Busan Dean Appointment
Zhang Lu, the Chinese Korean director, has been appointed as dean of the Chanel x Biff Asian Film Academy, part of the Busan International Film Festival.
Zhang has been making feature films since 2004, when his “Tang Poetry” won acclaim at the Locarno and Vancouver festivals. He has since made titles including “Grain in Ear” (2005), which won the New Currents Award at Busan, “Desert Dream” and the recent “The Shadowless Tower.” He was also a professor at Yonsei University for eight years.
Indonesia’s Kamila Andini was announced as the Academy’s directing mentor, while Urata Hideho is set as cinematography mentor.
The Academy’s 20-day curriculum runs Sept. 22nd to Oct. 11th. The main festival runs Oct. 2-11 and the Asian Film Market (Oct. 5-8).
Old Fox Keeps Winning
“Old Fox,” directed by Hsiao Ya-chuan, won five of the top prizes at the Taipei Film Awards. Its haul included best feature,...
Zhang Lu, the Chinese Korean director, has been appointed as dean of the Chanel x Biff Asian Film Academy, part of the Busan International Film Festival.
Zhang has been making feature films since 2004, when his “Tang Poetry” won acclaim at the Locarno and Vancouver festivals. He has since made titles including “Grain in Ear” (2005), which won the New Currents Award at Busan, “Desert Dream” and the recent “The Shadowless Tower.” He was also a professor at Yonsei University for eight years.
Indonesia’s Kamila Andini was announced as the Academy’s directing mentor, while Urata Hideho is set as cinematography mentor.
The Academy’s 20-day curriculum runs Sept. 22nd to Oct. 11th. The main festival runs Oct. 2-11 and the Asian Film Market (Oct. 5-8).
Old Fox Keeps Winning
“Old Fox,” directed by Hsiao Ya-chuan, won five of the top prizes at the Taipei Film Awards. Its haul included best feature,...
- 7/11/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Legendary Entertainment’s “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” had the best opening in China of any Hollywood film this year.
It scored $44.6 million (RMB317 million) in mainland Chinese cinemas between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. That was a nearly 70% share of the country’s weekend box office.
Nationwide, cinemas enjoyed $64.1 million of business, a significant leap from the $39.5 million they earned in the previous weekend. The total was the third biggest this year that was not driven by the Lunar New Year holiday titles.
The opening was smaller than “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” in May 2019, which has a $2.5 million preview weekend, opened with $66 million and built a total of $133 million. But Hollywood movies have struggled to hit those heights in China since 2020.
“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s” healthy performance was the fourth largest by a Hollywood title in the post-pandemic era.
It scored $44.6 million (RMB317 million) in mainland Chinese cinemas between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. That was a nearly 70% share of the country’s weekend box office.
Nationwide, cinemas enjoyed $64.1 million of business, a significant leap from the $39.5 million they earned in the previous weekend. The total was the third biggest this year that was not driven by the Lunar New Year holiday titles.
The opening was smaller than “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” in May 2019, which has a $2.5 million preview weekend, opened with $66 million and built a total of $133 million. But Hollywood movies have struggled to hit those heights in China since 2020.
“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s” healthy performance was the fourth largest by a Hollywood title in the post-pandemic era.
- 4/2/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
South Korean supernatural thriller Exhuma has passed the 10 million admissions mark at the local box office, cementing its blockbuster status in the country.
The film led the South Korea box office for a fifth consecutive weekend, grossing $4.56m from 618,000 tickets from March 22-24, according to Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s box office tracking system.
It takes Exhuma’s total box office to date to $73.4m from 10.2 million admissions, comfortably positioning it as the most successful title in South Korea this year to date, ahead of Wonka in second place on $25.1m from 3.5 million admissions.
However, it still has some...
The film led the South Korea box office for a fifth consecutive weekend, grossing $4.56m from 618,000 tickets from March 22-24, according to Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s box office tracking system.
It takes Exhuma’s total box office to date to $73.4m from 10.2 million admissions, comfortably positioning it as the most successful title in South Korea this year to date, ahead of Wonka in second place on $25.1m from 3.5 million admissions.
However, it still has some...
- 3/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Even a Hollywood hit with Chinese characteristics can’t seem to revive the U.S. studios’ diminished status at China’s box office.
