Est Studios, the film company established this year by 88Rising co-founder Jaeson Ma and former Vice Media executive Eric Tu, has struck a partnership arrangement with China’s Hugoeast Media.
The partnership is looking at an initial slate of eight projects, with Est Studios representing sales at the major film markets including the upcoming Asian Contents and Film Market and Asian Project Market at the Busan International Film Festival.
Est will be the exclusive representative for Hugoeast’s titles in North America. In other territories (outside of China) it will handle them on a non-exclusive basis.
The first title on the sales slate is “B For Busy,” which will have its international premiere in Busan on Oct. 6, 2022, as part of the A Window on Asian Cinema section. Written and directed by Shao Yihui, the film (previously called “Myth of Love”) is a comedy set in Shanghai about three middle-aged divorcees...
The partnership is looking at an initial slate of eight projects, with Est Studios representing sales at the major film markets including the upcoming Asian Contents and Film Market and Asian Project Market at the Busan International Film Festival.
Est will be the exclusive representative for Hugoeast’s titles in North America. In other territories (outside of China) it will handle them on a non-exclusive basis.
The first title on the sales slate is “B For Busy,” which will have its international premiere in Busan on Oct. 6, 2022, as part of the A Window on Asian Cinema section. Written and directed by Shao Yihui, the film (previously called “Myth of Love”) is a comedy set in Shanghai about three middle-aged divorcees...
- 10/3/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
A moneymaking scheme turns into a life-changing crusade in “Dying to Survive,” a dramedy loosely based on the true story of a Chinese man whose illegal importation of affordable generic drugs vastly improved the lives of many leukemia patients. Director and co-writer Wen Muye’s feature debut is a classy crowd-pleaser and an interesting example of a Chinese film that shows public protests and casts officialdom in a frequently unflattering light yet still received the stamp of approval from state censors.
This 2018 production grossed a staggering $450 million domestically and is just now opening in Western markets following a stellar run on the festival circuit. Released Aug. 9 in the U.S., “Survive” could conceivably increase its North American footprint with word-of-mouth and social media buzz, but was placed in theaters too far removed from tastemakers to hit the mainstream. It opens in Australia and New Zealand on Aug. 29.
The events depicted...
This 2018 production grossed a staggering $450 million domestically and is just now opening in Western markets following a stellar run on the festival circuit. Released Aug. 9 in the U.S., “Survive” could conceivably increase its North American footprint with word-of-mouth and social media buzz, but was placed in theaters too far removed from tastemakers to hit the mainstream. It opens in Australia and New Zealand on Aug. 29.
The events depicted...
- 8/16/2019
- by Richard Kuipers
- Variety Film + TV
The prestigious Golden Horse Awards announced Wednesday that it will hold its annual ceremony in Taiwan on the same day this year as China’s Communist-backed Golden Rooster Awards – which virtually assures that no major mainland Chinese talent will attend the event known as Asia’s Oscars on November 23.
Hong Kong director Johnnie To will act as chairman of the Golden Horse jury, the festival said. He has been nominated eight times for the best director award and won it on three occasions: in 2000 for “The Mission,” 2004 for “Breaking News” and 2012 for “Life Without Principle.”
He thanked director Ang Lee, head of last year’s executive committee, for the invitation, saying: “The Golden Horse Awards are the most prestigious awards in the Chinese-language cinema and a very important recognition that my films have received. Before I’m awarded another prize, I feel honored to have this chance to offer my services.
Hong Kong director Johnnie To will act as chairman of the Golden Horse jury, the festival said. He has been nominated eight times for the best director award and won it on three occasions: in 2000 for “The Mission,” 2004 for “Breaking News” and 2012 for “Life Without Principle.”
He thanked director Ang Lee, head of last year’s executive committee, for the invitation, saying: “The Golden Horse Awards are the most prestigious awards in the Chinese-language cinema and a very important recognition that my films have received. Before I’m awarded another prize, I feel honored to have this chance to offer my services.
- 6/26/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
A presentation at the Shanghai International Film Festival on Sunday shed light on the welter of propaganda films that will compete with Hollywood blockbusters for the attention of Chinese cinema goers in the second half of this year.
This year is laden with political significance for China’s ruling Communist Party. It is 100 years since the May Fourth movement in which students led protests against foreign colonial powers in China. In October China will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
“The Climbers” starring “Wolf “Warriors” and Chinese patriotic film icon Wu Jing, is a production by Shanghai Film Group that releases at the end of this month. “The mountain climbers represent the Chinese people’s spirit of conquering challenges,” said Sfg chairman Ren Zhonglun.
Edward Cheng, VP at Tencent & CEO of Tencent Pictures, said that social media giant Tencent is backing the Dante Lam...
This year is laden with political significance for China’s ruling Communist Party. It is 100 years since the May Fourth movement in which students led protests against foreign colonial powers in China. In October China will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
“The Climbers” starring “Wolf “Warriors” and Chinese patriotic film icon Wu Jing, is a production by Shanghai Film Group that releases at the end of this month. “The mountain climbers represent the Chinese people’s spirit of conquering challenges,” said Sfg chairman Ren Zhonglun.
Edward Cheng, VP at Tencent & CEO of Tencent Pictures, said that social media giant Tencent is backing the Dante Lam...
- 6/17/2019
- by Emma Sun
- Variety Film + TV
China’s Huanxi Media has acquired a slate of recent film titles that played prominently on the international festival circuit and collected multiple prizes.
They include Julian Schnabel’s “At Eternity’s Gate”; Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s “Never Look Away”; Marcus H. Rosenmueller’s “The Keeper”; Ziad Doueiri’s “The Insult”; Andrzej Zulawski’s “Cosmo”; Frederic Tellier’s “Serial Killer 1” from 2017; Dom Lenoir’s 2018 title “Winter Ridge”; and Mina Shum’s “Meditation Park,” starring Sandra Oh.
Huanxi, which is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, is best-known as a producer backed by some of China’s leading talent. Its principal shareholders include directors Ning Hao and Xu Zheng, whose films “Crazy Alien” and “Dying to Survive” it has released in the past year.
However, the company sees its future as a specialist subscription-only video streaming platform. The platform’s lineup is a mix of tiles produced by Huanxi’s own directors and producers,...
They include Julian Schnabel’s “At Eternity’s Gate”; Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s “Never Look Away”; Marcus H. Rosenmueller’s “The Keeper”; Ziad Doueiri’s “The Insult”; Andrzej Zulawski’s “Cosmo”; Frederic Tellier’s “Serial Killer 1” from 2017; Dom Lenoir’s 2018 title “Winter Ridge”; and Mina Shum’s “Meditation Park,” starring Sandra Oh.
Huanxi, which is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, is best-known as a producer backed by some of China’s leading talent. Its principal shareholders include directors Ning Hao and Xu Zheng, whose films “Crazy Alien” and “Dying to Survive” it has released in the past year.
