Oscar winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s formalist arthouse drama Evil Does Not Exist won the best film prize Sunday night at the Asia Film Awards in Hong Kong.
The Japanese film industry had a big night overall at the 17th edition of the awards ceremony, which was hosted this year in Hong Kong’s gleaming new Xiqu Centre, part of the city’s $2.7 billion West Kowloon Cultural District development. Japanese festival favorite Hirokazu Kore-eda won best director for his mystery drama Monster, while the great Koji Yakusho took best actor for Wim Wender’s moving minimalist drama Perfect Days. Hamaguchi’s chief collaborator on Evil Does Not Exist, Eiko Ishibashi, won best music and the Kaiju critical and commercial sensation Godzilla Minus One claimed both best visual effects and best sound.
In many ways, it was Zhang Yimou’s night, however. The venerated Chinese director took the stage twice, once to...
The Japanese film industry had a big night overall at the 17th edition of the awards ceremony, which was hosted this year in Hong Kong’s gleaming new Xiqu Centre, part of the city’s $2.7 billion West Kowloon Cultural District development. Japanese festival favorite Hirokazu Kore-eda won best director for his mystery drama Monster, while the great Koji Yakusho took best actor for Wim Wender’s moving minimalist drama Perfect Days. Hamaguchi’s chief collaborator on Evil Does Not Exist, Eiko Ishibashi, won best music and the Kaiju critical and commercial sensation Godzilla Minus One claimed both best visual effects and best sound.
In many ways, it was Zhang Yimou’s night, however. The venerated Chinese director took the stage twice, once to...
- 3/10/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” was Sunday evening named as the best picture at the Asian Film Awards.
The 17th edition of the prizes was held at the Xiqu Centre, part of the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong.
While “Evil Does Not Exist” and Korean blockbuster “12.12: The Day” had dominated the nominations with six each, including those in the best film category, the prizes on Sunday were much more evenly distributed. No title collected more than two prizes.
Outside, crowds failed to be muted by the March drizzle, though VIP guests were given escorts with purple umbrellas.
Filmmaker and industry attendance was also robust. Those spotted on the red carpet and pre-event cocktails included: Lee Yong Kwan (former chair of the Busan film festival), Tom Yoda, Udine festival heads Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche, Anthony Chen, Stanley Kwan, Rina Damayanti, Hong Kong distributor Winnie Tsang,...
The 17th edition of the prizes was held at the Xiqu Centre, part of the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong.
While “Evil Does Not Exist” and Korean blockbuster “12.12: The Day” had dominated the nominations with six each, including those in the best film category, the prizes on Sunday were much more evenly distributed. No title collected more than two prizes.
Outside, crowds failed to be muted by the March drizzle, though VIP guests were given escorts with purple umbrellas.
Filmmaker and industry attendance was also robust. Those spotted on the red carpet and pre-event cocktails included: Lee Yong Kwan (former chair of the Busan film festival), Tom Yoda, Udine festival heads Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche, Anthony Chen, Stanley Kwan, Rina Damayanti, Hong Kong distributor Winnie Tsang,...
- 3/10/2024
- by Patrick Frater and Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
A total of 35 films from 24 countries and regions have been shortlisted to compete for 16 awards at this year's Asian Film Awards.
Renowned Japanese director Kurosawa Kiyoshi will serve as the Jury President for this year's Awards. As the first Japanese director to hold this position, Kurosawa Kiyoshi is deeply honored. He will lead the Jury and over 200 Voting Members in selecting the winners for this year's Asian Film Awards.
The winners of other Afa awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, Afa Next Generation Award, and Rising Star Award, will be announced later.
The 17th Asian Film Awards Nomination List
Best Film
12.12: The Day (South Korea)
Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Paradise
Perfect Days (Japan)
Snow Leopard (Mainland China)
Best Director
Kim Sung-soo | 12.12: The Day (South Korea)
Gu Xiaogang | Dwelling by the West Lake (Mainland China)
Hamaguchi Ryusuke | Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Kore-eda Hirokazu...
