As some of the lists of the previous years were not on par with the ones we have been publishing lately, we decided to take a closer look at some of the years that were not as covered at the time. In that fashion, here is a list with the 50 of the Best Asian movies of 2015, in completely random order.
1. Monster Hunt
Raman Hui evidently shot a film to indulge every demographic category in the country. In that fashion, the movie entails elements of RPGs, comics, martial arts, comedy, musicals, romance, some drama and a plethora of action scenes. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
on Amazon by clicking on the image below 2. Spl 2: A Time for Consequences
The action scenes are magnificent, with Tony Jaa as Chatchai and Wu Jing as Kit giving their best selves. Furthermore, the film excels in the technical department, both in cinematography and special effects,...
1. Monster Hunt
Raman Hui evidently shot a film to indulge every demographic category in the country. In that fashion, the movie entails elements of RPGs, comics, martial arts, comedy, musicals, romance, some drama and a plethora of action scenes. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
on Amazon by clicking on the image below 2. Spl 2: A Time for Consequences
The action scenes are magnificent, with Tony Jaa as Chatchai and Wu Jing as Kit giving their best selves. Furthermore, the film excels in the technical department, both in cinematography and special effects,...
- 4/1/2024
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Clockwise from top left: Grogu in The Mandalorian (Disney+), Godzilla Junior in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (Toho), flerken kitten in The Marvels (Marvel Studios), Wuba in Monster Hunt (Film Rise), Groot in I Am Groot (Disney+)Graphic: The A.V. Club
There’s a lot to talk about in the new...
There’s a lot to talk about in the new...
- 2/16/2024
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Just like with almost every other 2024 film, I didn’t know much about The Tiger’s Apprentice. In fact, besides the fact that it had a tiger, I really didn’t know anything else about it. Therefore, I was surprised to see a cast boasting the likes of Henry Golding (The Gentlemen), Lucy Liu (Shazam! Fury of the Gods), Sandra Oh (Quiz Lady), and Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), as well as talented screenwriters like David Magee (The Little Mermaid) and Christopher Yost (Thor: Ragnarok). Director Raman Hui (Monster Hunt) was the ‘wildcard’ I was unfamiliar with, so overall, I held no expectations whatsoever.
The Tiger’s Apprentice follows the well-covered, formulaic path of a young protagonist discovering a family secret and bearing it against some sort of antagonist. In this particular case, Tom (Brandon Soo Hoo), a Chinese American boy living in San Francisco, is the latest in a...
The Tiger’s Apprentice follows the well-covered, formulaic path of a young protagonist discovering a family secret and bearing it against some sort of antagonist. In this particular case, Tom (Brandon Soo Hoo), a Chinese American boy living in San Francisco, is the latest in a...
- 2/2/2024
- by Manuel Sao Bento
- Talking Films
A movie about the United States’ entry into the Atomic Age might not seem like a straightforward sell in an increasingly nationalistic China, but “Oppenheimer” got off to a strong start there, earning $39 million in 10 days.
That’s amid solid word of mouth (an 8.9 from Douban) and a local press tour by director Christopher Nolan. His in-person promotional visit marked the first such event for a Hollywood film since pre-covid times.
The puzzle now is whether Nolan’s popularity in China is a one-of-a-kind factor or if there’s a broader lesson about what can make for a blockbuster in the country. It’s a crucial question about a once-lucrative market for Hollywood superhero movies and other action-driven tentpoles that has lately proven far more challenging for film marketers.
Robert Pattinson and John David Washington star in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’ The Nolan factor
“Christopher Nolan has a strong following among Chinese moviegoers,...
That’s amid solid word of mouth (an 8.9 from Douban) and a local press tour by director Christopher Nolan. His in-person promotional visit marked the first such event for a Hollywood film since pre-covid times.
The puzzle now is whether Nolan’s popularity in China is a one-of-a-kind factor or if there’s a broader lesson about what can make for a blockbuster in the country. It’s a crucial question about a once-lucrative market for Hollywood superhero movies and other action-driven tentpoles that has lately proven far more challenging for film marketers.
Robert Pattinson and John David Washington star in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’ The Nolan factor
“Christopher Nolan has a strong following among Chinese moviegoers,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Actor Kai Ko, the mournful star of Un Certain Regard film “Moneyboys,” declined to jump the queue for vaccinations in his native Taiwan, and so couldn’t walk the red carpet in person at Cannes this year.
Nevertheless, his performance in first-time director C.B. Yi’s exploration of Chinese hustlers balancing the pressures of love, family and financial stability has cemented him as formidable talent to watch.
The film will likely prove a helpful boost to his now decade-long career, which was derailed despite a rapid rise after an infamous 2014 marijuana bust in Beijing alongside Jackie Chan’s son Jaycee Chan.
Ko points out that he never intended his subsequent break with entertainment world to last. “I never left! I took a break for a while, but I don’t know why people keep using the phrase ‘comeback,’” he said. Taiwan is too small a market for actors to...
Nevertheless, his performance in first-time director C.B. Yi’s exploration of Chinese hustlers balancing the pressures of love, family and financial stability has cemented him as formidable talent to watch.
The film will likely prove a helpful boost to his now decade-long career, which was derailed despite a rapid rise after an infamous 2014 marijuana bust in Beijing alongside Jackie Chan’s son Jaycee Chan.
Ko points out that he never intended his subsequent break with entertainment world to last. “I never left! I took a break for a while, but I don’t know why people keep using the phrase ‘comeback,’” he said. Taiwan is too small a market for actors to...
- 7/16/2021
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
“Table for Six,” an ensemble comedy directed by and starring Sunny Chan, has joined the Cannes Market and pre-Cannes sales slate of Hong Kong’s Edko Films.
The setup is a familiar one: family gatherings gone wrong. In “Table For Six” big brother Dai (Dayo Wong) nothing is more satisfying than dining with his two younger half-siblings (Louis Cheung and Peter Chan). But when Dai’s old flame (Stephy Tang) shows up as his brother’s girlfriend, kitchen nightmare strikes and it’s up to his part-time girlfriend (Lim Min-chen) to bring the boiling situation back down to a simmer.
Chan (aka Chan Wing-sun) was responsible for the breakout hit comedy “Men on The Dragon” three years ago. The film managed to be poignant and funny as it played on themes of unemployment, mid-life crisis and changing times in Hong Kong, and earned Chan multiple nominations a best director and...
The setup is a familiar one: family gatherings gone wrong. In “Table For Six” big brother Dai (Dayo Wong) nothing is more satisfying than dining with his two younger half-siblings (Louis Cheung and Peter Chan). But when Dai’s old flame (Stephy Tang) shows up as his brother’s girlfriend, kitchen nightmare strikes and it’s up to his part-time girlfriend (Lim Min-chen) to bring the boiling situation back down to a simmer.
Chan (aka Chan Wing-sun) was responsible for the breakout hit comedy “Men on The Dragon” three years ago. The film managed to be poignant and funny as it played on themes of unemployment, mid-life crisis and changing times in Hong Kong, and earned Chan multiple nominations a best director and...
