movies

Pengfei’s Take Off Set for U.S. Release Via Orchid Tree Media

Published

2 days ago

August 14, 2026

Take Off, a Chinese drama about a factory worker who spends his life chasing the dream of building a flying machine, will open in U.S. theaters on Sept. 17, courtesy of specialty distributor Orchid Tree Media.

The fourth feature from Chinese director Pengfei, the film recently made its North American premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival in July. It stars rising actor Jiang Qiming — currently seen in the Chinese blockbuster Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, which is poised to become the country’s biggest hit of the summer — and is based on a novella by acclaimed Chinese author Shuang Xuetao.

Set in the rust-belt cities of northeast China and spanning the 1970s to the present, the film follows Li Mingqi (Jiang), an ordinary laborer who inherits his late father’s impossible ambition — to build a homemade flying jetpack — but an early experiment goes wrong and leaves his brother-in-law disabled, shadowing the decades that follow. As the country opens up economically, Li and his wife (Li Xueqin) convert an abandoned factory into a dance hall and begin offering hot-air balloon rides to draw in tourists. But when his nephew falls gravely ill, Li straps on the homemade contraption one last time.

Jiang Qiming in ‘Take Off’

Orchard Tree Media

Shuang is a leading figure in China’s wave of writers chronicling the decline of the country’s industrial northeast. The Aeronaut, the novella that inspired Take Off was included in Shuang’s 2022 story collection Rouge Street, which was named an “editors’ choice” by the New York Times. Shuang co-wrote the film’s screenplay with Pengfei and Xu Yizhou, and served as an executive producer.

Take Off world premiered in competition at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October and opened in Chinese theaters in January, grossing $12 million (RMB 81 million).

Jiang, 33, has become one of the more closely watched actors of his generation in China since his breakout in the 2023 crime series The Long Season. He won best supporting actor at last year’s Shanghai Magnolia Awards for the television drama Escape From the Trilateral Slopes. The supporting cast includes Lei Jiayin (Article 20), Dong Zijian (My Friend An Delie) and veteran character actor Jiang Wu (To Live, Let the Bullets Fly).

Pengfei trained at the Institut International de l’Image et du Son in Paris and got his start under Tsai Ming-liang, serving as assistant director and co-writer on the Taiwanese master’s Stray Dogs, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Venice in 2013. Like his mentor, Pengfei has become a festival regular. His directorial debut Underground Fragrance and its follow-up The Taste of Rice Flower both played Venice Days, and 2020’s Tracing Her Shadow competed at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Beijing-based sales agent Rediance, which handles the film internationally, brokered the deal with Orchid Tree.

movies

D23 Parks Panel 2026 Introduces New Attractions Worldwide

Published

1 hour ago

August 16, 2026

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The happiest place on earth just got more global. At the D23’s Saturday Parks Panel, host Neil Patrick Harris gave way to several Walt Disney Imagineers who shared the next steps in the mouse house’s billion-dollar expansion.

In the U.S., executives and creative designers showed off a sneak peek of upcoming West Coast attractions at Disney California Adventure. Coming to Avengers Campus to join the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! and Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure are two new attractions. The first is a flight-spinning ride called Stark Flight Lab, which will see guests take on training trips from returning Avengers cast members Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie and Brie Larson. The second big-ticket attraction will be Avengers Infinity Defense, a ride that puts the fight against Thanos in the hands of park visitors. As they enter, riders will receive special mission orders from Ms. Marvel (featuring a role reprisal from Iman Vellani) and team up with Avengers and their returning actors, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Captain America (Mackie), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Iron Man (Downey Jr.). Both attractions will open in 2028.

Meanwhile, near DCA’s Paradise Pier, a Coco boat ride will usher guests through the world of Miguel via a museum-like flowing river that will highlight Mexican and Día de Muertos culture and showcase artifacts of and music by Miguel’s great-great-grandfather Hector. Joining ranks with Walt Disney World, DCA will also become home to the Na’vi via an Avatar Destination to be announced at a later date.

Over on the East Coast, the Walt Disney World resort is breaking ground on its latest attraction, Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, which becomes the first park to involve titular star Harrison Ford as an animatronic model. Ford, who could not attend in person, sent a video explaining his excitement at being involved in the ride mechanics for the first time. While Tokyo Disney, Disneyland Paris and Disneyland have established Indiana Jones attractions, this will be Walt Disney World’s first.

Director and head of Walt Disney Animation Jared Bush came out to talk about an Encanto ride called Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto; all of the cast from the film will be reprising their roles. Housed in the film’s iconic Casita, guests are invited to Antonio’s Gifts Day, where he receives the power to communicate with animals. Riders will travel through the Madrigal family’s home on pieces of elaborate, colorful furniture, viewing the story of the house while interacting with more than 50 animals throughout the attraction.

And finally, though Disney remains the number one home for “happily ever afters,” Imagineering has been brewing up a wicked side. Villains Land, which is exactly what it sounds like, is the destination for fans of all baddies. Executives teased that the Walt Disney World attraction will contain a high-thriller roller coaster experience on Maleficent’s thorny briar mountain top featuring “elements never attempted before on a Disney theme park attraction,” and another flume ride will feature the Evil Queen’s Magic Mirror, who might get to tell his side of the Snow White story.

movies

Astra TV Awards 2026 Winners — Full List

Published

1 hour ago

August 16, 2026

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The Hollywood Creative Alliance has named this year’s best in television with the 6th Astra TV Awards.

