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The crime drama will be released on December 30.

Trinity CineAsia has acquired Hong Kong tentpole The Goldfinger for the UK and Ireland after striking a deal with Emperor Motion Pictures.

The crime drama will reunite Hong Kong superstars Andy Lau and Tony Leung with writer/director Felix Chong for the first time since 2002’s Infernal Affairs. That film, co-written by Chong and directed by Lau and Alan Mak, spawned a trilogy of films and inspired Martin Scorsese’s 2006 Oscar-winning crime thriller The Departed.

UK-based Trinity CineAsia will theatrically release The Goldfinger in UK and Irish cinemas on December 30, co-ordinated with...

Stars: Wu Jing, Wang Zhi, Andy Lau, Zina Blahusova, Clara Lee, Liya Tong, Matias Lorieri, Jeremiah Blakely, Temur Mamisashvili, Yanmanzi Zhu | Written by Gong Geer, Frant Gwo, Cixin Liu, Hongwei Wang, Ruchang Ye, Yang Zhixue | Directed by Frant Gwo

Released in 2019 The Wandering Earth became one of the largest grossing non-English language films in history, mostly on the strength of its performance in its native China. Of course, that made The Wandering Earth II inevitable. The only surprises are that rather than a sequel it’s a prequel, telling the story of the Moving Mountain Project that turned Earth into a giant spaceship and that it manages to be even longer than the original, coming in at just under three hours.

At the film’s start, The United Earth Government (Ueg) has been established and work on the first of the thousands of giant engines needed to move Earth out...

Exclusive: North America is getting its latest free streaming service later this month. Mometu, which is marketing itself as a “hand curated” on-demand live streaming platform, will launch on August 19 and has secured free streaming rights to South Korean feature The Policeman’s Lineage.

The service will launch with a slate of legacy films and TV series as Dragnet, Bonanza, Batman, Jackie Chan-starrer The 36 Crazy Fists, Apache Ross, documentary Blues on Beale, Sandra Bullock’s Hangmen, Herman Yau action-thriller Shock Wave 2, Nollywood director Okey Ifeanyi’s Long Walk to Truth and The Gods, which Mykel Shannon Jenkins (Paper Tigers) directed, starred in and wrote.

In September, it will add the exclusive AVoD premiere of Kyu-maan Lee’s crime thriller feature The Policeman’s Lineage, starring Woo-sik Choi (Parasite), Jin-woong Cho (The Handmaiden), Myeong-hoon Park (Parasite) and Hee-soon Park (Apple TV+’s Dr. Brain). The film centers on Choi Min-Jae (Choi...

Last month’s Udine festival of all things East Asian was the launch pad for “Making Waves — Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema,” a collection of 13 films that will travel to a dozen cities in Europe and Asia. Billed as an “extravaganza,” mixing old and new talent, the event is pegged to the 25th anniversary celebrations of the return of Hong Kong to China after 150 years of British colonial rule.

But it is no longer clear to everyone that Hong Kong cinema has the energy, willpower or finance to face down its larger demons. Its problems range from the long-term drift of Hong Kong talent into the mainland Chinese industry to censorship and marginalization.

Last year began with Hong Kong cinemas under pressure from pro-Beijing media to change their releases, and raids on private screenings. These were followed by an amended law that introduces film censorship according to national security concerns...

Veteran Hong Kong director Herman Yau has assembled a top-notch cast for “War Customised,” a high-octane action thriller that is one of the highest-profile commercial productions to emerge from the territory in the past couple of years.

The cast is headed by Jacky Cheung and Nicholas Tse, along with Karena Lam and Francis Ng.

The supporting cast includes Liu Yase (“Limbo”), Michelle Wai, Angus Yeung (“Raging Fire”), Melvin Wong (“Above the Law”), Ben Yuen, Amanda Strang (“Final Romance”), and Brahim Chab as the villain of the piece.

Production, now underway, is by Emperor Motion Pictures, with principal Albert Yeung named as producer. Emperor is also handling international rights licensing.

The “War Customised” screenplay is by Erica Li. Plot details have been withheld.

In addition to playing the lead, Tse will also act as the film’s action choreographer.

Yau is a veteran of the action, martial arts and comedy genres...

Further titles include Herman Yau’s War Customised and Alan Mak’s Insider.

Hong Kong’s Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp) has unveiled a slate of 12 upcoming films, including a sequel to Zhang Yimou’s box office hit Cliff Walkers and new all-star features from Herman Yau and Alan Mak.

It has also released the first images of Felix Chong’s The Goldfinger, which reunites Infernal Affairs stars Tony Leung and Andy Lau for the first time in nearly 20 years (see below).

