Headlines from China: ‘Ne Zha’ to Hit Cinemas in North America, Australia, and New Zealand

‘Ne Zha’ to Hit Cinemas in North America, Australia, and New Zealand

On August 15, American film distributor Well Go USA confirmed on Weibo that Ne Zha, the highest-earning animated film ever in China, will be released in North America. A release date of the film is yet to be announced. The next day, August 16, CMC Pictures also announced on Weibo that Ne Zha has scored release dates for Australia and New Zealand. The film will hit cinemas in Australia on August 23. For New Zealand, the film will come out on August 28. As of now, Ne Zha has become the highest-grossing Asian animated film, and the highest-grossing non-Hollywood animated film. In addition, the film has been granted an extension for its theatrical release in China to September 26. Read more on Guancha

Meet China’s Only Female eSports Club

When it comes to esports, one thing that’s unique to China is that the country has the 2nd highest distribution of female esports fans globally and is welcoming to female gaming streamers. However, running a female esports club is still not an easy task. In this interview with TMT Post, Shen Meifeng, CEO of Chinese esports club KA, shares his thoughts on the industry and why he chose to run a female esports club. According to Shen, many female esports clubs emerged in China three years ago when big companies, such as JD.com, were organizing or sponsoring competitions for female esports teams. After the competitions, those female clubs gradually disappeared due to lack of income and attention. There are still female esports teams that are part of bigger male-oriented clubs. But KA is the only existing club that solely focuses on female players. In order for KA to survive and thrive, Shen has been trying to identify the disadvantages and advantages of a female esports club, and diversify the club’s revenue streams by tapping into other entertainment sectors, such as variety shows and live streaming. Read more on TMT Post

‘Killing for the Prosecution’ Scores China Release

Starring Takuya Kimura and Kazunari Ninomiya, the 2018 Japanese crime drama Killing for the Prosecution has been scheduled to release in China on September 6. It also marks Kimura’s second film that gets a public release in China, following Wong Kar-wai’s 2046. Based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Shusuke Shizukui, the film ranked 9th at the box office of last year in Japan. Read more on Mtime