However, the company sees its future as a specialist subscription-only video streaming platform. The platform’s lineup is a mix of tiles produced by Huanxi’s own directors and producers,...
- 5/17/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Unless you have been living on Mars for the last 6 months, chances are you’ve heard about the Chinese box office sensation “Dying to Survive”. This debut feature by little-known young director Wen Muye has grossed $200 million in the opening weekend only, even being surprisingly different from any recent Chinese mainstream propagandist blockbusters; “Operation Red Sea” to mention one. So far, the movie has bagged many nominations and awards in events around the World like The Golden Horse Film Festival, China Film Critics Association Award, Shanghai Film Critics Awards, Montréal World Film Festival, and the very recent Asian Film Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards.
“Dying to Survive ” is screening at the Udine Far East Film Festival
Produced (and performed) by Chinese star Xu Zheng in collaboration with his regular partner Ning Hao, “Dying to Survive” is based on the true story of Lu Yong, a chronic myeloid leukemia (Cml...
“Dying to Survive ” is screening at the Udine Far East Film Festival
Produced (and performed) by Chinese star Xu Zheng in collaboration with his regular partner Ning Hao, “Dying to Survive” is based on the true story of Lu Yong, a chronic myeloid leukemia (Cml...
- 4/29/2019
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Unless you have been living on Mars for the last 6 months, chances are you’ve heard about the Chinese box office sensation “Dying to Survive”. This debut feature by little-known young director Wen Muye has grossed $200 million in the opening weekend only, even being surprisingly different from any recent Chinese mainstream propagandist blockbusters; “Operation Red Sea” to mention one. So far, the movie has bagged many nominations and awards in events around the World like The Golden Horse Film Festival, China Film Critics Association Award, Shanghai Film Critics Awards, Montréal World Film Festival, and the very recent Asian Film Awards.
Produced (and performed) by Chinese star Xu Zheng in collaboration with his regular partner Ning Hao, “Dying to Survive” is based on the true story of Lu Yong, a chronic myeloid leukemia (Cml) patient who made the headlines for importing a counterfeit and cheaper Indian version of Glivec, the main drug for Cml treatment,...
Produced (and performed) by Chinese star Xu Zheng in collaboration with his regular partner Ning Hao, “Dying to Survive” is based on the true story of Lu Yong, a chronic myeloid leukemia (Cml) patient who made the headlines for importing a counterfeit and cheaper Indian version of Glivec, the main drug for Cml treatment,...
- 3/24/2019
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Ash Is Purest White (Jiang hue er nü) Cohen Media Group Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net by: Harvey Karten Director: Jia Zhang-Ke Screenwriter: Jia Zhang-Ke Cast: Zhao Tao, Liao Fan, Xu Zheng, Casper Liang, Feeng Xiaogang, Diao Yinan Screened at: Critics’ Link, NYC, 3/7/19 Opens: March 15, 2019 When I visited China in 1985 as […]
The post Ash is the Purest White Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Ash is the Purest White Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 3/22/2019
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
The series is expected to start production in the first half of 2019.
Continuing a trend at this year’s Filmart for high-profile episodic series, China’s Huanxi Media has teased a few details of Wong Kar Wai’s upcoming web series, which has the working title Paradise Guesthouse.
Expected to start production in the first half of 2019, the series will revolve around the female proprietor of a guesthouse in a coastal town in mainland China. The story will follow her interactions with different guests, who will be introduced across the 12 x 45 minute episodes of the series.
“We think the project...
Continuing a trend at this year’s Filmart for high-profile episodic series, China’s Huanxi Media has teased a few details of Wong Kar Wai’s upcoming web series, which has the working title Paradise Guesthouse.
Expected to start production in the first half of 2019, the series will revolve around the female proprietor of a guesthouse in a coastal town in mainland China. The story will follow her interactions with different guests, who will be introduced across the 12 x 45 minute episodes of the series.
“We think the project...
- 3/19/2019
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
It’s always an odd feeling when you’re completely out of step with your colleagues about a film. It’s rare that I’m one of the only ones not to like something everyone else loves, but here we are. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate Ash Is Purest White in the least, I just couldn’t quite understand what the fuss was all about. There’s some gorgeous cinematography (from Dp Eric Gautier), a terrific lead performance, and some genuinely moving moments. There’s also some very odd choices, poor pacing, a bloated running time, and a sense that there’s a few too many right turns. It’s an interesting film, just not quite one I’d recommend to you. The movie is a crime drama at times, a romance at times, and apparently a comedy at others. Labeled a tragicomedy set in part...
- 3/16/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Chinese movie ticketing platform Maoyan is to spend $50 million (Hk$390 million) buying a stake in celebrity-backed Chinese production company Huanxi Media. The deal had been indicated by Maoyan at the time of its recent Ipo.
Maoyan raised about $250 million when it launched on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in January. It is now spending a fifth of the proceeds on the stake in Huanxi, which is controlled by directors Xu Zheng and Ning Hao alongside businessman Dong Ping.
According to documents filed by the two companies, Huanxi will issue new shares to Maoyan at a nominal Hk$1.6507 per share, giving Maoyan 7.5% of the enlarged company. At that price, Huanxi is valued at $667 million.
The deal gives Maoyan the right to co-invest in Huanxi film and TV projects, and the right to be promotional and distribution partner on Huanxi titles. That is important to Maoyan as it attempts to diversify away...
Maoyan raised about $250 million when it launched on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in January. It is now spending a fifth of the proceeds on the stake in Huanxi, which is controlled by directors Xu Zheng and Ning Hao alongside businessman Dong Ping.
According to documents filed by the two companies, Huanxi will issue new shares to Maoyan at a nominal Hk$1.6507 per share, giving Maoyan 7.5% of the enlarged company. At that price, Huanxi is valued at $667 million.
The deal gives Maoyan the right to co-invest in Huanxi film and TV projects, and the right to be promotional and distribution partner on Huanxi titles. That is important to Maoyan as it attempts to diversify away...
- 3/13/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
China’s film production sector might be facing a financial and governmental squeeze at the moment, but not multi-talented Chinese star Xu Zheng. Xu is guaranteed a payday of some $17.5 million (RMB117 million) on his current project, “Lost in Russia,” which amounts to more than half the film’s gross production budget.
“Lost in Russia,” which recently began shooting, is backed by Huanxi Media, the Hong Kong-listed Chinese production and streaming company behind Ning Hao’s recent smash hit, “Crazy Alien.” That film, a comedy about a zookeeper and an extraterrestrial, has made $327 million at the domestic box office.
Xu starred in “Crazy Alien” and has a stellar list of acting credits, including last summer’s hit “Dying to Survive” and previous “Lost In” franchise films in Thailand and Hong Kong. Xu is set as writer, director, producer and lead actor of “Lost in Russia,” which is expected to be...
