China officially arrives back at Cannes this year intent on showcasing its hits, while promoting the opportunities for international collaborations the country’s film industry leaders are increasingly keen to explore.
There are more than 60 film companies from the nation involved at the China Film Pavilion — situated at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès and organized by the China Film Co-Production Corporation (Cfcc) under the guidance of the China Film Administration — and visitors can learn all about more than 180 Chinese films.
“We hope to promote exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign film industries through the China Film Pavilion and help Chinese films go global,” a Cfcc spokesperson says. “Through the pavilion and film as a medium, mutual understanding between Chinese and foreign filmmakers can be deepened to further foster communication and cooperation for mutual development. The China Film Pavilion will continue to explore a broader platform for Chinese and foreign film exchange.
There are more than 60 film companies from the nation involved at the China Film Pavilion — situated at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès and organized by the China Film Co-Production Corporation (Cfcc) under the guidance of the China Film Administration — and visitors can learn all about more than 180 Chinese films.
“We hope to promote exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign film industries through the China Film Pavilion and help Chinese films go global,” a Cfcc spokesperson says. “Through the pavilion and film as a medium, mutual understanding between Chinese and foreign filmmakers can be deepened to further foster communication and cooperation for mutual development. The China Film Pavilion will continue to explore a broader platform for Chinese and foreign film exchange.
- 5/16/2024
- by Mathew Scott
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The shadow of Xu Zhonglin's influential novel “The Investiture of the Gods” looms long over Chinese popular culture. As one of the most well-regarded vernacular epics since the 16th century, its heady blend of history and mythology has been a creatively enticing gauntlet for many filmmakers. Before now, the last big-budget stab at the material was 2016's 3D flop “League of Gods”, led by an all-star cast including Jet Li, Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Louis Koo, and still somehow won Worst Picture at that year's Golden Broom Awards. The crown now lies heavy on the head of filmmaker Wuershan, a director experienced in the fantasy genre (his “Painted Skin 2: The Resurrection” was at one time China's highest grossing movie domestically) but still holding the great responsibility of condensing 100 chapters of beloved high-concept magic and action into a movie…or three. Does the first chapter, “Kingdom of Storms”, capture...
- 5/14/2024
- by Simon Ramshaw
- AsianMoviePulse
The 44th edition of genre film festival Fantasporto, which runs in Portugal’s second city Porto from March 1-10, has bestowed its best film award on Japanese sci-fi fantasy pic “From the End of the World,” directed by Kaz I Kiriya.
The movie follows 10-year-old Hana, whose dreams transport her across various eras in Japanese history, and have the ability to save humanity.
The jury’s special award went to “The Complex Forms,” Italian director Fabio D’Orta’s debut feature. The sci-fi horror centers on a man who has sold his body so it can be possessed by a creature of unknown nature.
The prize for best direction was nabbed by Spanish filmmaker Gonzalo López-Gallego for horror movie “The Shadow of the Shark” (La Sombra del Tiburon). In the film, a young woman, Alma, is undergoing therapy as she is unable to sleep. With the help of surveillance cameras, she...
The movie follows 10-year-old Hana, whose dreams transport her across various eras in Japanese history, and have the ability to save humanity.
The jury’s special award went to “The Complex Forms,” Italian director Fabio D’Orta’s debut feature. The sci-fi horror centers on a man who has sold his body so it can be possessed by a creature of unknown nature.
The prize for best direction was nabbed by Spanish filmmaker Gonzalo López-Gallego for horror movie “The Shadow of the Shark” (La Sombra del Tiburon). In the film, a young woman, Alma, is undergoing therapy as she is unable to sleep. With the help of surveillance cameras, she...
- 3/9/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Fantasporto, the Oporto Intl. Film Festival, kicked off Friday in Portugal’s Porto — a city famed for its elegant Romanesque cathedral, a bookstore that inspired “Harry Potter,” and the heady alcoholic drink — with an eclectic mix of titles but an emphasis on fantasy films.
Typifying the broad tastes of the festival chiefs, film critics Beatriz Pacheco Pereira and Mário Dorminsky, Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand’s satire “Testament” opened the event’s 44th edition at Batalha Centro de Cinema, and Chinese fantasy epic “Creation of Gods I: Kingdom of Storms,” directed by Wuershan, closes it.
Although Pacheco Pereira and Dorminsky, who compete with the Brussels Intl. Fantastic Film Festival and Sitges for fantasy films in Europe, know they can’t please everyone in Porto with their selection “what is really important to us is whether the audiences applaud the films,” Dorminsky says. “This is not a job for us. It is a pleasure.
Typifying the broad tastes of the festival chiefs, film critics Beatriz Pacheco Pereira and Mário Dorminsky, Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand’s satire “Testament” opened the event’s 44th edition at Batalha Centro de Cinema, and Chinese fantasy epic “Creation of Gods I: Kingdom of Storms,” directed by Wuershan, closes it.
Although Pacheco Pereira and Dorminsky, who compete with the Brussels Intl. Fantastic Film Festival and Sitges for fantasy films in Europe, know they can’t please everyone in Porto with their selection “what is really important to us is whether the audiences applaud the films,” Dorminsky says. “This is not a job for us. It is a pleasure.
- 3/2/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
‘In the Belly of a Tiger’, directed and cinematographed by Siddhartha Jatla is poised for its world premiere at the distinguished 74th Berlin International Film Festival. This film promises a captivating human narrative intertwined with visually stunning cinematography, a testament to Jatla’s profound connection with the art of filmmaking since his formative years.
Co-written by Siddhartha and Amanda Mooney, the story unfolds in rural India, delving into the resilience of the human spirit amidst the harsh realities of power dynamics where the vulnerable are exploited by the powerful. The film centres on the fundamental right of human dignity, as a family grapples with economic insecurity. The film contrasts the beauty of the human spirit, and a deeply personal love story, with this harsh reality and calls for human society to bring hope and dignity to families in need.
Siddharth, a cinematography graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India...
Co-written by Siddhartha and Amanda Mooney, the story unfolds in rural India, delving into the resilience of the human spirit amidst the harsh realities of power dynamics where the vulnerable are exploited by the powerful. The film centres on the fundamental right of human dignity, as a family grapples with economic insecurity. The film contrasts the beauty of the human spirit, and a deeply personal love story, with this harsh reality and calls for human society to bring hope and dignity to families in need.
Siddharth, a cinematography graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India...
- 2/13/2024
- by Editorial Desk
- GlamSham
Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand’s satire “Testament” will open the 44th edition of Fantasporto, which runs March 1-10 in Portugal’s second city, Porto. Chinese fantasy epic “Creation of Gods I: Kingdom of Storms,” directed by Wuershan, closes the eclectic event.
The festival, which was named by MovieMaker magazine this year as one of the “25 coolest festivals in the world,” is headed by film critics Beatriz Pacheco Pereira and Mário Dorminsky. Around 600 feature films were submitted this year and 1,200 shorts.
