Credit: Valiant Comics
Chinese Capitals and Hollywood Superhero Movies
As American superhero movies based on comics characters continue to achieve box office success in China, more and more Chinese entertainment companies become interested in co-financing and co-producing this type of superhero movies with the U.S. However, as first-tiered studios, such as Marvel Studios and DC Films, tend to independently produce their movies without bringing other companies on board, many Chinese companies end up partnering with second or lower tiered American companies in this area. Some of the previous partnerships include DMG’s acquisition of Valiant Comics, Camsing International Holding’s acquisition of Pow! Entertainment, Disney’s collaboration with NetEase on the release of 12 comic books in China, and Vanguard Visionary Associates (a subsidiary of Shanghai Cenic Media)’s acquisition of Dark Horse Comics. As shown in the aforementioned cases, most of the collaborations are not directly related to the actual making of superhero movies. So far, it doesn’t seem to be a smooth journey for Chinese companies to buy their way into the universe of Hollywood superhero movies. Read more on yiqipaidianying
Critically Acclaimed Indian Film ‘Andhadhun’ to Release in China
2018 Indian film Andhadhun has been imported into China and will hit the big screen soon, according to sources familiar with the matter. Co-written and directed by Sriram Raghavan, the film is a black comedy crime thriller about a series of mysterious events that change the life of a blind pianist who now must report a crime that he actually never witnessed. With a small budget of $4.5 million, the film went on to make about $16 million in India and North America. In addition to the commercial success, the film also received critical acclaim with a score of 8.6/10 on IMDB, the highest among all the 2018 Indian films. Read more on Mtime
Beijing International Film Festival to Screen ‘Mad Max’ Film Series
Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) has confirmed to showcase the entire Mad Max film series in its 2019 “Carnival Blockbusters” section. Mad Max: Fury Road, the fourth installment of the series, will be shown in IMAX format in designated cinemas. In addition, the festival will present a special program to pay tribute to the legendary Wuxia writer Louis Cha. The lineup of this program will be unveiled later this month. The 9th Beijing International is set to take place from April 13 to 20 this year. Read more on GameCores
