Toei Animation to Open Ring of International Outposts, Expand Overseas Production

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor After a spate of major advertisers said they were halting spending on X over owner Elon Musk’s support of an antisemitic conspiracy theory, the tech mogul said he plans to file a “thermonuclear lawsuit” against a research group that had claimed to find ads on X/Twitter running against pro-Nazi and white nationalist posts. On Friday, Disney, Warner Bros.

Maya Hawke is meeting some adorable furry friends!

Simu Liu just dropped his EP, and he revealed that a famous singer helped him with it!

wrote on her Instagram Story.“I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by this. There’s very little information I have other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.”Swift said she will not be speaking about the tragic news when she takes the stage Saturday night as she feels “overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it.”“I feel this loss deeply and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends,” she went on.

If you're going travelling next year, you may have already started to plan your trips and are brimming with wanderlust. But not everyone finds it quite so easy, realising that they are not sure where to start when it comes to going away and making an itinerary.

Former Hollyoaks star Lee Otway is set to appear in the final season of Netflix's The Crown, and he looks completely different! It's not often that soap stars and royalty mix, but fans will recognise Lee from his time on Channel 4's popular series. While Hollyoaks has the McQueen family, The Crown features the real-life Queen and her family. Lee, who played David 'Bombhead' Burke on Hollyoaks from 2001 until 2011, will be seen in the sixth and final season of The Crown, which started this week.

Emmerdale aired shocking scenes on Friday night as Mackenzie Boyd lied to his partner Chloe Harris, before making a decisive confession to his secret lover Charity Dingle. As fans of the ITV soap will know, there's been a love triangle between Chloe Harris, Mackenzie Boyd and Charity Dingle over the last year. Mack, played by Lawrence Robb, has seemingly been waiting for the right time to break up with Chloe while continuing to sneak around with Charity.

Coronation Street's Amy Barlow made a risky move on an episode earlier this week that could lead to her shocking departure from the ITV soap. The character has been through a lot recently, but her quest for justice led her to take a deadly step which could get her into big trouble. Earlier this year, Amy was involved in a distressing rape storyline where Aaron Sandford had non-consensual sex with her after she passed out.

Wes Nelson has revealed he's been back in hospital after his "scary" mystery illness returned with doctors left baffled as they attempt to get to the bottom of the issue. The former Love Island star, 25, who found fame on the ITV2 show in 2018, initially found himself in hospital back in May, when he began to lose his vision and consciousness while at home. He underwent tests but the issue was not uncovered.

Josie Gibson won Big Brother but she's not sure I’m A Celebrity will be so easy.This Morning, Josie, 38, admits she was the "laziest housemate" when she won BB in 2011 and spent most her time eating cheese and avocado sandwiches and lounging around on comfy sofas. On the ITV show, she'll have a camp bed outdoors and will be mostly eating rice and beans. “I’m hoping it will be like a TV studio,” confides Josie.

Like many of us, Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones was obsessed with Disney as a child. It was his dream to work for them - a wish that got lost along the way, but would eventually be realised.

Three big decisions on new developments in Manchester were made at the town hall this week. A controversial plan for student housing in Hulme was knocked back by the planning committee for a fourth time in 18 months.

It's been a busy time for Elle Mulvaney as she finds her soap alter-ego back at the forefront of the action in Coronation Street. The actress, famed for playing Amy Barlow, has grown up in front of viewers' eyes having joined the ITV soap in 2010.

A woman who uses an XL bully as an assistance dog will likely lose him under new laws - as she lives in a caravan.

A woman who nearly died after a miscarriage now has two babies - after her colleague made the incredible offer to carry them.

We're now officially nine weeks into Strictly Come Dancing and it's now time for what we've all been waiting for. This weekend's show marks the BBC One dance contest's return to Blackpool as per the show's annual tradition.

Manchester United stars are getting down to business for their respective nations while those left at Carrington continue to put in the hard yards before Premier League resumption.

One Strictly Come Dancing couple are said to be 'most compatible' and could lift the Glitterball trophy - due to their weaknesses. This weekend the BBC One dance contest is ditching the usual ballroom in the Elstree studio for somewhere even more iconic.

