China and Netherlands-based Fortissimo Films has picked up international sales rights to anticipated Chinese blockbuster movie “If You Are the One 3.”
To be released on Dec. 30 in China, the picture is directed by Feng Xiaogang as the second sequel in his anti-romance comedy franchise, about a rich businessman and an air stewardess, which kicked off in 2008 and earned a follow-up in 2010. The new picture reunites the key cast Ge You and Shu Qi, as well as Fan Wei (“One Second”), Yao Chen (“Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back”) and Guan Xiaotong (“Shadow”).
Set in 2031, the new film tells the story of Qin (Ge) retiring alone on a small island, as his wife Xiaoxiao (Shu) is away all year long. Fan (Fan), Qin’s friend, designs an android identical to Xiaoxiao to keep Qin company. Spending time with the android and old friends, Qin reflects on loneliness and companionship,...
To be released on Dec. 30 in China, the picture is directed by Feng Xiaogang as the second sequel in his anti-romance comedy franchise, about a rich businessman and an air stewardess, which kicked off in 2008 and earned a follow-up in 2010. The new picture reunites the key cast Ge You and Shu Qi, as well as Fan Wei (“One Second”), Yao Chen (“Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back”) and Guan Xiaotong (“Shadow”).
Set in 2031, the new film tells the story of Qin (Ge) retiring alone on a small island, as his wife Xiaoxiao (Shu) is away all year long. Fan (Fan), Qin’s friend, designs an android identical to Xiaoxiao to keep Qin company. Spending time with the android and old friends, Qin reflects on loneliness and companionship,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The follow-up comes 15 years after the original box office hit.
Fortissimo Films has secured international rights to upcoming Chinese comedy If You Are The One 3, the anticipated third instalment in Feng Xiaogang’s box office hit franchise.
The Amsterdam and Beijing-based sales company will begin talks on the feature ahead of its local release on December 30. Fortissimo will launch the title to the international market at Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM) in February. The firm will not handle sales in North America, Hong Kong, Macao, Australia or New Zealand.
The third instalment is released 15 years after You Are The One,...
Fortissimo Films has secured international rights to upcoming Chinese comedy If You Are The One 3, the anticipated third instalment in Feng Xiaogang’s box office hit franchise.
The Amsterdam and Beijing-based sales company will begin talks on the feature ahead of its local release on December 30. Fortissimo will launch the title to the international market at Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM) in February. The firm will not handle sales in North America, Hong Kong, Macao, Australia or New Zealand.
The third instalment is released 15 years after You Are The One,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Director Zhang Yimou returns to theaters this weekend with Cliff Walkers, an espionage thriller set in 1930s China. It’s a change of tone for the director of Shadow, House Of Flying Daggers and Hero, who also helmed Matt Damon-starrer The Great Wall in 2016.
Based on a script by Quan Yongxian, Cliff Walkers opens in pre WWII north east China, where the titles inform us that secret Japanese camps committed heinous crimes against the Chinese. In an aerial shot over the snowy wilderness, four white parachutes appear. Special agents — two men and two women — are landing on a secret mission, codenamed “Utrennya.” The two couples split up for safety, and are met by handlers. But it soon becomes clear that there’s at least one traitor spilling their secrets, so they must fight to evade detection and complete the mission. Over the coming days, the action flits between various groups of communist spies,...
Based on a script by Quan Yongxian, Cliff Walkers opens in pre WWII north east China, where the titles inform us that secret Japanese camps committed heinous crimes against the Chinese. In an aerial shot over the snowy wilderness, four white parachutes appear. Special agents — two men and two women — are landing on a secret mission, codenamed “Utrennya.” The two couples split up for safety, and are met by handlers. But it soon becomes clear that there’s at least one traitor spilling their secrets, so they must fight to evade detection and complete the mission. Over the coming days, the action flits between various groups of communist spies,...
- 4/27/2021
- by Anna Smith
- Deadline Film + TV
Box office slumps ahead of busy May Day holiday weekend when several big local titles are scheduled for release.
Japanese anime Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet topped the China box office over the weekend (April 23-25), according to figures from Artisan Gateway, grossing $4.8m.
The film, which is the 24th installment in a popular franchise, has grossed $26m since its April 17 release in China. It was followed by Lian Ray Pictures’ Sister, starring Zhang Zifeng, which grossed $4.6m over the weekend for an impressive cume of $128.2m.
The re-release of the second installment in the Lord Of The Rings franchise,...
Japanese anime Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet topped the China box office over the weekend (April 23-25), according to figures from Artisan Gateway, grossing $4.8m.
The film, which is the 24th installment in a popular franchise, has grossed $26m since its April 17 release in China. It was followed by Lian Ray Pictures’ Sister, starring Zhang Zifeng, which grossed $4.6m over the weekend for an impressive cume of $128.2m.
The re-release of the second installment in the Lord Of The Rings franchise,...
- 4/26/2021
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Zhang Yimou’s period thriller Cliff Walkers is set to open theatrically in China and North America on April 30. It’s the Chinese filmmaking legend’s first attempt at the spy genre, taking place in the snowy, shadowy world of 1930s Manchukuo, the puppet state set up in northern China by pre-wwii imperial Japan.
The film’s international distributor, Cmc Pictures, gave The Hollywood Reporter an exclusive look Tuesday at the first English-subtitled trailer.
Cliff Walkers stars Zhang Yi (Operation Red Sea), Yu Hewei (I Am Not Madame Bovary), Qin Hailu (The Pluto Moment) and Zhu Yawen (The Captain).
The film finds ...
The film’s international distributor, Cmc Pictures, gave The Hollywood Reporter an exclusive look Tuesday at the first English-subtitled trailer.
Cliff Walkers stars Zhang Yi (Operation Red Sea), Yu Hewei (I Am Not Madame Bovary), Qin Hailu (The Pluto Moment) and Zhu Yawen (The Captain).
The film finds ...
- 4/13/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Zhang Yimou’s period thriller Cliff Walkers is set to open theatrically in China and North America on April 30. It’s the Chinese filmmaking legend’s first attempt at the spy genre, taking place in the snowy, shadowy world of 1930s Manchukuo, the puppet state set up in northern China by pre-wwii imperial Japan.
The film’s international distributor, Cmc Pictures, gave The Hollywood Reporter an exclusive look Tuesday at the first English-subtitled trailer.
Cliff Walkers stars Zhang Yi (Operation Red Sea), Yu Hewei (I Am Not Madame Bovary), Qin Hailu (The Pluto Moment) and Zhu Yawen (The Captain).
The film finds ...
The film’s international distributor, Cmc Pictures, gave The Hollywood Reporter an exclusive look Tuesday at the first English-subtitled trailer.
Cliff Walkers stars Zhang Yi (Operation Red Sea), Yu Hewei (I Am Not Madame Bovary), Qin Hailu (The Pluto Moment) and Zhu Yawen (The Captain).
The film finds ...
- 4/13/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cmc Pictures will bring director Zhang Yimou’s historical spy thriller Cliff Walkers to theaters across North America and internationally on April 30, 2021. Marking the acclaimed director’s first foray into the spy genre, Cliff Walkers follows four Chinese special agents who embark on a secret mission in the 1930s puppet state of Manchukuo. After being sold out by a traitor, the team find themselves surrounded by threats on all sides. Cliff Walkers stars Zhang Yi (Operation Red Sea), Yu Hewei (I Am Not Madame Bovary), Qin Hailu (The Pluto Moment) and Zhu Yawen.
Cliff Walkers
Release Date: April 30, 2021
Director: Zhang Yimou
Writer: Quan Yongxian
Cast: Zhang Yi, Yu Hewei, Qin Hailu, Zhu Yawen
Synopsis
Based on the script by Quan Yongxian, Cliff Walkers is director Zhang Yimou’s first foray into the spy genre. Set the puppet state of Manchukuo in the 1930s, the film follows four Communist party special...
Cliff Walkers
Release Date: April 30, 2021
Director: Zhang Yimou
Writer: Quan Yongxian
Cast: Zhang Yi, Yu Hewei, Qin Hailu, Zhu Yawen
Synopsis
Based on the script by Quan Yongxian, Cliff Walkers is director Zhang Yimou’s first foray into the spy genre. Set the puppet state of Manchukuo in the 1930s, the film follows four Communist party special...
