Ansel Elgort eating hotpot in China. From Weibo.
Baby Driver Star Ansel Elgort is Having a Good Time in China
Edgar Wright’s action comedy film Baby Driver is having its China premiere on August 16. Actor Ansel Elgort, who played the main character Baby in the film, also travelled all the way to China to attend the premiere. Elgort was spotted visiting China’s famous tourist destinations including the Summer Palace and the Great Wall on August 15 (Beijing Time). Baby Driver will officially open across China on August 25. Read more on Mtime
What Chinese Critics Say about Wolf Warriors 2?
Recently, Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles organized a symposium to discuss patriotism and contemporary values in ‘Main Melody’ (aka propaganda) films. Critics praised Wolf Warriors 2 for its production values and successful embodiment of genre movies. Meanwhile, a professor from Tsinghua University criticized the film for its blatant depiction of violence and death. The professor suggests filmmakers to give more respect to ordinary people’s lives. Read more on Beijing Daily
iQiyi Sues a Hangzhou-based Company for Generating Fake Views
Recently, Chinese online video platform iQiyi sued a Hangzhou-based company for generating fake views to help certain shows appear popular and hence receive more revenue share from iQiyi. According to this article originally from Southern Metropolis Daily, along with the booming of China’s online streaming market, such type of illegal activities has been increasing since 2015. Read more on Tencent Tech
Feng Xiaogang’s Fang Hua to Screen at the Toronto International Film Festival
The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) announced this year’s lineup of special screenings, which include renowned Chinese director Feng Xiaogang’s latest movie Fang Hua (aka Youth). Last year, Feng’s I am not Madame Bovary was also screened at TIFF. Fang Hua takes a look at the lives of members in a Military Cultural Troupe in the 1970s in China. After the screening at TIFF, which takes place this year from September 7-17, Fang Hua will open theatrically across China on September 30. Read more on Mtime
Documentary Twenty Two Creates Box Office Miracle
Yesterday, a newly released Chinese documentary on Comfort Women during WWII was heatedly discussed on Chinese social media WeChat because of its subject matter as well as its box office performance. The documentary is called Twenty Two, as there were only twenty two comfort women still alive in China when the filmmaker started shooting the film in 2014. Without much promotion before its theatrical run, the documentary raked in more than 10 million yuan on its opening day with only 0.3% of China’s showtimes on that day. Read more on Xinhua