EastEnders star Danielle Harold is heading into the jungle on this year's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! following her heartbreaking exit from the hit BBC soap. Danielle, 31, played the role of Lola Pearce in EastEnders since 2011 and in May this year, her character tragically passed away after her battle with a brain tumour.

Josie Gibson is excited to join I’m A Celebrity - but reckons there isn't anyone in the line up that she'd fancy romancing.This Morning star Josie, 38, is currently single but won't be looking for love in the jungle - especially as there isn't anyone eligible. Nick Pickard, Nigel Farage, Marvin Humes, Sam Thompson and Fred Sirieix are the only men confirmed to enter the jungle so far. “It would be lovely to have something to look at, but I’m not open to any romances because my little boy will be watching,” says Josie.

Former TOWIE star Frankie Essex gave birth to her twins, whom she shares with boyfriend Luke Love, last May. She has since shared updates while settling into life with babies Logan and Luella. In her exclusive column for OK!, Frankie has discussed a range of topics related to motherhood – from her first social outing with the twins and a blackout at her home when they were just a few days old, to “feeling more human again” as the babies dropped their dreaded 2am feed.

One of our favourite, and ongoing, beauty trends from 2023 is the 'clean girl' look.The term sounds a little TikTok-y, but essentially it just means we've moved away from heavy eye make-up and into a more natural lash era that's seen former faux lash fans ditch their stick-on strips, clusters and lash extensions.Though many of us have been more than happy to welcome a 'less is more' approach to make-up – because who doesn't want to save time in the morning? – some don't love the look and condition of their natural lashes. Enter, eyelash serums.The term 'lash growth serum' has hit over 114 million views on the video app, meaning we're all looking for ways to boost our peepers naturally.

You’ve heard about how the Grinch stole Christmas, but might he have been less grumpy about the whole thing if he’d been able to save some money? With the cost of living crisis showing no signs of easing and with sustainability at the forefront of our minds, more people are looking at what they can hire. In the UK, the re-commerce economy – which covers buying secondhand items, renting products or reselling pieces – is worth £7 billion, with renting items contributing £1.07 billion to that figure.

Treat yourself to a visit to Germany’s capital to immerse yourself in a generous sprinkling of festive spirit. Berlin has nigh on 100 Christmas markets to explore – yes, all in one city – with something for all tastes, from traditional to eco-friendly and Bavarian to Scandi. There are even Japanese-themed markets to explore.

It was the Thanksgiving show for Bill Maher‘s Real Time, typically his last show of the fall season before a hiatus. But because of the Writers Guild strikes, the show will go on into December.

She’s found fame as one of the most popular cash-saving Instagram influencers and Gemma Bird – aka Money Mum – says there are plenty of ways we can feel festive for less. Instead of putting herself under pressure to dish up a lavish spread, Gemma – who lives in Essex with husband Adam and children Brody, 11, and Bronte, four – avoids the temptation to go crazy. “I view the meal as a Sunday dinner,” she explains.

Shirley Ballas welcomed son Mark in 1986 with her ex-husband Corky Ballas, when she was still a competitive Latin and Ballroom dancer. Not long after giving birth to her son, she returned to the dancefloor to represent her country at competitions. However, she didn't expect such horrifying feedback from the judges - not about her dancing technique but about her body.

In the run-up to Christmas, you may be feeling some pressure to get your family and friends extravagant gifts.The festive season is often a time of excess, with people buying lots of items for their festivities, from fancy decorations and lights to alcohol. If you're in a shop tempted to spend hundreds of pounds on items you might only use for one day, think again.Try and get crafty and make decorations or even reuse yours.

With its bright lights, cheery music and messages of goodwill, Christmas is meant to feel like the happiest time of the year. But for some it’s also a time of financial hardship and worry, with even more strain on already stretched purse strings. And this year, the nation’s households are going to be a staggering £3 billion worse off compared with the 2022 festive season.

