Noticias

Trinity CineAsia has locked down exclusive European distribution rights from Seventh Art Pictures to “Dongji Rescue,” the $80 million Chinese WWII action thriller from Cannes award-winning filmmaker Guan Hu.

The film, co-directed by Hu and Fei Zhenxiang, will hit U.K. and Irish cinemas Aug. 22, with other European territories following from Aug. 29. It opens in China on Aug. 8.

Drawing from the real-life Lisbon Maru incident of October 1942, the film dramatizes events when an American submarine accidentally torpedoed a Japanese vessel transporting approximately 1,800 British prisoners of war from Hong Kong. Chinese fishermen from Dongji Island ultimately rescued more than 800 survivors in what ranks among the war’s most devastating maritime tragedies involving British forces.

This was also the subject of documentary “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru,” which was China’s entry to the Oscars’ international category.

The cast combines Chinese stars Zhu Yilong (“Only the River Flows”), Wu Lei (“Shadow”), and...

Some of the most influential martial arts movies of all time, including films by Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, are set to get an AI-assisted "reimagining." A large-scale plan was recently unveiled that includes 100 seminal kung fu movies.

Per Deadline, a group of Chinese film studios have partnered with the China Film Foundation and announced plans under the Kung Fu Film Heritage project for a large-scale restoration of some of the best kung fu films of all time. The news was shared at the Shanghai International Film Festival with the goal of remastering 100 films using AI to enhance "the overall production quality [...] while preserving authenticity."

Some of the titles on the list for restoration include classics like Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury and The Big Boss, Jet Li's Once Upon a Time in China, and Jackie Chan's Drunken Master. "From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan, from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to Wolf Warrior,...

As the discourse over the use of AI in Hollywood gets louder and louder, China is looking ahead to the future with a new initiative that will use artificial intelligence to restore some martial arts classics. Announced at the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival, the move comes as part of the Kung Fu Film Heritage Project, which will see the China Film Foundation and its partners take an AI brush to at least 100 movies, with titles like Bruce Lee's Fists of Fury and Jackie Chan's Drunken Master included.

At the outset, 10 films will take priority, and will be digitally restored using AI tools meant to improve image, sound, and overall production quality. That is to say you won't see an AI Lee added in just for the sake of things, as the overall storytelling and aesthetic of the originals will be preserved. "AI is the brush, but creativity is the soul,...

A collection of Chinese film studios have set plans to reimagine the Kung Fu Classics in their libraries using AI technology.

The studios partnered with the China Film Foundation announced their plans under the Kung Fu Film Heritage Project, a large-scale plan to restore martial arts films, at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

The plan, first reported on by THR and Variety and subsequently confirmed by Deadline, includes the goal of remastering 100 seminal kung fu films, using AI to enhance the overall production quality of the films while preserving authenticity.

Titles set for AI restoration include Fist of Fury, The Big Boss, Once Upon a Time in China, and Drunken Master, according to reports.

“From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan, from ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ to ‘Wolf Warrior,’ these films have shown the world the vitality and spirit of the Chinese people,” China Film Foundation chair Zhang Qilin said at the event,...

The use of AI to upscale films into 4K transfers has been a controversial topic. When James Cameron’s classic films were announced to be converted into ultra-high definition, they were greatly anticipated due to the high-quality special effects and action sequences in his films and fans were thirsting to see it in crisp 4K resolution. Unfortunately, something became noticeably off with the image quality and people realized that they were upscaled with AI, which made for some unnatural smoothing and, in the case of Jaws 3, some really wonky background artifacts.

While there is a great deal of debate with this method, Variety reports that the China Film Foundation and its partners are embracing AI to restore one hundred classic martial arts movies under an initiative called the Kung Fu Film Heritage Project. This initiative will digitally remaster Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li films, among others, and...

Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Jet Li may soon return to global screens in digitally resurrected form.

At the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival, the China Film Foundation and partners launched two major AI-driven initiatives under the Kung Fu Film Heritage Project: a large-scale effort to restore 100 classic martial arts films using artificial intelligence, and the unveiling of a brand-new animated feature, “A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Border,” billed as the world’s first fully AI-produced animated feature film.

The restoration project aims to digitally remaster 100 landmark kung fu films, using AI to enhance image, sound, and overall production quality while preserving the storytelling and aesthetic of the originals. Organizers described it as a long-term commitment to reviving the cultural and cinematic legacy of Chinese martial arts cinema.

“From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan, from ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ to ‘Wolf Warrior,’ these films have shown the world the vitality and spirit of the Chinese people,...

Did you know that scientists have found a way to de-extinct dire wolves? Yes, they are brought back to life by Colossal Biosciences, a US-based biotechnology company that also plans to revive the woolly mammoth very, very soon.

