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Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan at press conference for “The Foreigner”
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Stills from Director Wong Jing's The Golden Monk
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Film review: Nominations for the Golden Rooster Awards
The 26th Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival will be held in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, from Sept 13 to 16.
The Golden Rooster Awards — the event's top honor — will be presented to 19 winners in categories ranging from the best drama to the best editing, on Sept 16.
Over 260 films, including 86 feature dramas and 18 documentaries, have been narrowed down to 84 for the 19 awards.
Let’s take a closer look at the most-talked about films and nominated category.
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Mr. Six is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
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Mr. Six is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
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Mr. Six is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
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The Wasted Times is nominated for Best Director.
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The Wasted Times is nominated for Best Director.
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The Wasted Times is nominated for Best Director.
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Battle of Xiangjiang River is nominated for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor.
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SoulMate is nominated for Best Picture and Best Actress.
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SoulMate is nominated for Best Picture and Best Actress.
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Operation Mekong is nominated for Best Picture.
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Operation Mekong is nominated for Best Picture.
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The Dead End is nominated for Best Director and Best Actor.
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The Dead End is nominated for Best Director and Best Actor.
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When Larry Met Mary is nominated for Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress.
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When Larry Met Mary is nominated for Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress.
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Monster Hunt is nominated for Best Actress.
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Monster Hunt is nominated for Best Actress.
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Bangzi Melody is nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.
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Bangzi Melody is nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.
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Cock and Bull is nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
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Big Fish and Chinese Flowering Crabapple is nominated for Best Animation.
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Big Fish and Chinese Flowering Crabapple is nominated for Best Animation.
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Born in China is nominated for Best Documentary.
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Born in China is nominated for Best Documentary.
Source: China Daily
The Golden Rooster Awards — the event's top honor — will be presented to 19 winners in categories ranging from the best drama to the best editing, on Sept 16.
Over 260 films, including 86 feature dramas and 18 documentaries, have been narrowed down to 84 for the 19 awards.
Let’s take a closer look at the most-talked about films and nominated category.
Mr. Six is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Mr. Six is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Mr. Six is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
The Wasted Times is nominated for Best Director.
The Wasted Times is nominated for Best Director.
The Wasted Times is nominated for Best Director.
Battle of Xiangjiang River is nominated for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor.
SoulMate is nominated for Best Picture and Best Actress.
SoulMate is nominated for Best Picture and Best Actress.
Operation Mekong is nominated for Best Picture.
Operation Mekong is nominated for Best Picture.
The Dead End is nominated for Best Director and Best Actor.
The Dead End is nominated for Best Director and Best Actor.
When Larry Met Mary is nominated for Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress.
When Larry Met Mary is nominated for Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress.
Monster Hunt is nominated for Best Actress.
Monster Hunt is nominated for Best Actress.
Bangzi Melody is nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.
Bangzi Melody is nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.
Cock and Bull is nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Big Fish and Chinese Flowering Crabapple is nominated for Best Animation.
Big Fish and Chinese Flowering Crabapple is nominated for Best Animation.
Born in China is nominated for Best Documentary.
Born in China is nominated for Best Documentary.
Source: China Daily
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Actress Zhang Tianai poses for fashion magazine
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Best-selling writer accused of sexual harassment
Guo Jingming, one of the best-selling young writers in China has recently found himself embroiled in charges of sexual harassment. The accuser, Li Feng, is Guo's peer who is also quite well known in literary circles, guancha.cn reported on Monday.
In a post on his Weibo account published on Monday, Li Feng claimed that he had been sexually harassed by Guo Jingming and called on netizens from all walks of life to join in discussing this matter with him.
Li titled his post "To Guo Jingming and to all people." At the beginning of the post, Li claimed that he loved to write and hoped to publish his own novels. He recalled that, although he had heard about Guo's plagiarism case long ago, he still signed up with Guo's company.
Li said that, after his first book "The Autumn Boy" was published, he was invited to Chengdu, Sichuan Province, to attend the book-signing event. It happened that a novel by Guo Jingming was published simultaneously, so they went to the signing activity together.
