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Mainland screenwriter and director Guo Shu Bo, better known by his stage name Wu Bai, began his career with short films and TV dramas such as “Mystery of Antiques” (2018) and “Crime Crackdown” (2021). He also directed “The Big Shot” (2019), a Chinese remake of Ryoo Seung-wan’s “Veteran” (2015), starring Wang Qian Yuan. “Tiger Wolf Rabbit”, also known as “The Road Bathed in Fire” in loose translation from its Chinese title, is his most recent and arguably most successful work to date.

Set in a dusty town in China’s no man’s land, the story follows three characters with troubled pasts who form an uneasy alliance against a human trafficking ring. The first we meet is Cui Da Lu (Xiao Yang), who attempts to take his own life shortly after being released from prison. Before he can go through with it, Zhao Zi Shan (Liu Ye) appears and offers him money to find a certain woman.

Chinese actress Zhao Liying joins Givenchy Beauty as a global ambassador and stars in the brand’s latest makeup campaign.

Givenchy Beauty announced on Tuesday the appointment of Zhao Liying as its new global ambassador, reinforcing its commitment to the Asian market by partnering with one of the most influential figures in Chinese entertainment. The actress fronts the brand’s latest campaign, showcasing the new Le Rouge Velvet Matte, a lipstick that redefines sophistication in an almond terracotta shade.

Widely recognised as the queen of Chinese television dramas, Zhao has captivated audiences with iconic roles such as Hua Qiangu in The Journey of Flower, Sheng Minglan in The Story of Minglan, and Xu Banxia in Wild Bloom. Her talent has earned her some of the industry’s most prestigious awards, including the Flying Apsaras Award, the Golden Eagle Award, and the Hundred Flowers Award.

At the same time, her film career has taken off impressively.

Feng Xiaogang’s drama We Girls opens not with freedom, but with the stark confines of a Chinese prison. The film presents a story about what happens after the sentence is served, tracking two women who attempt to reenter a society that offers little clemency.

We first meet Gao Yuexiang, a single mother whose crime was a desperate act of maternal devotion; she performed strip shows online to afford a cochlear implant for her hearing-impaired daughter. Her complicated motivations set the stage for the film’s exploration of moral ambiguity. Inside, she meets Mao Amei, a young deaf-mute woman who was groomed to be a pickpocket by a local crime syndicate.

Because Gao knows sign language, she is assigned to be Mao’s translator and protector. A fragile pact is formed, one that will be tested by the unforgiving world outside the prison walls, where social stigma and economic hardship await them.

Peter Chan Ho-sun’s “She’s Got No Name,” which opened this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival, represents one of the most tortuous paths from page to screen in recent memory.

In an extensive interview with Variety, Chan reveals the decade-long journey that transformed a single screenplay into a two-part film, involving multiple format changes, extensive re-editing, and unprecedented collaboration with Shanghai’s municipal government.

The project began in 2015 when Chan received a complete screenplay based on a real 1945 murder case that spanned nearly six decades of Chinese history. “The script came to me, which is rare. I usually develop my own script, even though I don’t write myself, but I usually have an idea, and I have writers develop with me along the way,” Chan says. “And this is the first time that I actually got a complete script with a novella about the real case that happened...

After briefly yielding the top position in recent weeks, Cococartoon’s “Ne Zha 2” reclaimed the top spot at the China box office for the weekend of April 18–20.

The animated juggernaut earned Rmb 28.9 million ($4 million), pushing its cumulative gross to $2.116 billion, according to Artisan Gateway. Now in its twelfth weekend, the film continues to extend its record as the highest-grossing title of 2025 by a wide margin.

“We Girls” from Meila Media slipped to second place but remained a strong performer, taking in $3.8 million in its third weekend. Directed by Feng Xiaogang, “We Girls” follows Gao Yuexiang (played by Zhao Liying), who, in a desperate bid to afford a cochlear implant for her daughter, takes a reckless action that lands her in prison. There, she meets fellow inmates Hei Mei (Lan Xiya), Deng Hong (Chuai Ni), Hu Ping (Wang Ju), and Guo Aimei (Cheng Xiao). Despite their differing personalities, the women form a bond,...