“Lost in Russia,” which recently began shooting, is backed by Huanxi Media, the Hong Kong-listed Chinese production and streaming company behind Ning Hao’s recent smash hit, “Crazy Alien.” That film, a comedy about a zookeeper and an extraterrestrial, has made $327 million at the domestic box office.
Xu starred in “Crazy Alien” and has a stellar list of acting credits, including last summer’s hit “Dying to Survive” and previous “Lost In” franchise films in Thailand and Hong Kong. Xu is set as writer, director, producer and lead actor of “Lost in Russia,” which is expected to be...
- 3/12/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Wang Xiaoshuai, the Chinese film director whose “So Long, My Son” picked up two top prizes at this month’s Berlin Film Festival, has stuck a production deal with expanding media group Huanxi Media.
Huanxi, which is backed by leading Chinese talent Ning Hao and Xu Zheng, obtains priority investment rights to two films or Internet series directed or produced by Wang and his Dongchun Films over the next six years. That includes global distribution and online rights.
Wang, a veteran of 11 feature films, is considered a leading light of the so-called sixth generation of mainland Chinese directors. His filmography includes 2001 breakout “Beijing Bicycle,” 2008 drama “In Love We Trust” and Cannes jury prize winner “Shanghai Dreams.”
His latest film, “So Long, My Son,” tracks the intertwined destinies of two families over 30 years, and illuminates the personal and social impact of China’s economic miracle and the country’s authoritarian rule.
Huanxi, which is backed by leading Chinese talent Ning Hao and Xu Zheng, obtains priority investment rights to two films or Internet series directed or produced by Wang and his Dongchun Films over the next six years. That includes global distribution and online rights.
Wang, a veteran of 11 feature films, is considered a leading light of the so-called sixth generation of mainland Chinese directors. His filmography includes 2001 breakout “Beijing Bicycle,” 2008 drama “In Love We Trust” and Cannes jury prize winner “Shanghai Dreams.”
His latest film, “So Long, My Son,” tracks the intertwined destinies of two families over 30 years, and illuminates the personal and social impact of China’s economic miracle and the country’s authoritarian rule.
- 2/28/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Popular Chinese director Ning Hao has seen his comedy fantasy film “Crazy Alien” gross more than $100 million at the mainland China box office after just two days on release during the Chinese New Year holiday period. It’s the highest two-day total for any film in the Middle Kingdom so far this year.
The milestone was passed at around 8 p.m. on Wednesday. By 10 p.m., the film’s accumulated gross had advanced to $101 million (RMB680 million), according to website China Box Office.
The film is about a zookeeper who finds an unusual animal and takes it home. There he discovers that the creature is in fact an extraterrestrial, but getting rid of it may be problematic.
“Crazy Alien” was produced by Ning’s Dirty Monkeys Studio for Huanxi Media, the Hong Kong-listed firm in which Ning and comedian Xu Zheng are major shareholders. The release was handled by Enlight Pictures,...
The milestone was passed at around 8 p.m. on Wednesday. By 10 p.m., the film’s accumulated gross had advanced to $101 million (RMB680 million), according to website China Box Office.
The film is about a zookeeper who finds an unusual animal and takes it home. There he discovers that the creature is in fact an extraterrestrial, but getting rid of it may be problematic.
“Crazy Alien” was produced by Ning’s Dirty Monkeys Studio for Huanxi Media, the Hong Kong-listed firm in which Ning and comedian Xu Zheng are major shareholders. The release was handled by Enlight Pictures,...
- 2/6/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Crazy Alien,” a comedy caper by hit-making director Ning Hao, led the box office in China on the first day of the Chinese New Year holiday period. By 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the film had earned $55 million in mainland Chinese cinemas.
The top eight movies earned a combined $200 million (RMB1.35 billion) by 7:30 p.m., according to data from China Box Office.
“Crazy Alien,” in which two brothers hope to make a fortune from an alien who lands in their lap, is the third film in Ning’s “Crazy” franchise. It follows 2009 black comedy “Crazy Stone” and 2006 title “Crazy Racer.” Once again it stars Xu Zheng and Huang Bo.
The early score, and a 28% market share, is a solid start for the film, which is backed by Huanxi Media, the stock market listed vehicle in which Ning and Xu are major owners. The company announced last year that distributors had...
The top eight movies earned a combined $200 million (RMB1.35 billion) by 7:30 p.m., according to data from China Box Office.
“Crazy Alien,” in which two brothers hope to make a fortune from an alien who lands in their lap, is the third film in Ning’s “Crazy” franchise. It follows 2009 black comedy “Crazy Stone” and 2006 title “Crazy Racer.” Once again it stars Xu Zheng and Huang Bo.
The early score, and a 28% market share, is a solid start for the film, which is backed by Huanxi Media, the stock market listed vehicle in which Ning and Xu are major owners. The company announced last year that distributors had...
- 2/5/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The third installment of China's blockbuster Lost in franchise is heading to Russia, with series creator Xu Zheng returning to co-write, direct and star.
Shooting at Russian locations began Jan. 24 and the filmmakers are targeting a release date during Chinese New Year in 2020, the film's producer, Huanxi Media, told THR in a statement.
Lost in Russia will follow in the footsteps of comedy mega-hits Lost in Thailand (2012) and Lost in Hong Kong (2015), which became the number one and two highest-grossing films of all time in China at the time of their respective release,...
Shooting at Russian locations began Jan. 24 and the filmmakers are targeting a release date during Chinese New Year in 2020, the film's producer, Huanxi Media, told THR in a statement.
Lost in Russia will follow in the footsteps of comedy mega-hits Lost in Thailand (2012) and Lost in Hong Kong (2015), which became the number one and two highest-grossing films of all time in China at the time of their respective release,...
The third installment of China's blockbuster Lost in franchise is heading to Russia, with series creator Xu Zheng returning to co-write, direct and star.
Shooting at Russian locations began Jan. 24 and the filmmakers are targeting a release date during Chinese New Year in 2020, the film's producer, Huanxi Media, told THR in a statement.
Lost in Russia will follow in the footsteps of comedy mega-hits Lost in Thailand (2012) and Lost in Hong Kong (2015), which became the number one and two highest-grossing films of all time in China at the time of their respective release,...
Shooting at Russian locations began Jan. 24 and the filmmakers are targeting a release date during Chinese New Year in 2020, the film's producer, Huanxi Media, told THR in a statement.
Lost in Russia will follow in the footsteps of comedy mega-hits Lost in Thailand (2012) and Lost in Hong Kong (2015), which became the number one and two highest-grossing films of all time in China at the time of their respective release,...
"For people like us, it's kill or be killed." Cohen Media Group has debuted an official Us trailer for the film Ash Is Purest White, the latest from acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke. This premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year, and played at a bunch of other major festivals in the fall. Ash Is Purest White is an vibrant, sprawling drama that spans nearly 16 years, focusing on the relationship between a gangster and the woman who loves him, named Qiao. After a violent incident that lands Bin in prison, they drift apart and together over the years, and the film acts as an examination of China as it has evolved since 2001 and also a look at how romance and relationships change (or don't) with time. Zhao Tao stars as Qiao, with a cast including Liao Fan, Diao Yi'nan, Feng Xiaogang, Casper Liang, and Xu Zheng. Whether you're already...