According to Li, he originally shared a room with a staff member, but Guo said that he didn't want to stay alone and invited Li to share a room with him. "There were groundless talks about his sexual orientation on the internet at that time, and since he had never admitted it, I was not sure about it," Li said.
"There were two beds in the room, and we each had one. On the night of that day, he came to my bed and put his hand on my body. I grabbed his wrist, and he smiled awkwardly and went back to his bed," Li said.
"The first day passed with no more trouble, and I thought my move would make him understand my attitude. Unexpectedly, he still didn't give up the second day. This time he even asked me to have oral sex with him, and that was extremely disgusting," Li said.
"Then I refused to share a room with him since the third day," Li said.
Li asserted that Guo had constituted sexual harassment and sexual abuse against him. "I consulted a lawyer who said that homosexual sex crimes are still virgin ground in China's current laws, and such crimes are difficult to obtain evidence," Li said.
"Guo Jingming's world is a promiscuous world. He has often sexually harassed and sexually assaulted the male writers who have signed up with his company and the male employees in his company. As far as I know, there are at least five people, and I'm not sure if there's more," Li said in his post.
Li cited an example. "There was an impressive-looking man in the company who had a girlfriend and a happy life. However, after the same kind of incident, the man had to quit his job," Li said, adding "I feel sorry for him."
"I hope that friends from all walks of life can join in my discussion on how to deal with this kind of matters. Thank you all," Li said.
Li's post immediately triggered uproar online. Shortly afterwards, Guo Jingming responded to Li's revelations in a post in his Weibo account, claiming that Li's revelations were totally fabricated and he has already handed over the case to his lawyer.
Guo's post has been shared 4,642 times with over 20,000 comments and likes 14 minutes after it was published on the internet.
More about Guo Jingming
Guo Jingming, born in Zigong City of Sichuan Province on June 6, 1983, is one of the best-selling writers in China. His representative novels include "City of Fantasies,""Tiny Times,""Legend of Ravaging Dynasties" and "Rush to the Dead Summer." Guo is also a screenwriter and film director. He wrote and directed "Tiny Times" series which were based on his own novels.
At the same time, Guo is the chairman and general manager of Shanghai Zui Culture Development Co., Ltd. established by himself in July 2010. By virtue of his successful career and handsome appearance, Guo has won thousands of fans on the internet.
On the other hand, Guo's stellar career has been dogged by controversy. In 2006, he lost a lawsuit filed by an author who accused him of plagiarism and he was ordered to pay the author 200,000 yuan (US$32,258) in compensation.
Guo's attitude to plagiarism was positive. He said that people criticized him because they never read his book, so he would not pay any attentions to their false judgments.
More about Li Feng
Li Feng, born in Hunan Province on Aug. 31, 1988, is also one of the best-selling writers in China. He signed up with the Shanghai Zui Culture Development Company established by Guo Jingming.
Li published his online serial novel "The Kanas Monster" at the age of 19. He rose to fame in 2010 when he published "The Autumn Boy." His other literary works include "Take Me Out" (2010), "Shellfish" (2011), "The Next • Taipei" (2012) and "Holy Place" (2015).
Source: china.org by Li Jingrong
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Ariana Grande to bring 'Dangerous Woman' tour to China
(China Plus) Pop star Ariana Grande is set for a three-stop tour of the Chinese mainland.
The 24-year-old Grammy winner will make her debut in China in Beijing's Wukesong Arena on Saturday, followed by a stop in Shanghai Monday night and then Guangzhou on Wednesday.
As in many other parts of the world, Ariana Grande has managed to build a huge fan base in China.
Her last album "Dangerous Woman," which was released last year, went platinum in 48 hours in China, surpassing the sales mark of 1 million copies. Currently, the album is set to achieve a six-time platinum record in China.
The performances in China are part of Grande's "Dangerous Woman" world tour, which became the target of a terrorist attack in Manchester back in May, which left 23 people dead and 250 others injured.
Grande suspended her tour following the incident, before resuming it in June. She returned to Manchester in early June to perform a benefit concert, which helped to raise 23 million dollars for the victims of the attack.
The city of Manchester later named her the first honorary citizen of Manchester.