The weekend of April 11–13 saw a tight race at the top of China’s box office, with Meila Media’s “We Girls” edging ahead to claim the number one spot. The female ensemble drama earned RMB33.4 million ($4.6 million) in its second weekend, bringing its cumulative total to $20 million, according to Artisan Gateway.

Directed by Feng Xiaogang, “We Girls” follows Gao Yuexiang (played by Zhao Liying), who, in a desperate bid to afford a cochlear implant for her daughter, takes a reckless action that lands her in prison. There, she meets fellow inmates Hei Mei (Lan Xiya), Deng Hong (Chuai Ni), Hu Ping (Wang Ju), and Guo Aimei (Cheng Xiao). Despite their differing personalities, the women form a bond, supporting each other through adversity and refusing to bow to fate. ​

In second place, “A Minecraft Movie,” from Warner Bros. and Legendary, added $4.4 million. The film, based on the globally popular video game franchise,...

The China box office welcomed a new leader this past weekend as Warner Bros. and Legendary’s “A Minecraft Movie” debuted in first place with RMB105.5 million ($14.7 million) for the April 4–6 frame, according to Artisan Gateway.

The long-awaited live-action adaptation of the popular video game opened across China, scoring a solid start during the Qingming Festival period.

In second place, Meila Media’s “We Girls” debuted with $11.1 million. Directed by Feng Xiaogang, the drama follows Gao Yuexiang (played by Zhao Liying), who, in a desperate bid to afford a cochlear implant for her daughter, takes a reckless action that lands her in prison. There, she meets fellow inmates Hei Mei (Lan Xiya), Deng Hong (Chuai Ni), Hu Ping (Wang Ju), and Guo Aimei (Cheng Xiao). Despite their differing personalities, the women form a bond, supporting each other through adversity and refusing to bow to fate. ​

“Ne Zha 2,” now in its tenth weekend,...

China producer-distributor Lian Ray Pictures is launching sales on a raft of diverse titles that are set for release this year, including works by directors Han Yan and Feng Xiaogang and with stars Zhao Liying and Zhang Zifeng.

Set for a release on July 5, Han’s sci-fi action adventure Per Aspera Ad Astra revolves around a virtual dream system that allows users to create their own dreams, with rising stars Dylan Wang and Victoria Song in the cast along with veteran Zu Feng. Director Han is known for 2020’s A Little Red Flower.

Starring Zhao Liying (Article 20), female-led social drama...

The striking character of Qiao Yan, portrayed by Zhao Liying with chilling accuracy, is central to The Unseen Sister. She is more than just a famous actress; she embodies the complexities of fame and isolation, navigating a world where authenticity seems like a distant memory and trust is a luxury.

A quiet storm is building behind Qiao Yan’s cold exterior as the film starts with her immersed in her glamorous yet lonely life in Beijing. Her sister, who she hasn’t seen in seventeen years and has been living in Myanmar, shows up out of the blue, tearing down the carefully built facade that Qiao Yan has been keeping up. This reunion is tense, revealing the layers of family secrets that could surface and mess up their lives.

We witness a gripping escalation of drama marked by blackmail and hidden facts as the narrative progresses. More issues are at...

Burmese filmmaker Midi Z caused a stir and gained good notices with his 2019 film Nina Wu, which dealt with the exploitation of women in entertainment, and was released in the midst of the global #MeToo movement, a long overdue public reckoning for powerful men who had committed acts of sexual violence and misconduct.

Selected for the main competition at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival, Z’s new film, The Unseen Sister, outwardly at least, has similar themes to Nina Wu — that is, the habitual abuse of women in the entertainment industry as well as the trials of women at the margins of society.

Adapted from Zhang Yueran’s book Unseen Sister, the film tells the story of two sisters, one who is born officially as Qiao Yan and the other who takes on the name of Qiao Yan but lives in a twilight world of illegality, under the constant threat of being discovered.

The 37th Tokyo International Film Festival began its 10-day run on October 28 with a colorful Red Carpet event featuring Japanese and international cinema luminaries, ahead of the TIFF Opening Ceremony.

The Red Carpet festivities got underway with brief stage appearances by over 200 filmmakers, actors and luminaries from across sections of the festival, as well as the TIFF juries. They then moved along the 162-meter serpentine walk, stopping for multiple autographs and selfies with fans from far and wide before arriving at the elegant staircase leading into the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater. The theater was built in the style of yesteryear’s grand movie houses, providing the perfect backdrop for TIFF’s Opening Ceremony.

