Headlines from China: A Look at 2019 Foreign “Buyout” Films in China

A Look at 2019 Foreign “Buyout” Films in China

As of December 18, 79 “buyout” foreign films (films imported into China with a flat fee, aka non-revenue sharing) have entered Chinese multiplexes in 2019 with total ticket sales of RMB4.282 billion (US$610.82 M), according to Wechat media account yiqipaidianying. In addition to 7 upcoming films, there are at least 86 foreign films being theatrical releases in 2019. Among them, Japan overtook the US as the biggest “buyout” film exporter to China with a total of 24 titles. Only 17 US productions got theatrical releases in China this year, compared to 28 titles in 2018. The top 5 highest-grossing “buyout” films are Spirited Away (Japan, US$69.47 M), Green Book (USA, US$68.04 M), Capernaum (Lebanon/French/USA, US$53.35 M), Andhadhun (India, US$46.22 M), and Weathering with You (Japan, US$40.94 M). It’s worth noting that China has included films from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan as “domestic productions” since 2019. Thus, Hong Kong’s Men on the Dragon, Taiwan’s More than Blue and Mayday Life 3D, along with their box office earnings, are not included in this analysis on foreign buyout films. Read more on yiqipaidianying

TV Tokyo To Found Animation Studio in China

Japanese television station TV Tokyo Corporation will co-found a China-based animation studio with local partners, according to the Nikkei newspaper. The company will distribute Japanese animation and comic works in China. It will also produce new shows exclusively for the market, which will be broadcasted on Chinese video streaming platforms. TV Tokyo plans to invest US$18.3 million to the new company with the goal of turning profitable in 2024. Read more on Sina Finance

‘Angel Has Fallen’ to Release in China on December 31

Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, the 2019 American action film Angel Has Fallen has been scheduled to release in China on December 31. The film previously opened on August 23 in North America, and is the third installment of the Fallen film series. It stars Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Reddick, Tim Blake Nelson, along with Danny Huston. Read more on Mtime