After the three stops on the Chinese mainland, the "Dangerous Woman" tour will travel to Oceania before looping back to Taipei and Hong Kong.
Source: China Plus
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Nolan: 'Dunkirk' a great survival, suspense story
Director Christopher Nolan and his film producer wife Emma Thomas are in China to promote their new film "Dunkirk" in Beijing, Aug. 21, 2017.
"It's not a war film; it's a survival story and a suspense story," Nolan said. He is with his film producer wife Emma Thomas in China to promote the film. Nolan has accumulated a great fanbase in China with his hugely popular classics of The Dark Knight Trilogy, "Inception," and "Interstellar" in the Chinese market.
His new film "Dunkirk" follows the evacuation of British, Belgian and French troops from Dunkirk's beaches in 1940 after they became surrounded by the advancing German army - something Winston Churchill called "a colossal military disaster."
But Nolan, as a British-American, said he had heard the story "like a fairy tale" since his childhood but when he researched the historical details and events which really happened at that time, he became more and more convinced that "this is one of the greatest stories in human history."
The director said the biggest challenge is how to faithfully respect the historical events while providing an exciting experience for the audience. To truthfully reenact the events of this moment in history, Nolan and his cast and crew filmed at the actual locations including at the coast of Dunkirk in France, and used real boats, ships and weapons from World War II– at substantial cost.
Nolan revealed he invited Dunkirk evacuation survivors and families to be the first viewers of the movie, which they were grateful for. He said that the appreciation from the survivors and families is the best compliment for the film.
The producer Emma Thomas also added that casting the lead actors of the film "was really fun,""because we knew we would use fresh faces and it was exciting as we were going to bring new talents to the screen, which is part of discovering the stars of the future."
The fresh new faces include singer Harry Styles, a member of the famous boy band One Direction. Nolan regulars Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy are also starring in the film, as well as Oscar winner Mark Rylance. Thomas said it's funny that this time they discovered along the way that "if there's anyone that can bring the audience into the story, the character and the experience of the character with only one eye, we know Tom can do it. "
"Dunkirk" has grossed over US$392 million worldwide as of Aug. 20, 2017 and received critical acclaim with some critics calling it Nolan's best film to date, as well as one of the greatest war films ever made. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 93 percent based on 330 reviews.
The site's critical consensus reads: "'Dunkirk' serves up an emotionally satisfying spectacle, delivered by a writer-director in full command of his craft and brought to life by a gifted ensemble cast that honors the fact-based story."
"Dunkirk" is set to debut in Chinese theaters across the nation on Sept.1. The Nolan couple will join in a talk and exchange on Tuesday afternoon with Chinese filmmaker Wu Jing, whose phenomenal "Wolf Warrior 2" has grossed more than 5.1 billion yuan (US$766 million) in China.
Source: china.org by zhang rui
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Tong Tian Detective Dee (2017)
Tong Tian Detective Dee 通天狄仁杰 is a 46-episode Chinese wuxia that follows the story of young Detective Dee, a Chinese equivalent to Sherlock Holmes, except Di Ren Jie was an actual person who lived during the reign of Empress Wu Ze Tian. His story has been widely fictionalized as a series of detective mysteries told and retold in pop culture.
During the Tang Dynasty, Yan Li Ben encounters a young Di Ren Jie who is imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and discovers that he has a talent for solving cases. He saves Di Ren Jie and brings him along to Gan Ye Temple where he meets Wu Mei Niang, the future Wu Ze Tian. Di Ren Jie is then able to rise to the occasion and gains recognition as a godly detective. Along the way, he encounters a plot to overthrow the current regime and must do what he can to expose those who are involved though it might also include Murong Qing, the woman that he loves.
The cast is led by Ren Jialun (The Destiny of the White Snake) and Kan Qing Zi (A Different Kind of Pretty Man 2) and also includes Jiao Jun Yan (Medical Examiner Qin), Li Ruo Jia (Princess Agents), Andy Chen Yi (Princess of Lanling King), Miao Jun Jie, Bai Bing, etc.