That being said, it made me remember the dire wolves who were taken for granted in Game of Thrones, especially Ghost. Not only were they treated less significantly in the show, but the writers also made Jon Snow abandon his own pet—the very symbol of House Stark—all for his love for Daenerys Targaryen.

Kit Harington and Ghost in Game of Thrones / Credits: HBO Dire wolves have been brought back to existence—after Jon Snow snubbed Ghost in Game of Thrones

Colossal Biosciences chief scientist Beth Shapiro said via ABC News that they are very confident the experiment will work after they extracted dire wolf DNA from two existing fossils and...

“Agent 86,” a rare China-Tunisia coproduction film, will have its world premiere on Friday in Tunisia, ahead of a commercial release in Tunisian theaters from Sept. 25.

The film is pitched as “a fast-paced action thriller following an international Special Task Force that comes together to fight cross border drug trafficking after a devastatingly addictive drug named Devil’s Breath goes on sale in Hong Kong.”

The driving force behind the movie is Tunisian actor-director Bassem Khayati, who produced and directed the film and also appears as its co-lead.

Khayati is a veteran of several Jackie Chan movies including “Dragon Blade,” “Kung Fu Yoga” and “Vanguard,” as well as action roles in numerous other Chinese titles including “Fox Hunting,” “Mojin, The Lost Legend” and “Go Away Mr. Tumor.” In the west, Khayati has had various action and stunt roles in the John Cena-starring “Hidden Strike,” the Scott Adkins-starring “Abduction” and...

Almost two years after Joseph Gatt was arrested by the LAPD on now-dismissed charges of engaging in “online sexually explicit communication with a minor across state lines,” the Game of Thrones actor is taking on the police, the city of Los Angeles and the office of District Attorney George Gascón.

In a $40 million suit filed Thursday in federal court in Los Angeles (read it here), Gatt alleges he was falsely labeled as serial pedophile. To that end, he and his attorneys have put before the court a sordid saga of a 16-year-old “obsessed fan,” a botched police probe, and a now former Deputy L.A. D.A. with a supposed “personal animosity” against the actor.

The violation of constitutional rights complaint, which comes six weeks after an L.A. judge tossed out the felony case against Gatt “without prejudice” on the advice of the prosecution, reads like an louche thriller that...

Covid, changing money flows and a new superpower Cold War of sorts may have, over the past few years, helped to reduce the connections between the film and TV industries of China and the rest of the world — so, will the 2024 edition of FilMart, whose organizers continue to claim bridgehead status, be the market to increase those connections?

Candas Yeung, the Trade Development Council associate director who takes over as head of FilMart this year, says that visitor and exhibitor numbers have crept up again this year — to an anticipated 7,500 and 715, respectively — and that fully 40% of market participants hail from mainland China.

“That’s a pretty significant proportion and they are very active in the market, both buying and selling, and making some announcements,” Yeung says. “Clearly, Hong Kong remains a crucial intermediate link between mainland Chinese and the rest of the world’s entertainment industry. We will try to...

State of the art tech, exciting action sequences, swaggering young heroes … it’s no surprise that the world’s new superpowers have fallen for blockbuster air force films. But can they be anything more than military propaganda?

In an era of rising global tension, there are a few status symbols the self-respecting global superpower can’t do without. Nuclear weapons? Sure. A space programme? Natch. But the latest geopolitical must-have is superficially more niche: a supersonic, hyper-nationalistic blockbuster air force film. There wasn’t a soul on the planet who failed to notice the media sonic boom as Tom Cruise passed overhead with Top Gun: Maverick in May 2022, while its Chinese counterpart Born to Fly came out a year later. And this month India gets in on the game with its own flyboy extravaganza Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan, whose quiff alone qualifies as some kind of national monument.

In the...

“Jaw-droppingly epic” Digital Spy

“The mother of all blockbusters” Filmhounds Magazine

“A stunning sci-fi epic” Eastern Film Fans

“Hugely entertaining” Invincible Asia

“A nail-biting and thrilling ride” Morning Star

Boasting incredible and epic visuals, this stunning interstellar blockbuster is a fresh prequel to one of the highest grossing films of all time, a $700m box office success, and Netflix global smash hit. Based on the popular novella by science fiction author Liu Cixin, The Wandering Earth II is a true sci-fi blockbuster, directed by Frant Gwo (The Sacrifice) and starring Andy Lau and Wu Jing.

In the near future, the sun is rapidly expanding and will engulf the earth within 100 years. To ensure the survival of humankind, nations join hands to form an unprecedented, ambitious global project to build powerful engines on the earth’s surface and propel the planet away from impending doom. Meanwhile, protests have broken out to...

