Headlines from China: Stephen Chow to Make ‘The Mermaid 2’ and TV Drama ‘The Mermaid’

Stephen Chow to Make ‘The Mermaid 2’ and TV Drama ‘The Mermaid’

Recently, “Call For Actors” for ‘The Mermaid 2″ appeared on the internet, which indicates that Stephen Chow has started preparing for the shooting of ‘The Mermaid 2.’ In addition, ‘The Mermaid‘ has been set to become a TV show, according to an announcement made by Stephen Chow and Shanghai New Culture Media in June during the Shanghai International Film Festival. The main plot of ‘The Mermaid 2’ was revealed early this year in an announcement from China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and TV (SAPPRFT). While ‘The Mermaid’ is more of a fantasy drama, ‘The Mermaid 2’ will be closer to a sci-fi drama. Read more on Mtime

Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh Talk about Harvey Weinstein

The fallen Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein likes Asian movies, especially kung fu movies, and has worked with Asian actresses before. Recently, Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi and Hong Kong kung fu star Michelle Yeoh, whose movie ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon‘ was distributed by the Weinstein Company, expressed their opinions on Harvey Weinstein in their personal statements to The Associated Press. Both of them claim that they have not been personally harassed by him, but they are strongly against his behaviors. Zhang Ziyi also mentioned that Weinstein offered to promote her and get her an Oscar Award if she agreed to star in his movies, but she rejected his offer. Read more on Mtime

VR Development in China: Content is Key

The 3rd VR/AR/MR Submit is taking place from October 18-19 in Hong Kong as a part of the Global Sources Mobile Electronics Trade Fair. As Asia’s largest VR/AR trade fair, the event attracts Chinese industry leaders, such as HTC Vive, iQiyi, and Letin VR, to participate. Many leading companies state at the fair that their VR technologies are fairly mature, but the major problem is a lack of good VR content, and they all have big plans for content development. HTC Vive has developed several VR games and are preparing for its upcoming VR film “Ready Player One.” Zhang Hang, a senior executive from iQiyi, also mentions that the company has multiple VR initiatives, and plans to increase its investment in this area in the future. Read more on TMT Post

Crises Emerge Along with the Development of China’s Live Streaming Sector 

According to a report released in September by American firm Goldman Sachs, China’s live streaming market will be worth $15 billion by 2020. However, the sector also sees crises emerging along with its development. According to a report from China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the total number of users of Chinese online streaming sites decreased in the first half of 2017 compared the total number collected in December 2016. In addition to the drop of total users, constant negative news about unprofessional practices and vulgar content also concern the sector. Read more on Ent Group

Chinese Audience is Increasingly Picky about Content not Genre

After ‘Wolf Warrior 2’ showed that propaganda content could achieve commercial success, a few recent TV dramas with nationalistic content also gained popularity among Chinese audiences. In addition to their nationalistic themes, these TV shows also have high production values and tell engaging stories. It’s fair to say that the increasing popularity of propaganda content in large part thanks to the improved quality. What Chinese audience is picky about is content, not genre. Read more on Guangzhou Daily