‘Monster Hunter’ Pulled From Chinese Theatres Over Scene Perceived As Racist

Wilson Chapman editorAs chairman of the Universal Studio Group, Pearlena Igbokwe is the first Black woman to run a major television studio. But when she got her start, she had no connections in the entertainment industry, little information about how to break into the business and very few mentors to look up too.

Disney just announced a big release date!

Starz will expand the world of Outlander with a prequel series now in the works.

James Arthur has dropped a punchy new single titled ‘Lose My Mind’, for which he’s teamed up with You Me At Six frontman Josh Franceschi.In a Tweet announcing the guitar-driven pop tune – the first shared from a deluxe edition of his recent fourth album, ‘It’ll All Make Sense In The End’ – Arthur said he was “so excited” to release it as he’s been a longtime fan of rock acts like You Me At Six.“As I grew up listening to rock bands, this song means a lot to me,” he wrote.Have a listen to ‘Lose My Mind’ below:‘It’ll All Make Sense In The End’ was released last November via Columbia. The forthcoming deluxe edition adds six new tracks, bringing it up to a hefty 20 songs in total.

Eurovision Song Contest, following backlash to an earlier statement saying the country would be allowed to compete despite launching a military assault on Ukraine.Ukraine has officially severed diplomatic ties with Russia, and declared martial law, after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation on Thursday (February 24).At the time of writing, at least 137 civilians have been killed in Ukraine with 316 injured (via The Guardian). It is currently being reported that Russian forces are now approaching Kyiv, the country’s capital (via BBC News).The UK, European Union, US and Australia have imposed sanctions on Russia in response, with Putin warning of “consequences you have never seen” if the West attempts to interfere.Many figures from the music world continue to condemn the attacks.

Ashanti is gearing up to return to the UK this summer, announcing an arena tour with special guests Trey Songz and Mario.The R&B singer, known for the hits ‘Foolish’, ‘Baby’ and ‘Happy’, will hit the road between May 29 and June 2. She’ll perform at London’s OVO Arena Wembley, Leeds’ First Direct Arena, Birmingham’s Utilita Arena and Manchester’s AO Arena.Put on in collaboration with UK promoters TCO, Ashanti’s upcoming UK trek will celebrate 20 years of her debut single ‘Foolish’, which was originally released on February 11, 2002.Her last album was 2014’s ‘Braveheart’, but she announced in December that she plans to re-record her 2002 self-titled debut album, explaining at the time that she made the move “so I can collect my coins”.The former Murder Inc.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ recent call to pull drill music from the internet.Earlier this month, Adams said during a press conference that after seeing “alarming” drill music videos, he felt they should no longer be shared on social media.“We pulled Trump off Twitter because of what he was spewing,” the former NYPD officer said at the time. “Yet we are allowing music, displaying of guns, violence, we’re allowing it to stay on these sites.”Adams added: “We are going to pull together the social media companies, and state that you have a civic and corporate responsibility.”The Mayor also said he was “alarmed by the use of social media” by drill rappers before blaming the music for “contributing to the violence we are seeing all over this country.”According to NBC New York, shootings year to date are reportedly up 37 per cent in the city versus this same period in 2021 – an average of nearly four people shot every day.However, drill artists and rap culture experts have spoken to NME about how they don’t agree with Adams – and believe there’s an agenda behind his call to ban the genre.“Drill music is our form of art,” Jeffrey Mark Alexander, who performs as 22Gz told NME.

Things are getting messy. Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) and Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) had a toxic on-again, off-again relationship before her best friend Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) came along and stirred the pot.

A tough truth. Ben Stiller is reconciling with the fact that his 19-year-old daughter, Ella, doesn’t think he was present during her childhood.

Having amassed fans up and down the country, series 19 of Gogglebox hit our screens last week, with the popular Channel 4 programme bringing us the likes of Giles and Mary, Jenny and Lee and the Siddiqui family. But alongside the established fan favourites, Gogglebox bosses have announced that a new duo will take to the sofa for the first time tonight, Friday 25 February.

A sea of blue and yellow protestors gathered outside the Russian Consulate in Edinburgh for a second day in a show of solidarity with Ukraine.

