Sohu CEO Zhang Chaoyang: 2017 A Year Of Transition For Online Videos
Chinese internet pioneer Sohu Inc is going to focus on creating original content, according to CEO and Founder Zhang Chaoyang at a recent earnings release. Zhang defined 2017 as a year of transition for online videos; Sohu has created 20 high-quality productions in last year and aims to top that number in 2018. Zhang also said the number of paid users are growing as a result of the high-quality original content. Popular drama series Sohu has produced include Diors Man and Fleet of Time, each garnering over a billion views. In the meantime, Sohu serves as a top-performing streaming platform with the highest number of video uploads daily. Read more on yuledujiaoshou
Chow Yun-Fat Sues Bona Film Group Over “The Man From Macau”
Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-Fat has filed a lawsuit through his management company against Bona Film Group, alleging breach of contract during the filming of The Man From Macau series. Chow’s management company, chaired by Chow and his wife Jasmine Tan, is asking for unpaid compensation for The Man From Macau and sequel From Vegas to Macau II from 2013 to 2015. Bona Film Group responded with a statement saying the company has always been on good terms with the Chows and has passed the lawsuit to its attorney in Hong Kong. Read more on Mtime
China To Continue Capping Salaries For TV Actors
Last year, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) issued guidelines to cap actors’ salaries at 40 percent of the total production budget. At a recent meeting, SAPPRFT emphasized the importance to administer how much actors get paid and focus on the quality and content of TV shows. The rapidly increasing salaries of actors have put immense pressure on both the TV stations and producers, thus affecting the entire industry. With more shows moving to online platforms, appearing in hit online shows has become a shortcut for actors to bump their pay, while in reality, much of the online engagement comes from hired fans to boost activity and visibility. Read more on entgroup.cn
“Animal World” Set To Release In June
Directed by Han Yan, and starring Li Yifeng and Zhou Dongyu, Chinese sci-fi film Animal World will be released on June 29, the first film during the summer blackout period. The film also features American actor Michael Douglas. Based on Japanese comic book Kaiji The Ultimate Gambler, the film follows Li Yifeng’s character as he goes through a game of life and death, having to overcome multiple challenges along the way. The film is co-produced by Enlight Media. Read more on people.cn
