Cinema One is serving up must-watch Filipino blockbusters and Asian films to entertain you during this festive month, so sit back and watch from the comfort of your homes! Here are some films coming to Cinema One this December to add to your binge list:
Joko who is trying to help his family survive and Zoey who is trying to prove herself to the world compete when they find out that Sasha is looking for a new personal assistant.
Starring Sung Hoon, Jo Han-sun, Yoon So-yi December 4
Following their parents’ deaths, twin brothers are placed in an orphanage. They are separated for twenty years and do not meet again, only to discover they are on opposing sides of the law.
Starring Aga Muhlach, Angel Locsin, Jake Cuenca December 13
A jaded dancer is hired to be the dance instructor for a ball hosted by a powerful political family. There, he’s immediately drawn to a sad young woman engaged to be married to one of the family’s scions. With powerful forces arrayed against them, the two risk everything for their love.
Starring Liza Soberano, Gerald Anderson, Enrique Gil December 14
A young woman is waiting for the love of her life to wake up from a coma. In the meantime, she meets an ambitious producer who gives her an opportunity of a lifetime. As she develops feelings for another man, she is forced to make a very difficult choice.
Pol and Laya are college freshmen and meet during their last day of school in Baguio City. Laya is moving back to Manila to escape her failed relationship while Pol is about to spend a care-free night at a music festival. After seeing Laya’s breakdown, he decides to spend an entire night with the girl he has always admired from afar.
Starring Donny Pangilinan, Belle Mariano December 25
On her father’s request, a provincial girl transfers to an international school. She meets the varsity basketball captain, who bullies her. Their cat and dog relationship gradually evolves into an unexpected romance.
A group of kids seek refuge from the mundane world by playing an online computer game. But when a deadly virus starts blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, the kids must step up to defeat the virus.
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For more Cinema One movies this December and for daily schedules of Cinema One, click here. Subscribe to Cinema One’s Youtube Channel (Bit.Ly/Cinemaoneonyoutube) for free full movies!
[Note: Channel schedules and movie lineup are subject to change without prior notice]
Lock the doors and keep your loved ones close in anticipation of the nail-biting new Japanese psycho thriller Gannibal—available only on Disney+.
Recently selected to be screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival, this upcoming Star Original is set in the fictional Japanese village of Kuge village and sees newly hired police officer Daigo Agawa arrive a broken man. While things start off promisingly for the new arrival, a series of alarming events begin to unfold that will lead Daigo to the horrifying realization that something is deeply wrong with the village and those who live there. Thrown into a hostile environment with suspense around every corner, will the latest police officer to roam the streets of Kuge-mura be able to bring those responsible to justice before it’s too late?
Yuki Agawa (Riho Yoshioka)
Starring award-winning actors Yuya Yagira (HOKUSAI, Asakusa Kid), Show Kasamatsu (Tokyo Vice, Love You as the World Ends), and Riho Yoshioka (Haken Anime!, The Romance Manga Artist), Gannibal features a unique storyline brought to life exclusively on Disney+ by some of the biggest names in the Japanese creative industry. Produced by Teruhisa Yamamoto, producer of this year’s Academy Award-winning Drive My Car and Tatsuya Iwakura, Gannibal is directed by Shinzo Katayama (Siblings on the Cape) and adapted for the screen by Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award-nominee Takamasa Oe, who most recently wrote the screenplay for the Academy Award-winning Drive My Car.
Yuya Yagira
Gannibal is the latest Japanese series to be announced as part of The Walt Disney Company’s ever-growing slate of world-class APAC content. Fans of Japanese storytelling can also enjoy the Disney+ Originals Sumo Do, Sumo Don’t!, about a lackadaisical student who is strongarmed into joining his university’s sumo club in order to graduate, and Lost Man Found about a man who is down on his luck but who turns his life around after discovering a misplaced airplane ticket.
Enjoy a good scare this winter with Gannibal – only on Disney+.
This November 30, we get to return to the magical world of Willow in the new Disney+ original series.
A sequel to the 1988 film of the same name that was executive produced by Star Wars creator George Lucas, Willow takes place many years after the events of the movie. It will follow Willow Ufgood as he leads a group of misfits on a dangerous quest to save the world.
Warwick Davis reprises his role as Willow Ufgood, and he is joined by Erin Kellyman (“Jade”), Amar Chadha-Patel (“Boorman”), Ellie Bamber (“Dove”), Tony Revolori (“Graydon”), Dempsey Bryk (“Arik”), and Ruby Cruz (“Kit”).
In a recent press conference for the series, Willow executive producer and writer Jon Kasdan joined the cast in answering questions about the new Disney+ series from the press. Check out the highlights of the press conference below:
Did you ever imagine, thirty- five years ago, that you’d be sitting where you are today, talking about this new ‘Willow’?
Warwick Davis: Certainly not, no, absolutely not. For years it’s been talked about, not by anyone official but by the fans. They’ve constantly pestered me, saying “When are we going to see a sequel to that movie?” And it’s a question that I could never answer. Until I met Jon Kasdan, who I understood was also a fan. And I wondered on the set of Solo who had let him onto set. You know, no fans allowed here, because he was obsessed, talking about Willow. And surely we should be concentrating on making this Star Wars story here, shouldn’t we?
[So we got to] talk about ‘Willow,’ and it was decided that there should indeed be more ‘Willow,’ and so that was the catalyst for this project to happen, really, and it happened very quickly in Hollywood terms. You know, it wasn’t years and years of development. Before I knew it I was sat on set in Wales for the very first day of filming. Once again looking just like Willow, but a slightly older, more mature, better-looking version.