Pacheco Pereira says they select films that have a “special touch but still a universal language.” Dorminsky adds: “We try to discover new directors.” These directors – having established a relationship with the festival – often return with their subsequent films, he says.
“Testament” epitomizes one trend that Pacheco Pereira identifies, which is “old people asking: ‘Where is the world going?'” She adds: “‘Testament’ is a wonderful film in which an...
The festival, which was named by MovieMaker magazine this year as one of the “25 coolest festivals in the world,” is headed by film critics Beatriz Pacheco Pereira and Mário Dorminsky. Around 600 feature films were submitted this year and 1,200 shorts.
Pacheco Pereira says they select films that have a “special touch but still a universal language.” Dorminsky adds: “We try to discover new directors.” These directors – having established a relationship with the festival – often return with their subsequent films, he says.
“Testament” epitomizes one trend that Pacheco Pereira identifies, which is “old people asking: ‘Where is the world going?'” She adds: “‘Testament’ is a wonderful film in which an...
- 12/18/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Similar to his other films, Wuershan’s Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms begins with a narration about how the world came to be. The world had no shape at the beginning of time. The mighty god Pangu transformed his body into the sun, the moon, the mountains, and the rivers. Another god, Nuwa, made people out of clay, and her spirit gave them life. When Nuwa died, she hid a powerful artifact that held the secret of creation. This artifact was called the “Fengshen Bang” and could turn humans and monsters into gods. The immortals of Kunlun were trusted to guard it. This artifact could only be opened by the king of all realms when it was absolutely necessary. Sadly, the current king of the realms was a despicable evil.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Does Yin Shou Order the Construction of Pyres?
As generations came and went, Yin...
Spoilers Ahead
Why Does Yin Shou Order the Construction of Pyres?
As generations came and went, Yin...
- 11/20/2023
- by Rishabh Shandilya
- Film Fugitives
Exclusive: Stars Collective, a Los Angeles-based film finance and mentorship arm, has announced the launch of Stars Asian International Film Festival – a new capsule film showcase to take place in Los Angeles November 12-16.
The festival, which will include a dozen feature selections celebrating Asian cinema, will spotlight a broad range of exceptional films by Asian filmmakers, including a Xiaogang Feng Retrospective which will run from the 9th to the 16th. Kicking off the festival will be the Opening Ceremony on November 12th; the StarS Summit held at the Petersen Automotive Museum on November 13th; followed by the StarS Gala, in collaboration with Women In Film (Wif) on November 14th at the Audrey Irmas Pavilion; and concluding with the Closing Gala at the Los Angeles Theatre on November 16th.
“We are thrilled to launch the Stars Asian International Film Festival. This festival embodies our commitment to showcasing the richness and diversity of Asian cinema,...
The festival, which will include a dozen feature selections celebrating Asian cinema, will spotlight a broad range of exceptional films by Asian filmmakers, including a Xiaogang Feng Retrospective which will run from the 9th to the 16th. Kicking off the festival will be the Opening Ceremony on November 12th; the StarS Summit held at the Petersen Automotive Museum on November 13th; followed by the StarS Gala, in collaboration with Women In Film (Wif) on November 14th at the Audrey Irmas Pavilion; and concluding with the Closing Gala at the Los Angeles Theatre on November 16th.
“We are thrilled to launch the Stars Asian International Film Festival. This festival embodies our commitment to showcasing the richness and diversity of Asian cinema,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Trinity CineAsia has acquired Chinese fantasy epic Creation Of The Gods I: Kingdom Of Storms for multiple territories, including the UK, Ireland, France and Spain.
Highlight Entertainment Co is handling international sales on the film, the first installment in a planned trilogy, which opened in China in late July and became a big hit, grossing more than $400M and still running.
Directed by leading Chinese filmmaker Wu Ershan (Mojin: The Lost Legend), the film is based on Chinese classic ‘Investiture Of The Gods’ (Fengshen Bang) and tells the story of an epic battle between humans, immortals and monsters during the overthrow of King Zhou at the end of the Shang Dynasty.
The cast is headed by Kris Phillips, Li Xuejian, Huang Bo, Yu Shi, Chen Muchi and Naran. Lead producers on the film include Du Yang, Luo Shanshan, Wu Erhan and Yan Xuefeng.
The film is being released theatrically...
Highlight Entertainment Co is handling international sales on the film, the first installment in a planned trilogy, which opened in China in late July and became a big hit, grossing more than $400M and still running.
Directed by leading Chinese filmmaker Wu Ershan (Mojin: The Lost Legend), the film is based on Chinese classic ‘Investiture Of The Gods’ (Fengshen Bang) and tells the story of an epic battle between humans, immortals and monsters during the overthrow of King Zhou at the end of the Shang Dynasty.
The cast is headed by Kris Phillips, Li Xuejian, Huang Bo, Yu Shi, Chen Muchi and Naran. Lead producers on the film include Du Yang, Luo Shanshan, Wu Erhan and Yan Xuefeng.
The film is being released theatrically...
- 9/20/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Director Wuershan’s ambitious adaptation of Xu Zhonglin’s 16th-century novel has too much highly variable CGI but its idiosyncrasies set it apart
“Strange things keep happening these days,” muses Jiang Ziya (Bo Huang) halfway through this extravagant adaptation of Xu Zhonglin’s 16th-century myth-and-fantasy novel Investiture of the Gods. By this point, we’ve already seen a woman kill herself with a hatpin before being possessed by the spirit of a white fox; a gurgling, pistachio-coloured demon baby is found naked in the woods; and a conjuror who can make his head float free of his body when threatened with decapitation. Strange days indeed.
Ziya is one of three immortals sent to arrest the Great Curse which is threatening the future of the Shang dynasty. King Zhou (Kris Phillips) is besotted with the seductive but malevolent Su Daji (Naran), and is letting his kingdom descend into carnage. The only hope is the Fengshen Bang,...
“Strange things keep happening these days,” muses Jiang Ziya (Bo Huang) halfway through this extravagant adaptation of Xu Zhonglin’s 16th-century myth-and-fantasy novel Investiture of the Gods. By this point, we’ve already seen a woman kill herself with a hatpin before being possessed by the spirit of a white fox; a gurgling, pistachio-coloured demon baby is found naked in the woods; and a conjuror who can make his head float free of his body when threatened with decapitation. Strange days indeed.
Ziya is one of three immortals sent to arrest the Great Curse which is threatening the future of the Shang dynasty. King Zhou (Kris Phillips) is besotted with the seductive but malevolent Su Daji (Naran), and is letting his kingdom descend into carnage. The only hope is the Fengshen Bang,...
- 9/19/2023
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired North American distribution rights to fantasy epic Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms, one of China’s biggest films of the year.