Dreamworks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 — the latest installment in one of China’s favorite long-running U.S. franchises, thanks to its Chinese culture-steeped story — opened to $14.7 million from Friday to Sunday, according to data from regional consultancy Artisan Gateway. But that total toplined one of the country’s weakest weekends of the year, so far. Including preview screenings the week prior, Kung Fu Panda 4 finished Sunday with a somewhat healthier-sounding $25.9 million.
Either way, the movie is miles behind its franchise predecessor Kung Fu Panda 3, which opened the weekend before Chinese New Year in 2016 with a record-setting $57.8 million haul. The threequel finished its run in China with $154.3 million, surpassing its North American total of $143.5 million. Chinese ticketing app Maoyan currently projects Kung Fu Panda 4...
Dreamworks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 — the latest installment in one of China’s favorite long-running U.S. franchises, thanks to its Chinese culture-steeped story — opened to $14.7 million from Friday to Sunday, according to data from regional consultancy Artisan Gateway. But that total toplined one of the country’s weakest weekends of the year, so far. Including preview screenings the week prior, Kung Fu Panda 4 finished Sunday with a somewhat healthier-sounding $25.9 million.
Either way, the movie is miles behind its franchise predecessor Kung Fu Panda 3, which opened the weekend before Chinese New Year in 2016 with a record-setting $57.8 million haul. The threequel finished its run in China with $154.3 million, surpassing its North American total of $143.5 million. Chinese ticketing app Maoyan currently projects Kung Fu Panda 4...
- 3/25/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ opened on top of the mainland China box office in its first official week of release. But its debut was soft and led the market to one of its quietest weekends of the year.
The Universal-DreamWorks Animation picture earned $14.7 million (RMB105 million) between Friday and Sunday, according to data provided by consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. With previews from the previous weekend (when the film placed fourth), the film finished Sunday with $25.9 million (RMB184 million.)
That compares with $57.8 million at the end of a similar weekend and previews for Kung Fu Panda 3, which released in 2016 a week ahead of the Lunar new Year holidays.
Unlike the third iteration of the Chinese-themed American franchise, which was an official U.S.-China coproduction, “Kung Fu Panda 4” is a considered as a foreign picture subject to import quotas and the associated revenue-sharing distribution regime.
Taiwanese crime...
The Universal-DreamWorks Animation picture earned $14.7 million (RMB105 million) between Friday and Sunday, according to data provided by consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. With previews from the previous weekend (when the film placed fourth), the film finished Sunday with $25.9 million (RMB184 million.)
That compares with $57.8 million at the end of a similar weekend and previews for Kung Fu Panda 3, which released in 2016 a week ahead of the Lunar new Year holidays.
Unlike the third iteration of the Chinese-themed American franchise, which was an official U.S.-China coproduction, “Kung Fu Panda 4” is a considered as a foreign picture subject to import quotas and the associated revenue-sharing distribution regime.
Taiwanese crime...
- 3/25/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
When Adam Changes, a Canadian animated film about an awkward teenager in suburban Quebec, won the Grand Prix at the Niigata International Animation Film Festival (Niaff).
The festival, now in its second year, ran from March 15-20 in Niigata, a port city two hours north of Tokyo.
Written and directed by Joël Vaudreuil, When Adam Changes premiered at last year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival. “Coming here and meeting so many people, and being able to meet and talk with the other competition directors was a gift in itself,” said Vaudreuil, acceping the award at Niaff’s closing ceremony.
The festival, now in its second year, ran from March 15-20 in Niigata, a port city two hours north of Tokyo.
Written and directed by Joël Vaudreuil, When Adam Changes premiered at last year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival. “Coming here and meeting so many people, and being able to meet and talk with the other competition directors was a gift in itself,” said Vaudreuil, acceping the award at Niaff’s closing ceremony.
- 3/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
Wong Ching Po’s crime thriller The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon has emerged as the second biggest Taiwanese film of all time on release in mainland China, having grossed over $69.5m (Rmb 500m) amid a simultaneous worldwide launch on Netflix.
Distributed by Star Alliance Movies, the film opened third on March 1 at the tail end of the Chinese New Year period, behind festive hits Article 20 and Pegasus 2. But it climbed to number one on its third day of release and has since been topping China’s daily box-office chart for 16 consecutive days, beating other new releases such as Dune: Part Two,...
Distributed by Star Alliance Movies, the film opened third on March 1 at the tail end of the Chinese New Year period, behind festive hits Article 20 and Pegasus 2. But it climbed to number one on its third day of release and has since been topping China’s daily box-office chart for 16 consecutive days, beating other new releases such as Dune: Part Two,...
