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Max announced today that Sweethearts, its New Line rom-com starring Kiernan Shipka (Twisters) and Nico Hiraga (Love in Taipei), will premiere on the streamer on November 28. They also unveiled a few first look stills, which you can view above and below.

In the film marking the directorial debut of Jordan Weiss, creator of Hulu’s comedy Dollface, two college freshmen make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts over Thanksgiving break, leading them on a chaotic night out in their hometown that puts their codependent friendship to the test.

Hailing from New Line Cinema and Picturestart, the film also stars Caleb Hearon (Jurassic World Dominion), Tramell Tillman (Severance), Ava Demary (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin), Charlie Hall (Single Drunk Female), Joel Kim Booster (Loot), and Christine Taylor (High Desert).

Weiss wrote the script with Dan Brier. The film is produced by Picturestart’s Erik Feig and Jessica Switch.

Kiernan Shipka showed up in two very different, very major movies this year, but there's a fair chance you may have missed her in both. Spoiler alert for the first 15 minutes of Twisters, but by the time you may have processed that the bubbly, blonde weather enthusiast was Shipka, she was probably long gone.

With Emmy voting underway, Gold House has released its inaugural Gold List honoring Asian creatives in television.

This marks an expansion for the organization, which in the past has championed Asian excellence and creatives in film.

FX’s “Shōgun” dominated with wins for outstanding series, lead performance (Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada), directing and editing and received honorable mentions of supporting performances from Fumi Nikaido, Moeka Hoshi and Tadanobu Asano.

“Expats” and “The Sympathizer” both received the second-highest number of accolades. Other television shows and movies that were honored on the Gold List include “3 Body Problem,” “Invincible,” “Love in Taipei,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Under the Bridge” and “World’s Best.”

In a statement, star and producer of “Shōgun” Sanada said, “I am deeply honored to be selected in the inaugural TV Gold List for my role in ‘Shōgun.’ This recognition is particularly special as it marks the beginning of...

Exclusive: Ace Entertainment has optioned TV rights to New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young’s In Nightfall, a young adult horror novel that was sought after by a number of production companies, sources tell Deadline.

SVP, Television Paul Kim and VP of Television Kendyll Boucher will serve as exec producers of the small-screen adaptation, we’re told.

Billed as a gender-swapped Lost Boys, or The Lost Boys meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, In Nightfall was published by Penguin Random House/Delacorte Press in March 2023, going viral on X and being springboarded into the publishing zeitgeist when no one showed up to the author’s book launch in Tempe, Arizona.

The book takes place in the quaint town of Nightfall, Oregon, where it isn’t the dark you should be afraid of — it’s the girls. Theo and her brother, Marco, threw the biggest party of the year. And got caught.

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films making noise in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

Today’s pick, Gangnam Project, comes to you from Canada and the UK, where it airs on CBC and the BBC. Gangnam Project taps into universal themes of cultural belonging. And in a kids content market changing rapidly, it is a sign of the the times that the Canadian and British broadcasters have tapped into the phenomenon that is K-pop.

Name: Gangnam Project

Country: Canada, UK

Network: CBC, Cbbc

Producer: Pillango Productions, Aircraft Pictures

International sales: Federation Kids & Family

For fans of: Xo,...

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we’ll shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we’re talking to Reno Studios, a digital studio launched in Taipei in 2017, initially handling VFX for Taiwanese films, and now also bringing work from international clients including Netflix, EuropaCorp, Saudi-owned Mbc Group and India’s Zee to Taiwan. Deadline sat down with co-founders Peter Huang and Tomi Kuo, and Executive Producer/Senior VFX Supervisor Christopher Chen, to talk about how the company has grown, their future plans, and why Taiwan is an ideal destination for VFX and Virtual Production.

Despite being known internationally for its semiconductor and computer hardware industries, Taiwan is not the first destination that springs to mind in the Asia Pacific when it comes to VFX and digital production. Australia and New Zealand have traditionally...

Exclusive: Eric Dane (Euphoria), Maia Mitchell (Good Trouble), Tyriq Withers (Atlanta) and Thomas Doherty (Gossip Girl) have been set to star in Family Secrets, a new thriller from Matt Kaplan’s Ace Entertainment.

Currently in production in Montenegro, the film follows a charming young man (Withers) who makes himself part of a destination wedding to exact revenge on the family’s patriarch (Dane) by seducing his affluent goddaughter (Mitchell) and befriending the groom-to-be (Doherty). But as their relationship gets steamier, the truth gets closer to the surface, forcing the question of whether anyone is safe… and who is conning who?