- 4/9/2021
- by Rhythm Zaveri
- AsianMoviePulse
Zhang Yimou’s historical spy thriller “Cliff Walkers” will hit North American cinemas on April 30, day-and-date with its China release.
“Cliff Walkers” was previously title “Impasse” in English. Its Chinese title translates to “On the Cliff.” It is distributed in North America by Cmc Pictures. International sales are handled by Emperor Motion Pictures.
The film marks Zhang’s first foray into the spy genre. Based on a script by Quan Yongxian, it is set in the 1930s in China’s snowy northeast, known then as the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. It follows four Communist party special agents who return to China after receiving special training in the Soviet Union. They are sent on a secret mission code-named “Utrennya,” but the moment they parachute in, they find they’ve been sold out by a traitor, and are now in deep water.
The title stars Zhang Yi (“Operation Red Sea”), Yu...
“Cliff Walkers” was previously title “Impasse” in English. Its Chinese title translates to “On the Cliff.” It is distributed in North America by Cmc Pictures. International sales are handled by Emperor Motion Pictures.
The film marks Zhang’s first foray into the spy genre. Based on a script by Quan Yongxian, it is set in the 1930s in China’s snowy northeast, known then as the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. It follows four Communist party special agents who return to China after receiving special training in the Soviet Union. They are sent on a secret mission code-named “Utrennya,” but the moment they parachute in, they find they’ve been sold out by a traitor, and are now in deep water.
The title stars Zhang Yi (“Operation Red Sea”), Yu...
- 4/8/2021
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Chinese auteur Zhang Yimou continues his assault upon genre film with his first foray into the spy field: Cliff Walkers, which is running toward theaters across North America and internationally on April 30, courtesy of Cmc Pictures. Gadzooks! That's only 22 days from now. Zhang Yi (Operation Red Sea), Yu Hewei (I Am Not Madame Bovary), Qin Hailu (The Pluto Moment) and Zhu Yawen (The Captain) star. Here's the official synopsis: "Based on the script by Quan Yongxian, Cliff Walkers is director Zhang Yimou's first foray into the spy genre. Set the puppet state of Manchukuo in the 1930s, the film follows four Communist party special agents who return to China after receiving training in the Soviet Union. Together, they embark on a secret mission...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 4/8/2021
- Screen Anarchy
China’s Cmc Pictures will bring a line-up of five titles to the Cannes virtual market this year, including “Assassin in Red,” a major blockbuster set to hit next Chinese New Year.
The firm will be selling global rights outside of China and Southeast Asia to the fantasy drama directed by Lu Yang and executive produced by Ning Hao (“Crazy Alien”).
The film, whose Mandarin title translates to “Assassinate the Novelist,” tells the story of a man who, in order to save his missing daughter, is tasked with killing a writer whose writing creates a parallel world that begins to interact with the real one.
The title reunites “Brotherhood of Blades II” stars Yang Mi (“Tiny Times”) and Lei Jiayin (“The Longest Day in Chang’an”), alongside Golden Horse Award winner Dong Zijiang (of Jia Zhangke’s “Mountains May Depart” and “Ash is Purest White”).
Cmc also brings two of its...
The firm will be selling global rights outside of China and Southeast Asia to the fantasy drama directed by Lu Yang and executive produced by Ning Hao (“Crazy Alien”).
The film, whose Mandarin title translates to “Assassinate the Novelist,” tells the story of a man who, in order to save his missing daughter, is tasked with killing a writer whose writing creates a parallel world that begins to interact with the real one.
The title reunites “Brotherhood of Blades II” stars Yang Mi (“Tiny Times”) and Lei Jiayin (“The Longest Day in Chang’an”), alongside Golden Horse Award winner Dong Zijiang (of Jia Zhangke’s “Mountains May Depart” and “Ash is Purest White”).
Cmc also brings two of its...
- 6/19/2020
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Hong Kong’s Emperor Motion Pictures has picked up international sales rights to “Only Cloud Knows,” the new romantic film by Feng Xiaogang.
Now in post-production, the film is a New Zealand- and China-set romance starring Huang Xuan (“Legend of the Demon Cat”) and Yang Caiyu (from Feng’s hit “Youth”). Production is handled by Feng’s Dongyang Mayla company. A release date has not yet been settled.
“Cloud” is a trip down memory lane for a middle-aged Chinese man who returns to New Zealand after the death of his wife. There he retraces the footsteps of their courtship and meets old friends, before a trip to Beijing uncovers another side of his wife’s past.
Feng is arguably China’s most commercially successful and consistent director, with more than 15 years of hits including “Youth,” “I Am Not Madame Bovary,” “Assembly” and “Cell Phone.” He is also an in-demand actor.
Now in post-production, the film is a New Zealand- and China-set romance starring Huang Xuan (“Legend of the Demon Cat”) and Yang Caiyu (from Feng’s hit “Youth”). Production is handled by Feng’s Dongyang Mayla company. A release date has not yet been settled.
“Cloud” is a trip down memory lane for a middle-aged Chinese man who returns to New Zealand after the death of his wife. There he retraces the footsteps of their courtship and meets old friends, before a trip to Beijing uncovers another side of his wife’s past.
Feng is arguably China’s most commercially successful and consistent director, with more than 15 years of hits including “Youth,” “I Am Not Madame Bovary,” “Assembly” and “Cell Phone.” He is also an in-demand actor.
- 9/13/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
It was the shot Chinese-American director Ren Wen had spent an entire day of his short 15-day shoot preparing for: a long take in which a supposedly sweet old woman brutally kicks the protagonist of the film out of the car, leaving him to die in the freezing night of a future world where the sun has flamed out.
But when Chinese censors handed “Last Sunrise” back to Ren with the single, vague piece of feedback that the film “showed too much of the darkness of humanity,” he realized the shot had to go. “The problem is they’re not specific, so we just had to cut whatever we thought they might find too dark or violent” — about four minutes of material, he says. More experienced Chinese colleagues had counseled him to cut more than he thought necessary. Not removing enough “shows that you have an ‘attitude problem,’ which will...
But when Chinese censors handed “Last Sunrise” back to Ren with the single, vague piece of feedback that the film “showed too much of the darkness of humanity,” he realized the shot had to go. “The problem is they’re not specific, so we just had to cut whatever we thought they might find too dark or violent” — about four minutes of material, he says. More experienced Chinese colleagues had counseled him to cut more than he thought necessary. Not removing enough “shows that you have an ‘attitude problem,’ which will...
- 5/14/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Alibaba Pictures Group, the film business arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, has struck a strategic cooperation deal with leading film studio Huayi Bros. The deal includes a $103 million (RMB700 million) loan to Huayi.
Alibaba Pictures said the agreement was part of its recently announced strategy to be involved in major movies aimed for release during China’s four yearly holiday periods: Chinese New Year (around January-February), the summer, National Day celebrations in October, and end of the year. The strategy, dubbed the Jin Cheng Co-Production Project, runs for five years. (“Jin Cheng” translates roughly into English as “Golden Orange.”)
The deal further expands the power and influence of deep-pocketed Internet platforms, such as Alibaba and Tencent, over the Chinese film industry. Alibaba and companies owned by founder Jack Ma have been significant minority shareholders in Huayi since 2014, and increased their positions again in 2015.
The new deal with Huayi runs...
Alibaba Pictures said the agreement was part of its recently announced strategy to be involved in major movies aimed for release during China’s four yearly holiday periods: Chinese New Year (around January-February), the summer, National Day celebrations in October, and end of the year. The strategy, dubbed the Jin Cheng Co-Production Project, runs for five years. (“Jin Cheng” translates roughly into English as “Golden Orange.”)
The deal further expands the power and influence of deep-pocketed Internet platforms, such as Alibaba and Tencent, over the Chinese film industry. Alibaba and companies owned by founder Jack Ma have been significant minority shareholders in Huayi since 2014, and increased their positions again in 2015.
The new deal with Huayi runs...