The lack of big names is probably why the show which has been completed for a while has simply faded into the background though it's inspiring to see that its stars are slowly making gaining recognition through other projects. The show's official weibo which hasn't posted a single thing since April 2015 seems to have all but given up on promotions, but hey, it's been suddenly shoved into a timeslot now to replace Legend of the Dragon Pearl.
Release Date: August 21, 2017 Beijing TV, Anhui TV, iQiYi and Mango TV (two episodes every Monday to Wednesday at 10 pm)
Source: Drama Panda
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Stills from Feng Xiaogang’s Youth
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The Top 10 Male Chinese Actors You Need to Know
The year 2017 has been prolific for the Chinese film industry so far, from the star-dusted cast of the East-meets-West collaboration “The Great Wall” to Kris Wu’s bigger-than-minor character in Luc Besson’s “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” Chinese actors are rising stars in the global film industry. Here is a list of the top 10 Chinese actors who are doing extremely well domestically, and (if not already) are likely to gain more international recognition in the coming years.
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Kris Wu has some pretty cool gigs in Hollywood this year—you might recognize him as Sergeant Neza in Luc Besson’s “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” or Nick in this year’s xXx movie, but his stardom in his native China is a lot more far-reaching. Wu is probably the fastest emerging young actor in China right now. Having started out as a member of the Korean-Chinese boyband EXO in 2012, he soon went on to record independently. He recorded the ending soundtracks for the third installment of Guo Jingming’s “Tiny Times” trilogy and China’s box office hit “Mr Six.” Wu landed his first lead acting role in 2014, in the Chinese romance “Somewhere Only We Know,” and has since gained international recognition. Wu made the May cover of Elle this year and was on a promotional tour with the Valerian crew in late July.
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If anyone were to think of Chinese actors, Jackie Chan might be the first name they come up with. Chan, who never received any formal education (he went to drama and martial arts school), is the second Chinese actor to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The other star belongs to Bruce Lee, for whom Chan played a stunt double in “Fist of Fury” (1972) and “Enter the Dragon” (1973) when he was first starting out. He had his first shot as lead actor in the 1973 martial arts flick “Little Tiger of Canton” and made his name in the Hong Kong entertainment industry in “Drunken Master” (1978). Since then, Chan has starred in more than 200 movies in both English and Chinese and voiced Master Monkey in the “Kung Fu Panda” films. In 2016, Chan received an honorary Oscar and has also been out and about in Beijing promoting the new BBC Earth documentary that he narrated.
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Andy Lau’s face has been around show business for almost four decades. He is known as the “ageless man” who never looked really young but seemed to stop aging once he hit 30. Domestically, he is regarded as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Hong Kong, a term coined by a Chinese publication in 1992 that referred to the four biggest male superstars in Hong Kong at the time. Lau’s most recent involvement with Hollywood was “The Great Wall,” in which he co-starred with Matt Damon and Willem Dafoe. Lau’s latest movie “The Adventurers,” co-starring Jean Reno is currently in theaters in China.
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Some say that Tse was ‘sold’ into the entertainment industry. He was born into the spotlight in Hong Kong to celebrity parents Patrick Tse and Deborah Lee. After his parents split in his teenage years, Tse allegedly signed a 10-year contract with a prominent Hong Kong entertainment company to help his father pay a huge debt. He started as a singer and later transitioned into acting. He kick started his acting career in the film “Young and Dangerous: The Prequel” (1998) and has since won multiple Hong Kong Film Awards. Tse, who owns a special effects firm, will star in “The Bombing” (2018) a World War II drama co-starring Bruce Willis.
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Eddie Peng was allegedly never interested in acting. His family moved from Taiwan to Canada when he was 13 and during a trip back to Taiwan for his grandmother’s funeral, he was cast by director Yang Daqing as the male lead in the television teen drama series, Tomorrow. After the release of the show in 2002, he swiftly rose to fame and became a national heartthrob. Peng has starred in the popular Taiwanese teen flick “Exit No.6” and has been nominated for a best actor award at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival for his role in the romantic comedy “My DNA Says I Love You.” He made his Hollywood debut in 2016 in “The Great Wall,” co-starring Matt Damon. Peng was last spotted in New York City last month for the screening of his latest film, “Our Time Will Come.”