Directing the pic is Malik Vitthal, the filmmaker best known for his law enforcement horror Body Cam starring Mary J. Blige and Nat Wolff, as well as the John Boyega Netflix drama Imperial Dreams, which won the Best of Next! Audience Award at Sundance. Writers of the most recent draft...

I.E. Entertainment, the global distribution outfit founded and run by industry veterans Indra and Erlina Suharjono, has come on board to handle worldwide sales for Cathay Film Company’s “Coolie.”

The TV miniseries is inspired by the little-known history of enslaved Chinese ‘coolies’ in Cuba in the 1860s. It begins shooting this week in the Dominican Republic and will also include locations in Panama.

I.E. Entertainment will introduce “Coolie” to buyers for the first time at the Asia Television Forum & Market (Atf), which runs this week in Singapore.

The eight-episode English and Chinese language drama series is a global production from Meileen Choo’s Singapore-based Cathay Film Company and features a multinational ensemble cast from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cuba and Colombia.

Arvin Chen is directing. In-Ah Lee (“Land of Plenty,” “Don’t Come Knockin’” “The Way I Spent the End of the World”) is the series’ executive producer. Ed Buhr...

My Rep and Me is a new recurring Culture Shift feature in which talent who share a unique background with their representative (be it agent, manager, lawyer or publicist) sit down to discuss the special alchemy and business advantages of that special connection, in order to underscore the importance and benefits of diverse representation.

Author Abigail Hing Wen’s 2019 best-selling YA novel Loveboat, Taipei, which was recently adapted as the Paramount+ film Love in Taipei, is inspired by her own summer experience as a college student on the Overseas Chinese Youth Language Training and Study Tour to the Republic of China (colloquially known as Loveboat), a birthright-type rite of passage for many offspring of Taiwanese expats. The third book in the series, Loveboat Forever, will be published Nov. 7 via HarperCollins. In this inaugural installment of My Rep and Me, Wen and her publicist, The Lede Company’s Emmy Chang – who...

Arvin Chen is to direct “Coolie,” a limited series featuring enslaved Chinese workers in 19th century Cuba.

The eight-part series is the first to emerge from Cathay Film Company, a recent production venture launched by Singapore-based industry veteran Meileen Choo.

In the mid-1800s, when the African slave trade was outlawed throughout the Americas, plantation owners in Cuba instead began trafficking indentured servants from China and other parts of Asia. These, so-called coolies were often treated as slaves, but some integrated into Cuban society and joined the country’s fight for independence from Spain. The provided a low-cost workforce for farms, restaurants, factories and were instrumental in setting up Chinatowns across the world.

With Hong Kong actor Louise Wong in the lead role as a young woman who departs from southern China to marry a political exile working on a sugarcane plantation in Cuba, the narrative sees her join forces...

“Love in Taipei,” the Paramount+ original movie based on Abigail Hing Wen’s book “Loveboat, Taipei,” ends with main character Ever Wong (Ashley Liao) making several big decisions, but it also marks a significant departure from where Wen’s book concludes.

Sent by her parents to a cultural immersion program in Taiwan for the summer, Ever gets in better touch with her heritage while embarking on her own journey of self-discovery. As she struggles through Mandarin calligraphy classes, Ever blossoms socially with the help of Sophie Ha (Chelsea Zhang), and she further solidifies her desire to pursue dancing as her dream career, not the practical path of medical school that her parents have coached her into since they came to the United States from Taiwan. She also meets two very different young men who relate to her obstacles in various ways — Boy Wonder Rick Woo (Ross Butler) and troublemaker Xavier...

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for the MPTF NextGen Summer Party, Love in Taipei and Wif’s Valley Girl screening.

MPTF NextGen Summer Party

Darren Criss, Colman Domingo, Ben Barnes, Camilla Belle, Yvette Nicole Brown, Cristo Fernández, Max Greenfield, Olivia Holt, Michael Rooker, Reid Scott and Harry Shum Jr. were among the stars who attended the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s NextGen Summer Party on Sunday.

Yvette Nicole Brown, Colman Domingo and Max Greenfield Olivia Holt and Bailee Madison Michael Rooker, Cristo Fernandez, Paloma Cinco and Yvette Nicole Brown

Love in Taipei premiere

Paramount+ hosted a special premiere screening for it’s new film on Tuesday in Los Angeles, with support from director Arvin Chen, author/executive producer Abigail Hing Wen and producer Matt Kaplan.