Directed by Wuershan (Painted Skin: The Resurrection, Mojin: The Lost Legend), the film is the first installment in the planned Fengshen Trilogy, a three-part feature adaptation of the classic Chinese novel by Xu Zhonglin. It stars Kris Phillips (The Monkey King 2), Li Xuejian (The Wandering Earth II), Huang Bo (Journey to the West), Yu Shi (Born to Fly), Chen Muchi, Ci Sha and acclaimed newcomer Naran.
Among the Beijing film industry’s top-earning titles this summer, Kingdom of Storms has earned $375 million in China and remains on release.
Well Go will put the film out in North American theaters Sept. 22, with special Imax preview showings available in select locations Sept. 20.
The first installment of the trilogy’s legendary tale — which...
Directed by Wuershan (Painted Skin: The Resurrection, Mojin: The Lost Legend), the film is the first installment in the planned Fengshen Trilogy, a three-part feature adaptation of the classic Chinese novel by Xu Zhonglin. It stars Kris Phillips (The Monkey King 2), Li Xuejian (The Wandering Earth II), Huang Bo (Journey to the West), Yu Shi (Born to Fly), Chen Muchi, Ci Sha and acclaimed newcomer Naran.
Among the Beijing film industry’s top-earning titles this summer, Kingdom of Storms has earned $375 million in China and remains on release.
Well Go will put the film out in North American theaters Sept. 22, with special Imax preview showings available in select locations Sept. 20.
The first installment of the trilogy’s legendary tale — which...
- 9/8/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
China’s summer box office has crossed the RMB20bn ($2.75bn) threshold for the first time, taking the country’s year-to-date gross to nearly $6bn.
According to official data published by government agency China Film Administration, $2.87bn (RMB20.62bn) box office sales were generated from 505 million cinema admission from June 1 – August 31. The star performers were all local productions, which occupied the top six spots at the box office and accounted for 87.6% of the market share.
According to ticketing platform Maoyan, the runaway champion was No More Bets, directed by Shen Ao and produced by Ning Hao. The crime drama, which...
According to official data published by government agency China Film Administration, $2.87bn (RMB20.62bn) box office sales were generated from 505 million cinema admission from June 1 – August 31. The star performers were all local productions, which occupied the top six spots at the box office and accounted for 87.6% of the market share.
According to ticketing platform Maoyan, the runaway champion was No More Bets, directed by Shen Ao and produced by Ning Hao. The crime drama, which...
- 9/1/2023
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Universal’s ‘Oppenheimer’ nears $650m worldwide.
Worldwide box office Aug 11-13, 2023 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) 3-day (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. No More Bets (various) $87.9m $231.9m $87.9m $231.9m 1 2. Barbie (Warner Bros) $78.8m $1.18bn $45.1m $657.6m 76 3. Meg 2: The Trench (Warner Bros) $56.4m $256.9m $43.7m $202.8m 76 4. Oppenheimer (Universal) $50.7m $649m $31.9m $384.8m 80 5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount) $26.2m $94.7m $10.4m $21.9m 48 6. Creation Of The Gods: Part 1 (various) $23.9m $275.6m $23.9m $275.6m 1 7. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount) $15.6m $522.5m $10.9m $362.9m 68 8. Gran Turismo: Based On A True Story (Sony) $10.7m $10.7m $10.7m...
Worldwide box office Aug 11-13, 2023 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) 3-day (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. No More Bets (various) $87.9m $231.9m $87.9m $231.9m 1 2. Barbie (Warner Bros) $78.8m $1.18bn $45.1m $657.6m 76 3. Meg 2: The Trench (Warner Bros) $56.4m $256.9m $43.7m $202.8m 76 4. Oppenheimer (Universal) $50.7m $649m $31.9m $384.8m 80 5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount) $26.2m $94.7m $10.4m $21.9m 48 6. Creation Of The Gods: Part 1 (various) $23.9m $275.6m $23.9m $275.6m 1 7. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount) $15.6m $522.5m $10.9m $362.9m 68 8. Gran Turismo: Based On A True Story (Sony) $10.7m $10.7m $10.7m...
- 8/14/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
‘Lost In The Stars’ and ‘Never Say Never’ among local hits that have propelled takings.
China’s box office continued to heat up in the summer months as July closed with $1.2bn (RMB8.7bn), the second biggest month this year, according to the latest data provided by Artisan Gateway.
Four local films ruled the market, each of which crossed the RMB1bn mark. Directed by and starring Wang Baoqiang, Happy Pictures’ Never Say Never has taken $287.7m (RMB2.04bn) as of July 30. The drama opened on July 6 and is based on a true story of a man who turned orphans into martial arts fighters.
China’s box office continued to heat up in the summer months as July closed with $1.2bn (RMB8.7bn), the second biggest month this year, according to the latest data provided by Artisan Gateway.
Four local films ruled the market, each of which crossed the RMB1bn mark. Directed by and starring Wang Baoqiang, Happy Pictures’ Never Say Never has taken $287.7m (RMB2.04bn) as of July 30. The drama opened on July 6 and is based on a true story of a man who turned orphans into martial arts fighters.
- 8/2/2023
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
In the end, it was always going to come down to those youngsters.
China’s First International Film Festival, which has now 17 editions, prided itself on providing a platform on which the county’s next generation of filmmakers can reveal their talent. Fittingly, then, the event is attended by a predominantly young audience. They travel in large numbers to the city of Xining, set in China’s mountainous central region, fringing the Tibetan Plateau, and they really do feast on the program of independent films.
There were 98 films screened across the festival’s nine-day run, 27 features and 71 shorts among them. There were Q&a sessions with the audience that often ran well into overtime, such was the enthusiasm shown for everything from a gritty but life-affirming three-hour drama about a migrant woman trying to forge a life in a big city (Qin Tian’s Fate of the Moonlight) to a...
China’s First International Film Festival, which has now 17 editions, prided itself on providing a platform on which the county’s next generation of filmmakers can reveal their talent. Fittingly, then, the event is attended by a predominantly young audience. They travel in large numbers to the city of Xining, set in China’s mountainous central region, fringing the Tibetan Plateau, and they really do feast on the program of independent films.
There were 98 films screened across the festival’s nine-day run, 27 features and 71 shorts among them. There were Q&a sessions with the audience that often ran well into overtime, such was the enthusiasm shown for everything from a gritty but life-affirming three-hour drama about a migrant woman trying to forge a life in a big city (Qin Tian’s Fate of the Moonlight) to a...
- 7/31/2023
- by Mathew Scott
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms,” the first part of Wuershan’s big-budget “Fengshen Trilogy,” topped the mainland China box office for the second weekend and expanded its week-on-week haul by 35%.
‘Barbie’ also showed signs of resilience in a market where it opened a week earlier in a disappointing fifth place.
“Creation of the Gods I” grossed $57.6 million. according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. That compares with $42.6 million in it opening frame and after 11 days in Chinese theaters, it has earned $156 million. Also, unlike its first weekend, “Creation of the Gods” was the winner on each day between Friday and Sunday.