- 1/24/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Hong Kong studio Edko Films has picked up international rights to “One Second,” the newest movie by top Chinese director Zhang Yimou. The film will have its world premiere in competition in Berlin, it was announced this week.
“One Second” is pitched as Zhang’s personal love letter to cinema, and as a return to his auteur roots after a string of big-budget films including “The Great Wall,” and the recent “Shadow.” The story evolves from the moment when an enigmatic film reel spawns an unlikely friendship between a fugitive and a homeless girl.
The film stars Zhang Yi (“Operation Red Sea”) and Fan Wei (“I Am Not Madame Bovary”). It was shot in remote mountainous locations in mid-summer last year, between the end of production on “Shadow” and that film’s triumphant Venice and Toronto outings.
“Shadow” was produced by Perfect Village, a joint venture between Chinese games to...
“One Second” is pitched as Zhang’s personal love letter to cinema, and as a return to his auteur roots after a string of big-budget films including “The Great Wall,” and the recent “Shadow.” The story evolves from the moment when an enigmatic film reel spawns an unlikely friendship between a fugitive and a homeless girl.
The film stars Zhang Yi (“Operation Red Sea”) and Fan Wei (“I Am Not Madame Bovary”). It was shot in remote mountainous locations in mid-summer last year, between the end of production on “Shadow” and that film’s triumphant Venice and Toronto outings.
“Shadow” was produced by Perfect Village, a joint venture between Chinese games to...
- 1/18/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Hong Kong pop queen Faye Wong, mainland Chinese actress Zhao Wei and Taiwan’s Shu Qi are believed to be among the celebrities from around greater China who are now rushing to ensure their finances are on the right side of the law in the Middle Kingdom.
Their haste has been triggered by the recently announced punishment of superstar Fan Bingbing for tax evasion, and by the Chinese government’s campaign to make public examples of misbehaving celebrities.
Tax officials Wednesday revealed that Fan, star of Hollywood’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and recent Chinese hit “I Am Not Madame Bovary,” could be liable for up to $129 million (Rmb 883 million) in back taxes, late payment penalties and fines.
The hefty penalty imposed on China’s most famous actress – who was reportedly detained and questioned by authorities for months – signals the beginning of an aggressive crackdown on the country’s booming entertainment business,...
Their haste has been triggered by the recently announced punishment of superstar Fan Bingbing for tax evasion, and by the Chinese government’s campaign to make public examples of misbehaving celebrities.
Tax officials Wednesday revealed that Fan, star of Hollywood’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and recent Chinese hit “I Am Not Madame Bovary,” could be liable for up to $129 million (Rmb 883 million) in back taxes, late payment penalties and fines.
The hefty penalty imposed on China’s most famous actress – who was reportedly detained and questioned by authorities for months – signals the beginning of an aggressive crackdown on the country’s booming entertainment business,...
- 10/4/2018
- by Vivienne Chow
- Variety Film + TV
Official report suggests actor, singer and model will escape criminal charges is she pays up.
Missing Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing has been ordered to pay the equivalent of roughly $129m in late taxes and fines for tax evasion, according to a report on state-run news outlet Xinhua.
The report said if China’s highest paid actor pays the fines, which amount to hundreds of millions of yuan, on time she will avoid criminal prosecution.
The actress posted an apology on her Weibo account saying: “I’ve been suffering unprecedented pain recently… I’m so ashamed of what I’ve done.
Missing Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing has been ordered to pay the equivalent of roughly $129m in late taxes and fines for tax evasion, according to a report on state-run news outlet Xinhua.
The report said if China’s highest paid actor pays the fines, which amount to hundreds of millions of yuan, on time she will avoid criminal prosecution.
The actress posted an apology on her Weibo account saying: “I’ve been suffering unprecedented pain recently… I’m so ashamed of what I’ve done.
- 10/3/2018
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Official report suggests actor, singer and model will escape criminal charges is she pays up.
Missing Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing has been ordered to pay the equivalent of roughly $129m in late taxes and fines for tax evasion, according to a report on state-run news outlet Xinhua.
The report said if China’s highest paid actor pays the fines, which amount to hundreds of millions of yuan, on time she will avoid criminal prosecution.
Fan disappeared from public view in the summer, sparking intense speculation over her business affairs. Her lengthy absence followed an incident in May when Chinese TV...
Missing Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing has been ordered to pay the equivalent of roughly $129m in late taxes and fines for tax evasion, according to a report on state-run news outlet Xinhua.
The report said if China’s highest paid actor pays the fines, which amount to hundreds of millions of yuan, on time she will avoid criminal prosecution.
Fan disappeared from public view in the summer, sparking intense speculation over her business affairs. Her lengthy absence followed an incident in May when Chinese TV...
- 10/3/2018
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Fan Bingbing has been ordered to pay the equivalent of more than $100 million in taxes and fines, Chinese state-run media outlet Xinhua reported Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.
Citing Chinese taxation authorities, Xinhua said Tuesday that Fan has been ordered to pay around 420 million yuan, equivalent to approximately $70 million U.S. dollars, on top of back taxes totaling $37 million. She may also be hit with further fines. No further information was provided about the actress’ legal situation.
Soon after the story was announced, Fan posted an apology on Chinese social media platform Weibo, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I failed my country which nurtured me; I failed the society which trusted me; I failed the fans who liked me,” she said in her first public statement in months.
“I totally accepted all of them, and will raise funds to pay my taxes and penalties regardless of any obstacles,” she said about the penalties imposed on her.
Citing Chinese taxation authorities, Xinhua said Tuesday that Fan has been ordered to pay around 420 million yuan, equivalent to approximately $70 million U.S. dollars, on top of back taxes totaling $37 million. She may also be hit with further fines. No further information was provided about the actress’ legal situation.
Soon after the story was announced, Fan posted an apology on Chinese social media platform Weibo, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I failed my country which nurtured me; I failed the society which trusted me; I failed the fans who liked me,” she said in her first public statement in months.
“I totally accepted all of them, and will raise funds to pay my taxes and penalties regardless of any obstacles,” she said about the penalties imposed on her.
- 10/3/2018
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
by Nathaniel R
Fan Bingbing in May at Cannes with other female superstars, a month before she disappeared.
We've mentioned this frightening story twice before in news roundups but since it's making another round through more mainstream websites today -- it takes the big ones time with the foreign superstars -- we should update you.
Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, who we always love covering in her Cannes appearances, is Still missing. The media started suspecting that she'd vanished in July since she isn't exactly shy about public appearances, red carpets and the like...
Fan Bingbing in May at Cannes with other female superstars, a month before she disappeared.
We've mentioned this frightening story twice before in news roundups but since it's making another round through more mainstream websites today -- it takes the big ones time with the foreign superstars -- we should update you.
Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, who we always love covering in her Cannes appearances, is Still missing. The media started suspecting that she'd vanished in July since she isn't exactly shy about public appearances, red carpets and the like...
- 9/25/2018
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Since Fan Bingbing disappeared from public view in July, rumors have swirled that China’s most prominent actress is no longer at liberty – either in prison or under house arrest as a result of a scandal over celebrity salaries and alleged tax evasion.
Neither her representatives nor the Chinese authorities are commenting on Fan’s unusual absence. But the questions that hang over her fate are beginning to cast a cloud over the projects she is involved in, including high-profile all-female action movie “355” and the luxury brands that clamored to hire her as a spokeswoman.
“355,” produced by Jessica Chastain, was the top-selling project at Cannes this year. (Fan and Chastain have been friends since they worked together on the Cannes jury in 2017.) Sources close to the production tell Variety that there is no need to rethink yet as the movie is not scheduled to shoot until mid-2019. But whether...
Neither her representatives nor the Chinese authorities are commenting on Fan’s unusual absence. But the questions that hang over her fate are beginning to cast a cloud over the projects she is involved in, including high-profile all-female action movie “355” and the luxury brands that clamored to hire her as a spokeswoman.
“355,” produced by Jessica Chastain, was the top-selling project at Cannes this year. (Fan and Chastain have been friends since they worked together on the Cannes jury in 2017.) Sources close to the production tell Variety that there is no need to rethink yet as the movie is not scheduled to shoot until mid-2019. But whether...