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Huang holds a bachelor’s degree in acting from China’s most prestigious film school, Beijing Film Academy. He got his start in acting through the 2000s Chinese costume drama series The Return of the Condor Heroes and became a fan-favorite in the teen romance movie “Summer Desires,” which was based on the bestselling novel under the same name. He won best actor at the 2013 Golden Rooster Awards, the Chinese equivalent of the Academy Awards. Huang’s fame is sometimes overshadowed by that of his wife, the controversial actress and luxury brand darling Angelababy (they’re kind of like the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie of China (before their split)). Huang and Angelababy welcomed their first child earlier this year.
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Unlike most of his colleagues in China, Duan Yihong went to drama school and started out as a stage actor at the National Theatre Company of China. For two seasons in the early 2000s, he played the leading role in the renowned Chinese playwright Liao Yimei’s Rhinoceros in Love. Duan made his TV debut in the World War II series The Proof Of Memories, which gained him wide acclaim among Chinese audiences. Duan was last seen in New York City last month, attending the New York Asian Film Festival, during which both of the movies he starred in— “Battle of Memories” and “Extraordinary Mission”—made their debut on a New York screen.
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Yang was cast as mawkish protagonist Jia Baoyu in the TV adaptation of “The Dream of Red Mansions,” one of China’s four great classical novels. Although the 2010 show was generally thought to be mediocre, it made Yang a familiar face on the TV screen. His popularity rose in 2014 when he starred in another Web-TV adaptation of another extremely popular novel in China at the time, “The Lost Tomb.” The Chinese fantasy costume drama “Once Upon a Time” (different from the ABC show) co-directed by the visual artist of the original Spider Man 2 film, in which Yang plays a major role is currently showing in cinemas in China.
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Li Yifeng made his name as a singer in a Chinese talent show back in 2007. Since then, he’s released three EPs and two albums and made himself a household name among Chinese millennials in a TV series inspired by a popular video game “Swords of Legends.” Li also co-starred with Yang Yang as another male lead in “The Lost Tomb.” This year, he played a major role in the Chinese main melody film “The Founding of an Army,” which is currently showing in cinemas in China. Outside of music and acting, Li is also considered a fashion icon in his native China. He was one of the winners of the 2014 Elle Style Awards and was ranked No. 9 on the Forbes Chinese celebrity list in 2015. Li is currently touring major cities in China to promote his new film, “Guilty of Mind,” which was released in China on August 11.
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Hu Ge got his break in showbiz as a part-time host of an education channel on local Shanghai television and appeared in commercials throughout high school. He is most famous for his role in the video game-turned fantasy TV series Chinese Paladin and the historic film “China 1911,” which was co-directed by Jackie Chan. Hu took more than a year off from acting after being injured in a car accident in 2006, after which he wrote a book documenting his recovery. Some of his fans think he had a major personality change after the accident. Earlier this year, Hu was rumored to be taking a break from acting to study directing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Source: China Film Insider
Kris Wu
Known for: xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Valerian and the City of a Thousand PlanetsKris Wu has some pretty cool gigs in Hollywood this year—you might recognize him as Sergeant Neza in Luc Besson’s “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” or Nick in this year’s xXx movie, but his stardom in his native China is a lot more far-reaching. Wu is probably the fastest emerging young actor in China right now. Having started out as a member of the Korean-Chinese boyband EXO in 2012, he soon went on to record independently. He recorded the ending soundtracks for the third installment of Guo Jingming’s “Tiny Times” trilogy and China’s box office hit “Mr Six.” Wu landed his first lead acting role in 2014, in the Chinese romance “Somewhere Only We Know,” and has since gained international recognition. Wu made the May cover of Elle this year and was on a promotional tour with the Valerian crew in late July.