- 3/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
Worldwide box office March 15-17 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros)
$80.3m $495m $51.2m $289.4m 74 2. Kung Fu Panda 4 (Universal)
$69.9m $176.5m $39.7m $68.8m 57 3. The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon (various)
$10.9m $73.9m $10.9m $73.9m 1 4. Imaginary (Lionsgate)
$9.6m $27.4m $4m $8.3m 47 5. Exhuma (various)
$7.8m $66.3m $7.8m $66.2m 8 6. Arthur The King (various)
$7.6m $7.6m $59,000 $59,000 4 7. Remember Me (various)
$6.5m $7.2m $6.5m $7.2m 1 8. Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount)
$5.2m $169.2m $2.9m $75.8m 52 9. I Miss You (various)
$4.7m $23.4m $4.7m $23.4m 1 10. One Life (various)
$3.6m $35.1m $1.9m $33.4m 17
Credit: Comscore. All figures are estimates.
$80.3m $495m $51.2m $289.4m 74 2. Kung Fu Panda 4 (Universal)
$69.9m $176.5m $39.7m $68.8m 57 3. The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon (various)
$10.9m $73.9m $10.9m $73.9m 1 4. Imaginary (Lionsgate)
$9.6m $27.4m $4m $8.3m 47 5. Exhuma (various)
$7.8m $66.3m $7.8m $66.2m 8 6. Arthur The King (various)
$7.6m $7.6m $59,000 $59,000 4 7. Remember Me (various)
$6.5m $7.2m $6.5m $7.2m 1 8. Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount)
$5.2m $169.2m $2.9m $75.8m 52 9. I Miss You (various)
$4.7m $23.4m $4.7m $23.4m 1 10. One Life (various)
$3.6m $35.1m $1.9m $33.4m 17
Credit: Comscore. All figures are estimates.
- 3/18/2024
- ScreenDaily
Previews for Universal Pictures and Dreamworks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” put the Chinese-themed film in fourth place at the mainland China box office, a week ahead of its official theatrical debut.
Over the March 15-17 weekend, however, first and second places remained with holdover titles “The Pig, The Snake and the Pigeon” and “Dune: Part Two.”
Taiwanese crime film “The Pig, The Snake and the Pigeon,” already playing on Netflix in territories outside China, topped the mainland China chart for the third successive weekend. According to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway, it earned $11.1 million (RMB79.1 million), for a cumulative of $73.2 million (RMB520 million).
“Dune 2” earned $9.9 million (RMB70 million) in its second weekend, down from $19.9 million in its first session. Artisan Gateway now reports that its cumulative since releasing on Mar. 8 is $36.5 million (RMB259 million). Imax reported that $3.6 million of the film’s latest weekend score came from...
Over the March 15-17 weekend, however, first and second places remained with holdover titles “The Pig, The Snake and the Pigeon” and “Dune: Part Two.”
Taiwanese crime film “The Pig, The Snake and the Pigeon,” already playing on Netflix in territories outside China, topped the mainland China chart for the third successive weekend. According to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway, it earned $11.1 million (RMB79.1 million), for a cumulative of $73.2 million (RMB520 million).
“Dune 2” earned $9.9 million (RMB70 million) in its second weekend, down from $19.9 million in its first session. Artisan Gateway now reports that its cumulative since releasing on Mar. 8 is $36.5 million (RMB259 million). Imax reported that $3.6 million of the film’s latest weekend score came from...
- 3/18/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Back in 2010 in Hong Kong, Wong Ching-po shot the cult “Revenge: A Love Story”, about a man that kills pregnant women, taking away their unborn babies. His later works, however, were mostly martial arts/action movies that definitely did not reach the standards of the aforementioned. That is until this year and “The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon” which seems to bring him back to the Cat III space that he thrived, this time, though, in a Taiwanese production.
Click on the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix
The film shows its colors from the beginning. Chen Kui-lin, a notorious hitman in the criminal underworld, infiltrates a funeral and shoots down a high-ranking gang boss, amidst a huge crowd of his ‘underlings'. As he runs to escape, he stumbles upon detective Chen Hui, who was surveilling the boss, and ends up chasing the perpetrator. The two engage in a brutal fight,...
