News

Director Zhang Yimou to adapt sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem for film, following successful Netflix series by Benioff & Weiss. Three full seasons confirmed for Netflix's 3 Body Problem series, praised for bold story and intricate blend of physics and intrigue. Director Zhang Yimou, known for visually stunning films, set to bring complex tale of human-alien interaction to the big screen.

Acclaimed director Zhang Yimou next venture will be the film adaptation of the sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. This announcement was made by Wang Changtian, CEO of Enlight Media, during the Shanghai International Film Festival's opening forum.

This news (via Variety) arrives hot on the heels of the novel's successful debut as a series on Netflix. Produced by Game of Thrones alums David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with Alexander Woo, the series premiered its first season in March and was quickly renewed for two more, proving...

For 3-Body Problem fans itching for more content, youre in luck a feature adaptation of the 3-Body Problems novels is officially in the hands of long-time Chinese film director Zhang Yimou. According to Deadline, CEO of Chinas Enlight Media Wang Changtian recently made the announcement at the Shanghai International Film Festival that not only was the film confirmed with Yimou attached as director, but that it is already well underway and indeed in the pre-production stage.

Liu Cixin's sci-fi novel Three-Body Problem is being adapted into a new movie. The movie will be helmed by Hero and The Great Wall director Zhang Yimou. The movie will likely have to compete with the upcoming seasons of Netflix's splashy adaptation 3 Body Problem.

Three-Body Problem is being adapted into a new movie. The 2008 Liu Cixin sci-fi novel, which follows multiple timelines of Earth's interactions with extraterrestrials, is the first installment in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. Most recently, the novel has been adapted into a Netflix show created by Alexander Woo with Game of Thrones' David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. 3 Body Problem season 2 and season 3 have already been renewed, allowing the show to adapt the complete trilogy.

Per Deadline, a new adaptation of the Three-Body Problem novel was announced at the Shanghai International Film Festival by Enlight Media chairman Wang Changtian. The movie,...

The new Netflix series 3 Body Problem is continuing to tell the story of its first season through some “additional episodes” that the streamer has ordered, which will seemingly segue into new seasons as the show has been renewed for two more. The 3 Body Problem was the title of the first novel in Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy. The second novel was titled The Dark Forest and the third was Death’s End. The first season of 3 Body Problem did pull in a sizeable audience, but the show wasn’t exactly the massive hit Netflix was hoping it would be, especially when you factor in the price tag of over $20 million per episode.

The property will now also be getting a feature film treatment as Deadline has revealed that renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou, known for the Jet Li film Hero and the Matt Damon...

Liu Cixin’s best-selling sci-fi book The Three-Body Problem is heading home to China to get another screen adaptation. Zhang Yimou, arguably China’s most revered living filmmaker, is set to direct a Chinese-language feature film based on the novel, it was revealed Sunday during a forum at the Shanghai International Film festival.

In Shanghai, Wang Changtian, chairman of leading local studio Beijing Enlight Media, said his company was in the early stages of developing the project, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported. Three-Body Universe Cultural Development Co., a subsidiary of Yoozoo Pictures and the copyright holder for the book and related media, also confirmed the project was in the works.

News of Zhang’s involvement in a Chinese take on the beloved sci-fi saga lit up Chinese social media Monday. The Three-Body Problem, the first book in Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, has spawned several adaptations...

A feature version of the buzzy Three-Body Problem sci-fi novels is in the works from veteran Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou.

Zhang will direct the film. The announcement was made by Wang Changtian, CEO of China’s Enlight Media, during the opening forum of the Shanghai International Film Festival this past weekend. He said the project is currently in the pre-production stage. Footage of the announcement has been shared widely across social media sites.

enlight media chairman wang changtian announced at the opening forum of #Siff that the movie version of “three-body,” that is co-developed by light chaser animation studios and three-body universe will be directed by zhang yimou. it’s currently in the pre-production stage pic.twitter.com/nw6SOLP2KR

—...

Zhang Yimou, director of many of China’s most spectacular and successful movies, is to try his hand at sci-fi. He will direct a film adaptation of “The Three-Body Problem.”

The project was announced Sunday by Wang Changtian, founder and CEO of Enlight Media, one of China’s top three studios, at a forum organized within the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Wang said that Zhang is in the early stages of preparations for the film. “We hope that director Zhang Yimou can grasp the essence of the ‘Three-Body Problem’ novel and make some breakthroughs and innovations, and gain something in the international market,” said Wang. Zhang has long been a creative consultant to Enlight and has shot several movies for the studio.

Chinese state media subsequently reported that copyright holder The Three-Body Universe Cultural Development had confirmed Wang’s information.

The 2008 novel is the first part of a trilogy written by Chinese author Liu Cixin.

Beijing-based studio Enlight Media is paying $245m for a 19% stake in China’s largest online ticketing platform Maoyan.

In addition, Enlight Media’s parent company Enlight Holding will acquire a 38.4% stake in Tianjin Maoyan Culture Media for $122.5m in cash and a 6% stake in Enlight Media.

Following the deal, which values Maoyan at around $1.3bn (RMB8.3bn), Chinese billionaire Wang Xing’s stake in the company would be reduced from 85.5% to 31%. The deal is subject to shareholder approval.

Wang Xing is the founder of ecommerce site Meituan.com, which merged with rival Dianping last year. It was announced last month that Maoyan would be spun off from Meituan-Dianping to enable the platform to grow and face competition from rival services.

“We will provide appropriate industry resources to strengthen Maoyan’s involvement in upstream businesses and create a leading internet + integrated entertainment platform,” said Enlight founder and chairman Wang Changtian.

Maoyan covers around 5,200 Chinese cinemas and 120 million users. In...