Jackie Chan
Known for: Rush Hour, The Karate Kid, Drunken Master, Skiptrace, Shanghai KnightIf anyone were to think of Chinese actors, Jackie Chan might be the first name they come up with. Chan, who never received any formal education (he went to drama and martial arts school), is the second Chinese actor to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The other star belongs to Bruce Lee, for whom Chan played a stunt double in “Fist of Fury” (1972) and “Enter the Dragon” (1973) when he was first starting out. He had his first shot as lead actor in the 1973 martial arts flick “Little Tiger of Canton” and made his name in the Hong Kong entertainment industry in “Drunken Master” (1978). Since then, Chan has starred in more than 200 movies in both English and Chinese and voiced Master Monkey in the “Kung Fu Panda” films. In 2016, Chan received an honorary Oscar and has also been out and about in Beijing promoting the new BBC Earth documentary that he narrated.
Andy Lau
Known for: The Great Wall, Infernal Affairs, House of Flying DaggersAndy Lau’s face has been around show business for almost four decades. He is known as the “ageless man” who never looked really young but seemed to stop aging once he hit 30. Domestically, he is regarded as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Hong Kong, a term coined by a Chinese publication in 1992 that referred to the four biggest male superstars in Hong Kong at the time. Lau’s most recent involvement with Hollywood was “The Great Wall,” in which he co-starred with Matt Damon and Willem Dafoe. Lau’s latest movie “The Adventurers,” co-starring Jean Reno is currently in theaters in China.
Nicholas Tse
Known for: I Love That Crazy Little Thing, Cook Up a Storm, Heartfall ArisesSome say that Tse was ‘sold’ into the entertainment industry. He was born into the spotlight in Hong Kong to celebrity parents Patrick Tse and Deborah Lee. After his parents split in his teenage years, Tse allegedly signed a 10-year contract with a prominent Hong Kong entertainment company to help his father pay a huge debt. He started as a singer and later transitioned into acting. He kick started his acting career in the film “Young and Dangerous: The Prequel” (1998) and has since won multiple Hong Kong Film Awards. Tse, who owns a special effects firm, will star in “The Bombing” (2018) a World War II drama co-starring Bruce Willis.
Eddie Peng
Known for: The Great Wall, Exit No. 6, My DNA Says I Love You, Back in TimeEddie Peng was allegedly never interested in acting. His family moved from Taiwan to Canada when he was 13 and during a trip back to Taiwan for his grandmother’s funeral, he was cast by director Yang Daqing as the male lead in the television teen drama series, Tomorrow. After the release of the show in 2002, he swiftly rose to fame and became a national heartthrob. Peng has starred in the popular Taiwanese teen flick “Exit No.6” and has been nominated for a best actor award at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival for his role in the romantic comedy “My DNA Says I Love You.” He made his Hollywood debut in 2016 in “The Great Wall,” co-starring Matt Damon. Peng was last spotted in New York City last month for the screening of his latest film, “Our Time Will Come.”
Huang Xiaoming
Known for: Ip Man 2, The Prince of Han Dynasty, The Message, Shanghai BundHuang holds a bachelor’s degree in acting from China’s most prestigious film school, Beijing Film Academy. He got his start in acting through the 2000s Chinese costume drama series The Return of the Condor Heroes and became a fan-favorite in the teen romance movie “Summer Desires,” which was based on the bestselling novel under the same name. He won best actor at the 2013 Golden Rooster Awards, the Chinese equivalent of the Academy Awards. Huang’s fame is sometimes overshadowed by that of his wife, the controversial actress and luxury brand darling Angelababy (they’re kind of like the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie of China (before their split)). Huang and Angelababy welcomed their first child earlier this year.
Duan Yihong
Known for: Battle of Memories, Extraordinary Mission, White Deer Plain, The Dead EndUnlike most of his colleagues in China, Duan Yihong went to drama school and started out as a stage actor at the National Theatre Company of China. For two seasons in the early 2000s, he played the leading role in the renowned Chinese playwright Liao Yimei’s Rhinoceros in Love. Duan made his TV debut in the World War II series The Proof Of Memories, which gained him wide acclaim among Chinese audiences. Duan was last seen in New York City last month, attending the New York Asian Film Festival, during which both of the movies he starred in— “Battle of Memories” and “Extraordinary Mission”—made their debut on a New York screen.