Renowned Japanese director Kurosawa Kiyoshi will serve as the Jury President for this year's Awards. As the first Japanese director to hold this position, Kurosawa Kiyoshi is deeply honored. He will lead the Jury and over 200 Voting Members in selecting the winners for this year's Asian Film Awards.
The winners of other Afa awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, Excellence in Asian Cinema Award, Afa Next Generation Award, and Rising Star Award, will be announced later.
The 17th Asian Film Awards Nomination List
Best Film
12.12: The Day (South Korea)
Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Paradise
Perfect Days (Japan)
Snow Leopard (Mainland China)
Best Director
Kim Sung-soo | 12.12: The Day (South Korea)
Gu Xiaogang | Dwelling by the West Lake (Mainland China)
Hamaguchi Ryusuke | Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Kore-eda Hirokazu...
- 1/12/2024
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
‘Snow Leopard’, ‘Paradise’, ‘The Goldfinger’ and ‘Godzilla Minus One’ also land multiple nods.
South Korean box office hit 12.12: The Day and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist lead the nominations for the 17th Asian Film Awards, with six nods each including best film.
Also up for best film is Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise from Sri Lanka-India, Wim Wenders Perfect Days from Japan and Chinese feature Snow Leopard by the late Pema Tseden.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Hong Kong on March 10 and will be decided by a...
South Korean box office hit 12.12: The Day and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist lead the nominations for the 17th Asian Film Awards, with six nods each including best film.
Also up for best film is Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise from Sri Lanka-India, Wim Wenders Perfect Days from Japan and Chinese feature Snow Leopard by the late Pema Tseden.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Hong Kong on March 10 and will be decided by a...
- 1/12/2024
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s latest feature, Evil Does Not Exist, and the period action pic 12.12: The Day, from Korea, lead the nominations at this year’s Asian Film Awards.
Both films received six nominations, including Best Film and Best Director. Directed by Kim Sung-soo, whose credits include Asura: The City Of Madness and The Flu, 12.12: The Day is set against the backdrop of the real-life military coup of 1979, which resulted in an eight-year military junta in South Korea. The cast includes Hwang Jung-min (The Wailing), Jung Woo-sung (Asura: The City Of Madness), and Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North). Released on November 22, the film sailed past the 12 million admissions mark at the Korean box office over the Christmas holiday period, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023 in the market.
Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist — which debuted out of Venice — follows Takumi and his daughter Hana, who live...
Both films received six nominations, including Best Film and Best Director. Directed by Kim Sung-soo, whose credits include Asura: The City Of Madness and The Flu, 12.12: The Day is set against the backdrop of the real-life military coup of 1979, which resulted in an eight-year military junta in South Korea. The cast includes Hwang Jung-min (The Wailing), Jung Woo-sung (Asura: The City Of Madness), and Lee Sung-min (The Spy Gone North). Released on November 22, the film sailed past the 12 million admissions mark at the Korean box office over the Christmas holiday period, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023 in the market.
Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist — which debuted out of Venice — follows Takumi and his daughter Hana, who live...
- 1/12/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
It's New Year's Eve, which means it's time for another one of the YouTuber Sleepy Skunk's Movie Trailer Mash-Ups. Since 2010, Sleepy Skunk has been delivering 6-and-a-half-minute remixes of nearly every trailer of a major movie to come out that year, and 2023 is no exception.
Once again, this year's trailer is divided into sections, each with a different tone to better capture the sheer variety of movies it has to work with. The first is fairly quiet and peaceful, reminding us of all those romantic, understated films like "Past Lives" or "Elemental." Then comes the spooky section, which reminds us of gems like "Skinamarink" and "The Boogeyman." The mash-up sensibly uses "M3GAN" to end its main horror section, as the evil robot doll's dance transitions perfectly to the trailer's comedy section. Then comes all the goofy, crass, and absurdly funny trailer moments we'd nearly forgotten.
The final section borrows the...
Once again, this year's trailer is divided into sections, each with a different tone to better capture the sheer variety of movies it has to work with. The first is fairly quiet and peaceful, reminding us of all those romantic, understated films like "Past Lives" or "Elemental." Then comes the spooky section, which reminds us of gems like "Skinamarink" and "The Boogeyman." The mash-up sensibly uses "M3GAN" to end its main horror section, as the evil robot doll's dance transitions perfectly to the trailer's comedy section. Then comes all the goofy, crass, and absurdly funny trailer moments we'd nearly forgotten.
