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Posters from “This is not what I Expected”
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Yao Chen at event
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Street shots of Fan Bingbing
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Shekhar Kapur to Direct Authorized Bruce Lee Biopic ‘Little Dragon’
(Variety) Shekhar Kapur is to direct “Little Dragon,” an authorized biopic of martial arts legend Bruce Lee.
The story is a contemporary dramatization of the 1950s Hong Kong social and political forces that shaped Bruce Lee into both the most famous martial arts star of all time and a significant modern day philosopher. Themes include family disappointment, young love, true friendship, betrayal, racism, deep poverty and an inner fire that threatened to unravel his destiny
Production is by Bruce Lee Entertainment, a company operated by Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee, along with Los Angeles-based Convergence Entertainment.
Shannon Lee conducted significant new research into her father’s youth and formative years, a subject which has previously been tangentially explored in numerous moves including Wong Kar-wai’s “The Grandmaster” and the rival “Ip Man” franchise movies respectively directed by Wilson Yip and Herman Yau. Kapur, who also serves as executive producer, co-wrote the “Little Dragon” screenplay with Shannon Lee.
“This film is a deeply personal exploration of Bruce before his inner power and discipline forged him into the ground-breaking icon that continues to this day to inspire people throughout the world,” said Tim Kwok of Convergence.
Pre-production is now under way, ahead of a an anticipated shoot from July in Malaysia. Casting is headed by US casting director, Mary Vernieu.
The film is structured as a U.S., Hong Kong and China co-production financed by Dadi Media Group, Beijing Golden World Pictures, Shanghai Longzhilin Cultural Investment Partnership and Kirin Media. The producers are currently handling all distribution rights.
“It is important that audiences today can relate their own lives to the journey of Bruce Lee, who manages to tap into his inner wisdom and harness his true destiny before it was too late,” said Kapur in a prepared statement. He picks up after completing duties on TNT’s highly anticipated 10-part television series “Will,” on which he is executive producer and co-director.
“I always thought that a film about how my father’s life was shaped in his early years in Hong Kong would be a worthwhile story to share so we could better understand him as a human being and a warrior,” said Lee. “I’m really excited that Shekhar will breathe life into the first film from Bruce Lee Entertainment.”
Yu-San Yu, Allen Tan, Leo Zheng and Jeff Chao will also serve as executive producers.
Source: Variety by Patrick Frater
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Indian film ‘Dangal’ set to make history in Chinese mainland
(Global Times) Earning 76.4 million yuan ($11.06 million) during its first weekend in the Chinese mainland, biographical sports drama Dangal is now the second highest-earning Indian film in China.
Premiering Friday, the award-winning film starring Aamir Khan did not have conditions in its favor: It only had a 13.3 percent screen share, less than 1 percent higher than the screen share of Chinese film Shock Wave, which was on its eighth day in theaters, and much lower than the 43.9 percent of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, which also released that day.
However, while most works tend to see a decline in screen share on consecutive days, Dangal's continued to climb. On Monday, the film's screen share had risen to 17.7 percent and is estimated to reach 19 percent by Wednesday. Extremely positive audience reception together with a high seat occupancy rate is one of the main reasons behind this increase: The film currently has a 9.3/10 on Chinese media review site Douban, making it the highest-graded Indian film in the mainland. Additionally, its occupancy rating for Saturday and Sunday was higher than 33 percent, while Guardians' highest occupancy rating over the weekend was just 24.7 percent.
On the way to No.1
Dangal is well on the way to setting a new record for Indian film in China.
A total of 10 Indian films, including US, UK and India co-production Dredd, have been imported into the mainland since 2010.
While Bollywood boasts a large number of productions every year, Indian films have been largely neglected in China over the past few decades. For example, the 2010 thriller My Name is Khan was the highest-grossing film outside of India that year, but it only made half a million yuan in China. A similar case happened with Baahubali: The Beginning. The epic fantasy earned a total of $10.94 million in international markets, among which the Chinese mainland, the world's second largest market, contributed only about 7.47 million yuan ($1.08 million).
While the average Indian film's gross in the mainland is often around 20 million yuan, PK, the fantasy romance film that hit theaters in the mainland in 2015, is currently the highest-earning Indian film with a total of 118.18 million yuan.
As of Monday noon, Dangal has earned 81 million yuan at the mainland box office, leaving it roughly 37 million yuan short of PK's record. With its 29.5 million yuan take on Saturday and 33 million yuan take on Sunday combined with its rising screen share, it is highly likely Dangal will overtake PK.
Yet, entering the work week, the film's daily take is sure to decrease. Couple this with a number of new films coming out this Friday, Dangal will still need a lot of support to cross the finishing line.