- 9/17/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Fan Bingbing, one of the most popular actresses in China, hasn’t been seen in public or heard from since an early June visit to a children’s hospital in Tibet three months ago, CNN reports.
While no charges have been officially announced against the actress, speculation has now arisen that the Chinese government has quietly arrested her for tax evasion.
According to CNN, on Sept. 6, the state-run news outlet Securities Daily said in a since-deleted article that Bingbing had been brought “under control and about to receive legal judgment.” Back in May, state tabloid Global Times said that Bingbing had a “yin-yang contract,” a term used to refer to when two contracts are signed with different salary amounts, with the smaller amount being reported on tax returns. In this case, Bingbing was said to have a public film contract for $1.5 million and a smaller one for $7.5 million. Bingbing denied the claims.
While no charges have been officially announced against the actress, speculation has now arisen that the Chinese government has quietly arrested her for tax evasion.
According to CNN, on Sept. 6, the state-run news outlet Securities Daily said in a since-deleted article that Bingbing had been brought “under control and about to receive legal judgment.” Back in May, state tabloid Global Times said that Bingbing had a “yin-yang contract,” a term used to refer to when two contracts are signed with different salary amounts, with the smaller amount being reported on tax returns. In this case, Bingbing was said to have a public film contract for $1.5 million and a smaller one for $7.5 million. Bingbing denied the claims.
- 9/15/2018
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
A nuanced film examining the consequences of China’s one-child policy, “Baby” follows a woman abandoned at birth trying her utmost to save an infant girl left to die by her parents. Devastating yet brimming with tender compassion, the film is a veiled critique of the rigidity of Chinese state welfare, discrimination of women and the disabled, and how kindness nonetheless survives in a harsh world. Writer-director Liu Jie’s vérité style captures China’s new working-class milieu, imbuing the gripping plot turns with gritty authenticity.
With “Baby,” Liu completes his trilogy of litigation-themed films — preceded by “Courthouse on Horseback” and “Judge” — which explored the discrepancies between the letter and the spirit of the law. As in those two earlier features, Liu bases his screenplay on real-life characters. The social background dates back to the late ’90s, when the steep rise of orphans (the majority being girls or babies with...
With “Baby,” Liu completes his trilogy of litigation-themed films — preceded by “Courthouse on Horseback” and “Judge” — which explored the discrepancies between the letter and the spirit of the law. As in those two earlier features, Liu bases his screenplay on real-life characters. The social background dates back to the late ’90s, when the steep rise of orphans (the majority being girls or babies with...
- 9/10/2018
- by Maggie Lee
- Variety Film + TV
Chinese drama “Baby,” which has its world premiere this week at the Toronto Film Festival, is a disturbing look at how disabled children are frequently abandoned in China. Fortunately, director Liu Jie has found multiple ways of making the subject palatable.
Liu, who previously made social drama “Courthouse on Horseback” and more mainstream mystery thriller “Hide and Seek,” says that unfortunately, the film is based on real events. Liu became aware of the plight of disabled children when a friend was given three days by local authorities to decide whether his newborn child should live or die. After that introduction, in 2009 Liu visited a village with 600 families and 1,200 children in foster care.
There he found ideas for the screenplay, which he wrote with a small team over the next two years. In total it has taken nine years to bring to the screen. Having the legendary Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien...
Liu, who previously made social drama “Courthouse on Horseback” and more mainstream mystery thriller “Hide and Seek,” says that unfortunately, the film is based on real events. Liu became aware of the plight of disabled children when a friend was given three days by local authorities to decide whether his newborn child should live or die. After that introduction, in 2009 Liu visited a village with 600 families and 1,200 children in foster care.
There he found ideas for the screenplay, which he wrote with a small team over the next two years. In total it has taken nine years to bring to the screen. Having the legendary Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien...
- 9/7/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
A Hong Kong news outlet is reporting that Fan Bingbing, China’s highest-paid actress, has been banned from acting for three years amid allegations of tax evasion – a report that the star’s reps say is pure rumor.
The Apple Daily report comes as the actress’ fans wonder about her recent silence on social media and absence from the limelight. Fan, who starred in 2016 hit “I Am Not Madame Bovary” and played Blink in “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” was last seen in public in early July and has not updated her social media accounts, including Chinese Twitter-equivalent Weibo, for three weeks.
Fan has been at the center of a scandal over actors’ salaries and tax evasion since May, when a Chinese TV anchor published documents that appeared to show Fan being paid through two different contracts for work on the same film. The implication was that only one...
The Apple Daily report comes as the actress’ fans wonder about her recent silence on social media and absence from the limelight. Fan, who starred in 2016 hit “I Am Not Madame Bovary” and played Blink in “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” was last seen in public in early July and has not updated her social media accounts, including Chinese Twitter-equivalent Weibo, for three weeks.
Fan has been at the center of a scandal over actors’ salaries and tax evasion since May, when a Chinese TV anchor published documents that appeared to show Fan being paid through two different contracts for work on the same film. The implication was that only one...
- 8/13/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
China’s tax authorities have launched a probe into the fiscal affairs of the film and TV industries, following allegations that leading actress Fan Bingbing engaged in contract chicanery to hide a massive payday.
China’s State Authority of Taxation announced the industry-wide move Sunday. It ordered local tax bureaus to investigate so-called Yin-Yang contracts – in essence, double contracts for the same work.
Fan, China’s biggest celebrity and co-star of Jessica Chastain’s forthcoming action film “355,” reacted furiously last week when details of a contract were leaked online by TV anchor Cui Yongyuan. His initial disclosure showed Fan being paid $1.56 million (RMB10 million) for four days’ work on Feng Xiaogang-directed “Cell Phone 2.” Cui followed up by releasing a second contract worth $7.8 million (RMB50 million) for the same work. He suggested that the intent was to allow Fan to declare only the smaller contract to tax authorities, rather than...
China’s State Authority of Taxation announced the industry-wide move Sunday. It ordered local tax bureaus to investigate so-called Yin-Yang contracts – in essence, double contracts for the same work.
Fan, China’s biggest celebrity and co-star of Jessica Chastain’s forthcoming action film “355,” reacted furiously last week when details of a contract were leaked online by TV anchor Cui Yongyuan. His initial disclosure showed Fan being paid $1.56 million (RMB10 million) for four days’ work on Feng Xiaogang-directed “Cell Phone 2.” Cui followed up by releasing a second contract worth $7.8 million (RMB50 million) for the same work. He suggested that the intent was to allow Fan to declare only the smaller contract to tax authorities, rather than...
- 6/4/2018
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Contemporary Chinese Cinema is a column devoted to exploring contemporary Chinese-language cinema primarily as it is revealed to us at North American multiplexes.The Thousand Faces of DunjiaOpening the same weekend as The Last Jedi, though on considerably fewer screens in North America, were two films from major Chinese filmmakers. The Thousand Faces of Dunjia is a CGI-driven fantasy epic by two legends of Hong Kong cinema: writer/producer Tsui Hark and director Yuen Woo-ping. Youth is a coming-of-age melodrama set amidst an arts troupe in the later years of the Cultural Revolution from Beijing-based director Feng Xiaogang. Dunjia had been billed throughout its production as a remake of Yuen’s 1982 feature The Miracle Fighters, and this, combined with Tsui’s facility with modern technology (as seen earlier this year in his Journey to the West: Demons Strike Back, a collaboration with another Hong Kong auteur, Stephen Chow), positioned...
- 1/8/2018
- MUBI
Yuen Woo Ping’s The Thousand Faces Of Dunjia opened in second.
Source: Im Global
‘Youth’
Chinese blockbusters returned to take command of the Chinese box office in the week of Dec 11-17, with Youth and The Thousand Faces Of Dunjia in the top two positions.
Chinese auteur Feng Xiaogang’s Youth opened top with $45.3m from its three-day debut. The coming of age drama, which follows a group of dancers in the People’s Liberation Army during the Cultural Revolution and the Sino-Vietnam War, became the first Chinese film to top the weekly chart in eight weeks. It was originally scheduled for release in October for the National Day holidays. The film also opened higher than Feng’s last film I Am Not Madame Bovary.