The “Fengshen Trilogy” set out to be a mega scale blending of history, folklore and mythology from more than 3,000 years ago, that would be China’s answer to both “Lord of the Rings” and “Iron Man.” It counts of Barrie Osborne (“Lord of the Rings...
‘Barbie’ also showed signs of resilience in a market where it opened a week earlier in a disappointing fifth place.
“Creation of the Gods I” grossed $57.6 million. according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. That compares with $42.6 million in it opening frame and after 11 days in Chinese theaters, it has earned $156 million. Also, unlike its first weekend, “Creation of the Gods” was the winner on each day between Friday and Sunday.
The “Fengshen Trilogy” set out to be a mega scale blending of history, folklore and mythology from more than 3,000 years ago, that would be China’s answer to both “Lord of the Rings” and “Iron Man.” It counts of Barrie Osborne (“Lord of the Rings...
- 7/31/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
‘Creation Of The Gods I: Kingdom Of Storms’ opened with $42.6m.
‘Barbie’ opened in fifth place at the China box office, unable to match the number one success it has achieved in several other key international territories around the world.
Released by Warner Bros, the US feature starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling took just $8.2m across the three-day weekend from July 21, according to consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which Universal Pictures opened in numerous territories globally over the weekend, has secured a China release but no date has yet been assigned by regulators meaning a launch...
‘Barbie’ opened in fifth place at the China box office, unable to match the number one success it has achieved in several other key international territories around the world.
Released by Warner Bros, the US feature starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling took just $8.2m across the three-day weekend from July 21, according to consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which Universal Pictures opened in numerous territories globally over the weekend, has secured a China release but no date has yet been assigned by regulators meaning a launch...
- 7/24/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Barbie‘s phenomenal box office opening in the U.S. wasn’t matched in China — not by a long shot.
The Greta Gerwig-directed Warner Bros. blockbuster opened to just $8 million in China, finishing the weekend in fifth place behind a bunch of local Chinese hits. In North America, the film debuted to a record-setting $155 million.
The soft start for Barbie continues a trend of Hollywood films earning much less in China than they once did. Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One badly lost its opening in China the weekend prior with a third-place start behind a pair of Chinese holdovers.
Word of mouth for Barbie has been strong, despite the tepid sales. Its social scores are 9.4 on Maoyan, 9.3 on Tao Piao Piao and 8.6 on Douban. On Monday, the good buzz appeared to be giving Barbie a modest boost, with its sales ranking climbing into third place for the day.
The Greta Gerwig-directed Warner Bros. blockbuster opened to just $8 million in China, finishing the weekend in fifth place behind a bunch of local Chinese hits. In North America, the film debuted to a record-setting $155 million.
The soft start for Barbie continues a trend of Hollywood films earning much less in China than they once did. Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One badly lost its opening in China the weekend prior with a third-place start behind a pair of Chinese holdovers.
Word of mouth for Barbie has been strong, despite the tepid sales. Its social scores are 9.4 on Maoyan, 9.3 on Tao Piao Piao and 8.6 on Douban. On Monday, the good buzz appeared to be giving Barbie a modest boost, with its sales ranking climbing into third place for the day.
- 7/24/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While “Barbie” was romping to box office records in North American and scoring strongly in many international territories, the pink phenomenon could muster only fifth place in China, the world’s second largest movie market, on its opening weekend.
“Barbie” managed $8.2 million in its opening three days, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.
Local box office sources show the film trapped in that position on all three days of the weekend session, as the locally-produced titles jostled for leadership and swapped positions. Somewhat encouragingly, the daily score for “Barbie” had increased by Sunday as it was given more screening sessions by Chinese exhibitors.
“Barbie” joins a growing list of Hollywood films that have disappointed at the mainland Chinese box office this year. Others include “The Little Mermaid,” “Indiana Jones” and “Fast X.”
Hollywood titles are facing fewer structural impediments in China (import and certification delays) that they did in recent years.
“Barbie” managed $8.2 million in its opening three days, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.
Local box office sources show the film trapped in that position on all three days of the weekend session, as the locally-produced titles jostled for leadership and swapped positions. Somewhat encouragingly, the daily score for “Barbie” had increased by Sunday as it was given more screening sessions by Chinese exhibitors.
“Barbie” joins a growing list of Hollywood films that have disappointed at the mainland Chinese box office this year. Others include “The Little Mermaid,” “Indiana Jones” and “Fast X.”
Hollywood titles are facing fewer structural impediments in China (import and certification delays) that they did in recent years.
- 7/24/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Barbenheimer’s box office dominion does not extend to China, it seems.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie released in China Friday to considerable fanfare, but its pink appeal is proving no match for a slew of local Chinese blockbusters. The Warner Bros. comedy-fantasy is on track to finish its opening day in China in sixth place, having earned only $960,000 (Rmb 6.9 million) as of 6:30 p.m. local time.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, meanwhile, has been approved by China’s censors for release, but regulators have yet to assign it a release date. Any China launch for the Universal Pictures historical thriller is now likely at least a month away.
The soft start for Barbie continues a trend of Hollywood films earning much less in China than they once did. Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One badly lost its opening weekend in the country last weekend, debuting...
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie released in China Friday to considerable fanfare, but its pink appeal is proving no match for a slew of local Chinese blockbusters. The Warner Bros. comedy-fantasy is on track to finish its opening day in China in sixth place, having earned only $960,000 (Rmb 6.9 million) as of 6:30 p.m. local time.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, meanwhile, has been approved by China’s censors for release, but regulators have yet to assign it a release date. Any China launch for the Universal Pictures historical thriller is now likely at least a month away.
The soft start for Barbie continues a trend of Hollywood films earning much less in China than they once did. Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One badly lost its opening weekend in the country last weekend, debuting...
- 7/21/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tom Cruise failed to do the seemingly impossible in China over the weekend: Revive Hollywood’s former box office muscle at the world’s second-biggest theatrical movie market.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One badly lost its opening weekend in China, debuting in third place behind a pair of holdover Chinese hits.
The Paramount and Skydance sequel opened to just $25.9 million from Friday to Sunday, a steep tumble from Mission: Impossible Fallout‘s $76 million opening back in 2018. Chinese martial arts drama Never Say Never, meanwhile, earned $46.1 million, followed by local animation hit Chang An with $43.9 million.
Never Say Never, written and directed by local comedy favorite Wang Baoqiang (Lost in Thailand, Detective Chinatown), has brought in a healthy $211.5 million since its July 6 opening. Chang An, the latest release from pioneering Beijing-based animation studio Light Chaser, launched July 8 and has a current total of $96.1 million.
Ticketing app Maoyan forecasts Mission: Impossible 7...
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One badly lost its opening weekend in China, debuting in third place behind a pair of holdover Chinese hits.
The Paramount and Skydance sequel opened to just $25.9 million from Friday to Sunday, a steep tumble from Mission: Impossible Fallout‘s $76 million opening back in 2018. Chinese martial arts drama Never Say Never, meanwhile, earned $46.1 million, followed by local animation hit Chang An with $43.9 million.
