↧
Ni Ni poses for photo shoot
↧
Song Zuer poses for photo shoot
↧
↧
Guli Nazha poses for photo shoot
↧
Bona Film Group Executive Dies by Apparent Suicide at 52
Bona released a statement over social media late Wednesday saying that Huang, a vice president at the company who oversaw its cinema division, had died at the age of 52. No other details were included.
Sources close to Bona tell The Hollywood Reporter that it is believed Huang jumped from an office window late Wednesday morning. The incident occurred at Bona's corporate headquarters in the U-Center Building, a mixed-use commercial building in Beijing's Chaoyang district.
Bona is among China's top tier of film and media companies. The company produced or co-produced three of China's 10 highest-grossing films of 2019, including The Captain ($410 million) and The Bravest ($237 million). The company also co-financed Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Huang joined Bona in 2009 from rival cinema circuit Stellar Cinemas. He was influential in Bona's growth as a movie theater operator. The company now has approximately 80 cinemas in China.
News of his death — and its suspected cause — circulated rapidly through the Beijing film business over social media.
Leading Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke shared Bona's statement on Weibo, writing simply, "Film industry grief." Jerry Ye, former president at Chinese studio Huayi Brothers Media, one of Bona's biggest rivals, also posted just one word: "grief." Many others shared emojis of a single candle burning.
Jimmy Wu, CEO of Chinese cinema chain Lumiere Pavilions, posted at length about Huang's death, writing: "It's so sudden! … On April 16th, we talked for more than half an hour! The call was mainly about the future of the cinema. He was a little depressed about the late opening of the cinema, and I talked a lot about the bright future of Chinese movies. … I didn't expect to say good-bye after this conversation. Alas, I can not say a word. I sincerely hope that the relevant parties can let the movie theaters get back to work, so that staff can maintain a livelihood, in order to comfort Huang Wei's spirit in heaven!"
Source: The Hollywood Reporter by Patrick Brzeski
↧
'Gone With the Wind' removal 'too extreme': Chinese netizens
The hashtag for the removal has been viewed more than 63 million times on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo as of Wednesday afternoon.
"I support fighting against racism but the move is extreme. Opposing discrimination does not mean negating the past. The film taking place during the Civil War should be put in the context of that time. Political correctness should not trump art" was a message echoed by many netizens on Chinese social media.
HBO Max made the decision to pull the film temporarily from its platform on Tuesday after screenwriter John Ridley, who won an Academy Award for adapted screenplay for 12 Years a Slave, called for its removal "for the near term" in an Op-Ed published Monday in the Los Angeles Times.
Ridley pointed out that the film perpetuates "some of the most painful stereotypes of people of color" and "glorifies the antebellum south."
Gone With the Wind, both the film and its original novel, are well-known in China.
The film has a high score of 9.3/10 on Chinese media review platform Douban given by more than 480,000 reviews, ranking 25th among all movies. Many classic lines from the film have spread far and wide among Chinese audiences.
"It is one of my favorite English novels and deeply reflects the US social problems after the Civil War. The line 'Tomorrow is another day' has inspired so many Chinese people, including myself," netizen "baiyangzuokexin" commented on Sina Weibo.
'Extreme measure'
Chinese film critic Shi Wenxue said he opposes Ridley's call for the film's removal, saying that he considers it an extreme measure that treats a historical artwork wrongly.
"According to his opinion, many classic US and European works do not meet the standards of political correctness. Should all of them be removed or banned?" Shi, also a teacher at the Beijing Film Academy, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
According to a report from the Hollywood Reporter, HBO Max has said Gone With the Wind will return to the service with a "discussion of its historical context and a denouncement of those very depictions" of black people and slavery.
Shi said that he feels the company's decision to remove the film is a commercial action due to pressure from current public opinion.
The film released in 1939 tells the love story between aristocrats Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler and stars Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Hattie McDaniel and Olivia de Havilland. The story takes place on a plantation outside Atlanta during and after the US Civil War.
Source: Global Times By Ji Yuqiao Published: 2020/6/10 19:32:27
↧
↧
Zhang Yimou looks to reignite box office with new film
China's predominant film director Zhang Yimou is hoping to reignite the Chinese film market with his new crime drama "Under the Light".