On Saturday, host Lisa Ann Walter presided over the awards show at the InterContinental in Los Angeles, where HBO’s The Pitt was the big winner of the evening with seven trophies, followed by Netflix’s Beef with five, and HBO Max’s Hacks and Apple TV’s Shrinking with four each.

The Pitt took home the Drama Series award, while Hacks won Comedy Series and Beef took home the Limited Series award. Jean Smart, Jason Segel, Hannah Einbinder and Harrison Ford were recognized in the Comedy Series Acting categories, with Noah Wyle, Keri Russell, Patrick Ball and Sepideh Moafi taking the Drama Series Acting awards.

Matt Weiss, EVP of the Astra Awards, said in a statement, “Tonight’s winners represent the extraordinary range of talent and storytelling that continues to make television such a powerful medium. From established icons to exciting new voices, we’re proud to celebrate the artists and creative teams whose work has entertained, surprised and connected with audiences over the past year.”

See all the winners of the 2026 Astra TV Awards below.

COMEDY SERIES
Hacks (HBO Max)

BROADCAST NETWORK COMEDY ENSEMBLE
St. Denis Medical (NBC)

CABLE COMEDY ENSEMBLE
Rooster (HBO)

STREAMING COMEDY ENSEMBLE
Shrinking (Apple TV)

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max)

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jason Segel – Shrinking (Apple TV)

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Harrison Ford – Shrinking (Apple TV)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Hannah Einbinder – Hacks (HBO Max)

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Ricci – Wednesday (Netflix)

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Michael J. Fox – Shrinking (Apple TV)

DIRECTING IN A COMEDY SERIES
Hacks (HBO Max)

WRITING IN A COMEDY SERIES
The Comeback (HBO)

DRAMA SERIES
The Pitt (HBO Max)

BROADCAST NETWORK DRAMA ENSEMBLE
9-1-1 (ABC)

CABLE DRAMA ENSEMBLE
It: Welcome to Derry (HBO)

STREAMING DRAMA ENSEMBLE
The Pitt (HBO Max)

ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Noah Wyle – The Pitt (HBO Max)

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Keri Russell – The Diplomat (Netflix)

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patrick Ball – The Pitt (HBO Max)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sepideh Moafi – The Pitt (HBO Max)

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Macaulay Culkin – Fallout (Prime Video)

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Tal Anderson – The Pitt (HBO Max)

DIRECTING IN A DRAMA SERIES
The Pitt – “12:00 P.M.” – Directed by Noah Wyle (HBO Max)

WRITING IN A DRAMA SERIES
Pluribus – “We Is Us” – Written by Vince Gilligan (Apple TV)

LIMITED SERIES
Beef (Netflix)

TV MOVIE
Remarkably Bright Creatures (Netflix)

LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE CAST ENSEMBLE
Beef (Netflix)

ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Sally Field – Remarkably Bright Creatures (Netflix)

ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Oscar Isaac – Beef (Netflix)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Linda Cardellini – DTF St. Louis (HBO)

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Charles Melton – Beef (Netflix)

DIRECTING IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Beef (Netflix)

WRITING IN LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Bait (Prime Video)

ANIMATED SERIES
Hazbin Hotel (Prime Video)

ANIME SERIES
Witch Hat Atelier (Crunchyroll)

LEAD VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE
Seth MacFarlane – Ted (Peacock)

SUPPORTING VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE
Stephanie Beatriz – Hazbin Hotel (Prime Video)

BOOK TO SCREEN
The Summer I Turned Pretty (Prime Video)

GAME SHOW
Pop Culture Jeopardy (Netflix)

REALITY SERIES
Baylen Out Loud (TLC)

REALITY COMPETITION SERIES
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)

DOCUSERIES OR NONFICTION SERIES
Lost Women of Alaska (ID)

DOCUMENTARY TV MOVIE
John Candy: I Like Me (Prime Video)

STANDUP OR VARIETY SPECIAL
The Muppet Show (ABC)

TALK OR VARIETY SERIES
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

movies

Caitríona Balfe Joins Live-Action ‘Tangled’ As Queen Arianna

Published

3 hours ago

August 16, 2026

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From 18th century Scotland to the fictional Kingdom of Corona, Disney‘s live-action Tangled has found its Queen Arianna.

While Outlander star Caitríona Balfe was not featured in the footage teased Friday at D23, Disney has announced the 5x Golden Globe nominee will play Rapunzel’s long-lost mother in the adaptation of the 2010 animated fantasy musical.

Balfe joins the previously announced Teagan Croft as Rapunzel, Milo Manheim as Flynn Rider and Kathryn Hahn as Mother Gothel in the Michael Gracey-helmed movie, from a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and Michael Montemayor.

Announcing a March 31, 2028 release date during Friday’s D23 panel, Disney also teased a first look at footage of Croft and Hahn in the film.

In the original Tangled, magical long-haired Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) spent her entire life in a tower until runaway thief Flynn Ryder (Zachari Levi) stumbles upon her, after which she sets out to discover the world for the first time, and who she really is. The cast also included Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, Brad Garrett and Jeffrey Tambor.