‘Blade Runner 2049’ Changes China Release Date, ’Murder on the Orient Express’ & ‘Justice League’ to Open in China in November
Sci-fi thriller ‘Blade Runner 2049’ has moved up its China release date from November 10 to October 27, according to sources familiar with the matter. While ‘Blade Runner 2049’ reschedules its China release, its previous slot will be taken by 20th Century Fox’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express’. In addition, ‘Justice League’ may be released in China day/date with the U.S. on November 17. Because of the time difference, Chinese audiences may be able to see ‘Justice League’ a few hours earlier than American audiences. Read more on Mtime
Thai Blockbuster ‘Bad Genius’ to Open in China on October 13
Imported by China Film Group and distributed by Huaxia Film Co, Thai crime comedy drama ‘Bad Genius’ will open in Chinese theaters on October 13. On October 10, forty preview screening events for the film took place in cities across China. Chinese audiences who’ve seen the film say that it has the potential to be a box office dark horse. Adapted from a real-life event, ‘Bad Genius’ tells the story of Lynn, a straight-A student who devises an exams-cheating scheme which eventually rises to international level. After being released in Thailand, the film soon broke box office record in the country. The film’s releases in Hong Kong and Taiwan were also extremely successful, outperforming movies such as ‘Dunkirk,’ ‘The Hitman’s Bodybuard,’ and ‘Battleship Island’ in these regions. Read more on Sina
Capital Can’t Wait for Good Stories: ‘Duckweed’ Director Hanhan Closes Studio「ONE·一个」
「ONE·一个」Lab, a creative studio launched by renowned Chinese writer, director Hanhan and led by former editor in chief of Esquire China Li Haipeng , has been closed recently, according to sources familiar with the matter. Founded in January 2017, the studio specializes in IP developing, blogging, screenwriting, film publicity and distribution. While the studio only existed for about half a year, it already gained a good reputation, being considered as one of China’s best studio for nonfiction writing. According to an unnamed Chinese media veteran, for the studio to produce quality original content, huge investment is required. While the studio was able to break even, it wasn’t able to generate revenue as fast as expected, which was the main reason why it was closed. Read more on TMT Post
IMAX China Grosses Record-High Box Office during National Day Holiday
On October 9, IMAX China announced that the company had grossed 52.8 million yuan ($8 million) during China’s weeklong National Day holiday, 98.4 percent up compared to its box office of the same period last year. This new record is created largely due to the box office success of National Day box office victor ‘Never Say Die’ and Chinese-British co-production ‘The Foreigner.’ Upcoming China releases that will open in IMAX theaters include 20th Century Fox’s ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle,’ Warner Brothers’ ‘Geostrom,’ and Marvel’s ‘ Thor: Ragnarok.’ Read more on Mtime
Box Office Victor ‘Never Say Die’ Can’t Help Its Investor in Stock Market
With the box office success of comedy ‘Never Say Die,’ this year’s National Day holiday box office has reached record breaking 2.9 billion yuan. However, the film’s success didn’t help one of its producers and distributors Maoyan or Maoyan’s major shareholder Beijing Enlight Media. On October 9, Beijing Enlight Media saw a 5.76 percent drop of its stock price. In addition, Beijing Jetsen Technology, another co-producer of the film, also saw a 2.15 percent drop on the same day. Read more on Ent Group