Photo courtesy of Disney
Was it as simple as Warwick makes out?
Jon Kasdan: It was… it was in a lot of ways. I mean, there was the impulse certainly between Ron and Warwick and myself to continue this story, and return to this world. And I came at it as a fan, and they came at it both as the creators, and they found a champion in me, and I kept fighting and sort of hoping that we’d get a chance to go back here, and my ace was always that Warwick would be back and that he would look so attractive and America would – and the world – would really fall on their knees. I think everyone got that, and everyone appreciated that, that there was something really special in the opportunity to bring this character back to the screen.
To the younger cast, how familiar were you with the film before you got cast in this project?
Amar Chadha-Patel: I’m not as young as some of our younger cast, so I have to hold my hand up and say I was alive when it came out. So I first watched it about seven or eight years old, and it sort of fit neatly into my upbringing, in the sense that I grew up on escapism and fantasy, and ‘NeverEnding Story’ and ‘The Princess Bride,’ that’s my childhood. So by osmosis, I’d sort of imbibed the quality of that kind of film. So it was always a part of me, I think. And then I rewatched it again when I got cast, because I figured, you know, research is probably useful.
Tony Revolori: I actually watched it with my parents, and my brother, and yeah, I love the film, I fell in love with the magic of the world and you know when this opportunity came around, I was excited and honored.
Photo courtesy of Disney
The show has this epic fantasy side, but it’s also quite contemporary at the same time. How difficult was it to get that balance right?
Jon Kasdan: You know, that… it’s the challenge. With every episode, you’re sort of walking the line between making it familiar and satisfying, what fans expect from the brand ‘Willow,’ and then trying to push it forward and tell a story that’s surprising and unexpected. And you know, the great weapon we had with us was Warwick, who just lent the whole universe of ‘Willow’ credibility, and the moment you see him on screen, you suddenly believe these six other foolish kids could somehow fit into that world, and really inhabit it. And they did so so beautifully and with such gusto and enthusiasm and authenticity, that it was sort of an amazing thing to watch all these things come together, and become something that feels like a progression from the movie as much as a love letter to it.
How was it going back thirty-five years later, and seeing these locations again from the movie?
Warwick Davis: Yeah, certainly for me, one of the most enjoyable things about the series was really those callbacks to events that had happened in the film. You know, times that when I as a character talk about those events, and that was a really fun way of looking back at those things, and certainly I think fans will get a kick out of it. But also, as you say, we went back to locations, and environments that we’d already been to in the film. In particular, Nockmaar was one of those particular places, that for me really kind of gave me the shivers. You know, there I am kind of standing or sitting somewhere that Bavmorda would have sat, and you know, still kind of felt her presence in that area. That just shows you how powerful the film was, and those settings, and also Jean Marsh’s performance.
Jon Kasdan: There was an incredible thing that happened where we got our friend Kevin Pollak out to reprise his role as Rool. And he told me when he arrived that he and Warwick had never actually done any scenes together because all of the brownie bits in the movie had been filmed at Skywalker in Northern California. And Warwick and he got to actually riff off each other, and Tony got to be a part of that, and it was quite an amazing thing to kind of watch them actually interact, these old friends who didn’t know each other.
Photo courtesy of Disney
Did Warwick give you any wisdom or advice when you guys started out on this journey?
Ruby Cruz: Wisdom and advice from Warwick Davis? I think honestly, just being in his presence was like… I was going to say a lesson in its own right, but not in that way. But I think getting to just be around someone who’s so good at what he does, and someone who’s such a professional in what they do… Watching you be able to just switch it on and off, which is something I really struggle with, was a huge– honestly, I really admire you for that. Coming in, you’d just waltz on set, and then suddenly you’d be like in the most emotional state. Or you’d be like cracking one-liners the entire time, while everything is [a] disaster. So I think it was just being around you, and getting to witness you in your element, that was really cool.
This is your second project with Lucasfilm, and your second series on Disney Plus. What has kept you coming back to this company, and what appeals to you about these roles, such as Karli and Jade?
Erin Kellyman: I feel like I don’t ever want to stop playing these badass women. I think they’re all so multi-layered, and I love trying to pick them apart and understand them. I think Karli was super hard to understand because she does a lot of messed up stuff. But Jade, I think has been the person that I’ve put the most work into. I think me and Jon had the time to like really go back into her past and created that space where we could make time and I could understand her a bit more. Yeah, I really can’t wait for people to see her.
Photo courtesy of Disney
Val Kilmer’s Madmartigan is not in this new ‘Willow.’ How did you address his absence?
Jon Kasdan: Not tricky at all. It was always sort of going to be, right at the core of the story we were telling. And it really had to be… but because we were telling a story that had so many young characters, and they were all sort of searching for their identity, the search for Madmartigan, and the question of what had happened to him was right at the heart of the story we were telling. And we knew that it would be woven into this quest in a fundamental way, really, to see where he was and what had become of him, and what he’d given up. Particularly for Ruby’s character, Kit, and for Dempsey’s character, Airk, in order to do good.
And that question sort of follows the whole season. And we always knew that we sort of wanted to pay it off in one way or another, and we had a lot of ideas about ways to pay it off and ways to leave it open. And one thing that happened, because Val himself wasn’t able to come out to Wales and work with us, was that we added this texture of a friend of Madmartigan’s, who could give us some clues about his whereabouts.
How much input did George Lucas have, and did he have any advice at least for the project?