The final section borrows the...
- 12/31/2023
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
China has brought the figures, and it has brought the films to this year’s AFM as the country pushes the positive narrative of an industry in recovery from the woes of the past few years thanks to diverse content and a post-pandemic audience hungry for entertainment.
All told, there have been 40 Chinese film companies involved and more than 100 Chinese films showcased at AFM’s China Film Pavilion, providing an insight into an industry that has over the past few months inched its way ever closer to the record box office figures that were being enjoyed back in 2019.
The box office report released last week by film and cinema industry watchers Artisan Gateway for the Oct. 20-22 weekend showed revenue of just below $40 million, which was 11.9 percent down compared with the same period in 2019, but up 76.5 percent from the same weekend in 2022.
On top for the weekend was the slow-burn...
All told, there have been 40 Chinese film companies involved and more than 100 Chinese films showcased at AFM’s China Film Pavilion, providing an insight into an industry that has over the past few months inched its way ever closer to the record box office figures that were being enjoyed back in 2019.
The box office report released last week by film and cinema industry watchers Artisan Gateway for the Oct. 20-22 weekend showed revenue of just below $40 million, which was 11.9 percent down compared with the same period in 2019, but up 76.5 percent from the same weekend in 2022.
On top for the weekend was the slow-burn...
- 11/2/2023
- by Mathew Scott
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Leaff 2023 brings a diverse programme from East and Southeast Asia, including international and UK premieres. This year, our programme will be showcased through these strands: Retrospective: Director Chung Ji-Young, Leaff’s Official Selection, Competition, Stories of Women, Halloween Horror Special, Cherish the World, Lgbtqia+ and Classics Restored. The festival will open and close at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square. Other screenings and Q&As will take place at Odeon Luxe West End and the Cinema at Selfridges.
For more information about tickets, please visit: https://www.leaff.org.uk/2023tickets
Here is the full programme:
Opening Gala
The Boys + Q&a with the Director | Dir. Chung Ji-Young | Korea | 2023 | 124 mins
Closing Gala
Concrete Utopia + Q&a with Director, Actor Park Bo-young | Dir. Um Tae-hwa | Korea | 2023 | 130 mins
Leaff Official Selection
The Breaking Ice | Dir. Anthony Chen | Singapore | 2022 | 97 mins
Dan Dan | Dir. Song Chuan | China | 2022 | 103 mins
Hidden Blade | Dir. Cheng Er | Hong Kong | 2022 | 128 mins
In Broad Daylight | Dir.
For more information about tickets, please visit: https://www.leaff.org.uk/2023tickets
Here is the full programme:
Opening Gala
The Boys + Q&a with the Director | Dir. Chung Ji-Young | Korea | 2023 | 124 mins
Closing Gala
Concrete Utopia + Q&a with Director, Actor Park Bo-young | Dir. Um Tae-hwa | Korea | 2023 | 130 mins
Leaff Official Selection
The Breaking Ice | Dir. Anthony Chen | Singapore | 2022 | 97 mins
Dan Dan | Dir. Song Chuan | China | 2022 | 103 mins
Hidden Blade | Dir. Cheng Er | Hong Kong | 2022 | 128 mins
In Broad Daylight | Dir.
- 10/15/2023
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
“The Super Mario Bros Movie” and a local sports movie “Dream” gave the South Korean box office some bounce on their first weekend on release.
Opening in Korea on Wednesday, some three weeks after the beginning of its international and North American campaigns, “Super Mario” earned $4.67 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). The film has a cumulative of $5.76 million over its opening five days, plus previews.
The film’s weekend numbers are the second highest opening tally recorded by any film this year in Korea. And its weekend score represented a comfortable 40% market share.
Further near-term success may be on the cards. Monday is not an official public holiday in South Korea, but it is widely observed.
Opening in second place over the weekend was Korean sports-comedy-drama title “Dream.” It opened with $2.87 million, or 25% of the market between Friday and Sunday.
