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Adapted from Alexey Korenev's 1990 Soviet comedy film “A Trap for Lonely Man” and French playwright Robert Thomas' 1960 play “Trap for a Lonely Man” (Piege Pour un Homme Seul), “Lost in the Stars” is a truly delirious title which implements a story filled with twists in a visually impressive package. The film premiered at the Hainan International Film Festival on 25 December 2022 and released theatrically in China on 22 June 2023 to commercial success, amassing more than $485 million internationally.

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He Fei and his wife Li Muzi are celebrating the first anniversary of their marriage at an island resort in Barlandia, a fictional Southeast Asian country that appears to have Malay and Thai as their official languages. However, at some point, Li Muzi disappears, and this is where the movie actually begins, with He Fei in the local police precinct trying to convince...

Incredibly prolific director Herman Yau presents his fourth film of the 2023, “Moscow Mission”, after “The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell”, “Death Notice” and “Raid on the Lethal Zone”. Yau has turned into a bona fide master of action and this last effort is a bombastic take on the true story of a series of violent robberies in 1993 on the Beijing-Moscow train and the Chinese mission to eradicate them and capture the robbers. It's not the first film dealing with these particular incidents; Michael Mak had directed “The Train Robbers” in 1995, and there is also a more recent 31-episode online drama, directed by Zhang Rui. Chen Daming has curated the screenplay, incorporating as much action set pieces as possible, although, maybe at the expense of the script's fluidity.

Moscow Mission is screening at UdineFar East Film Festival 2024

It's 1993 and the economy situation in China and Russia is in a state of great confusion.

Herman Yao’s latest film, Moscow Mission, chronicled a group of brave detectives who were sent to Moscow to eradicate a group of dangerous train robbers who had been terrorizing the trans-Siberian railway. The eyewitnesses claimed that the robbers often boarded the train disguised as regular passengers, sometimes individually or in groups. Once the train left the station, they donned their signature ski masks and robbed the entire train at gunpoint. Those who cooperated were left to see another day, while others became victims of their wrath. Once they were done, they pulled the chain and made their exit.

Spoilers Ahead

How does Cui Zhenhai plan to catch the robbers?

The latest robbery jeopardized the trade between Russia and China and even tarnished the latter’s reputation on a global scale. Since the robbers were a grave threat to both domestic and international travelers, the Chinese government brought in the big guns.

Mystery drama has proved a massive hit at the China box office.

China’s Blossoms Entertainment has secured a pan-Asian and Cis release for sleeper box office hit Lost In The Stars as the Chinese film industry gets back on its feet in a dynamic summer season post-Covid.

The Chinese mystery drama is dated to open in Malaysia and Brunei on July 27, Singapore (August 3), Cambodia (August 18), all through Purple Plan, and Indonesia (August 31) through Encore Films.

In August, it is also set to open in Hong Kong and Macau (Intercontinental Films), Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Philippines (all through Encore Films...

Actor, director and screenwriter Chen Sicheng is one of the giants of contemporary Chinese cinema.

His three “Detective Chinatown” films have earned more than $1.2 billion of box office revenue, and Chen is the producing force behind another major franchise, “Sheep Without a Shepherd,” adapted from the Indian “Drishyam” films.

“Lost in the Stars,” Chen’s latest effort, this time as producer and screenwriter, is another megahit. Co-directed by Cui Rui and Liu Xiang, “Lost in the Stars” has grossed $430 million (RMB3.08 billion) in China – enough to make it the seventh-biggest film worldwide this year and the 14th biggest film of all time in China – all in the span of just 17 days.

The movie is a mystery drama, adapted from the ’90s Russian film “A Trap for the Lonely Man,” which itself was adapted from a Robert Thomas stage play. It sees a woman disappear while on holiday with her husband...

Disney releases “Elemental” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” were locked in a near dead heat at the U.K. and Ireland box office, with the animated elements edging out the veteran archaeologist.

“Elemental” debuted with £3.049 million ($3.876 million), according to numbers from Comscore. In its second weekend, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” whipped up £3.046 million ($3.873 million) for a close second and now has a total of £13.1 million.

If looking at weekend numbers alone, Harrison Ford’s last adventure as the man in the hat won the race as the “Elemental” numbers include “limited secret sneak previews from across the market,” according to Disney.

Sony’s “Insidious: The Red Door” scared up £2.2 million in a third place debut. In its sixth weekend, Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse” swung to £964,566 in fourth position for a total of £27.7 million.

Rounding off the top five was Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,...

China’s first blockbuster of the summer of 2023, Lost in the Stars, is readying for release in North America, Australia and New Zealand later this week.

The film will launch on July 7 in approximately 60 locations across 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada, courtesy of China’s international distributor Cmc Pictures. The release in Australia and New Zealand, on July 6 and July 13, respectively, will be of a similar scale.

