live-Action Hit Since ‘Alice in Wonderland’

Elsewhere, ‘The Martian’ hits $20 million, while ‘Point Break’ opens in third place.

China’s Baidu Gets $2.25B Offer for Its 80.5 Percent Stake in Online Video Giant iQiyi

The offer from the CEOs of iQiyi and Baidu values the company at $2.8 billion.

China Box Office: Stephen Chow’s ‘Mermaid’ Nears $200M at Record Pace

Two other Chinese blockbusters — ‘The Man From Macau 3’ and ‘The Monkey King 2’ — have also done huge business over the Lunar New Year holiday.

‘Trivisa’ (‘Shu Dai Jiu Fung’): Berlin Review

The criminal thriller, produced by Johnnie To and helmed by a trio of young Hong Kong directors, bowed in the Berlin Film Festival’s Forum section.

Berlin: Liam Neeson’s Korean War Film Sells to Germany, Taiwan

The actor stars as General Douglas MacArthur in ‘Operation Chromite,’ which tells the story of the secret mission X-Ray during the 1950 Korean War.

South Korea’s Polarizing Film Market: Can Mid-Budget Genre Movies Survive?

With mid-budget releases becoming virtually nonexistent in the country’s increasingly corporate film sector, independent-minded talents are taking matters into their own hands.

South Korea Film Studios Are Finding a Place for “Interesting Female Personas”

“It’s been rather tough for Korean actresses as their roles have been largely limited to supporting characters, like the lover or mother. But things are changing little by little.”