- 2/1/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Hong Kong studio Edko Films has picked up international rights to “One Second,” the newest movie by top Chinese director Zhang Yimou. The film will have its world premiere in competition in Berlin, it was announced this week.
“One Second” is pitched as Zhang’s personal love letter to cinema, and as a return to his auteur roots after a string of big-budget films including “The Great Wall,” and the recent “Shadow.” The story evolves from the moment when an enigmatic film reel spawns an unlikely friendship between a fugitive and a homeless girl.
The film stars Zhang Yi (“Operation Red Sea”) and Fan Wei (“I Am Not Madame Bovary”). It was shot in remote mountainous locations in mid-summer last year, between the end of production on “Shadow” and that film’s triumphant Venice and Toronto outings.
“Shadow” was produced by Perfect Village, a joint venture between Chinese games to...
“One Second” is pitched as Zhang’s personal love letter to cinema, and as a return to his auteur roots after a string of big-budget films including “The Great Wall,” and the recent “Shadow.” The story evolves from the moment when an enigmatic film reel spawns an unlikely friendship between a fugitive and a homeless girl.
The film stars Zhang Yi (“Operation Red Sea”) and Fan Wei (“I Am Not Madame Bovary”). It was shot in remote mountainous locations in mid-summer last year, between the end of production on “Shadow” and that film’s triumphant Venice and Toronto outings.
“Shadow” was produced by Perfect Village, a joint venture between Chinese games to...
- 1/18/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Lee Chang-dong’s Cannes hit Burning scored the most nominations for the 2019 Asian Film Awards. The Korean mystery-drama was nominated for eight awards, including best film. Scroll down for nominations in major categories.
Other best film nominees were Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters, Pema Tseden’s Jinpa, Wen Muye’s Dying To Survive, and Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju. The nominations were announced in Hong Kong on Friday afternoon. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony in the same city on Sunday, March 17.
Cannes Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters, Sanju, and Zhang Yimou’s Shadow each garnered six nominations. Kore-eda’s acclaimed drama also won the top film prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in November.
In Burning, Jong-su bumps into a girl who used to live in the same neighborhood as him, who asks him to look after her cat while on a trip to Africa. When back, she introduces Ben,...
Other best film nominees were Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters, Pema Tseden’s Jinpa, Wen Muye’s Dying To Survive, and Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju. The nominations were announced in Hong Kong on Friday afternoon. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony in the same city on Sunday, March 17.
Cannes Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters, Sanju, and Zhang Yimou’s Shadow each garnered six nominations. Kore-eda’s acclaimed drama also won the top film prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in November.
In Burning, Jong-su bumps into a girl who used to live in the same neighborhood as him, who asks him to look after her cat while on a trip to Africa. When back, she introduces Ben,...
- 1/11/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Zhang Yimou’s Shadow walked away with the most number of awards, including best director.
The late Hu Bo’s directorial debut An Elephant Sitting Still was named best film at the 55th Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, while Zhang Yimou’s Shadow walked away with the most number of awards, including best director.
Two further mainland Chinese films – Dying To Survive and Long Day’s Journey Into Night – each nabbed three wins. Mainland films most noticeably dominated the stage taking most of the awards at the ceremony held on Saturday (Nov 18) at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall in Taipei.
The late Hu Bo’s directorial debut An Elephant Sitting Still was named best film at the 55th Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, while Zhang Yimou’s Shadow walked away with the most number of awards, including best director.
Two further mainland Chinese films – Dying To Survive and Long Day’s Journey Into Night – each nabbed three wins. Mainland films most noticeably dominated the stage taking most of the awards at the ceremony held on Saturday (Nov 18) at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall in Taipei.
- 11/19/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
The atmosphere on stage at the Golden Horse film awards ceremony in Taiwan on Saturday was politically-tinged. But the destination of the top prizes, at the event usually considered as the most prestigious for Chinese-language cinema, was largely predictable.
Powerful period drama, “Shadow” was the numerical winner, taking home four prizes, including best director for Zhang Yimou. “Shadow” had been the clear favorite, going in to the ceremony 12 nominations.
“An Elephant Sitting Still,” was named as best film and the audience award winner. The prize for best adapted screenplay was posthumously awarded to its mainland Chinese writer-director Hu Bo, who committed suicide in October last year, shortly after completing the movie. “Elephant” will now be entitled to a release in Taiwan, bypassing the island’s annual quota on mainland Chinese films.
Three other films won three prizes each: Taiwan’s “Dear Ex” won best actress (Hsieh Yin Xuan), best song...
Powerful period drama, “Shadow” was the numerical winner, taking home four prizes, including best director for Zhang Yimou. “Shadow” had been the clear favorite, going in to the ceremony 12 nominations.
“An Elephant Sitting Still,” was named as best film and the audience award winner. The prize for best adapted screenplay was posthumously awarded to its mainland Chinese writer-director Hu Bo, who committed suicide in October last year, shortly after completing the movie. “Elephant” will now be entitled to a release in Taiwan, bypassing the island’s annual quota on mainland Chinese films.
Three other films won three prizes each: Taiwan’s “Dear Ex” won best actress (Hsieh Yin Xuan), best song...
- 11/18/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Actor and filmmaker Billy Bob Thornton has joined the line up of speakers at Asia Society Southern California’s U.S.-China Entertainment Summit, which takes place Tuesday at the Skirball Cultural Center.
Thornton will take the stage for a conversation with this year’s honoree, acclaimed Chinese actor, writer, director and producer Xu Zheng. Thornton is well-known to U.S. audiences for a body of work that includes his Academy Award-nominated performances in Sling Blade and A Simple Plan. Xu is one of China’s most popular and influential contemporary film figures, whose movies have had commercial success as well as social impact.
“Billy is the perfect choice to pair with the brilliant performer and filmmaker Xu Zheng for his introduction to a North American audience,” Janet Yang, Chair of the Entertainment Summit, said in a statement. “He matches Xu not only in professional stature, but in their seemingly...
Thornton will take the stage for a conversation with this year’s honoree, acclaimed Chinese actor, writer, director and producer Xu Zheng. Thornton is well-known to U.S. audiences for a body of work that includes his Academy Award-nominated performances in Sling Blade and A Simple Plan. Xu is one of China’s most popular and influential contemporary film figures, whose movies have had commercial success as well as social impact.
“Billy is the perfect choice to pair with the brilliant performer and filmmaker Xu Zheng for his introduction to a North American audience,” Janet Yang, Chair of the Entertainment Summit, said in a statement. “He matches Xu not only in professional stature, but in their seemingly...