Yang Yang
Known for: The Dream of Red Mansions, The Left Ear, The Lost Tomb, A Smile Is BeautifulYang was cast as mawkish protagonist Jia Baoyu in the TV adaptation of “The Dream of Red Mansions,” one of China’s four great classical novels. Although the 2010 show was generally thought to be mediocre, it made Yang a familiar face on the TV screen. His popularity rose in 2014 when he starred in another Web-TV adaptation of another extremely popular novel in China at the time, “The Lost Tomb.” The Chinese fantasy costume drama “Once Upon a Time” (different from the ABC show) co-directed by the visual artist of the original Spider Man 2 film, in which Yang plays a major role is currently showing in cinemas in China.
Li Yifeng
Known for: Sparrow, Founding of an Army, Swords of Legends, Forever YoungLi Yifeng made his name as a singer in a Chinese talent show back in 2007. Since then, he’s released three EPs and two albums and made himself a household name among Chinese millennials in a TV series inspired by a popular video game “Swords of Legends.” Li also co-starred with Yang Yang as another male lead in “The Lost Tomb.” This year, he played a major role in the Chinese main melody film “The Founding of an Army,” which is currently showing in cinemas in China. Outside of music and acting, Li is also considered a fashion icon in his native China. He was one of the winners of the 2014 Elle Style Awards and was ranked No. 9 on the Forbes Chinese celebrity list in 2015. Li is currently touring major cities in China to promote his new film, “Guilty of Mind,” which was released in China on August 11.
Hu Ge
Known for: Chinese Paladin, Nirvana in Fire, Diva, China 1911Hu Ge got his break in showbiz as a part-time host of an education channel on local Shanghai television and appeared in commercials throughout high school. He is most famous for his role in the video game-turned fantasy TV series Chinese Paladin and the historic film “China 1911,” which was co-directed by Jackie Chan. Hu took more than a year off from acting after being injured in a car accident in 2006, after which he wrote a book documenting his recovery. Some of his fans think he had a major personality change after the accident. Earlier this year, Hu was rumored to be taking a break from acting to study directing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Source: China Film Insider
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Street shots of Wang Luodan
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Character posters from the Legend of Yun Xi
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Posters of Dilraba Dilmurat and Deng Lun in Sweet Dreams
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Tong Fei poses for photo shoot
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Chinese actress Ning Chang poses for the fashion magazine
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Eason Chan promotes his new Mandarin album
(Toggle) Despite battling a sickness, Eason Chan attended a fan meeting to promote his new Mandarin album.
In addition to a few familiar favourites, Eason performed some new songs for the first time in public, greatly pleasing fans. Eason said, “The album will focus on describing my personal feelings, and I hope it can resonate with the audience.”
The album took three years to make. Eason explained, “I was busying holding concerts over the past few years. The album should have been released last year, but I think it was better to have more time to prepare it.”
Last year, Eason came to Taiwan for recording. During the two weeks, he tasted a lot of Taiwanese food. “I like Chan’s cold noodles. Liu’s is ok, but I don’t like sesame sauce. [My wife] Hilary [Tsui] likes Liu more,” he revealed.
When asked if he had put on weight, Eason said, “Many friends said I lost weight. I don't care about my weight. Not losing hair is more important to me!”
Source: Toggle
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Character posters for The King of Blaze starring Chen Bolin and Jing Tian
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Jiang Wen to Join Big Budget TV Show
(CFI) Jiang Wen, acclaimed Chinese director and actor, and one of China’s sky kings, is joining the cast of TV show ‘Cao Cao’, which tells the story of well-known Chinese historical figure of the same name. Last time Jiang played in a TV show was 23 years ago. In addition to having Jiang play Cao Cao, the TV show attracts lots of attention for its 700 million yuan high budget.
Source: China Film Insider
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Chinese TV dramas appealing to an international audience
(Shanghai Daily) It’s not unusual for a popular Chinese TV series to be distributed overseas, but not many of them are hailed by foreign viewers.
But things have changed dramatically with the recent international broadcasting of the Chinese costume spy drama “Princess Agents” on YouTube.
Since it aired this summer with English subtitles, the TV series has been viewed more than 230 million times on the website.
Many foreign fans stay up late waiting for new episodes, which are about six hours after the release of the original Chinese version on Hunan Satellite TV and Chinese video-sharing websites.