- 6/23/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Truth in advertising” awards are few and far between. Assuming someone somewhere is still giving out “truth in advertising” awards, The Rookies (Su ren te gong), an international co-production co-written and directed by Alan Yuen, certainly wouldn’t get one. For its Western release, the advertising for The Rookies, including the trailer and poster, place longtime Resident Evil action-star Milla Jovovich front-and-center, towering over lesser, less significant mortals. In a film pushing the two-hour mark, Jovovich receives roughly 10-15-minutes total screen time. Disappointment will surely follow and not just for Jovovich’s hardcore fans. Anyone expecting even a modest respect for the rules of storytelling, character, or physics will find themselves on the wrong side of the disappointment divide. Not that...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 4/16/2021
- Screen Anarchy
I should have known better considering I’ve seen two Alan Yuen films before: a directorial effort in Firestorm that forgets its unwavering severity in the third act to deliver farcical chaos and a screenwriting effort in Monster Hunt wherein the lead is a pregnant man with the salvation of monster-kind cooking in his belly. I should have known the American trailer for his latest work The Rookies was manipulated beyond its desire to pretend Milla Jovovich was its star. While that was obviously not the case (a common ruse studios use to shield audiences from realizing they are walking into a foreign language film—although this one being fully dubbed was a surprise), the Chinese James Bond aesthetic did at least seem real.
If I had gone back to remember those previous films, however, I would have at least been prepared for how wrong that assumption proves. Because while...
If I had gone back to remember those previous films, however, I would have at least been prepared for how wrong that assumption proves. Because while...
- 4/13/2021
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
This weekend’s 30-percent drop, creating a new box-office low for 2021, isn’t entirely surprising. “Nomadland” is the only new wide-release title and last week was boosted by two holidays. The devastating winter weather in Texas also caused some theater closures. Our weekend estimate is around $8.5 million ($7.3 million in the top 10); last year, the total was $107 million.
The news isn’t all bad, if you’re Universal; “The Croods: A New Age” is again at #1, is in its 13th week and its $1.7 million gross pushes it to over $50 million domestic total. That makes it the second film to reach that number since a significant number of theaters reopened in September. More impressively, it’s also been available at home on Premium VOD for more than eight weeks. “Tenet” is the top grossing film at $58 million, but it had three months of no PVOD.
“Croods” may not top it; Disney’s...
The news isn’t all bad, if you’re Universal; “The Croods: A New Age” is again at #1, is in its 13th week and its $1.7 million gross pushes it to over $50 million domestic total. That makes it the second film to reach that number since a significant number of theaters reopened in September. More impressively, it’s also been available at home on Premium VOD for more than eight weeks. “Tenet” is the top grossing film at $58 million, but it had three months of no PVOD.
“Croods” may not top it; Disney’s...
- 2/21/2021
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Chinese romance film “Love You Forever” earned a stunning $38.3 million on Tuesday, its opening day in mainland China cinemas. That figure is the highest single day score achieved by any film worldwide in 2020.
The film tells the story of a man who is able to go back in time to save the tragically-shortened life of his young lover, but his ability comes with a heavy price. It features rising Taiwan star Lee Hongchi and Li Yitong (TV’s “Legend of the Condor”).
“Love You Forever” was released to coincide with Chinese Valentine’s Day, otherwise known as Qixi Festival, a moveable feast that takes place on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
For most of the past seven months, Chinese cinemas were closed due to the coronavirus that broke out at Chinese New Year, and the disease control measures that followed. Theaters re-opened on...
The film tells the story of a man who is able to go back in time to save the tragically-shortened life of his young lover, but his ability comes with a heavy price. It features rising Taiwan star Lee Hongchi and Li Yitong (TV’s “Legend of the Condor”).
“Love You Forever” was released to coincide with Chinese Valentine’s Day, otherwise known as Qixi Festival, a moveable feast that takes place on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
For most of the past seven months, Chinese cinemas were closed due to the coronavirus that broke out at Chinese New Year, and the disease control measures that followed. Theaters re-opened on...
- 8/26/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Chinese cinemas will open next week in regions at low risk for Covid-19 with a boost from a slew of Hollywood titles, including “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “Dolittle,” “Bloodshot,” and “Coco.”
China’s theaters have been closed for longer than any other country’s, having stayed dark — despite a brief attempt to reopen in March — since the lunar new year holiday in late January.
As of early Saturday morning in China, 22 films are set to hit theaters on Monday, the first day of reopenings, including U.S. films “Pursuit of Happyness,” “Coco,” and “A Dog’s Purpose.”
The others are all Chinese re-run titles, except for one new one: “A First Farewell,” a well-received arthouse title set in China’s Xinjiang region that screened as part of last year’s Generation Kplus selection at Berlin.
The opening day offerings include: blockbusters “Wolf Warrior 2,” “Monster Hunt,” “Wolf Totem,” “American Dreams in China,...
China’s theaters have been closed for longer than any other country’s, having stayed dark — despite a brief attempt to reopen in March — since the lunar new year holiday in late January.
As of early Saturday morning in China, 22 films are set to hit theaters on Monday, the first day of reopenings, including U.S. films “Pursuit of Happyness,” “Coco,” and “A Dog’s Purpose.”
The others are all Chinese re-run titles, except for one new one: “A First Farewell,” a well-received arthouse title set in China’s Xinjiang region that screened as part of last year’s Generation Kplus selection at Berlin.
The opening day offerings include: blockbusters “Wolf Warrior 2,” “Monster Hunt,” “Wolf Totem,” “American Dreams in China,...
- 7/17/2020
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Diego Boneta has signed on to star in a limited series currently in the works at HBO Max, Variety has learned exclusively.
Hailing from Legendary Television, the series is titled “Brujo” and will feature both English and Spanish dialogue. It is inspired by the true story of the infamous Adolfo Constanzo and the power he acquired as his acts of dark magic came to light. The series will play out through the eyes of his two most unlikely followers who helped Constanzo in his rise to fame as the go-to witch doctor for celebrities, politicians, high-ranking police officers, and powerful crime families, through his evolution into a notorious cult leader and serial killer.
Boneta will serve as executive producer in addition to starring. The show will reunite him with multiple members of the series “Luis Miguel: La Serie,” on which Boneta currently stars for Netflix. Daniel Krauze will serve as...
Hailing from Legendary Television, the series is titled “Brujo” and will feature both English and Spanish dialogue. It is inspired by the true story of the infamous Adolfo Constanzo and the power he acquired as his acts of dark magic came to light. The series will play out through the eyes of his two most unlikely followers who helped Constanzo in his rise to fame as the go-to witch doctor for celebrities, politicians, high-ranking police officers, and powerful crime families, through his evolution into a notorious cult leader and serial killer.
Boneta will serve as executive producer in addition to starring. The show will reunite him with multiple members of the series “Luis Miguel: La Serie,” on which Boneta currently stars for Netflix. Daniel Krauze will serve as...
- 7/16/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Breaking: Those theaters in low risk areas in China “can resume business in an orderly manner” as early as Monday, July 20, the China Film Administration announced in a recent notice.
There were rumblings in foreign distribution that China would start reopening on this date, however, sources weren’t so sure whether that meant simply that the Shanghai Film Festival was taking place on July 25. Today’s news is a positive sign of something greater.
Of course, those theaters reopening have to practice proper safety Covid-19 protocols. “Middle and high-risk areas are temporarily closed for business,” said the China Film Adminstration, “Once adjusted from low-risk areas to medium-high-risk areas, the epidemic prevention and control regulations shall be strictly implemented, and the prevention and control measures shall be strictly implemented.”
Cinemas have been closed since late January in the world’s second largest box office market,...
There were rumblings in foreign distribution that China would start reopening on this date, however, sources weren’t so sure whether that meant simply that the Shanghai Film Festival was taking place on July 25. Today’s news is a positive sign of something greater.
Of course, those theaters reopening have to practice proper safety Covid-19 protocols. “Middle and high-risk areas are temporarily closed for business,” said the China Film Adminstration, “Once adjusted from low-risk areas to medium-high-risk areas, the epidemic prevention and control regulations shall be strictly implemented, and the prevention and control measures shall be strictly implemented.”
