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Zhang Yuqi releases photos
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Actress Zhang Xinyi releases fashion shots
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Online literature is inspiring top-grossing Chinese movies
The world's second-largest film market, with a box office haul of $6.8 billion in 2015, is churning out top-grossing movies inspired by popular novels published online.
As the self-publishing phenomenon has shaken up the literary scene in the West, writers in China have increasingly eschewed conventional publishing models and found readers on the internet.
Online-only publishers have sprung up, and their releases are proving hugely popular.
Online novels have amassed hundreds of millions of readers, and now they are being tapped for their potential to reach an even broader audience once adapted into films. Mojin: The Lost Legend, an Indiana Jones-style thriller adapted from the online novel Guichuideng, was the third-highest-grossing Chinese film last year.
More movies based on online literary hits are expected to give Hollywood a run for its money in this summer's blockbuster season, and online novels have also been adapted into TV dramas and video games with great commercial success. It seems only a matter of time before China gets its first major media franchise based on an online novel.
"Movies definitely have the best shot at maximizing literature's commercial potential, but games are not far behind. Comics are quickly catching up as the fan base is broadening in China," said Zhang Xiaoting, CEO of Beijing-based investment firm Ming Capital.
"What you see the market doing is really trying to monetize in every possible way, rather than just accepting the money people pay to read the story online," said Henry Zhou, editor-in-chief of Alibaba's online literature division.
Zhou and his peers are desperate to replicate the success of Harry Potter, which of course began life as a series of novels before spawning films, games, audio books and numerous other licensed products, with a brand worth more than $15 billion.
More than 140 million Chinese were regularly reading online literature on their computers and smartphones as of December, according to consultancy iResearch Consulting Group.
Popular genres include mystery and fantasy, court dramas－especially those involving political struggles, office romance, time travel and tomb-raiding adventures.
Whereas online literature websites survived in the past on the money users pay to read long stories, they are now trying to become a licenser for works with potential to be adapted into movies and games.
iResearch predicts that more than 2 billion yuan could be made at the box office from an adaptation of one of the biggest online literature hits in the fantasy and mystery genres.
Source: Xinhua
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Gigi Leung turns producer for Summer's Desire
(China Daily) For the first time in her career spanning 17 years, Hong Kong singer-actress Gigi Leung has opted to stand behind the spotlights.
Leung, who shot to fame with 1995 hit Full Throttle, was promoting her production debut, Summer's Desire, at a recent Beijing event.
The coming-of-age romance, which is set for a summer release, is inspired by best-selling author Ming Xiaoxi's novel of the same name. The book was published in 2006 and adapted into a TV series in 2010.
Centered on a romantic triangle, the tale is about a young woman caught between a suave millionaire and a rebellious pop singer.
Directed by Taiwan filmmaker Lai Jun-yu, the movie stars actress Huang Cancan, Hong Kong actor Law Chung-him and Chinese-Canadian actor Jerry Yan.
Lai says that the movie plot is a bit different from the original novel.
Leung, who shows up at the event on crutches, says the movie will have "an open ending".
"Even if I was the female protagonist, I would have no idea about my final option (of selecting which man to go with)," she says.
"The ambiguous ending is to let fans imagine one they prefer," says Leung.
Having worked in showbiz for nearly two decades, Leung says she hopes it will help her in her new role as a producer.
"Many stars hope to produce a film based on their own dreams. Personally, Summer's Desire is the kind of adult fairy tale that has been in my mind for a long time," she says.
To recreate the scenes in the novel, the movie was shot in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.
Source: China Daily
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Yao Tong all smiles
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Shang Wenjie poses for photo shoot
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Street shots of Yuan Shanshan
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Met Gala 2016: Red carpet looks
Liu Wen attends the Met Gala 2016. It was held to celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on Monday in New York City.
The Met Gala 2016 was held to celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on Monday in New York City.
Taylor Swift attends the Met Gala 2016. It was held to celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on Monday in New York City.
Katy Perry attends the Met Gala 2016. It was held to celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on Monday in New York City.
Katy Perry attends the Met Gala 2016. It was held to celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on Monday in New York City.
Lady Gaga attends the Met Gala 2016. It was held to celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on Monday in New York City.
Madonna attends the Met Gala 2016. It was held to celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on Monday in New York City.
Beyonce attends the Met Gala 2016. It was held to celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on Monday in New York City.
Kendall Jenner attends the Met Gala 2016. It was held to celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on Monday in New York City.
Selena Gomez attends the Met Gala 2016. It was held to celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on Monday in New York City.
Lady Gaga and Kate Hudson attends the Met Gala 2016. It was held to celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on Monday in New York.