Lost in the Stars launched in China on June 22 and already has earned about $360 million there — more than what recent Hollywood hits like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ($343.4 million) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ($355 million) grossed at home in North America.

Chinese commercial blockbusters tend to play more like specialty releases in the West, however, primarily appealing to the Chinese diaspora market, while racking up earnings more in line with what breakthrough Asian arthouse titles earn. Well Go USA released...

‘Lost In The Stars’ proved the top grossing film in June.

China’s box office jumped 52.9% in the first six months of 2023 with ticket sales of $3.7bn (RMB26.3bn), marking the first such year-on-year increase since the Covid-19 pandemic.

It does not mark a complete recovery as the figures remain 15.7% down on the same period in pre-pandemic 2019. But robust growth was seen in June with takings of $581.8m (Rmb 4.13bn), up 115% on 2022 and down a mere 0.8% on 2019. The results almost equalled pre-pandemic levels for the first time, according to data provided by Artisan Gateway.

The top grossing film in June was Lost In The Stars,...

‘Lost In The Stars’ proved the top grossing film in June.

China’s box office jumped 52.9% in the first six months of 2023 with ticket sales of $3.7bn (RMB26.3bn), marking the first such year-on-year increase since the Covid-19 pandemic.

It does not mark a complete recovery as the figures remain 15.7% down on the same period in pre-pandemic 2019. But robust growth was seen in June with takings of $581.8m (Rmb 4.13bn), up 115% on 2022 and down a mere 0.8% on 2019. The results almost equalled pre-pandemic levels for the first time, according to data provided by Artisan Gateway.

The top grossing film in June was Lost In The Stars,...

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” is the latest big Hollywood movie to bomb in China, earning just $2.3 million over its opening weekend. It comes on the heels of “The Flash” earning just $25 million since opening three weekends ago as well as “The Little Mermaid” earning just $3.7 million after a month in theaters.

Like “Solo: A Star Wars Story” in 2018, it would appear that “Indiana Jones 5” was a domestic-skewing IP sell, especially with the brand mostly dormant since “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” in 2008, with a less-than-hoped overseas appeal. None of the previous “Indiana Jones” films played in China, which means there’s no generational nostalgia for the brand or Harrison Ford’s marquee character.

It’s one more costly example of how Chinese audiences are showing a preference for homegrown movies over Hollywood tentpoles, a conundrum for studios that spent the 2010s counting on China as a growth market.

Chinese mystery drama “Lost in the Stars” expanded in its second week on release and gave China its third biggest box office weekend of the year. That local success came as Hollywood tentpole “Indiana Jones: The Dial of Destiny” failed to land a top five place in the Middle Kingdom on its debut weekend.

“Indiana Jones” earned just $2.4 million in China, according to estimates from local data providers. It played some 25,000 screenings per day on Friday but earned less than $900,000. Exhibitors then slashed the number of sessions by half on Saturday. They further trimmed the number of playdates on Sunday when it slipped to seventh place. Consultancy, Artisan Gateway did not provide confirmed data for “Indiana Jones” in China.

“Lost in the Stars” earned $117 million, according to Artisan Gateway. That was significantly up from its opening weekend of $70.7 million (RMB502 million) a week earlier and enough to make it the...

The top movie at the global box office last weekend was not “The Flash” or “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.” It was China’s latest homegrown blockbuster, “Lost in the Stars,” which earned $70 million from Friday to Sunday, or $98 million over the four-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday weekend in the country. Counting Monday’s $23.3 million gross and $26 million on Tuesday, the mystery romance has $146.5 million thus far. That already puts it above every summer release in China including Hollywood’s “Fast X,” which has earned $138 million in China since its mid-May premiere.

It’s one more example of how Chinese audiences are showing a strong preference for homegrown movies over Hollywood fare, a conundrum for studios that once counted on China as a growth market. With theaters closed for the pandemic and Western streaming services mostly unwelcome in China’s tightly controlled internet market, there’s been little occasion to connect moviegoers with popular franchises,...

’Spider-Man: Across The Spider Verse’ soars past $550m.

World box office June 23-25 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l)Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Lost In The Stars (Various) $70.4m $97.6m $70.4m $97.6m 1 2. Elemental (Disney) $49.8m $121.1m $31.3m $55.6m 41 3. The Flash (Warner Bros) $41.9m $210.9m $26.6m $123.3m 79 4. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (Sony) $41.3m $560.3m $22m $243.2m 64 5. Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts (Paramount) $37.2m $341.2m $25.6m $218.3m 70 6. No Hard Feelings (Sony) $24.6m $24.6m $9.5m $9.5m 49 7. The Little Mermaid (Disney) $18.1m $499.3m $9.4m $229.1m 53 8. Asteroid City (Focus) $12.9m $16.7m $3.9m $6.5m 36 9. Love Never Ends (Various) $11.7m $23.5m $11.7m $23.5m...

Chinese mystery drama “Lost in the Stars” was the top-grossing film on the planet over the latest weekend – despite playing only a single territory.

