Featuring an upgraded AI 2.0 that sets a series of increasingly difficult challenges, THE ZONE: Survival Mission 2 will see Jaeseok, Kwangsoo and Yuri travel to some of Korea’s most unique destinations as they fight to survive.
Spread across eight episodes, season two will throw the hosts into a variety of hilarious situations as they search for life-saving water in a haunted hospital; desperately play golf in an attempt to escape a rapidly sinking island in the middle of the ocean; recreate a series of childhood games on a shaking suspension bridge; try to escape a waterpark full of zombies; and attempt to survive on a traveling bed that’s been hijacked by a rogue AI, that drives the trio through a university campus, venturing into classrooms, crashing them through walls, driving them into a lake, and more.
Slated to launch with a three episode premiere on June 14, followed by a new episode released every week, THE ZONE: Survival Mission 2 is produced by Studio Gaon, directed by Cho Hyojin and Kim Dongjin, and is created by the original team behind the wildly popular Running Man franchise.
Stream THE ZONE: Survival Mission 2 from June 14, only on Disney+.
The concept of the show is definitely tasty! Get three celebrities to cook ramyun – a Korean take on Japanese ramen – and serve to diners in Japan to see if they love it.
The unusual premise has got the internet talking. Ever since video teasers started going up on Discovery’s YouTube page in the past few weeks for Ramyun Brothers, fans of Korean TV and cooking around the world have been asking where they can watch it.
In Korea, the new variety show hits screens on both Discovery and TV Chosun tonight (May 22) at 10pm. And good news for you K-fans in Southeast Asia – the show is also available to stream on Viu from today.
In response to the huge interest, international rights holder Warner Bros. Discovery is looking for other partners to make the mouth-watering show available in other parts of the world – so keep your chopsticks at the ready for more details.
More about the show…
Ramyun Brothers is a reality show that will forever change what you know about ramen! The series stars Kang Ho-dong, Lee Seung-Gi and Bae Inhyeok who open a ramyun shop in Japan. Against all logic, they try and recreate recipes for Korea’s addictive “soul food”.
More about the stars…
There’s plenty of chemistry going on both inside the kitchen and between the on-screen talent. Kang Ho-Dong and Lee Seung-Gi reunite after more than a decade after Two Days One Night, Strong Heart, and they team up with Bae Inhyeok who appeared in dramas including Under the Queen’s Umbrella, Why Oh Soojae and Cheer Up.
What the production crew said…
“We wanted to show the warmth and strong determination of the brothers who do all they can to overcome so many obstacles. Check out whether the team can mesmerize local Japanese foodies with ramyun recipes that are popular in Korea!”
“Ho-Dong and Seung-Gi have known each other for 15 years now. We wanted to show the change in their relationship and chemistry. In Ramyun Brothers you’ll see how they bring out the best in each other.”
“Don’t miss the fun as the team face challenged to do all they can to introduce and promote ramyun – aka K-ramen – in Japan!”
What the fans are saying…
“Amazing recipes and an amazing cast!” “Inhyeok is full of surprises! He is so cute!”
“How lucky to be in Japan and get to taste ramyun cooked by Seung-Gi.”
“Can’t wait to watch! Seung-Gi and ramyun in one show? What more could I ask for?”
Catch Ramyun Brothers tonight and every Monday night for the next seven weeks on Discovery and TV Chosun at 10pm in Korea, and available to stream on Viu in Southeast Asia. The series is a co-production by Discovery Korea Networks and TV Chosun. Warner Bros. Discovery is exclusive international distributor.
The eleven-episode second season of the Max Original series And Just Like That…, from executive producer Michael Patrick King, will debut with two episodes on Thursday, June 22 on HBO GO. The following nine episodes will premiere weekly on Thursdays.
Returning series regulars include Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Sara Ramírez, Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Karen Pittman, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Christopher Jackson, Niall Cunningham, Cathy Ang and Alexa Swinton.