- 10/29/2018
- by Dawn C. Chmielewski
- Deadline Film + TV
Ivan Ayr’s Soni won best film in the Roberto Rossellini Awards, while The Crossing took best film in the Fei Mu Awards.
Indian director Ivan Ayr’s Soni won best film in the Roberto Rossellini Awards at this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyiff), while The Crossing from China’s Bai Xue took best film in the Fei Mu Awards.
Best director in the Roberto Rossellini Awards, selected from the festival’s Crouching Tigers section, went to Serbia’s Ognjen Glavonić for The Load, while the Jury Award went to A Land Imagined, directed by Singapore’s Yeo Siew Hua.
Indian director Ivan Ayr’s Soni won best film in the Roberto Rossellini Awards at this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyiff), while The Crossing from China’s Bai Xue took best film in the Fei Mu Awards.
Best director in the Roberto Rossellini Awards, selected from the festival’s Crouching Tigers section, went to Serbia’s Ognjen Glavonić for The Load, while the Jury Award went to A Land Imagined, directed by Singapore’s Yeo Siew Hua.
- 10/17/2018
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
The last festival on the fall calendar, AFI Fest, always offers a few late-breaking possible Oscar contenders — including opener “On the Basis of Sex” and closer “Mary, Queen of Scots” — as well as a strong World Cinema line-up packed with foreign-language Oscar submissions.
This year is no exception: Seven possible Best Foreign Language Film Oscar contenders are in the lineup of 28 titles from 27 countries, including Cannes prize-winners “Capernaum”, “Shoplifters” (Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda, Magnolia), and “Dogman” (Italy’s Matteo Garrone, Magnolia), along with Cannes entry “The Wild Pear Tree”, Karlovy Vary Festival winner “I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History as Barbarians” (Romania’s Radu Jude), and two Tiff titles from Spc, “Never Look Away” (Germany’s Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck) and “Sunset” (Hungary’s “Son of Saul” Oscar-winner László Nemes).
Also in the lineup are several strong festival titles not submitted by their countries for the Oscars,...
This year is no exception: Seven possible Best Foreign Language Film Oscar contenders are in the lineup of 28 titles from 27 countries, including Cannes prize-winners “Capernaum”, “Shoplifters” (Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda, Magnolia), and “Dogman” (Italy’s Matteo Garrone, Magnolia), along with Cannes entry “The Wild Pear Tree”, Karlovy Vary Festival winner “I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History as Barbarians” (Romania’s Radu Jude), and two Tiff titles from Spc, “Never Look Away” (Germany’s Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck) and “Sunset” (Hungary’s “Son of Saul” Oscar-winner László Nemes).
Also in the lineup are several strong festival titles not submitted by their countries for the Oscars,...
- 10/16/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The last festival on the fall calendar, AFI Fest, always offers a few late-breaking possible Oscar contenders — including opener “On the Basis of Sex” and closer “Mary, Queen of Scots” — as well as a strong World Cinema line-up packed with foreign-language Oscar submissions.
This year is no exception: Seven possible Best Foreign Language Film Oscar contenders are in the lineup of 28 titles from 27 countries, including Cannes prize-winners “Capernaum”, “Shoplifters” (Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda, Magnolia), and “Dogman” (Italy’s Matteo Garrone, Magnolia), along with Cannes entry “The Wild Pear Tree”, Karlovy Vary Festival winner “I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History as Barbarians” (Romania’s Radu Jude), and two Tiff titles from Spc, “Never Look Away” (Germany’s Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck) and “Sunset” (Hungary’s “Son of Saul” Oscar-winner László Nemes).
Also in the lineup are several strong festival titles not submitted by their countries for the Oscars,...
This year is no exception: Seven possible Best Foreign Language Film Oscar contenders are in the lineup of 28 titles from 27 countries, including Cannes prize-winners “Capernaum”, “Shoplifters” (Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda, Magnolia), and “Dogman” (Italy’s Matteo Garrone, Magnolia), along with Cannes entry “The Wild Pear Tree”, Karlovy Vary Festival winner “I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History as Barbarians” (Romania’s Radu Jude), and two Tiff titles from Spc, “Never Look Away” (Germany’s Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck) and “Sunset” (Hungary’s “Son of Saul” Oscar-winner László Nemes).
Also in the lineup are several strong festival titles not submitted by their countries for the Oscars,...
- 10/16/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
AFI Fest’s World Cinema section unveiled Tuesday includes seven films that have been officially submitted for the Foreign Language Film Oscar, from Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum and Matteo Garrone’s Dogman to Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s Never Look Away and the Cannes Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters by Hirokazu Kore-eda. Directors in the slate include Jafar Panahi, Jia Zhang-ke, Hong Sang-soo, Olivier Assayas, Carlos Reygadas, László Nemes and Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
The lineup includes 28 titles from 27 countries. The fest runs November 8-15 and opens with the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex and closes with Josie Rourke’s Mary Queen of Scots. In the mix too are a host of gala presentations featuring Bird Box, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Widows, Green Book and Destroyer. The latter pic will be screened as part of a tribute to its star Nicole Kidman.
Here’s the full World...
The lineup includes 28 titles from 27 countries. The fest runs November 8-15 and opens with the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex and closes with Josie Rourke’s Mary Queen of Scots. In the mix too are a host of gala presentations featuring Bird Box, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Widows, Green Book and Destroyer. The latter pic will be screened as part of a tribute to its star Nicole Kidman.
Here’s the full World...
- 10/16/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Festival will open with omnibus film Half The Sky from five female directors.
Mohamed Ben Attia’s Dear Son (pictured), Yeo Siew Hua’s A Land Imagined and The Man Who Surprised Everyone, from Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov, are among the films selected for the Crouching Tigers section of this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyifff).
The section, dedicated to debut or second features from new talents, will also screen the world premiere of Hotel Imperio, from Portuguese director Ivo Ferreira (see full line-up below).
Meanwhile, the festival’s Hidden Dragons section, dedicated to “imaginative and original genre...
Mohamed Ben Attia’s Dear Son (pictured), Yeo Siew Hua’s A Land Imagined and The Man Who Surprised Everyone, from Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov, are among the films selected for the Crouching Tigers section of this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyifff).
The section, dedicated to debut or second features from new talents, will also screen the world premiere of Hotel Imperio, from Portuguese director Ivo Ferreira (see full line-up below).
Meanwhile, the festival’s Hidden Dragons section, dedicated to “imaginative and original genre...
- 9/28/2018
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Broader range of local hits over the summer helped drive China box office to $6.79bn from Jan-Aug.
China’s box office grew by 17% to reach $6.79bn in the first eight months of 2018, following a summer in which Hollywood titles may have been sidelined, but local productions started to show greater depth and diversity.
According to figures from Chinese consulting firm EntGroup, local films grossed a combined $4.5bn (RMB30.42bn) during January-August 2018, an increase of 46% over the same period in 2017. This gave local films a market share of 66%, compared to 53% for the first eight months of last year (using current exchange rates). Based on these figures,...