The film earned $70.7 million (RMB502 million) between Friday and Sunday in mainland China, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. That put it far and away ahead of other Chinese new releases and Hollywood’s holdovers “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” and “The Flash.”

With the Dragon Boat Festival holiday occurring on Thursday, the film was given an unusual one-day advance on the normal releasing pattern in China. Including Thursday takings, the film made a total of $98.3 million (RMB968 million).

Data from Comscore shows “Lost in the Stars” handily beating second-placed “Elemental,” which earned $49.8 million between Friday and Sunday ($31.3 million in 40 international markets and $18.5 million in North America).

“Lost in the Stars” is a Chinese adaptation of a 1990 Russian movie “A Trap for the Lonely Man,...

China’s first big blockbuster of the summer has arrived. Lost in the Stars, a mystery thriller produced by As One Productions, opened to $98.3 million over the four-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday weekend, according to data from regional box office consultancy Artisan Gateway. With advance ticket sales for Monday added to the tally, Lost in the Stars has easily crossed the $100 million mark.

Romantic drama Love Never Ends, from Lian Ray Picutres, came out one day earlier and scored second for the holiday with a $23.7 million five-day opening.

Lost in the Stars is co-written by Chen Sicheng, the hitmaking writer-director behind the Detective Chinatown franchise (the three films in the series have earned over $1.3 billion). Ticketing app Maoyan projects Lost in the Stars to eventually earn over $400 million.

Co-directed by Rui Cui and Xiang Liu, the film stars Zhu Yilong as a man whose wife (played by Janice Man) mysteriously...

The latest in a never-ending series of propaganda movies from mainland China, Manifesto is an account of the life and times of Chen Wangdao, the translator and scholar who completed in 1920 China’s first translation of “The Communist Manifesto” by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Chen undertook this life-changing task when he returned from his studies in Japan. Chen Duxiu, Yu Xiusong, Shi Cuntong, Jing Hengyi, Dai Jitao and other key historical figures are also portrayed in the movie. (Sources: Douban and China Daily)

Director Hou Yong has worked on Zhang Yimou’s movies, The Road Home (1999) and Hero (2002), in cinematography and the camera/electrical department. He was also a co-director for a 2021 drama series The Rebel Princess starring Zhang Ziyi. Manifesto‘s cast members include Liu Ye, Hu Jun and Janice Man. It has premiered in China on March 24, 2023.

Before she escapes with her bodyguard during the cliff hanging end of Part 1, Princess Zhao Min (Janice Man) challenges Zhang Wu Ji (Raymond Lam) to go to Dodu if he wants to rescue the members of the Six Major Sects. Sure enoug,h this sequel kicks off with Zhang Wu Ji and fellow masters of the Ming Cult standing on a clifftop overlooking Dadu; he has indeed taken up Zhao Min’s advice and is travelling to the Capital to free those poor Cult members who are being locked up in the Wan On pagoda.

The rescue mission is a success thanks to Zhang using his energy power to cushion those prisoners who jump from the burning pagoda but there are a few casualties. One of them is the cruel and shrewd Miejue (Jade Leung) leader of the Er Mei Cult, who manages to disclose the secret of the legendary...

Adapted by filmmakers into numerous movies and television series throughout the years, “The Heaven Sword and the Dragon Sabre” is a very popular wuxia (martial arts and chivalry) novel written by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). Back in 1993, Wong Jing directed “Kung Fu Cult Master” starring Jet Li, Sharla Cheung and Chingmy Yau; it was a much darker take than the novel and a box office failure. A planned sequel was never made even though it ended with a cliffhanger, but due to repeated exposure on television, it gradually became a fan favorite.

Almost thirty years later, together with a new cast and cinematographer Keung Kwok Man, Wong is back with “New Kung Fu Cult Master 1 and 2” in which the first part is a modern update of the original, while part 2 is the current sequel. Replacing Li is Raymond Lam who plays protagonist Zhang Wu Ji, a young kung fu expert...

In another quiet weekend in China, Korean War blockbuster “The Battle at Lake Changjin” was at last eased out of the top five for the first time since its Sept. 30 debut. It was replaced by a new Korean War film with lower production values.

“Crossing the Yalu River” from China Media Group debuted Friday to a $3 million three-day opener, coming in fourth. It stars frequent portrayer of Mao Zedong Tang Guoqiang as the controversial leader and Sun Weimin as Zhou Enlai.

Meanwhile, Wanda Pictures’ “Fireflies in the Sun,” an adaptation of the 2002 Nick Cassavetes film “John Q,” opened first with $54.2 million, according to data from Artisan Gateway. It tells the story about a family that lived a poor but happy life until the son has an accident and needs an expensive treatment, which his father does whatever it takes to obtain.

The original film starring Denzel Washington was not especially...