The summer box office season may have reached the dog days of August, but it’s hardly looked stronger over the past few months. Though the openings of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and “Meg 2: The Trench” won’t be able to take down “Barbie” as the top performer in North America, both new releases are boosting theaters to a weekend with four different features grossing north of $25 million.

Paramount Pictures’ “Mutant Mayhem” added $9.3 million from 3,858 locations on Friday, tracking neck-and-neck with “Oppenheimer” for second place on domestic charts. The animated feature, produced by Nickelodeon Movies and Point Grey Productions, opened with Tuesday evening preview screenings and is now tracking for a $42 million five-day debut — squarely within the projections of $35 million to $45 million heading into the weekend.

That’s not shabby for the “Tmnt” entry, which cost only $70 million to produce — an especially economical figure for an animated studio release.

Back in 2018, Warner Bros. scored a massive, somewhat unexpected success with "The Meg." The adaptation of Steve Alten's book of the same name, in which Jason Statham takes on a thought-to-be-extinct megalodon, proved to be a big winner with audiences, raking in $530 million at the global box office. Now, five years and a full global pandemic later, Statham is back in the sequel, "Meg 2: The Trench," which once again hopes to become a late summer sleeper hit. This time, though, it appears competition is going to be a bigger issue.

Box Office Pro currently estimates director Ben Wheatley's big shark sequel could make anywhere between $22 and $27 million domestically on its opening weekend. That's not exactly what a studio wants to see with a big blockbuster, to say the least. While the budget has yet to be revealed, the original cost $130 million before marketing. One imagines that "The Trench" isn't any cheaper,...

The Dolby Cinema poster for Meg 2: The Trench highlights the size of the megalodon, promising an even bigger installment than the original. The sequel will feature multiple megalodons and elevated set pieces, including one eating a T-Rex, adding more over-the-top action. The addition of Chinese actor Wu Jing could make Meg 2: The Trench a massive commercial hit in China, following his success in The Wandering Earth 2.

The Dolby Cinema poster for Meg 2: The Trench showcases how big the titular megalodon will be. Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by John Hoeber, Erich Hoeber and Dean Georgaris, the movie will see Jason Statham reprise his role as Jonas Taylor as he faces an even bigger megalodon than he did in the 2018 original. The Jon Turteltaub-directed Meg was a box office success, grossing over $530.2 million globally, with a sequel being confirmed in 2020.

On Twitter, Dolby posted their...

The Expendables collects a big ensemble of action heroes, but there are many that the series has overlooked. The Expendables franchise follows a team of mercenaries led by Sylvester Stallone's Barney Ross, with the team being deployed on high-stakes and often explosive missions across the globe. Stallone's crew for The Expendables movies has long included Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, with other big action stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins, and Mel Gibson joining the series along the way.

The cast of The Expendables 4 adds new blood to the franchise's roster with Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais, though Li, Willis, Schwarzenegger, and Terry Crews do not appear in the fourth installment of the series. However, despite bringing together so many action stars with each entry, there are also quite a few who would add more explosive energy to The Expendables franchise...

Meg 2: The Trench recently took a chomp at The Little Mermaid with a new promo parodying Disney's upcoming live-action remake.

The official Twitter account for Meg 2: The Trench released a new teaser for Warner Bros.' upcoming action sequel, which starts as a parody of Disney's The Little Mermaid. "This summer, magic awaits under the sea," the teaser states while uplifting music plays over beautiful images of sea life. The promo then cuts to one of the megalodon sharks devouring a female swimmer in a paddle boat, leading to the rest of the promo acting as a more traditional ad for Meg 2. With The Little Mermaid set to open in theaters next weekend, the marketing team behind Meg 2: The Trench seemingly figured that it was the perfect time to release the hilarious promo.

Related: The Meg 2's Giant Shark Fights T-Rex & Jason Statham in New Trailer

This summer,...

Jason Statham comes face to face with not one, not two, but three deep sea-dwelling prehistoric sharks, along with some giant creature with a bunch of tentacles, in the first official trailer for “Meg 2: The Trench.”

Shortly after “The Meg” grossed $530 million worldwide in 2018, a sequel was confirmed. The original film followed a group of scientists whose submarine was attacked by a Megalodon — a species of giant shark previously thought to be extinct. Now, Warner Bros. has pulled back the curtain on the film after debuting its first trailer ahead of the movie’s Aug. 4 premiere.

The new footage unveils Statham teaming up with Wu Jing, a massive star in China who has starred in blockbusters such as “The Wandering Earth,” “Wolf Warrior” and “The Battle at Lake Changjin.” The pair lead an underwater journey to the bottom of the ocean to investigate new creatures, before taking on a...

The Warner Bros. presentation at CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, is currently in progress, and as part of the presentation they showed attendees the first trailer for Meg 2: The Trench, director Ben Wheatley’s sequel to Jon Turteltaub’s 2018 “Jason Statham vs. a giant shark” movie The Meg (watch it at This Link).

JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray was in attendance to see the trailer, and this is what he had to say about it: “First trailer: We see footage of The Meg killing dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Looks much more expensive than the last movie. Jonas (Jason Statham) is sent into the trench the deal with whatever creature is down there – which of course is The Meg! Wu Jing, from Wolf Warrior, is a co-star. This version of The Meg is bigger because it’s an Apex predator. It escapes The Trench and starts eating people.

When casting the hottest action stars for John Wick: Chapter 4, Scott Adkins was a natural choice. Director Chad Stahelski has tried to get Adkins into all the John Wick movies, but due to scheduling conflicts it hasn’t worked out until now. Cast as Fat Killa in the new movie, Adkins is almost unrecognizable under the heavy makeup, gold grill, and fat suit. In real life, Adkins is devilishly handsome, so much so he often plays villains. He’s also built like Adonis but even more yoked. It’s a body he’s earned through a lifetime of martial arts practice.

In real life, the Adkins family are butchers by trade. Adkins was born and raised in England, and his first exposure to martial arts began at age 10 with Judo. When he was 13, he was the victim of a robbery, and that experience hardened his resolve. After that, he dedicated his life to training,...

Scott Adkins is now recognized as one of the world's biggest martial arts stars, and there are several upcoming Scott Adkins movies on the way. Adkins first began to draw attention with his breakout role as Yuri Boyka in Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing, with the movie turning him into a rising action star, and Adkins reprising the role in Undisputed 3: Redemption and Boyka: Undisputed. Adkins would subsequently become one of the titans of the increasingly mainstream straight-to-video action movie scene, while also showing his incredible talents in theatrical blockbusters like Doctor Strange and overseas action films like Wu Jing's Wolf Warrior.

Adkins kept busy in 2020 and 2021, launching his YouTube interview series The Art of Action. Adkins also completed action films like the Dolph Lundgren-directed Castle Falls and the single-take movie One Shot, both of which debuted in 2021. While Adkins' filmography as a leading man has mostly been in the straight-to-video arena,...

The actor Joseph Gatt, known for playing Thenn Warg on HBO’s Game of Thrones, has been arrested for alleged explicit sexual communication with a minor. Gatt was served with an outstanding felony warrant on April 6 for Contact with a Minor for Sexual Offense under the California Penal Code. The Los Angeles Police Department’s Juvenile Division, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, confirmed Gatt’s arrest in a press release on Wednesday (April 13). He was released the same day on 5,000 bail, per the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Inmate Information Center. According to the LAPD’s statement, “they received information that Gatt had been engaged in online sexually explicit communication with a minor across state lines” and the department is “seeking to identify any additional victims.” The 50-year-old actor, who has had supporting roles in films such as Thor, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Dumbo, has denied the allegations,...

“Game of Thrones” actor Joseph Gatt was arrested last week after LAPD detectives said he was allegedly engaging in “online sexually explicit communication” with a minor. Investigators are currently seeking to identify any other victims.

According to the LAPD, Gatt was arrested in his home on April 6 after police served a residential home search warrant. The LAPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (Icac) received a tip that he had allegedly engaged in sexually explicit communication with a minor in another state over the Internet. Gatt was subsequently arrested by detectives for an outstanding felony warrant for having “contact with a minor for sexual offense.” In a news release posted to their website on Tuesday, the LAPD asks other victims or those with pertinent information to contact them immediately.

Gatt was released the same day on 5,000 bail, TMZ reported. On Wednesday, Gatt issued a statement regarding his arrest and the allegations,...

Wonka to open on December 15 2023. The Meg 2 set for August 2023.

Warner Bros has pushed The Flash and Aquaman 2 from late 2022 into 2023 and moved Black Adam from this summer to October amid a flurry of calendar changes.

The date moves, which are likely due to post-production delays stemming from the pandemic, see Ezra Miller Justice League spin-off The Flash from It franchise director Andy Muschietti move from November 4 this year to June 23 2023.

Meanwhile Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom directed by James Wan and starring Jason Momoa (pictured with Amber Heard in Aquaman), Patrick Wilson, Heard and Nicole Kidman is...

Wu Jing, the highest-grossing male actor of all time in China, will join British action star Jason Statham in Warner Bros.’s “Meg 2: The Trench,” sources close to the production have confirmed to Variety.

The giant shark actioner, however, will be without Li Bingbing (“Transformers: Age of Extinction”). The Chinese actor, who played a female oceanographer, embodying both brains and beauty in Jon Turteltaub’s testosterone-fueled 2018 “The Meg,” is not returning to the franchise at this point.

