‘The Monkey King 3’ Leads China Box Office on Valentine’s Day
Yesterday, local film The Monkey King 3: The Kingdom of Women topped Valentine’s Day box office with its nationwide preview screenings. The film raked in 180 million yuan ($28.4 million), which makes up two-thirds of yesterday’s total ticket sales. As one of the most anticipated Chinese New Year films, The Monkey King 3 will officially open across China on February 16. Currently, the film has received 7.5/10 on review site Douban, a relatively mediocre score. It’s predicted that its total box office is unlikely to exceed 1 billion yuan ($157.5 million) . Read more on yiqipaidianying
‘The Shape of Water’ Scores China Release Date
This year’s Academy Awards frontrunner The Shape of Water will open in Chinese theaters on March 16, according an official Chinese poster released by 20th Century Fox. The film is directed by Guillermo del Toro, whose other acclaimed works include Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, and Pacific Rim. Guillermo del Toro and his fellow Mexican filmmakers Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro González Iñárritu are collectively known as “The Three Amigos of Cinema.” After The Shape of Water won last year’s Golden Lion, Guillermo del Toro is appointed the president of the International Jury of the Competition of this year’s Venice Film Festival. Read more on Mtime
Chinese Agencies Compete Fiercely for Young Talents
Recently, an article titled “It Might not be A Good Thing to be Noticed Too Early by Talent Agencies” evoked discussions within the entertainment industry in China. The article comments on the phenomenon that many talent agencies target young students who are still studying acting in school. Some agencies try to sign as many young actors as possible in order to gain leverage in the future, yet the deals they offer are often times unfair. Gullible students who are thrilled to be represented by an agent only realize later that they are trapped. Read more on Ent Group
Bona Film Group Has Mastered the Commercialization of Nationalistic Films
Among this year’s highly anticipated Chinese New Year films, Bona Film Group‘s Operation Red Sea is the only one with nationalistic and military themes. From Bodyguards and Assassins and The Taking of Tiger Mountain to Operation Mekong, Bona Film Group has again and again proved that propaganda films can achieve commercial success. By integrating nationalistic themes into genre films, hiring commercially successful filmmakers, and casting popular actors, Bona has managed to cash in Chinese audiences’ patriotism. Read more on yiqipaidianying
