The release of Rupert Sanders (White and the Huntsman) live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell, based on Masamune Shirow’s manga/and anime by Mamoru Oshii of the same name, is right around the corner. The film follows the exploits a female cyborg cop who hunts a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master. Ghost in the Shell stars Scarlett Johansson (Lucy), Michael Pitt (Funny Games), Pilou Asbæk (A Hijacking), Sam … Continue reading →

Kim Seong-Hun, the filmmaker behind A Hard Day and Tunnel, is making an eight-episode Korean zombie series for Netflix from a script by Kim Eun-hee (Signal). According to Deadline, Kingdom is set in Korea’s medieval Joseon period where a crown prince is sent on a suicide mission to investigate a mysterious outbreak that leads him to a brutal truth that threatens the kingdom. “I wanted to write a story that reflects the fears and anxiety … Continue reading →

Back in 2008, director Gordon Chan (Armageddon) helmed an action-romance titled Painted Skin, starring Chen Kun (Zhong Kui), Zhou Xun (The Banquet), Zhao Wei (14 Blades) and Donnie Yen (xXx: Return of Xander Cage). The film was loosely based on a classic short story by Pu Songling, a writer of supernatural tales during the Qing Dynasty. The same story also served as the inspiration for a 1992 Painted Skin starring … Continue reading →

Chinese entertainment company Huayi Brothers (Mojin: The Lost Legend, Dragon Blade) have announced The Mask of the Black Death, an upcoming film based on a script by one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai, Ran). The Mask of the Black Death (based on on Edgar Allen Poe’s short story The Masque of the Red Death) was written by Kurosawa following his 1975 film Dersu Uzala and was … Continue reading →

Brace yourself for Jeffrey Chiang’s Mawas, an upcoming thriller that’s being dubbed as “Malaysia’s first monster movie.” Headlining the film is Hong Kong action star Michelle Yeoh (Reign of Assassins). But don’t expect something in the lines of King Kong, Godzilla or any other kaiju film, because Mawas is more in tune with folklore favorite, Bigfoot. According to CO: Mawas is a Malaysia’s hominid cryptid similar to America’s Bigfoot which was reportedly sighted in Johor, Malaysia. There have been … Continue reading →

Back in 2012, it was reported that Bruce Willis was set to star in Five Against a Bullet, a film about a Mexican politician who hires five of the best bodyguards (Willis, being one of them) after his father is killed by a drug cartel. For die hard Asian cinema fans, the basic premise of Five Against a Bullet sounded a lot like Johnnie To’s 1999 film The Mission, which centered on a Triad boss who, after … Continue reading →

Part John Woo violence, part Guy Ritchie comedy and part 70s exploitation… get ready for Free Fire, an upcoming shoot ’em flick produced by Martin Scorsese. Official: Acclaimed filmmaker Ben Wheatley (High Rise) propels the audience into quite possibly the most epic shootout ever seen on film as he crafts a spectacular parody of the insanity of gun violence. Everyone’s got a gun, and absolutely no one is in control. Set … Continue reading →

Grab your red “Thriller” jacket and get ready for Plan B, an upcoming martial arts flick fused with comedy and nostalgic pop culture. The film’s cast and crew consists of stuntmen and martial artists from the German film crew, Reel Deal Action. In Plan B, three martial arts experts (Can Aydin, Cha-Lee Yoon and Phong Giang) embark upon a search for a treasure that will allow them to save a friend from the clutches of a scrupulous … Continue reading →