Yuen Woo Ping’s The Thousand Faces Of Dunjia shifted its opening to Thursday 6pm to be ahead of Youth and grossed $31.9m from its first four days. Produced and written...
Source: Im Global
‘Youth’
Chinese blockbusters returned to take command of the Chinese box office in the week of Dec 11-17, with Youth and The Thousand Faces Of Dunjia in the top two positions.
Chinese auteur Feng Xiaogang’s Youth opened top with $45.3m from its three-day debut. The coming of age drama, which follows a group of dancers in the People’s Liberation Army during the Cultural Revolution and the Sino-Vietnam War, became the first Chinese film to top the weekly chart in eight weeks. It was originally scheduled for release in October for the National Day holidays. The film also opened higher than Feng’s last film I Am Not Madame Bovary.
Yuen Woo Ping’s The Thousand Faces Of Dunjia shifted its opening to Thursday 6pm to be ahead of Youth and grossed $31.9m from its first four days. Produced and written...
- 12/18/2017
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Train To Busan and The Wailing also secured multiple nominations.
Chinese director Feng Xiaogang’s I Am Not Madame Bovary, Korean director Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing and Koji Fukada’s Harmonium from Japan are the frontrunners at the upcoming Asian Film Awards, vying for both best film and best director.
Joining the fray for best film are Chung Mong-hong’s Godspeed, which also nabs a best actor nod for Michael Hui, and Kim Jee-woon’s The Age Of Shadows. Soul Mate’s Derek Tsang and The Woman Who Left’s Lav Diaz are also in the race for best director.
This year, 34 films from 12 countries (out of almost 1,600 submissions from 28 countries) are in contention for 15 awards. Korean cinema dominates, with festival favourite The Handmaiden [pictured] receiving the most nominations with six nods, followed by breakout hit Train To Busan with five and The Wailing with four.
I Am Not Madame Bovary receives five nominations, including best actress...
Chinese director Feng Xiaogang’s I Am Not Madame Bovary, Korean director Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing and Koji Fukada’s Harmonium from Japan are the frontrunners at the upcoming Asian Film Awards, vying for both best film and best director.
Joining the fray for best film are Chung Mong-hong’s Godspeed, which also nabs a best actor nod for Michael Hui, and Kim Jee-woon’s The Age Of Shadows. Soul Mate’s Derek Tsang and The Woman Who Left’s Lav Diaz are also in the race for best director.
This year, 34 films from 12 countries (out of almost 1,600 submissions from 28 countries) are in contention for 15 awards. Korean cinema dominates, with festival favourite The Handmaiden [pictured] receiving the most nominations with six nods, followed by breakout hit Train To Busan with five and The Wailing with four.
I Am Not Madame Bovary receives five nominations, including best actress...
- 1/11/2017
- by screenasia@yahoo.com (Silvia Wong)
- ScreenDaily
South Korea's The Handmaiden leads the Asian Film Awards nominations, unveiled Wednesday, with six nods, followed by China's I Am Not Madame Bovary and South Korea's Train to Busan, each with five.
The Handmaiden, directed by Park Chan-wook, was nominated for best supporting actress, best newcomer, best screenplay, best editing, best costume design and best production design. But it missed out on nominations in the best film and best director categories.
Chinese director Feng Xiaogang, who won the Golden Horse Award for best director last November, saw his social satire I Am Not Madame Bovary garner best film and best...
The Handmaiden, directed by Park Chan-wook, was nominated for best supporting actress, best newcomer, best screenplay, best editing, best costume design and best production design. But it missed out on nominations in the best film and best director categories.
Chinese director Feng Xiaogang, who won the Golden Horse Award for best director last November, saw his social satire I Am Not Madame Bovary garner best film and best...
- 1/11/2017
- by Karen Chu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
2016 was another great year for Asian cinema, although S. Korean films were the ones that, once more, stood at the epicenter of international interest, particularly due to Park Chan-wook’s comeback and the box office success of films like “The Wailing” and “Train to Busan.” Japan followed with a number of box office successes of its own, headed by “Your Name” and the new Godzilla film, although indie cinema had a very interesting year also.
Chinese language films also had a very interesting year, with “Ten Years” spawning enormous amount of controversy. Slowly though, filmmakers from other Asian countries, not as well known as the aforementioned, seem to present masterpieces of their own.
With a focus on diversity, here are the best Asian films of 2016, in random order. (Some of the films premiered in 2015, but I took the liberty to include them, since they mostly circulated in 2016).
Inside Men
Inside Men...
Chinese language films also had a very interesting year, with “Ten Years” spawning enormous amount of controversy. Slowly though, filmmakers from other Asian countries, not as well known as the aforementioned, seem to present masterpieces of their own.
With a focus on diversity, here are the best Asian films of 2016, in random order. (Some of the films premiered in 2015, but I took the liberty to include them, since they mostly circulated in 2016).
Inside Men
Inside Men...
- 1/3/2017
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Find out what made our top 10 films of 2016 - and which films feature on Team Screen’s overall top 10.Scroll down for Screen’s overall top 10
Screen’s esteemed critics have had their turn. Now, Screen staff, contributors and correspondents reveal their favourite films seen in 2016. Festival premieres and UK/Us theatrical releases are deemed eligible.
Matt Mueller (editor)
Moonlight (dir. Barry Jenkins)La La Land (dir. Damien Chazelle)Aquarius (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)Mustang (dir. Deniz Gamze Ergüven)Hell Or High Water (dir. David Mackenzie)Embrace Of The Serpent (dir. Ciro Guerra)Little Men (dir. Ira Sachs)Suntan (dir. Argyris Papadimitropoulos)Love & Friendship (dir. Whit Stillman)Nocturnal Animals (dir Tom Ford)Jeremy Kay (Us editor)
Manchester By The Sea (dir. Kenneth Lonergan)Neruda (dir. Pablo Larrain)Aquarius (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)Deadpool (dir Tim Miller)Fire At Sea (dir. Gianfranco Rosi)Moonlight (dir. Barry Jenkins)Oj: Made In America (dir. Ezra Edelman)[link=tt...
Screen’s esteemed critics have had their turn. Now, Screen staff, contributors and correspondents reveal their favourite films seen in 2016. Festival premieres and UK/Us theatrical releases are deemed eligible.
Matt Mueller (editor)
Moonlight (dir. Barry Jenkins)La La Land (dir. Damien Chazelle)Aquarius (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)Mustang (dir. Deniz Gamze Ergüven)Hell Or High Water (dir. David Mackenzie)Embrace Of The Serpent (dir. Ciro Guerra)Little Men (dir. Ira Sachs)Suntan (dir. Argyris Papadimitropoulos)Love & Friendship (dir. Whit Stillman)Nocturnal Animals (dir Tom Ford)Jeremy Kay (Us editor)
Manchester By The Sea (dir. Kenneth Lonergan)Neruda (dir. Pablo Larrain)Aquarius (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)Deadpool (dir Tim Miller)Fire At Sea (dir. Gianfranco Rosi)Moonlight (dir. Barry Jenkins)Oj: Made In America (dir. Ezra Edelman)[link=tt...
- 12/20/2016
- ScreenDaily
Walt Disney's Moana topped the extended holiday box office by earning $55.5 million over its Fri-Sun debut and $81.1m from Wed-Sun. Moana is the second largest five-day Thanksgiving opening of all-time behind Disney's Frozen ($93.6m five-day) and ahead of Toy Story 2 ($80.1m five-day). Internationally, Moana opened earned an estimated $16.3 million, including an estimated $12.3 million in China, for a global opening totaling of $97.4 million.
In second place for the long weekend was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which earned $45.1 million three-day and a $65.8 million five-day estimate. The film's global earnings stands at $473.7 million.
Third place goes to Marvel's Doctor Strange, which earned an estimated $13.4 million three-day weekend and an estimated $18.85 million five-day weekend. The film's domestic earnings stands at $205 million.
Other films debuted over the Thanksgiving weekend but fell very short of expectations like Allied and Bad Santa 2 and Rules Don't Apply delivered the worst wide opening of...
