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Celina Jade attends press conference at Venice Film Festival
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Zhou Dongyu on cooking show “Chinese Restaurant’
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Chen Duling poses for fashion magazine
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Band Black Panther stages concert in Beijing
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Stills from “Eternal Wave”
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'Wolf Warrior 2' takes Chinese box office to new monthly high
(China Plus) The August numbers from the Chinese movie box office are out, and not surprisingly, action-packed "Wolf Warrior 2" has proven to be the biggest winner.
The blockbuster topped the list of the highest grossing films last month with 4.2 billion yuan in ticket sales, accounting for nearly 60% of the total.
Directed by and starring action-star Wu Jing, the film tells the story of a former Chinese special forces agent, as he adventures in Africa and fights against militants and mercenaries.
Released in late July, the film's total box office receipts have reached 5.5 billion yuan.
Meanwhile, fantasy love story and costume drama "Once Upon a Time" has become the runner-up, raking in 530 million yuan last month.
The film stars actress Liu Yifei and actor Yang Yang.
Based on a popular novel of the same title, the film is about a love story that unfolds through three lifetimes.
Hong Kong police action drama "Paradox" trails behind at the third spot with 490 million yuan, followed by Hollywood import "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets," which took home 330 million yuan.
Aided by the whopping success of "Wolf Warrior 2," China's August box office figures have become the highest for a single month in the country, totaling 7.3 billion yuan, or more than 1 billion US dollars.
The figure represents an 80% year-on-year growth compared with that of August 2016.
Source: China Plus
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2017 Miss Hong Kong announced
(China Plus) This year's Miss Hong Kong Pageant has announced its winners.
23-year-old Juliette Louie has walked away the top winner, after taking part in rounds of competition and ending up in the final ten.
Louie has listed cooking, volleyball and physical traineing as her interests, saying she wants to become an influential person that can bring positive energy to others.
Meanwhile, Regina Ho and Emily Wong, both 23-year-old, were crowned the first and second runner-up, respectively.
The Miss Hong Kong Pageant is organized by local television station TVB. It has been held annually since 1973 and helped to launch the careers of mega stars like Angie Chiu and Maggie Cheung.
Source: China Plus
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Actress Celina Jade on the red carpet in Venice
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Liu Yifei covers fashion magazine
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Chinese celebrities shine in Chinese painting style photos
Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu poses for the latest issue of fashion magazine Esquire.
Chinese actor-singer Han Geng poses for the latest issue of fashion magazine Esquire.
Chinese actress Yao Chen poses for the latest issue of fashion magazine Esquire.
Renowed TV host and writer Kevin Tsai poses for the latest issue of fashion magazine Esquire.
Chinese actor Feng Shaofeng poses for the latest issue of fashion magazine Esquire.
Chinese actor Wu Xiubo poses for the latest issue of fashion magazine Esquire.
Chinese actor Derek Tsang poses for the latest issue of fashion magazine Esquire.
Chinese actor-singer Kris Wu poses for the latest issue of fashion magazine Esquire.
Source: China Daily
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2017 MDSK Music Festival held in Chengdu
Hip-hop singer VAVA performs at the 2017 MDSK Music Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Sept. 2, 2017. The music festival, a large-scale hip-hop music event, was held in Chengdu from September 2-3
Fans cheer at the 2017 MDSK Music Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Sept. 2, 2017. The music festival, a large-scale hip-hop music event, was held in Chengdu from Sept. 2-3
Hip-hop singer VAVA performs at the 2017 MDSK Music Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Sept. 2, 2017. The music festival, a large-scale hip-hop music event, was held in Chengdu from September 2-3
Hip-hop singer "After Journey" performs at the 2017 MDSK Music Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Sept. 2, 2017. The music festival, a large-scale hip-hop music event, was held in Chengdu from Sept. 2 -3
Hip-hop singer Tizzy T performs at the 2017 MDSK Music Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Sept. 2, 2017. The music festival, a large-scale hip-hop music event, was held in Chengdu from Sept. 2-3
Fans cheer at the 2017 MDSK Music Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Sept. 2, 2017. The music festival, a large-scale hip-hop music event, was held in Chengdu from Sept. 2-3
Hip-hop singer Huang Xu performs at the 2017 MDSK Music Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Sept. 2, 2017. The music festival, a large-scale hip-hop music event, was held in Chengdu from Sept. 2-3
Hip-hop singer "After Journey" performs at the 2017 MDSK Music Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Sept. 2, 2017. The music festival, a large-scale hip-hop music event, was held in Chengdu from Sept. 2 -3
Hip-hop singer VAVA performs at the 2017 MDSK Music Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Sept. 2, 2017. The music festival, a large-scale hip-hop music event, was held in Chengdu from September 2-3
Hip-hop singer Tizzy T performs at the 2017 MDSK Music Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Sept. 2, 2017. The music festival, a large-scale hip-hop music event, was held in Chengdu from Sept. 2-3
Source: Xinhua
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China Box Office: ‘Dunkirk’ Wins; ‘Wolf’ Endures; ‘Valerian’ Collapses
(CFI) Dunkirk scored a modest $28 million victory thanks to director Christopher Nolan’s popularity in China, but it was all quiet on the Western front as imported films continued to flounder following the conclusion of a red-hot domestic blackout period.
