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China’s Anime Sector Welcomes a New Big Player: Toutiao
According to information released from China’s business bureau, Beijing Shanxing (北京闪星), a subsidiary of Chinese media giant Jinri Toutiao, recently took full ownership of online anime community Half Dimension (半次元). It’s not clear how much Jinri Toutiao spent on the acquisition. Jinri Toutiao is reportedly in talks with a few other anime platforms as well. In addition, Jinri Toutiao is cultivating its own online video team. As the online video sector continues to boom and the number of paid users continues to grow in China, many speculate that Jinri Toutiao’s ultimate goal is to build a platform that competes with iQiyi, Youku, and Tencent Video. Read more on jiemian.com
‘Pacific Rim 2’ Scores Day and Date China Release
Sci-fi monster film Pacific Rim 2: Uprising is set to release in mainland China on March 23, day-and-date with the U.S. The film is going to be released in 2D/3D/IMAX 3D formats. Starring English actor John Boyega, American actor Scott Eastwood, and Chinese actress Jing Tian, the film is set in 2035 when people reconstruct the world and make “Jaeger,” the strongest defense force on earth. But the arrival of more powerful rivals has left humanity in danger again. As the No.1 army on earth, the new Jaeger pilots face the death fearlessly and fight together as their breathtaking adventure is going to begin… The first installment of the franchise Pacific Rim (2013) raked in $411 million worldwide, over $111 million of which was made in China. Mtime
‘Never Say Die’ Producer’s New Film Scores 2018 National Day Release
Mahua Funage (开心麻花)’s fourth film Hello, Mrs. Money is set to release on September 30, the day before China’s National Day. Along with the Lunar New Year, China’s National Day holiday is one of the more lucrative seasons in China’s cinematic year. And Mahua FunAge’s comedy films, including Goodbye Mr. Loser, Mr. Monkey, and Never Say Die, have performed exceptionally during this season over the past a few years. Read more on Sina
Wu Jing and Dilraba Top Ent Group’s 2017 Chinese Actors Index
Recently, Ent Group released a 2017 Chinese Actors Index based on box office performance, viewership, and number of works released in 2017, etc. Wu Jing and Dilraba top the index for their performance in box office smash hit Wolf Warrior 2 and popular TV show Once Upon A Time, respectively. In addition to Once Upon A Time, Dilraba‘s two other TV shows The King’s Woman and Pretty Li Huizhen also garnered record-high viewership. Read more on Ent Group
