The projects include six productions based in various countries across Asia including China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

HBO Asia has produced ten Asian originals since 2012 and is committed to expand its repertoire further for audiences in the region and globally. All upcoming HBO Asia Originals will be available exclusively on HBO Asia’s network of channels including HBO’s online streaming platform, HBO GO and the on-demand service, HBO On Demand.

This year, HBO Asia premiered four Asian Originals including the second season of “Halfworlds”, the dark action fantasy drama series set in Bangkok that premiered in January, award-winning “The Teenage Psychic”, HBO Asia’s first original Chinese series set that premiered with breakthrough ratings in April.

HBO Asia’s first comedy drama series “Sent” premiered in September and the “Talwars: Behind Closed Doors”, HBO Asia’s first original documentary series, launched last Sunday.

“HBO has been known to produce high quality, premium Original productions. By harnessing the full potential of talent and production infrastructure the region has to offer, we are well-positioned to create premium, authentic, Asian content for our audiences in the region, many of which have been recognised for various creative and performance awards,” said Jonathan Spink, chief executive of HBO Asia.

“With its richness in culture and histories, Asia is a great source of stories which make for appealing content locally as well as globally. We are excited that as a start, two of our HBO Asian Originals, ‘The Teenage Psychic’ and both seasons of ‘Halfworlds’ will be available to audiences in the US on the HBO US service from next month.”

New series premiering on HBO Asia’s network of channels include a six-episode hour-long horror anthology series “Folklore” taking place across multiple Asian countries including Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Helmed by different directors from various countries in Asia, each episode will be based on each country’s deeply-rooted superstitions and myths and seek to modernise or update Asian horror, exploring societal dysfunctions in a manner that is specific to the country but possessing themes that will resonate across the continent.

“Folklore’s” creator and show-runner is award-winning Singaporean film maker, Eric Khoo. Other directors involved are Joko Anwar (Indonesia), Ho Yu-Hang (Malaysia), Lee Sang-Woo (Korea), Pen-Ek Ratanaruang (Thailand) and Takumi Saitoh (Japan).

Also coming is an eight-part, hour-long period drama series “Grisse” that’s set in the mid 1800’s within the colonial period of the Dutch East Indies. The series chronicles the story of a group of unlikely individuals who lead a rebellion against a brutal governor and suddenly find themselves in control of a Dutch garrison town called Grisse.

The stories revolve around a number of unique characters, each from diverse backgrounds and creeds who unite for the chance to determine their own destiny from the yoke of tyranny.

“The Master of the White Crane Fist: Wong Yan-Lam” and “The Master of the Nine Dragon Fist: Wong Ching-Ho” are the third and fourth instalments of the Chinese language martial arts anthology movie series first shown in 2016.

Directed by Guo Jian-yong, the “White Crane Fist: Wong Yan-Lam” is set in ancient China during the late Qing dynasty and tells about four constables escorting a criminal who cross paths with a theatre troupe and a mysterious priest, setting off events that lead to the murder of a constable. Amongst them is the legendary master, who will unravel the consequences of greed, revenge, betrayal and opium smuggling.

Directed by Si Xiao-dong, the “Master of the Nine Dragon Fist: Wong Ching-Ho” is set in China in the early 19th century. A British businessman, Mr James, sells opium as a “longevity enhancement medicine” that sees many locals become addicted to opium. The head of Guangzhou’s martial arts alliance, Wong Ching-Ho, decides to take action and destroy Mr. James’ opium warehouses. To save his business, Mr. James employs kung fu master, Man Sing, to eliminate his enemy, leading Wong to develop his legendary Nine Dragon Fist.

“Miss Sherlock” is HBO Asia’s very first Japanese language eight-part, hour-long drama series, produced in collaboration with Hulu in Japan. The series, premiering across more than 20 countries in April, pays homage to the classic by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, with bold interpretations of the iconic characters, Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson.