Cinemas have been closed since late January in the world’s second largest box office market,...
- 7/16/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Produced by Bill Kong, the action adventure stars rising talents Chen Linong and Li Xian.
Bill Kong’s Hong Kong-based Edko Films is launching international sales on big-budget CGI fantasy Soul Snatcher, starring rising talents Chen Linong and Li Xian.
The action adventure marks the feature acting debut of Taiwanese pop star Chen, who rose to fame after appearing in Chinese reality show Idol Producer and later joined Chinese boy band Nine Percent. Li has film credits including The Captain and The Enigma Of Arrival, but is best known for his role in hit TV drama Go Go Squid!
Produced...
Bill Kong’s Hong Kong-based Edko Films is launching international sales on big-budget CGI fantasy Soul Snatcher, starring rising talents Chen Linong and Li Xian.
The action adventure marks the feature acting debut of Taiwanese pop star Chen, who rose to fame after appearing in Chinese reality show Idol Producer and later joined Chinese boy band Nine Percent. Li has film credits including The Captain and The Enigma Of Arrival, but is best known for his role in hit TV drama Go Go Squid!
Produced...
- 6/3/2020
- by 89¦Liz Shackleton¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
We are hearing from U.S. industry sources as well as those on the ground in the Prc that the offices of China Film Group in Shanghai and those of China’s Film Bureau are re-opened for business — a sign that the country’s exhibition business is on its way to a gradual recovery after being shuttered since the Lunar New Year due to the coronavirus outbreak. It’s a respite that has cost China’s box office at least $2 billion or more.
“They’re starting to lay out a plan for the re-opening of cinema in China,” Imax CEO Richard Gelfond told Deadline today about the news of China Film Group’s re-opening, “They’re starting to assess what movies are available, in what time periods and how they want to manage the re-opening.”
More from DeadlineChina Moviegoing Survey Reveals 62% Of People Will Wait For Complete Covid-19 Containment Before...
“They’re starting to lay out a plan for the re-opening of cinema in China,” Imax CEO Richard Gelfond told Deadline today about the news of China Film Group’s re-opening, “They’re starting to assess what movies are available, in what time periods and how they want to manage the re-opening.”
More from DeadlineChina Moviegoing Survey Reveals 62% Of People Will Wait For Complete Covid-19 Containment Before...
- 3/18/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Synopsis
From critically acclaimed director Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs trilogy) comes The Captain, a thrilling new epic based on an incredible true story.
In May 2018, during a normal flight aboard Sichuan Airlines, the cockpit windshield shattered while flying 30,000 feet above the Tibetan Plateau. With a co-pilot fighting for his life and passengers in panic and losing consciousness, the plane’s heroic captain defied all odds and successfully landed the plane in one of the most miraculous emergency landings in Chinese aviation history. What he achieved under pressure is revered to this day.
Charged with suspense and stunning action, and visual effects from the team behind Monster Hunt and Hero, The Captain is a true epic and a tribute to real human courage.
Cine Asia presents The Captain in UK & Roi cinemas from 4th October, with previews from 30th September
Check the film’s website to get info on screenings and to book tickets.
From critically acclaimed director Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs trilogy) comes The Captain, a thrilling new epic based on an incredible true story.
In May 2018, during a normal flight aboard Sichuan Airlines, the cockpit windshield shattered while flying 30,000 feet above the Tibetan Plateau. With a co-pilot fighting for his life and passengers in panic and losing consciousness, the plane’s heroic captain defied all odds and successfully landed the plane in one of the most miraculous emergency landings in Chinese aviation history. What he achieved under pressure is revered to this day.
Charged with suspense and stunning action, and visual effects from the team behind Monster Hunt and Hero, The Captain is a true epic and a tribute to real human courage.
Cine Asia presents The Captain in UK & Roi cinemas from 4th October, with previews from 30th September
Check the film’s website to get info on screenings and to book tickets.
- 9/27/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Distribution Workshop has closed a string of sales on plane drama based on a real-life incident.
Distribution Workshop has closed a string of sales on Bona Film Group’s big-budget drama The Captain, including to North America (Well Go USA) and the UK (Trinity Filmed Entertainment).
The film has also gone to South Korea (Noori Pictures), Vietnam (Media Film International), Singapore (Clover Films Distribution), Malaysia (Gsc Movies), while Purple Plan has taken the film for Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
Directed by Andrew Lau, the film is based on a real-life incident in May 2018, when the cockpit windshield...
Distribution Workshop has closed a string of sales on Bona Film Group’s big-budget drama The Captain, including to North America (Well Go USA) and the UK (Trinity Filmed Entertainment).
The film has also gone to South Korea (Noori Pictures), Vietnam (Media Film International), Singapore (Clover Films Distribution), Malaysia (Gsc Movies), while Purple Plan has taken the film for Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
Directed by Andrew Lau, the film is based on a real-life incident in May 2018, when the cockpit windshield...
- 9/5/2019
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Featuring Sammo Hung as the action director, Benny Chan as the director, Ching Wan Lau, Wu Jing and Louis Koo as the protagonists and with a budget of $32 million, “Call of Heroes” was bound to be an action blockbuster. To my surprise, however, it managed to be even more.
The film starts with a kindergarten teacher escorting a bunch of ragtag children in a restaurant, where she orders a single bowl of food for all of them to share. A few moments later, some thugs try to rob the establishment, only to experience a humiliating beating in the hands of a peculiar individual named Ma Feng.
After that scene, the film changes setting and places the story in Pucheng, a small town that has sent its army to the front and is virtually unguarded, with the only ones that can fight being the local sheriff, Yeung Hak-nan and his team.
The film starts with a kindergarten teacher escorting a bunch of ragtag children in a restaurant, where she orders a single bowl of food for all of them to share. A few moments later, some thugs try to rob the establishment, only to experience a humiliating beating in the hands of a peculiar individual named Ma Feng.
After that scene, the film changes setting and places the story in Pucheng, a small town that has sent its army to the front and is virtually unguarded, with the only ones that can fight being the local sheriff, Yeung Hak-nan and his team.
- 9/4/2019
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
New York-based distributor Cheng Cheng has picked up North American all rights to first-time filmmaker Teng Congcong’s comedy-drama Send Me to the Clouds. The film starring Yao Chen, who’s also its producer, follows an ovarian cancer patient’s desperate quest for an unforgettable sexual experience before her surgery. The picture opened in Chinese theaters last weekend after bowing at Shanghai International Film Festival and First International Film Festival. Its humorous touch on struggles faced by a generation of women born under China’s One-Child policy won it a 100% score in verified influencers’ recommendations on Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter. The distributor behind Chinese language films including The Great Buddha+, Crosscurrent and SoulMate is planning a theatrical release in fall 2019.
“Cheng Cheng has always championed films with strong female leads. Now we’d also like to show how Chinese women have contributed to Chinese language cinema from leading roles behind the scene.
“Cheng Cheng has always championed films with strong female leads. Now we’d also like to show how Chinese women have contributed to Chinese language cinema from leading roles behind the scene.
- 8/21/2019
- by Don Anelli
- AsianMoviePulse
Joseph Baxter Aug 17, 2019
Power Rangers actor Ludi Lin is reportedly in talks to join the Mortal Kombat reboot movie to play key character Liu Kang.
Mortal Kombat was the fighting game franchise that distinguished itself as the ostentatiously ultraviolent Chinese grindhouse-inspired alternative to the cartoony quarter-munching of the Street Fighter franchise, notably with its over-the-top characters. However, its de facto main character has been, for the most part, the ascetic and honorable chopsocky Shaolin monk warrior, Liu Kang. Consequently, it’s probably big news that the upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot movie has found the actor who will play the crucial (k)ombatant.