In second place for the long weekend was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which earned $45.1 million three-day and a $65.8 million five-day estimate. The film's global earnings stands at $473.7 million.
Third place goes to Marvel's Doctor Strange, which earned an estimated $13.4 million three-day weekend and an estimated $18.85 million five-day weekend. The film's domestic earnings stands at $205 million.
Other films debuted over the Thanksgiving weekend but fell very short of expectations like Allied and Bad Santa 2 and Rules Don't Apply delivered the worst wide opening of...
- 11/27/2016
- by Kellvin Chavez
- LRMonline.com
Last weekend, the Chinese satire from critically acclaimed director Feng Xiaogang, “I Am Not Madame Bovary,” premiered in theaters. The film was a huge financial success; bringing in over $29 million dollars, the film took one of the top spots in the Chinese box office. Despite such a large amount of success, there has been controversy between the director himself, and a chain of mainstream cinemas in China. Feng believes that the chain featuring his film, Wanda Cinemas, purposefully shortened play time in the theaters in order to prevent Feng from having increased profit margins.
Lead actress from “I Am Not Madame Bovary,” Fan Bing-Bing
Feng aired his grievance towards the owner of Wanda Cinemas, Wang Jianlin, to only hear back from Wang’s son, Wang Sicong. His son replied saying that there was no ill intent in shortening the play time, just that they chose to do so based off...
Lead actress from “I Am Not Madame Bovary,” Fan Bing-Bing
Feng aired his grievance towards the owner of Wanda Cinemas, Wang Jianlin, to only hear back from Wang’s son, Wang Sicong. His son replied saying that there was no ill intent in shortening the play time, just that they chose to do so based off...
- 11/24/2016
- by Lydia Spanier
- AsianMoviePulse
I Am Not Madame Bovary’s Feng Xiaogang took the best director prize.Scroll down for full list of winners
The jury of the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) has awarded the best film prize to Mustafa Kara’s Turkish drama Cold Of Kalandar. The film won a total of three prizes at the regional film awards, which took place tonight (Nov 24) in Brisbane, Australia.
The best director prize went to Chinese director Feng Xiaogang for his satirical critique of bureaucratic indifference to the populace of mainland China, I Am Not Madame Bovary.
Cold of Kalandar’s Apsa best film win comes after similar honours at the Tokyo Film Festival, and Turkey’s Istanbul and Antalya film festivals.
In September it was selected as Turkey’s candidate for the foreign language Oscar.
The film depicts an impoverished family’s attempt to make a living through farming in Turkey’s mountainous northern region. Tensions between...
The jury of the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) has awarded the best film prize to Mustafa Kara’s Turkish drama Cold Of Kalandar. The film won a total of three prizes at the regional film awards, which took place tonight (Nov 24) in Brisbane, Australia.
The best director prize went to Chinese director Feng Xiaogang for his satirical critique of bureaucratic indifference to the populace of mainland China, I Am Not Madame Bovary.
Cold of Kalandar’s Apsa best film win comes after similar honours at the Tokyo Film Festival, and Turkey’s Istanbul and Antalya film festivals.
In September it was selected as Turkey’s candidate for the foreign language Oscar.
The film depicts an impoverished family’s attempt to make a living through farming in Turkey’s mountainous northern region. Tensions between...
- 11/24/2016
- ScreenDaily
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them..
Warner Bros' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has topped the box office, debuting with a whopping $9.7 million. The J.K. Rowling penned prequel to the Harry Potter franchise opened on 287 screens; an average of $33,705.
A long way behind was Disney's Doctor Strange, which took.$1.2 million; a fall of 53 per cent. With four week on screens, the Marvel film has amassed $18 million overall.
Roadshow's.Arrival, now in its second week, dropped 47 per cent to take $1.2 million. The aIien sci-fi has made $4.1 million so far.
Icon's Hacksaw Ridge dropped 38 per cent in its third week to bring in $824,687. Mel Gibson's directorial comeback now sits just under $5 million overall..
The Accountant took $681,800 over its third weekend; WB's action thriller now sits on $4.4 million. Also in its third week, eOne's Michael Fassbender-starrer The.Light Between Oceans collected.$326,851, bringing its total to $2.1 million.
Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals,...
Warner Bros' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has topped the box office, debuting with a whopping $9.7 million. The J.K. Rowling penned prequel to the Harry Potter franchise opened on 287 screens; an average of $33,705.
A long way behind was Disney's Doctor Strange, which took.$1.2 million; a fall of 53 per cent. With four week on screens, the Marvel film has amassed $18 million overall.
Roadshow's.Arrival, now in its second week, dropped 47 per cent to take $1.2 million. The aIien sci-fi has made $4.1 million so far.
Icon's Hacksaw Ridge dropped 38 per cent in its third week to bring in $824,687. Mel Gibson's directorial comeback now sits just under $5 million overall..
The Accountant took $681,800 over its third weekend; WB's action thriller now sits on $4.4 million. Also in its third week, eOne's Michael Fassbender-starrer The.Light Between Oceans collected.$326,851, bringing its total to $2.1 million.
Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals,...
- 11/20/2016
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them..
Warner Bros' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has topped the box office, debuting with a whopping $9.7 million. The J.K. Rowlingpenned prequel to the Harry Potter franchise opened on 287 screens; an average of $33,705.
A long way behind was Disney's Doctor Strange, which took.$1.2 million; a fall of 53 per cent. With four week on screens, the Marvel film has amassed $18 million overall.
Roadshow's.Arrival, now in its second week, dropped 47 per cent to take $1.2 million. The aIien sci-fi has made $4.1 million so far.
Icon's Hacksaw Ridge dropped 38 per cent in its third week to bring in $824,687. Mel Gibson's directorial comeback now sits just under $5 million overall..
The Accountant took $681,800 over its third weekend; WB's action thriller now sits on $4.4 million. Also in its third week, eOne's Michael Fassbender-starrer The.Light Between Oceans collected.$326,851, bringing its total to $2.1 million.
Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals,...
Warner Bros' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has topped the box office, debuting with a whopping $9.7 million. The J.K. Rowlingpenned prequel to the Harry Potter franchise opened on 287 screens; an average of $33,705.
A long way behind was Disney's Doctor Strange, which took.$1.2 million; a fall of 53 per cent. With four week on screens, the Marvel film has amassed $18 million overall.
Roadshow's.Arrival, now in its second week, dropped 47 per cent to take $1.2 million. The aIien sci-fi has made $4.1 million so far.
Icon's Hacksaw Ridge dropped 38 per cent in its third week to bring in $824,687. Mel Gibson's directorial comeback now sits just under $5 million overall..
The Accountant took $681,800 over its third weekend; WB's action thriller now sits on $4.4 million. Also in its third week, eOne's Michael Fassbender-starrer The.Light Between Oceans collected.$326,851, bringing its total to $2.1 million.
Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals,...
- 11/20/2016
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Warner Bros.' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them took the top spot at the box office this weekend beating out the other new releases like Bleed for This from Open Road and The Edge of Seventeen from Stx Entertainment.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them pulled in an estimated $75 million in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada, failing analyst expectations of at least $80 million.
The film, however, did do well internationally, where the film grossed an impressive $143.3 million, beating analyst projections of $125 million.
comScore's Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian commented:
"Warner Bros.' wizarding universe of 'Harry Potter' is expanded as J.K. Rowling's 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them' took in a spectacular $143.3 million internationally this weekend on over 24,000 screens in 63 markets. This plus an impressive number one North American debut of $75 million brings the global opening weekend total to $218.3 million.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them pulled in an estimated $75 million in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada, failing analyst expectations of at least $80 million.
The film, however, did do well internationally, where the film grossed an impressive $143.3 million, beating analyst projections of $125 million.
comScore's Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian commented:
"Warner Bros.' wizarding universe of 'Harry Potter' is expanded as J.K. Rowling's 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them' took in a spectacular $143.3 million internationally this weekend on over 24,000 screens in 63 markets. This plus an impressive number one North American debut of $75 million brings the global opening weekend total to $218.3 million.