The series is developed and executive produced by Michael Patrick King, alongside executive producers John Melfi, Julie Rottenberg, Elisa Zuritsky, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon. Writers included Michael Patrick King, Samantha Irby, Susan Fales-Hill, Lucas Froehlich, Rachel Palmer, Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky. Directors included Michael Patrick King, Cynthia Nixon, Ry Russo-Young and Julie Rottenberg. The HBO series “Sex and the City” was created by Darren Star and based on the book “Sex and the City” by Candace Bushnell.
Stream or download And Just Like That… Season 1 on HBO GO and catch Season 2 from June 22. Subscribe to HBO GO online at https://www.hbogoasia.ph/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store for only ₱1,190 on the 12-month plan. Or access HBO GO via Cignal, Globe and Skycable. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
Premiering Tuesday, May 23 on HBO GO, New Line Cinema presents A Peter Safran Production of A David F. Sandberg Film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Continuing the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “SHAZAM!,” is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam.
This action-packed Super Hero sequel brings even more excitement, adventure and comedy, along with all-new realms, bigger threats, monsters and mythical creatures to our heroes. Now fully bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with having adult Super Hero alter egos. But when the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods, arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Billy—aka Shazam—and his family are thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of their world. But can a bunch of teenagers actually save the day? Does Billy even want to…?
Shazam! Fury of the Gods stars returning cast members Zachary Levi (Thor: Ragnarok) as Shazam, Asher Angel (Andi Mack) as Billy Batson, Jack Dylan Grazer (IT Chapter Two) as Freddy Freeman, Adam Brody (Promising Young Woman) as Super Hero Freddy, Ross Butler (Raya and the Last Dragon) as Super Hero Eugene, Meagan Good (Day Shift) as Super Hero Darla, D.J. Cotrona (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) as Super Hero Pedro, Grace Caroline Currey (Annabelle: Creation) as Mary Bromfield / Super Hero Mary, Faithe Herman (This Is Us) as Darla Dudley, Ian Chen (A Dog’s Journey) as Eugene Choi, Jovan Armand (Second Chances) as Pedro Peña, Marta Milans (White Lines) as Rosa Vasquez, Cooper Andrews (The Walking Dead) as Victor Vasquez, with Djimon Hounsou (A Quiet Place Part II) as Wizard.
Joining the cast are Rachel Zegler (West Side Story), with Lucy Liu (Kung Fu Panda franchise) and Helen Mirren (F9: The Fast Saga).
The film is directed by David F. Sandberg (Shazam!, Annabelle: Creation) and produced by Peter Safran (Aquaman, The Suicide Squad). It is written by Henry Gayden (Shazam!, There’s Someone Inside Your House) and Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, The Fate of the Furious), based on characters from DC; Shazam! was created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. Executive producers are Walter Hamada, Adam Schlagman, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Victoria Palmeri, Marcus Viscidi and Geoff Johns.
Joining director Sandberg behind-the-camera are director of photography Gyula Pados (the Jumanji franchise), production designer Paul Kirby (The Old Guard, Jason Bourne) and editor Michel Aller (Shazam!, The Nun). The music supervisor is Season Kent (DC League of Super-Pets, The Addams Family 2) and the music is by Christophe Beck (Free Guy, Frozen II). Visual effects supervisors are Bruce Jones (Aquaman, IT) and Raymond Chen (Alita: Battle Angel, The Meg). The costume designer is Louise Mingenbach (Jumanji: The Next Level, Godzilla: King of the Monsters).
Manila, brace yourselves! Tyler Rake lives and he’s bound for our city! Netflix surprised us today with the delightful news that Chris Hemsworth, reprising his role as Tyler Rake in “Extraction 2,” will touch down in Manila on June 5. Alongside him will be Sam Hargrave, the film’s director, for the APAC red carpet premiere of this adrenaline-fueled action and adventure sequel.
In a recent video, Chris couldn’t contain his excitement about his upcoming visit. “I’ll be flying to Manila this June for the premiere of EXTRACTION 2 where I play Tyler Rake. I don’t want you to miss out so please come join me. It’ll be fun.” The blockbuster actor shared his excitement, adding, “Can’t wait to see you all there soon. Take care.”