Ludi Lin is in negotiations with New Line Cinema to pull off the proverbial fatality of landing the role of Liu Kang in the Mortal Kombat reboot film, reports Variety. While the Chinese-Canadian actor may not yet be a household name, he’s coming off some prominent roles,...
Power Rangers actor Ludi Lin is reportedly in talks to join the Mortal Kombat reboot movie to play key character Liu Kang.
Mortal Kombat was the fighting game franchise that distinguished itself as the ostentatiously ultraviolent Chinese grindhouse-inspired alternative to the cartoony quarter-munching of the Street Fighter franchise, notably with its over-the-top characters. However, its de facto main character has been, for the most part, the ascetic and honorable chopsocky Shaolin monk warrior, Liu Kang. Consequently, it’s probably big news that the upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot movie has found the actor who will play the crucial (k)ombatant.
Ludi Lin is in negotiations with New Line Cinema to pull off the proverbial fatality of landing the role of Liu Kang in the Mortal Kombat reboot film, reports Variety. While the Chinese-Canadian actor may not yet be a household name, he’s coming off some prominent roles,...
- 8/16/2019
- Den of Geek
Chinese-Canadian actor Ludi Lin is currently in negotiations with New Line Cinema to play the role of Liu Kang in “Mortal Kombat,” its upcoming live-action version of the video game, Variety has learned.
Lin comes to the role fresh off the perfect warmup: He most recently played the kung fu ace Lance in the Season 5 “Black Mirror” episode “Striking Vipers,” an Asian fighter within the world of an indisputably Mortal Kombat-inspired videogame central to the story.
Liu Kang is one of the seven original characters introduced in the first “Mortal Kombat” game, released in 1992 by Midway. The plot of the new reboot is still unknown, but game centered on the story of Liu Kang, a Shaolin monk with a resemblance to Bruce Lee known for his flying kicks, who tries to save the Earth by fighting for supremacy in a tournament.
New Line’s 1995 film adaptation of the game was a critical bomb,...
Lin comes to the role fresh off the perfect warmup: He most recently played the kung fu ace Lance in the Season 5 “Black Mirror” episode “Striking Vipers,” an Asian fighter within the world of an indisputably Mortal Kombat-inspired videogame central to the story.
Liu Kang is one of the seven original characters introduced in the first “Mortal Kombat” game, released in 1992 by Midway. The plot of the new reboot is still unknown, but game centered on the story of Liu Kang, a Shaolin monk with a resemblance to Bruce Lee known for his flying kicks, who tries to save the Earth by fighting for supremacy in a tournament.
New Line’s 1995 film adaptation of the game was a critical bomb,...
- 8/16/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Actress Yao Chen began her career in 2005 on the small screen with TV series “My Own Swordsman”. Two years later, she was the protagonist of another very popular series, “Lurk”, where she played a guerrilla. And the rest is, as they say, history, after she burst onto cinema screens in “Sophie’s Revenge” (2009), “Color Me Love” (2010), “Caught in the Web” (2012), “Firestorm” (2013) and “Monster Hunt” (2015). Listed by Time Magazine and Forbes as one of the 100 most influential people on the planet and compared by journalists to Angelina Jolie both for her beauty and for her tireless commitment to social activism, she is a human right activist and a social media influencer with 80 million dedicated followers on the web. She was awarded the Golden Mulberry Award for Outstanding Achievement at the 21st edition of the Far East Film Festival.
Director Yue Lü was born in 1957 in China, and is known for “Thirteen Princess Trees” (2006) and “Mr.
Director Yue Lü was born in 1957 in China, and is known for “Thirteen Princess Trees” (2006) and “Mr.
- 5/18/2019
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Billed as China’s first true sci-fi blockbuster, Frant Gwo’s ridiculously profitable (and borderline unwatchable) “The Wandering Earth” tells the story of a cursed future in which the sun has become unstable, and humanity’s only hope for survival are the 10,000 jet engines strong enough to dislodge our planet from its orbit and launch us toward a solar system that’s 4.2 light-years away.
Currently the second-highest grossing movie in Chinese box office history, and now dumped on Netflix without fanfare, Gwo’s film also tells the story of another cursed future — one that presents a more clear and present danger — in which the spectacle required to sustain popular cinema becomes so large that the industry congeals into a worldwide monoculture and creates a vacuum of credible artistic and cultural expression powerful enough to suck an entire medium into a black hole of its own making.
Studios rely on international audiences to survive,...
Currently the second-highest grossing movie in Chinese box office history, and now dumped on Netflix without fanfare, Gwo’s film also tells the story of another cursed future — one that presents a more clear and present danger — in which the spectacle required to sustain popular cinema becomes so large that the industry congeals into a worldwide monoculture and creates a vacuum of credible artistic and cultural expression powerful enough to suck an entire medium into a black hole of its own making.
Studios rely on international audiences to survive,...
- 5/11/2019
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Not to be confused with Eugene O’Neill’s play or any of its subsequent screen adaptations, Chinese box office phenomenon “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” is a mesmerizing hallucination of a film, a journey through one man’s memories for a truth that may not exist. Tang Wei and Huang Jue play a doomed romantic pair in Bi Gan’s languid thriller, which owes a tremendous debt to the likes of Tarkovsky, Malick and Wong Kar-wai even as it forges its own indelible, impressionistic path.
Huang (“The Hidden Sword”) plays Luo Hongwu, a man returning to his hometown of Kaili after the death of his father. Besieged by memories of his past — including a relationship with gangster’s moll Wan Qiwen, who disappeared many years ago on the eve of them running away together — Luo revisits old acquaintances and reflects on the impact of the people he has lost.
Huang (“The Hidden Sword”) plays Luo Hongwu, a man returning to his hometown of Kaili after the death of his father. Besieged by memories of his past — including a relationship with gangster’s moll Wan Qiwen, who disappeared many years ago on the eve of them running away together — Luo revisits old acquaintances and reflects on the impact of the people he has lost.
- 4/18/2019
- by Todd Gilchrist
- The Wrap
The Hong Kong film industry will be given greater access to the $9 billion mainland Chinese movie market following a relaxation of rules that had kept Hong Kong films and film makers on a separate footing.
The territory which returned to China in 1997 after 150 years of British colonial rule, saw its film industry flourish in the 1970s-1990s when China largely closed itself off from the world. Since 2003, the Hong Kong film industry has had privileged access to China as part of the wider Closer Economic Partnership Agreement. But there were still restrictions and requirements — such as one that said mainland Chinese performers must account for at least a third of the cast in co-productions.
The Hong Kong government announced on Tuesday that mainland authorities had agreed to five changes.
They include: the removal of a restriction on the number of Hong Kong people participating in mainland film productions; and the...
The territory which returned to China in 1997 after 150 years of British colonial rule, saw its film industry flourish in the 1970s-1990s when China largely closed itself off from the world. Since 2003, the Hong Kong film industry has had privileged access to China as part of the wider Closer Economic Partnership Agreement. But there were still restrictions and requirements — such as one that said mainland Chinese performers must account for at least a third of the cast in co-productions.
The Hong Kong government announced on Tuesday that mainland authorities had agreed to five changes.
They include: the removal of a restriction on the number of Hong Kong people participating in mainland film productions; and the...
- 4/16/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Discovery’s Travel Channel is searching for ghosts following its rebrand rather than focusing on traditional travelogues.
