Long Qiuyun, 55, had held the top role at Hunan TV since 1995, and he was instrumental in the $375 million slate-financing deal the company signed with Lionsgate in 2015. Thanks to that agreement, which was executed through Hunan movie subsidiary Tik Films, Long is credited as a producer on at least a dozen Lionsgate releases, including multiple Oscar winner La La Land and last year's Power Rangers.
Long abruptly resigned from his role at Hunan TV in October 2017, sparking...