The 12 titles, along with two projects in development, equate to an investment of $191.7m (Hk$1.5b), representing the company...

Other contenders include biopic ‘Anita’, ‘Drifting’ and ‘Raging Fire’, the final thriller by the late Benny Chan.

Soi Cheang’s crime thriller Limbo leads the pack for the 40th Hong Kong Film Awards (Hkfa) with 14 nominations, as the event prepares to return as an in-person ceremony following last year’s cancellation as a result of the pandemic.

The black and white crime noir, which premiered in Berlinale Special in 2021, secured nods including best film, best director and for actors Lam Ka Tung[/link], Cya Liu and Fish Liew. The thriller centres on a veteran detective and rookie copy who team up to catch a serial killer.

Action thriller “Limbo” was named best film of 2021 at the annual Hong Kong Film Critics’ Society Awards. The film’s female lead, Chinese actress Cya Liu, was crowned best actress for her role as a young addict.

Results of five awards and 10 recommended films were decided on Jan. 16, 2022 after nine hours of deliberation and three rounds of votes. A total of 48 films released in 2021 met the entry criteria for the awards, which is in its 28th edition this year.

Critics said the Cantonese noir “Limbo,” based on the novel of the same name by mainland author Lei Mi, was an “extraordinary work.” It was directed by Soi Cheang.

The grim, crumbling slum that serves as a backdrop for the story revolving around a cop duo’s hunt of a serial killer—just like how an imagined southern Chinese city depicted in the novel—is one metaphor for a “near future,...

Earlier this year, our own James Marsh described Herman Yau's Shock Wave 2 as a "delightfully bonkers cop actioner...not to be missed." The film will be premiering on November 2 to North American audiences, via various On Demand platforms, and the trailer, which you can watch below, immediately earns it a place on my personal "to watch as soon as it becomes legally available" list. Andy Lam produces and stars. Per an official release, "the film chronicles the riveting story of former bomb disposal officer, Poon Shing-Fung. Suffering from amnesia and the loss of his leg in an explosion five years ago, he becomes the top suspect of a terrorist attack. On the run from the police, Poon must stop a terrorist organization from destroying...

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

The Far East Film Festival returns with a hybrid edition for the first time, screening a total of 63 titles from 11 countries and regions and stretching the festival run from its home town of Udine to across Italy and the digital realm.

The 23rd edition of the Udine festival, which has long established itself as a key window to Asian cinema in Europe, will also be expanding its number of physical screenings with five screens, including an open-air cinema accommodating 400 cinema-goers on the Visionario lawn, an initiative that will allow more film buffs to enjoy the cinematic art in person while maintaining safety amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite the fact that the pandemic has severely impacted cinema productions around the world, the festival is able to scout a slate of new features, including those from Macao and Myanmar which will be marking their debuts at the festival. Running from June 24 to...

Asian cinema event to open with Zhang Yimou’s ‘Cliff Walkers’.

Italy’s Far East Film Festival (Feff), the Asian cinema event based in Udine, has revealed plans for this year’s edition, which will comprise a mix of physical and online screenings.

The 23rd edition of the festival is set to run from June 24 to July 2, postponed from its original launch date of June 11 to align with the reopening of cinemas in Italy.

It will open with a physical screening of Zhang Yimou’s epic spy thriller Cliff Walkers, which has proved a box office hit in its native China,...

After the 2020’s online Edition, this yer Udine Far East Film Festival will run a “hybrid” edition from 24th of June to the 2nd of July. Withe a public online press conference the Programme has been unveiled.

Festival’s directress Sabrina Baracetti has opened the press conference with a heartfelt mention to young producer and filmmaker Ma Aeint recently arrested and detained by the military regime in Myanmar. Far East Film Festival wants to add its voice to those of the others protesting and shouting out loudly for Ma Aeint’s freedom.

After a sincere tribute to the sponsors and the local authorities that have helped Feff since its start, Baracetti has revealed the line-up that includes 63 titles from 11 countries, 10 female directors, 6 world premiere, 11 international premiere, 22 European premiere and 21 Italian premieres. Zhang Yimou’s Chinese Spy Thriller “Cliff Walkers” will open the Festival on the 24th of June, while Herman Yau...

