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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,...

Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu, who is in Cannes with Anthony Chen’s Un Certain Regard title The Breaking Ice, has had a fairytale career trajectory.

Although she had no desire to act, she was plucked from obscurity by Zhang Yimou when still a high school student in 2010, and became one of China’s most respected young actresses, with a string of award-winning films.

She agreed to star in The Breaking Ice as soon as Chen called her and before he’d even written the script. She’d worked with him before on short film The Break Away, part of Neon-produced anthology The Year Of The Everlasting Storm, which Chen had directed remotely during the pandemic.

“He called and said he wanted to shoot a film in China, quite quickly over the winter, because he had a month free when another project was postponed,” Zhou tells Deadline. “I agreed immediately...

It is a time of turmoil for “a great walled city” (any resemblance to China is completely not coincidental) in some undefined long-ago era. Three clans fight for control of the territory; two team up to defeat the third. Then a warrior for one of these last dynasties standing, the Yan, severely wounds the Commander (Deng Chao) of their rivals, the Pei. They now own the city. The Pei military higher-ups want war. Their king (Ryan Zheng), who is definitely paranoid and may or may not also be batshit crazy,...

Starting in just a few weeks, Hollywood will attempt to continually up the ante each summer weekend to deliver popcorn-munching thrills. While a certain third chapter of a franchise will hopefully deliver the goods, one need not look much further the rest of the season for excitement than the first weekend of May, when Zhang Yimou’s wuxia epic Shadow will arrive in theaters.

A mystic thriller that takes place during medieval China and tells the story of a king and his people’s struggle for their rightful land–all told through the perspectives of the king, his sister, his commander, the entrapped women of the palace, and a commoner–this ensemble features Ryan Zheng, Xiaotong Guan, Chao Deng, Li Sun, Qianyuan Wang, Jun Hu, Lei Wu, and Jingchun Wang. Ahead of the U.S. release, Well Go USA has now released the U.S. trailer.

Leonardo Goi said in his review,...

"A duel between our chief commanders... means war." Well Go USA has debuted a brand new, official Us trailer for Zhang Yimou's latest film, a historical fantasy drama titled Shadow - originally Ying in Chinese. This premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals last fall, and also stopped by Fantastic Fest, Busan, and the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival. The film is a re-imagining of the classic Three Kingdoms story from Chinese history, and is another martial arts epic. The story is about a king and the people's struggle for their rightful land, as told through the perspectives of the king, his sister, his commander, the entrapped women of the palace, and a commoner. It's filmed in a unique "Chinese watercolor" style with a muted style resembling a B&W look (though it does have some color). The cast includes Ryan Zheng, Chao Deng, Qianyuan Wang, Jun Hu, Xiaotong Guan,...

Get your first look! An international teaser trailer has debuted for Shadow, the latest film from acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou. The film is a re-imagining of the classic Three Kingdoms story from Chinese history, and is yet another martial arts epic. The story is about a king and the people's struggle for their rightful land, as told through the perspectives of the king, his sister, his commander, the entrapped women of the palace, and a commoner. It's filmed in a unique "Chinese watercolor" style and is both Zhang Yimou's return to his roots as a filmmaker and a bold new beginning. The cast includes Ryan Zheng, Chao Deng, Qianyuan Wang, Jun Hu, Xiaotong Guan, Lei Wu, Li Sun, Jingchun Wang. This is only a teaser, but I'm already interested. The footage in here looks cool - can't wait to ...

I've got a fantastic first trailer here for you to watch for a new supernatural martial arts thriller called Shadow. The film comes from director Zhang Yimou who has previously brought us films such as Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Curse of the Golden Flower, Matt Damon's The Great Wall and the Christian Bale's The Flowers of War. He's going back to his roots with this new film and it looks like it could be stunning!

I absolutely love what I'm seeing in this first trailer. It looks like it was beautifully shot and there's sure to be some incredibly cool fight choreography. On top of that, the story looks intriguing!