The scenes are set in modern day Tokyo and both lead characters are Japanese women – Dr Wato Tachibana (played by Shihori Kanjiya), a surgeon recently returned from a volunteer doctors’ mission in Syria and Sara Shelly Futaba (played by Yuko Takeuchi), an investigation consultant to the police department who solves bizarre and difficult cases. Throughout the series, the pair solves mystery after mystery with Miss Sherlock’s extraordinary observation and reasoning skills.

“The Teenage Psychic” is slated to return with a second season with Kuo Shu Yau reprising her lead role as Xie Ya Zhen, a psychic born with the ability to see spirits who learns to use her abilities to help others. The second season of the series will once again be directed by rising Taiwanese writer-director Chen Ho-Yu.

“We are thrilled to work with Studio Dragon to bring “A Korean Odyssey” to our global members,” said Rob Roy, vice president of Content Acquisition at Netflix. “Netflixis committed to bringing great Korean stories to audiences around the world.”

Written by the Hong sisters. “A Korean Odyssey” is inspired by the classic novel, “Journey to the West”. It is set in modern times and each character holds special powers. Lee Seung-Gi stars as the powerful Son Oh-Gong, Cha Seung-Won is Woo Hwi-Chul, the Bull Demon King in the original story, and Oh Yeon-Seo as Jin Sun-Mi plays Xuanzang.

Along with “A Korean Odyssey”, Netflix will also bring “Prison Playbook”and “Argon” into its Korean content list.“Prison Playbook” is a comedic drama about a famous baseball player who suddenly ends up in jail, and “Argon” is about journalists who fight for the truth in the world of fake news.

“We are excited to bring new dramas that Studio Dragon and CJ E&M have produced to various countries around the world,” said JangHo Seo, General Manager of CJ E&M. “We hope Korean content becomes acknowledged not only in Korea, but globally as well.”

“A Korean Odyssey” will be available globally on Netflix from later this month. All three series are part of a multi title partnership between Netflix and CJ E&M.

Netflix currently has 109 million global members.

 In the cult series, his character is best known for helping Arya Stark (played by Maisie Williams) learn the deadly arts of his order, the Faceless Men, at the House of Black and White in Braavos. The Faceless Men have the ability to change their appearance at will.

In an exclusive and intimate press session with both local and regional media, Wlaschiha said he was honoured to be part of HBO Asia’s anniversary celebration and really enjoying the warm hospitality and the vibrant culture the region has to offer.

On his first trip to Singapore, Wlaschiha visited Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Chinese Temple and Sri Krishnan Indian Temple along Waterloo Street and the Sultan Mosque (Masjid Sultan) in Kampong Glam, and also admired the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Chinatown, Boat Quay and Orchard Road. He indulged in some of Singapore’s local culinary delights including Hainanese chicken rice, laksa and chilli crab.

In addition to HBO Asia’s 25th Anniversary festivities, nine Asian directors, showrunners and cast members from HBO Asia’s upcoming titles, including actresses Yuko Takeuchi(Japan), Shihori Kanjiya (Japan) and Kuo Shu Yau (Taiwan); directors Joko Anwar (Indonesia), Chen Ho Yu (Taiwan), Ho Yuhang (Malaysia), Eric Khoo (Singapore), Lee Sang-Woo (Korea) and showrunner Mike Wiluan (Indonesia), were in Singapore to share insights about their upcoming HBO Asia Original productions and celebrate the milestone.

The 28th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) wrapped last night after 11 days of immersive festivities that celebrated and inspired the discovery of independent cinema.

More than 14,000 people turned out for the festival, which showcased 112 feature and short films from 42 countries and enjoyed 31 sold out screenings. Festival-goers were also enthralled by the short film programmes this year, with four sold-out Southeast Asian Short Film and Singapore Panorama Short Film programmes.

On the closing day, the festival announced “Call Me By Your Name” by director Luca Guadagnino as the Audience Choice Award, after active voting by festival goers over the 11 days. The wonderfully sensual coming-of-age gay drama features a whirlwind love story between a 17-year-old youth and his father’s 24-year-old research assistant. It was also the first film to have both its screenings sell out at this year’s festival.