China’s box office grew by 17% to reach $6.79bn in the first eight months of 2018, following a summer in which Hollywood titles may have been sidelined, but local productions started to show greater depth and diversity.
According to figures from Chinese consulting firm EntGroup, local films grossed a combined $4.5bn (RMB30.42bn) during January-August 2018, an increase of 46% over the same period in 2017. This gave local films a market share of 66%, compared to 53% for the first eight months of last year (using current exchange rates). Based on these figures,...
- 9/7/2018
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
All of the top five titles of all time in China are now local Chinese-language films.
Dying To Survive performed a hat trick as the weekly champion in the period of July 16-22, but lost the weekend to new opener Skyscraper.
The social comedy drama, starring Xu Zheng, hung onto the top spot overall in its third week, adding $61.7m for $412.6m after 18 days. It has moved one notch up to become the fifth highest grossing film of all time in China, surpassing Furious 8. Now all the top five films are local Chinese-language films, with Furious 8 in sixth place.
The...
Dying To Survive performed a hat trick as the weekly champion in the period of July 16-22, but lost the weekend to new opener Skyscraper.
The social comedy drama, starring Xu Zheng, hung onto the top spot overall in its third week, adding $61.7m for $412.6m after 18 days. It has moved one notch up to become the fifth highest grossing film of all time in China, surpassing Furious 8. Now all the top five films are local Chinese-language films, with Furious 8 in sixth place.
The...
- 7/23/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Chinese Fantasy extravaganza “Asura” has broken few records in the past weekend, unfortunately not the kind of records to be proud of.
The film is allegedly the most expensive Chinese film ever made, with the cost of a hefty 750 million Yuan (Us$113.5 million). But “Asura” has also turned into the biggest loss ever recorded as it took in just over Us$7.4 million at the opening weekend and by Sunday night the film was removed from theaters. With the estimated loss of Us$106 million “Asura” is therefore a contender as fifth biggest flop in movie history worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo).
Based on Tibetan Buddhist mythology and rich in special effects, “Asura” is backed by Alibaba Pictures, together with Zhenjian Film Studio and Ningxia Film Group, and it was meant to be the first installment of a franchise trilogy, in the style of Hollywood epics such as The Lord of the Rings.
The film is allegedly the most expensive Chinese film ever made, with the cost of a hefty 750 million Yuan (Us$113.5 million). But “Asura” has also turned into the biggest loss ever recorded as it took in just over Us$7.4 million at the opening weekend and by Sunday night the film was removed from theaters. With the estimated loss of Us$106 million “Asura” is therefore a contender as fifth biggest flop in movie history worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo).
Based on Tibetan Buddhist mythology and rich in special effects, “Asura” is backed by Alibaba Pictures, together with Zhenjian Film Studio and Ningxia Film Group, and it was meant to be the first installment of a franchise trilogy, in the style of Hollywood epics such as The Lord of the Rings.
- 7/18/2018
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
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
The first local summer blockbuster of 2018 represented over 77% of the total box office last week.
Xu Zheng’s Dying To Survive lived up to expectations to be the first Chinese summer blockbuster of 2018 when it amassed $190.1m from its opening weekend.
This represented over 77% of the total box office in the week of Jul 2-8 and brought that week’s box office to soar by over 111% week-on-week. Its four-day debut of $190.1m (including previews) is also comparable to the $161m three-day weekend collected by the global launch of Ant-Man And The Wasp.
Dying To Survive also opened 33% higher than Wolf...
Xu Zheng’s Dying To Survive lived up to expectations to be the first Chinese summer blockbuster of 2018 when it amassed $190.1m from its opening weekend.
This represented over 77% of the total box office in the week of Jul 2-8 and brought that week’s box office to soar by over 111% week-on-week. Its four-day debut of $190.1m (including previews) is also comparable to the $161m three-day weekend collected by the global launch of Ant-Man And The Wasp.
Dying To Survive also opened 33% higher than Wolf...
- 7/9/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
The first local summer blockbuster of 2018 represented over 77% of the total box office last week.
Xu Zheng’s Dying To Survive lived up to expectations to be the first Chinese summer blockbuster of 2018 when it amassed $190.1m from its opening weekend.
This represented over 77% of the total box office in the week of Jul 2-8 and brought that week’s box office to soar by over 111% week-on-week. Its four-day debut of $190.1m (including previews) is also comparable to the $161m three-day weekend collected by the global launch of Ant-Man And The Wasp.
Dying To Survive also opened 33% higher than Wolf...
Xu Zheng’s Dying To Survive lived up to expectations to be the first Chinese summer blockbuster of 2018 when it amassed $190.1m from its opening weekend.
This represented over 77% of the total box office in the week of Jul 2-8 and brought that week’s box office to soar by over 111% week-on-week. Its four-day debut of $190.1m (including previews) is also comparable to the $161m three-day weekend collected by the global launch of Ant-Man And The Wasp.
Dying To Survive also opened 33% higher than Wolf...
- 7/9/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Chinese drama Dying to Survive opened to an astonishing $200 million over a long four-day weekend in the Middle Kingdom. The huge total out of China, which includes some large-scale preview screenings, easily dwarfed the $76 million debut of Marvel's and Disney's Ant-Man and the Wasp in the U.S.
Widely hailed as both a creative and commercial breakthrough for the Chinese industry, Dying to Survive is directed by newcomer Wen Muye and produced by local hitmaker Ning Hao. Based on real events, the film tells the story of a shady health supplements supplier — played by comedy favorite Xu Zheng ...
Widely hailed as both a creative and commercial breakthrough for the Chinese industry, Dying to Survive is directed by newcomer Wen Muye and produced by local hitmaker Ning Hao. Based on real events, the film tells the story of a shady health supplements supplier — played by comedy favorite Xu Zheng ...
Chinese drama Dying to Survive opened to an astonishing $200 million over a long four-day weekend in the Middle Kingdom. The huge total out of China, which includes some large-scale preview screenings, easily dwarfed the $76 million debut of Marvel's and Disney's Ant-Man and the Wasp in the U.S.
Widely hailed as both a creative and commercial breakthrough for the Chinese industry, Dying to Survive is directed by newcomer Wen Muye and produced by local hitmaker Ning Hao. Based on real events, the film tells the story of a shady health supplements supplier — played by comedy favorite Xu Zheng ...
Widely hailed as both a creative and commercial breakthrough for the Chinese industry, Dying to Survive is directed by newcomer Wen Muye and produced by local hitmaker Ning Hao. Based on real events, the film tells the story of a shady health supplements supplier — played by comedy favorite Xu Zheng ...
Chinese comedy drama, “Dying to Survive” opened with a massive $151 million to be the second largest film across the world this weekend. Its cumulative score by Sunday stands fractionally short of $200 million.
