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China producer-distributor Lian Ray Pictures is launching sales on a raft of diverse titles that are set for release this year, including works by directors Han Yan and Feng Xiaogang and with stars Zhao Liying and Zhang Zifeng.

Set for a release on July 5, Han’s sci-fi action adventure Per Aspera Ad Astra revolves around a virtual dream system that allows users to create their own dreams, with rising stars Dylan Wang and Victoria Song in the cast along with veteran Zu Feng. Director Han is known for 2020’s A Little Red Flower.

Starring Zhao Liying (Article 20), female-led social drama...

Let this be an object lesson for those fearing it’s to late to pursue their dreams: at the age of 50, Shu Qi––who, granted, is the iconic star of films by Hou Hsiao-hsien, Feng Xiaogang, Jiang Wen, Corey Yuen, and Stephen Chow––made her directorial debut. Announced on the Chinese social-media site Weibo is Girl, a feature that’s just finished production, is scripted by the actress, and boasts a cast in which she does not appear. Greater details on either remain unknown for the time being, but likely not long––it’s expected the project’s completed in 2025. [Variety]

On Weibo, Shu shared a poster and behind-the-scenes images collected by Twitter user simon chou chou, which can be found below. Stay tuned for further details on Girl, a sudden candidate for 2025’s most-anticipated films.

The post Shu Qi Wraps Directorial Debut Girl for 2025 Completion first appeared on The Film Stage.

Taiwanese top actress Shu Qi has finished production on her directorial debut feature, Girl, which is scheduled for a 2025 release.

She is known for starring in Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Millennium Mumbo, Three Times and The Assassin, as well as Feng Xiaogang’s If You Are The One.

She has also won two Golden Horse Awards and three Hong Kong Film Awards for her acting roles.

She was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in 2024. She served as a jury member at Berlinale in 2008, Cannes in 2009 and Venice in 2023.

Girl is financed by Cmc Entertainment, Wow Momentum, J.Q. Pictures and Aranya Pictures, and produced by Mandarin Vision.

The film is executed produced by veteran producer Yeh Jufeng, who also worked together with Shu Qi on the 2017 comedy The Village of No Return.

“I am so happy that the filming is wrapped,” Shu Qi said.

Taiwan-born actor Shu Qi has completed production of her feature film directing debut, “Girl.”

While plot and cast details of the new film remain under wraps, “Girl” is Shu Qi’s original story that she wrote and directed after a prolonged development period. Shu Qi does not appear in the film.

The picture is financed by Taiwan’s Cmc Entertainment, Wow momentum, J.Q. Pictures and Aranya Pictures, and produced by Mandarin Vision. The film is executive produced by Yeh Jufeng, a Midas-like producer behind “A Sun,” “The Great Buddha+” and the Shu Qi-starring “The Village of No Return.”

The film is expected to be completed at an unspecified date in 2025. Mandarin Vision also serves as the film’s international sales agent, outside mainland China.

“I am so happy that the filming is wrapped. I look forward to sharing this film with audiences everywhere,” Shu Qi said in a prepared statement.

Taiwanese actress Shu Qi has wrapped production on her directorial debut — a project previously kept under wraps. Production company Mandarin Vision released a teaser image for the new film, titled Girl, along with a shot of Shu behind the camera during a recent location shoot.

Described as an original story written and directed by Shu, the film is scheduled for release in Asia sometime in 2025, according to the producers. It’s unclear whether Shu will also perform in Girl. Mandarin Vision declined to share additional information about the project.

Shu Qi on set for ‘Girl.

A fashion icon and favorite of both arthouse and commercial filmmakers across the Chinese-speaking world, Shu made her breakthrough in Taiwanese master Hou Hsiao-hsien’s 2001 feature Millennium Mambo. Later successes have included Feng Xiaogang’s If You Are the One (2008), Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013) from Stephen Chow, Gone with the Bullets (2014) by Jiang Wen,...

Cmc Pictures, the Chinese studio behind “The Meg” shark action franchise, has set plans for the global release of its John Cusack-starring cryptography thriller “Decoded.”

The film will release in Chinese theaters on Saturday and is headed for an international rollout at the end of August. Cmc Pictures will operate as the direct distributor in a limited number of territories and as the sales agent handling the rights in others.

The film has a strong pedigree and is on course to make a splash.

Directed by Chen Sicheng, one of China’s most consistently successful writer-director-producers, the film has a screenplay by Chen and Christopher MacBride that is adapted from a novel by the Mao Dun Literature Prize-winning novelist Mai Jia.

Set in the volatile era of the 1940s, “Decoded” chronicles the journey of Rong Jinzhen (played by Liu Haoran), an autistic young man with an exceptional talent for mathematics.

Music Milestone

Rap icon Eminem has received a Brit Billion Award from the BPI, marking seven billion U.K. streams as calculated by the Official Charts Company. The artist holds a U.K. record for most consecutive No. 1s on the Official Albums Chart, with 10 studio albums topping the list in succession.

Recently, Eminem scored his 11th U.K. No. 1 single with “Houdini” and his 11th No.1 album with “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).” Over 60 of his songs have been Brit Certified, with 15 certified multi-platinum. His top three streamed hits have accumulated over 770 million U.K. streams.

The Brit Billion award, launched in 2023, has recognized 39 artists for surpassing one billion U.K. career streams, including diverse acts like Green Day, The Rolling Stones and Billie Eilish.