Never Say Never, written and directed by local comedy favorite Wang Baoqiang (Lost in Thailand, Detective Chinatown), has brought in a healthy $211.5 million since its July 6 opening. Chang An, the latest release from pioneering Beijing-based animation studio Light Chaser, launched July 8 and has a current total of $96.1 million.
Ticketing app Maoyan forecasts Mission: Impossible 7...
- 7/17/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 2023 Venice Film Festival has unveiled its Main Competition jury.
Under president Damien Chazelle, the jury will include Jane Campion, Mia Hansen-Løve, Laura Poitras, Martin McDonagh, Saleh Bakri, Gabriele Mainetti, Santiago Mitre, and Shu Qi. The 80th annual festival will run from August 30 to September 9.
The Main Competition jury will award the Golden Lion for Best Film, Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize, Silver Lion for Best Director, Coppa Volpi for Best Actress, Coppa Volpi for Best Actor, Special Jury Prize, Award for Best Screenplay, and “Marcello Mastroianni” Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress.
Last year’s jury was overseen by Julianne Moore, awarding the Golden Lion to 2023 jury member Poitras’ documentary “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.”
Silver Lion winner Luca Guadagnino returns to the 2023 festival with Opening Night film “Challengers” starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist as three tennis players caught up in a game of love.
Under president Damien Chazelle, the jury will include Jane Campion, Mia Hansen-Løve, Laura Poitras, Martin McDonagh, Saleh Bakri, Gabriele Mainetti, Santiago Mitre, and Shu Qi. The 80th annual festival will run from August 30 to September 9.
The Main Competition jury will award the Golden Lion for Best Film, Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize, Silver Lion for Best Director, Coppa Volpi for Best Actress, Coppa Volpi for Best Actor, Special Jury Prize, Award for Best Screenplay, and “Marcello Mastroianni” Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress.
Last year’s jury was overseen by Julianne Moore, awarding the Golden Lion to 2023 jury member Poitras’ documentary “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.”
Silver Lion winner Luca Guadagnino returns to the 2023 festival with Opening Night film “Challengers” starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist as three tennis players caught up in a game of love.
- 7/13/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Venice Film Festival has unveiled the names who will join Damien Chazelle on the main Competition jury of its 80th edition, running Aug 30 — Sep 9.
Jury members include Saleh Bakri, Jane Campion, Mia Hansen-Løve, Gabriele Mainetti, Martin McDonagh, Santiago Mitre, Laura Poitras, and Shu Qi.
The jury will award the following official prizes to the feature films in Competition, with no joint awards allowed: Golden Lion for Best Film, Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize, Silver Lion for Best Director, Coppa Volpi for Best Actress, Coppa Volpi for Best Actor, Special Jury Prize, Award for Best Screenplay, and “Marcello Mastroianni” Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress.
Saleh Bakri is a Palestinian film and theater actor. For the movie Wajib (2017) by Annemarie Jacir, Bakri won the Muhr Award for Best Actor at the Dubai Film Festival. His latest film performances are in the Oscar-nominated short film The Present by Farah Nabulsi (2020) and in Costa Brava,...
Jury members include Saleh Bakri, Jane Campion, Mia Hansen-Løve, Gabriele Mainetti, Martin McDonagh, Santiago Mitre, Laura Poitras, and Shu Qi.
The jury will award the following official prizes to the feature films in Competition, with no joint awards allowed: Golden Lion for Best Film, Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize, Silver Lion for Best Director, Coppa Volpi for Best Actress, Coppa Volpi for Best Actor, Special Jury Prize, Award for Best Screenplay, and “Marcello Mastroianni” Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress.
Saleh Bakri is a Palestinian film and theater actor. For the movie Wajib (2017) by Annemarie Jacir, Bakri won the Muhr Award for Best Actor at the Dubai Film Festival. His latest film performances are in the Oscar-nominated short film The Present by Farah Nabulsi (2020) and in Costa Brava,...
- 7/13/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
“Barbarian Invasion” director Tan Chi Mui from Malaysia scored a top result from the Siff Project Market. The market is a component event of the Shanghai International Film Festival, which wrapped up over the weekend.
Tan’s “All About Yuyu” was named as the “recommended project for creativity” at the project market’s closing event. The project, which is already being structured as a Malaysia-China coproduction, is a story that combines contemporary wuxia (heroic martial arts) with youth elements. “I want to make a modern wuxia film to recapture the magical feeling I had when watching films during my childhood,” she told local media.
Tan is a repeat visitor to Shanghai. She was previously a jury member for the Asian New Talent Award at the festival and saw “Barbarian Invasion” pick up the Grand Jury Prize at the festival’s 24th edition.
Other top prizes from the project market jury,...
Tan’s “All About Yuyu” was named as the “recommended project for creativity” at the project market’s closing event. The project, which is already being structured as a Malaysia-China coproduction, is a story that combines contemporary wuxia (heroic martial arts) with youth elements. “I want to make a modern wuxia film to recapture the magical feeling I had when watching films during my childhood,” she told local media.
Tan is a repeat visitor to Shanghai. She was previously a jury member for the Asian New Talent Award at the festival and saw “Barbarian Invasion” pick up the Grand Jury Prize at the festival’s 24th edition.
Other top prizes from the project market jury,...
- 6/19/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Lou Ye’s embattled 2019 film “Saturday Fiction” will have a theatrical outing in the Chinese auteur’s home country nearly two years after its planned high-profile premiere there was abruptly cancelled.
After its long time in the dark, the black-and-white drama will return triumphantly to the official limelight as the closing film of the Beijing Intl. Film Festival on Sept. 10, then go on to light up Chinese theaters Oct. 15. Its star, the iconic Gong Li, is this year’s chairman of the international jury for the festival’s top Tiantan Awards.
“Saturday Film” originally debuted in competition at Venice in 2019 and was set to premiere in China soon after as the opening film of the country’s highly politicized government-run Golden Rooster Film Festival. It was yanked without warning from the line-up the night before due to unspecified “internal production problems” and replaced by a low-budget documentary about traditional bamboo flutes.
After its long time in the dark, the black-and-white drama will return triumphantly to the official limelight as the closing film of the Beijing Intl. Film Festival on Sept. 10, then go on to light up Chinese theaters Oct. 15. Its star, the iconic Gong Li, is this year’s chairman of the international jury for the festival’s top Tiantan Awards.
“Saturday Film” originally debuted in competition at Venice in 2019 and was set to premiere in China soon after as the opening film of the country’s highly politicized government-run Golden Rooster Film Festival. It was yanked without warning from the line-up the night before due to unspecified “internal production problems” and replaced by a low-budget documentary about traditional bamboo flutes.
- 9/10/2021
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Gong Li heads the jury of the international competition, which also includes Nadine Labaki, Renny Harlin and Leste Chen.