In celebration of the Chinese New Year, Warner Bros. Pictures will invite audiences throughout the U.S. and Canada to experience the newest chapter in the hugely popular international franchise with the domestic theatrical release of “Detective Chinatown 3.” The action-comedy-mystery sequel is set to open in more than 150 theaters and limited IMAX engagements in major cities across North America, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Toronto and Vancouver, on January 24, 2020, day-and-date with the film’s much-anticipated release in China by Wanda Pictures. “Detective Chinatown 3” is one of the widest releases among all Mandarin language films in North America in recent years.

Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran reprise their roles as a mismatched crime-solving duo in the film, again written and directed by Chen Sicheng. Set in Tokyo, where the pair embarks on their latest misadventure, the film also features Thai martial arts superstar Tony Jaa...

Warner Bros. Pictures has confirmed details of its wide specialty release of “Detective Chinatown 3” in North America. The film will reach American theaters on Jan. 24, coinciding with a huge outing handled by Wanda Pictures in China at the beginning of Chinese New Year (aka Spring Festival).

The mainland Chinese-produced franchise movie is pitched as an action-comedy-mystery sequel that is once again written and directed by Chen Sicheng. Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran reprise their roles as a mismatched crime-solving duo. Third time out, the action shifts to Tokyo, after previous excursions to Thailand and New York.

Warner reports that it will open the film “in more than 150 theaters and limited IMAX engagements in major cities across North America, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Toronto and Vancouver.”

Releases of most Chinese films in North America target the Chinese diaspora, rather than crossover audiences. And they...

Based on the web-novel “Lost a Red Mini Bus to Taipo”, by 25-year-old Hong Kong writer nicknamed “Mr. Pizza”, “The Midnight After” was considered as Fruit Chan’s return to form by both audience and critics.

The dystopian, surrealistic, parodying base of the film has seventeen people on board a Hong Kong minibus going to Tai Po from Mongkok, experiencing a rather intense series of events, after they realize they seem to be the only ones left in the whole city. Driver Suet, Yau Tsi-chi and Yuki, who are visiting their respective dates, Fat, an aging gangster, Mook Sau-ying, a fortune-telling insurance saleswoman, Shun, a computer technician, Pat and Bobby, a married couple, Blind Fai, a drug addict, Auyeung Wai, a music store salesperson, Lavina, a quiet, buck-toothed woman, Airplane and Glu-Stick, rowdy boys, and university students Tsing, Peter, Dawg, and Hung are the passengers and the protagonists of the film.

Hong Kong company is launching Enter The Fat Dragon and Master Of Ransom at the market.

Hong Kong’s Mega-Vision Project Workshop is launching two new high-profile action titles at Filmart: Kenji Tanigaki’s Enter The Fat Dragon, starring Donnie Yen, and Master Of Ransom with Tony Leung Ka-fai, Louis Koo, Gordon Lam and Simon Yam.

Yen plays a cop escorting a convict to Japan in Enter The Fat Dragon, which the star is also producing along with Wong Jing and Connie Wong. Currently shooting in Hong Kong, China and Japan, the film is produced by Bona Film Group, Mega-Vision,...

“The Brink” is directed by newcomer director Jonathan Li, and is starring some known faces such as Jin Zhang, Gordon Lam and Shawn Lue among others, and co-starring Ka Tung Lam, Tai-Bo, Janice Man, Yue Wu and Yasuaki Kurata.

The movie introduces us to Sai Gau, played by Jin Zhang, who is a purely dedicated cop chasing this gold trafficking gang that has recently stepped on the coast. This gang owns a big casino boat filled with goods in order to be delivered, but it happens that the ones in charge of this specific operation are suffering from an inner conflict of leadership, mainly caused by Shing, played by Shawn Lue. The methods brought by this decided cop Sai Gau is not well liked by his superiors, especially for his direct boss played by Gordon Lam, who is always lecturing him and blaming him of losing fellow colleagues. But the thing is that,...

“The Brink” is directed by newcomer director Jonathan Li, and is starring some known faces such as Jin Zhang, Gordon Lam and Shawn Lue among others, and co-starring Ka Tung Lam, Tai-Bo, Janice Man, Yue Wu and Yasuaki Kurata.

The movie introduces us to Sai Gau, played by Jin Zhang, who is a purely dedicated cop chasing this gold trafficking gang that has recently stepped on the coast. This gang owns a big casino boat filled with goods in order to be delivered, but it happens that the ones in charge of this specific operation are suffering from an inner conflict of leadership, mainly caused by Shing, played by Shawn Lue. The methods brought by this decided cop Sai Gau is not well liked by his superiors, especially for his direct boss played by Gordon Lam, who is always lecturing him and blaming him of losing fellow colleagues. But the thing is that,...

I recently spent a quite Monday night watching Well Go USA’s newest release, The Midnight After. Fate meets Armageddon when an overnight bus ride turns the lives of eleven strangers upside down. In the mere blink of an eye they find themselves completely alone in the world with no explanation of how or why. Having no one else to turn to, they eventually began to lean on one another as they fight to survive and figure out what’s happening.

