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JFF THEATER: THERMAE ROMAE Review: A Time-Traveling Dip That Runs Lukewarm

Back in 2012, Thermae Romae was at the top of my “must-watch” list. Like many things, it slipped into limbo—until today. Fourteen years later, and thanks to the Japanese Foundation, I finally stumbled upon it, feeling much like the protagonist: suddenly transported through time and water into a different era. At the time, I was deep into an Aya Ueto phase. Having seen her in the cult classic Azumi, I was following everything she did. In Thermae Romae, she plays an aspiring mangaka and Kenshiro superfan who becomes the guide for Lucius (Hiroshi Abe), an ancient Roman bath architect who accidentally time-travels to 21st-century Japan.   Based on Mari Yamazaki’s manga and directed by Hideki Takeuchi, the premise is wonderfully absurd: Lucius visits modern Japan to find the “lost inspiration” needed to design baths back in Rome and, inadvertently, save the Empire.   The highlights are undoubtedly the transitions between […]

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BELLADONNA: K-Tigers’ Tae-Mi Takes Off This Summer With New Action Co-Prod This Summer

Ode To My Father helmer Yoon Je-kyun will direct new action thriller, Belladonna, according to news out of Filmart this week. The director will be steering a cast roster led by former athlete and taekwondo demo troupe K-Tigers wunderkind Taemi, with K-Tigers head Ahn Chang-bum and Red Packet Media’s Mike Leeder producing. The film centers on a seasoned contract killer who, after her employers order her to go off the grid, chooses to disappear on her own terms. She reinvents herself in Seoul — running a flower shop, falling in love — until a ruthless figure from her past resurfaces and threatens to destroy the new life she has built, pulling her back into a world she thought she had left behind. Belladonna will reportedly feature a K-pop soundtrack crafted by producers who have collaborated with groups like Blackpink, BTS, and the team behind Netflix’s Academy Award Winning animated hit, […]

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Academy Lifetime Honoree Jackie Chan Sends His Regards

Filmart 2026: PAWFECT AGENTS And RETIRED COP Set Sail For World Sales In Hong Kong

As reported by Variety’s Naman Ramachandran earlier this week, Jackie Chan will be reteaming with Bleeding Steel director Leo Zhang for a pair of action comedies, the first of which commences filming in September with Pawfect Agents. Zhang is also producing the project and is developing it via his Sangjia Film alongside LinKEY Sanxing Film. The film follows a veteran agent on the verge of retirement who is pulled back into the field after the Sanxingdui Golden Mask – one of China’s most prized national treasures – is targeted by an international theft operation. The reluctant hero pairs with a technologically advanced spy dog on a chase across continents, from Europe back to China. The project draws inspiration from action spectacles that blend live-action performance with animated characters. Chan is also in the works to star in Retired Cop. A director isn’t named in this instance just yet but the […]

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