Opening in Korea on Wednesday, some three weeks after the beginning of its international and North American campaigns, “Super Mario” earned $4.67 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). The film has a cumulative of $5.76 million over its opening five days, plus previews.
The film’s weekend numbers are the second highest opening tally recorded by any film this year in Korea. And its weekend score represented a comfortable 40% market share.
Further near-term success may be on the cards. Monday is not an official public holiday in South Korea, but it is widely observed.
Opening in second place over the weekend was Korean sports-comedy-drama title “Dream.” It opened with $2.87 million, or 25% of the market between Friday and Sunday.
- 5/1/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Third installment of of Bona's “China Victory Trilogy,” a series intended as “a gift to the Communist Party for its centenary, “Hidden Blade”, however, strays far away from the previous two installments, as it mostly follows noir, extremely stylized paths while the propaganda, although still present, is quite toned down.
Hidden Blade is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival
With the initial scenes taking place in the ‘present', the story then makes an intense flashback to November 1937, the day after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, moves to the intense bombings of Guangzhou that lasted for about a year, and then settles in Shanghai until August 1945. It is in the last setting the majority of the story unfolds, where we are introduced to the main characters. Mr He is the director of counter espionage for the Japanese authorities in the area, but in reality he is a double agent...
Hidden Blade is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival
With the initial scenes taking place in the ‘present', the story then makes an intense flashback to November 1937, the day after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, moves to the intense bombings of Guangzhou that lasted for about a year, and then settles in Shanghai until August 1945. It is in the last setting the majority of the story unfolds, where we are introduced to the main characters. Mr He is the director of counter espionage for the Japanese authorities in the area, but in reality he is a double agent...
- 4/22/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Udine Far East Film Festival is back with a record line-up to celebrate its 25th edition. 78 films, 14 countries, 9 world premieres – Golden Mulberry for Lifetime Achievement to Baisho Chieko – On the red carpet also Johnnie To, Watanabe Hirobumi and Jang Sun-woo.
If there are 78 films (record number!) and they come from 14 countries, it should certainly be emphasized that the line-up includes 15 women directors and 12 newcomers. In brief, the 2023 selection aims to restore great complexity more than ever of Asia. A selection that combines the recent past with today, seamlessly, among different communities, different expectations and choices of life, languages and dialects, politics, religions, habits, inclinations, beliefs, myths and legends and, last but not least, different gender identities. A selection that tells in real time how the cinematography of East and Southeast Asia have re-emerged from the sad period of the pandemic, not all in the same way, and not all with the same results.
If there are 78 films (record number!) and they come from 14 countries, it should certainly be emphasized that the line-up includes 15 women directors and 12 newcomers. In brief, the 2023 selection aims to restore great complexity more than ever of Asia. A selection that combines the recent past with today, seamlessly, among different communities, different expectations and choices of life, languages and dialects, politics, religions, habits, inclinations, beliefs, myths and legends and, last but not least, different gender identities. A selection that tells in real time how the cinematography of East and Southeast Asia have re-emerged from the sad period of the pandemic, not all in the same way, and not all with the same results.
- 4/5/2023
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
The Far East Film Festival in Italy’s Udine will open with a double bill of He Shuming’s “Ajoomma” and Kai Ko’s “Bad Education.” It will close with Zhang Yimou’s blockbuster period epic “Full River Red.”
In between, the festival will showcase a stunning 78-title array of commercial and art-house films from across East Asia. Operating according to a motto of diversity –implying cultural asymmetries and artistic multiplicities – the 25th edition of the festival will run April 21-29.
Organizers say that their selection “shows in real time how the cinemas of East and Southeast Asia have re-emerged from the gruelling period of the pandemic, not all in the same way and not all with the same results.”
They point to the impact of Covid, politics and emigration from Hong Kong, and the recent resurgence of Cantonese-language cinema.
Similarly, Udine’s organizers note the recent box office struggles of South Korean cinema,...
In between, the festival will showcase a stunning 78-title array of commercial and art-house films from across East Asia. Operating according to a motto of diversity –implying cultural asymmetries and artistic multiplicities – the 25th edition of the festival will run April 21-29.