Based on real events, about a cancer survivor who took it on himself to import cheap drugs from India, the film is an unlikely winner in terms of subject matter. The film, directed by first time feature maker Wen Muye, changes the lead role to a non-patient, creating parallels with “Dallas Buyers Club.”
The picture got commercial traction by starring comedy titan Xu Zheng, veteran of “Lost in Thailand” and “Breakup Buddies,” and was powered by strong social media interest. It was the first Chinese-language film in 16 years to score 9 out of 10 on the Douban rating site. Adding to the film’s pedigree, Xu also co-produced with serial hitmaker Ning Hao. It premiered last month at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
Based on real events, about a cancer survivor who took it on himself to import cheap drugs from India, the film is an unlikely winner in terms of subject matter. The film, directed by first time feature maker Wen Muye, changes the lead role to a non-patient, creating parallels with “Dallas Buyers Club.”
The picture got commercial traction by starring comedy titan Xu Zheng, veteran of “Lost in Thailand” and “Breakup Buddies,” and was powered by strong social media interest. It was the first Chinese-language film in 16 years to score 9 out of 10 on the Douban rating site. Adding to the film’s pedigree, Xu also co-produced with serial hitmaker Ning Hao. It premiered last month at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
- 7/8/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom crosses $250m in China.
July 9 Update: Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man And The Wasp ruled Hollywood at the worldwide weekend box office on a confirmed $161.7m launch, while Chinese social realist drama Dying To Survive was the international champion on approximately $146m for the weekend.
Meanwhile Pixar’s Incredibles 2 crossed $770m worldwide, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom crossed $725m internationally, and Fox Star’s Sanju hit $50m worldwide.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
Update: Ant-Man And The Wasp announced its intentions with a number one global launch from the studios that delivered a confirmed $85.9m from the...
July 9 Update: Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man And The Wasp ruled Hollywood at the worldwide weekend box office on a confirmed $161.7m launch, while Chinese social realist drama Dying To Survive was the international champion on approximately $146m for the weekend.
Meanwhile Pixar’s Incredibles 2 crossed $770m worldwide, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom crossed $725m internationally, and Fox Star’s Sanju hit $50m worldwide.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
Update: Ant-Man And The Wasp announced its intentions with a number one global launch from the studios that delivered a confirmed $85.9m from the...
- 7/8/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom crosses $250m in China.
Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man And The Wasp ruled Hollywood at the worldwide weekend box office on an estimated $161m launch, while Chinese social realist drama Dying To Survive was the international champion on $146m for the weekend.
Meanwhile Pixar’s Incredibles 2 crossed $770m worldwide, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom crossed $725m internationally, and Fox Star’s Sanju hit $50m in India.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
Ant-Man And The Wasp announced its intentions with a number one global launch from the studios that delivered an estimated $85m from the first wave of international markets and $161m worldwide.
Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man And The Wasp ruled Hollywood at the worldwide weekend box office on an estimated $161m launch, while Chinese social realist drama Dying To Survive was the international champion on $146m for the weekend.
Meanwhile Pixar’s Incredibles 2 crossed $770m worldwide, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom crossed $725m internationally, and Fox Star’s Sanju hit $50m in India.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
Ant-Man And The Wasp announced its intentions with a number one global launch from the studios that delivered an estimated $85m from the first wave of international markets and $161m worldwide.
- 7/8/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Jurassic World 2 passes 2015 predecessor to become the sixth highest grossing foreign film of all time.
The last week of June (Jun 25-Jul 1) marked the beginning of a two-month onslaught of Chinese summer blockbusters. The first of which is Animal World which opened top, ending the 14-day No.1 reign of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Based on the Japanese manga by Nobuyuki Fukumoto, the Chinese gambling adventure took $35.9m from its three-day opening weekend (including previews). It follows a young man played by Li Yifeng who is forced to take part in a violent game when trapped on a gambling ship.
The film,...
The last week of June (Jun 25-Jul 1) marked the beginning of a two-month onslaught of Chinese summer blockbusters. The first of which is Animal World which opened top, ending the 14-day No.1 reign of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Based on the Japanese manga by Nobuyuki Fukumoto, the Chinese gambling adventure took $35.9m from its three-day opening weekend (including previews). It follows a young man played by Li Yifeng who is forced to take part in a violent game when trapped on a gambling ship.
The film,...
- 7/2/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Summer box office has roared back to life with $34m opening day for ’Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’.
After a quiet couple of weeks, the China market roared back to life with today’s opening of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which marks the unofficial start of a busy summer box office season.
As of 22:00 China time on June 15, the Universal Pictures sequel, opening one week ahead of its North American premiere, was topping the box office with $31m (RMB198m). The last film in the franchise, Jurassic World, racked up $99m on its opening weekend in China in June 2015, ahead...
After a quiet couple of weeks, the China market roared back to life with today’s opening of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which marks the unofficial start of a busy summer box office season.
As of 22:00 China time on June 15, the Universal Pictures sequel, opening one week ahead of its North American premiere, was topping the box office with $31m (RMB198m). The last film in the franchise, Jurassic World, racked up $99m on its opening weekend in China in June 2015, ahead...
- 6/15/2018
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
The box office has roared back to life with ’Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’.
After a quiet couple of weeks, the China market roared back to life with today’s opening of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which marks the unofficial start of a busy summer box office season.
As of 22:00 China time on June 15, the Universal Pictures sequel, opening one week ahead of its North American premiere, was topping the box office with $31m (RMB198m). The last film in the franchise, Jurassic World, racked up $99m on its opening weekend in China in June 2015, ahead of a final gross of $229m.
After a quiet couple of weeks, the China market roared back to life with today’s opening of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which marks the unofficial start of a busy summer box office season.
As of 22:00 China time on June 15, the Universal Pictures sequel, opening one week ahead of its North American premiere, was topping the box office with $31m (RMB198m). The last film in the franchise, Jurassic World, racked up $99m on its opening weekend in China in June 2015, ahead of a final gross of $229m.
- 6/15/2018
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Su Lun’s feature debut has become the latest box office hit by a woman director.
Driven by Children’s Day on Jun 1, Japanese animation Doraemon The Movie: Nobita’s Treasure Island stole the weekend crown while local comedy How Long Will I Love U retained the weekly No.1 in the period of May 28-Jun 3.
Xu Zheng-produced How Long Will I Love U stayed top for two straight weeks, adding $31.1m for $118m after 17 days. Currently the seventh highest grossing local film in 2018, Su Lun’s feature debut has become the latest box office hit by a woman director.
Driven by Children’s Day on Jun 1, Japanese animation Doraemon The Movie: Nobita’s Treasure Island stole the weekend crown while local comedy How Long Will I Love U retained the weekly No.1 in the period of May 28-Jun 3.
Xu Zheng-produced How Long Will I Love U stayed top for two straight weeks, adding $31.1m for $118m after 17 days. Currently the seventh highest grossing local film in 2018, Su Lun’s feature debut has become the latest box office hit by a woman director.
