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John Skelley plays an adult Harry Potter in a performance of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child on Broadway. Photo: AP
World of performing arts

John Skelley’s Harry Potter journey from Broadway understudy to star

Every time Skelley thinks he’s done with the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, ‘opportunity kind of keeps coming back’.

TV shows and streaming video

HBO’s Heated Rivalry scores with mix of hockey and queer sports romance

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Stephen Chow and Donnie Yen reinvented Bruce Lee’s classic Chen Zhen

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Food and Drinks

How Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars season 2 stays ‘true to the original essence’

Amid off-screen scrutiny on one of the show’s judges, season two of Culinary Class Wars returns with a focus on its intense cooking battles.

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A poster for Netflix’s cooking show Culinary Class Wars season two. The Netflix hit cooking competition returned on December 16. Photo: Netflix
A poster for Netflix’s cooking show Culinary Class Wars season two. The Netflix hit cooking competition returned on December 16. Photo: Netflix
Korean drama reviews

The 15 best K-dramas of 2025 ranked, from Melo Movie to Squid Game 3

Here are our 15 favourite Korean dramas from the past year, which also include Dear X, Typhoon Family, Way Back Love, Aema and Nine Puzzles.

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Asian cinema: Japanese films

How mega-hit Kokuho could make Japanese live-action films global contenders

Kokuho, Japan’s record-breaking cinematic triumph, is helping to redefine global perceptions of Japanese live-action film for modern viewers.

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Korean drama reviews

Idol I: Choi Soo-young, Kim Jae-young lead K-pop-infused legal K-drama

Choi Soo-young plays a lawyer defending Kim Jae-young’s K-pop star – who she’s secretly obsessed with – in this new Korean drama.

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Choi Soo-young as lawyer Maeng Se-na in a still from Idol I, a new K-drama on Netflix.
Choi Soo-young as lawyer Maeng Se-na in a still from Idol I, a new K-drama on Netflix.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The Hong Kong films released in 2025 ranked from worst to best

It was a rough year for Hong Kong cinema – only Another World made more than HK$14 million locally – but there were still some gems released.

Korean drama reviews

Review | Cashero: Lee Jun-ho can’t save this messy superhero K-drama

While it has a compelling concept and potentially great characters, Cashero’s poor writing means the K-drama fails to deliver.

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What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, December 26-28

Check out the food scene at a Christmas market, hop on a thrilling ride at a harbourfront carnival and bask in nature this weekend.

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The AIA Carnival at Central Harbourfront runs until March 1, 2026. A regular fixture in Hong Kong’s Christmas calendar, the carnival is celebrating its 11th year. Photo: Jonathan Wong
American cinema

How The Joy Luck Club opened the door for majority-Asian casts in Hollywood

The Joy Luck Club (1993) is a complex tale of intergenerational trauma focusing on four Chinese mothers and their daughters in San Francisco.

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Lisa Lu (left) and Rosalind Chao in a still from The Joy Luck Club (1993). The film stands as only the second Hollywood film ever to tell a contemporary story with a majority Asian cast – the first, Flower Drum Song, had arrived 32 years prior.
Lisa Lu (left) and Rosalind Chao in a still from The Joy Luck Club (1993). The film stands as only the second Hollywood film ever to tell a contemporary story with a majority Asian cast – the first, Flower Drum Song, had arrived 32 years prior.
Asian cinema: Chinese films

7 film stories from 2025 that readers loved, including a Chow Yun-fat profile

Profiles of Chow Yun-fat, Faye Wong and Deanie Ip and a look at Donnie Yen’s early films were among stories popular with readers this year.

Chinese culture

How China fell in love with My Little Pony collectible cards

When My Little Pony first aired on TV in China, it didn’t take off. Instead, it was collectible cards that saw it become a galloping success.

Korean drama reviews

Love Me: Seo Hyun-jin leads slow-burn family K-drama with heavy emotions

Loneliness and redemption are explored through family drama and romance in Love Me, starring Seo Hyun-jin, Yoo Jae-myung and Chang Ryul.