Arvin Chen and Abigail Hing Wen Matt...

Love in Taipei is a teen romantic comedy film directed by Arvin Chen from a screenplay by Mackenzie Dohr and Charlie Oh. The film is based on the New York Times’ Best-Selling Novel Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen and it follows an American teenager Ever Wong as she is surprised by her parents with a trip to Taipei, Taiwan for a cultural immersion program. For Ever this trip becomes a chance to make friends, make some mistakes, and fall in love. Love in Taipei stars Ashley Liao, Ross Butler, Chelsea Zhang, and Nico Hiraga.

So, let’s see what we know about Love in Taipei including its cast, when is it coming out, what is it about, and most importantly where can you watch it.

Love in Taipei – When Did it Come Out? Credit – Paramount+

Love in Taipei came out exclusively on Paramount+ on August 10, 2023.

Love in Taipei – How to Watch It?...

Love in Taipei is a teen romantic comedy film directed by Arvin Chen from a screenplay by Mackenzie Dohr and Charlie Oh. The film follows an American teenager Ever Wong as she is surprised by her parents with a trip to Taipei, Taiwan for a cultural immersion program. For Ever this trip becomes a chance to make friends, make some mistakes, and fall in love. Love in Taipei stars Ashley Liao, Ross Butler, Chelsea Zhang, and Nico Hiraga. So, if you loved Love in Taipei here are some similar movies and shows you could watch next.

To All the Boys: Always and Forever (Netflix) Credit: Netflix

Synopsis: As Lara Jean Covey prepares for the end of high school and the start of adulthood, a pair of life-changing trips lead her to reimagine what life with her family, friends, and Peter will look like after graduation.

Xo, Kitty (Netflix) Credit – Netflix...

Abigail Hing Wen’s novel “Loveboat Taipei” is coming to the small screen with the help of director Arvin Chen. Wen executive produced the film, which landed on Paramount+ Aug. 10. In “Love in Taipei,” Ever Wong (Ashley Liao) finds herself shipped off to a cultural immersion program full of Mandarin calligraphy classes, fan dance and bo staff lessons and more to learn about her Taiwanese roots. Her parents send her to the program, known more commonly as Loveboat, the summer before she is supposed to attend medical school.

While she doesn’t expect this change in plans, Ever still hopes to film her audition for a dance company out of the way of her parents discovering, since they don’t realize her true passion lies in dance. Apart from the two career paths, dreams and languages Ever learns to navigate at Loveboat, she also meets two very different boys — Rick...

The new Paramount+ movie, Love In Taipei explores similar themes to the show Xo, Kitty, or a much mellowed-down version of Crazy Rich Asians, for 21-year-olds in Taipei, Taiwan. The movie follows a girl named Ever Wong, who is having her last summer break before she goes off to do pre-med. Instead of letting her be, her parents decide to send her to Taipei for a summer program of more studying, while all she wants to do is let off some steam and participate in a dance audition. So, as you can imagine, Ever is the fish out of water who is completely against this trip, but soon enough, she finds reason to like it. You can read our full review of Love In Taipei, or you can read on for full spoilers.

What happens in the movie?

Ever finds herself on her way to Huawei for a Taiwan study tour.

Right now, with the sheer number of coming-of-age teen dramas with voice-overs about self-discovery released every day on Ott platforms, it seems like there’s not much room for originality. What’s interesting is that Love In Taipei isn’t even about teenagers; the protagonist, Ever Wong (Ashley Liao), is actually 21 when she’s forced into summer school by her parents. Immigrant Taiwanese Ever is weighed down by parental expectations and pursuing her own dreams. Nothing new there, but her self-aware journey begins when she goes to Taipei for a summer of what she thinks is more studying than fun but quickly learns otherwise. It’s true that there’s only so much you can expect from such a story, but what I found lacking was the exploration of Taiwanese culture. Funnily enough, Ever has gone to learn Mandarin, how to make dumplings, and, so to speak, her own culture.

The best-selling young adult novel “Loveboat, Taipei” by Abigail Hing Wen is making its way to the small screen! A film adaptation, titled “Love in Taipei,” follows a teenage girl named Ever Wong from the United States to Taipei as she embarks on a transformative adventure. While immersed in culture, she discovers the life she truly wants to live. The film debuts exclusively on Paramount+ on Thursday, August 10, so it’s the perfect way to kick off your weekend. You can watch Love in Taipei with a 30-Day Free Trial of Paramount Plus. You can also watch with Amazon Prime Video.