- 6/4/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Cannes ’18 Review by Peter BelsitoZhao Tao and Liao Fan star in Jia Zhang-ke’s chronicle of the relationship between a low-level Chinese crook and the woman who goes to prison for him.Liao Fan, center, and cast in ‘Ash Is Purest White’
This long Chinese drama of a decidedly minor crook and his long suffering girlfriend was one of the better films I saw at Cannes.
Qiao is a local beauty who takes no crap from the men that frequent the gambling den in the back of a nightclub dominated by the presence of her low level mobster boyfriend Guo Bin.
While everyone else is busy sucking up to Bin, Qiao is a woman who refuses to be intimidated by the macho environment; she greets Bin with a sharp but affectionate bite on the shoulder and gives playful thumps to the regulars in a scene that instantly establishes the character as no mere decorative prop.
This long Chinese drama of a decidedly minor crook and his long suffering girlfriend was one of the better films I saw at Cannes.
Qiao is a local beauty who takes no crap from the men that frequent the gambling den in the back of a nightclub dominated by the presence of her low level mobster boyfriend Guo Bin.
While everyone else is busy sucking up to Bin, Qiao is a woman who refuses to be intimidated by the macho environment; she greets Bin with a sharp but affectionate bite on the shoulder and gives playful thumps to the regulars in a scene that instantly establishes the character as no mere decorative prop.
- 5/29/2018
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
How Long Will I Love U rises to top spot.
The Chinese box office shrank by about 37% week-on-week due to the lack of big new releases in the period of May 21-27. Holdover local comedy How Long Will I Love U climbed to the top, while Solo: A Star Wars Story was given the cold shoulder by the Chinese audiences.
How Long Will I Love U, which debuted in second place, moved to the top in its second week with $47.4m. Since it overtook Avengers: Infinity War on Monday, it has been staying top even after the opening of Solo: A Star Wars Story...
The Chinese box office shrank by about 37% week-on-week due to the lack of big new releases in the period of May 21-27. Holdover local comedy How Long Will I Love U climbed to the top, while Solo: A Star Wars Story was given the cold shoulder by the Chinese audiences.
How Long Will I Love U, which debuted in second place, moved to the top in its second week with $47.4m. Since it overtook Avengers: Infinity War on Monday, it has been staying top even after the opening of Solo: A Star Wars Story...
- 5/28/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
The Marvel blockbuster is now the top foreign film of 2018 in China, & Disney’s highest-grossing ever in the country.
Avengers: Infinity War stayed top at the Chinese box office in the period of May 14-20, sending more records tumbling. The third installment of the popular franchise added $108.3m for $320.2m after 10 days, cementing it as the top grossing film for both Disney and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in China.
It has also emerged as the top foreign film in 2018, surpassing Ready Player One; the fourth highest grossing foreign film ever, after Furious 8, Furious 7 and Transformers 4; and the 12th highest grossing film ever,...
Avengers: Infinity War stayed top at the Chinese box office in the period of May 14-20, sending more records tumbling. The third installment of the popular franchise added $108.3m for $320.2m after 10 days, cementing it as the top grossing film for both Disney and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in China.
It has also emerged as the top foreign film in 2018, surpassing Ready Player One; the fourth highest grossing foreign film ever, after Furious 8, Furious 7 and Transformers 4; and the 12th highest grossing film ever,...
- 5/21/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Disney blockbuster takes $210m from first three days.
Last week’s box office (May 7-13) soared significantly by about 28%, thanks to the return of the Avengers, which landed in China two weeks after its North American debut.
Disney’s Avengers: Infinity War easily took the crown, leading the pack by a wide margin. It scooped up a whopping $210.4m from its first three days, representing about 83% of the week’s total box office. Saturday alone, it narrowly surpassed Furious 8 for the second highest single day gross with $77.55m (based on local currency), only behind Monster Hunt 2.
Other new records...
Last week’s box office (May 7-13) soared significantly by about 28%, thanks to the return of the Avengers, which landed in China two weeks after its North American debut.
Disney’s Avengers: Infinity War easily took the crown, leading the pack by a wide margin. It scooped up a whopping $210.4m from its first three days, representing about 83% of the week’s total box office. Saturday alone, it narrowly surpassed Furious 8 for the second highest single day gross with $77.55m (based on local currency), only behind Monster Hunt 2.
Other new records...
- 5/14/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Thriller ‘A Or B’ stands in second place with $51m after nine days.
Boosted by the May Day holidays, the Chinese box office surged by about 23% week-on-week in the period of Apr 30-May 6. Rene Liu’s directorial debut Us And Them continued to dominate, while Indian hit Baahubali 2: The Conclusion was the only new entry in the top 10.
Given the lack of strong contenders, Us And Them easily retained the No.1 crown for the second week with $108.8m, representing about 55% of the week’s total box office. The bittersweet romance starring Zhou Dongyu and Jing Boran raked in $202.6m after nine days,...
Boosted by the May Day holidays, the Chinese box office surged by about 23% week-on-week in the period of Apr 30-May 6. Rene Liu’s directorial debut Us And Them continued to dominate, while Indian hit Baahubali 2: The Conclusion was the only new entry in the top 10.
Given the lack of strong contenders, Us And Them easily retained the No.1 crown for the second week with $108.8m, representing about 55% of the week’s total box office. The bittersweet romance starring Zhou Dongyu and Jing Boran raked in $202.6m after nine days,...
- 5/7/2018
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Ren Pengyuan’s tale of a banker forced to make Saw-style choices has some smart ideas but struggles to tie them together
Despite some wildly implausible plot twists and a flashy high concept this Chinese thriller is a film to induce a gentle drooping of the eyelids. Xu Zheng plays Zhong Xiaonian, a filthy rich investor who has been rigging the stock market for years. He groggily wakes up one morning to find himself trapped inside his Bond villain-ish modernist pad with no mobile reception and just his sanctimonious kidnapper at the end of a walkie-talkie for company.
His mysterious captor announces that Zhong must pay the price for his dodgy dealings (a plotline that could charitably be described as inspired by the Saw franchise). For the next five days, when the markets open at 9.30am, Zhong will be made to choose which of his secrets is revealed to a TV news channel.
Despite some wildly implausible plot twists and a flashy high concept this Chinese thriller is a film to induce a gentle drooping of the eyelids. Xu Zheng plays Zhong Xiaonian, a filthy rich investor who has been rigging the stock market for years. He groggily wakes up one morning to find himself trapped inside his Bond villain-ish modernist pad with no mobile reception and just his sanctimonious kidnapper at the end of a walkie-talkie for company.
His mysterious captor announces that Zhong must pay the price for his dodgy dealings (a plotline that could charitably be described as inspired by the Saw franchise). For the next five days, when the markets open at 9.30am, Zhong will be made to choose which of his secrets is revealed to a TV news channel.
- 5/4/2018
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
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