Headlines from China: Studio 8 to Adapt Ken Liu’s Sci-fi Thriller ‘The Hidden Girl’ 

Studio 8 to Adapt Ken Liu’s Sci-fi Thriller ‘The Hidden Girl’ 

The Hidden Girl, a short science fiction story written by Chinese American author Ken Liu, will be adapted into a thriller by Studio 8. The company acquired the adaptation rights two years ago, and recently hired Ellen Shanman to write the film script. Inspired by ancient Chinese mythology, the story is centered around a group of female assassins who travel back and forth between different dimensions. The film is described as a combination of Interstellar and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.  Ken Liu is known as an award-winning sci-fi author as well as the translator of popular Chinese sci-fi novel The Three Body Problem. Read more on Sina

Looming Trade War Pushes Chinese Buyers to Focus on Buy-out Films 

U.S. trade representatives have been trying to increase the number of foreign films allowed to release in the middle kingdom on a revenue-sharing basis. But the negotiation might not reach a decision anytime soon due to President Donald Trump’s looming trade war with China. The possible trade war may also discourage or disrupt collaborations between the two countries on film financing and production. Under such circumstances, distributing the next foreign blockbuster on a flat-fee basis becomes the goal of many Chinese film companies this year. According to analyses by Wechat authors, three factors that often enable buy-out films to succeed in China are: whether the film’s content is relatable and intriguing to a Chinese viewership, whether the film is marketed well in China prior to release, and whether it has a good global reputation.  Read more on yiqipaidianying

 

Donnie Yen Starts Filming for Ip Man 4

The filming of Ip Man 4 officially started on April 9, according to an announcement from the lead actor of the film Donnie Yen. This fourth installment of the Ip Man series will be made by the same cast and crew, including director Wilson Yip, writer Edmond Wong, and star Donnie Yen. Ip Man 4 will follow kung fu master Ip Man to America where he opens a martial arts studio with his apprentices. Donnie Yen hopes that Ip Man 4 will move audiences in both the east and the west. Read more on ifeng

American Horror Film ‘A Quiet Place’ Set for May 18 China Release

John Krasinski’s horror film A Quiet Place has scored a May 18 Chinese release, according to an official Chinese poster of the film released today. Produced by Michael Bay’s company Platinum Dunes and starring Emily Blunt, the film follows a family who must live life in silence while hiding from creatures that hunt by sound. A Quiet Place was released in North America on April 6 and has been receiving numerous positive reviews. On review sites Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB, it has received  scores of 97% and 8.3/10, respectively. Read more on Mtime