With Ben Wheatley in the directing chair, production on “Meg 2: The Trench” began at the end of January at the Warner-owned Leavesden Studios outside London. It will continue there until May before switching to outdoor locations, likely to be in Asia.

The 47-year-old Wu is a former martial artist who has successfully parlayed a career as both actor and director in film and in TV. A protégé of the iconic action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping,...

The English actor, who has worked with Chinese directors from Jackie Chan to Zhang Yimou, reveals how a chance meeting at the visa office in Beijing changed his life

If the Chinese film industry needs a stock foreign villain, I’m their first port of call. I was a Gatling gun-wielding mercenary in 2015’s Wolf Warrior, one of the first of the new wave of military blockbusters, and a hitman in Jackie Chan’s Kung Fu Yoga in 2017, among many others. And I recently played an American colonel in the Korean war in The Battle at Lake Changjin, the most expensive and successful Chinese film ever: it made $909m (£675m) last year.

It’s surreal – coming from humble beginnings in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire – to find myself in the middle of a massive field in Hubei province filming the likes of The Battle at Lake Changjin. You’d think you were in...

Errors and omissions are standard features of historical dramas everywhere. It is therefore no surprise to find Korean War history being filtered to suit domestic requirements in the three-hour Chinese blockbuster “The Battle at Lake Changjin.” Nor is it unexpected for U.S. military characters to be cardboard cutouts with excruciatingly bad dialogue. And, like many other jingoistic war epics, this prestige production co-directed by industry heavyweights Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam

The latest in a long line of strongly nationalistic films released during the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, “The Battle at Lake Changjin” has collected almost all its $905 million revenue (as of Dec. 27) from domestic ticket sales. It is currently the highest grossing film of 2021, with only “Spider-Man: No Way Out” and “No Time to Die” as serious rivals for the top spot.

This very old-fashioned production depicts a string of military engagements during...

“The Battle at Lake Changjin” has become the highest grossing film of all time in China, after nearly two months of release. Co-directed by a trio of major helmers, Dante Lam, Chen Kaige and Tsui Hark, it is also the top earning film in the world this year.

The Chinese record was achieved on Wednesday evening local time when the film passed the RMB5.69 billion total achieved in 2017 by “Wolf Warrior II,” another patriotic war film. By midday on Thursday “Changjin” had advanced to RMB5.70 billion or $892 million at current rates of exchange, according to data from Ent Group.

The feat was confirmed by state-controlled media which had long predicted the achievement. Chinese media also reported that Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian sent congratulations to Wu Jing, the actor who played leading roles in both “Wolf Warrior” and “Changjin.”

The film is set during the early part of the 1950-1953 Korean War,...

China’s ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ was the highest grossing film anywhere in the world over the past weekend, with a $203 million haul.

That score was fractionally lower than the combined total earned by “No Time to Die” ($119 million in international markets) and by “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” ($90.2 million in North America).

The film was the far away winner in mainland China, where it was released on Thursday, a day ahead of the October 1, National Day holiday. Over four days on release, it earned $234 million, according to consultancy Artisan Gateway.

Additional data from local provider Ent Group showed that “Battle” enjoyed a massive 157,000 screenings per day and was watched by 25.5 million ticket buyers between Friday and Sunday.

That put it ahead of “My Country, My Parents,” which earned $70.6 million over the weekend proper and a “Venom”-like $90.4 million total over four days.

Both titles are examples of the...

Update, writethru: In its global launch, Disney’s Jungle Cruise grossed $61.8M at worldwide turnstiles this weekend. That does not include the “over $30M” that came from Disney+ in the day-and-date streaming release (which leads to a $91.8M worldwide start as Anthony has reported). In pure theatrical terms, the Dwayne Johnson/Emily Blunt-starrer performed ahead of expectations domestically, and came in vastly lower at the international box office compared to pre-weekend estimates.

While the $27.6M international start for Jungle Cruise in 47 material markets is well below the $40M projected debut, even rivals today agree the film is facing several issues which include a changing overseas Covid landscape as well as strong local titles in some areas.

France, for example, is still getting used to the required health pass (or negative Covid test) to gain entry to cinemas. Jungle Cruise ended up No. 2 there (behind local adventure comedy Kaamelott) with $1.7M.

Update, writethru: As with domestic, a pair of new studio offerings opened at the international box office this weekend. However, the biggest grosses came from local pics in China where upcoming release dates for Hollywood continue to be a frustrating question mark.

Getting to the studios first, in a 23-market rollout, Universal’s M Night Shyamalan time-twister, Old, grossed $6.5M for a $23M global debut. Paramount’s Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins for its part rolled a $4M start from 37 markets which rep 29% of the overseas footprint. The global total on Snake Eyes is $17.4M through Sunday.