Unlike many other post-apocalyptic films, The Midnight After didn’t have any measure of fear or a race against time. In fact, their world seemed deathly calm, which only added to the fascination of it all. I was quite absorbed into the plot and realized quickly that it was important to pay attention to the small details because they were essentially pieces of a larger puzzle. I thought I...

Well Go USA Entertainment has announced that Fruit Chan’s genre-bending The Midnight After will be available on DVD and digitally on 21 June 2016.

The film premiered at the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival and was the recipient of numerous prestigious nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography at the Hong Kong Film Awards, where it also won in the Best Original Score category.

Based on a cult internet novel by Hong Kong writer “Mr. Pizza“, The Midnight After follows a group of 16 bus passengers who find that, in the time between entering and emerging from a traffic tunnel, the city was struck by an apocalyptic event.

The innovative Chan sculpts a blend of horror, comedy, mystery and sci-fi, flinging his unique cast of characters into increasingly bizarre scenarios.

The film received critical praise for its tone, most notably the blasé manner in which characters respond to the otherworldly circumstances they find themselves in.

Exclusive: Hong Kong-based Sun Entertainment Culture is debuting The Brink, a new action thriller co-produced with Chinese streaming platform iQiyi, Yl Pictures and Sil-Metropole Organisation.

Produced by Soi Cheang and Paco Wong for first-time director Jonathan Li, the new film follows an ex-cop who gets caught in the line of fire when a smuggler launches a revenge attack on his godfather.

The cast features Zhang Jin [pictured], Janice Man and Wu Yue.

Also on Sun’s slate are Herman Yau’s Nessum Dorma and Fire Lee’s Robbery, both of which will be screened at Hong Kong International Film Festival next week.

Hong Kong-based Celestial Tiger Entertainment (Cte) has renewed its exclusive, multi-year output deals with Hong Kong studios Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp), Mega-Vision Project Workshop (Mvpw) and Universe Entertainment.

Under the terms of the deals, Cte has secured first and exclusive pay-tv rights, as well as pay-per-view (PPV), video-on-demand (VOD) and over-the-top (Ott) rights, to each studio’s upcoming slate of movies for Cte’s Celestial Movies channel in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

Upcoming Emp productions include Heaven In The Dark, a drama reuniting Jacky Cheung and Karena Lam who both starred in July Rhapsody in 2002; Fruit Chan’s suspense thriller Kill Time, starring Ethan Ruan and Angelababy; and The Mobfathers, starring Anthony Wong and Chapman To.

Mvpw’s slate includes the third installment of blockbuster franchise From Vegas To Macau, which will star Andy Lau in addition to Chow Yun Fat and Nick Cheung. Mvpw is also in pre-production on The Invincible 12, which marks the 100th film from...

Following Cold War, an interesting and surprisingly bureaucratic action film, Sunny Luk and Longman Leung strive for bigger and louder with Helios, an overambitious and convoluted thriller that had its international premiere at the 17th Udine Far East Film Festival. The film starts off in South Korea with Helios (Chang Chen) and his sidekick Messenger (Janice Man) stealing one of the DC8s, the smallest nuclear devices ever created. Looking to retrieve their nuke, a team of South Korean special agents consisting of Choi Min-ho (Ji Jin-hee) and Park Woo-cheol (Choi Si-won) go to Hong Kong where the weapon is about to be traded. There, they're joined by Shim Mi-kyung (Yoon Ji-ni) and together join forces with the local police force - task leader Lee Yin-ming...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Cast:

Jacky Cheung

Nick Cheung

Chang Chen

Shawn Yue

Wang Xueqi

Helios is the upcoming movie directed by Leung Lok-Man/Sunny Luk and stars Jacky Cheung, Nick Cheung and Chang Chen. Helios is a Action/Thriller about a wanted criminal who has weapons of mass destruction.

The action choreographer for the movie is veteran Chin Kar Lok, who has worked on many movies over the years (In-front and behind the camera), such as Millionaire’s Express, Dragons Forever, Eastern Condors, Operation Scorpio and many more. Helios has a Hk$200 million budget and is being released by many companies, one being Media Asia Films.

Plot:

Number one wanted criminal “Helios” (Chang Chen) and his assistant (Janice Man) stole a quantity of uranium and plan to produce weapons of mass destruction. They are planning to trade with a terrorist organization in Hong Kong. Chief Inspector Lee Yin-ming (Nick Cheung) and Inspector Fan...

Hong Kong-based Sun Entertainment Culture is unveiling several new projects at Filmart, including romantic drama Concerto Of The Bully, starring Ronald Cheng and Janice Man.

Fung Chih-chiang has scripted and will direct Concerto Of The Bully, which is based on his novel about a street punk who kidnaps a gifted songwriter who never forgets anything she has heard.