Beijing International Film Festival (Bjiff), which is scheduled to take place in a physical format next month (August 14-21), has unveiled the line-up for its international competition section, the Tiantan Awards.
The 15-title selection includes Russian co-production Conference, which won best director and actress at last year’s Cairo film festival; Rotterdam Youth Jury Award winner Night Of The Kings; Indian director Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show; and Cannes 2020 Label entry Slalom, directed by Charlene Favier (see full list below...
Beijing International Film Festival (Bjiff), which is scheduled to take place in a physical format next month (August 14-21), has unveiled the line-up for its international competition section, the Tiantan Awards.
The 15-title selection includes Russian co-production Conference, which won best director and actress at last year’s Cairo film festival; Rotterdam Youth Jury Award winner Night Of The Kings; Indian director Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show; and Cannes 2020 Label entry Slalom, directed by Charlene Favier (see full list below...
- 7/21/2021
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Tencent Pictures, the film production arm of mainland Chinese tech giant Tencent, last week unveiled a slate of 43 new pictures.
A large chunk of the new titles is “main melody” or unabashedly patriotic works. But another category of Tencent’s projects fall under the heading “Eastern Stories.”
Among the more notable works are 2021 actioner “Raging Fire” starring Donnie Yen, the last film from Hong Kong director Benny Chan, who died of cancer in August; “The Eleventh Chapter,” a family comedy starring and directed by Chen Jianbin (“A Cool Fish”) set to release later this year; and “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” a romance starring “The Wandering Earth” lead Qu Chuxiao from first-time director Sha Mo.
There’s also “God Does Not Play Dice With the Universe,” an intriguing first feature from newcomer Wen Shipei billed by Tencent as “a Chinese version of ‘No Country for Old Men,’” starring two Taiwanese leads,...
A large chunk of the new titles is “main melody” or unabashedly patriotic works. But another category of Tencent’s projects fall under the heading “Eastern Stories.”
Among the more notable works are 2021 actioner “Raging Fire” starring Donnie Yen, the last film from Hong Kong director Benny Chan, who died of cancer in August; “The Eleventh Chapter,” a family comedy starring and directed by Chen Jianbin (“A Cool Fish”) set to release later this year; and “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” a romance starring “The Wandering Earth” lead Qu Chuxiao from first-time director Sha Mo.
There’s also “God Does Not Play Dice With the Universe,” an intriguing first feature from newcomer Wen Shipei billed by Tencent as “a Chinese version of ‘No Country for Old Men,’” starring two Taiwanese leads,...
- 10/27/2020
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
You can tell from a glance that these are no ordinary horses. Tall, immaculately brushed and each costing tens of thousands of dollars, the 33 thoroughbreds and warmbloods gleam like polished coins in their newly built stables, at odds with the construction cranes and empty housing developments of semirural China around them.
Until the “Fengshen Trilogy” fantasy epic started shooting at the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis in August of last year, the world’s most populous country didn’t have any film horses. But the production team wasn’t fazed. It scoured the planet for the finest beasts money could buy, recruited a top Hollywood handler, built facilities from scratch and trained the animals in record time, making the seemingly impossible possible within months.
It was par for the course for “Fengshen,” the most ambitious and expensive production in Chinese history. With a crew of more than 2,000 and a planned budget of $445 million,...
Until the “Fengshen Trilogy” fantasy epic started shooting at the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis in August of last year, the world’s most populous country didn’t have any film horses. But the production team wasn’t fazed. It scoured the planet for the finest beasts money could buy, recruited a top Hollywood handler, built facilities from scratch and trained the animals in record time, making the seemingly impossible possible within months.
It was par for the course for “Fengshen,” the most ambitious and expensive production in Chinese history. With a crew of more than 2,000 and a planned budget of $445 million,...
- 8/14/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Chinese animation “Nezha” has proven itself China’s surprise hit of the summer, and is on track outstrip “Avengers: Endgame” to become China’s third highest-ever grossing film.
It continued to smash records as the most successful animated title in Chinese film history – surpassing Disney’s 2016 “Zootopia” – during its second weekend, leading the box office with a staggering $127 million, according to figures from consultancy Artisan Gateway. It was also the second highest-grossing film in the world, trailing only “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw.”
As of early Monday evening, the dark horse 3-D title from an unknown new director who goes by the name of Jiaozi, or “dumpling,” has already grossed $348 million (RMB2.45 billion), cracking the top 10 of the mainland’s highest-grossing films of all time, just behind 2017’s “The Fate of the Furious” (in eighth place with RMB2.67 billion) and last summer’s “Hello Mr. Billionaire” (in ninth with...
It continued to smash records as the most successful animated title in Chinese film history – surpassing Disney’s 2016 “Zootopia” – during its second weekend, leading the box office with a staggering $127 million, according to figures from consultancy Artisan Gateway. It was also the second highest-grossing film in the world, trailing only “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw.”
As of early Monday evening, the dark horse 3-D title from an unknown new director who goes by the name of Jiaozi, or “dumpling,” has already grossed $348 million (RMB2.45 billion), cracking the top 10 of the mainland’s highest-grossing films of all time, just behind 2017’s “The Fate of the Furious” (in eighth place with RMB2.67 billion) and last summer’s “Hello Mr. Billionaire” (in ninth with...
- 8/5/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
British director Simon West, who made the Angelina Jolie-starring “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” is now co-directing a Chinese tomb-raiding film.
“The Legend Hunters” is the next installment in the “Mojin” universe, based on the popular fantasy novel series “Ghost Blows Out the Light.” Backed by Wanda Pictures and Beijing-based Saints Entertainment, the film is set for release next July and stars A-list male leads Zhang Hanyu and Jiang Wu and Hong Kong actress Celina Jade, who crossed to the big time in “Wolf Warrior 2.”
It is produced by industry veteran Zhang Wang, who also goes by the name Eryong. Currently halfway through shooting at the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis, it expects to wrap in Russia in mid-August.
Screenwriter Li Yifan co-directs alongside West, helping to ground the film in a Chinese sensibility. The film references elements from ancient Chinese shamanic funeral traditions, and “we were worried it’d...
“The Legend Hunters” is the next installment in the “Mojin” universe, based on the popular fantasy novel series “Ghost Blows Out the Light.” Backed by Wanda Pictures and Beijing-based Saints Entertainment, the film is set for release next July and stars A-list male leads Zhang Hanyu and Jiang Wu and Hong Kong actress Celina Jade, who crossed to the big time in “Wolf Warrior 2.”
It is produced by industry veteran Zhang Wang, who also goes by the name Eryong. Currently halfway through shooting at the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis, it expects to wrap in Russia in mid-August.
Screenwriter Li Yifan co-directs alongside West, helping to ground the film in a Chinese sensibility. The film references elements from ancient Chinese shamanic funeral traditions, and “we were worried it’d...