Jon Kasdan: You know, it’s funny actually, I’ve been getting this question a lot today, and Warwick was actually there, present on the day that I had my one and only conversation with George about this project. He came and visited the set of Solo because he is devoted to Ron, and they are dear, dear friends in real life. And they told us that he was going to come for just a moment, and we shouldn’t make direct eye contact or ask him any direct questions, and instead, he ended up staying for six hours and answering all our questions and being nothing but lovely.
And I sort of said to him in this moment when I found myself sitting next to this god of my childhood, “You know, the one thing I thought that Lucasfilm really had an opportunity to do was to tell more Willow stories.” And he kind of smiled wryly and said he couldn’t agree more, and had been trying to make that happen for quite a while, and was a supporter and an advocate for any of that that we could get off the ground. And that sort of faith and excitement and genuine boyish enthusiasm was really critical to feeling like, this was something we could go off and do.
Photo courtesy of Disney
What is it that fans love so much about this world, these characters, and this story?
Jon Kasdan: Oh I mean, you know, George entering the universe of fantasy, working in that genre is such an exciting thing. And I remember the feeling of being eight years old and hearing that George Lucas was giving us a new franchise. And this one would have magic and wizards and sword fights, and it wasn’t called Star Wars. That was a pretty unbelievable concept to an eight-year-old kid. And for me, it’s sort of a miraculous thing that it hasn’t been developed more and that it sort of remains as this artifact from a certain time in my life, with all this potential for more stories and more adventures.
What do you think is the one thing that you hope fans will take away from this series as a whole?
Tony Revolori: I think it’s the relatability of the characters, you know? Credit to Jon Kasdan, our writer, of Dawson’s Creek fame and Californication. He wrote every single character to have multiple layers, and we all got to play and have fun with them, and they’re very unique, and I think beyond it just being a family-friendly thing, that you can sit around with your family and watch, and point and go, ‘you’re like him, you’re like him, or her,’ or whatever it may be. I think that relatability, and the idea that these are flawed characters, and we grow through it, and maybe they can empathize through it a little bit. At least, that’s what I hope they take…
Amar Chadha-Patel: One of my favourite things about the show is that no character has it figured out at all. And that is so true to life. The entire quest is not just a physical one, to rescue someone. It’s also about us figuring out what the hell we’re doing. And some of us thinking that we know, and not knowing, and that couldn’t be more true to my own feelings. And I think seeing that reflected back in a big magical world is going to be real charming.
Dempsey Bryk: I feel like, another thing Jon Kasdan does so well is, he really presents different philosophies and ideas, and Jon, you can just Venmo me or whatever after this [laughs]… But so it’s really presenting different philosophies and ideologies that are all sort of equally valid, and sometimes there’s just no right answer. And I feel like today for like, you know, a younger generation, that’s a really confusing thing. To be like, ‘well I feel this,’ and then, ‘but you feel that,’ and maybe nobody’s right. Maybe it’s just okay to have different opinions.
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Willow starts streaming on Disney+ this November 30.
Detective Benoit Blanc is back for another Knives Out mystery! The sequel to Rian Johnson’s hit whodunit film is heading straight to Netflix this December 23, and this time, Daniel Craig’s clever sleuth must uncover the truth behind a mysterious murder on a tech mogul’s private Greek island.
In Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Detective Benoit Blanc must investigate yet another colorful lineup of characters to be played by a star-studded cast including Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista.
Before the release of the film, Netflix held a virtual press conference joined by its stars, writer and director Rian Johnson, and producer Ram Bergman. Check out the highlights of the press conference below:
Rian Johnson talks about making the Knives Out follow-up.
Writer and director Rian Johnson shared how in making a sequel to Knives Out, he was inspired by how Agatha Christie always introduced new mysteries in her every book.
“The mode in which we were thinking to keep making [the Knives Out movies] was always not to continue the story of the first one, but to treat them the way Agatha Christie treated her books and do an entirely new mystery every time. A new location, a new rogues gallery of characters,” explained Johnson, citing how the author shook it up from book to book.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
“So, sitting down to write this one, that was kinda the marching orders,” the director adds. “Let’s not just turn the crank and do another, let’s come up with something that’s truly different and that actually is gonna make audiences say, ‘Oh, wow. I’m getting the same pleasure I did from the first one, but I’ve never seen this before.’ And that’s kind of the exciting thing.”
This also influenced the setting of the sequel. According to Johnson, “trading the browns of New England for the blue and yellows of Greece felt like a really obvious kind of ‘Oh, we’re in a whole new deal here,’” for the audiences.
He also mentioned that he wanted to tap into the rich traditions of a destination mystery, as seen in classics like Evil Under the Sun, Death on the Nile, and The Last of Sheila. Furthermore, the director adds that he wrote the script in 2020 during the lockdown. “Like a lot of us, I was sitting at home, kind of wishing I was on a Greek island. So that might have had something to do with it.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Gathering the ensemble of stars.
When asked how he got to round up such an effective ensemble for the new film, Rian Johnson says that it was “as simple as trying to get the best actor you can possibly get.”
The director also added that they got lucky with the group: “Just my head spins when I think about the fact that we were able to get this group together. There’s also the added element of, it’s a little bit like throwing a dinner party in that it is an ensemble. We know we’re gonna be on location together and all be kind of stuck together for a while. So, you’re also just trying to cast cool people who are hopefully gonna get along and have a good time together.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
And have a good time they did. The cast likened the experience to being part of a theatre ensemble.
“I’ve had a couple of opportunities, you know, to be a part of great ensembles with Hamilton and One Night in Miami,” shared Leslie Odom Jr., “And this is one of the best. But it’s really an impossible thing, I think, to achieve without the leadership. It happens from the top down… It’s really Rian and Daniel and Ram making it feel that creative and that permissive and that fun.”