So far, the series has received more than 30,000 online comments and reviews from foreign audiences.
About 500,000 foreign netizens have shared the videos on social media. Overseas viewers are mainly aged 18-44. Most are from the United States, Australia, Canada and Europe.
“Princess Agents” is one of the hottest Chinese TV productions shown in Western countries. Its huge popularity has surpassed that of “Empresses in the Palace,” which was condensed into a six-episode miniseries for Netflix in 2015.
The series’ IMDb rating has reached 8.4 out of 10. Its leading actress, Zhao Liying, has been crowned as "the best Chinese actress of this generation" by many foreign viewers.
Based on a hit online novel, the spy drama is set in a time of chaos during the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 386-534).
It is an inspiring and touching story of a female slave, Chu Qiao, who grows into a brave general and military strategist.
Formerly, Chinese costume dramas are usually about intense political and royal family intrigue.
Women in such dramas spare no effort to win the heart of the emperor.
But “Princess Agents” depicts an independent, courageous and strong young woman who pursues freedom, equality and true love.
Rao Shuguang, director of the China Film Critics Association, attributes the series’ overseas success to its spectacular martial arts and war scenes, as well as a story of universal appeal.
In his eyes, its in-depth portrayal of humanity and emphasis on freedom and equality have crossed cultural boundaries to appeal to Western viewers.
The series is produced by Ciwen Media, whose credits include fantasy series “The Journey of Flower” and tomb-raiding thriller “The Mystic Nine.”
Producers say the overseas distribution revenue of the series has already tripled that of “The Journey of Flower.”
Proper English translation of the subtitles is considered another reason for the series’ huge success in the West.
Many ancient Chinese adages and proverbs were translated into understandable English.
For example, “Moushi zai ren, chengshi zai tian,” a famous Chinese proverb from the 14th-century literary classic “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” by Luo Guanzhong, was translated into “Man proposes, God disposes.”
Some Chinese college students volunteered to do subtitles of varied languages for foreign viewers.
The heat of the series also motivates many foreign youngsters to learn Chinese language and kung fu.
Netizen "Nerissa Gonzales" said on the YouTube: “I’m addicted on this drama. I am always watching raw and watching again if the English subtitle is good.”
Netizen "Save Kashmir save world" said: “From Pakistan I am watching a clip about this drama on Facebook. Then I search it on YouTube in three days. Now I am watching all episodes!”
The popularity of the series is also promoting Chinese culture abroad.
Zhao Bin, vice president of Ciwen Media, says it is very rare for a Chinese story to be so well received by young viewers in the West, especially in North America.
The company’s next production will be “Speed,” a youth drama about a talented young Chinese car racer. The company is also considering a second season for “Princess Agents.”
According to Askci Corporation’s industry report on China’s TV series market prospects, about 400 Chinese TV dramas have been distributed overseas as of the end of 2016.
The past few years have also seen a steady increase in the number of TV dramas exported to North America and Europe from Asia.
Overseas copyright revenue of Chinese TV dramas has reached over 400 million yuan (US$60 million).
Many hit series this year have been distributed to foreign viewers.
“In the Name of People,” a series on anti-corruption, was hailed by audiences in Southeast Asia, where there is a large ethnic Chinese population. Some viewers called it the Chinese version of “House of Cards.”
Foreign fans of the fantasy dramas “Ten Great III of Peach Blossom” and “Fighter of the Destiny” also volunteered to cooperate with veteran translating teams.
Exported Chinese series now cover a wider range of genres, including fantasy, urban romance, historical drama and martial arts. But compared with the high revenues from the Chinese market, overseas copyright sales are still low.
In China, usually several million yuan has to be spent per episode to purchase a hit series, but insiders say that overseas sales often amount to just several hundred thousand yuan an episode.
Many costume dramas have failed to attract Western viewers for their lengthiness, complicated plots and cultural differences.
Global cooperation is expected in scriptwriting, post-production and international copyright sales.
Professor Wu Gang, a TV expert from East China Normal University, notes that compared with American and British TV series, Chinese productions still need to improve artistry and imagination.
Source: Shanghai Daily
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