All eyes now turn to Friday’s release of Spider-Man: Homecoming after another dispirited offering from Hollywood.
Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk debuted with RMB 183 million* ($28.1 million) this weekend, adjusted to remove online ticketing fees. The opening for Warner Bros’ WWII film can be viewed as a modest victory for the studio given Dunkirk‘s setting, far removed from the minds of most young Chinese moviegoers, and its experimental storytelling.
Dunkirk‘s dominance in the market — nearly half of the tickets sold over the weekend went to Dunkirk— can mainly be attributed to Nolan’s fanbase which has only grown since Inception released in 2010.
Still, taking into account the box office limits of Dunkirk‘s genre and increased competition over the next two weekends from major Hollywood releases (Spider-Man: Homecoming on September 8 and War for the Planet of the Apes on September 15), Dunkirk‘s eventual RMB 340 million* ($~50 million) finish will fall well behind Nolan’s previous offerings in the Middle Kingdom.
Fans of the Japanese manga series Gintama helped give the live-action film adaptation a second place finish this weekend with RMB 56 million* ($8.6 million). Demand slipped significantly on Saturday and Sunday following the rush by fans on opening day, yet Gintama is already the highest-grossing live-action Japanese film in the market, easily surpassing last year’s Parasyte (RMB 48 million).
Mega-blockbuster Wolf Warrior II slipped a spot to third place this weekend, its sixth in release, but still managed a strong RMB 53 million ($8.2 million). Wolf, the highest-grossing film ever from China and the highest-grossing film in 2017 from any single territory, has now grossed RMB 5.2 billion ($797.7 million).
Last weekend’s three imported wide releases fared terribly in their sophomore frames.
French director Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets slid 79% off its opening weekend win to gross RMB 38 million* ($5.8 million) in 4th place, and bring its 10-day total to RMB 356 million* ($54.7 million). Had the release of Besson’s FX-driven sci-fi adventure not coincided with last Monday’s Qixi (七夕) or Chinese Valentine’s Day, which gave the entire market a significant boost, Valerian would be ending its Chinese run under $50 million.
Disney/Pixar’s Cars 3 managed just RMB 17 million* ($2.6 million) and fell to 6th place this weekend. Cars‘ disappointing RMB 119 million* ($18.2 million) is the studio’s third highest-grossing film released in China behind Monsters University ($33.9 million) and Finding Dory ($38.1 million).
And in one of the worst second weekend drops on record for a Hollywood wide release Baby Driver plummeted 94% to earn just RMB 3.2 million ($0.5 million). The Sony heist pic has completely stalled in China and will finish its run shy of RMB 100 million* ($15.3 million).
Source: China Film Insider by Jonathan Papish
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Bloom in Beijing for 'S.M.A.R.T. Chase'
To promote the upcoming action thriller S.M.A.R.T. Chase, Orlando Bloom again appeared in Beijing to unravel more stories about his first Chinese movie on Aug 30.
Directed by British helmer Charles Martin, the movie is financed and distributed by the Shanghai-based studio Bliss Media.
Bloom stars a security transporter, who lives in Shanghai to escort antiques and other precious items from China to the rest of the world for exhibition organizers. However, he and his team encounter big trouble after being ambushed by some villainous rivals.
The storyline occurs during the course of one day, studded with heavy action.
With a stellar cast, also including Taiwan model-actress Hannah Quinlivan and Hong Kong veteran actor Simon Yam, the movie will hit Chinese theatre screens on Sept 30.
Bloom reveals he picked up the script of S.M.A.R.T. Chase from a number of China-set stories, as he felt the tale is convincing and romantic.
Bloom said the movie has a lot of funny scenes, which can easily appeal to a range of audiences. He added he had insisted on shooting the action scenes without using stand-ins.
Producers revealed the movie may be developed to a franchise, as they have seen Chinese audiences' rising interest on such action series, such as the Fast and Furious movies.
Quinlivan, who was pregnant during filming, said Yam "rescued" her baby.
"I didn't know I was pregnant then. When we were shooting one action scene, the script wrote a person to kick my belly. When Simon heard it, he said 'no, a young girl's belly should be protected.
You cannot make a real kick.' So, he saved me and my baby," she said.
The cast stars will travel to around 20 Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou, to promote the movie.
Source: By Xu Fan | chinadaily.com.cn
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Spider-Man: Homecoming premieres in Beijing
English actor Tom Holland and director Jon Watts attended a premiere event for their new movie "Spider-Man: Homecoming" on Monday in Beijing.
The young actor looked to be in great spirits as he greeted press and met with fans. He said that he has already visited the Great Wall, even though he has only got a few days in Beijing.
21-year old Tom is the youngest “spider-man” to debut on the silver screen yet. Spider-Man:
Homecoming is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man.
It is the second Spider-Man film reboot and the sixteenth film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The movie will hit the Chinese cinemas on September 8.
