Who Are the Most Powerful Filmmakers in Mainland China?
Along with the rapid commercialization and industrialization of China’s film industry, the popularity, influence, and commercial value of a filmmaker may have also changed over the past a few years in the mainland. Recently, WeChat media account yiqipaidianying released a list of top 100 filmmakers in China based on the total box office of their films released after 2005, the average scores of their top 5 films from major film rating websites, and the media coverage the filmmaker as well as his/her films received. Top five filmmakers on this list are Stephen Chow (No. 1), Tsui Hark (No. 2), Ang Lee (No. 3), Jiang Wen (No. 4), and Feng Xiaogang (No. 5). Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige rank No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. Wu Jing, director of ‘Wolf Warrior 2,’ ranks No. 10. Read more on yiqipaidianying
‘Murder on the Orient Express’ Set for November 10 China Release
It’s officially announced that 20th Century Fox’s crime drama ‘Murder on the Orient Express‘ will open across China day/date with the U.S. on Friday, November 10. Adapted from the novel by English writer Agatha Christine, ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ tells the story of thirteen stranded strangers and one man’s race to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again. Agatha Christine is already popular in China, as many of her books have been translated into Chinese and are available in Chinese book stores. Read more on Mtime
Fan Luyuan Has been Granted More Power by Alibaba
After appointing Fan Luyuan as the CEO and chairman of its executive committee two months ago, Alibaba Pictures Group (APG) recently expanded Fan Luyuan’s power by appointing him as the executive director and chairman of the executive committee, chairman of the board, chairman of the nomination committee and member of the remuneration committee. According to Alibaba’s announcement, APG has been steadily growing with a clear direction, and the company as well as Fan’s predecessor Yu Yongfu is highly satisfied with Fan’s performance over the past two months, which is the reason why Fan has been granted more power and responsibilities. Read more on www.ce.cn
Thai Film ‘Bad Genius’ Makes Strong Debut in China
Thai blockbuster ‘Bad Genius’ opened cross China on Friday October 13 with an impressive 26.2% screen share. In the evening of October 15, the film’s box office exceeded 100 million yuan ($15.2 million), which is already an amazing result for its Chinese buyer, as the film was acquired with a flat fee of 3.3 million yuan ($0.5 million). When being asked why this film was given so many screenings, a theater manager explains that, “the film performed very well during its pre-sale period and also received numerous positive reviews at its preview screenings. We all hope that it will repeat the miracle made by ‘Dangal.'” Read more on Mtime
Huayi Brothers Media Sees Steady Growth in First Three Quarters of 2017
Recently, Huayi Brothers Media Corp released a financial report for the first three quarters of 2017. According the report, the company’s estimated net profit for shareholders will be between 591 million yuan to 653 million yuan. The company’s film income was negatively affected by the cancellation of the theatrical release of Feng Xiaogang’s ‘Youth.’ In addition, Huayi Brothers and STX co-produced ‘The Foreigner,’ which has been performing well at box office both in China and abroad. As for cultural tourism, the company is finishing up the construction of its Suzhou studio. Other studios in Changsha, Xichang, Zhengzhou, and Nanjing are still under construction. Read more on Ent Group