Opposite extremes! Since marrying Prince Frederik in 2004, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark made it clear that she has style fit for a Queen. The 50-year-old royal is constantly surprising Us with her fashion. Majority of the time, she’ll reach for light, neutral tones that ooze elegance and sophistication. But on occasion, she likes to switch things up and opt for floral-print frocks, funky patterns and bright or bold hues. 

Marks & Spencer has been voted the UK's favourite in-store supermarket despite a strong showing from discounters Aldi and Lidl as consumers face up to the cost-of-living crisis.

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New Jersey’s Cole Hallman made an impressive showing during his audition for “American Idol”.

Police now have powers to seize cars being driven 'inconsiderately' at a busy retail park plagued by anti-social behaviour issues.

Gordon Ramsay is back with his savage cooking critiques.

The agent of Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez has played down speculation linking the Argentina international with a move away from the San Siro, insisting he is "happy" at the Italian club.

Bolton Conservative MP Mark Logan has defended renting out a flat he owns in London while claiming expenses for separate accommodation in the city.

Ellise Shafer Avril Lavigne — the original pop-punk teen queen — is returning to her rebel roots with “Love Sux,” her seventh studio album out today via Travis Barker’s DTA Records.In a December interview with Nylon, Lavigne described the 11-track project as the album “I’ve wanted to make for my whole career,” calling it “anthemic” and “powerful.” Indeed, the album’s two singles — “Bite Me” and “Love It When You Hate Me” — recall the in-your-face attitude of Lavigne’s earlier hits, à la “Sk8er Boi” and “Complicated,” while also presenting a more confident, independent woman and artist.

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticDo you have to have watched the History Channel’s “Vikings” series in order to fully appreciate “Vikings: Valhalla”? For this newcomer, at least, the answer is…well, yes and no.The eight-episode season of “Valhalla,” which dropped on Netflix on Feb. 25, takes place 125 years after the events of the original “Vikings” series, with Christianity taking over Norse traditions and England’s power on the rise.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor“Texas Chainsaw Massacre” cinematographer Ricardo Diaz knew he would pay homage to the original film while working on the 2022 sequel. Teaming with director David Blue Garcia and Mark Burnham, who plays the iconic movie slasher, Diaz took on recreating Leatherface’s famous dance… in one take.Diaz spoke with Variety about pulling off that feat in “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” offering insight into the horror film’s cinematography.David Blue Garcia and I have a shorthand because of our years-long friendship — we went to film school together — and he also came up in the business as a cinematographer. We essentially speak the same language both technically and artistically.

Jessica Kiang Two cameras orbit a grand piano on a circular track. Sometimes one will catch sight of the other, passing behind the black-haired singer at the keyboard, flashing between the session violinists or gliding beyond the bearded man crouched low over his synthesizer.

EXCLUSIVE: The prestigious Yale Drama Series Prize for emerging playwrights has announced eight contenders selected for its first-ever short list.

John Mulaney will make his fifth appearance as host of Saturday Night Live this weekend, but can expect to find some changes since his last time in 2020.

In a world starved for blockbuster films, as most get pushed to streaming services or delayed until 2021, “Monster Hunter” looked like it could help drive business to theaters, especially in China. However, one line from the film that echoes a racist chant that kids used to say decades ago is forcing cinemas in the Middle Kingdom to pull the film.

“Monster Hunter”, the new creature feature based on the popular video game, is reportedly being pulled from theatres in China due to a scene that numerous Chinese viewers have deemed to be racist.

It was a drama-filled weekend at the Chinese multiplex. Tencent's big-budget video game adaptation Monster Hunter was yanked from cinemas one day into its release over a scene local audiences decried as derogatory.

An online backlash that swirled in China on Friday over a scene in Monster Hunter has resulted in the movie being pulled from the country’s cinemas. The Paul WS Anderson-directed feature game adaptation had been eyeing the market as one of its biggest plays, but a short exchange in the film has been perceived as racist by local audiences, and led to its run being abruptly halted late yesterday, the first day of its official launch.

Monster Hunter, the latest video game adaptation, has been pulled from cinemas in China over a racial slur. A scene in the movie sees a white character and an Asian character share a joke about 'chi-knees', referring to a racist playground chant.

Rebecca Davis editorChinese regulators are in the midst of censoring the Hollywood title “Monster Hunter” after controversy broke out online on opening day over a ten second-long exchange in the film that patriotic local viewers say “insults China.”The fantasy action film is produced, written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, and stars his wife Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, T.I., and others.