Another snake led the international box office overall, however, as Alibaba’s animated sequel White Snake 2: The Tribulation Of The Green Snake (aka Green Snake) grossed an estimated $29.8M in its opening Middle Kingdom frame. The film, centered on an ancient Chinese legend, included $2.6M from IMAX which was 9.1% of the national...

Most Notorious Chinese Blockbusters Of All Time

Are you a fan of Chinese films? If so, you are probably familiar with the country’s notorious blockbusters. The Chinese film industry reportedly grossed $12.8 billion in 2018, compared to the $60.1 billion reported by the global movie industry. Like the US film industry, the China film industry took a big hit from the Covid-19 pandemic. The country was forced to close around 2,300 land-based cinemas in response to the Covid-19 shutdown. This is not to mention, the country also shut down film production to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Chinese officials have called for the reopening of land-based cinemas across the country. The country’s film market is expected to fully recover, but no one really knows how long it will take. China has some of the world’s highest-grossing movies of all time. Learn more about some of the country’s...

Netflix has added to its roster of Chinese titles, acquiring upcoming feature fantasy drama Super Me. The streamer has taken exclusive global rights outside mainland China, former Yugoslavia and the Indian region.

From director Zhang Chong, the film originally premiered at Sitges in 2019 and went on to further festival play. It had a China premiere last Friday and officially releases theatrically on April 9. It’s currently ranked third for pre-sales on that day.

Darren Wang, Song Jia and Cao Bingkun star with Wu Gang also featuring.

Super Me, which is the director’s second film after 2019 drama The Fourth Wall, sees reality, dreams, desires and fantasies combine with a rags-to-riches story. It centers on Sang Yu (Darren Wang), who has has always dreamt of becoming a successful screenwriter. He writes non-stop, as he stresses out to finish a script he’s been paid by his friend, San Ge (Cao Bingkun), to complete.

Netflix has picked up international rights to “The Yin Yang Master” a film that is one of the big seven tentpole titles that will open in mainland Chinese cinemas on Friday and compete for Lunar New Year holiday audiences.

Netflix acquired distribution rights in the rest of the world ex-mainland China from Huayi Brothers Media (“The Eight Hundred”).

The fantasy movie is a game-to-film adaptation of “Onmyoji” directed by Li Weiran and starring Chen Kun (“Mojin: The Lost Legend”) and Zhou Xun.

It should not be confused with another film with a similar title “The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity” that ultimately draws on the same source material. The latter is the first element of a two-part, book-to-film adaptation, directed by Guo Jingming (“Tiny Times”). Netflix acquired rights to the Guo title from sales agency Fortissimo Films ahead of the film’s mainland China release on Dec. 25. It earned some...

Netflix has acquired exclusive global streaming rights outside of China to The Yin Yang Master. This is not to be confused with The Yin-Yang Master: Dream Of Eternity which is already on the service and was released in China late last year. The new acquisition is one of the anticipated Lunar New Year titles that will begin its Chinese theatrical run on Friday. Netflix has not yet set a streaming date.

Adapted from the popular mobile game Onmyōji, the fantasy film reunites stars Chen Kun and Zhou Xun in their first collaboration since 2012’s Painted Skin: The Resurrection. Produced by Chen Kuo-fu and Chang Chia-lu and directed by Li Weiran, The Yin Yang Master finds the world on the verge of a devastating war with monsters who are coming back to retrieve the Scaling Stone. Yin Yang Master Qingming’s (Chen Kun) life is in danger and he travels to...

Chris Pratt has signed on to produce and is attached to star in the coming-of-age independent comedy “The Black Belt.”

The film centers on a shy, unassuming teen boy on a quest for an expertise in karate and his unorthodox uncle who guides him along the way.

Pratt will produce the film through his banner Indivisible Productions, with producing partner Jon Schumacher, and Monarch Media and its principals Steve Barnett and Alan Powell. Monarch principal Vicky Patel will executive produce. Randall Green wrote the spec script. UTA Independent Film Group will oversee film sales and distribution.

Pratt became a worldwide star after headlining Disney-Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies as Star-Lord/Peter Quill and the “Jurassic World” films as dinosaur handler Owen Grady. He founded Indivisible Productions to tell stories across all platforms including film, television, and digital technologies.

Indivisible has a first-look deal with Universal Pictures, and the companies announced on Nov.

Chris Pratt will be reuniting with the Russo brothers, who directed the Guardians of the Galaxy star in Avengers: Infinity War, to star in an English-language remake of the Vietnamese action-comedy hit Saigon Bodyguards. Pratt will be starring opposite Wu Jing, the star of the Chinese action franchise phenomenon Wolf Warrior. Deadline reports that Universal Pictures has landed the […]

The post Chris Pratt to Star in Russo Brothers-Produced Remake of Vietnamese Action-Comedy ‘Saigon Bodyguards’ appeared first on /Film.