Organizers say that their selection “shows in real time how the cinemas of East and Southeast Asia have re-emerged from the gruelling period of the pandemic, not all in the same way and not all with the same results.”
They point to the impact of Covid, politics and emigration from Hong Kong, and the recent resurgence of Cantonese-language cinema.
Similarly, Udine’s organizers note the recent box office struggles of South Korean cinema,...
- 4/5/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
In the summer of 2010, at the college entrance examination venue, Bai Xiaoyu (Tan Jianci) met Wang Jinjin (Zhang Jingyi) for the first time, and then “lost” her. Four years later, amidst the multitude of job seekers during the graduation season, they were unexpectedly reunited and subsequently fell in love. In 2018, after having known each other for eight years and being in a relationship for five years, they stand on the cusp of marriage but are hesitant to move forward. They love each other but cannot escape the heavy shackles of reality. Will Bai Xiaoyu lose Wang Jinjin again… (Source: Translated from Douban)
This director Han Yan is known for 2020’s youth drama series Run For Young and its 2021 movie sequel, The Day We Lit Up the Sky. Not to be confused with the other director Han Yan with the more well-known movies, A Little Red Flower (2020) and Go Away Mr.
This director Han Yan is known for 2020’s youth drama series Run For Young and its 2021 movie sequel, The Day We Lit Up the Sky. Not to be confused with the other director Han Yan with the more well-known movies, A Little Red Flower (2020) and Go Away Mr.
- 2/21/2023
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
Third installment of of Bona’s “China Victory Trilogy,” a series intended as “a gift to the Communist Party for its centenary, “Hidden Blade”, however, strays far away from the previous two installments, as it mostly follows noir, extremely stylized paths while the propaganda, although still present, is quite toned down.
Hidden Blade will screen exclusively on theaters starting February 17, courtesy of Wellgo USA
With the initial scenes taking place in the ‘present’, the story then makes an intense flashback to November 1937, the day after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, moves to the intense bombings of Guangzhou that lasted for about a year, and then settles in Shanghai until August 1945. It is in the last setting the majority of the story unfolds, where we are introduced to the main characters. Mr He is the director of counter espionage for the Japanese authorities in the area, but in reality he...
Hidden Blade will screen exclusively on theaters starting February 17, courtesy of Wellgo USA
With the initial scenes taking place in the ‘present’, the story then makes an intense flashback to November 1937, the day after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, moves to the intense bombings of Guangzhou that lasted for about a year, and then settles in Shanghai until August 1945. It is in the last setting the majority of the story unfolds, where we are introduced to the main characters. Mr He is the director of counter espionage for the Japanese authorities in the area, but in reality he...
- 2/11/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Taipei- and Hong Kong-based sales agency Distribution Workshop heads to Berlin with a rich slate that includes one of the mainland Chinese hits from the recent Lunar New Year season and an anticipated supernatural horror film from Taiwan. The company will present to buyers in person at Berlin’s European Film Market next week.
Starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and pop star turned actor Wang Yibo, Huang Lei and Zhou Xun, “Hidden Blade” is a lusciously presented espionage story that runs from the 1920s to the period Second Sino-Chinese War. It is directed by Cheng Er, who previously directed 2017’s “The Wasted Times.”
(Wang and Zhou also both appear in “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” a Chinese short film by Zhang Dalei that plays in next week’s Berlin short film competition.)
As nationalist, Communist and Japanese factions fan out across China and Japanese-occupied Manchuria, the narrative sees espionage agencies operating behind enemy lines,...
Starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and pop star turned actor Wang Yibo, Huang Lei and Zhou Xun, “Hidden Blade” is a lusciously presented espionage story that runs from the 1920s to the period Second Sino-Chinese War. It is directed by Cheng Er, who previously directed 2017’s “The Wasted Times.”
(Wang and Zhou also both appear in “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” a Chinese short film by Zhang Dalei that plays in next week’s Berlin short film competition.)
As nationalist, Communist and Japanese factions fan out across China and Japanese-occupied Manchuria, the narrative sees espionage agencies operating behind enemy lines,...
