Headlines from China: Will China Box Office Reach RMB 60 Billion in 2018?

Still from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Will China Box Office Reach RMB 60 Billion in 2018?

On October 4, 2018, China box office reached 50 billion yuan ($7.17 billion). Many industry experts predicted back then that China box office could easily cross 60 billion yuan ($8.6 billion) at the end of this year. However, box office growth slowed down in October. As of the 30th, October box office totaled 3.57 billion, down 30% compared to the same period last year. This makes it a lot more uncertain whether this year’s box office will reach 60 billion yuan or not. In November, a slew of Hollywood movies, including Venom, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will be released in China. The realization of the 60-billion goal will highly rely on the performance of the upcoming Hollywood movies. Read more on Entertainment Capital

Mel Gibson’s ‘Blood Father’ Set for November 30 China Release

Blood Father, a 2016 English-language French action crime thriller film, has scored a November 30 China release. The film is directed by Jean-Francois Richet and stars Mel Gibson, Diego Luna, William H. Macy and Erin Moriarty. The China release of Blood Father marks Mel Gibson’s return to Chinese screens after his Hacksaw Ridge was released two years ago and achieved box office success in the middle kingdom. In Blood Father, an ex-con reunites with his estranged 17-year old daughter to protect her from drug dealers who are trying to kill her. Read more on Mtime

Ang Lee To Make Teresa Teng Biopic, Taiwan Media Reports

Taiwan Media recently reported that Oscar-winning Taiwanese American director Ang Lee had started preparing for a biographical film about Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng. It’s also rumored that Ang Lee plans to cast Faye Wong as Teresa Teng. Teresa Teng is one of the most famous and successful singers in the mandarin-speaking world and known to the Chinese community worldwide. In 1995, Teng died from a respiratory attack while on vacation in Thailand. She was 42. Faye Wong is also one of the most famous singers in the Chinese-speaking world. Faye Wong has appeared in Wong Kar-wai films in the past, including Chungking Express and 2046. Read more on Sina