Fresh from wrapping production on Jurassic World: Dominion, Deadline reports that Chris Pratt as signed on to star in a Saigon Bodyguards remake alongside Wu Jing, the Chinese martial artist/actor best known for starring in and directing Wolf Warrior and its sequel, the latter of which is the highest-grossing non-English film of all-time. The high-octane action/comedy will…...

Chris Pratt and Wu Jing (“Wolf Warriors”) will star in Universal Pictures’ remake of “Saigon Bodyguards,” based on the Vietnamese action comedy of the same name.

The original 2016 film centered on two professional bodyguards who let their most important asset slip away. Pratt will produce through his Indivisible Productions alongside Anthony and Joe Russo, and Mike Larocca, who will produce through their Agbo production banner.

Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck are writing the script. Pratt previously worked with the Russo brothers on Marvel’s “Avengers” films. Agbo and the Russo brothers last worked with Wu when they consulted on his 2017 pic “Wolf Warrior 2,” one of the highest-grossing non-English films of all time.

Universal’s Executive Vice President of Production Matt Reilly will oversee the project on behalf of the studio. Creative Executive Kassee Whiting will oversee the movie on behalf of Agbo.

The original “Saigon Bodyguards” was directed by...

Exclusive: Universal Pictures has made a deal to craft a new version of Saigon Bodyguards. The studio will make a high-octane action comedy based on the Vietnamese film of the same name. Chris Pratt, fresh from wrapping Jurassic World: Dominion for Universal, is attached to star in the film with Wu Jing, the star of the blockbuster Chinese franchise Wolf Warrior.

Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck are writing the script. Pratt will produce through his Indivisible Productions alongside Joe and Anthony Russo and Mike Larocca, who will produce through their Agbo production banner.

The film reunites the Russos with both Pratt, who brought his Guardians of the Galaxy to their Avengers films, and with Wu Jing. The Russos were consultants on Wolf Warriors 2, which is the highest-grossing film ever in China with $877 million in ticket sales there. In fact it’s the highest-grossing non-English-language film ever.

Chris Pratt and Wu Jing, the star of the massive Chinese box office hit Wolf Warrior, will star in an English language remake of action-comedy Saigon Bodyguards for Universal.

Anthony and Joe Russo, who worked with Pratt on Avengers: End Game and Wu on Wolf Warrior 2, will produce the movie that is based on a 2016 Vietnamese feature, which follows two bodyguards that must locate a high profile heir that was kidnapped on their watch. Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck are set to write the script.

Pratt will produce through his Indivisible Productions alongside the Russos and Mike Larocca via Agbo.

Matt ...

Chris Pratt and Wu Jing, the star of the massive Chinese box office hit Wolf Warrior, will star in an English language remake of action-comedy Saigon Bodyguards for Universal.

Anthony and Joe Russo, who worked with Pratt on Avengers: End Game and Wu on Wolf Warrior 2, will produce the movie that is based on a 2016 Vietnamese feature, which follows two bodyguards that must locate a high profile heir that was kidnapped on their watch. Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck are set to write the script.

Pratt will produce through his Indivisible Productions alongside the Russos and Mike Larocca via Agbo.

Matt ...

Monday Update, writethru after Sunday 9:43Am post: To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers Army entering the Korean War, the Middle Kingdom released epic The Sacrifice this weekend. The locally-titled Jin Gang Chuan grossed an estimated $53M in its three-day bow. While not a record start for the year in the market, the actioner could hold well for the next weeks that currently see no major new releases.

The Sacrifice boasts a strong pedigree — it’s co-directed by The Eight Hundred’s Guan Hu, The Wandering Earth’s Frant Gwo and Brotherhood Of Blades‘ Lu Yang and stars Wu Jing of Wolf Warrior fame. The launch was somewhat lower than expected given all that talent. It’s carrying a 9.4 on ticketing platform Maoyan, and a 6.7 on Douban.

Before diving deeper into China, we must look at Japan and phenom Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train...

Meeting only minimal resistance, Chinese-made war film “Sacrifice” invaded the box office and secured a quick victory against already battle-weary opponents.

The film released on Friday and in three days earned $53.0 million according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. It occupied the majority of available theatrical territory and clocked up a per screen average of $422 on Saturday alone.

The Artisan Gateway data points to an aggregate weekend gross of $76.9 million. The running total of $2.10 billion for the year to date is still 75% down on this time last year.

Released to coincide with official celebrations that mark China’s role in the Korean War (known in China as The War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea), “Sacrifice” is a tale of courage under fire that focuses on Chinese forces repairing a bridge, while coming under repeated American bombardment. The narrative very much fits with that of the current...