The network rebranded at the end of last year with a new logo – Trvl – and has launched a raft of paranormal series including Ghost Adventures, Haunted Live, specials including Chris Jericho: Monster Hunt and month-long event Ghostober.
Its latest series is Portals to Hell starring Jack Osboune and paranormal researcher and investigator Katrina Weidman.
Travel Channel boss Jane Latman told Deadline, “You can see from the logo that we’re trying to redefine what travel is for today’s audience. We have a saying in our development room which is ‘if you can find it on YouTube or Yelp, let’s not make a TV show about it’. We’re really trying to redefine the brand for today.”
Osbourne also joked to Deadline, “We also went to eight different cities.”
The show,...
The network rebranded at the end of last year with a new logo – Trvl – and has launched a raft of paranormal series including Ghost Adventures, Haunted Live, specials including Chris Jericho: Monster Hunt and month-long event Ghostober.
Its latest series is Portals to Hell starring Jack Osboune and paranormal researcher and investigator Katrina Weidman.
Travel Channel boss Jane Latman told Deadline, “You can see from the logo that we’re trying to redefine what travel is for today’s audience. We have a saying in our development room which is ‘if you can find it on YouTube or Yelp, let’s not make a TV show about it’. We’re really trying to redefine the brand for today.”
Osbourne also joked to Deadline, “We also went to eight different cities.”
The show,...
- 2/12/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
In what some are claiming is the latest example of growing cultural censorship in China, male stars have had their earrings censored on popular streaming platform iQiyi.
Jing Boran, star of Chinese box office hits Monster Hunt and Time Raiders, had his face digitally altered to blur out his earrings in the latest episode of popular Chinese reality TV show I, Actor.
Boran is just one victim of the censorship, according to users of Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. Doctored images of male actors on a show called Sisters Flower Shop have also been posted online, according to Sixth Tone, CNN and the Guardian.
It is not immediately clear whether the doctoring has come from on high or is being carried out by TV editors and iQiyi but the move has sparked criticism from Weibo users.
Last year, China’s media regulator banned TV stations from featuring actors with...
Jing Boran, star of Chinese box office hits Monster Hunt and Time Raiders, had his face digitally altered to blur out his earrings in the latest episode of popular Chinese reality TV show I, Actor.
Boran is just one victim of the censorship, according to users of Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. Doctored images of male actors on a show called Sisters Flower Shop have also been posted online, according to Sixth Tone, CNN and the Guardian.
It is not immediately clear whether the doctoring has come from on high or is being carried out by TV editors and iQiyi but the move has sparked criticism from Weibo users.
Last year, China’s media regulator banned TV stations from featuring actors with...
- 1/18/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
China’s government quietly ordered top Chinese talent back to the mainland from abroad this past weekend to attend a Beijing ceremony for its highest film industry honors, the loosely bi-annual Huabiao Awards. The move came just weeks after it directed mainland film executives and talent to snub after-parties and return home as quickly as possible from the Golden Horse Awards in Taipei in the wake of one winner’s controversial pro-Taiwanese independence acceptance speech.
Director Chen Kaige (“Farewell My Concubine”), the jury president at this year’s International Film Festival and Awards Macao, which began Saturday, was summoned back to China for the Huabiao Awards and missed Macao’s opening festivities. Actress Yao Chen, known for her roles in Chinese hits “Monster Hunt” and last year’s “Journey to the West 2,” was also called back to Beijing for Saturday’s festivities, but managed to return to Macao the very next day.
Director Chen Kaige (“Farewell My Concubine”), the jury president at this year’s International Film Festival and Awards Macao, which began Saturday, was summoned back to China for the Huabiao Awards and missed Macao’s opening festivities. Actress Yao Chen, known for her roles in Chinese hits “Monster Hunt” and last year’s “Journey to the West 2,” was also called back to Beijing for Saturday’s festivities, but managed to return to Macao the very next day.
- 12/12/2018
- by Becky Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Based on a manga by Ryohei Saigan, “Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura” is not the first adaptation of Saigan onto the big screen, as director Takashi Yamazaki adapted several of Saigan’s manga series. It is no coincidence that Takashi Yamazaki decided to adapt this surreal story, as he is considered one of the leading special effect authorities in Japan.
Destiny, The Tale of Kamakura is screening at Camera Japan
The film is set in what appears to be early 20th century Japan in an alternative world in which Youkai (supernatural creatures) live among the humans. Kamakura is a modest town where Akiko (Mitsuki Takahata), a young and energetic woman, moves in with her new husband Isshiki Masakazu (Masato Sakai), a mystery writer and freelancer detective working for the police. In this town, the magical creatures and humans live peacefully together. However, there is an evil creature that is after Akiko.
Destiny, The Tale of Kamakura is screening at Camera Japan
The film is set in what appears to be early 20th century Japan in an alternative world in which Youkai (supernatural creatures) live among the humans. Kamakura is a modest town where Akiko (Mitsuki Takahata), a young and energetic woman, moves in with her new husband Isshiki Masakazu (Masato Sakai), a mystery writer and freelancer detective working for the police. In this town, the magical creatures and humans live peacefully together. However, there is an evil creature that is after Akiko.
- 10/6/2018
- by Sofía Murell
- AsianMoviePulse
Chinese drama “Baby,” which has its world premiere this week at the Toronto Film Festival, is a disturbing look at how disabled children are frequently abandoned in China. Fortunately, director Liu Jie has found multiple ways of making the subject palatable.
Liu, who previously made social drama “Courthouse on Horseback” and more mainstream mystery thriller “Hide and Seek,” says that unfortunately, the film is based on real events. Liu became aware of the plight of disabled children when a friend was given three days by local authorities to decide whether his newborn child should live or die. After that introduction, in 2009 Liu visited a village with 600 families and 1,200 children in foster care.
There he found ideas for the screenplay, which he wrote with a small team over the next two years. In total it has taken nine years to bring to the screen. Having the legendary Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien...
Liu, who previously made social drama “Courthouse on Horseback” and more mainstream mystery thriller “Hide and Seek,” says that unfortunately, the film is based on real events. Liu became aware of the plight of disabled children when a friend was given three days by local authorities to decide whether his newborn child should live or die. After that introduction, in 2009 Liu visited a village with 600 families and 1,200 children in foster care.
There he found ideas for the screenplay, which he wrote with a small team over the next two years. In total it has taken nine years to bring to the screen. Having the legendary Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien...
- 9/7/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Power Rangers” star, Ludi Lin has joined the main cast of the Chinese-language adaptation of U.K. television series “Humans.” Production is now under way in Shanghai.
The series is a partnership between Endemol Shine China and Chinese production house Croton Media, the U.K.’s Kudos and Sweden’s Matador Film.
Set in 2035, when technology, in particular artificial intelligence has infiltrated and influenced every aspect of daily existence, the series aims to maintain the sinister, and emotional narrative of the original English-language version, while also exploring the rapidly evolving relationship between humanity and technology.
Lin, who also appears in the upcoming “Aquaman” movie, joins a cast that already includes Ray Ma (aka Ma Tianyu) and Stephy Qi (aka Qi Wei). Lin was named in 2016 by Variety as an Asian talent to watch. He previously appeared in hit Chinese film “Monster Hunt” and in Netflix series “Marco Polo.”
The U.
The series is a partnership between Endemol Shine China and Chinese production house Croton Media, the U.K.’s Kudos and Sweden’s Matador Film.
Set in 2035, when technology, in particular artificial intelligence has infiltrated and influenced every aspect of daily existence, the series aims to maintain the sinister, and emotional narrative of the original English-language version, while also exploring the rapidly evolving relationship between humanity and technology.