- 11/20/2016
- by Kellvin Chavez
- LRMonline.com
A couple of months ago, we noted how it’s been a seriously underwhelming year for Chinese-language cinema – an assessment that stands despite the recent release of Berlinale-winner Crosscurrent. Well, turns out the Middle Kingdom might have a year-end surprise or two up its sleeve after all. Having scored a Fipresci prize at Toronto and the prestigious Golden Seashell at San Sebastián, I Am Not Madame Bovary is a healthy return to form for veteran director Xiaogang Feng that, while not exactly hitting the ball out of the park, delivers a genuinely funny, slyly observant diagnosis of contemporary China complete with lush, absurdist flair.
The many cultural references that give a societal satire like this its texture but inevitably get lost in translation begin with the title. Instead of Flaubert’s world-known creation, it’s actually Pan Jinlian that our heroine Li Xuelian (played by Bingbing Fan) denies of being.
The many cultural references that give a societal satire like this its texture but inevitably get lost in translation begin with the title. Instead of Flaubert’s world-known creation, it’s actually Pan Jinlian that our heroine Li Xuelian (played by Bingbing Fan) denies of being.
- 11/16/2016
- by Zhuo-Ning Su
- The Film Stage
Back in 1992, China’s most renowned director (internationally, at least) and its most famous actress (ditto) teamed up to make an offbeat portrait of maniacal tenacity. The Story Of Qiu Ju—it was the fifth consecutive collaboration between Zhang Yimou and Gong Li—stars Gong as a hugely pregnant peasant who stubbornly works her way up the country’s justice system, rung by rung, seeking redress for her husband, who got kicked in the nuts by their village chieftain. Doesn’t sound like a potential franchise, but here, nonetheless, comes I Am Not Madame Bovary, a remarkably similar one-woman-vs.-the-system tale helmed by China’s most commercially successful director, Feng Xiaogang (Aftershock, Assembly), and starring its most popular actress, Fan Bingbing (who’s such a megastar that the Chinese release of Iron Man 3 included extra scenes in which she appears; she also played Blink in X-Men: Days Of ...
- 11/16/2016
- by Mike D'Angelo
- avclub.com
The film marks the second collaboration of director Feng Xiaogang, writer Zhenyun Liu (who actually adapts his own novel) and actress Fan Bingbing. The first one was “Cell Phone”, the latter’s debut, 12 years before.
In a story that reminded me much of Zhang Yimou’s “The Story of Qiu Zu,” the script revolves around Lian, a woman determined to face the whole judicial system, in order to find justice. The film starts with the story of Pan Jinlian, the Chinese version of Madame Bovary, a woman whose infidelity led to murder. The connection, however, is revealed later.
In the beginning of the story, Lian pleads to a judge, who is a distant relative, in order to revoke her divorce. She explains that the divorce was fake, as she and her ex-husband took it in order to to get a better apartment. However, her husband swindled her and actually married another woman,...
In a story that reminded me much of Zhang Yimou’s “The Story of Qiu Zu,” the script revolves around Lian, a woman determined to face the whole judicial system, in order to find justice. The film starts with the story of Pan Jinlian, the Chinese version of Madame Bovary, a woman whose infidelity led to murder. The connection, however, is revealed later.
In the beginning of the story, Lian pleads to a judge, who is a distant relative, in order to revoke her divorce. She explains that the divorce was fake, as she and her ex-husband took it in order to to get a better apartment. However, her husband swindled her and actually married another woman,...
- 11/15/2016
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
We recently provided a guide to streaming the best films of 2016, but it’s time to hit pause because the theatrical options this month are stellar. Along with the year’s best film thus far, there’s a wide variety of must-see features, from documentaries to animations to sci-fi dramas to innovative experiments.
Matinees to See: Doctor Strange (11/4), Peter and the Farm (11/4), The Monster (11/11), Seasons (11/11), The Love Witch (11/11), Notes on Blindness (11/16), Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (11/18), Bleed For This (11/18), I Am Not Madame Bovary (11/18), Lion (11/25), Evolution (11/25), and Old Stone (11/30)
15. Billy Lynn’s Halftime Walk (Ang Lee; Nov. 11)
Synopsis: 19-year-old Billy Lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: After its mixed reception at Nyff, I probably shouldn’t be looking forward to Ang Lee‘s latest as much as I am. However, I’m always curious as...
Matinees to See: Doctor Strange (11/4), Peter and the Farm (11/4), The Monster (11/11), Seasons (11/11), The Love Witch (11/11), Notes on Blindness (11/16), Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (11/18), Bleed For This (11/18), I Am Not Madame Bovary (11/18), Lion (11/25), Evolution (11/25), and Old Stone (11/30)
15. Billy Lynn’s Halftime Walk (Ang Lee; Nov. 11)
Synopsis: 19-year-old Billy Lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle.
Trailer
Why You Should See It: After its mixed reception at Nyff, I probably shouldn’t be looking forward to Ang Lee‘s latest as much as I am. However, I’m always curious as...
- 11/1/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
As its title proclaims, Feng Xiaogang’s bureaucratic satire I Am Not Madame Bovary has no direct connection to Flaubert’s adulterous heroine. Madame Bovary does, however, share some common traits with Pan Jinlian, the fictional 17th century character from Chinese literature name-checked in the film’s original title, who cuckolded then conspired to murder her husband. Adapted by frequent Feng collaborator Liu Zhenyun from his own 2012 novel, the film follows the increasingly desperate efforts of Li Xuelian (played by Fan Bingbing) to get her divorce to Qin Yuhe (Li Zonghan) reversed. Over a period of 10 years, Lian claws her way through China’s multi-tiered civil service, from provincial judges to county chiefs, to mayors and ultimately the Chairman of the National People’s Congress in Beijing....
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 11/1/2016
- Screen Anarchy
The 13th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival is already on its second week but there are still many exceptional movies slated to grace the competition. Here are five intriguing films to catch.
“Three Stories Of Love”
Written and directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi, Three Stories of Love chronicles the interconnected lives of a mourning widower, a disgruntled housewife, and a gay lawyer—who are all unlucky in love. The three stories tread a thread of broken hearts and hopeful love. (October 21 & 31)
“The Wailing”
Writer-director Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing follows a policeman investigating the strange illnesses and killings in a rural village. Meshing East Asian mythology with the tropes of a murder mystery, The Wailing delivers an engrossing viewing experience. (October 22)
“Mad World”
Wong Chun’s Mad World centers on a bipolar stockbroker reuniting with his estranged father. Tensions mount as father and son deal with old family wounds that have yet to heal.
“Three Stories Of Love”
Written and directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi, Three Stories of Love chronicles the interconnected lives of a mourning widower, a disgruntled housewife, and a gay lawyer—who are all unlucky in love. The three stories tread a thread of broken hearts and hopeful love. (October 21 & 31)
“The Wailing”
Writer-director Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing follows a policeman investigating the strange illnesses and killings in a rural village. Meshing East Asian mythology with the tropes of a murder mystery, The Wailing delivers an engrossing viewing experience. (October 22)
“Mad World”
Wong Chun’s Mad World centers on a bipolar stockbroker reuniting with his estranged father. Tensions mount as father and son deal with old family wounds that have yet to heal.
- 10/20/2016
- by Ella Palileo
- AsianMoviePulse
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? This week […]
The post This Week In Trailers: Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, The View From Tall, I Am Not Madame Bovary, Food Coop, The Stairs appeared first on /Film.
The post This Week In Trailers: Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, The View From Tall, I Am Not Madame Bovary, Food Coop, The Stairs appeared first on /Film.
- 10/14/2016
- by Christopher Stipp
- Slash Film
We were sold on I Am Not Madame Bovary based on its teaser trailer, which largely features beautiful paintings before moving into even more gorgeous imagery with a peculiar circular aspect ratio. Stunning cinematography aside, the plot itself has us intrigued, following a café proprietor who is attempting to get retribution in a decade-long fight for divorce. While we didn’t get a chance to see it at Tiff, Well Go USA will release the film this fall and they’ve now unveiled the full trailer.