Source: China Plus
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Qin Lan poses for photo shoot
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Jin Chen poses for fashion magazine
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Jackie Chan aims a punch at pangolin killers
(China Daily) One of the world's oldest species of mammal is facing the threat of extinction, but just one small word might save it - "No."
That's the message from movie star Jackie Chan in the latest Wild-Aid campaign video designed to stop people eating or buying pangolin products.
Coming hot on the heels of similar campaigns against the consumption of shark fin, bear bile or tiger bones fueled by antiquated superstitions, the action hero appeared across China last month to raise awareness on the need to protect this endangered species.
In the video, he tries to teach a group of pangolins some martial arts moves, only to find that the toothless, timid animals only know how to curl up into a ball, making themselves vulnerable to poachers.
"The pangolins cannot defend themselves. It is up to us to take action to save them," Chan says.
The video was jointly produced by WildAid, the Nature Conservancy and the China Wildlife Protection Association, and is being broadcast at home and abroad via the China News Network.
Chan says in the video he hopes more people, especially children, will learn about these helpless animals and join the mission to save them.
"When I was a young boy, I practiced kung fu and got injured often," he says. "I was told then that using medicine made of tiger bones would cure me. Only when I grew up did I realize that it was all a lie.
"We should teach our children not to eat, use or buy pangolin products from an early age. Hopefully, future generations will have the chance to coexist with pangolins."
The action star, who is a wildlife protection ambassador, later told Xinhua News Agency that his next movie will focus on fighting wildlife trafficking, and he will almost certainly include pangolin protection in the story.
Is it too late?
Pangolins represent 70 million years of unique evolution.
These quiet, solitary, nocturnal creatures feed on ants and termites. Their bodies are covered by an armor of large keratin scales, which, according to an old wives' tale, can help new mothers produce breast milk or alleviate asthma. The animal's meat is also often consumed in Asia as a delicacy.
Although research has proved pangolin scales are no different to human fingernails in composition and their meat is considered unsafe because it eludes quality inspections, these animals have been slaughtered to near extinction in Asia and Africa.
Their natural habitats have also been seriously reduced by deforestation.
One pangolin produces a litter of one to three offspring, which are nurtured for about two years. The low breeding rate stands in stark contrast to the enormous quantities seized for international smuggling, and the animal is listed as one of the world's most trafficked mammals by the World Wildlife Fund.
It is estimated that 100,000 pangolins are captured every year in Africa and Asia. As a result, all eight species of pangolin feature on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's "red list" of animals threatened with extinction. Four Asian species are classified as critically endangered, while four African species are classified as vulnerable.
According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, commonly known as CITES, the number of pangolins in China has fallen by 90 percent over the past 21 years. It is estimated the country may have significantly fewer pangolins than giant pandas.
In the past decade, over 1 million pangolins were illegally trafficked worldwide, according to estimates by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Last year, the 17th CITES Congress adopted a proposal that all eight pangolin species be elevated from Appendix II to Appendix I, which effectively bans all international trade of pangolins and their products.
China has placed the animals under the second-highest level of national protection, and they could soon be promoted to the highest level. On Dec 27, customs officials in Shanghai seized 3.1 metric tons of pangolin scales, equivalent to up to 7,000 dead pangolins, while Hong Kong customs officers seized 7.2 tons of suspected pangolin scale products early this year.
A wider aim
"A pangolin of about 3 kilograms can protect about 100 hectares of forest from termite damage," said Zhao Peng, director of the Nature Conservatory's China program. "To protect this endangered species is to protect the ecosystem."
The protection of wild fauna and flora constitutes a prominent part of the nation's development strategy, added Li Qingwen, secretary-general of the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
Since 2000, the association, which is part of the State Forestry Administration, has supported or conducted a series of scientific investigations into the status of pangolins, as well as poaching and trafficking. This has provided a solid foundation for government legislation and law enforcement.
The battle against wildlife poaching and smuggling is already bearing fruit, according to Peter Knights, founder and executive director of WildAid.
Since 1995, the organization has been working with Chan to raise awareness of endangered species worldwide. Under the slogan "When the buying stops, the killing can too", WildAid has gained global support.
Shark fin consumption has plummeted in the past three years, with China's shark fin imports falling by 81 percent, Knights said. A total ban on ivory processing and sales in China will be effective from the end of the year, a move that has been widely praised by the international community, he added.
With more stringent legislation and law enforcement, the ivory smuggled into the country last year fell by 80 percent, while ivory prices on the black market in Kenya and other African countries fell by more than 60 percent, resulting in a 75 percent decrease in elephant poaching.
Similarly, underground prices for rhinoceros horn are about a third of what they once were, according to Knights.
"This is the result of the joint efforts made by Chinese government agencies and their partners, and we hope that such efforts will have the same effect in protecting the pangolins," he said. "We are very grateful to the General Administration of Customs for its great contribution in combating the illegal trade of pangolins and other wild species."
Knights is now calling on all countries to strengthen legislation and to fight pangolin poaching and public consumption with stronger law enforcement at the international level.
Source: China Daily
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Posters for The Golden Monk
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Spiderman takes on the Great Wall
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John Woo and cast attend press conference for “Manhunt” in Beijing
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