The Disappearance of Female Leads in China’s Box Office Hits
Since Wolf Warrior 2 was crowned king of the Chinese box office last year, female characters in China’s box office hits become less and less memorable. This year’s Chinese New Year box office winners Operation Red Sea and Detective Chinatown 2 were also centered around male characters. In China, female audiences make up more than half of total moviegoers and TV viewers. However, in a market where there are not enough bankable actresses, “little fresh meats” are still highly appealing to female audience, and investors are eager to make the next Wolf Warrior 2 like blockbuster, the room for female-centered big productions seems quite narrow. Read more on yulechanye
China and Canada to Co-produce Biopic about Norman Bethune
Canadian production company Rare Earth Media and China’s Ray Production will invest $30 million to co-produce a biopic about Canadian doctor Norman Bethune and his journey in China, according to sources familiar with the matter. Ray Production once produced Jia Zhangke‘s Still Life and Yang Chao’s Crosscurrent. This biographical film will be written by Jordan Paterson based on the biographical book Phoneix: the Life of Norman Bethune. Read more on Mtime
Toutiao Signs Licensing Deal with Youku
On March 16, China’s leading news and information content platform Toutiao and video platform Youku signed a licensing deal, which allows Toutiao to stream Youku’s content in the format of short video. In addition, the two companies will work together to repurpose existing popular content to fully actualize the commercial value of popular IPs. Not long ago, Youku sued Toutiao for illegally distributing Wolf Warrior 2. According to sources familiar with the matter, the two companies have resolved this dispute outside of court. Read more on Chinanews.com
Wes Anderson’s ‘Isle of Dogs’ Set for April 20 China Release
Isle of Dogs, Wes Anderson’s latest film, has scored an April 20 China release, which marks the first theatrical release of Wes Anderson’s work in China. Isle of Dogs premiered at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival as the opening film, and won Wes Anderson a Best Director Award at the festival. Set in fictional Japanese city Megasaki, the film follows a boy’s odyssey in search of his dog. The upcoming Beijing International Film Festival will present Isle of Dogs along with The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Darjeeling Limited as a tribute to Wes Anderson. Read more on Mtime