Peter Kam, who won a Berlin Silver Bear for best music for Isabella in 2006, has written the score of the film, which is currently in pre-production.

Sun is also introducing Fire Lee’s Robbery, which stars Derek Tsang, J. Aire and Lam Suet in a story about a series of bizarre events at a corner convenience store.

The Cantonese-language drama is in post-production for release later this year.

Sun has also invested in Wilson Chin’s ‘girls with guns’ action drama, Special Female Force, starring Anita Chui, Jeana Ho and Eliza Sam.

Chin previously...

First of all, we would like to say Happy New Year to all our readers at Asian Movie Pulse. many thanks for the years of continuous support and we hope 2015 is a great year for you all.

This is part 1 for upcoming movies in 2015 to watch out for, if you feel a movie deserves to make part 2, please comment at bottom of the page.

Dragon Blade

Cast: Jackie Chan, Adrien Brody, John Cusack, Choi Siwon, Lin Peng

Director: Daniel Lee

The Bodyguard

Cast: Sammo Hung, Andy Lau, Deng Chao, Wang Xuebing, Tian Liang

Director: Sammo Hung

Sha Po Lang 2

Cast: Tony Jaa, Wu Jing, Simon Yam, Zhang Jin, Louis Koo

Director: Cheang Pou-soi

The Challenge Letter

Cast: Robert Chen, Nobuaki Shimamoto, Ingrid Yin Hu

Director: Robert Chen, Nathan Colquhoun

Skintrade

Cast: Tony Jaa, Dolph Lundgren, Michael Jai White, Ron Perlman

Director: Ekachai Uekrongtham

Detective K: Secret of the Lost Island

Cast: Kim Myung Min,...

After its world premiere in Berlin last month, Hong Kong is poised to experience Fruit Chan's post-apocalyptic thriller The Midnight After when it screens as one of the official opening films of the 38th Hong Kong International Film Festival on Monday ahead of its 10 April theatrical release.Starring a host of Hong Kong's finest performers, including Simon Yam, Lam Suet, Kara Hui, Wong You Nam and Janice Man, it tells the story of a bus load of strangers who emerge from a tunnel to discover the city is totally deserted. Regrouping in an abandoned restaurant, these 16 strangers might be humanity's only hope for survival.To whet our appetites ahead of the release, Golden Scene has released a dozen character images, giving us a glimpse of...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Fruit Chan is easily one of the most interesting filmmakers working in Hong Kong today. Since he came to fame with his 1997 directorial effort Made In Hong Kong, he has made a number of films that have a very distinct Hong Kong flavor. His latest film, The Midnight After, appears to be his most ambitious project to date. It stars Wong You Nam, Simon Yam, Kara Hui, Janice Man, Lam Suet and Sam Lee in a post-apocalyptic Hong Kong. Synopsis: A night like any other in the streets of Hong Kong: in the midst of the tangle of night-owls, cars and vendors, a group of passengers climbs aboard a minibus that is to take them from Mongkok to Tai Po. The group is as diverse...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Director Fruit Chan. His film Dumplings was weird. Hell, even his name is a little weird. That's why it's fitting that his next film, an anthology called The Midnight After, be a little weird. Read on for the first stills and details.

Dig on the massive plot crunch below, and thanks to Twitch for the eye candy.

Synopsis

Imagine that the entire population of the planet has vanished, except for you and 16 other people. Do the moral principles and religious beliefs we live by still apply? If civilization has collapsed, how do we survive? How far would you be willing to go to get life back to normal?

In 2012, a novel which originated as an online serial became a publishing phenomenon in Hong Kong. Lost on a Red Minibus to Taipo by the writer pen-named “Mr. Pizza” was a huge popular success, despite being very different from any other Hong Kong novel ever written.

Berlin Panorama title directed by Fruit Chan.

Fortissimo Films is growing its Berlin slate by adding Fruit Chan’s Panorama world premiere The Midnight After.

Fortissimo takes on world rights outside China and Hong Kong.

The film is a Hong Kong-set thriller about passengers on a late-night minibus who realise they are the only people left alive in the city.

Amy Chin produces and executive producer is Winnie Tsang at Golden Scene Company, which will handle the Hong Kong release this summer.

The cast includes Simon Yam, Kara Hui, Lam Suet, Wong You-nam, Janice Man, and Chui Tien-you.

The deal was negotiated by Fortissimo Chairman Michael J. Werner with Tsang.

Werner commented: “We have had the great pleasure of working with director Fruit Chan in the past and we are thrilled to be reunited with him on his new film, The Midnight After, which is a powerful, evocative, and provocative look at Hong Kong and society in general...

A total of 24 world premieres are included in the Berlinale’s Panorama selection, which has added a number of Asian productions.

Some 36 films from 29 countries will feature in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 6-16), of which 24 will be world premieres.