- 2/6/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Cinemas in mainland China remained busy over the latest weekend even a week after the end of the Lunar New Year holiday season and with few significant new release titles.
Aggregate nationwide box office hit 162 million according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. And “The Wandering Earth 2” reclaimed the top spot that it lost on the second day of the holiday period, which officially ran Jan. 21-27.
“The Wandering Earth 2” earned 56.4 million between Friday and Saturday. That gives the sci-fi prequel a running total of 502 million since release on Jan. 22.
“Full River Red” a historical drama directed by the veteran Zhang Yimou, earned 50.1 million over the weekend for a cumulative of 595 million, also since Jan. 22. That is the highest box office performance by one of Zhang’s movies.
In third place, “Boonie Bears: Guardian Code” earned 21 million for a running total of 188 million. That is the highest total...
Aggregate nationwide box office hit 162 million according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. And “The Wandering Earth 2” reclaimed the top spot that it lost on the second day of the holiday period, which officially ran Jan. 21-27.
“The Wandering Earth 2” earned 56.4 million between Friday and Saturday. That gives the sci-fi prequel a running total of 502 million since release on Jan. 22.
“Full River Red” a historical drama directed by the veteran Zhang Yimou, earned 50.1 million over the weekend for a cumulative of 595 million, also since Jan. 22. That is the highest box office performance by one of Zhang’s movies.
In third place, “Boonie Bears: Guardian Code” earned 21 million for a running total of 188 million. That is the highest total...
- 2/6/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Taipei-based international sales company Distribution Workshop will be selling Lunar New Year hit Hidden Blade, starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and Wong Ching-po’s highly-anticipated new film, The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon, at the upcoming European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin.
Directed by Cheng Er, Hidden Blade is a spy thriller set in Shanghai during the Second World War, and also stars Wang Yibo (Born To Fly) and Zhou Xun (Our Time Will Come).
The 45m production has so far grossed 116.6M since its release over the Lunar New Year holidays on January 22, according to figures from Artisan Gateway.
The film is the third installment in the “China Victory Trilogy” produced by Beijing-based Bona Film Group, following Chinese Doctors and The Battle At Lake Changjin. Cheng Er is known for crime dramas such as Lethal Hostage (2012) and The Wasted Times (2016).
The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon is produced by Lee Lieh,...
Directed by Cheng Er, Hidden Blade is a spy thriller set in Shanghai during the Second World War, and also stars Wang Yibo (Born To Fly) and Zhou Xun (Our Time Will Come).
The 45m production has so far grossed 116.6M since its release over the Lunar New Year holidays on January 22, according to figures from Artisan Gateway.
The film is the third installment in the “China Victory Trilogy” produced by Beijing-based Bona Film Group, following Chinese Doctors and The Battle At Lake Changjin. Cheng Er is known for crime dramas such as Lethal Hostage (2012) and The Wasted Times (2016).
The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon is produced by Lee Lieh,...
- 2/6/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
"Extraordinary courage can change history." Well Go USA has revealed yet another official US trailer for Hidden Blade, a WWII Chinese spy thriller from filmmaker Cheng Er. This one already opened in China in January, and is landing in US theaters starting in February in a few more weeks. The film follows the story of a group of underground workers who risked their lives to send intelligence and defend the motherland, set after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor when the Wang Jingwei regime declared war on Britain & America. During World War II, at the height of their war of resistance against Japan, a group of courageous citizens develops a top-secret underground espionage network at great peril to their own lives. Actor Tony Leung headlines Hidden Blade, along with Wang Yibo, Hiroyuki Mori, Chengpeng Dong, Zhou Xun, Eric Wang, and Huang Lei. I like how both of these trailers below feature no dialogue,...
- 2/2/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The Hindi-language thriller made 41.8m in its first five days in India.