This award reflects streaming’s impact on the music industry, with over 85% of U.K.’s recorded music consumption now occurring through streaming.

Amsterdam and Beijing-based film sales company Fortissimo Films has picked up licensing duties to upcoming “Escape From the 21st Century,” a Chinese sci-fi action title.

The story follows three friends who discover they have the power to travel back and forth 20 years with a sneeze. However, the future is not as good as they hoped and need to take on the responsibility of saving the world. The action shuttles between 1999 and 2019 and on Planet K, which is very similar to Earth.

The film is directed by Li Yang (short and co-directed feature “Lee’s Future”) and stars Zhang Ruoyun (“Joy of Life”), Zhong Cuxi (“Youth”) and Song Yang (“Wrath of Silence”).

The picture is produced by Desen International and is headed for a mainland China commercial release on Aug. 3 through Enlight Pictures. Fortissimo is handling rights in the rest of the world ex-mainland China.

Watch the trailer here.

Fortissimo had a busy Cannes,...

Leading Chinese film studio, Alibaba Pictures has announced a slate of seven tentpole movies that it hopes will reinvigorate the mainland China box office.

The titles straddle martial arts, drama, history, sci-fi and comedy and are presented as the first elements of the company’s second five year plan.

They were revealed on Monday at a major event within the ongoing Shanghai International Film Festival and with large numbers of relevant producers, directors and stars in attendance.

“At a time when the film market needs vigor, we need more tentpole productions to keep it working,” said Li Jie, Alibaba Pictures president. In notes provided, the company pointed out that the mainland China box office last year recovered to 85% of its pre-pandemic level and that, so far in 2024, the Chinese box office is the world’s largest.

However, there are worries that recent film industry prosperity may falter. Indeed, 2024 box office...

Amsterdam- and Beijing-based Fortissimo Films is to pre-sell Chinese crime drama “Family at large,” kicking off at the Cannes Market.

The film had previously been announced with sales handled jointly by Fortissimo and Rediance. Now, Fortissimo alone is representing rights worldwide, ex-China.

Directed by Kang Bo, the film is set in the chilly far north of the country. A man, nicknamed “Reindeer,”, is released from prison and becomes involved in a child-abduction case across Northeast China. The man, a pregnant young woman and a mute boy wade into the dense forests of the frozen North in search of an abducted child. The film exposes a family-run human trafficking organization and portrays the underworld of the Northern border of China.

The cast is headed by the in-demand Hu Ge “(“The Wild Goose Lake,” Wong Kar-wai’s TV series “Blossoms”), “Angels Wear White” star Wen Qi (aka Vicky Chen), Yan Ni and Song Jia.

China- and Netherlands-based sales firm Fortissimo Films has picked up the international rights to new Chinese sports feature film “Wild Punch.” It will launch the film in territories outside mainland China next week at the Cannes Market.

Co-directed by well-established director Yu Lik-wai and Wang Jing (“The Best Is Yet to Come”), “Wild Punch is a sports and action drama about a top mixed martial arts athlete who has passed the peak of his career and faces competition from his young and gifted trainee. Both with something to prove, the two will have to face each other in the ring.

Yu has directed four feature films, including Cannes competition title “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and Venice title “Plastic City.” He is also well-established as a cinematographer who has worked on films including “Still Life,” “A Touch of Sin,” and “Mountains May Depart” by Jia Zhangke, Lou Ye’s “Love...

The China Pavilion has set up shop in the middle of this year’s Hong Kong Filmart for the third year running as it aims to share the story of the evolution of the country’s film industry.

Organizers the China Film Co-production Corporation (Cfcc) have brought data with them, they say reflects that there are more international hits coming out of China, while the demographics back home continue to expand in terms of content and of audience.

“We hope to fully present the latest performance of the Chinese film industry through the China Film Pavilion and promote exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign film industries,” a Cfcc spokesperson said.

The past 12 months has seen several Chinese films go on wide international release, led by The Wandering Earth II, the sci-fi epic drawn from the world of acclaimed writer Liu Cixin. The Frant Gwo-directed film was released simultaneously in eight countries — the U.

China and Netherlands-based Fortissimo Films has picked up international sales rights to anticipated Chinese blockbuster movie “If You Are the One 3.”

To be released on Dec. 30 in China, the picture is directed by Feng Xiaogang as the second sequel in his anti-romance comedy franchise, about a rich businessman and an air stewardess, which kicked off in 2008 and earned a follow-up in 2010. The new picture reunites the key cast Ge You and Shu Qi, as well as Fan Wei (“One Second”), Yao Chen (“Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back”) and Guan Xiaotong (“Shadow”).

Set in 2031, the new film tells the story of Qin (Ge) retiring alone on a small island, as his wife Xiaoxiao (Shu) is away all year long. Fan (Fan), Qin’s friend, designs an android identical to Xiaoxiao to keep Qin company. Spending time with the android and old friends, Qin reflects on loneliness and companionship,...

The follow-up comes 15 years after the original box office hit.

Fortissimo Films has secured international rights to upcoming Chinese comedy If You Are The One 3, the anticipated third instalment in Feng Xiaogang’s box office hit franchise.

The Amsterdam and Beijing-based sales company will begin talks on the feature ahead of its local release on December 30. Fortissimo will launch the title to the international market at Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM) in February. The firm will not handle sales in North America, Hong Kong, Macao, Australia or New Zealand.

The third instalment is released 15 years after You Are The One,...