The award-winning film was rescreened at the National Museum of Singapore yesterday, alongside the winners of this year’s Best Southeast Asian Short Film, “Jodilerks Dela Cruz, Employee of the Month” by Carlo Francisco Manatad, Best Singapore Short Film “Between Us Two” by Tan Wei Keong, and Best Asian Feature Film “Disappearance” by Ali Asgari.

The festival also saw a line-up of distinguished film personalities from all around the world who met with festival-goers at the various red-carpet galas at the Marina Bay Sands and Capitol Theatre, and passionate sharing sessions by filmmakers and cast at masterclasses and talks. This included international icon David Beckham, Star Wars actress Kelly Marie Tran, Crazy Rich Asian actor Henry Golding, Academy Awards-nominated director Shekhar Kapur, esteemed cinematographer Christopher Doyle, veteran Indian actress Waheeda Rehman, Japanese personalities Joe Odagiri, Koji Yakusho, Takumi Saitoh, Shioli Kutsuna, Shinobu Terajima, and Indonesian actress Marsha Timothy.

The festival also concluded its inaugural Southeast Asian Producers Network, which brought together the movers and shakers of the regional producing industry, who shared their experiences and the art of their craft with an eager audience.

“Putting the Festival together has always been an inspiring journey as we delve deep into the creativity and bold artistry present in our regional cinema, while keeping an open mind to new developments that present opportunities to the industry. As a platform that aims to be a tastemaker in inspiring the discovery of independent cinema, we are heartened to see fruitful dialogues facilitated; achievements of our regional talents celebrated; and new friendships forged. We hope that this edition of the Festival has sparked new perspectives in our festival goers, and we look forward to more joining us in this journey to embrace the future of cinema,” said SGIFF executive Director Yuni Hadi.

Netflix said Friday it had renewed its hit 1980s-set nostalgic supernatural drama, which has won critical acclaim and instant fame for its cast of young stars.

“Should we make another season of Stranger Things?” the subscription-only streaming giant teased with an interactive poll on Twitter before adding: “season 3 is officially happening!!!”

No date was given for the season three premiere.

According to Nielsen, around 15.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the first episode of the show’s second season within the first three days of its October 27 launch. Netflix does not release information about viewership.

But those numbers would make “Stranger Things” one of the most popular television shows in the United States, not far behind AMC’s hit show “The Walking Dead.”

“Stranger Things” tells the story of a group of young friends living in a small town in Indiana in the 1980s — and the odd happenings that threaten them all.

It premiered in July 2016 and won five primetime Emmy Awards in 2017. It had earned a whopping 18 nominations, including one for 13-year-old breakout star Millie Bobby Brown.

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Netflix believes that although consumers access their favourite TV shows and films across a number of electronic devices in this age of streaming, the television still endures as an important viewing device for consumers across Asia Pacific.

In other words, TV is here to stay in Thailand.

“As entertainment shifts online, consumers are discovering that they have more control over their viewing experiences than ever before,” said Chris Jaffe, vice president of product innovation at Netflix.

“What they’re looking for today is choice, quality and greater flexibility, and these demands are driving new trends that are shaping the future of entertainment,” he said

“We are moving into an era of multi-device connectivity and contextual entertainment.”

Today, Netflix users across Asia Pacific are using between three and five different Internet-connected devices for their entertainment needs, completing their binges on everything from smartphones to smart TVs.

It is clear that no single device will dominate entertainment in the near future. The future appears to hold even more “contextual entertainment”., where consumers access their favourite shows on any device they want, in a way that fits seamlessly with where they are connecting from. In Bangkok, contextual entertainment may take the form of watching a show on a mobile device on the go, or during a commute on the BTS Skytrain after work, or at home after a long day immersed for hours in their favourite film on the big screen while sitting on the sofa.