The latest film from Feng Xiaogang (Aftershock, Back to 1942, If You Are the One) actually picked up the Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci) for Special Presentations at Tiff this year. The jury said exclaimed the award was deserved “for its ambitious rendering of a woman’s Kafkaesque struggle as she takes on the Chinese legal system, and sophisticated play of both form and content,...
The latest film from Feng Xiaogang (Aftershock, Back to 1942, If You Are the One) actually picked up the Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci) for Special Presentations at Tiff this year. The jury said exclaimed the award was deserved “for its ambitious rendering of a woman’s Kafkaesque struggle as she takes on the Chinese legal system, and sophisticated play of both form and content,...
- 9/29/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
I Am Not Madame Bovary
Feng Xiaogang's I Am Not Madame Bovary won the Golden Seashell at the San Sebastian Film Festival. The film about a woman who takes on the Chinese legal system also saw star Fan Bingbing named best actress.
It was a good night for Asian directors, as Korean filmmaker Hang Sang-soo took home the Silver Shell for Best Director for his romantic comedy about a jealous painter Yourself And Yours.
There were also prizes for homegrown talent, as Isabel Peña and Rodrigo Sorogoyen won the Jury Prize for Best Screenplay for tense Spanish thriller May God Save Us (Que Dios Nos Perdone) and veteran Spanish star Eduard Fernández was named best actor for Smoke And Mirrors (El Hombre De Las Mil Caras).
Pepe San Martin's Lgbt family drama Rara won the Horizontes Award, while the New Directors prize went to Sofia Exarchou for Park about teenagers,...
Feng Xiaogang's I Am Not Madame Bovary won the Golden Seashell at the San Sebastian Film Festival. The film about a woman who takes on the Chinese legal system also saw star Fan Bingbing named best actress.
It was a good night for Asian directors, as Korean filmmaker Hang Sang-soo took home the Silver Shell for Best Director for his romantic comedy about a jealous painter Yourself And Yours.
There were also prizes for homegrown talent, as Isabel Peña and Rodrigo Sorogoyen won the Jury Prize for Best Screenplay for tense Spanish thriller May God Save Us (Que Dios Nos Perdone) and veteran Spanish star Eduard Fernández was named best actor for Smoke And Mirrors (El Hombre De Las Mil Caras).
Pepe San Martin's Lgbt family drama Rara won the Horizontes Award, while the New Directors prize went to Sofia Exarchou for Park about teenagers,...
- 9/25/2016
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Debuts The Winter and The Giant, share the special jury prize; Hong Sang-soo wins Silver Shell for best director.
The San Sebastián International Film Festival (Sept 16-24) awards ceremony had a marked Asian flavour last night [24].
Feng Xiaogang’s I Am Not Madame Bovary - the social satire about a woman seeking to restore honour after a bitter divorce - won the Golden Shell for best film at the 64th edition of the festival.
I Am Not Madame Bovary, which had previously won the fipresci prize in Toronto, also earned Chinese star Fan Bingbing the Silver Shell in San Sebastián for best actress.
South Korea’s director Hong Sang-soo won the Silver Shell for best director for the love story Yourself And Yours.
The Special Jury Prize was shared between the Argentinian-French coproduction The Winter, a contemporary western set in a remote area in Patagonia by first time director Emiliano Torres, and the Swedish-Danish...
The San Sebastián International Film Festival (Sept 16-24) awards ceremony had a marked Asian flavour last night [24].
Feng Xiaogang’s I Am Not Madame Bovary - the social satire about a woman seeking to restore honour after a bitter divorce - won the Golden Shell for best film at the 64th edition of the festival.
I Am Not Madame Bovary, which had previously won the fipresci prize in Toronto, also earned Chinese star Fan Bingbing the Silver Shell in San Sebastián for best actress.
South Korea’s director Hong Sang-soo won the Silver Shell for best director for the love story Yourself And Yours.
The Special Jury Prize was shared between the Argentinian-French coproduction The Winter, a contemporary western set in a remote area in Patagonia by first time director Emiliano Torres, and the Swedish-Danish...
- 9/25/2016
- ScreenDaily
The 64th San Sebastian Film Festival, which ran from September 16 to 24, closed out its celebrations by announcing its winners on Saturday night. The top prize, known as the Golden Shell, was awarded to Feng Xiaogang’s drama “I Am Not Madame Bovary.” Its lead, Fan Bingbing, also took home the Best Actress award that night.
“I have a lot of experience and a lot of habits. These habits can cage you. When I started this film, I tried to set these habits aside and try to work as if it were my directorial debut and do something courageous. I knew it was very risky,” Feng said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I didn’t know if it was the right thing to do, but today the San Sebastian Film festival gave me the answer with this prize for the best film.”
Read More: Critics Pick the Best Films From the Toronto...
“I have a lot of experience and a lot of habits. These habits can cage you. When I started this film, I tried to set these habits aside and try to work as if it were my directorial debut and do something courageous. I knew it was very risky,” Feng said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I didn’t know if it was the right thing to do, but today the San Sebastian Film festival gave me the answer with this prize for the best film.”
Read More: Critics Pick the Best Films From the Toronto...
- 9/24/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our special edition of Tiff-only buys, just as the annual fall festival is wrapping up in the Far North.
– IFC Films has announced that the company has acquired U.S. rights to Philippe Falardeau’s “The Bleeder.” The film, directed by Falardeau and written by Jeff Feurzeig and Jerry Stahl, stars Liev Schreiber, Elisabeth Moss and Naomi Watts. The feature had its world premiere at the 2016 Venice Film Festival followed by its North American premiere in Toronto this week.
It is “is the true story of Chuck Wepner, the man who inspired the billion-dollar film series Rocky—a liquor salesman from New Jersey who went 15 rounds with the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. In his ten years in the ring, Wepner endured two knockouts, eight broken noses, and 313 stitches. But his toughest fights were outside...
– IFC Films has announced that the company has acquired U.S. rights to Philippe Falardeau’s “The Bleeder.” The film, directed by Falardeau and written by Jeff Feurzeig and Jerry Stahl, stars Liev Schreiber, Elisabeth Moss and Naomi Watts. The feature had its world premiere at the 2016 Venice Film Festival followed by its North American premiere in Toronto this week.
It is “is the true story of Chuck Wepner, the man who inspired the billion-dollar film series Rocky—a liquor salesman from New Jersey who went 15 rounds with the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. In his ten years in the ring, Wepner endured two knockouts, eight broken noses, and 313 stitches. But his toughest fights were outside...
- 9/16/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Feng Xiaogang’s satire and has set an October 7 release.
Fan Bingbing, Guo Tao and Da Peng star in the film about a village woman accused of being an adulterer who embarks on an annual ‘journey of petition’ to Beijing to prove that her divorce was a sham and redeem her reputation.
The film is based on Liu Zhenyun’s 2012 novel I Did Not Kill My Husband and received its world premiere in Special Presentations last Thursday (Sept 8). It next screens to the public on Friday and will open wide in China on September 30.
Sparkle Roll Media Corporation presents the I Am Not Madame Bovary alongside Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, Beijing Skywheel Entertainment, Huayi Brothers Pictures and Zhejiang Dongyang Mayla Media, with Qi Jianhong, Wang Zhongjun, Song Ge, Wang Zhonglei and Feng Xiaogang.
Zhang Dajun produced I Am Not Madame Bovary and Wang Zhonglei, Zhou Maofei, [link...
Fan Bingbing, Guo Tao and Da Peng star in the film about a village woman accused of being an adulterer who embarks on an annual ‘journey of petition’ to Beijing to prove that her divorce was a sham and redeem her reputation.
The film is based on Liu Zhenyun’s 2012 novel I Did Not Kill My Husband and received its world premiere in Special Presentations last Thursday (Sept 8). It next screens to the public on Friday and will open wide in China on September 30.
Sparkle Roll Media Corporation presents the I Am Not Madame Bovary alongside Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, Beijing Skywheel Entertainment, Huayi Brothers Pictures and Zhejiang Dongyang Mayla Media, with Qi Jianhong, Wang Zhongjun, Song Ge, Wang Zhonglei and Feng Xiaogang.
Zhang Dajun produced I Am Not Madame Bovary and Wang Zhonglei, Zhou Maofei, [link...
- 9/11/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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