Following a narrow escape from death in the first movie, Rake returns as the hardened Australian black ops mercenary, shouldered with another hazardous mission: liberating the embattled family of a formidable Georgian gangster from the high-security prison where they’re incarcerated.
Hemsworth reunites with director Sam Hargrave, under Joe and Anthony Russo’s AGBO Productions. Joe Russo penned the script, with Golshifteh Farahani reprising her role from the first film. Adam Bessa, Olga Kurylenko, Daniel Bernhardt, and Tinatin Dalakishvili join the roster, bringing fresh faces to the thrilling saga.
“Extraction 2” springs from the first film, which found its inspiration in the graphic novel ‘Ciudad’ by Ande Parks. The story was spun by Ande Parks, Joe Russo & Anthony Russo, with Fernando León González adding his artistic flair with illustrations. The sequel is produced by an impressive lineup including Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Otstot, Chris Hemsworth, Patrick Newall, and Sam Hargrave. Jake Aust, Benjamin Grayson, Steven Scavelli, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely serve as executive producers.
Netflix will drop “Extraction 2” globally on June 16. Be ready to embark on another electrifying adventure!
Hemsworth reunites with director Sam Hargrave, with Joe and Anthony Russo’s AGBO producing and Joe Russo writing. Golshifteh Farahani reprises her role from the first film, with Adam Bessa, Olga Kurylenko, Daniel Bernhardt and Tinatin Dalakishvili also co-starring.
This is a sequel to the first film that was based on the graphic novel ‘Ciudad’ by Ande Parks, from a story by Ande Parks, Joe Russo & Anthony Russo, with illustrations by Fernando León González. EXTRACTION 2 is produced by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Otstot, Chris Hemsworth, Patrick Newall and Sam Hargrave, with Jake Aust, Benjamin Grayson, Steven Scavelli, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely as executive producers.
About Netflix:
Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services with 233 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.
While I am more familiar with the music of BTS, I know just enough about each members personalities and the stories about who they are to know that the documentary ‘SUGA: Road to D-Day’ is a rare treat: a peek into the mind and heart of Suga, one of the more low-key members of the Korean supergroup. It’s an intimate and personal look into his process in the making of his album called D-Day through his alias Agust D.
While the documentary is really focused on the poetics: the work the artist has to go through in order to create – and in this case, it’s the time off from BTS that Suga got to do to work on finding inspiration to finish the songs on his album – and follows him through his travels to the US, Japan and back home in South Korea; there’s a whole lot more subtle textures that comes out from this movie.
For sure, we can be amazed by the sheer variety and star power of the people that Suga calls his friends – from Halsey, to DJ Steve Aoki, to Korean pop superstar IU, and even legendary Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto – but it’s good to also focus on how warm and friendly they are to each other and despite Suga’s fame as a member of BTS, there’s no posturing on his part nor does he ever carry himself in an arrogant manner. There’s a groundedness in him that carries through and is even subverted into that of a fanboy when he comes to meet Sakamoto, whom he considers one of his idols and was instrumental into becoming a songwriter.
The documentary is also sectioned off with song numbers. Suga sings songs from the new album with a live band (and some from his previous mixtapes), as well as candid interviews (the idol is actually “barefaced” or isn’t wearing makeup for half the documentary and it really shows us a totally different side of him), and while all of this is really there to help promote the release of the album and the upcoming tour, it is also one of the many pre-recorded content made to keep fans hooked in while BTS is in hiatus.
But despite its very commercial agenda, there is a sincerity that surrounds Suga in the way with which he ruminates over such topics as success and where one takes their creativity when they’ve reached the heights of where a person like Suga has gone. This is not a relatable subject. After all, how many people can compare themselves with the sort of success the young rapper has achieved over the past years? But there’s an earnestness in the way Suga presents himself and in the way the documentary unfolds that dismantles the myth and presents to us an artist trying to put together an album at an interesting crossroad in his life.