Click on the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix
The film shows its colors from the beginning. Chen Kui-lin, a notorious hitman in the criminal underworld, infiltrates a funeral and shoots down a high-ranking gang boss, amidst a huge crowd of his ‘underlings'. As he runs to escape, he stumbles upon detective Chen Hui, who was surveilling the boss, and ends up chasing the perpetrator. The two engage in a brutal fight,...
- 3/14/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Warner Bros. and Legendary’s Dune: Part Two got off to a healthy start at China’s box office over the weekend, opening with a solid $20 million, just a notch below the first film’s $21.9 million debut in 2021.
Warner Bros. reported Dune 2 as winning the weekend in China, whereas regional box office consultancy Artisan Gateway’s data had the holdover Taiwanese crime thriller The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon taking the frame by a sliver with $21.3 million.
In any case, Denis Villeneuve’s artful sci-fi epic has fared far better than most recent Hollywood tentpoles in China, where local interest in U.S. filmmaking has plummeted in recent years. Dune 2 has also given Villeneuve and star Timothée Chalamet their biggest China openings to date.
The film has high ratings of 9.3 on the leading ticketing app Maoyan and 8.3 on the taste-making site Douban. On Monday, Dune 2 had...
Warner Bros. reported Dune 2 as winning the weekend in China, whereas regional box office consultancy Artisan Gateway’s data had the holdover Taiwanese crime thriller The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon taking the frame by a sliver with $21.3 million.
In any case, Denis Villeneuve’s artful sci-fi epic has fared far better than most recent Hollywood tentpoles in China, where local interest in U.S. filmmaking has plummeted in recent years. Dune 2 has also given Villeneuve and star Timothée Chalamet their biggest China openings to date.
The film has high ratings of 9.3 on the leading ticketing app Maoyan and 8.3 on the taste-making site Douban. On Monday, Dune 2 had...
- 3/11/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Dune 2” launched in mainland China cinemas this weekend with a solid $19.9 million three-day haul. That put it in second place, narrowly behind holdover crime-drama “The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon.”
Data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway, showed that “The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon” earned $21.3 million (RMB151 million) between Friday and Sunday, for a 10-day cumulative of $54.1 million (RMB384 million). “Dune 2” managed RMB142 million.
Many Hollywood titles have struggled in China over the past three years, especially franchise titles. But “Dune 2” with its particularly spectacular visuals looks to have escaped the rut.
Giant screen provider Imax, which has nearly 800 screens in the Middle Kingdom, reported that some $6.5 million of the film’s opening weekend was earned at its venues. That was nearly a third of its opening total in China.
Local cinema ticketing firm Maoyan has increased its predictions for “Dune 2’s” performance in China.
Data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway, showed that “The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon” earned $21.3 million (RMB151 million) between Friday and Sunday, for a 10-day cumulative of $54.1 million (RMB384 million). “Dune 2” managed RMB142 million.
Many Hollywood titles have struggled in China over the past three years, especially franchise titles. But “Dune 2” with its particularly spectacular visuals looks to have escaped the rut.
Giant screen provider Imax, which has nearly 800 screens in the Middle Kingdom, reported that some $6.5 million of the film’s opening weekend was earned at its venues. That was nearly a third of its opening total in China.
Local cinema ticketing firm Maoyan has increased its predictions for “Dune 2’s” performance in China.
- 3/11/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Taiwanese-produced crime action film “The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon” opened on top of the mainland China box office over the weekend, ahead of a quartet of holdover titles from Lunar New Year. Sony’s ‘Madame Web’ and a rereleased “Dune” also opened, but they failed to penetrate the top five.
“The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon” earned $16.2 million (RMB115 million), according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. Other than the Lunar New Year titles, that represented the highest opening by any new film in China this year. But it was not entirely a convincing performance. It came in only narrowly ahead of “Article 20,” the Zhang Yimou-directed crime comedy drama that has been in cinemas for four weeks now.
Directed by Hong Kong’s Wong Ching-po and starring Ethan Juan, the films tells the story of a gangster who discovers, first that he has cancer and...
“The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon” earned $16.2 million (RMB115 million), according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. Other than the Lunar New Year titles, that represented the highest opening by any new film in China this year. But it was not entirely a convincing performance. It came in only narrowly ahead of “Article 20,” the Zhang Yimou-directed crime comedy drama that has been in cinemas for four weeks now.