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Seo Hyun-jin as Seo Jun-kyung, an obstetrician-gynaecologist, in a still from Love Me, a new Korean drama exploring grief, guilt and healing through family bonds.
Tourism

Tours to visit Christmas movie locations in US state prove huge hit

Fans of Hallmark’s feel-good and family-friendly TV films are taking tours around locations in Connecticut, home to at least 22 productions.

Norwich City Hall is decorated for the annual “Light Up City Hall” event in Norwich, Connecticut, on December 5, 2025. Scenes from the 2021 Hallmark movie Sugar Plum Twist were filmed at the hall. Photo: AP
Norwich City Hall is decorated for the annual “Light Up City Hall” event in Norwich, Connecticut, on December 5, 2025. Scenes from the 2021 Hallmark movie Sugar Plum Twist were filmed at the hall. Photo: AP
Cybersecurity

China’s Kuaishou hit by breach as explicit content floods live-streaming rooms

Short-video platform’s services are thrown into chaos on Monday night after the cyberattack it blames on ‘black and grey industries’.

Korean drama reviews

Villains: Yoo Ji-tae leads unconvincing counterfeiting thriller K-drama

Starring Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Min-jung, Lee Beom-soo and Kwak Do-won, new Korean drama Villains is already in danger of being quickly forgotten.

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TV shows and streaming video

7 of the best TV shows from 2025, from Adolescence to The Pitt

Need a show or two to binge this Christmas season? Check out some of the best shows from 2025, such as the stand-out Adolescence on Netflix.

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Owen Cooper in a still from Adolescence, one of 2025’s top television shows that we recommend. Photo: Netflix via AP
Owen Cooper in a still from Adolescence, one of 2025’s top television shows that we recommend. Photo: Netflix via AP
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

3 forgotten Hong Kong wuxia gems from director Chor Yuen

Chor Yuen’s Duel for Gold, Clans of Intrigue and Jade Tiger may be less famous than some of his other films, but are just as groundbreaking.

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K-drama news

Latest K-drama casting news about Lee Min-ho, Han Hyo-joo and more

Lee Min-ho may be joining Moon Ga-young in period drama Scent of the Night, while Han Hyo-joo has been confirmed to appear in Your Ground.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Pass and Goal: Gigi Leung leads football-themed Hong Kong family comedy

Pass and Goal, starring Gigi Leung and newcomer Chau Tsz-yuet, defies expectations with its feel-good story, good acting and funny dialogue.

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Gigi Leung in a still from football-themed Hong Kong family comedy Pass and Goal (category IIA, Cantonese), directed by Jill Wong. Peter Chan and Ling Man-lung co-star.
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | The bold reinvention of 1990s Hong Kong sex symbol Veronica Yip

Veronica Yip posed topless for a Hong Kong magazine and acted in erotic films before becoming a pop singer, TV fixture and a tycoon’s wife.

Hong Kong entertainer Veronica Yip poses in a swimsuit in 1994. From soft-core star to mainstream success, Yip’s career was a masterclass in reinvention. Photo: SCMP
Hong Kong entertainer Veronica Yip poses in a swimsuit in 1994. From soft-core star to mainstream success, Yip’s career was a masterclass in reinvention. Photo: SCMP
American cinema

12 new Hollywood movies to watch this winter, from Hamnet to Song Sung Blue

Project Hail Mary, Wuthering Heights, Anaconda and Scream 7 join Hamnet, Song Sung Blue and others on our list of anticipated upcoming films.

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Art

Want to watch Tolkien illustrator John Howe as he works? Now you can

At Howe’s ‘Tower of Fantasy’ studio in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, visitors can watch him as he creates and view hundreds of his illustrations.

TV shows and streaming video

‘Hollywood’s the dream’: how Korean actors are finally achieving it

Shows like Squid Game and KPop Demon Hunters are helping South Korean actors overcome barriers and find new opportunities in the US.

Misun Youm, actor, performs a scene for an English-language demo reel she plans to submit to Hollywood casting directors in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)
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