At this point in their career, BTS has broken records and captured the hearts of millions and millions of people around the world. They have nothing that they need to prove to anyone at this point but it is so encouraging to see in this documentary how hard Suga works in crafting this album and how tied this project is to his identity outside of the superstar idol group that has made him famous. It is so heartening to know that even successful people feel lost and that, as seen in one scene in the documentary, that it’s okay to just let loose and let go and have fun with it.
As a documentary, it is what we expect from a Disney+ produced and released documentary about a member of BTS, who is working on an album. It’s light. The stakes aren’t that high. It makes you feel good after watching it and if you’re a fan of the group, it’ll just endear them to you more and if you’re just curious about them, then it will help sink the hooks deeper in. But looking deeper, it’s really just an artist allowing himself to be vulnerable for an hour and twenty minutes while he’s at the height of his career and is trying to do something new and different and that’s what art is about.
The Righteous Gemstones tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work. When the spoiled Gemstone children finally get their wish to take control of the Church, they discover leadership is harder than they imagined and that their extravagant lifestyle comes with a heavy price.
The Righteous Gemstones is created and written by Danny McBride; directed and executive produced by Danny McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green; executive produced by John Carcieri, Jeff Fradley and Brandon James; co-executive produced by Jonathan Watson; produced by David Brightbill; consulting produced by Kevin Barnett, Edi Patterson and Chris Pappas.
Stream or download The Righteous Gemstones Season 1 and 2 on HBO GO and catch Season 3 from June 19. Subscribe to HBO GO online at https://www.hbogoasia.ph/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store for only ₱1,190 on the 12-month plan. Or access HBO GO via Cignal, Globe and Skycable. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
I was extremely excited when I read the press release about the new spy show ‘Citadel’ over at Prime Video. Produced by the Russo Brothers (who helmed ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and ‘Avengers: End Game’), it’s a spy show with a complicated backstory that will unfold in two timelines and starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The press release talked about how the show will spin off to different shows about the same world of spies but set in different countries like India, Spain, and Mexico. On paper, it looked amazing but the first three episodes of the six episode first season left me a little concerned.
Without a doubt, ‘Citadel’ is expensive. There is a glossiness to the camerawork and the special effects used to enhance the explosive action sequence shows you they mean to create a spectacle. In each of the first three episodes, there are huge set pieces and fight scenes and a lot of CGI work that shows you that they had no limit to how much they can spend (it is reported that they spent 300 million on this show alone). So it looks great.
It also helps that Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas look amazing. From his work in the limited series ‘Bodyguard’ and ‘Game of Thrones,’ we know Madden can do action and he can exude an aura of a leading man. I’m not familiar with Chopra Jonas’ work but she looks great and believable going toe to toe with all the bad guys. There’s the usual banter and cheesy one-liners that comes with all these espionage shows and it feels more like James Bond than it does Jason Bourne. It’s more campy than it is serious about what it’s about.
It looks great but it goes so quickly into the plot that it leaves very little time for actual world building and making this story come alive. ‘Citadel’ is marketed as science fiction, set in a world where the spy organization Citadel was founded outside of any government to stop “evil” without care of government jurisdiction. It is an organization with unlimited funds and state-of-the-art technology, and it has been keeping the world in check for almost a hundred years but at the beginning of the first episode, we discover that Citadel has been attacked and wiped out by an evil organization called Manticore.
Enter Madden and Chopra Jonas: they are two Citadel operatives whose memories were wiped and were thought dead by Manticore. Before the memory wipe, they worked together and teased at having a sort of relationship but after the wipe, they lead ordinary lives unaware of their past until the last vestiges of Citadel have come back to make a last-ditch attack against their foe.
All of this happens in the first episode that runs less than fifty minutes. Each episode is less than an hour and tries to cover as much of the narrative as it can while serving us big fight scenes and meaningful looks from Madden and Chopra Jonas. There isn’t any real time to really figure out who Kyle Conroy (Madden) really is or who Nadia (Chopra Jonas) is as spies. We know they are tough. We know they can do whatever comes their way. But we don’t actually ever really get to know who they are and the little things that make a character interesting. Even after three episodes, it’s all just in service to the plot, which has to keep going because the first season only has 6 episodes.