Lin, who also appears in the upcoming “Aquaman” movie, joins a cast that already includes Ray Ma (aka Ma Tianyu) and Stephy Qi (aka Qi Wei). Lin was named in 2016 by Variety as an Asian talent to watch. He previously appeared in hit Chinese film “Monster Hunt” and in Netflix series “Marco Polo.”
The U.
- 8/24/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
New openers ’Europe Raiders’, ‘Go Brother’ and ‘Hotel Transylvania 3’ couldn’t hit the heights.
Holdovers The Island and The Meg fought off new competitors to remain top at the Chinese box office in the week of Aug 13-19, as Europe Raiders, Go Brother and Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation didn’t break out in a big way.
Local comedian-turned-director Huang Bo’s The Island kept the lead in its second week with $82.9m for $159.3m after 10 days. It has become the third highest grossing summer release and the 10th highest grossing film overall, both for this year. The offbeat comedy...
Holdovers The Island and The Meg fought off new competitors to remain top at the Chinese box office in the week of Aug 13-19, as Europe Raiders, Go Brother and Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation didn’t break out in a big way.
Local comedian-turned-director Huang Bo’s The Island kept the lead in its second week with $82.9m for $159.3m after 10 days. It has become the third highest grossing summer release and the 10th highest grossing film overall, both for this year. The offbeat comedy...
- 8/20/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Mulan (Yifei Liu) Photo: Stephen Tilley © 2018 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Production on Disney’s “Mulan,” a live-action adaptation of the studio’s 1998 animated feature, has begun.
The film will shoot on locations in New Zealand and China and will open in U.S. theaters on March 27, 2020.
Liu Yifei was cast as Hua Mulan following a year-long global casting search. Joining her in the film are: Donnie Yen (“Star Wars: Rogue One”); Jason Scott Lee; Yoson An (“The Meg”); Utkarsh Ambudkar (“Pitch Perfect”); Ron Yuan (“Marco Polo”); Tzi Ma (“Arrival”); Rosalind Chao (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”); Cheng Pei-Pei; Nelson Lee; Chum Ehelepola; with Gong Li and Jet Li.
“Mulan” is the epic adventure of a fearless young woman who masquerades as a man in order to fight Northern Invaders attacking China. The eldest daughter of an honored warrior, Hua Mulan is spirited, determined and quick on her feet.
Production on Disney’s “Mulan,” a live-action adaptation of the studio’s 1998 animated feature, has begun.
The film will shoot on locations in New Zealand and China and will open in U.S. theaters on March 27, 2020.
Liu Yifei was cast as Hua Mulan following a year-long global casting search. Joining her in the film are: Donnie Yen (“Star Wars: Rogue One”); Jason Scott Lee; Yoson An (“The Meg”); Utkarsh Ambudkar (“Pitch Perfect”); Ron Yuan (“Marco Polo”); Tzi Ma (“Arrival”); Rosalind Chao (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”); Cheng Pei-Pei; Nelson Lee; Chum Ehelepola; with Gong Li and Jet Li.
“Mulan” is the epic adventure of a fearless young woman who masquerades as a man in order to fight Northern Invaders attacking China. The eldest daughter of an honored warrior, Hua Mulan is spirited, determined and quick on her feet.
- 8/13/2018
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Cameras have started rolling on Disney's upcoming live-action adapation of Mulan and they've released our first look at the titular heroine. Come inside to take a gander!
It's crazy to think it's been 20 years since the animated Mulan film hit the big screen. Two decades later and filming on a live-action version of the story is now underway. To mark the event, Disney has released the first official image of Liu Yifei as the heroine herself, and she looks great:
Liu Yifei was cast as Hua Mulan following a year-long global casting search. Joining her in the film are: Donnie Yen (“Star Wars: Rogue One”); Jason Scott Lee; Yoson An (“The Meg”); Utkarsh Ambudkar (“Pitch Perfect”); Ron Yuan (“Marco Polo”); Tzi Ma (“Arrival”); Rosalind Chao (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”); Cheng Pei-Pei; Nelson Lee; Chum Ehelepola; with Gong Li and Jet Li.
“Mulan” is the epic adventure of a...
It's crazy to think it's been 20 years since the animated Mulan film hit the big screen. Two decades later and filming on a live-action version of the story is now underway. To mark the event, Disney has released the first official image of Liu Yifei as the heroine herself, and she looks great:
Liu Yifei was cast as Hua Mulan following a year-long global casting search. Joining her in the film are: Donnie Yen (“Star Wars: Rogue One”); Jason Scott Lee; Yoson An (“The Meg”); Utkarsh Ambudkar (“Pitch Perfect”); Ron Yuan (“Marco Polo”); Tzi Ma (“Arrival”); Rosalind Chao (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”); Cheng Pei-Pei; Nelson Lee; Chum Ehelepola; with Gong Li and Jet Li.
“Mulan” is the epic adventure of a...
- 8/13/2018
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Jordan Maison)
- Cinelinx
It all started when Denver Riggleman, an Air Force veteran and distillery owner-turned Republican Congressional nominee in Virginia, posted two Bigfoot drawings on his Instagram account. A shrugging Bigfoot, with a black censored bar covering the genitals, and Riggleman’s face digitally superimposed on the shoulders of another naked North American mythological creature.
Over the weekend, his political opponent in Democrat Leslie Cockburn tweeted the images and accused Riggleman of being a “devotee of Bigfoot erotica.” Cockburn, a former investigative journalist, echoed other media outlets when she tweeted that Riggleman...
Over the weekend, his political opponent in Democrat Leslie Cockburn tweeted the images and accused Riggleman of being a “devotee of Bigfoot erotica.” Cockburn, a former investigative journalist, echoed other media outlets when she tweeted that Riggleman...
- 7/31/2018
- by Eric Killelea
- Rollingstone.com
The comedy drama held off challengers including ‘Hidden Man’.
Dying To Survive continued to thrive at the Chinese box office in the period of Jul 9-15, as new opener Hidden Man failed to take it down from the top.
Dying To Survive maintained an astounding momentum in its second week and added $159.7m for $350.2m after 11 days. It has fast become the third highest grossing film of 2018, after Operation Red Sea and Detective Chinatown 2. It has also outpaced Monster Hunt and Fast And Furious 7 to become the sixth highest grossing film of all time in the territory.
But it...
Dying To Survive continued to thrive at the Chinese box office in the period of Jul 9-15, as new opener Hidden Man failed to take it down from the top.
Dying To Survive maintained an astounding momentum in its second week and added $159.7m for $350.2m after 11 days. It has fast become the third highest grossing film of 2018, after Operation Red Sea and Detective Chinatown 2. It has also outpaced Monster Hunt and Fast And Furious 7 to become the sixth highest grossing film of all time in the territory.
But it...
- 7/16/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
The comedy drama held off challengers including ‘Hidden Man’.
Dying To Survive continued to thrive at the Chinese box office in the period of Jul 9-15, as new opener Hidden Man failed to take it down from the top.
Dying To Survive maintained an astounding momentum in its second week and added $159.7m for $350.2m after 11 days. It has fast become the third highest grossing film of 2018, after Operation Red Sea and Detective Chinatown 2. It has also outpaced Monster Hunt and Fast And Furious 7 to become the sixth highest grossing film of all time in the territory.
But it...
Dying To Survive continued to thrive at the Chinese box office in the period of Jul 9-15, as new opener Hidden Man failed to take it down from the top.