Josie Gibson is scared of spiders, heights and things that go bump in the night – so why is she doing I’m A Celebrity? For champagne and money of course! With the same deadpan candour and relatability that have won her legions of fans on This Morning, Josie, 38, admits ITV bosses offered her too much money to turn down – not to mention return business class flights with unlimited bubbles. “I’m most excited about the flight,” says Josie. “I can’t wait to fly business class.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hong Kong-based sales firm Autumn Sun has acquisition worldwide rights to Chinese family-oriented animated film “I Am T-Rex,” directed by Shang Ming and Si Lin, produced by Beijing Create Dream. “I Am T-Rex” follows a young T-Rex named Didi in her coming of age journey after the death of powerful father T-Rex Rog, who is killed by a rival dino gang. She must learn the ways of the T-Rex and claim the crown again with the help of her uncle and a very caring friend.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief A TIFFCOM seminar on Thursday demonstrated both a sense of incredulity that Japanese animation “Suzume” could have enjoyed such wide international success and conveyed the depth of passionate behind-the-scenes strategizing that made it happen. Since its release in Japan at the end of 2022 and international expansion in spring of 2023, following a Berlin festival competition slot, “Suzume,” a fantasy drama about a girl who helps avert natural disasters, sold more than 47 million tickets worldwide. “And most of those people don’t even speak Japanese,” said the session’s moderator Sudo Tadashi, journalist and professor at the Japan University of Economics. Sunami Kazuki, MD of producer CoMix Wave Films and the Takeda Akihiro, an executive attached to the president’s office at the film’s worldwide distributor Toho, said that “Suzumi’s” success was not a foregone conclusion. Its success was years in the making and based on the growing performance of director Makoto Shinkai’s previous movies as well as growing international understanding of the Japanese anime genre. At the beginning of their collaboration, Shinkai and CoMix had little expectation that Shinkai’s works could appeal to non-Japanese distributors and audiences. But, within Asia at least, fans are tuned in to certain kinds of content from other countries. “We also owe this success to the cumulative impact of Studio Ghibli and ‘Demon Slayer 2’,” said Sunami. Shinkai’s 2013 film “The Garden of Words” was initially a Japan-only theatrical release, but it registered in China after Japanese box office success.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief TIFFCOM, the film market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival, is set to be more international and more diverse in its first full comeback year after the COVID hiatus. It should also be more pleasant and convenient, having re-located to a more modern venue that is close to the film festival. “Bringing the in-person market back after four years, my priority was to make sure that TIFFCOM could happen during the festival, not some other time,” said Shiina Yasushi, who has headed the market for ten years.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Zootopia-themed land at Shanghai Disneyland is now confirmed to open in December. It will be the eighth land within the seven-year-old theme park. Based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios animated film “Zootopia,” which released in 2016, the new land will include a new attraction, Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, where guests can hop on an all-terrain cruiser powered by a trackless ride system in an action-filled chase through Zootopia’s different districts. Other themed entertainment experiences and character moments include the Zootopia Park Apartments, where a lineup of animal residents will interact with each other and guests throughout the day, appearing from time to time, in a show. Guests will also get the chance to spend at Fashions by Fru Fru, a merchandise store owned by Fru Fru, a Zootopia fashionista.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Only the River Flows,” a pitch-black crime noir from auteur Wei Shujun, comfortably topped the mainland China box office on a quietish weekend. The film, ostensibly a murder mystery, but one concerned more with atmosphere than linear plotting, earned $12.6 million (RMB90.8 million) in its opening three days, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway, or close to a third of the market. The film had its premiere in Cannes where Variety gave it a rave review, calling it an “inventive riff on Asian-noir” and making comparisons with films by Park Chan-wook and Diao Yinan. “Only the River Flows” has since played at a succession of festivals ever since, including New Zealand, BFI London, Vancouver, Adelaide and last week’s Pingyao event in China. Falling to second place at the box office after three weeks on top was Zhang Yimou’s “Under the Light,” which earned $6.9 million for a four-weekend cumulative of $176 million. Chen Kaige’s war, propaganda film “The Volunteers: To the War” earned $5.3 million in third place.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” opened with an unconvincing second place debut at the South Korean cinema box office. It earned $406,000 between Friday and Sunday and $499,000 over its full four-day opening period. Its market share was a shade below 9%, according to data from KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That left “Love Reset,” a local romantic comedy, at the top of the chart for the third successive weekend.