Directed by Hong Kong’s Wong Ching-po and starring Ethan Juan, the films tells the story of a gangster who discovers, first that he has cancer and...
- 3/5/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Worldwide box office March 1-3 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) $178.5m $178.5m $97m $97m 72 2. Exhuma (Showbox)
$17.2m $43.6m $17.2m $43.6m 1 3. Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount) $16.2m $146.1m $8.8m $63.3m 57 4. Article 20 (various) $14.4m $319.4m $14.3m $318.9m 4 5. The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon (various)
$13.3m $17.6m $13.3m $17.6m 1 6. Pegasus 2 (various)
$12.8m $459.4m $12.7m $457.6m 4 7. Madame Web (Sony)
$8.2m $91m $5m $50.6m 66 8. Boonie Bears: Time Twist (various) $7.9m $268.1m $7.9m $268.1m 1 9. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - To The Hashira Training (various) $7.7m $56.9m...
$17.2m $43.6m $17.2m $43.6m 1 3. Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount) $16.2m $146.1m $8.8m $63.3m 57 4. Article 20 (various) $14.4m $319.4m $14.3m $318.9m 4 5. The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon (various)
$13.3m $17.6m $13.3m $17.6m 1 6. Pegasus 2 (various)
$12.8m $459.4m $12.7m $457.6m 4 7. Madame Web (Sony)
$8.2m $91m $5m $50.6m 66 8. Boonie Bears: Time Twist (various) $7.9m $268.1m $7.9m $268.1m 1 9. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - To The Hashira Training (various) $7.7m $56.9m...
- 3/4/2024
- ScreenDaily
Taiwanese black comedy thriller The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon brought some fresh momentum to China’s theatrical box office over the weekend, beating four local blockbusters that had dominated the market since the Lunar New Year holiday kicked off early last month. The hit crime movie, which was released in Taiwan last October, earned a healthy $16.2 million from its mainland China debut.
Zhang Yimou’s Article 20 came in a close second with $16 million, which lifted its cumulative score to a whopping $320.1 million, according to data from Artisan Gateway. The other Chinese holiday tentpoles also continued to do solid business. Han Han’s race car-driving sequel Pegasus 2 earned $14.4 million in its fourth frame for a total of $457.5 million, followed by children’s animation Boonie Bears: Time Twist at $8.7 million ($267.7 million in total) and Jia Ling’s heartwarming comedy Yolo with $8 million ($478.2 million).
The five Chinese films were miles...
Zhang Yimou’s Article 20 came in a close second with $16 million, which lifted its cumulative score to a whopping $320.1 million, according to data from Artisan Gateway. The other Chinese holiday tentpoles also continued to do solid business. Han Han’s race car-driving sequel Pegasus 2 earned $14.4 million in its fourth frame for a total of $457.5 million, followed by children’s animation Boonie Bears: Time Twist at $8.7 million ($267.7 million in total) and Jia Ling’s heartwarming comedy Yolo with $8 million ($478.2 million).
The five Chinese films were miles...
- 3/4/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The husband and wife team of Otsuka Ryuji and Huang Ji, who worked with a minimalist crew and mostly non-professional actors, gave a round of thanks to Asian leading auteurs for inspiring them, and then hugged each other on stage for winning the Taipei Golden Horse Film Awards best narrative feature prize with their pregnancy drama “Stonewalling.”
The numerical winner on Saturday night was “Old Fox,” which earned the best director award for Hsiao Ya-chuan, as well as the best supporting actor, makeup and costume, and best film score prizes.
The nominations, announced in October, saw “Snow in Midsummer” collect nine nominations and Taiwan’s Oscar contender “Marry My Dead Body” head the field with eight. They were narrowly ahead of a further cluster of films with seven nominations each, including “Abang Adik,” “Old Fox,” “Trouble Girl” and “The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon.”
On the evening, “Marry My Dead Body...
The numerical winner on Saturday night was “Old Fox,” which earned the best director award for Hsiao Ya-chuan, as well as the best supporting actor, makeup and costume, and best film score prizes.
The nominations, announced in October, saw “Snow in Midsummer” collect nine nominations and Taiwan’s Oscar contender “Marry My Dead Body” head the field with eight. They were narrowly ahead of a further cluster of films with seven nominations each, including “Abang Adik,” “Old Fox,” “Trouble Girl” and “The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon.”
On the evening, “Marry My Dead Body...
- 11/25/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
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