Stars: Andy Lau, Ching Wan Lau, Ni Ni, Kwan-Ho Tse, Ron Ng, Tak-Bun Wong, Philip Keung, Chun Kit Chang | Written by Herman Yau, Erica Li, Eric Lee | Directed by Herman Yau

After suffering life changing injuries in the line of duty, bomb disposal officer Poon Shing Fung turns his back on the police. But when a devastating series of bombings sweep Hong Kong, the police suspect their former ally may be involved after he is found unconscious at a crime scene. Now faced with memory loss and recalling only fragments of his former life, Fung sets out to uncover the truth and find out who he really is.

Opening with the massive destruction of Hong Kong airport, complete with flesh burned off skeletons, and a blast of the nuclear variety, Shock Wave: Hong Kong Destruction kicks off with a literal bang. This is no sequel to the original though. Oh no.

Imax sales slumped last quarter but beat Wall Street estimates and it swung to a loss. The stock popped in late trading as the company highlighted a strong box office in China and Japan, upbeat outlook and continued sales of its big-screen systems despite the pandemic.

Revenue of $56 million was down from $124 million the year before. Imax swung to a net loss of $21million or $0.36 a share, from a profit of $18 million or $0.29. (The net loss was $12 million adjusted for one-time charges).

It reported positive free cash flow for the first time since the first quarter of 2002. As theaters struggled, it said it received $1.9 million of Covid-19 government relief benefits under the Cares Act.

Shares closed lower Thursday in a down market but popped later, up about 3%.

In Asia, Imax has reached pre-pandemic levels on releases including Demon Slayer, Detective Chinatown 3 and Shock Wave 2 despite capacity limitations and a lack of Hollywood content.

Felix Chong is directing the crime thriller, which reunites talents from the Infernal Affairs series.

Hong Kong studio Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp) has started production on crime thriller Once Upon A Time In Hong Kong, starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Andy Lau and written and directed by Felix Chong.

The two stars previously worked together in the Infernal Affairs series, which Chong co-wrote with Alan Mak. Chong has since directed hit crime thrillers such as the Overheard series and Project Gutenberg.

Produced by Ronald Wong, producer of the Overheard series, Once Upon A Time In Hong Kong is set in...

Hong Kong’s film industry moved ahead on several fronts over the weekend after coronavirus-mandated lockdowns were reduced. But the return to business is likely to be uneven.

Cinemas reopened on Thursday, after being ordered shut since Dec. 2, 2020. A local producer-distributor Golden Scene pulled back the curtains on its expansion into exhibition. And Emperor Motion Picture unveiled plans for a big-budget movie, firmly centered in the territory’s crime drama tradition, and reuniting two of its most bankable stars Andy Lau and Tony Leung Chiu-wai, last seen together in the iconic “Infernal Affairs” trilogy.

Box office over the weekend totaled $2.2 million (Hk$17.1 million) over the four days between Thursday and Sunday, according to data from the Hong Kong Box Office Limited, a joint venture of the Motion Picture Industry Association and the Hong Kong Theater Association.

While the organization declined to provide running totals for each film, it said that...

Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Andy Lau will team up in a new major action movie titled “Goldfinger,” local reports said Friday.

The two beloved Hong Kong-born A-listers haven’t worked together since the end of the “Infernal Affairs” trilogy 18 years ago.

The reunion will be written and directed by Felix Chong, the screenwriter for that series. It is backed by Emperor Motion Pictures and mainland Chinese partners, with a reported budget of around $30.8 million (RMB200 million).

Chong found success in mainland China in 2018 with his counterfeiting thriller “Project Gutenberg,” which he wrote and directed. Starring Chow Yun-Fat, Aaron Kwok and Zhang Jingchu, it grossed $183 million in China and $4.3 million in Hong Kong, going on to win best film, best script, best director and four other prizes from 17 nominations at the 2019 Hong Kong Film Awards.

Other members of the “Goldfinger” cast will include fellow veteran Hong Kongers Simon Yam and Philip Keung...

Cinemas in Hong Kong are set to reopen on Thursday after a hiatus caused by the city’s fourth wave of the Covid-19 outbreak.

As the number of infections has dropped to only single figure daily increases, the government announced on Tuesday permission to reopen previously shuttered public places including cinemas and theme parks. Theme parks and cinemas have been ordered to close three times.

Cinemas, closed since Dec. 2, were particularly badly hit as they were forced to miss were three key holiday seasons; Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. They have been closed for 163 days out of the past 12 months, according to the Hong Kong Theater Association, a trade body.

There has been no statement as yet from either of Hong Kong’s theme parks, Ocean Park or Hong Kong Disneyland. Previous closure and reopening cycles suggest that a restart of the parks will not be immediate.

Cinemas,...

Starring Chen Kun and Zhou Xun, the film will be released theatrically in China on February 12.