Most recently invited are works from Norway, Ethiopia, Mexico, India, Iran, Georgia, Greece, Hungary and Austria – with returning filmmakers Elfi Mikesch and Umut Dağ, who opened Panorama 2012 with Kuma, his directorial debut.

New titles include a number of Asian productions. In Ieji (Homeland) by Japan’s Nao Kubota, a farmer’s son, who first fled to the city, explores his home village in the Fukushima district, an area that is actually still a no-go zone following the disaster at the region’s nuclear power plant.

In the South Korean film Night Flight, LeeSong Hee-il presents a duel between two schoolmates. LeeSong previously showed the films No Regret and White Night in Panorama...

Somewhere deep inside of us there's a spot that still hasn't forgiven director Fruit Chan for what he did to our psyche with his disturbing flick Dumplings (we can still hear that crunching). Will his next flick have the same effect?

Screen Daily reports that Hong Kong’s Golden Scene is producing Chan’s (pictured) first Hong Kong-set feature in almost a decade, sci-fi thriller The Midnight After, based on bestselling novel Lost on a Minibus by Mongkok To Tai Po.

Chan plans to start shooting in June with an ensemble cast including regulars from his previous films like Wong You Nam (Hollywood Hong Kong), Chui Tien You (Little Cheung) and Sam Lee (Made In Hong Kong). The cast also includes Hong Kong stars Simon Yam, Lam Suet, Janice Man, Kara Hui and Vincci Cheuk.

The story follows a group of passengers on a minibus who emerge from a tunnel...

Golden Scene and One Ninety Films Co. are set to produce the Hong Kong-set sci-fi thriller "The Midnight After".

Fruit Chan ("Three Extremes: Dumplings," "Made in Hong Kong") will helm the project, based on the story "Lost on a Red Minibus to Taipo" by Mr. Pizza, with shooting to begin in June.

The story follows a group of passengers on a minibus who emerge from a tunnel to discover that every single person has disappeared from Hong Kong.

Then the remaining passengers start to go missing one by one. Wong You Nam, Chui Tien You, Sam Lee, Simon Yam, Lam Suet, Janice Man, Kara Hui and Vincci Cheuk star.

Source: Screen Daily...

It’s not often that you find cinematic art in a prison shower scene. Well, let’s rephrase. Non-exploitative prison shower scenes are rarely things of beauty. (Much better.) This film’s opening is an exception though as a single man fends off multiple attackers in an absolutely brutal and bloody brawl. The violent action is captured through painful-looking fight choreography and camerawork that utilizes slow motion to great effect. Bones are broken, blood is spilled and the scene ends leaving viewers as drained as the only man left standing. That man, Eugene Wang (Nick Cheung), is released from prison after a twenty year sentence for the rape and murder of a young woman, and his first stop is to grab some ice cream and eyeball some cute women at a busy intersection. He spots a teenager named Zoe (Janice Man) at a music university who looks almost identical to the woman he was convicted of killing...

Fans of last year’s good/bad/insane Aaron Kwok starring psycho mystery “Murderer” can rejoice, as director Roy Chow and writer Christine To return with more madness in the form of “Nightfall”. Another labyrinth, over the top tale of homicidal intrigue, the Hong Kong film sees the duo maintaining their reputation for hysterical twists and revelations, and features an impressive cast headlined by acclaimed actor and one of the current kings of gritty thrillers, Nick Cheung (recently in Dante Lam’s superb “The Beast Stalker” and “The Stool Pigeon”), with support from veteran Simon Yam (“Election”), Janice Man (“Lover’s Discourse”) and the inimitable Michael Wong (“Overheard”). Cheung plays Wong Yuen Yeung, a man released from jail after a 20 year stretch for the rape and murder of a teenage girl called Yi Wan who he was accused of stalking. He immediately starts following around Tsui Suet (Janice Man), a...

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Plot Summary:

A more accurate translation of the Chinese title is ‘Retribution’ which pretty much sums up what this movie is all about.

Anthony Wong plays a tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu whose spoilt brat of a daughter, Daisy (Janice Man) was kidnapped and murdered after the ransom was collected.

Richie Ren plays his former bodyguard, Chor who was tasked to track down the kidnappers and exact brutal retribution on all the perpetrators while capturing every gruesome scene on video.

When it is time to pull the trigger on the last one, Wong has second thoughts however….

Acting:

Anthony Wong:

Casting wise, it is quite impossible to envisage someone else playing the role of Wong Ho-Chiu as well as Anthony Wong- he managed to annoy and evoke sympathy with equal aplomb. When his character discovered Daisy was dead, Wong’s portrayed the maelstrom of grief,...