Among the international luminaries making the stroll were Chinese actor Zhao Liying and director Midi Z (at TIFF with the film The Unseen Sister); Hong Kong actor Michael Hui (The Last Dance); Taiwanese director Huang Xi and Hong...

A brief moment that determined the vastly different destinies, fortunes and identities of two sisters from Yunnan on the China-Myanmar border is at the heart of “The Unseen Sister,” a mix of crime suspense and family drama that takes time to warm up before coming home strongly in the second half. Adapted from elements of Zhang Yueran’s 2017 novella, “Sister” is the most commercial film yet by leading Taiwanese filmmaker Midi Z. After opening with a bang domestically on Oct. 26, “Sister” launched internationally in competition at the Tokyo Film Festival.

As with much of Midi Z’s work, his latest film touches on aspects of his personal background. Of Chinese descent and born in Myanmar, Midi Z moved to Taiwan as a teenager and became a Taiwanese citizen. Interestingly, several of his credits on the end roll appear as “Midi Z,.” Though most of “Sister” takes place in Beijing, the...

The 37th Tokyo International Film Festival got off to a memorably splashy start Monday night with the world premiere of filmmaker Shiraishi Kazuya’s frenetic and wildly bloody samurai action flick 11 Rebels.

In recent years, Japan’s preeminent cinema event has been attempting to revitalize and rebrand itself as a not-to-be-missed cultural occasion in the Asia-Pacific region. After years of organizational drift, the festival, under the leadership of current chairman Hiroyasu Ando, is on a mission to boost its reach and reputation into something more commensurate with the country’s powerful cinematic past and the ever-growing appeal of Japanese culture around the globe.

In that sense, 11 Rebels was perhaps the perfect pick for this year’s opening gala screening. A throw-back samurai slasher, the film is based on a decades-old screenplay by the late, great scriptwriter Kasahara Kazuo, best known for his cult classic yakuza film Battles Without Honor and Humanity...

The Singapore International Film Festival is marking its 35th edition with 105 films from 45 countries, with Asian titles comprising 80% of the program.

Running Nov. 28-Dec. 8, the fest will host three world premieres of Singapore features, including Ong Keng-Sen’s “The House of Janus,” Wong Chen-Hsi’s “City of Small Blessings,” adapted from Simon Tay’s novel, and Jason Soo’s documentary “Al Awda.”

Among the international highlights are Amy Adams-starrer “Nightbitch,” David Cronenberg’s “The Shrouds,” Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour,” and a restored version of Bong Joon-ho’s feature debut “Barking Dogs Never Bite.”

Two special gala presentations are scheduled: Raam Reddy’s “The Fable,” starring Indian actor Manoj Bajpayee, and Myanmar-born Taiwanese filmmaker Midi Z’s “The Unseen Sister,” featuring Zhao Liying and Xin Zhilei.

The fest will present its Screen Icon Award to Taiwanese talents Yang Kuei-mei and Lee Kang-sheng. Yang, a four-time Sgiff performance award winner, recently appeared in “Yen and Ai-Lee,...

“Venom: The Last Dance” delivered on its pre-release buzz in mainland China with an opening weekend that was the second biggest this year by a Hollywood movie.

The third film in the “Venom” trilogy earned RMB221 million ($31.1 million) in the conventional Friday-Sunday definition of the weekend in China, according to consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. But “Venom: The Last Dance” actually enjoyed an out of synch Wednesday opening and finished Sunday evening with a $45.9 million five-day cumulative.

Local data providers show that the film topped the box office charts on each of the five days it was on release, with Saturday by far the highest. On that day it played some 150,000 screening sessions and collected a fraction over $14 million.

Premium screen provider, Imax reported that the film earned $6 million, or roughly 14% of its China five-day total, on its screens.

The weekend opening is the second biggest this year by a Hollywood movie,...

China’s Blossoms Entertainment will introduce Chen Sicheng-produced thriller Octopus With Broken Arms and Midi Z’s Tokyo competitor The Unseen Sister at Busan’s Acfm.