The film is scheduled for a 2020 theatrical release in China and will star veteran Chinese actors such as Lei Jiayin and Zhou Dongyu.
Urban crime drama is a new territory for the award-winning director. "It's something I've never tried before, it's urban, modern, cool," Zhang said.
The film could be Zhang's largest and most complex storyline of recent years. The first trailer boasts stylish, neon-lit environments and introduces Su Jianming, a police officer played by actor Lei Jiayin, who is attempting to uncover the criminal activity of corrupt businessman Li Zhitian (Yu Hewei). Chilling scenes of corpses hidden between walls and violence suggest this won't be a simple criminal case.
This film marks Zhang's second collaboration with Zhou Dongyu, the actress he discovered and pushed to the stardom. A lot of actresses, including Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi, credit their success to Zhang. They are often referred to as "Mou's Ladies."
Zhou Dongyu's first collaboration with Zhang was "Under the Hawthorn Tree" a decade ago. Her latest effort was 2019 blockbuster "Better Days" which focused on school bullying and made more than 1.5 billion yuan ($212 million) at the box office on the Chinese mainland.
Together with Zhou, there are other young stellar actors such as Lei Jiayin, Sun Yizhou as well as veterans including Zhang Guoli, Yu Hewei and Joan Chen. The cast is seen as a strong alliance by Chinese audiences with many on social media claiming that they would buy a movie ticket just by looking at the list of actors.
The announcement of "Under the Light" also sends a strong message to theaters and audiences, that the Chinese film market, suffering from a four-month shutdown, will recover. The Chinese film market is the second largest in the world but is still suffering from a huge blow due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: china.org by Liu Caiyi and Zhang Rui
↧
Wang Ziwen poses for photo shoot
↧
Yang Zishan poses for photo shoot
↧
Zhang Xueying poses for photo shoot
↧
↧
Chinese Video Giant iQiyi Hires Former Netflix Executive for Global Expansion
The Nasdaq-listed Chinese video streaming giant has poached Kuek Yu-Chuang from its U.S. rival Netflix, hiring him as vice president of international business to oversee its strategic planning, marketing, business development and public affairs functions for its overseas businesses, according to a statement published Wednesday.
Kuek will report to Yang Xianghua, president of iQiyi’s membership and overseas business group, who believes that Kuek’s vision and experience will help iQiyi build a global streaming ecosystem, the statement said.
In a statement, Kuek said that he will “deliver iQiyi’s brand concept, unique entertainment content and services to users globally.”
Kuek started his career with the Singaporean government and joined Netflix in 2016. Prior to iQiyi’s appointment, he was vice president of public policy for Asia Pacific at Netflix.
Kuek’s appointment comes six months after Baidu-backed iQiyi hired a former BBC executive to take charge of its operations in Thailand. Currently, iQiyi is expanding its footprint in Southeast Asia through local in-house teams and partnerships with local companies.
In November 2019, iQiyi officially kicked off its global expansion plans with the launch of an international version of its app offering content and search functions in multiple languages including Chinese, English, Thai, Malay, Indonesian and Vietnamese among others.
iQiyi said that its net losses widened to 2.9 billion yuan ($406 million) in the first quarter of 2020 from 1.8 billion yuan a year ago, even though it posted a year-on-year increase of 23% in the number of subscribing members in the period.
In December last year, iQiyi founder and CEO Gong Yu revealed during an interview with Reuters that the company aimed for half of its paying subscribers to come from overseas within the next five years.
Source: Caixin By Ding Yi / Jun 12, 2020 01:22 PM
↧
Jay Chou releases new single Mojito
↧
Li Meng poses for photo shoot
↧
Ren Min poses for photo shoot
↧
↧
Joe Chen poses for photo shoot
↧
Yao Chen poses for photo shoot
↧
Angelababy poses for photo shoot
↧
IMAX to open first theme park theater at Universal Beijing Resort
The agreement will bring the IMAX with Laser projection system to Universal CityWalk Cinema, which is set to open in 2021. This agreement extends the longstanding collaboration between Universal and IMAX.
