Latest update December 15th, 2015 10:12 PM
Production News 14-7-2
The Queens, directed by Singer Actress Annie Yi (on the far right)
From January 7, 2026 to July 22, 2025, there are 1121 scripts approved by SARFT, including 957 films with contemporary themes (post-1949) and 164 films featuring historic periods (pre-1949). In addition, 75 animations, 48 documentaries, 22 films featuring science and education, 28 films of special genre and 45 co-productions have also been put on the record after SAPPRFT’s examination.
Dragon Blade, a period action epic directed by Daniel Lee, will be released in 3D IMAX in local and international markets in 2015. Jackie Chan stars in the movie. The film tells a story of historic conflicts: Huo An (Jackie Chan), commander of the protégé of the western regions, has been framed and reduced to a slave. Lucius, a Roman general, leads a legion of soldiers into China. Tiberius, a power-thirsty man, has killed Roman Consul Crassus and chases after Lucius with 100,000 troops. Huo An and Lucius meet in the Gobi Desert and become friends. Later, they team up to protect China’s borders and sovereignty. In the end, Lucius dies in the battlefield and Huo An has his revenge and shakes off disgrace. The film, shot in Dunhuang and the Gobi Desert, is backed by Sparkle Roll Cultural Media, Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, Shanghai Film Group and Beijing Cultural Assets Chinese Film & Television Fund. The $65 million production budget breaks the record for a China-financed movie.
The Queens, a feature film directed by actress and writer Annie Yi, is scheduled to be screened in November, 2014. Yi is a Taiwanese celebrity and The Queens marks her first attempt as a director. This is adapted from a popular novel on female lives. The leading character Annie falls into a dilemma: a handsome photographer and a rich young man are courting her at the same time, but she does not know which one is her Mr. Right. Meanwhile, her two close girlfriends are also troubled by love affairs. The three girls are different personalities, but cherish their friendship a lot. The film is kind of a local Sex and the City. The Korean star Song HyeKyo will join the cast, leading to more discussions about the film. The movie will be shot in Shanghai, Beijing and Greece.
“Females’ life”, “girls’ friendship” have been buzz words on China’s social media. Consequently, some Chinese filmmakers have sensed this trend and produced films of these themes. For example, the recently released film Girls has raked in about $ 32.5 million till August 16 and the big hits Tiny Times series (over $162 million combined) also demonstrate the unbroken friendship among four girls.
Book-to-film adaptation has become a strong source of film production. These loyal readers are all potential audiences of the planned films. Additionally, the film adaptation is likely to be a much-talked one, attracting public attention before screening. The success of So Young ($116.8million), a local hit from a welcomed novel, is an enlightening example. In this context, more producers tend to have a closer look on popular books.
The Enlight Media-invested motion picture The Left Ear and New Classics Media Corporation-financed Waiting in the Rye are to be adapted from popular novels.
RAO Xueman, author and screen writer of The Left Ear, is hailed as “wizard of words” and noted for her delicate description of the youth’s dream, love, and growing pains. This story is expected to recall the memory of China’s balinghou, post-80s generation.
The book series Waiting in the Rye have had a total circulation of over millions. The book-to-film adaptation tells a story about university life: Qiu Fei makes friends with a group of so-called “bad” students who are thinking of how to make life more interesting all the day. They escape exams, engage in puppy love, play music, drink liquor, etc. Their “misconducts” is a way of saying no to the routine school life until the graduation when they feel desolate for the lapsed youth. At this moment, they realize the value of youthful life. Truth is, they are motivated, enthusiastic and energetic.
Noticeably, YOUTH has become an increasingly important theme on China’s big screen.
New Yorker in Beijing, a sports movie produced by China’s Hairun Pictures, is also note-worthy. The film is based on the inspiring career life of NBA star Stephon Marbury. Marbury flies to Beijing for a new sports career. He gets accustomed to the local environment and helps lead a Chinese basketball team to championship in CBA 2012 and CBA 2014.
The filmmakers are inclined to look for movie materials from hot TV shows. Earlier this year, Dad, Where Are We Going?, a film based on a reality TV show with the highest rating, gained over $110 million. Now, a very popular TV contest featuring scientific experiment will be brought to the theater. The film story is about 8 competitors coming to the final round of the TV contest. They must compete against each other for the big title The Brightest, but the participant Shen Yiyi finally discovers all of this is just part of the hypnotherapy that helps pull her out of the obsession with mobile phones.
The film industry insiders also source inspiration from Chinese myths. In fact, many mythological tales have been adapted into TV series like the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival story Goddess Chang’ E Flying to the Moon. Director ZHANG Jizhong’s company will shoot a myth film: Chi You, one of the three Chinese ancestors, grows into the leader of a tribe and tries to revive his tribe by fighting against other clans in the survival war for resources. Zhang is an also well-known television producer in Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He also plans to produce a movie The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven, a legendary tale that has been adapted into TV drama, stage play, animation and film many times. Moreover, an American company has got the right to do a remake. The over-consumption of this IP might drain the audience’s interest.
Animation: two are produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio with Chinese writer Wang Anyi as the screenwriter. One presents a fresh thinking of love between different species: between female sheep and a wolf go through thick and thin together as time passes by. The sheep is touched by the fine traits of the wolf and grows special emotional connections with it. The other tells a story between an aged wolf and a pregnant sheep, who demonstrate different life pursuits in the face of hardships.
A movie featuring the widely-known cartoon images Big Head Son and Small Head Dad is likely to arouse nostalgia. The son prepares for his three “space plans”, but his parents are not supportive. The dad engages in public service activities and Mom participates in a family competition. The first two plans are aborted and can Son realize his final one?
In addition, social issues and buzz words like young couple’s marriage, delicious food and foodie , “leftover” ladies and time travel are trendy themes.
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