Streaming on TV devices has grown in popularity, with connected TV accounting for 41 per cent of Netflix viewing hours in Thailand. Smart TVs lead the charge as the most popular connected TV device. This is followed by media streaming devices such as Apple TV, Rokus or Chromecast, and game consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation.

Despite increasing mobility, the TV remains the enduring centrepiece of a typical consumer’s entertainment experience with the shift from the linear to the connected world. Consumers today are now discovering a new world of entertainment in their homes on connected TVs.

“People have always enjoyed watching TV and this won’t change anytime soon,” said Chris Jaffe, vice president of product innovation at Netflix. “The beauty of connected TVs is that they’re able to exploit the best part of the conventional linear TV experience, while leveraging all of the benefits of the connected technology,” he said.

“People can now enjoy big-screen time at home that is personalised to their unique tastes and preferences, on-demand, immersive and interactive. As people discover this with Netflix, the more they love their connected TV experience.”

In Thailand, Netflix finds that while majority of membership signups are through mobile devices and laptops, consumers move on to discover the connected TV experience. Within six months of subscribing, the primary viewing device for 50 per cent of accounts has become their connected TVs. Members across the region are also spending twice as long watching on their connected TVs as they do on their mobile devices. This behaviour points to a growing demand for connected TV viewings and sure enough, sales of “smart TVs” across Asia have increased 40 per cent over the last year.

Innovation in TV technology is also driving audio-visual entertainment experiences right in consumers’ homes. With sales of ultra HD 4k TV in the Asia Pacific region surging 103 per cent over the past 12 months, consumers can now also access top-quality entertainment, not just on full-fledged home theatre systems, but also on sound bars and headsets.

“These audio-video innovations come at a time when there is a growing library of high-quality content available for streaming,” said Jaffe. “Netflix has endless hours of ultra HD 4k and high dynamic range (HDR) content; and more than half of our catalogue already supports 5.1 surround sound. We have also just announced our support for Dolby Atmos three-dimensional sound.”

In a four-hour ceremony, 435 film industry figures made up of directors, actors, producers and crew were flown to Manado to attend a star-studded ceremony that honored the year’s best cinematic works.

From a voting panel consisting of industry figures from 17 film associations and 18 independent voters, the year’s best film was awarded to thriller Night Bus, directed by Emil Heradi.

“It was an incredible night for us. None of us at Night Bus expected to win Best Film,” he said.

Meanwhile, Joko Anwar’s remake of horror classic Pengabdi Setan (Satan’s Slaves) won the most awards with seven.

It swept all sound-related awards, including Best Original Song, Best Musical Arrangement and Best Sound Design. However, 5-year-old Muhammad Adhiyat won the film’s only award for acting with Best Child Actor.

Teen drama flick Posesif impressed, winning three awards that night, including Best Lead Actress, won by Putri Marino, who made her acting debut in the film.

Meanwhile, Posesif also won Best Supporting Actor (Yayu Unru) and Best Director (Edwin).

Before the event, Posesif was wrapped in a minor controversy during the nomination process, as the film technically did not have an official censorship certificate when its nominations were announced, thereby threatening to make its nomination void.

According to Law No. 33/2009 on film, cinematic works and advertisements require a censorship certificate before it is allowed to be shown in theaters or on television. The Posesif nominations were announced one day before it officially obtained the certificate

Perhaps it’s a fascination with royalty or simply a testament to the quality of the productions, but period drama series about royal families are generally a hit with the small-screen watching public.

None though has taken the world quite as much by storm as “The Crown”. Released on Netflix last year, the big budget series from the UK tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II, starting with her marriage to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.

The series was an enormous success thanks in part to Claire Foy’s superb portrayal of the monarch, director Stephen Daldry’s efforts to maintain accuracy and the production and costume design that brought the audience into Buckingham Palace of the 1940s.

The second season kicks off next Friday and Netflix recently handpicked media from around the world to join the premiere in London and chat with Foy, Matt Smith who plays Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirkby, who portrays the queen’s younger sister Margaret.