“For a lot of us who came into this through theater or just that idea of being in a repertory company, an ensemble, it has a special pleasure,” Edward Norton adds. “It reminds you of your high school drama club, for those who were dorky enough to be in the high school drama club.”
The cast also revealed how they would have murder mystery parties outside of filming the murder mystery movie. When asked who were the easy marks whenever they play those games, Johnson and the cast cited Dave Bautista and Daniel Craig himself.
“[Daniel Craig is] so vulnerable, yeah, and available that you’re like, ‘Oh, he could never be a spy,’” joked Kate Hudson. Norton agrees, adding that “it’s ridiculous, but [Daniel Craig] is the least violent person of all of us. I mean, I think he’s probably the gentlest person and could crush all of us at the same time.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Getting to work with director Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig.
The cast members also talked about how delighted they were to star in the new Knives Out movie and work alongside director Johnson and its lead star, Daniel Craig.
“I am a fan of everybody on this stage,” said Janelle Monáe. “I think that being able to work with Rian is a dream. I literally just told myself if I ever had the opportunity, it’s a yes. And then after reading this script, it was a hell yes. You know, because this is a character that you get to play with. So many layers, so mysterious. It took a lot of focus. There were moments when the cast was out having a blast after they did their scenes.”
Madelyn Cline also talked about how she got the news of being cast after she got off a plane in New York.
“I was huddled in a corner at baggage claim ’cause it was so loud and Rian was over the phone asking me if I wanted to be a part of [Glass Onion]. I was like, ‘You’re asking, is that even a question? Of course, I do.’ And then I proceeded to have the best weekend of my life and cheers to that. It was amazing.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
The stars also talked about their experience working with Daniel Craig, and finally hearing him as Detective Benoit Blanc in person.
“It kind of lifts the veil,” said Kate Hudson. “Like oh sh*t, I’m actually here. I’m in a Knives Out mystery. I mean, for me, I think just watching Daniel work was a privilege and he’s a consummate professional. he shows up ready to deliver every line. He honors Rian’s words and he brings something just spectacular, as any movie star would. Just to be a part of that and to learn from that and to watch that was, for me, really something.”
“His physical comedy too, I was just floored by,” Kathryn Hahn adds. “Just like his control of his body and how he throws himself into this part physically is something that I was so excited to watch. He really is a gamer in that department, it’s really thrilling.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Director Rian Johnson on telling fresh stories from the whodunit genre to new audiences.
Director Rian Johnson was also asked what his favorite thing was in helping bring back the genre that he loves so much, for new audiences to consume. The director answered, ” I feel like we’ve kind of rode a beautiful wave of people rediscovering these, which has been really nice with a lot of other great filmmakers bringing them to life. As a whodunit junkie myself, it makes me really happy.”
“And then what makes me the happiest, I guess, is, you know I mentioned Agatha Christie’s books, but those movies that were based on her books in the late ’70s and early ’80s, when I was a kid watching those with my family, [I remember] how big of an impact they had. And now the coolest thing for me is talking to friends who have kids around that age, and seeing them get into these movies and recognizing, oh, that’s kind of what we made these for. And it’s super, super-cool that they can inspire whoever’s gonna, 30 years from now, do their own version of it. That makes me really happy,” added Johnson.
— Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery starts streaming on Netflix this December 23, 2022.
As Disney+ finally opens its doors to the Philippines, there’s going to be a rush to catch up on all the movies and shows and specials that have not been available to us for years now. They have all types from Disney classics to their latest animated features, to the movies and tv series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or if you are a fan of the Star Wars franchise, that will be made available to you too. They even have exclusive Kdramas on the platform like ‘Snowdrop,’ ‘Soundtrack #1,’ and the special ‘In the Soop: Friendcation.’
What might be missed in all this hustle and bustle is a bite-sized 6-episode animated limited series called ‘Zootopia+.’ Based on characters from the 2016 animated film ‘Zootopia,’ the short series (each episode runs only for 7 to 9 minutes long) is set during the events of the movie, showcasing the lives of the different characters – from the arctic shrews, to the weasel that the protagonist Judy catches in the film, to the famous sloth civil servant, and even Gazelle’s dancers – that sort of amplifies the world of ‘Zootopia’ and make it bigger.
It’s an interesting concept as the world of the movie is completely big and new and it could do with a little more exploration. Like many of Disney’s animated films, this series boasts of incredible animation and effects. The world of ‘Zootopia’ is filled with so much texture from the different kinds of animals and their fur and hide (or skin). It really depends on the animal. The amount of work that is put into each individual episode is quite incredible. Even at an average of 8 minutes per episode, it shows the kind of dedication they have to the material.
Unfortunately, not all of the six episodes reach a sort of satisfying conclusion that gives them any sort of weight that endears us to the world nor does it make any interesting dissection of society and culture that the movie does.
Photo from ‘Zootopia’ trailer
Four of the six episodes are centered on a single gimmick or novelty that they bleed dry for the entire short duration of the episode. The first is a frenetic, over-the-top chase sequence between Judy’s parents and one of Judy’s younger siblings who has gotten away from them. It has a cute way of highlighting a married couple who are so supportive of each other but other than that, it really does nothing to make the world feel bigger. In fact, the whole length of the short episode manages to make the world of ‘Zootopia’ feel smaller by how it dramatizes the distance between Judy’s hometown and the city of Zootopia.