Indian films were once well-known in the mainland. Most people in their 50s and 60s are very familiar with works like Awara and Caravan, which were shown in the mainland during the 1970s and 1980s. However, after the 1980s, Indian films pretty much disappeared from the mainland market until the 21st century, causing them to be practically forgotten by moviegoers.
The impact of Dangal's success goes beyond the box office. The film is significant because it has helped create a favorable impression of Indian films among young Chinese audiences, who have grow up watching Hollywood blockbusters but are now looking for something different.
"Watched Dangal last night. The unattractive name [Let's Wrestle, Dad in Chinese] does not do the film justice," Chen Jiali, 22, told the Global Times on Sunday.
The good impression Dangal made on Chen has inspired her to seek out more Indian films, such as PK.
Li, a 32-year-old IT engineer from Shanghai, also applauded Dangal.
A fan of action films, especially the X-Men franchise, Li said that she also wants to see films that have "deep thoughts," which is something that she feels domestic Chinese films lack.
Star power
Another factor behind Dangal's success comes down to the appeal of Indian star Aamir Khan, who has made quiet a name for himself in China over the years.
Khan has played the lead role in three films that have screened in China over the past few years: 3 Idiots (2011), Dhoom 3 (2014) and PK (2015). After PK, Khan became one of the most recognizable Indian actors in China.
To build up his popularity in the country, Khan and his promotional team have increased his link with the Chinese market.
In 2015, Khan came to the mainland for the first time to promote PK in Shanghai. During the 2017 Beijing International Film Festival in April, Aamir Khan came for a second time, during which time he traveled between Beijing and Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province. He also established an official social media account on Sina Weibo and took part in several live streams during his time in China.
Now that Dangal is currently in theaters, Khan updates his Weibo almost every day.
Source: Global Times by Wei Xi
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‘Alien: Covenant’ Scores China Release Date, Cuts Expected
(CFI) Director Ridley Scott announced the release date in a video message posted on Chinese social media on Monday.
“Hello China, I’m Ridley Scott. I have exciting news to share with all of you. Alien: Covenant will land in China on the big screen on June the 16th. Hope you enjoy the film,” the director said.
It was originally set to be released in North America on August 4, 2017, before being moved up by 20th Century Fox.
Chinese fans of the sci-fi horror franchise have been expecting the film to arrive in China, especially since its official Weibo account has been pushing out marketing material since late January.
The announcement puts to rest speculation that censors had barred the film from entering the Chinese market – though it’s highly likely some of the film’s more violent frames have been cut. The film is rated R in North America for sci-fi violence, bloody images, language and some sexual scenes or nudity.
“Alien Covenant is coming out June 16. The next thing to watch is how much of it will be cut,” wrote one Weibo user. “Will it be the production company who makes the cuts or will it be SAPPRFT (the State Administration of Press and Publications, Radio, Film, and Television). Will they do a rough job or will they use fine scissors?”
Alien: Covenant is the sixth film in the popular science fiction film franchise, but is only the second to hit Chinese screens after 2012’s Prometheus, which earned RMB 220 million (US$31.8 million).
Source: China Film Insider By Fergus Ryan
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China Box Office: 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' Blasts Off With $48M
(THR) With local word of mouth strong, the sequel looks well positioned to top its predecessor's $96 million China total from 2014.
With Fate of the Furious finally fading in the rearview mirror, James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 achieved a smooth liftoff and rocketed straight to the top of the Chinese box office over the weekend, pulling in a healthy $48 million.
The Marvel and Disney sequel, which again stars Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, improved considerably on its predecessor, which earned $30 million over its first weekend in 2014. Vol. 2 looks well positioned to top the first film's $96 million China total, depending on how well it can hold off the competition of Sony's Power Rangers and Guy Ritchie's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, both opening in the Middle Kingdom on Friday.
So far, Chinese fans have embraced Guardians Vol. 2. On leading online movie platforms Douban and Weying, the film holds impressively high ratings of 8.4/10 and 8.9/10, respectively. The pic accounted for just under 50 percent of all screen time in China on Friday and Saturday, and about 40 percent on Sunday. The sequel launched in China on 400 Imax screens, pulling in $6.4 million.
Indian sports drama Dangal, riding high on the local fame of Indian actor Aamir Khan, opened in second with $11.5 million from Friday to Sunday. The movie, which tells the story of an ordinary Indian dad who teaches his two daughters to become the country's first female wrestling champions, is on track to become India's biggest film ever in China. Khan's previous major release, the sci-fi comedy PK (2015), is the current record holder with $19.4 million in the Middle Kingdom. Khan was in China last month to promote Dangal at the Beijing International Film Festival.