Alibaba revealed further details of its streaming service and crowdfunding platform at Siff Forum, where talk revolved around the convergence of China’s movie and internet industries and new financing models.

Shanghai International Film Festival’s Siff Forum spent the first two days debating how the entry of Bat (Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent) and other tech giants will impact a film industry that has only existed as a commercial enterprise for the past 15 years.

Speaking at the first session, Alibaba’s digital chief Patrick Liu said the company would launch an Svod and Tvod streaming service, Tmall Box Office (Tbo), in the next two months. Content will be sourced from China and overseas studios such as Lionsgate, which struck a streaming deal with Alibaba last year.

On the sidelines of the forum, Alibaba also revealed further details of its Yulebao crowdfunding platform, which has already raised $110m for around 20 Chinese movies and, if regulations...

Andrew Dominik, the New Zealand writer-director of Chopper, Killing Them Softly and the criminally under-seen western The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford will next write the screenplay for Shaolin Temple, the big-budget remake of the 1982 Shaw Brothers classic, for Justin Lin.The Fast And Furious director is currently in production on the latest instalment of The Bourne Identity franchise, but will then turn his attentions to this 3D reinterpretation of the film that debuted the talents of a young Jet Li more than three decades ago. Produced by Troy Craig Poon of Perfect Storm Entertainment, Bruno Wu of Seven Stars and Wang Changtian of Beijing Enlight Pictures, this Chinese co-production has already been tagged as a large scale tentpole release with...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Filmmaker Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Killing Them Softly) has signed on to write the screenplay for the Shaolin Temple remake, which has Justin Lin attached to direct.

The original Shaolin Temple, which was released in 1982, marked the feature film debut of Jet Li. The story is set between the Sui Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty, centering on the son of a Tang emperor slave worker who escapes to the temple to learn kung fu, so he can get revenge on the General who betrayed the emperor. The project was first announced back in January, with Perfect Storm Entertainment and Beijing Enlight Pictures backing the 3D project which will likely cost more than $100 million.

After writing and directing Chopper, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Killing Them Softly, this will be the first project that Andrew Dominik will only write and not direct.

Shaolin Temple

Andrew Dominik ("Chopper," "Killing Them Softly") has come onboard to write the Justin Lin-directed China-set 3D feature "Shaolin Temple" for Perfect Storm Entertainment and Beijing Enlight Pictures. Troy Craig Poon, Bruno Wu and Wang Changtian are producing.

A remake of the 1982 film which served as Jet Li's screen debut, the story is set in the period between China's Sui and Tang Dynasties. When the Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, the son of one of his slave workers escapes to the temple, trains in kung fu, and sets out to kill the traitor. [Source: Deadline]

The Whites

Sony Pictures is in negotiations to option the film rights to "Clockers" and "The Wanderers" author Richard Price's upcoming crime novel "The Whites" for Scott Rudin to produce.

The story follows detective Billy Graves, whose tainted past comes back to haunt him when he takes on a...

Exclusive: Here’s a China-set project worth getting excited about. Andrew Dominik, the writer-director of Chopper and Killing Them Softly, has been set to write the script for Shaolin Temple for Fast And Furious‘ Justin Lin to direct. The film is backed by Perfect Storm Entertainment and Beijing Enlight Pictures with Beijing Enlight also distributing. Troy Craig Poon of Perfect Storm Entertainment, Bruno Wu of Seven Stars and Wang Changtian of Beijing Enlight are producing.

The 3D film is a remake of the 1982 film which marked the screen debut of iconic martial artist Jet Li, and was based on Shaolin folklore and set during the transition period between the Sui Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty. When the Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, the son of one of his slave workers escapes to the temple, trains in kung fu, and sets out to kill the traitor. This...

"Fast and Furious" 3-6 helmer Justin Lin is set to make his Chinese language debut directing a remake of the 1982 Jet Li career launching kung-fu feature "Shaolin Temple".

Beijing Enlight Pictures Co. Ltd., Seven Stars and Perfect Storm will produce the 3D project which is a while off as pre-production is expected to take up to two years. No specific filming start date is yet set.

The original film is set in the period between China's Sui and Tang Dynasties. When the Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, the son of one of his slave workers escapes to the temple, trains in kung fu, and sets out to kill the traitor.

Troy Craig Poon, Bruno Wu and Wang Changtian will produce the new version which is expected to be budgeted over $100 million.

Lin is presently at work as executive producer on "Fast and Furious 7" and is attached...

Justin Lin, the director soon to jump onto the next movie in the Jason Bourne franchise for August next year, has signed a deal with Perfect Storm Entertainment to direct a Mandarin-language remake of 1982′s Jet Li introductory vehicle Shaolin Temple.

The movie would be budgeted at over $100 million dollars and is poised to matter as it might be timed to be the biggest hit when China becomes the world’s largest film-going market. That’s if Lin makes this his post-Bourne project.

“We will commence only when we feel this is ready,” says Perfect Storm Entertainment CEO Troy Craig Poon. The 1982 Shaolin Temple was a Hong Kong martial arts movie directed by Chang Hsin Yen. The original story was based on Shaolin folklore and set during the transition period between the Sui Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty. When the Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, the...

Wang Changtian, the president of China's Enlight Media, has been selected to receive the CineAsia Production & Filmmaker Award at this year's convention in Hong Kong. Enlight Media has grown under Wang's leadership into the country's largest private media and entertainment company. It produces film, TV, awards shows, new-media content and houses a talent agency. Says Robert H. Sunshine, co-managing director of CineAsia, "Wang's entrepreneurial spirit in founding Enlight Media 15 years ago has led to it becoming the largest and fastest-growing private media entertainment company in China." CineAsia, produced by The Hollywood Reporter parent company

read more...