Rabbit Yang dies

    RABBIT YANG, a Taiwanese TV actress, died Saturday at a hospital in Taiwan. She was 27. Suffering from depression, she commited suicide at home July 6 and was sent to the hospital after being found by her boyfriend Zhang Tinghu. Doctors failed to revive her after 12 days and announced her brain dead Saturday. Known for her role on the TV series “Flavor of Life,” Yang was nominated for best supporting actress at the 2013 Golden Bell Awards.

    Jay Chou as new coach

    SEASON four of the popular TV hit “The Voice of China” debuted on Zhejiang Satellite Television on Friday night with Taiwan pop megastar Jay Chou as the new coach.

    The new season started with an adapted version of Chou’s song “nunchakus” being performed by female hip-pop singer Zhang Zitong. Tan Xuanyuan, a pub singer from Chongqing, stunned coaches by singing “Still Loving You.”

    In the next five weeks, the show will feature 50 candidates on the stage for a blind audition process. The series is part of the “The Voice” franchise based on the Dutch program “The Voice of Holland.”

    ‘Monster Hunt’

    THE Chinese fantasy movie “Monster Hunt” grossed over 170 million yuan (US$27.8m) Thursday on its first day of screening, making it the highest-grossing Chinese movie on opening day. It broke the record set by 2014 film “The Monkey King.”

    The well-received movie tells the story of a young man who conceives a little monster king by mistake. He goes through all kinds of difficulties to protect the little monster from evil hands. Director Raman Hui, who co-directed many DreamWorks animations including “Shrek 3,” plans to shoot several sequels.