Hong Kong-Chinese police thriller Shock Wave, starring Andy Lau, added $6.5 million during its second frame, bringing its 10-day total to just shy of $48 million. The movie is notable as the only Chinese-language release to put up big numbers over the past month, a period that has been dominated by Hollywood imports.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter by Patrick Brzeski
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Guli Nazha poses for photo shoot
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Yang Mi covers fashion magazine
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Stills from "Power Rangers"
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Stills from “Our Time Will Come”
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Stars attend 7th Music Radio Pop Music Awards
(Toggle) Many top singers and bands showed up at the 7th Music Radio Pop Music Awards Ceremony held in Beijing. Among the famous attendees were Mayday, Joker Xue, Lion, Power Station, Tan Weiwei, Yisa Yu, Angela Chang, William Wei, Bii, Della Ding and GBOYSWAG, with performances by Mayday and Lion highlighting both the beginning and end of the ceremony.
Jam Hsiao was thrilled that his band Lion won three awards and said it was a dream come true for him. Mayday also won three awards, although lead singer Ashin sounded tired after their busy tour.
However, Ashin promised that they would "fire up" once they got ready to sing on stage. True to his word, the suite of hits they performed ignited the passion in the fans’ hearts, and the audience started singing along excitedly.
Wearing a white see-through shirt under his jacket, Bii performed the song "Sweet Little Baby". Joker and Weiwei received the Best Male and Female Singer Awards respectively, and together with two other trophies in his hands, Joker was the biggest winner of the day.
Source: Toggle
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Dai Jiaoqian poses for fashion magazine
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Actress Zhao Liying covers fashion magazine
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Singer Jolin Tsai covers fashion magazine
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‘Soccer Swap’ Series set as Australia-China Co-Production
(Variety) Australia’s 57 Films and China’s Qingdao TV are to co-produce TV series “Soccer Swap.”
The show, to shoot next year, will follow the selection, preparation and games as two youth teams – one from Adelaide and the other from Qingdao – work towards a match in Qingdao in 2018, and potentially also in Adelaide.
The series will be developed by Paul Ryan, along with new producers Nicole Miller and Tao Yu from 57 Films.
The agreement was announced by South Australia’s Minister for Investment and Trade, Martin Hamilton-Smith. Also on board are the South Australia Film Corporation and leading soccer team, Adelaide United Football Club.
The deal also follows the previous “Chef Exchange” which was broadcast to millions of viewers in Qingdao, Shandong Province. Later, the series was re-broadcast in special versions made for other channels, including China Central TV (CCTV) and Channel 9 Adelaide. Hamilton-Smith said that “Chef Exchange” will go into a second season.
“’Soccer Swap’ like ‘Chef Exchange’ will be an amazing record of the relationship and fascinating cultural connections between South Australia and Shandong – all showcased to China and the world, said South Australian Film Corporation CEO Annabelle Sheehan.
Source: Variety by Patrick Frater
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Cannes: IM Global Picks Up Chinese Crowd-Pleasers ‘Youth,’ ‘Detective Dee’
(Variety) IM Global has picked up international sales rights to upcoming Chinese film “Youth” by Feng Xiaogang and “Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings” from leading studio Huayi Brothers.
Feng is China’s most consistently commercial director, while the Tsui Hark-directed “Detective Dee” is one of China’s biggest movie franchises.
Now in post-production, “Youth” chronicles the lives of a group of idealistic adolescents who take part in an army art troupe and learn about love and the growing pains of entering adulthood. The screenplay was written by Yan Geling, who previously penned “The Flowers of War” and the Chinese adaptation of “Dangerous Liaisons.” “Youth” stars Huang Xuan, Miao Miao, and Zhong Chuxi.
The third film in the “Detective Dee” series, “Four Heavenly Kings” sees Dee defend himself against the accusations of Empress Wu while investigating a crime wave. The film, now in pre-production, will see the return of Mark Zhao (“Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon”) and Carina Lau (“Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame”) alongside Kenny Lin (“Journey to the West: Demon Chapter,” “The Great Wall”) and Feng Shaofeng (“The Monkey King 2,” “Wolf Totem”). Production is by Chen Kuo-fu and Nansun Shi.
IM Global has an exclusive output deal with Huayi Brothers. IM Global’s Anthem division has previously handled sales for “Mojin: The Lost Legend,” “Mr. Six,” and Zhang Ziyi-starring “The Wasted Times.” IM Global will launch sales on both new titles at the upcoming Cannes market.
The deal was negotiated by Leslie Chen, IM Global’s SVP, sales and acquisitions Asia.