World box office January 27-29 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Full River Red (various) 144.3m 466m 144.3m 466m 1 2. The Wandering Earth 2 (various) 106.2m 382.7m 104.9m 380m 7 3. Avatar: The Way Of Water (Disney) 58.1m 2.12bn 42.4m 1.5bn 53 4. Pathaan (various) 53.8m 67.8m 47.9m 59.3m 100 5. Boonie Bears: Guardian Code (various) 43.7m 136.4m 43.7m 136.4m 1 6. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (Universal) 25m 334.1m 14.3m 193.3m 80 7. Hidden Blade (various) 22.3m 85.8m 22.3m 85.8m 1 8. Deep Sea (various) 21.5m 66.6m 21.5m 66.6m 1 9. M3GAN (Universal...
World box office January 27-29 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Full River Red (various) 144.3m 466m 144.3m 466m 1 2. The Wandering Earth 2 (various) 106.2m 382.7m 104.9m 380m 7 3. Avatar: The Way Of Water (Disney) 58.1m 2.12bn 42.4m 1.5bn 53 4. Pathaan (various) 53.8m 67.8m 47.9m 59.3m 100 5. Boonie Bears: Guardian Code (various) 43.7m 136.4m 43.7m 136.4m 1 6. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (Universal) 25m 334.1m 14.3m 193.3m 80 7. Hidden Blade (various) 22.3m 85.8m 22.3m 85.8m 1 8. Deep Sea (various) 21.5m 66.6m 21.5m 66.6m 1 9. M3GAN (Universal...
- 1/30/2023
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
After three long years of pandemic drift and deterioration, China’s movie box office was back in booming form over the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday. Total ticket sales over the six-day festive period, China’s most lucrative moviegoing window of the year, climbed to 993.8 million this year, up 14 percent from the equivalent stretch in 2019, the last holiday prior to the pandemic. This year’s bonanza also easily topped the 2022 Lunar New Year, which brought in 888.2 million.
The strong comeback at the Chinese multiplex was one of several encouraging indicators of economic recovery during the holiday, as Chinese consumers returned en masse to restaurants, tourist sites and entertainment venues, breathing a collective sigh of relief after the abrupt exit from Beijing’s restrictive “Covid zero” policy late last year. The box office rebound is being read as welcome news by international investors as well as film executives, with many economists...
The strong comeback at the Chinese multiplex was one of several encouraging indicators of economic recovery during the holiday, as Chinese consumers returned en masse to restaurants, tourist sites and entertainment venues, breathing a collective sigh of relief after the abrupt exit from Beijing’s restrictive “Covid zero” policy late last year. The box office rebound is being read as welcome news by international investors as well as film executives, with many economists...
- 1/30/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cinema box office in mainland China came close to record levels over the Lunar New Year period with RMB6.76 billion of gross revenue – or just fractions short of 1 billion – in a week.
Chinese state media reported the local currency number for a period covering Saturday to Friday 21-27 Jan.
That compared with the figure of RMB7.82 billion in 2021, a year in which Chinese cinemas were operating normally and the country overtook North America as the world’s largest theatrical market.
The Lunar New Year period in 2022, which occurred before last year’s return of massively disruptive Covid-prevention measures, was worth RMB6.04 according to Chinese state media, citing the China Film Administration.
Unusually, data for the latest Friday to Sunday weekend includes one day that was officially a holiday (Friday) followed by two quieter weekend days. But the rankings are representative of the wider Lunar New Year period, and the cumulative...
Chinese state media reported the local currency number for a period covering Saturday to Friday 21-27 Jan.
That compared with the figure of RMB7.82 billion in 2021, a year in which Chinese cinemas were operating normally and the country overtook North America as the world’s largest theatrical market.
The Lunar New Year period in 2022, which occurred before last year’s return of massively disruptive Covid-prevention measures, was worth RMB6.04 according to Chinese state media, citing the China Film Administration.
Unusually, data for the latest Friday to Sunday weekend includes one day that was officially a holiday (Friday) followed by two quieter weekend days. But the rankings are representative of the wider Lunar New Year period, and the cumulative...
- 1/30/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Chinese New Year holidays have brought back scenes not seen in mainland China cinemas for a year – a slew of new release titles and crowds to match.
Few records will be broken. But after several months of desertification, the flood of returning cinema-goers may be a relief to the wider industry.