How to Watch ‘Love in Taipei’ When: Thursday, August 10, 2023 Where: Paramount Plus Stream: Watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Paramount Plus. 30-Day Free Trial$5.99+ / month paramountplus.com

For a Limited Time, Get 1 Month of Paramount+ With Code: Lioness

About ‘Love in Taipei’

In the novel and film, Ever...

While “Love in Taipei” promises transportive and transformative escapades with its adaptation of Abigail Hing Wen’s novel “Loveboat, Taipei,” the story’s core strengths are undervalued in the translation from book to screen. This Paramount Plus feature, centered on a young woman embarking on a life-changing overseas journey, only pays lip service to the struggle of a first-generation Asian-American caught between two worlds. Instead, it places more emphasis on her romantic entanglements with two young men who all too often motivate her foundational change. Director Arvin Chen cleverly brings us into her psyche through whimsical aesthetic techniques and fantastical asides, but doesn’t make her emotions palpable enough to touch our hearts.

Eighteen-year-old Ever Wong (Ashley Liao) has always felt like an outsider in her tiny suburban town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, being one of only three Asian-American students in her predominantly white school. Her parents (Jacko Chiang and...

“Only Murders in the Building” Releases Season 3 Trailer

A whodunit question for the history books: did Meryl Streep kill Paul Rudd? Hulu has released the first trailer for the upcoming third season of its comedy-mystery series “Only Murders in the Building. In addition to its leading sleuth trio of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, Streep and Rudd join the cast in the season centered on a crime behind the scenes at a Broadway show.

Watch the “Only Murders in the Building” Season 3 trailer below:

The cast also includes Nathan Lane, Michael Cyril Creighton, Vanessa Aspillaga, Tina Fey, Adina Verson, Ryan Broussard, Jackie Hoffman, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, James Caverly, and more. Season 3 will premiere on Hulu on Tuesday, Aug. 8 with weekly releases to follow

30-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month hulu.com “Lando” Series Gets a New Writing Team

Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian in “Solo: A Star Wars Story”

“Lando...

As August comes in, hundreds of new titles come to Paramount+. The streamer has one of the most robust incoming lineups, with a wide-ranging list of titles to choose from across its library shows, films, originals and exclusives, and sports. And while the upcoming fall schedule is guaranteed to look much different than previous seasons with the strike continuing, Showtime’s “Billions” and “The Chi” will both have their season premieres this month on Showtime, which can both be watched with the recently Paramount+ With Showtime plan.

The August additions also include the much-requested extended episodes of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 15, hit movies from “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and “Boogie Nights,” and several National Women’s Soccer League (Nwsl) matches.

30-Day Free Trial $5.99+ / month paramountplus.com

For a Limited Time, Get 1 Month of Paramount+ With Code: Lioness

What Are the Best Shows and Movies Coming to Paramount+ in August 2023? “Billions” Season 7 Premiere | Aug.

"You are so much about the life that you 'want'... you never take the time to appreciate the life that you have." Paramount has revealed an official trailer for a cute romantic comedy titled Love in Taipei, a new titled because the book it's based on is originally titled Loveboat, Taipei, about the "loveboat" experience in the story. Based on that bestselling novel, an American teen is sent by her parents to a cultural immersion program in Taipei in which she begins a new journey of self-discovery and romance. It turns out to not be about education, but rather about having fun. "And just like that, Ever Wong's summer takes an unexpected turn. Gone is Chien Tan, the strict educational program in Taiwan that Ever was expecting. In its place, she finds 'Loveboat': a summer-long free-for-all where hookups abound, adults turn a blind eye, snake-blood sake flows abundantly,...

Paramount+ has unveiled the first trailer and key art “Love in Tapei”, the new rom-com based on the New York Times’ best-selling novel Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen.

“Ashley Liao stars as Ever Wong, whose summer takes an unexpected turn when her parents surprise her with a trip to Taipei, where they’ve enrolled her in a cultural immersion program.

Credit: Paramount+

Read More: Reggie Recast: Actor Ross Butler To Be Replaced On ‘Riverdale’

“Ever is surprised to discover that she hasn’t signed up for homework and history lessons, but instead for a summer-long free-for-all the locals and other students call ‘Loveboat,'” notes the synopsis. “It quickly lives up to its name when Ever finds herself trying not to fall for two attractive but wildly different boys who are vying for her attention, while at the same time finding the courage to defy her parents’ high expectations...