Whether by accident of design, the interview took place on the day the royal couple celebrated the 70th anniversary of their marriage, an event they chose to mark in private with close family and friends.

While acknowledging the deep affection the royal couple has for each other, Foy points out that divorce could never have been on the cards.

“She’s the head of the Church of England and in those days the church did not recognise divorced people,” she says.

“It’s about endurance and lasting the course as opposed to any secret ingredient or romantic love,” adds the actress, who won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for her role.

“I think they’ve continued to make each other laugh, which is really important in any relationship. And they stuck with each other through the good and bad times with grace and with humour. Seventy years is a massive achievement for any couple,” says Smith, who plays Prince Philip.

The first season offered an overview of the early years of the reign but the second season looks more closely at the couple’s married life while still highlighting the events of that time. These include the Suez crisis in 1956, the night when the Kennedys met with the Queen and Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace in 1961 and the rumours that her uncle, Edward VIII, who abdicated in favour of his younger brother, George VI was a Nazi sympathiser.

In parallel, viewers see the Queen and her husband facing crises in their relationship, their disagreement over raising their son Prince Charles, their arguments at Prince Philip’s apparent love for the wild life and also lifts the veil on the trauma Philip suffered in his family life as a child.

Princess Margaret (Kirkby) plays a more significant role in season 2 – covering her nervous breakdown after not being allowed to marry her lover Group Captain Peter Townsend and her new relationship with photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones (Matthew Goode) whose free-spirited life also adds to the royal scandals.

With the story based on historical fact and many of the characters still alive today, viewers inevitably wonder what is true and what has been fictionalised.

“This is a fictionalised version of her life and it’s a fictionalised vision of what she’s like,” says Foy.

“The beauty of human relationships is that you can’t dictate how someone else feels. I think Queen Elizabeth did get hurt by those around her and the experiences made her very strong.”

Kirkby agrees. “I think that’s what the series does so well. It gets behind that public image and allows us a glimpse of the human beings behind these icons of public life and to empathise with them. This is a woman in a really difficult situation. I might have judged her before but now I don’t. I can relate to the reality of her life.”

For his part, Smith says that it’s always difficult playing someone who’s still alive. “But it’s also a great privilege and as I have said before, once you’ve done the research and you’ve explored where they are coming from, you try to do your best,” says the actor who played the eleventh incarnation of Doctor Who is the classic British series of the same name.

“I love her and I think she’s incredible. I think she was a formidable sort of woman, a real-life force – fun, reckless and bold,” says Kirkby of Princess Margaret.

“We received a lot of help from a former royal adviser called Major David. His advice was invaluable. He would say, ‘no, she wouldn’t eat like this’ or ‘she wouldn’t do things that way’.”

Princess Margaret, says Kirkby, was incredibly angry at her sister. “She would let the anger out when she was alone in her bedroom, Princess Margaret wore her feelings on her sleeve and didn’t have much of a filter. The Queen is very different; one of the her best qualities is concealing how she really feels, Margaret just couldn’t do that.”

Foy adds that she worked on the Queen’s character without seeing it as a burden.

“I think I realised that they had cast me because they were confident I could play the part so throughout the series I’ve tried not to dwell on it. I’ve tried to trust their decision and just follow my instincts. You can’t try and temper your performance for anybody else because everyone will have their own opinion. In the end, you have to be true to yourself.”

This season will be the final one for the main cast as writer Peter Morgan will bring in new actors to fit the characters as they age. So far, only Olivia Colman has been announced to replace Foy as Queen Elizabeth II for Seasons 3 and 4.

“It’s always hard to leave characters that you have played behind but in this instance, it’s necessary to pass it on to someone else. I feel very lucky to have been the custodian for so long and will now return to the sofa as a fan like I did with Dr Who”,” says Smith with a smile.

Kirkby nods her agreement, saying all the cast had known from the off that they would only play two seasons.

“Ageing actors is always difficult and it breaks the illusion when we all know that they’re not really the age they’re playing,” she says.