There’s a story involving Gazelle and a talent contest that is looking for new back-up dancers and it is just a single punchline that you see coming from a mile away. Another episode is of the sloth, Flash, as a dinner guest in a restaurant and it’s the longest episode at 9 minutes and it goes exactly how you imagine it to. There’s a musical episode with Duke, the Weasel, but while it does touch upon the tempting world of petty crimes, it doesn’t say much and in fact makes light of how difficult it is to find redemption.
Photo from ‘Zootopia’ trailer
There are only two episodes that I felt actually made the world feel bigger, and both these episodes are working on two different frameworks altogether.
One episode features Fru Fru, the arctic shrew is part of a television show called ‘The Real Rodents of Rodentia.’ The show is done ala-’The Real Housewives’ and the whole episode parodies the shooting style, the testimonials and confessionals, and even the shallowness of the reality show. It’s a brilliant little gimmick that’s perfectly played out in 7 minutes but what makes it interesting is how it subverts the form – the reality show – and uses it to talk about something deeper and meaningful; something that relates to the themes found in the original movie. Aside from the gimmick, it’s able to add something to the world and to the lore.
Photo from ‘Zootopia’ trailer
On the other side of that coin, the episode involving Mr. Big, the shrew that acts like The Godfather. Taking its cues from the movie ‘The Godfather,’ it shows us a bit of Zootopia history, and of how Rodentia came to be. It’s a wonderful episode that talks about community and the struggles that the smaller animals in Zootopia face in a city filled with animals of different sizes. This episode makes the world of Zootopia bigger (ironically) by showing us the hierarchies of the city and how these are overcome by a spirit of community. It’s something that relates strongly to the movie but it also opens up the world in many interesting ways.
So, while most of the episodes are really light and forgettable one-joke narratives, the proof of the concept works wonderfully in two of the episodes. While the other four merely serve as distracting content, the two episodes that matter really serve as viable companion pieces that can continue to deepen the world of the 2016 movie.
Premiering last October 31, the Korean drama ‘Curtain Call’ premiered on KBS2 to extremely high ratings (streamed in Asia exclusively through Amazon Prime Video). Boasting of a stellar cast that includes Kang Ha Neul (‘When the Camellia Blooms’ and ‘Insider’), Ha Ji Won (‘Empress Ki,’ ‘Secret Garden’), Go Doo Shim (‘Our Blues,’ ‘My Mister’), Jung Ji-So (‘Parasite,’ ‘Doom at Your Service’), and Noh Sang-hyun (‘Pachinko’), the drama has the sheen of a prestige television show with a grand scale and dramatic scope. Four episodes have aired so far but already it is highlighting the cast’s incredible performances and the sweeping vision of its director and writer, Yoon Sang-ho and Jo Sung-geol, respectively.
‘Curtain Call’ is the story of an aging matriarch, Ja Geum-soon (Go Doo Shim), who fled from North Korea and was separated from her husband and son. In South Korea, she started a new life and built a successful chain of hotels with a new family but now at the twilight of her years and terminally ill, she misses the family she was separated from during the Korean war. Her trusted aide, Jeong Sang-cheol (played by Sung Dong Il, of ‘Reply 1988’) tracks down her family in North Korea only to discover her last living relative in that side of the world is her grandson, Ri Moon-sung (Noh Sang-hyun), who may be a gangster.
To give Ja Geum-soon one last moment of happiness before she passes, he hires an unknown, struggling theater actor played by Kang Ha Neul to impersonate her grandson. It’s a story about a family torn apart by circumstance and how the presence of a lie can bring so much joy to Ja Geum-soon and her granddaughter Park Se-yeon (Ha Ji Won) but also may cause as much pain if discovered.
Ha Ji-Won and Kang Ha-Neul in ‘Curtain Call’
From the first episode alone, the drama takes a grand approach to the story, beginning with a flashback of the Korean War, when Ja Geum-soon is separated from her husband and baby. It’s a massive scene, an exodus of an entire town that feels reminiscent of ‘Dunkirk’ or even ‘Miss Saigon.’ And then, in the present day, everything about Hotel Nakwon, the hotel chain she built from scratch, is luxurious and elegant. Her grandchildren, though, feel very differently about the hotel and war between the siblings is brewing.
The show is character-driven as much as it is centered around the deception of Ja Geum-soon’s aide. Will they discover that Ri Moon-sung who visits them is really an actor? What about the real grandson? How will the grandchildren react at the discovery of the lie? The story is Shakespearean in its complexity and there’s even a melodramatic aspect to it that can lean towards the excessive and campy, if the show isn’t too careful. But the performances are great and the show is so well-executed that it is hitting all its marks.
To promote the show, four of their cast – Kang Ha Neul, Ha Ji Won, Noh Sang-hyun, and Jung Ji-so, who plays another actress pretending to be Kang Ha Neul’s wife – gathered together to answer questions online from the press from all over Southeast Asia. The four actors were comfortable with each other, laughing and throwing jokes back and forth.
Here is an excerpt of their interview with the press:
Question:After reading the script, what impressed you the most and made you decide to join this drama?
Kang Ha-neul: I think a lot of people will feel the same way. The theme was really unique, and the script was something you don’t come across often. How will things pan out? I thought, reading, but as I followed the script, I was able to understand its flow and was naturally drawn to the story.
Ha Ji-won: Myself as well, when I read the script I felt it was very refreshing, as well as how the story is structured. It also got me wondering about what I would do if the same thing happened to me. I felt like it would be very fun.
Is there any message that you would like to convey to the audiences from this series?
