Latest news with #Jiaozi
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Highest-Grossing Animated Film of All Time Made Most of Its Money in China — Now A24 Is Giving ‘Ne Zha 2' an English Dub
Earlier this year, Chinese animated film 'Ne Zha 2' became not just the highest-grossing film of 2025, and the highest-grossing animated film of all time, but one of the biggest films ever; making over $2 billion at the box office, the action-adventure film is the fifth highest-grossing movie ever made, full stop, and the first non-English language film to cross $2 billion. It accomplished all this while going unseen by almost everybody in the United States: while it received a small limited release on February 14, the film otherwise has been relatively inaccessible to see, and the majority of its revenue has come from China alone. This summer, U.S. audiences will get another chance to see why the film has become a phenomenon. A24 will release an English dub version of 'Ne Zha 2' on August 22, the company announced Wednesday. The film will screen in the U.S., Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand theaters, and be presented in IMAX, 3D, and other premium formats. More from IndieWire Terry Gilliam Says Trump 'Killed' His 'Carnival at the End of Days' Film: He 'Destroyed Satire' Johnny Depp Says Studio Wanted Him to 'Retire' from 'Fantastic Beasts' Franchise: 'F**k You' 'Ne Zha 2' is the sequel to 2019's 'Ne Zha,' which grossed over $700 million upon its initial release. The film franchise, created by director and screenwriter Yang Yu (also credited as Jiaozi), is based on the eponymous Chinese mythological character and draws inspiration from the 16th century novel 'Investiture of the Gods.' It follows the young Ne Zha, a reincarnation of a demon orb, who goes on a journey to save the world and prove himself a hero to those who hate and fear him. A24 is distributing the dub in partnership with CMC Pictures. Michelle Yeoh will be featured in the voice cast, although it has not been announced who she will play. The remaining cast has not been confirmed. 'I'm honored to be part of 'Ne Zha 2,' a landmark in Chinese animation and a powerful reminder of how universal our stories can be,' Yeoh said in a statement. 'Sharing this with audiences in English is such a joy, and I can't wait for everyone to experience the wonder, heart, spectacular artistry, and magic of this film on the big screen.' Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
The Star
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Influencer Tanner Martin announces his own death at age 30
The social media star added that his decision to share the news himself was to allow his wife, Shay Wright, 'some time to grieve' without needing to address the public. Photos: Tanner Martin/Instagram Influencer Tanner Martin has died at the age of 30 following a five-year battle with colon cancer, announcing his death himself in a prerecorded video on Instagram. 'Hey, it's me Tanner, if you're watching this, I am dead,' the influencer said in the video shared on Wednesday. 'I had a heck of a life. I decided to make this video announcing my death, cause I saw someone did that like a year or so ago, and I think it's a good opportunity to get all your thoughts out.' The social media star added that his decision to share the news himself was to allow his wife, Shay Wright, 'some time to grieve' without needing to address the public. 'I wanted to make a video where she could just post it so that you guys would know, and she could take a break as long as she needed to from social media,' he said. Martin's death comes just over a month after the couple welcomed their daughter AmyLou, also known as Jiaozi, on May 15. 'I would ask at this time if you could continue to offer prayers and stuff for my sweetheart Shay and my baby girl Jiaozi,' Martin said. In another post, Tanner appears in a video with AmyLou lying by his side as he makes one final request to fans. 'I just wanted to ask you guys if you would help me raise Jiaozi,' he said. 'We're gonna start a GoFundMe and the GoFundMe is to help replace what I would be there for.' As of Thursday afternoon, the GoFundMe had already hit more than $590,000, surpassing its original $250,000 goal. The page notes the money will be used to buy 'a modest starter home' for Martin's family. Before signing off, the influencer said he had one last message for his supporters: 'I love you guys. Be kind to each other, see the good intent in other people and you guys will just have a happy life.' – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Ne Zha 2' Director: China's Animation Boom Must Lead to Creative Risk, Not Repetition
The director of Ne Zha 2, the highest-grossing animated film in Chinese box office history, is urging his peers to embrace greater diversity in storytelling, as the industry grapples with the unprecedented $2.2 billion global haul of his record-breaking sequel. As recently as a decade ago, the Chinese animation industry was still taking baby steps but a recent boom has been led by talents such as Yang Yu (aka Jiaozi), responsible for both Ne Zha and the sequel that went ballistic. While the world has warmed to the tale of the little demon boy struggling along his quest for immortality, Yang urged caution when it came to other Chinese filmmakers looking – or even dreaming – of replicating that success. More from The Hollywood Reporter Shanghai: Women Filmmakers Speak Out on Challenges and Triumphs at Kering Seminar How Tennis Icon Andy Murray Is Moving From Centre Court to Center Stage on the Road to Wimbledon Karen Gillan Doesn't Fear Imposter Syndrome 'I think in the next five to 10 years, as more and more young people transition from animation enthusiasts to creators, they will have more space to experiment with diverse content,' said Yang. 'I am optimistic because the animation industry in China actually does not have very large numbers of directors and creators. If you look at the credits behind a film like Ne Zha, there might be around one to two thousand people. At the moment, that's basically everyone in the Chinese animation industry.' Yang is this week serving on the jury for the Golden Goblet award for animation at the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival — China's largest annual industry gathering — and spoke alongside fellow jury members: Oscar-nominated Irish filmmaker Nora Twomey (The Secret of Kells) and Japan's Koji Yamamura (Mt. Head). The festival has long supported animation, as has the city that hosts it, given that Shanghai was where the first-ever Asian animated feature (Princess Iron Fan) was produced way back in 1941. There are five international productions in the running for the Golden Goblet, with markets represented including Japan (Make a Girl from Gensho Yasuda), France-Switzerland-Belgium (Antoine Lanciaux's The Songbirds' Secret) and Australia (Magic Beach from Robert Connolly) China has two films involved, and they showcase just how far the genre reaches these days, given there's the IP-driven U.S.