Octopus With Broken Arms is the third instalment of the hit Manslaughter franchise that includes Sheep Without A Shepherd and Fireflies In The Sun, which have grossed a combined $342m (RMB2.4bn) at the Chinese box office.

Xiao Yang returns in the lead role and the film is directed by Jacky Gan, who previously made kidnapping thriller Vortex. It has an original and unrelated story that continues to explore the themes about the...

Giving the traditional, star-driven period epic a gloss-coating of topicality, Peter Ho-Sun Chan’s “She’s Got No Name” is based on a notorious real-life murder case that unfolded against the turbulent backdrop of 1940s China. And although it’s probably most notable for providing Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi with a remarkably de-glammed central role, it is the setting, rather than the sincere but only tentatively feminist storyline, that will likely give this handsome, lengthy movie its international appeal. The re-creation of mid-century Shanghai remains impressive even as Chan’s evident admiration for his heroine’s survival instinct starts to become rote, locking Zhang into a screenplay that gives plenty of depth to her character’s anguish, but little breadth to grow.

Zhang plays Zhan-Zhou, a poor, illiterate working-class woman with a birthmark grazing her forehead and cheek, whom we meet as she scurries from her alley tenement and onto a trolley car,...

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist was named best film at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on Sunday evening (March 10).

The Japanese drama, which premiered in competition at Venice where it won five awards including the grand jury prize, also picked up best original music for composer Eiko Ishibashi.

Scroll down for full list of winners

While Hamaguchi was not at the ceremony, held in the Grand Theatre of the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, the top prize was accepted in-person by Ishibashi, cinematographer Yoshio Kitagawa and co-editor Azusa Yamzaki – presented by...

Who can understand how difficult this year has been? Ever since taking up a temporary position at the Municipal Procuratorate, Han Ming (Lei Jiayin) has suffered a series of misfortunes. His son Han Yuchen (Liu Yaowen) has beaten up the school director's (Zhang Yi) son and is refusing to apologise. Feeling indignant, his wife Li Maojuan (Ma Li) then attacks the school director and actually succeeds. Han Ming constantly has disagreements with his colleague Lu Lingling (Gao Ye), and their legal case has been delayed indefinitely. In another related matter, Hao Xiuping (Zhao Liying) is forced into a desperate and extremely critical situation. As the battle between love and law unfolds, as career and family continue to hang in the balance, Han Ming decides to risk everything to pursue fairness and justice on his own terms … [Source: Translated from Douban]

This Zhang Yimou dramedy marks another collaboration with Lei Jiayin who has featured in...

Midi Z, the Taiwan-based Myanmar-born director whose career has expanded from no-budget documentaries and dramas to 2019 Cannes title “Nina Wu,” has wrapped “The Unseen Sister,” his first mainstream film in Mainland China.

As with “Nina Wu,” the protagonist is an actress successfully enduring various pressures and humiliations at work. But in “Unseen Sister” her artifice is threatened by an anonymous attempt to extort her and the sudden reappearance of her long-lost sister. The sister, who had been in Myanmar, brings with her incidents and revelations from the past as well as hints of a larger crisis linking the seemingly coincidental events of her return and the blackmail.

For the dual lead roles Z secured the services of rising Chinese actor Zhao Liying in the role of the actress and Xin Zhilei (“The Rescue” and Wong Kar-wai’s TV series “Blossoms Shanghai”) as her sister.

Production, which wrapped earlier this month,...

Click here to read the full article.

Jennifer Lawrence is making time for Longines.

The Oscar winner has linked up with Swiss watchmaker Longines to serve as its newest Ambassador of Elegance. The move comes as Lawrence has returned to the big screen courtesy of the dramatic feature Causeway from Apple TV+ and her production company Excellent Cadaver.

Though terms of the deal were not disclosed, Lawrence said she’s “thrilled” to join the Longines family while looking forward to their partnership “in the years ahead.”

“Longines is rooted in a legacy of innovation and quality trusted by some of history’s greatest trailblazers,” said the 32-year-old. “Longines has long been synonymous with timeless elegance, which to me, can be defined as a quiet powerfulness met with grace and confidence. And as a native Kentuckian, I’ve always associated Longines with the Derby and the embodiment of tradition.”

Adds Longines...