The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard court case is getting another documentary, this time at Netflix, which has released a trailer for the three-part series Depp v. Heard.

Premiering Wednesday, Aug. 16, the docuseries examines “the infamous defamation case that captured the world’s attention and became the world’s first trial by TikTok,” per the official description. “Showing both testimonies side-by-side for the first time, this series explores this global media event, questioning the nature of truth and the role it plays in our modern society.”

More from TVLineThe Witcher Gives Henry Cavill a Sendoff (of Sorts) in Season 3 Finale...

Ashley Liao (the upcoming The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) stars in Love in Taipei, a coming of age comedy based on the bestselling novel Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen. Paramount+’s first trailer for the young adult film introduces the key players, including Liao’s Ever Wong who discovers her educational trip to Taipei is also a chance to spread her wings and have a little fun.

The cast includes Ross Butler (To All The Boys franchise) as Rick Woo, a prominent sports and scholastic prodigy; Nico Hiraga (Booksmart) as Xavier Yeh, a free-spirited artist and heir to an international tech empire; Chelsea Zhang (Titans) as Ever’s friend Sophie, whom she meets at Loveboat; and Cindy Cheung (13 Reasons Why) as Ever’s Aunt Shu.

Charlie Oh and Mackenzie Dohr adapted Abigail Hing Wen’s novel, with Hing Wen serving as an executive producer.

Paramount+ today released the official trailer and key art for the young adult film “Love in Taipei,” based on the New York Times’ best-selling novel “Loveboat, Taipei” by Abigail Hing Wen.

The film stars Ashley Liao as Ever Wong, whose parents surprise her with a trip to Taipei for a cultural immersion program over the summer. The novel also follows Ever’s adventures at the program, inspired by an actual program attended by thousands of Chinese and Taiwanese diaspora youth. In addition to self-discovery and exploring identity, she also embarks on a journey of friendship and romance.

Instead of homework and history lessons, she finds a summer-long, free-for-all the locals and other students call “Loveboat.” She meets Sophie Ha (Chelsea Zhang) on the way to the program, where she finds herself caught in a love triangle between Rick Woo (Ross Butler) and Xavier Yeh (Nico Hiraga), two very different boys...

This week, Apple TV announced that Season 3 of the Emmy-winning hit series “The Morning Show” will premiere on Sept. 13. In the upcoming 10-episode season, the fate of the Uba network is up in the air, truth is weaponized, and loyalties are severely tested. The series, which stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, has already earned a Season 4 renewal.

Catch “The Morning Show” trailer: 7-Day Free Trial $6.99 / month apple.com

The thriller “From” received a Season 3 order from MGM+ this week. The series is set in a strange town that traps all who enter. The upcoming season will address the vital issue of escape and how the townspeople battle the horrors that envelop them. The series stars Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey, Hannah Cheramy, Simon Webster, and Ricky He. Season 3 will have 10 episodes and premiere in 2024.

Watch the “From” trailer: 7-Day Free Trial $5.99 / month via amazon.com

Paramount+ will stream...

Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Wednesday, June 28, 2023.

Paramount+ has announced an exciting new docuseries with an '80s twist.

I Wanna Rock: '80s Metal Dream will bow on the streaming service on Tuesday, July 18, 2023.

"Hairspray. Spandex. Leather pants," the streaming service teases.

"I Wanna Rock: The '80s Metal Dream follows five young dreamers chasing stardom in the cutthroat world of '80s metal. Some will succeed, some will fail, but each will make you see an entirely new side of the metal genre."

It sounds different, right?

MTV Entertainment Studios produce the series in partnership with Gunpowder & Sky. Directed and executive produced by Tyler Measom.

Produced by Van Toffler. Executive produced by David Kennedy, Nick Quested, Rick Krim, Matt Shay, Matt Weaver, Floris Bauer, Barry Barclay, and Joanna Zwickel.

Bruce Gillmer, Michael Maniaci, and Vanessa WhiteWolf executive produce for MTV Entertainment Studios,...

A sweet, straight-laced bank manager meets his future in-laws for the first time in “The Out-Laws” — and it’s the week of his wedding. They seem a bit skeptical of him but friendly — until he realizes they have just robbed his bank! Adam Devine, Pierce Brosnan, and Ellen Barkin co-star in this wacky family comedy, which hits Netflix on July 7. The streaming service released a trailer for the new comedy this week.