The film is set during China's Three Kingdom's era (Ad 220–280) and it tells the story of a king and his people’s struggle for their rightful land. That story is told through the perspectives of the king,...

While Zhang Yimou has recently collaborated with Hollywood stars in the Matt Damon-led The Great Wall and the Christian Bale-led The Flowers of War, he’s returning to his roots with his next feature, the period martial arts epic Shadow. Ahead of a release in China later this year, the first trailer has now arrived.

As suggested within the nature of the title, Shadow is a mystic thriller that takes place during medieval China and tells the story of a king and his people’s struggle for their rightful land – all told through the perspectives of the king, his sister, his commander, the entrapped women of the palace, and a commoner. This ensemble will feature Ryan Zheng, Xiaotong Guan, Chao Deng, Li Sun, Qianyuan Wang, Jun Hu, Lei Wu, and Jingchun Wang.

Check out the first trailer and posters for Shadow below via Cinemaldito.

Sneak peek was unveiled at Shanghai International Film Festival today [June 19].

Village Roadshow Pictures Asia (Vrpa) have released four first look images of Zhang Yimou’s Shadow.

The movie, which started shooting in March, is his follow-up to the $135m monster movie The Great Wall, starring Matt Damon.

Source: Village Roadshow Pictures Asia

Vrpa and Le Vision Pictures are co-producing the film.

The visually striking images feature four of the film’s stars, Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai and Guan Xiaotong, with only Qianyuan Wang not featured.

Source: Village Roadshow Pictures Asia

Vrpa gave Shanghai International Film Festival attendees a sneak peek of Shadow today [June 19].

Not much is known about the plot but, according to local media, it is set during China’s Three Kingdom’s era of Ad 220-280, with the film written by Zhang and Wei Li and will be told entirely in Mandarin.

Source: Village Roadshow Pictures Asia...

After the costly, and ultimately disappointing, monster-packed Hollywood tentpole The Great Wall, Chinese cinema legend Zhang Yimou appears to be returning to more tried and tested material — beautifully crafted martial arts period drama.

Village Roadshow Pictures Asia offered Asian film fans a sneak peek of Zhang's much anticipated next project, Shadow, at the Shanghai International Film Festival on Monday.

The images released feature four of the film's stars, Deng Chao, Sun Li, Zheng Kai, Guan Xiaotong, engaged in moments of poignant drama and artful combat (Qianyuan Wang, not pictured, is also attached to the project).

Little is officially known...

It may not have made much of a splash here, but Zhang Yimou‘s The Great Wall has made nearly $330 million worldwide, and now he’s already started shooting his next project. Variety reports the director has begun production on Shadow, a historical epic that takes place in the Three Kingdoms era around mid-200s Ad. Unfortunately, no details are revealed beyond that, but the cast includes Deng Chao, Zheng Kai, Wang Qianyuan, Hu Jun, Guan Xiaotong, Wu Lei and Wang Jingchun. With production underway, hopefully we’ll see it by next year.

In other news, Chris Evans has found the rare non-Captain America role. Deadline reports he’ll be leading Red Sea Diving Resort, a new drama from longtime Homeland writer-producer Gideon Raff. The film will follow Evans’ character, Ari Kidron, and his ragtag team’s involvement in rescuing Jewish people from Ethiopia and transporting them to Israel...

Details announced for new film from the director of Hero and The Great Wall.

Zhang Yimou has started shooting his new feature, Shadow, starring Deng Chao, Zheng Kai and Wang Qianyuan, in China today (March 18).

Village Roadshow Pictures Asia (Vrpa) and Le Vision Pictures are co-producing the film, which also stars Hu Jun, Guan Xiaotong, Wu Lei and Wang Jingchun.

Vrpa said in a statement that further cast announcements will be made soon.

Zhang’s last feature was $135m monster movie The Great Wall, in which Le Vision was a minority investor alongside Legendary East and China Film Group.

More to follow.