Currently under construction for its grand opening next year, Universal Beijing Resort has attracted enormous attention and offers a new distinctive entertainment destination in China. As one of the iconic features of Universal Beijing Resort, Universal CityWalk Beijing is set to open together with Universal Studios Beijing, the Universal Studios Grand Hotel, and the NUO Resort Hotel.
"We are very excited to build on our partnership with Universal and bring IMAX to what will undoubtedly be one of the premier entertainment destinations in all of China," said IMAX China CEO Edwin Tan. "As theaters prepare to open across the country, this new agreement demonstrates the enduring value of the IMAX Experience and global brand and is a testament to the strength of the theatrical business in China."
"At Universal Beijing Resort, we will immerse our guests in incredible experiences that bring their favorite stories and characters to life in entirely new ways. Universal CityWalk Beijing is an integral part of these fantastic experiences," said Tom Mehrmann, president and general manager of Universal Beijing Resort. "We are looking forward to bringing the exciting IMAX with Laser experience to millions of guests, allowing guests to enjoy their time and explore the possibilities at Universal Beijing Resort."
Universal CityWalk Beijing provides visitors with award-winning dining, entertainment, cinema, as well as a variety of themed retail stores and other services and facilities.
On June 3, Universal Beijing Resort officially released new concept art of Universal CityWalk Beijing. It is located at the main entrance of Universal Studios Beijing and connects the theme park, parking facilities, and subway entrances, allowing guests easy access to the fun excitement without having to enter the theme park. CityWalk will feature several new concepts making their debut, further enriching a unique experience that can be found nowhere else.
"As the starting point of every guest's Universal Beijing Resort journey, CityWalk provides guests their first glimpse of the beyond-imagination experience they can expect at Universal Beijing Resort," Mehrmann pointed out. "However, CityWalk is also designed to stand as a destination in its own right, as a new high-quality recreation and entertainment option for residents and tourists in Beijing. We believe CityWalk will drive the formation of a new cultural business center, giving a strong boost to Beijing's economic development."
Universal CityWalk Beijing is a matrix of 24 venues, including 15 distinctive food and beverage locations offering both Western and Asian cuisines, eight world-class retail stores, 11 retail and food and beverage carts, and of course, a multiplex IMAX cinema.
Other highlights include a collection of new brands, first stores, and flagship stores, diverse interactive experiences, high-quality services, and innovative upgrades of numerous Chinese brands. The overall design concept of CityWalk blends traditional Chinese and cutting-edge modern design, drawing on Chinese culture and Asian aesthetics to present a fantastic destination for excitement and exploration.
Reflecting the important role of movies at Universal Beijing Resort, the Universal CityWalk Cinema, located at the center of CityWalk, will feature 11 theaters and 2,000 seats. It is designed to host film premieres and high-profile VIP activities with IMAX Laser theater. The new IMAX theater will serve as a platform to launch Chinese and Hollywood blockbusters for nationwide audiences.
Universal Beijing Resort is developed, constructed, and operated by Beijing International Resort Co., Ltd., a joint venture that is 70% owned by Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment Co., Ltd., and 30% owned by Universal Parks & Resorts, a business unit of Comcast NBCUniversal. Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment Company, Ltd. (BSH Investment) was founded to support the investment of Universal Beijing Resort.
The Universal Studios Beijing theme park will feature seven highly themed and immersive lands that include several all-new attractions along with the selected Universal rides, shows, and attractions from around the world – plus specially created experiences designed to reflect China's cultural heritage.
Source: china.org by zhang rui
↧
↧
China's Tencent Music reports passive stake in Warner Music
Tencent Music is controlled by Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings Ltd.
The listing by Warner, home to artists including Cardi B, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars, was the biggest in the United States so far in 2020.
The company in March had delayed its initial public offering, as the COVID-19 pandemic rocked capital markets and slammed the brakes on many listings.
Source: Reuters; Reporting by Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel
↧
Zhou Jieqiong poses for photo shoot
↧
Lin Yun poses for photo shoot
↧