Nicole Kidman attends the Met Gala 2016. It was held to celebrate the opening of the latest exhibition from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute on Monday in New York City.
Source: china.org
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Chinese Animation Sees Booming Development
The 12th China International Cartoon and Animation Festival is a major barometer for China's cartoon and animation industry.
The figure outnumbered last year's revenue by a small margin despite a campaign to cut overcapacity in the industry.
China produced 134,000 minutes of TV animation last year, which was about half the volume produced in 2011.
Meanwhile, many international co-productions are becoming popular in China.
Rob Minkoff, the director of the Lion King, is currently working on a project with Huayi Brothers.
Minkoff says the market potential is huge in China.
"The Chinese film business has grown exponentially. And I think from what I've been told, next year may be the first year that the box office will actually be larger (than) that (of) the U.S. box office."
Besides the booming market, the Chinese culture is also a huge attraction to foreign filmmakers seeking cooperation with their Chinese counterparts.
Bill Schultz, the producer of the "Simpsons" and China-U.S. animation "The 12 Guardians: Chinese Zodiac", is one of them.
"It is established here in Beijing. And now we are bringing together a team from the east and a team from the west to work together, make a truly global film."
Last year, domestic animated films surged 78.6 percent at the box office, reaching more than 2 billion.
However, they still lag behind imported films.
Source: CRI
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Singer Karen Mok holds concert in Milan
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Zhao Wei in Johnnie To’s Three
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Jiang Shuying attends fashion activity in Beijing
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Wang Ou attends activity in Beijing
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Lin Chiling Talks about Love
At the promotion for a watch brand, Chiling wore a tutu and danced with little dancers.
When asked if she would select a watch for her better half, she said, “We’d wear the same so that we may feel the company of each other all the time.”
Earlier in an interview she said she wished to find her better half in 3 months.
Today when asked about her progress, she smiled, “It’s been only 3 days.
You press too much.” She smiled sweetly to react to everybody’s concern and said, “I just follow the tide but I’ll be more active to face my love.”
She revealed that she was a “romantic woman” and would do little gifts for her boyfriend.
When asked if she had made some for Jerry Yan, Chiling admitted shyly and said, “You almost got me.”
She had shed some sentimental tears when talking about her past boyfriends during the previous interview, but she said today, “You miss the point. Thank you for your concern.”
Source: MSN
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Fashion model Ming Xi in New York
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Qin Lan graces fashion magazine
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China's "Super Girl" Singing Contest to Be Relaunched
(Xinhua) China's TV singing contest "Super Girl" will return to screens after a ten-year hiatus.
The show -- to be re-launched by Hunan Satellite TV, in Changsha, the capital of central China's Hunan Province -- is similar to "American Idol" and among the earliest contests in China offering ordinary people a chance at stardom.
About 610,000 people have registered to enter the contest, according to a press conference held on Tuesday.
Women above 18 years old can apply to be a contestant. They will be scored by the judging panel and public votes. The twenty finalists will be announced on June 18.
Hong Tao, a judge, said that the show aims to "discover uncut jades that will shine with a bit of polishing."
The show was first produced in 2004, and at its height 200 million people tuned in to watch the live, three-hour finale of "Super Girls 2005."
Li Yuchun, a student with Sichuan Conservatory of Music, won the contest in 2005. She later appeared on the cover of Time Asia Magazine as one of the 25 Asian Heroes of the year. A set of stamps were issued featuring her.
Some contestants who rose to fame through the show are still singers, such as Zhang Liangying and Shang Wenjie, while others married celebrities, like Ye Yiqian whose husband is Chinese diver, Sydney and Athens Olympic gold medalist Tian Liang.
Since the run-away success of the format, Chinese TV producers have competed to make similar reality shows, like "Voice of China." There are concerns that "Super Girl" may not be able to achieve its past glory.
Source: Xinhua
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'Finding Mr. Right 2' Sets New Record for Chinese Rom-Com
It took only six days for the film to break the previous record, which was set by the 2013 box office hit "Finding Mr. Right".
Despite the name, the latest film is not a follow-up to the previous work.
Instead, this one revolves around the relationship between a public relations staffer at a casino in Macau and a realtor based out of Los Angeles.
Original cast members Wu Xiubo and Tang Wei still play the lead roles.
The new film has dominated the domestic box office, forcing Disney's live-action animation "The Jungle Book" down into second place.
Campus romance "Yesterday Once More" grossed more than 65 million yuan to land in third place.
Source: CRI
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Graceful shots of actress Yu Feihong released
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Bea Hayden poses for photo shoot
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