Ha Ji-won: So my character believes Jae-heon is the real Mun-seong, so she is happy to welcome her little brother into the family. They grow close together as if they were an actual family. At one point, however, she realizes that Jae-heon is not her real brother, and she meets her real brother. And that got me thinking about what is real and what is not real. What constitutes real love? Do you have to be related by blood to be called a family and offer familial love? I came to think that anyone can be family. In life, we are stuck with the binary mindset of real and fake, so this was a food for thought for me. It was really strange actually, we (pointing to Sang-hyun) shot the scene together recently, and even though he actually is Se-yeon’s real brother, I was intimidated.
Ha Ji-won
Noh Sang-hyun: Really? You laughed a lot.
Ha Ji-won: Me? No way! I was intimidated. He was staring straight at me as I entered the room. I called his name out, “Ri Mun-seong!” and he gave me an intimidating look, so I said nevermind.
Kang Ha-neul: That’s a good message. So, what is real and what is fake. Is that even a concept that exists?
Kang Ha-neul
One of the most interesting elements of Yoo Jae-heon’s character is the use of a North Korean accent. However, there is another layer of Jae-heon being a South Korean actor that pretends to be a North Korean person too. How does this affect the way you design and interpret the character’s accent and can you tell us more about the process?
Kang Ha-neul: I’ve never actually learned how to speak with a North Korean accent before. I had an instructor teach me who provided me with recordings of the lines. Sticking too strictly to an authentic North Korean accent in a way washed out the original meaning and intention of the script. So I talked with the director and the instructor to polish and finetune the accents to melt with the show and include words that are more familiar.
Noh Sang-hyun: I also got recordings of my lines read out with a North Korean accent. The instructor was on the set with us as well when we were shooting. It was the same process Ha-neul explained. Speaking with a very traditional North Korean accent interfered with expressing the emotions, so we did some editing and adjusting.
Noh Sang-Hyun
For Ha Ji Won, what is the biggest challenge in this role compared to your previous work?
Ha Ji-won: I wanted to show a more mature side. I wanted to portray my character as a person with a wise perspective to the viewers of this show. There are a lot of well-off and affluent TV show characters that we have seen already, so I wanted to show a different side to the generic “rich” character with added wisdom and maturity, so I talked about that with our writer and director as well to emphasize those points. My acting used to be centered around characters, but this time I’ve taken on a rather plain role, with a focus on maturity.
For Jung Ji-so, I’ve seen your work in Parasite and Doom at Your Service and you did wonderfully well in both performances. How do you manage to play two very different kinds of roles so effectively? What approach did you take for your character in Curtain Call?
Jung Ji-so: Every time I read different scripts, I feel different things, meaning that I put on a unique lens through which I want to portray my character. My interpretation, as I’m reading the script, allows me to discover a new character, so I want to portray that uniqueness in my performance too. I want to make sure that shows in my acting, which I think gives me my uniqueness.
Jung Ji-So
Curtain Call is a star-studded series, so we as a viewer expect a lot from this show. What do you think viewers should focus more on in this series?
Jung Ji-so: One thing that strikes my mind is, the viewers will have fun if they pay attention to the momentary thoughts that cross their mind as they are watching our show. There should be a lot of random thoughts that pop up in their head.
‘Curtain Call’ is available on streaming via Amazon Prime Video and airs every Monday and Tuesday.
Parents and their little ones can now join a team of incredible crimefighters to protect the streets of Gotham City! Ride with the Batwheels as they square off against evil alongside Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and more DC Super Heroes streaming now on HBO GO and airing on Cartoon Network’s Cartoonito preschool block on weekends at 9.00am.
Batwheels is DC’s first-ever Batman preschool series. Led by Bam (The Batmobile), this relatable and aspirational series follows the Batwheels as they learn the ins and outs of being a super team as well as the growing pains that come with being a kid.
Underneath the superhero adventures, the series teaches children about what it means to be a hero by showcasing different character strengths and how they contribute towards a greater good. This aligns with the Humancentric Learning framework of Cartoonito – a programming “block” of content that aims to empower every child to embrace their unique selves and encourages them to interact with others with empathy and respect.
From cool characters, awesome vehicles and more, here’s why you and your little caped crusaders should bond over Batwheels:
A Fleet of Iconic Vehicles from The DC Universe
The Batwheels are an awesome sentient group of super-powered, crime fighting vehicles. Like his hero Batman, Bam (voiced by Jacob Bertrand) has a strong sense of justice and tries his best to lead the team. Redbird (voiced by Jordan Reed) is Robin’s zippy sports car that’s
always eager to prove himself a worthy sidekick. Bibi (voiced by Madigan Kacmar) is Batgirl’s brave and bold motorcycle, and the fastest among the Batwheels crew.
Other members of the Batwheels include the supersonic jet plane Batwing (voiced by Lilimar), and Buff (voiced by Noah Bentley), a Bat-styled monster truck who can ram through any obstacle in his path. Together, they are supervised by The Batcomputer (voiced by Kimberly D. Brooks), and maintained by Moe (voiced by Mick Wingert), Batman’s well-equipped, highly efficient robot repairman who can fix almost any mechanical glitch.
New Adventures for The Bat-Family
Alongside the Batweels, the Dark Knight and his allies go all-out in keeping Gotham safe from the Legion of Zoom or Gotham City’s notorious Super-Villains.
Batman (voiced by Ethan Hawke) serves as a father figure to the Batwheels. He is joined by Robin (voiced by AJ Hudson), The Boy Wonder who loves a good mystery, and Batgirl (voiced by Leah Lewis), the tech-savvy daredevil of the Bat-Family.
The Power of Self-Confidence, Friendship, and Teamwork
Just like kids, each of the Batwheels has unique personal strengths. Bam is a loving leader, Redbird is highly inquisitive, and Bibi loves to take action. Every episode showcases a different character strength such as self-awareness, courage, perseverance, and concern for others – ultimately showing viewers the importance of overcoming both personal and interpersonal challenges.