Dying To Survive maintained an astounding momentum in its second week and added $159.7m for $350.2m after 11 days. It has fast become the third highest grossing film of 2018, after Operation Red Sea and Detective Chinatown 2. It has also outpaced Monster Hunt and Fast And Furious 7 to become the sixth highest grossing film of all time in the territory.
But it...
- 7/16/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Dying To Survive, a Chinese black comedy with social drama overtones that we’ve been talking about for the past few weeks as a potential breakout during the July blackout on Hollywood movies, is showing serious signs of life in the Middle Kingdom. What’s more, it’s not the sort of film we’ve seen before during this period, and has spurred debate on serious issues.
Four days of previews began last weekend with the official July 6 release date backed up to July 5 as buzz swelled. With today’s locally-reported one-day estimate of about $57M, Dying To Survive has grossed an estimated $141M through Saturday (it’s also on about 500 IMAX screens). The film, directed by feature first-timer Muye Wen, has a 9 score on Douban and 9.7 on Maoyan. The Douban number has only been attained by such movies as Coco, Zootopia and Ready Player One in recent years.
Local...
Four days of previews began last weekend with the official July 6 release date backed up to July 5 as buzz swelled. With today’s locally-reported one-day estimate of about $57M, Dying To Survive has grossed an estimated $141M through Saturday (it’s also on about 500 IMAX screens). The film, directed by feature first-timer Muye Wen, has a 9 score on Douban and 9.7 on Maoyan. The Douban number has only been attained by such movies as Coco, Zootopia and Ready Player One in recent years.
Local...
- 7/7/2018
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Marvel Disney's <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/avengers-infinity-war-review-1105484" target="_blank"><em>Avengers: Infinity War</em></a> is revving up to make a massive start in the Chinese film market, the world's second-biggest box-office territory.
The mega-tentpole had notched $47.5 million (Rmb 302 million) in presales as of late Wednesday night in Beijing. With a full day to go before the local release Friday, <em>Infinity War </em>has set a new all-time ticket presales record in China, surpassing the estimated Rmb 300 million (about $47 million at today's exchange rate) earned by Edko Film's <em>Monster Hunt 2 </em>during the lead-up to Chinese New Year in January.
<em>Infinity War</em> also ...
The mega-tentpole had notched $47.5 million (Rmb 302 million) in presales as of late Wednesday night in Beijing. With a full day to go before the local release Friday, <em>Infinity War </em>has set a new all-time ticket presales record in China, surpassing the estimated Rmb 300 million (about $47 million at today's exchange rate) earned by Edko Film's <em>Monster Hunt 2 </em>during the lead-up to Chinese New Year in January.
<em>Infinity War</em> also ...
Cinedigm Corp. has formed six new Chinese entertainment partnerships.
Cinedigm chairman/CEO Chris McGurk and representatives from the participating companies held a signing ceremony at the Beijing International Film Festival on Friday.
The partnerships covered:
— Beijing-based China Intercontinental Communication Center, a media company founded in 1994 and the longest-established co-production documentary company in China.
— Youku Pictures Inc., a subsidiary of China’s internet giant Alibaba Media & Entertainment Business Group. Founded in 2014, Youku has produced 39 films with a total box office exceeding $3.1 billion, including “Wolf Warriors 2,” “Monster Hunt,” and “Detective Chinatown.”
— V1.Cn was established in 2005 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2006, becoming the first Chinese video media enterprise listed in Hong Kong.
— Ling He Culture Media (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a Chinese film and TV company famous for its online series, founded by Chinese producer, director, and screenwriter Bai Yicong.
— Youth Studio, a subsidiary of Beijing Film Academy, the...
Cinedigm chairman/CEO Chris McGurk and representatives from the participating companies held a signing ceremony at the Beijing International Film Festival on Friday.
The partnerships covered:
— Beijing-based China Intercontinental Communication Center, a media company founded in 1994 and the longest-established co-production documentary company in China.
— Youku Pictures Inc., a subsidiary of China’s internet giant Alibaba Media & Entertainment Business Group. Founded in 2014, Youku has produced 39 films with a total box office exceeding $3.1 billion, including “Wolf Warriors 2,” “Monster Hunt,” and “Detective Chinatown.”
— V1.Cn was established in 2005 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2006, becoming the first Chinese video media enterprise listed in Hong Kong.
— Ling He Culture Media (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a Chinese film and TV company famous for its online series, founded by Chinese producer, director, and screenwriter Bai Yicong.
— Youth Studio, a subsidiary of Beijing Film Academy, the...
- 4/20/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Donnie Yen is joining Disney's live-action Mulan.
Yen is joining Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, who was cast as the female warrior after an extensive worldwide search that concluded with her hire last November. Yen will be playing Mulan's mentor Commander Tung.
Niki Caro is directing that feature that is set for a March 27, 2020 release.
Chris Bender, Jason Reed and Jake Weiner are producing. Chinese producer Bill Kong (Monster Hunt, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) will exec produce.
Mulan will be a re-teaming for Yen and Disney, with the actor having starred in the studio's first...
Yen is joining Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, who was cast as the female warrior after an extensive worldwide search that concluded with her hire last November. Yen will be playing Mulan's mentor Commander Tung.
Niki Caro is directing that feature that is set for a March 27, 2020 release.
Chris Bender, Jason Reed and Jake Weiner are producing. Chinese producer Bill Kong (Monster Hunt, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) will exec produce.
Mulan will be a re-teaming for Yen and Disney, with the actor having starred in the studio's first...
- 4/11/2018
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: International action star Donnie Yen has been set to star in the live action Mulan based on Disney’s classic animated film and the legendary ballad. Yen will play Commander Tung, a mentor and teacher to Mulan.
The Chinese actress Liu Yifei had previously been set to play the title role. The film will be directed by Niki Caro, who helmed Whale Rider, McFarland, USA and The Zookeeper’s Wife. She became the second female director hired by Disney to direct a film with a budget higher than $100 million, following A Wrinkle In Time‘s Ava DuVernay. The film will be exec produced by Bill Kong, one of the most influential producers in China whose films include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and Monster Hunt.
This will be Yen’s second big-budget Disney outing after he co-starred in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Disney is casting up the...
The Chinese actress Liu Yifei had previously been set to play the title role. The film will be directed by Niki Caro, who helmed Whale Rider, McFarland, USA and The Zookeeper’s Wife. She became the second female director hired by Disney to direct a film with a budget higher than $100 million, following A Wrinkle In Time‘s Ava DuVernay. The film will be exec produced by Bill Kong, one of the most influential producers in China whose films include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and Monster Hunt.
This will be Yen’s second big-budget Disney outing after he co-starred in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Disney is casting up the...
- 4/11/2018
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Donnie Yen is joining Disney's live-action <em>Mulan</em>.
The actor is joining Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, who was cast as the female warrior after an extensive worldwide search that concluded with her hire in November. Yen will be playing Mulan's mentor, Commander Tung.
Niki Caro will direct the feature, which is set for a March 27, 2020, release.
Chris Bender, Jason Reed and Jake Weiner are producing. Chinese producer Bill Kong (<em>Monster Hunt</em>; <em>Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</em>) will executive produce.
<em>Mulan</em> will be a reteaming for Yen and Disney, with the actor having starred in the studio'...
The actor is joining Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, who was cast as the female warrior after an extensive worldwide search that concluded with her hire in November. Yen will be playing Mulan's mentor, Commander Tung.
Niki Caro will direct the feature, which is set for a March 27, 2020, release.
Chris Bender, Jason Reed and Jake Weiner are producing. Chinese producer Bill Kong (<em>Monster Hunt</em>; <em>Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</em>) will executive produce.
<em>Mulan</em> will be a reteaming for Yen and Disney, with the actor having starred in the studio'...