For her part, Foy says she’ll always be grateful for the role.

“I was given an opportunity and a responsibility to play a character that required me to do all sorts of things as an actor. I’ve learned a lot about acting and the profession from it. And I’ve made friends for life. It’s been a wonderful experience and I will treasure the memories forever.”

The film, which tells the story of a 12-year-old Mexican, Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), who longs to become a musician but faces a generations-old family ban on music, netted an estimated $50.8 million for the three-day weekend and $72.9 million for the Wednesday-through-Sunday period, said Exhibitor Relations.

“Coco,” which takes Miguel into the magical Land of the Dead, where trickster Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal) helps him unravel a deep family secret, received a rare A+ rating from audiences surveyed by CinemaScore.

Disney and Pixar now claim the top six Thanksgiving openings of all time, according to the Hollywood Reporter, led by “Frozen,” with a five-day opening of $93.6 million.

In second place this weekend was Warner Bros. film “Justice League,” with a three-day take of $41.1 million in its second week out. The superhero flick has an all-star cast of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, joining to fend off supervillain Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds).

In third was Lionsgate’s feel-good film “Wonder,” with a better-than-expected net of $22.7 million. The movie, starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay, tells the story of a fifth-grade boy with a facial deformity who must deal with other children’s shock and bullying when he first attends a mainstream school.

“Thor: Ragnarok,” from Disney-owned Marvel, claimed fourth place with $16.9 million. The film features the self-effacing humor of Chris Hemsworth as the powerful Norse god and Cate Blanchett as death goddess Hela.

Fifth place went to Christmas comedy “Daddy’s Home 2” from Paramount, at $13.22 million. It stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as the less-than-competent co-parents of Wahlberg’s kids as they cope with their own visiting fathers (John Lithgow and Mel Gibson).

Rounding out the top 10 were:

“Murder on the Orient Express” ($13.17 million)

“The Star” ($6.9 million)

“A Bad Moms Christmas” ($4.9 million)

“Roman J. Israel, Esq.” ($4.45 million)

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” ($4.40 million)

The resort is hosting movie premieres, talks and masterclasses with filmmakers, producers and actors tomorrow (November 23) to December 3.

Christopher Doyle, the acclaimed cinematographer of “In the Mood for Love” (2000) and “2046” (2004) and revered Japanese actor Koji Yakusho of “Shall We Dance” (1996) and “Memoirs of a Geisha” (2005) are among guests attending festival events held at the Sands.

So is Shekhar Kapur, who directed the multiple-Oscar-nominated film “Elizabeth” (1998) and its sequel, “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (2007).

In addition to Yakusho, the 11-day festival is also drawing more big names in Japanese cinema, including actress Shinobu Terajima, who stars in “Oh Lucy!” – one of the festival’s Special Presentations.

Male stars in attendance will include Takumi Saitoh, who will show his feature-directing debut, “Blank 13”, and Joe Odagiri, who has the lead in “The White Girl”, another Special Presentation.

Marina Bay Sands global ambassador David Beckham has been invited to attend the Benefit Dinner on November 25 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

As part of “ArtScience on Screen: In Conversation”, the resort and festival will host seven dialogue sessions and masterclasses led by industry insiders between November 24 and December 2 at the ArtScience Museum.

Through the resort’s CSR programme Sands for Singapore, it provides opportunities for youth and other beneficiaries to gain insights into the world of film, art and culture through the eyes of leading experts and celebrities.

This year’s speakers include Kapur, Yakusho, “The Song of Scorpions” director Anup Singh and star Waheeda Rehman, “The White Girl” directors and stars Odagiri, Doyle, Jenny Suen, Angela Yuen and Tony Wu, “Oh Lucy” director Atsuko Hiranayagi and star Terajima, Hong Kong director Clara Law and producer Philip Lee, who worked on Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.

The festival’s other venues include Shaw Theatres Lido, National Museum, National Gallery, the Arts House, Filmgarde Bugis+, Objectifs and Scape.