The series also highlights the values of friendship and teamwork. While the Batwheels may be a group of super-vehicles fighting crime, the main message of the series is how their heroism is fueled not by high-tech gadgets and amazing abilities, but by character strengths such as being a good friend and working well with others.
We’re just a few days away from finally getting Disney+ here in the Philippines! And one of the first Disney+ original films that will be dropping on the platform is Disenchanted, the magical sequel to the 2007 movie Enchanted.
Releasing on November 18, just a day after the Disney+ launch in the country, Disenchanted resumes the story of Giselle who left the Disney-esque world of Andalasia and decided to live in New York with Robert and his daughter Morgan. Struggling to keep her ‘Happily Ever After’, Giselle and her family move to the quiet suburbs of Monroeville, but after wishing for a fairy tale life, she accidentally transforms Monroeville into a magical place. While it seems like everything she wished for, the magic slowly consumes Giselle and she soon finds herself becoming the wicked stepmother in her own fairy tale.
Photo courtesy of Disney
Before the release of the movie, we got to join the virtual press conference for the upcoming movie. The event was joined by the film’s stars Amy Adams (Giselle), Patrick Dempsey (Robert), Maya Rudolph (Malvina Monroe), Idina Menzel (Nancy), Gabriella Baldacchino (Morgan), Yvette Nicole Brown (Rosaleen), Jayma Mays (Ruby), Oscar Nunez (Edgar). The movie’s director Adam Shankman, producer Barry Josephson, and music composer Alan Menken also participated in the press conference.
Check out the highlights of the event below:
On returning to the magical story of Giselle and her family.
During the press conference, producer Barry Josephson shared that it was such a joy to resume Giselle’s story in the sequel. According to the producer, it was Amy Adams wanting to play her character again that started off the creation of Disenchanted.
As for the story, they jumped off director Adam Shankman’s initial idea for the sequel: “I was talking to Sean Bailey, the president of Disney, and he was talking about how the project was sitting there, and as we discussed it, I said, ‘Well, basically,’ I was like, ‘you know Giselle’s the stepmother. She’s Morgan’s stepmother.’
“And that for me became the absolute jumping-off point. I was like, ‘That’s low-hanging fruit.’ This is perfect in terms of a continuation of that because she has this now-developed daughter who probably doesn’t believe in magic anymore. And then I was like, “Let’s go from there,” and it was just sort of a thrill ride from there,” explained Shankman.
Photo courtesy of Disney
Josephson also added regarding Brigitte Hales’ script for the movie: “It was just such a joy to see the script come together and become something really joyous and a musical with comedy, and, you know, the right amount of drama. And sort of like all pivoting around what is Giselle’s new character? What is her dilemma? How do we progress from the original movie? And yet, make something that was definitively a new movie, a fresh new start for her character and the other characters that everybody loved from the first movie.”
The Disenchanted cast on reprising their roles from the first movie.
Many characters from the first movie are back in this next chapter in Giselle’s life. Aside from Morgan, the stars from the first film have returned to reprise their roles, including Patrick Dempsey as Giselle’s loving husband Robert; Idina Menzel as Nancy who became queen of Andalasia; and her king, James Marsden.
Referring to her character Giselle, Amy Adams says, “There’s been an evolution from the beginning of the movie Enchanted to who Giselle is at the end of the movie. So [we took] that evolution of who she might be after spending 10 years, but also [made] sure we keep her grounded in sort of the truth of her feelings, but without losing that joy and that naiveite and innocence and purity that makes Giselle so special.”
As for Idina Menzel, she talked with director Shankman to figure out the balance in her character for the sequel. “Adam and I would talk, and I’d say, ‘How much of my New York accent do I still have [laughs] coming from Andalasia, and how much is this idyllic,’ you know, ‘how much has this idyllic, romantic, beautiful perfect place rubbed off on me?’ And then, you know, putting on the corset and all that, it was an easy journey for me.”
Photo courtesy of Disney
Meanwhile, Patrick Dempsey talked about Robert’s place in the sequel, having to juggle his work, his new child and Morgan, and her daughter’s conflict with Giselle. But he adds that he had fun finally participating in the musical aspect of the film.
“That whole process of finding your voice, working with the coach on that, learning the lyrics and the dance was an extraordinary experience and something I’d never done before. I really appreciate the talent, with the voices and the singing of Idina and Amy and Maya and everyone. You know, it’s an extraordinary feeling you get when you sing. The vibration, there’s something very intoxicating about it. So it’s nice to get a taste of that,” said the actor.
The new cast members on joining the magical sequel.
There are also new actors joining the cast of Enchanted, such as Gabriella Baldacchino who now plays the teenage stepdaughter of Giselle.
“This has been a dream of mine to get to be a part of something like this,” said Baldacchino. “It just completely changed my life. And I’m so, so grateful to sing music written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. Like, I grew up performing. I love musical theater and singing, so that wasn’t new for me. But to get to originate something that they wrote, it’s an honor… And working with this incredible cast is like a master class in acting every single day, so I’m just really grateful.”
Photo courtesy of Disney
Meanwhile, Maya Rudolph who stars as the villain Malvina Monroe calls the experience a “dream come true,” adding that “Even though I’ve had a chance to sing in things before, it was nothing like this experience. [It was like] I was training for the marathon I’d been training for my whole life. And that’s what it was every day.”
Yvette Nicole Brown also adds, “And we all had the best time in Ireland. It was just a lovely gathering, a little troupe of us coming together to make this love letter to everyone who loved the original film. And I’m just so honored to get to be a part.”