Source: Variety by Patrick Frater
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Zhang Yimou says ‘Great Wall’ story may have been too weak
(AP) — Zhang Yimou says the disappointing U.S. performance of the biggest budget China-U.S. co-production to date, “The Great Wall,” may have been down to a weak story, but he hopes other filmmakers won’t be put off from attempting such ambitious Hollywood-Chinese collaboration.
“The actors are all very good; (star) Matt Damon and everyone was splendid,” the acclaimed director told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “Probably the story is a bit weak, or the timing of it wasn’t right, or we didn’t do a very good job in making the film. There could be many reasons.”
Zhang spoke amid preparations for the Beijing opening of the stage play “2047 Apologue,” which he described as a “conceptual performance” linking Chinese traditional culture with an imagined future of how humans will interact with technology.
Producers of “The Great Wall” had hoped the movie with a $150 million production budget could buck the trend of China-U.S. co-productions failing to make a splash in both markets, at a time when movie makers wrestle with how to appeal to Chinese and Western audiences at the same time.
The script for the 3-D adventure fantasy that has Damon and Chinese warriors fighting monsters with China’s iconic Great Wall as protection took Hollywood seven years to develop. Zhang added elements of Chinese culture and his opulent visual style, seen in the romantic kung fu drama “House of Flying Daggers” and the 2008 Beijing Olympics ceremonies.
“The Great Wall” has pulled in a disappointing $45 million in the U.S. since its February release, though it has earned $332 million globally. In China, where it was released in December, it made $171 million, making it the eighth-highest earner in the country last year.
The movie was made by Legendary East, the Chinese arm of Legendary Entertainment, a Hollywood studio now owned by Chinese real estate and theater chain developer Wanda Group. Other companies behind the movie include the state-owned China Film Group Corp.; Le Vision Pictures, a private film company affiliated with Chinese tech firm LeEco; and Hollywood’s Universal Pictures.
Zhang said “The Great Wall” marked a milestone in the collaboration of Chinese and Hollywood producers.
“As the Chinese saying goes, ‘all beginnings are hard.’ I feel that this beginning is valuable. I hope that there will be more cooperation like this, that people won’t stop just because the result wasn’t so good,” Zhang said.
Pressed on whether he would attempt a Chinese-Hollywood co-production again, the director said: “It doesn’t have to be me. I hope more people will collaborate like this.”
Zhang’s new, much smaller-scale endeavor aims to start a conversation about the relationship between people and technology, and where this relationship is heading.
He called “2047 Apologue” a “conceptual performance, because it’s not a show or a story.” Instead, he has hired Chinese folk art performers and companies from Europe and the U.S. to supply technology such as drones and robotic arms for the hourlong show that is broken into several “fragments.” It will be performed at the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing from June 16-18, and then tour several Chinese cities. It is slated to play in Edinburgh in August, as well as other countries that haven’t been confirmed yet, the publicity team says.
“Humankind has been so smart in developing technology that kills; the Americans are especially strong in that, right?” said Zhang. “When technology has become weapons that help us to kill, what is the relationship between it and us? Will it be used on you one day?”
He said his inspiration for the theme could have come from wanting his children to spend less time on computers, something he never did as a child.
One of the performers, Peking Opera star Qiu Jirong, said that people were increasingly depending on technology, such as using their phones rather than a bank card to make payments, and “2047 Apologue” ″is telling you that this is a threat, too.”
He said his eight-minute dance performance involves a menacing laser that is out to kill him. “I want to escape, but can’t,” said Qiu. “When you think about it, humans made these things, and have released them.
“I think these things are people’s desires, and people are doomed in their desires.”
Source: Associated Press by Louise Watt
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'Dangal' becomes highest grossing Indian movie in China
(China Plus) 'Dangal' starring Aamir Khan has become the highest grossing Indian movie in China, making more than 100 million yuan in four days since released.
Aamir Khan plays a father who taught wrestling to his two daughters. One of them became India's first female wrestler to win gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and the other won the silver.
The Bollywood superstar said the movie challenges gender discrimination in the country.
"It's a true story of a man living in the north India, in a very small village, very conservative society, and how he does not discriminate between a girl child and a boy child."
Khan is best known in China for his appearance in the 2009 comedy film "Three Idiots." He is the symbol of Indian films for Chinese people.
Thousands of weibo users are discussing 'Dangal,' especially the acting of Khan, making him once again a viral topic online.
The film is rated 9.2 out of 10 by movie watchers on douban, a well-established film review website in China.
Source: China Plus by Xu Yaqi
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Song Jia poses for fashion magazine
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