Director Law Wing Cheong's thriller Punished makes its way to DVD today from Indomina Films, and to celebrate the release, they've provided Twitch with three copies of the movie to give away to our readers. First, here's the synopsis for the film: Punished centers around real estate tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu (Anthony Wong). While sheltered in the luxurious trappings afforded by his wealth and power, he suffers an unbearable loss when his daughter Daisy (Janice Man) is kidnapped and killed: a victim of her decadent lifestyle and cocaine addiction. Wong Ho-Chiu turns to his trusted bodyguard Chor (Richie Jen) to seek out the perpetrators and exact revenge. Chor does his employers bidding with an unflinching determination and scarcely contained rage thinly hiddenbeneath the surface. Wong...

Punished Directed by: Law Wing Cheong Written by: Chi Keung Fung Starring: Anthony Wong, Richie Jen, Janice Man, Maggie Cheung Ho Yee Punished is another entry in the revenge genre that continues in its ongoing popularity. A kidnapping occurs with the film non-linearly unraveling the mystery of who is involved. Although there are a few depictions of brutal violence, this film concerns itself mainly with the psychological toll on the perpetrator of revenge. An interesting change is that the physical revenge is performed by a hired-hand of the victim's father. Some people expecting an action film will likely find the character scenes rather bland, but I thought they were interesting in the context of the mystery of revealing who was involved in the kidnapping. The violence is not stylized at all. There are rough and tumble fights rather than wire-work martial arts. And the gunfights are straight ahead "keep shooting until you get shot" matches.

With this Johnny To-produced thriller making its way to DVD and VOD in January, Indomina has passed along this clip for us to share. Here's that synopsis for the Anthony Wong-starring thriller again: Punished centers around real estate tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu (Anthony Wong). While sheltered in the luxurious trappings afforded by his wealth and power, he suffers an unbearable loss when his daughter Daisy (Janice Man) is kidnapped and killed: a victim of her decadent lifestyle and cocaine addiction. Wong Ho-Chiu turns to his trusted bodyguard Chor (Richie Jen) to seek out the perpetrators and exact revenge. Chor does his employers bidding with an unflinching determination and scarcely contained rage thinly hiddenbeneath the surface. Wong Ho-Chiu goes one step further and orders Chor to...

With this Johnny To-produced thriller making its way to DVD and VOD in January, Indomina has passed along this clip for us to share. Here's that synopsis for the Anthony Wong-starring thriller again: Punished centers around real estate tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu (Anthony Wong). While sheltered in the luxurious trappings afforded by his wealth and power, he suffers an unbearable loss when his daughter Daisy (Janice Man) is kidnapped and killed: a victim of her decadent lifestyle and cocaine addiction. Wong Ho-Chiu turns to his trusted bodyguard Chor (Richie Jen) to seek out the perpetrators and exact revenge. Chor does his employers bidding with an unflinching determination and scarcely contained rage thinly hiddenbeneath the surface. Wong Ho-Chiu goes one step further and orders Chor to...

Indomina Releasing and Vivendi Entertainment is getting ready to premiere “Punished,” produced by critically acclaimed Johnnie To and directed by Law Wing Cheong. The film stars Anthony Wong, Richie Jen, Janice Man and Maggie Cheung, and will be available on DVD, digital and Movies on Demand Jan. 24. The DVD version of “Punished” will be priced at $19.97; the prices for digital and Movies on Demand may vary by service provider. The special features on the DVD include two behind-the-scenes featurettes, a photo gallery, the international trailer and an exclusive Qr code for additional bonus material. Here’s the official rundown on “Punished”: “‘Punished’ centers around real estate tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu...

‘Turning Point 2′ (Aka ‘Laughing Gor 2′) is the latest movie from director Herman Yau (Turning Point, Legend Is Born – Ip Man) which stars Michael Tse, Francis Ng, Chapman To, and Kate Tsui.

The film is a sequel to the 2009 film Turning Point and a direct sequel to the 2011 TV series Lives of Omission and is the third spin-off of The Academy franchise which features Tse’s character from E.U.

Production

A blessing ceremony for the film was held on 29 October 2011 at Tseung Kwan O Tvb City Second Floor Garden at 2:00Pm where filming started. The premier of the film will be held on 24 December and will be released theatrically on 29 December.

Directed by Herman Yau Produced by Tommy Leung Starring Michael Tse

Francis Ng

Chapman To

Bosco Wong

Kara Hui

Kate Tsui

Janice Man Music by Mak Chun Hung Cinematography Chan Kwong Hung Editing by Chung Wai Chiu Studio...

Indomina Releasing has revealed the details of the upcoming DVD release for Punished, what looks to be a pretty gritty thriller about the murder of a wealthy tycoon's daughter and the brutal path of revenge he and his bodyguard subsequently cut through the criminal underworld. Starring the ever-reliable Anthony Wong, produced by Johnny To and directed by To acting regular Law Wing Cheong, Punished is getting its DVD release on January 24th and we've got some exclusive images from the film to show you. Here's the official synopsis from Indomina: Punished centers [on] real estate tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu (Anthony Wong). While sheltered in the luxurious trappings afforded by his wealth and power, he suffers an unbearable loss when his daughter Daisy (Janice Man) is kidnapped...