- 6/15/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Fox/Lightstorm’s Alita: Battle Angel took the fight to China today with an estimated $19.8M opening Friday. That includes $1M in limited Thursday midnights. An opening in the $50M zone had been expected, then buzz increased this week. With Friday’s start, the full frame is now looking at a three-day upwards of $60M. The international box office total on Alita is $115M through Thursday and worldwide it’s at $163.7M (this does not include China).
Alita is the first Hollywood movie in China following the Lunar New Year holiday rush on local titles which has blanketed the past few weeks. The Robert Rodriguez-directed, James Cameron-produced adaptation got a boost on Monday when the filmmakers and talent visited Beijing. Cameron is revered in the Middle Kingdom and was greeted at a press conference by such local directors as Zhang Yimou, Wuershan and The Wandering Earth‘s Frant Gwo.
Alita is the first Hollywood movie in China following the Lunar New Year holiday rush on local titles which has blanketed the past few weeks. The Robert Rodriguez-directed, James Cameron-produced adaptation got a boost on Monday when the filmmakers and talent visited Beijing. Cameron is revered in the Middle Kingdom and was greeted at a press conference by such local directors as Zhang Yimou, Wuershan and The Wandering Earth‘s Frant Gwo.
- 2/22/2019
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Celina Jade, the breakout actress from “Wolf Warriors II,” is set as the star of Chinese big-budget tomb-raiding action film “Mojin X.” The film is a sequel to 2015 hit “Mojin: The Lost Legend.”
Directed by Li Yifan, “Mojin X” also stars Zhang Hanyu (“Assembly”) and Jiang Wu. Working through Saints Entertainment, the producer is Zhang Wang (also known as Er Yong). His other credits include the recent “Hidden Man” as well as award winners “The Postmodern Life of My Aunt,” “Peacock” and “In the Heat of the Sun.”
Jade, who has been singing and acting for over a decade, has enjoyed a career surge since last year’s “Warriors II,” which earned $850 million to become the highest-grossing film of all time in China.
Jade was last year named as an Asian Talent to Watch by Variety and the International Film Festival Macao. She is currently riding high as the star of “Hello Mrs.
Directed by Li Yifan, “Mojin X” also stars Zhang Hanyu (“Assembly”) and Jiang Wu. Working through Saints Entertainment, the producer is Zhang Wang (also known as Er Yong). His other credits include the recent “Hidden Man” as well as award winners “The Postmodern Life of My Aunt,” “Peacock” and “In the Heat of the Sun.”
Jade, who has been singing and acting for over a decade, has enjoyed a career surge since last year’s “Warriors II,” which earned $850 million to become the highest-grossing film of all time in China.
Jade was last year named as an Asian Talent to Watch by Variety and the International Film Festival Macao. She is currently riding high as the star of “Hello Mrs.
- 10/4/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
China’s Wanda Studios in Qingdao officially opened on Saturday (April 28) with a low-key ceremony. That was paired with the announcement of ambitious Chinese projects, but a frustrating lack of inbound Hollywood movies.
With the Wanda parent company still in the Chinese government’s sin bin, the stunning new studio may be a tangible indicator that points more to business than showbiz glamour.
There was no red carpet or or global superstars at the grand theater, where the one-hour ceremony took place. The Wanda Group has been under tight government scrutiny in recent years, particularly over its high profile foreign investments including acquisitions of Legendary Entertainment and AMC Theatres. It has been shedding assets and suffered a high turnover of top executives as the conglomerate’s financial and political woes deepened.
That was a stark contrast to the initial launch of the studios’ construction launch in 2013, when Leonardo DiCaprio, John Travolta...
With the Wanda parent company still in the Chinese government’s sin bin, the stunning new studio may be a tangible indicator that points more to business than showbiz glamour.
There was no red carpet or or global superstars at the grand theater, where the one-hour ceremony took place. The Wanda Group has been under tight government scrutiny in recent years, particularly over its high profile foreign investments including acquisitions of Legendary Entertainment and AMC Theatres. It has been shedding assets and suffered a high turnover of top executives as the conglomerate’s financial and political woes deepened.
That was a stark contrast to the initial launch of the studios’ construction launch in 2013, when Leonardo DiCaprio, John Travolta...
- 4/28/2018
- by Vivienne Chow
- Variety Film + TV
Director: Wuershan. Review: Chris Sawin. "Painted Skin: The Resurrection" is a sequel to the 2008 film "Painted Skin" and reunites stars Chen Kun, Zhao Wei, and Zhou Xun. Unfortunately, the sequel doesn't bring back Donnie Yen and viewing the original wasn't really in the cards before viewing this. This review will approach "Painted Skin: The Resurrection" as if it were a stand-alone film. Xiaowei (Zhou Xun) is an ancient fox spirit who has just been set free after being imprisoned in ice for 500 years. The vengeful Xiaowei, along with the help of her sister Que'er (Yang Mi), feeds on the hearts of men to stay looking as elegant as she does. If Xiaowei was ever offered a heart willingly, she would become human and would finally be able to experience all the joys of being human. Xiaowei becomes attached to the slightly disfigured Princess Jing (Zhao Wei) who has had an...
- 11/19/2012
- 24framespersecond.net
Director: Wuershan. Review: Stan Glick. The Chinese supernatural, fantasy box-office hit Painted Skin: The Resurrection is available tomorrow in the U.S. on DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital (the later meaning, I assume, digital download). This review is of the single disc DVD version. Long ago, a demon fox spirit named Xiaowei (Zhou Xun, who reprises her role from the original Paintd Skin of 2008), fell in love with a human. When she saved him, she violated the laws of demons. This back-story is a very brief synopsis of the original film, which I must acknowledge I haven’t seen. This is no handicap, however, as The Resurrection is a most-satisfying stand-alone tale. As the film begins, Xiaowei has been imprisoned in ice for five hundred years for her transgression. But Quer (Mini Yang), a bird demon, has been attracted by her face and sets Xiaowei free by pecking at the ice.
- 11/13/2012
- 24framespersecond.net
Wuershan's romantic fantasy epic, Painted Skin: The Resurrection is ambitious, I have to give it that. Apart from being a bit overlong and repetitive, it's really pretty enjoyable as well. I think that if it has any major obstacles to overcome it is the expectation that many westerners will have that this is a big action film, when that couldn't be further from the truth. This film is more of a straight forward romance with a fantasy backdrop as opposed to a sweeping fantasy epic with romantic inclinations, and I think it works for the most part.According to the opening voiceover a fox demon who has been imprisoned in ice has escaped and is determined to find a human's body to possess so as to...
- 11/12/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Extras wise it’s much the same as its UK counterpart, but for its Stateside release Well Go USA have scored a load of extra brownie points for not dicking around with its title - Wuershan’s eye poppingly glorious Painted Skin: The Resurrection is heading for U.S DVD and Blu and the date to look out for is November 13th. Synopsis: According to ancient lore, if a human freely offers their heart to a demon, that monster can become mortal, experiencing the true pains and passions of existence. Xiaowei, a millennia-old fox spirit, is freed from her frozen prison and transforms into a dangerous seductress. To maintain her youthful beauty she is forced to consume living hearts as she searches for her chance to become human. Meanwhile, Princess Jing, hiding her marred beauty behind a golden mask, flees an unknown threat to her kingdom by pursuing the only...