- 4/11/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
China’s theatrical box office overtook North America to become the biggest in the world in the first quarter of this year.
Gross theatrical revenues in China amounted to RMB20.2 billion in the three months to the end of March, according to data assembled by Variety from official and industry sources. Using a conservative exchange rate of RMB6.30 to the U.S. dollar, that equates to $3.17 billion. In comparison, North American theaters (comprising those in the U.S. and Canada) enjoyed aggregate revenues of $2.89 billion in the same period, according to data tracking and consultancy service ComScore.
It has frequently been predicted that the film business in China would overtake North America’s. But forecasters got their timing wrong when more than a decade of unbroken Chinese growth stalled between mid-2016 and mid-2017.
The Chinese data for January to March point to a 39% bounce compared to the first quarter of 2017. However,...
Gross theatrical revenues in China amounted to RMB20.2 billion in the three months to the end of March, according to data assembled by Variety from official and industry sources. Using a conservative exchange rate of RMB6.30 to the U.S. dollar, that equates to $3.17 billion. In comparison, North American theaters (comprising those in the U.S. and Canada) enjoyed aggregate revenues of $2.89 billion in the same period, according to data tracking and consultancy service ComScore.
It has frequently been predicted that the film business in China would overtake North America’s. But forecasters got their timing wrong when more than a decade of unbroken Chinese growth stalled between mid-2016 and mid-2017.
The Chinese data for January to March point to a 39% bounce compared to the first quarter of 2017. However,...
- 4/3/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
While the February box office in North America cleared $1B for the first time, the Chinese box office set a new global one-month record at $1.6B (Rmb 10.14B) in the same period. The huge boost in the Middle Kingdom is largely attributable to local Lunar New Year holiday titles. Among the highest-grossing movies to debut during that period are Detective Chinatown 2, Operation Red Sea and Monster Hunt 2. Already the No. 3 film ever at the Chinese box office, comedy sequel D…...
- 3/6/2018
- Deadline
February box office reaches historic $1.5bn.
Following an auspicious start to the new year, the Chinese box office continued to explode in the week of Feb 19-25 with $782m, turning it into the highest grossing week ever in China.
As of yesterday (Feb 25), February’s monthly box office has reached a historic RMB9b ($1.5bn), setting another world record for this Chinese New Year.
The festive titles played out an intense battle, shifting all of their positions. Detective Chinatown 2 moved up to the top, only marginally ahead of Operation Red Sea, while former champion Monster Hunt 2 was relegated to the third and Boonie Bears: The Big Shrink climbed ahead of The Monkey King 3: Kingdom Of Women.
Action comedy Detective Chinatown 2 became a runaway success with $276m. Standing at $440.6m after 10 days, it has propelled itself to the fourth highest grossing film ever in China, surpassing the first Monster Hunt and Furious 7. It has more than...
Following an auspicious start to the new year, the Chinese box office continued to explode in the week of Feb 19-25 with $782m, turning it into the highest grossing week ever in China.
As of yesterday (Feb 25), February’s monthly box office has reached a historic RMB9b ($1.5bn), setting another world record for this Chinese New Year.
The festive titles played out an intense battle, shifting all of their positions. Detective Chinatown 2 moved up to the top, only marginally ahead of Operation Red Sea, while former champion Monster Hunt 2 was relegated to the third and Boonie Bears: The Big Shrink climbed ahead of The Monkey King 3: Kingdom Of Women.
Action comedy Detective Chinatown 2 became a runaway success with $276m. Standing at $440.6m after 10 days, it has propelled itself to the fourth highest grossing film ever in China, surpassing the first Monster Hunt and Furious 7. It has more than...
- 2/26/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
First day of the Chinese New Year holidays breaks record for a single day box office in a single market.
China’s total box office on the first day of the Chinese New Year holidays (Feb 16) hit an estimated $205m (RMB1.3bn) powered by Monster Hunt 2, a world record for a single day box office in a single market, according to local trade press.
The Chinese result climbed 62% compared to the first day of the holiday in 2017. It beat the previous world record of $137m set in the Us on December 18, 2015, driven by the opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, at current exchange rates. Individually, the sci-fi grossed $119m on its opening day.
Monster Hunt 2, which screens today [Sunday, Feb 18] as an out-of-competition Berlinale special screening, led the Chinese holiday on an $85m opening day, according to EntGroup. That compares to the $107m opening weekend of the first Monster Hunt film in July 2015. It added $60m on its...
China’s total box office on the first day of the Chinese New Year holidays (Feb 16) hit an estimated $205m (RMB1.3bn) powered by Monster Hunt 2, a world record for a single day box office in a single market, according to local trade press.
The Chinese result climbed 62% compared to the first day of the holiday in 2017. It beat the previous world record of $137m set in the Us on December 18, 2015, driven by the opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, at current exchange rates. Individually, the sci-fi grossed $119m on its opening day.
Monster Hunt 2, which screens today [Sunday, Feb 18] as an out-of-competition Berlinale special screening, led the Chinese holiday on an $85m opening day, according to EntGroup. That compares to the $107m opening weekend of the first Monster Hunt film in July 2015. It added $60m on its...
- 2/18/2018
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Wuba, the radish-shaped heir to the monster throne, is in trouble again, but this time Tony Leung Chiu Wai is on hand to protect him in Raman Hui’s big budget sequel, Monster Hunt 2. Bai Baihe and Jing Boran reprise their roles as Wuba’s adoptive human parents, with their reunion proving the ultimate goal in this family-focused fantasy adventure. After making a name for himself at DreamWorks, Hong Kong native Raman Hui returned home to helm his first feature length film, an ambitious blend of period live-action and cutting-edge CG effects. Monster Hunt, released in the summer of 2015, proved a smash hit, especially in mainland China, where it grossed over RMB1 Billion in just over a week. Strategically targeting the Chinese New Year...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 2/17/2018
- Screen Anarchy
Chinese fantasy sequel Monster Hunt 2 is the new king of Chinese New Year.
The live-action/CGI fusion film opened to an enormous $97 million in mainland China on Friday, the first day of the weeklong traditional family holiday, which has become one of the world's biggest box-office seasons.
The debut crushed the prior record held by The Fate of the Furious ($69 million) for the largest single-day performance in Chinese box-office history.
The film's director, Raman Hui, spent 20 years at DreamWorks Animation, where he co-directed Shrek The Third. Hui returned to China in 2014 to direct the first Monster Hunt movie...
The live-action/CGI fusion film opened to an enormous $97 million in mainland China on Friday, the first day of the weeklong traditional family holiday, which has become one of the world's biggest box-office seasons.
The debut crushed the prior record held by The Fate of the Furious ($69 million) for the largest single-day performance in Chinese box-office history.
The film's director, Raman Hui, spent 20 years at DreamWorks Animation, where he co-directed Shrek The Third. Hui returned to China in 2014 to direct the first Monster Hunt movie...
- 2/16/2018
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It's fitting that Monster Hunt 2 was slated to open on Lunar New Year. Just like the invariably sweet or deep-fried snacks being devoured at nearly every Chinese household during this festive period, Hong Kong director Raman Hui's second entry of his SFX-heavy franchise is high on sensations and low on substance. While the film is a much more powerful visual feast than the original Monster Hunt from two years ago, it offers little in terms of expanding the first film's themes or pushing the storyline significantly forward.
True to form, Hui — whose 20-year spell at DreamWorks saw him rising...
True to form, Hui — whose 20-year spell at DreamWorks saw him rising...
- 2/16/2018
- by Clarence Tsui
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.