War film “Sacrifice” got off to a heroic start at the China box office on Friday, likely setting the tone for another good weekend in Chinese cinemas, and a barrage of films in the same canon.

By 7pm local time on its opening day, “Sacrifice” had notched up RMB74.1 million, or $11 million at current rates of exchange.

First audiences appear to have shown their critical approval too. Early viewer feedback via cinema ticketing agency Maoyan gives “Sacrifice” an excellent score of 9.4 out of 10, while rival ticketing agency Taopiaopiao viewers scored it a notch higher at 9.5. The more thoughtful cinephile site Douban has not yet given it a score.

Taken together, the film’s early box office and approval ratings allowed Maoyan to forecast that “Sacrifice” could run on to score RMB2.5 billion or $373 million. It that transpires, it would make it one of the top-grossing films anywhere in the world this year.

Monday Update, writethru after Sunday 11:12Am post: Big news this weekend out of Japan where anime adaptation Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train shattered all-time opening records. The film, which debuted on Friday October 16, as opposed to the usual Saturday/Sunday session, grossed $44M (4.623B yen) across the three-day. It is the global box office leader this weekend and Japan’s biggest launch in industry history.

This is a stunning debut which we hear commandeered 84% of the market with exits at 4.5 out of 5 stars. Putting the opening into some perspective, Frozen 2 last year launched to a 3-day of $18.2M at historical rates. Demon Slayer also set a new IMAX record, opening 18% bigger in the format than previous champ Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, to become the top IMAX Japan opener ever with $2.27M (238M yen) from 38 screens. Grosses increased incrementally over the weekend for IMAX.

Such was...

This year, the motion picture academy achieved its five-year goal of doubling the number of women among its membership. In all, 819 film professionals were invited to become part of the organization that hands out the Oscars. Compare this intake to the totals of the previous five years: 842 in 2019; a record 928 in 2018; 774 in 2017; 683 in 2016; 322 in 2015; and 271 in 2014.

While Academy Awards nominees are automatically eligible for consideration, the rest of the candidates must go through a fairly cumbersome process. A candidate must meet certain branch specific requirements before even being eligible.

For example, actors must “have a minimum of three theatrical feature film credits, in all of which the roles played were scripted roles, one of which was released in the past five years, and all of which are of a caliber that reflect the high standards of the Academy.” For writers, directors and producers they need have just two of these credits.

China’s top film festival showered its highest three honors on the Iranian film “Castle of Dreams,” hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration would on Monday impose “major additional sanctions” on Tehran.

“Castle of Dreams,” a drama about family, separation and keeping one’s promises collected a trio of prizes on Sunday night at the Shanghai International Film Festival. It won the Golden Goblet prize for best film, the best director prize for Reza Mirkarimi, and a shared best actor award for Hamed Saberi Behdad.

The almost unprecedented awards haul comes at a time when analysts say that Beijing and Tehran are likely to develop even closer cooperation as their respective relationships with the U.S. deteriorate. China is Iran’s largest trading partner, and Tehran’s willingness to stand up to U.S. pressure is partially due to ability to fall back on Beijing’s support.

“Wings Over Everest,” a new action-adventure film from veteran producer Terence Chang and “Wolf Warrior 2” producer Lu Jianmin, is poised to join the burgeoning Chinese sub-genre of rescue movies.

The Chinese- and English-language film stars Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu, Japanese actor Koji Yakusho and Taiwanese actor Austin Po-Hung Lin (“The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang”). It is the first feature from writer-director Fei Yu, a former VP and lead game producer at Gameloft, who later transitioned into screenwriting and content development.

“Everest” is backed by Lu’s Spring Era Films, Fei’s firm Mirage, Beijing Saite Century Films, and Tokyo-based entertainment company Vap, a subsidiary of Nippon TV. It is the second collaboration between producer Chang and actress Zhang, who previously worked together on the Andy Lau-starring 2017 action film “The Adventurers,” which grossed $34 million (RMB237 million).

Shot in China, Canada and Nepal, the movie tells the...

China Film Group and Taihang Pictures have teamed up to produce “Strike Back,” a patriotic action-thriller film. Arclight Films is attached as co-financier and worldwide sales agent.

The fact-based story focuses on two Chinese soldiers who decide to avenge the killing of their colleague by a terrorist. One, a young reservist, feels the need to prove that he has what it takes to join the special operations forces known as Skyhawks.

The film is expected to shoot from September this year and feature an ensemble Chinese and U.S. cast. No director or cast has yet been announced. Shooting is set for the deserts of Xinjiang, in northwest China, and the lush tropical locales of Hainan island in the south.

China Film Co., part of state-owned giant China Film Group, is financing the project. Producers are China Film’s Xu Jian Hai; Taihang’s Wang Cheng Zhe, who is also...