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Mattel’s ‘Thomas & Friends’ Spinoff to Get China Theatrical Release

Feb 3, 2016 / News /

This will mark the first time any movie carrying the brand of U.S. toymaking giant Mattel will be released in the country's theaters. Read More

China’s Movie Tie-Ins Market a Real Bugbear

Jan 28, 2016 / News /

The experience of entrepreneurs like Xu Lei provides an insight into the difficulties studios face while trying to exploit the ancillary market for movie tie-in merchandise. Read More

20th Century Fox Signs Streaming Deal With Baidu’s iQIYI

Jan 28, 2016 / News /

Chinese video streaming service iQIYI has signed a multiyear film output agreement with 20th Century Fox to give its 10 million paid subscribers on-demand access to the Hollywood studio’s theatrical releases. The agreement will see Fox films such as The Martian, The Revenant, The Peanuts Movie and other recent major theatrical releases streamed in China Read More

Hotel of the Jedi: Luxury Properties Wake Up to the Force

Jan 22, 2016 / News /

Star Wars hype may have died down (if only slightly) around the globe, but it’s only been less than two weeks since the film Star Wars: The Force Awakens debuted in China, making more than $100 million in ticket sales in the Chinese box office. In order to cash in on the hype, luxury hotels across Read More

19 Chinese Films Richard Peña Recommends

Jan 12, 2016 / News /

Richard Peña, director emeritus of the New York Film Festival, shared his top picks from decades of watching Chinese cinema. Read More

That’s a Wrap: 2015’s Top China Film Stories and Trends

Dec 31, 2015 / News /

The China Film Insider team wishes you a happy 2016. Thank you for reading and for sharing our work with your friends and colleagues as we continue to grow in the new year. — Jonathan Landreth, Sky Canaves, Pang-chieh Ho, and Jonathan Papish. The box-office booms. Again. China’s box office revenues grew at a blistering Read More

A Supporting Role for Culture at China’s World Internet Conference

Dec 22, 2015 / News /

The World Internet Conference in the east coast city of Wuzhen last week sparked a good deal of debate about the China’s influence on global web governance. In its second year, the conference received a major boost in its significance when President Xi Jinping appeared in person to give a speech on the subject (Last year, he only sent a congratulatory message to mark the event’s opening)

China’s Struggling Screenwriters Fear Being Cut by Alibaba Pictures Proposal

Dec 4, 2015 / News /

Last week, Alibaba Pictures vice president Xu Yuanxiang set off a firestorm of controversy among China’s screenwriters when he proposed a new model for crowdsourcing film scripts online that potentially would bypass industry professionals altogether. Read More

The Force Hits Chinese Fashion With Star Wars Marketing Push

Nov 25, 2015 / News /

Once Darth Vader hits the catwalks, there’s no denying it—the force is now with big names in the Chinese fashion scene as part of a Disney marketing campaign that is spreading across industries to get Star Wars fans excited for the upcoming film. The craze took hold of the Great Wall last month thanks to Read More

Chinese Stars Promise to Behave, Or Else

Nov 13, 2015 / News /

The latest twist in Xi Jinping’s vision of wholesome Chinese culture involves Chinese celebrities pledging their adherence to morally upstanding conduct. It would be difficult to imagine a similar scene in Hollywood, with, say, Jennifer Lawrence and Warner Brothers CEO Kenji Tsujihara proclaiming their intention to behave according to government directives. Yet that is exactly Read More

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