I’ve watched all the way until the halfway point and I still don’t feel invested in Kyle or Nadia as characters yet.
It’s such a shame because Madden is such an interesting actor and he has all the charm and physicality for a character like this but he feels completely underutilized. While Stanley Tucci is having fun playing a one-dimensional character who gets to act all tough and say a lot of clever one-liners that don’t really hit their mark because the world isn’t set in stone yet.
It feels so generic to say that Citadel worked to stop evil. What is evil? How is it defined? Is it terrorism? Fascism? Is it corporate in nature? It’s so vague and even childish to just blatantly call it such. And why do they have so much money and power and even after Citadel fell (as you will see in the first 15 minutes of the pilot) how come they still have all the resources available to them? It’s these sorts of details that allows me to not take ‘Citadel’ too seriously and just watch it as a lightweight show.
Hopefully it gets better in the final three episodes. It looks great but all that glossiness and shine won’t amount to much if I don’t believe in this world or in its characters or what it is trying to say.
Prime Video today announced the premiere date of Cattleya Killer, an Amazon Exclusive crime-thriller series, and debuted the official trailer. The six-episode series, produced by ABS-CBN International Production and Nathan Studios, is based on a classic ‘90s Filipino film, Sa Aking Mga Kamay (In My Own Hands), and will be available on Prime Video on June 1 in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other selected territories. The series marks the first series collaboration between Prime Video and ABS-CBN, further promoting Filipino talents and stories to the world.
Cattleya Killer stars Arjo Atayde, the winner of Best Actor at the 2020 Asian Academy Creative Awards, along with Jake Cuenca, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Jane Oineza, Ria Atayde, Ricky Davao, Nonie Buencamino, and Christopher de Leon.
In this new series, many years after the infamous Cattleya Killer case, the man who cracked the case, Joven de la Rosa (Christopher de Leon, reprising his role from the film), is now an NBI deputy director. His youngest son Anton (Arjo Atayde) is one of his top agents, while his eldest son Benjie (Jake Cuenca) runs a foundation for traumatized women. It seems as if everybody has moved on from the tragic events of the past, but when a body is found bearing the telltale markings of the long-dead Cattleya Killer, the lives of the three men and everyone around them are thrown into turmoil. Dark secrets are brought to the fore, as the line between the real world and the unreal blurs. No one and nothing is what they seem—least of all Anton, who becomes more and more of a suspect as more victims surface and the investigation tightens.
“We’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries and to deliver world-class entertainment made by the best Filipino talents,” said David Simonsen, director of Prime Video Southeast Asia. “We believe with its gripping storyline, dynamic characters, and stunning performances, Cattleya Killer will keep our audiences at the edge of their seats.”
“Crime stories have always been fan favorites, proven by the success of different true-crime series across different formats and territories,” said Ruel S. Bayani, head of ABS-CBN International Production. “And for us, the Philippines’ Cattleya Killer is another must-watch, as it tackles the dark human psyche. It also showcases issues rooted in family, government, and society.”
Dan Villegas (Exes Baggage, English Only, Please) directs the series from a script by Dodo Dayao. The series is based on a classic ‘90s film, Sa Aking Mga Kamay (In My Own Hands), available on Prime Video, directed by Rory B. Quintos and starring Aga Muhlach, Chin Chin Gutierrez, and Christopher de Leon.
Cattleya Killer joins hundreds of other Filipino shows and films available on the Prime Video catalog, such as 10 Little Mistresses, Deleter, Family Matters, and Walang KaParis. Korean titles such as Island and Jinny’s Kitchen, anime hits such as Demon Slayer, on top of award-winning and critically acclaimed Amazon Originals like Citadel, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Boys, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and Emmy and Golden Globe winners Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Prime Video members are able to watchfilms and shows anywhere and anytime on hundreds of compatible devices. In the Prime Video app, members can also download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video is available in the Philippines for just PHP149 per month.