- 9/28/2012
- 24framespersecond.net
It looks like director Wuershan’s “Painted Skin: The Resurrection” is headed to U.S. theaters sooner than expected, courtesy of Well Go USA. Usually it takes a Chinese film a few years to finally reach Stateside theaters, but the producers have already released a U.S. trailer for the film, which is due in August. Obviously you’re looking at a limited release here. The new trailer is nothing you haven’t seen before in previously released trailers, but the subtitles are a lot more prominent, so there’s that. This is a pseudo sequel to the 2008 movie starring Donnie Yen. With the exception of Yen, a lot of the first movie’s cast is back for the sequel, though in completely different roles. Why? No idea. I guess the first movie made money, so they decided to do a sequel, but didn’t want to be tied to the first film.
- 7/24/2012
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
An adolescent’s sixteenth birthday marks a turning point in life when maturation occurs at a much more rapid pace and the teenager begins to be faced with difficult and important decisions that will shape their future. The same can be said of Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, set to kick off its sixteenth edition tomorrow: its Super Sweet Sixteen promises to be nothing if not interesting. That’s not to say that the main focus of North America’s largest genre film festival is changing; in fact, between prolific director Takashi Miike’s festival opener For Love’s Sake – fresh from Cannes and having its North American premiere – and the Canadian premiere of animation studio Laika’s Paranorman, which closes the fest three weeks later, filmgoers will have a whopping 160 films from around the world to choose from. Sitges eat your heart out.
Where Fantasia seems to be...
Where Fantasia seems to be...
- 7/18/2012
- by Jason Widgington
- IONCINEMA.com
A new film by the creator of animated TV series Family Guy has opened strongly in a pre-release weekend at the box office.
The film Ted, about a 30-something named John and his life-long companion Ted, a foul-mouthed teddy bear, was written and directed by Seth MacFarlane.
The film, distributed by Universal, made $4.383m at the box office in a pre-release weekend taking an impressive $18,000 screen average across 243 screens.
Melbourne-based VFX company Iloura delivered over 500 shots for the film which animated the bear off of captured movements from MacFarlane who also voiced the character.
Glenn Melenhorst, VFX supervisor at Iloura said: “Seth has had a long career in animation and he understands it intricately. He also understood Ted’s character perfectly and clearly communicated his vision to the Iloura team. He was really encouraging of our work and he trusted us and gave us latitude in the staging of the...
The film Ted, about a 30-something named John and his life-long companion Ted, a foul-mouthed teddy bear, was written and directed by Seth MacFarlane.
The film, distributed by Universal, made $4.383m at the box office in a pre-release weekend taking an impressive $18,000 screen average across 243 screens.
Melbourne-based VFX company Iloura delivered over 500 shots for the film which animated the bear off of captured movements from MacFarlane who also voiced the character.
Glenn Melenhorst, VFX supervisor at Iloura said: “Seth has had a long career in animation and he understands it intricately. He also understood Ted’s character perfectly and clearly communicated his vision to the Iloura team. He was really encouraging of our work and he trusted us and gave us latitude in the staging of the...
- 7/2/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
The last time we posted anything about director Wuershan’s “Painted Skin: The Resurrection”, the sequel to the Donnie Yen-fronted “Painted Skin” from 2008, all we had was a promo poster and a promo trailer featuring some concept artwork from the movie. Well, here are two trailers, a handful of character posters, and some mighty enticing images from the film to peek your curiosity. The movie is already scheduled to open in Chinese cinemas June 28, 2012, which is quite the shocker, as I didn’t know that until I stumbled across these assets. From the looks of it, they’ve doubled down on the demon seduction and CGI kung fu, though the lack of Donnie Yen will surely be a hindrance. On the other hand, gorgeous ladies Vicki Zhao and Xun Zhou are back, so that’s a plus. According to demon lore, it takes hundreds of years to attain human form.
- 6/23/2012
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Line Spotlights Mainstream Films From Around The Globe
Includes Selections From Cannes, Toronto And Venice Film Festivals
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is proud to announce the debut of Fox World Cinema, a newly created premiere line of diverse films from around the world which will be available on DVD, Video On Demand and Digital Download in the United States later this year. The initial slate will include Korea.s The Yellow Sea, screening at Cannes later this month as part of the Un Certain Regard program, the Chinese film The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman, which premiered at the 2010 Toronto Film Festival, India.s Dum Maaro Dum and Italy.s Vallanzasca: Angel of Evil which was shown at the Venice Film Festival, Los Angeles Italian Film Festival and the London Italian Film Festival.
.Filmmakers around the world are creating provocative and entertaining films, many of which are rarely seen outside their native countries,...
Includes Selections From Cannes, Toronto And Venice Film Festivals
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is proud to announce the debut of Fox World Cinema, a newly created premiere line of diverse films from around the world which will be available on DVD, Video On Demand and Digital Download in the United States later this year. The initial slate will include Korea.s The Yellow Sea, screening at Cannes later this month as part of the Un Certain Regard program, the Chinese film The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman, which premiered at the 2010 Toronto Film Festival, India.s Dum Maaro Dum and Italy.s Vallanzasca: Angel of Evil which was shown at the Venice Film Festival, Los Angeles Italian Film Festival and the London Italian Film Festival.
.Filmmakers around the world are creating provocative and entertaining films, many of which are rarely seen outside their native countries,...
- 5/6/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is recognizing films from overseas by launching the new label Fox World Cinema, which will release foreign movies on DVD, video-on-demand and for digital download.
Korean film The Yellow Sea
The first slate of movies will come out later this year and include Korea’s The Yellow Sea, Chinese film The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman, India’s Dum Maaro Dum and Italy’s Vallanzasca: Angel of Evil.
Screening at Cannes this month as part of the Un Certain Regard program, The Yellow Sea tells the story of a desperate man caught between rival gangs. While he looks for his missing wife in South Korea, he’s framed for murder.
Presented by director and producer Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity), The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman follows the journey of a mystical blade as it passes through the hands of three ambitious men.
Korean film The Yellow Sea
The first slate of movies will come out later this year and include Korea’s The Yellow Sea, Chinese film The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman, India’s Dum Maaro Dum and Italy’s Vallanzasca: Angel of Evil.
Screening at Cannes this month as part of the Un Certain Regard program, The Yellow Sea tells the story of a desperate man caught between rival gangs. While he looks for his missing wife in South Korea, he’s framed for murder.
Presented by director and producer Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity), The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman follows the journey of a mystical blade as it passes through the hands of three ambitious men.
- 5/6/2011
- by Sam
- Disc Dish
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