-coproduction Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass (Zhang Gang directing) the Li Wei, Weng Ming, Shinichiro Watanabe, Shuhei Morita-directed, war-shadowed fantasy Edge of Time. 'If you look back at the last 10 years, from the success of the big productions from White Snake (2019) and now to Ne Zha, each movie is based on very classic Chinese traditional IP as a starting point,' said Yang. 'It's not that these creators only want to do this, it's because in the past decade, if they don't do this, the film may not sell. 'More global audiences are also eagerly looking forward to seeing more excellent Chinese animation works, which are also a reimagining of traditional Chinese mythology,' he continued. 'So I think this has injected a new power into the industry. Over the years, more and more audiences have started to believe that China can also produce excellent animated films and, gradually, different types of content will begin to emerge.' For her part, Twomey welcomed the 'inspiration' Ne Zha 2 had provided for the global animation industry. 'I believe that now is a very special time,' she said. 'We currently have many interesting situations, but also face many challenges. For example, the popularization of AI and the audience's high expectations for animation have become very high. So, we hope that our imagination will not be constrained and that with endless creativity, we can bring audiences works worth looking forward to.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
NDTV
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Watch: Food Vlogger's Dumpling Cake Leaves Internet Impressed
Recently, chef Elena Zeng, also known as Zenghi on social media, took her love for Jiaozi (Chinese dumplings) to the next level by creating a special cake entirely made of these delicious pocket-like treats. In an Instagram reel, the chef demonstrated her method of making dumplings layer by layer and stacking them on top of each other to form the cake. She starts by making the filling by adding minced chicken and cabbage in a bowl, which she then mixes with soya sauce and other spices. Also Read: The next step is to make the dumpling wrappings and fill them with chicken stuffing. Then, she pan-fries the dumplings in a pan and makes a slurry of water, flour, and a tiny pinch of salt to make a crispy dumpling skirt. Repeating the process a few times, she gets different sizes of dumpling skirts which she assembles one on top of another and garnishes them with sauce and edible flowers. Watch the full viral video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zenghi - 曾曼琪???? (@elenazeng__) The video went viral, with several people sharing their thoughts in the comment section. One user wrote, "Gonna celebrate my birthday often now." Another added, "Gonna put it to my next CAKE IDEA!!!" A viewer commented, "Grandissima!! This is amazing!!" "Does everyone see the reason why I must get married to her? Yeah, so leave her alone," read a comment. A user remarked, "So pretty!" What do you think of this viral cake? Let us know in the comments section.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U.K. Streaming Tax? Netflix Responds: 'Incentivize Rather Than Penalize Investment and Success'
Global streaming giants didn't mince their words on Thursday when they reacted to a call from a U.K. parliamentary committee for a levy of 5 percent of U.K. subscriber revenue on foreign streaming services, including the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+ and Disney+, to help finance British drama production. In a statement, Netflix highlighted that the U.K. is the streamer's 'biggest production hub outside of North America – and we want it to stay that way.' It added a thinly veiled warning that levies or taxes would lead to price increases: 'In an increasingly competitive global market, it's key to create a business environment that incentivizes rather than penalizes investment, risk taking and success. Levies diminish competitiveness and penalize audiences who ultimately bear the increased costs.' More from The Hollywood Reporter Jewish Film Festival Berlin Brandenburg Unveils 2025 Lineup 'Saturday Night Live' Coming to the U.K. With Sky 'Ne Zha 2,' China's Record Setter, Gets Beijing Fest Exhibition of Director Jiaozi's Hand-Painted Posters A source close to the matter told THR: 'Netflix members have already paid the BBC license fee. A levy would be a double tax on them and us. It's unfair. This is a tariff on success. And our members are going to be punished.' The Association for Commercial Broadcasters and On-Demand Services (COBA) also argued that a levy could hurt streamers' investment in Britain. 'Especially in this economic climate, a levy risks impacting existing content budgets for U.K. shows, jobs, and growth, along with raising costs for businesses,' said COBA executive director Adam Minns. 'Ironically, it could actually damage public service broadcaster dramas by reducing co-production budgets at streamers.' As reported, urgent action' is needed 'to protect distinctly British content,' the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House of Commons of the U.K. parliament concluded after holding an inquiry via a series of hearings. In its final report, published on Thursday, it called on the government of Labour Party leader and Prime Minister Keir Starmer 'to ramp up support across film and high-end TV.' Among its proposals are additional tax incentives to benefit independent films, support for independent cinemas, and the streaming tax. The recommendation 'for streamers, such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+ and Disney+, which benefit from the creativity of British producers, to put their money where their mouth' called for them to pay 5 percent of their U.K. subscriber revenue into 'a cultural fund to help finance drama with a specific interest to British audiences.' If the industry does not voluntarily establish such a fund, administered by the BFI, within a year, the U.K. government 'should introduce a statutory levy,' the committee recommended. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire Sign in to access your portfolio