On the Disney nods and Easter eggs within the film.
Director Adam Shankman also talked about the many Disney tropes that are present in Disenchanted, just like how the first film had a lot of such tropes.
Photo courtesy of Disney
“It’s one of my favorite things about the movie and about participating in it because, to my knowledge, it’s the first time Disney ever winked at itself,” said Shankman. “I mean, I don’t think Disney ever allowed winking at itself. And so, this was such an incredible opportunity. So honestly, if you look around, when the town turns into a fairy tale town, every sign of every shop has something Disney winking involved in it.”
He also points out that in Morgan’s solo song, there are nods to other “I want” songs; the magic mirror is a replica from Snow White; and the ball dresses of Malvina’s minions, Rosaleen and Ruby, are literally the stepsisters’ dresses from Cinderella.
Photo courtesy of Disney
As the press conference comes to a close, director Adam Shankman shared some parting words about the new movie and answered what would be his happily ever after.
“Things were getting really complicated out in the world when we started all of this. And, you know, there was just a lot of conflict going on. And it felt like it was a good time. The stars definitely aligned. Like, the movie came out as coming out at the right time. To address your thing about what happily ever after is. Obviously, happily ever after is a lot of people watching this movie,” said Shankman.
— Catch Disenchanted when it premieres on Disney+ this November 18.
Home to thousands of hours of movies and series from The Walt Disney Company’s creative studios, including Disney Television Studios, FX, 20th Century Studios, 20th Television, and more, Star also houses exclusive Asian language Originals produced in collaboration with producers and directors in the Asia Pacific region.
BTS: PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE – LA
An exclusive cinematic 4K concert film starring RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, BTS: PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE – LA is a stunning concert film that captures the first time in two years since the pandemic that the band met fans in person, and was filmed during their performances in November and December last year at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium.
A stage-focused concert film, today’s release includes performances of the GRAMMY®-nominated group’s hit songs “Dynamite”, “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” as well as a whole range of other amazing songs performed alongside stunning choreography, live effects, pyrotechnics and more.
IN THE SOOP : Friendcation
An original travel reality show with a star-studded cast including V of BTS, Itaewon Class’ Seo-jun Park, Parasite star Woo-shik Choi, Hyung-sik Park, and Peakboy. The program features the five friends venturing on a surprise trip and enjoying a variety of leisure and fun activities.
Snowdrop
In 1987, bloodied man Soo-Ho jumps into a woman’s university dormitory in Seoul. Yeong-ro, a female student who fell in love with him at a group blind date, tends to his wounds as the dormitory is ensnare in intense surveillance. As Soo-ho’s secrets unravel, he must eventually face the conflict between his heart to Yeong-ro and responsibility to his comrades, as well as to his siblings who awaits him in his home country. What will be of their fate?
Big Mouth
In Big Mouth, a lawyer with a ten-percent winning rate is caught up in a murder case and becomes the notorious and genius con artist, Big Mouse, overnight. In order to survive and protect his family, he tries to reveal the true colours of the privileged people involved in a huge conspiracy.
Yakuza Lover
Based on the popular comic of the same name, Yakuza Lover centers around Yuri, a college student who dreams of a man who will love her for who she is. During a night out at a party, Yuri gets mixed up with a shady group, but is rescued just in time by Oya Toshiomi, the leader of a local yakuza clan. Drawn to Toshiomi’s gentlemanly ways, the two begin a passionate but forbidden romance that poses challenges at every turn.
The Kardashians
The family you know and love is here with a brand new series, giving an all-access pass into their lives. Kris, Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall, and Kylie bring the cameras back to reveal the truth behind the headlines.
Only Murders in the Building
Only Murders In The Building follows three strangers who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one as they investigate the mysterious death of a neighbor in their New York City apartment building.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 19
Grey’s Anatomy, the high-intensity medical drama follows Meredith Grey and the team of doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial who are faced with life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. They seek comfort from one another, and, at times, more than just friendship. Together they discover that neither medicine nor relationships can be defined in black and white.
Dopesick
Dopesick examines how one company triggered the worst drug epidemic in American history and takes viewers to the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction. Defying all the odds, heroes will emerge in an intense and thrilling ride to take down the craven corporate forces behind this national crisis and their allies.
Summer Time Rendering
Summer Time Rendering is a sci-fi, summer story filled with suspense set on a small island that begins with Shine Ajar, whose childhood friend Ushio Kofune died. He returns to his hometown for the first time in two years for the funeral. Sou Hishigata, his best friend suspects something’s off with Ushio’s death, and that someone else can die next. A sinister omen is heard as an entire family next door suddenly disappears the following day. Furthermore, Min implicates a “shadow” three days before Ushio’s death.
Besides these Star shows, fans in the Philippines can look forward to a variety of original feature-length films, live-action and animated series, short-form content and documentaries from Hollywood to Hallyu including our iconic brands Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and Pixar.
Netflix has released the trailer for the Japanese series First Love, already giving us a glimpse of the romantic drama’s heartwrenching moments!
Watch the trailer for First Love below:
This new Japanese drama is based on Hikaru Utada’s 1999 smash hit song First Love and Hatsukoi released in 2018. First Love is a story that spans three decades: the late ’90s, the 2000s, and the present. It follows two adults as they try to find the missing piece in their lives, retracing the memories of their unforgettable first love.
Directed by Yuri Kanchiku, the series stars Hikari Mitsushima and Takeru Satoh of the Rurouni Kenshin films. The series will be released on Netflix this November 24. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get the latest news on film, TV, and more updates around the city!