The holiday period, marked by family reunions, began on Saturday. New releases of some of the year’s most anticipated films followed on Sunday.
Most prominent among these were “The Wandering Earth 2,” a prequel to a massive sci-fi hit from 2019 and historical suspense comedy “Full River Red,” from Zhang Yimou.
Claiming top spot, “The Wandering Earth 2” earned close to 71 million on its opening day ahead of “Full River Red” which earned just shy of 60 million. Third, fourth and fifth places belonged to a trio of next and neck performances by World War II spy thriller “Hidden Blade” with 20.4 million,...
Few records will be broken. But after several months of desertification, the flood of returning cinema-goers may be a relief to the wider industry.
The holiday period, marked by family reunions, began on Saturday. New releases of some of the year’s most anticipated films followed on Sunday.
Most prominent among these were “The Wandering Earth 2,” a prequel to a massive sci-fi hit from 2019 and historical suspense comedy “Full River Red,” from Zhang Yimou.
Claiming top spot, “The Wandering Earth 2” earned close to 71 million on its opening day ahead of “Full River Red” which earned just shy of 60 million. Third, fourth and fifth places belonged to a trio of next and neck performances by World War II spy thriller “Hidden Blade” with 20.4 million,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
China’s Lunar New Year box office got off to a solid start Sunday despite ongoing concerns over the Covid wave sweeping the country. An especially strong and diverse slate of local holiday blockbusters is giving the Chinese film industry the boost it so desperately needs after a prolonged period of market damage during last year’s lockdowns.
Frank Guo’s big-budget sci-fi spectacle The Wandering Earth 2, starring Wu Jing and Andy Lau, rocketed to the front of the pack with a 69.7 million opening day, according to data from tracking firm Artisan Gateway. But Chinese filmmaking legend Zhang Yimou’s latest feature, Full River Red, a period comedy thriller, was close behind with a strong 59.3 million start. Both films have been enthusiastically received— Full River Red has social scores of 9.6 on Maoyan, 9.5 on Alibaba’s Tao Piao Piao app and 8 from Douban, while Wandering Earth 2 sits at 9.4, 9.7 and 8.3, respectively — suggesting that a close,...
Frank Guo’s big-budget sci-fi spectacle The Wandering Earth 2, starring Wu Jing and Andy Lau, rocketed to the front of the pack with a 69.7 million opening day, according to data from tracking firm Artisan Gateway. But Chinese filmmaking legend Zhang Yimou’s latest feature, Full River Red, a period comedy thriller, was close behind with a strong 59.3 million start. Both films have been enthusiastically received— Full River Red has social scores of 9.6 on Maoyan, 9.5 on Alibaba’s Tao Piao Piao app and 8 from Douban, while Wandering Earth 2 sits at 9.4, 9.7 and 8.3, respectively — suggesting that a close,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Julia Roberts and George Clooney landed at the top of the international box office chart this weekend as Universal/Working Title’s Ticket to Paradise expanded its offshore rollout. Adding 39 markets for a 12.1M session in 46 lifted the overseas cume to 14.8M with several majors still to come; domestic begins on October 21. Collectively, the new markets this session performed above Last Christmas and Yesterday, and in line with The Lost City and Bridget Jones’s Baby.
The reteam of Roberts and Clooney is the second starry romantic comedy to hit cinemas this year, after Paramount’s Sandra Bullock/Channing Tatum adventure The Lost City which ultimately grossed about 191M globally. That film followed a more staggered release pattern overseas, largely debuting after domestic.
While we’re still seeing a dearth of new titles overseas, the current corridor is fertile ground for comedy in some markets, thus the pre-domestic release on the Ol Parker-directed Ticket.
The reteam of Roberts and Clooney is the second starry romantic comedy to hit cinemas this year, after Paramount’s Sandra Bullock/Channing Tatum adventure The Lost City which ultimately grossed about 191M globally. That film followed a more staggered release pattern overseas, largely debuting after domestic.
While we’re still seeing a dearth of new titles overseas, the current corridor is fertile ground for comedy in some markets, thus the pre-domestic release on the Ol Parker-directed Ticket.
- 9/18/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.