Watch “The Out-Laws” trailer: Sign Up $6.99+ / month netflix.com

In 2018, “Bird Box” — which starred Sandra Bullock — was a massive international hit for Netflix. Now, the streamer has announced that a Spanish-language version is coming next month. “Barcelona Bird Box” will arrive on Netflix on July 14. In the film, fears are twisted and survival depends on escaping the Spanish city as a sinister threat destroys humanity and people commit suicide. To survive, residents have to keep their eyes shut!

Prime Video launched a teaser trailer of “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart,” starring and executive produced by Sigourney Weaver, on Monday.

Based on the best-selling debut novel by Holly Ringland, the seven-part television adaptation follows Alice Hart (Alicia Debnam-Carey), who lost her parents at age 9 in an unexpected fire. Alice goes to live with her grandmother June (Weaver) at Thornfield flower farm in Australia, where she unearths several family secrets from her past. The native flora and fauna of the Australian landscape becomes a character in the show. Alice eventually finds her life threatened by a man she loves.

A collage of memories of the fire mixed with mystical garden encounters leads to someone opening a card that reads “You lied!”

“I just promised I’d keep her safe,” Weaver’s June says at the end of the teaser. “Can we do that?”

Also Read:

‘Loveboat, Taipei’ Adaptation ‘Love...

“Love in Taipei,” the film adaptation of Abigail Hing Wen’s New York Times bestseller “Loveboat, Taipei,” has been acquired by Paramount+ and will premiere in the U.S. this summer, the streamer announced Monday. An official release date has not yet been set.

In the novel, a young American woman is sent by her parents to a cultural immersion program in Taipei – inspired by an actual program attended by thousands of Chinese and Taiwanese diaspora youth – where she begins a new journey of self-discovery and romance. The “Loveboat” isn’t an actual ship, and is not to be confused with the classic TV series “The Love Boat.”

Ashley Liao (“Fresh Off the Boat”) plays Ever Wong, whose summer takes an unexpected turn when her parents surprise her with a trip to Taipei for a cultural immersion program. Ever is surprised to discover that she hasn’t signed up for homework and history lessons,...

Exclusive: We have learned that Lionsgate’s prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, has landed its first round of tribute and mentor characters in the Francis Lawrence directed film.

Jerome Lance will play Marcus, the tribute from District 2. Ashley Liao will play Clemensia Dovecote, one of Coriolanus’s closest friends and mentor to a tribute from District 11. Knox Gibson will play Bobbin, tribute from District 8; Mackenzie Lansing will play Coral, tribute from District 4; while Aamer Husain will play Felix Ravinstill, the mentor to a tribute from District 11.

The five will star opposite already announced Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler.

The prequel in the $3 billion grossing franchise, which hits theatres on Nov. 17, 2023, is set years before Coriolanus Snow comes to power as the tyrannical President of Panem. The 18-year-old Snow (Blyth) is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol.

Lionsgate is set to handle the global sales of “Loveboat, Taipei” a U.S.-Taiwanese YA romance film that started production in Taiwan shortly before Christmas.

The picture is based on a best-selling novel by Abigail Hing Wen in which a young American woman is sent by her parents to a cultural immersion program in Taipei. The trip turns into a summer of romance and she has to choose between the attention of two attractive, but significantly different, young men and her true passion of dancing.

“Lionsgate is handling all global sales on the film though it’s too early to discuss specific territories,” a company spokesman told Variety in an emailed statement.

With its blend of Asian-American characters, romantic decisions and dance moves, the story has been pitched as a mix of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “La La Land.”

Taiwanese-American director Arvin Chen (“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow...

Exclusive: Cindy Cheung will star alongside Ashley Liao, Ross Butler, Nico Haraga and Chelsea Zhang in Loveboat, Taipei, a YA romance, which is currently in production in Taipei.

The film directed by Arvin Chen (Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?) is based on Abigail Hing Wen’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, which HarperCollins imprint HarperTeen published in January of 2020. Wen drew on her experiences as a teen to tell the story of Ever Wong (Liao), whose summer takes an unexpected turn when her parents surprise her with a trip to Taipei for a cultural immersion program. Ever is surprised to discover that she hasn’t signed up for homework and history lessons, but instead for a summer-long free-for-all the locals and other students call “Loveboat.” It quickly lives up to its name when Ever finds herself trying not to fall for two attractive,...