Netflix has acquired global exclusive streaming rights outside China to Li Weiran’s The Yin Yang Master, which is scheduled for a theatrical release in China this weekend in time for Chinese New Year.

Starring Chen Kun and Zhou Xun, the film is an adaptation of the popular mobile game Onmyoji and produced by Chen Kuo-fu and Chang Chia-lu. The fantasy drama tells the story of a young man travelling to different worlds to prepare them for an upcoming war between monsters and humans.

Netflix has picked up international rights to “The Yin Yang Master” a film that is one of the big seven tentpole titles that will open in mainland Chinese cinemas on Friday and compete for Lunar New Year holiday audiences.

Netflix acquired distribution rights in the rest of the world ex-mainland China from Huayi Brothers Media (“The Eight Hundred”).

The fantasy movie is a game-to-film adaptation of “Onmyoji” directed by Li Weiran and starring Chen Kun (“Mojin: The Lost Legend”) and Zhou Xun.

It should not be confused with another film with a similar title “The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity” that ultimately draws on the same source material. The latter is the first element of a two-part, book-to-film adaptation, directed by Guo Jingming (“Tiny Times”). Netflix acquired rights to the Guo title from sales agency Fortissimo Films ahead of the film’s mainland China release on Dec. 25. It earned some...

Netflix has acquired exclusive global streaming rights outside of China to The Yin Yang Master. This is not to be confused with The Yin-Yang Master: Dream Of Eternity which is already on the service and was released in China late last year. The new acquisition is one of the anticipated Lunar New Year titles that will begin its Chinese theatrical run on Friday. Netflix has not yet set a streaming date.

Adapted from the popular mobile game Onmyōji, the fantasy film reunites stars Chen Kun and Zhou Xun in their first collaboration since 2012’s Painted Skin: The Resurrection. Produced by Chen Kuo-fu and Chang Chia-lu and directed by Li Weiran, The Yin Yang Master finds the world on the verge of a devastating war with monsters who are coming back to retrieve the Scaling Stone. Yin Yang Master Qingming’s (Chen Kun) life is in danger and he travels to...

Beijing cinemas were told last week they would have to operate at 50% over the holiday season from February 11-17.

Wanda Pictures’ Detective Chinatown 3, which is scheduled to open on February 12 in time for the Chinese New Year holidays, had racked up advance ticket sales of $46m as of Sunday morning (February 7), according to Chinese state media.

Directed by Chen Sicheng, the film was originally scheduled to open over Chinese New Year 2020, but was pulled when cinemas were closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Released at the end of 2015, the first film in the series, Detective Chinatown, grossed $122m, while...

China’s multiplexes were mostly silent over the weekend as the country—and its film industry—continued to gear up for the lucrative Lunar New Year holiday. Total ticket sales were just $22.9 million, the lowest of any weekend so far in 2021.

The sluggish earnings in China were still vastly better than the washout weekend in North America, where crime drama The Little Things won the Super Bowl weekend with a dismal $2.3 million.

Andy Lau’s holdover action thriller Shock Wave 2 topped China’s box office with $4.8 million. The film opened weeks ago on Christmas Eve and ...

China’s multiplexes were mostly silent over the weekend as the country—and its film industry—continued to gear up for the lucrative Lunar New Year holiday. Total ticket sales were just $22.9 million, the lowest of any weekend so far in 2021.

The sluggish earnings in China were still vastly better than the washout weekend in North America, where crime drama The Little Things won the Super Bowl weekend with a dismal $2.3 million.

Andy Lau’s holdover action thriller Shock Wave 2 topped China’s box office with $4.8 million. The film opened weeks ago on Christmas Eve and ...

In China’s second quiet weekend in a row with no notable new releases, Disney/Pixar’s “Soul” continued to hold its own, managing a sixth place finish after 45 days in theaters as local consumers looked ahead to the blockbuster bonanza of the upcoming Chinese New Year.

The key week-long holiday, which runs from Feb. 12 to 17 this year, typically accounts for nearly 10% of China’s annual national box office. It is of particular note in 2021, now that China has surpassed the U.S. as the world’s largest film market while also remaining one of the only territories worldwide where ticket sales have notably rebounded in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a weekend where no film earned more than $5 million, “Soul” grossed $1.71 million to bring its China cume up to $56 million, according to industry data source Maoyan — exceeding the firm’s most optimistic early projections. The Pete Docter...

Total revenues at $32.8m were down 12.5% from the previous weekend in quiet pre-Chinese New Year period.

Local comedy Big Red Envelope, starring Bao Bei’er and Clara Lee, remained in pole position in its second weekend at the China box office (January 29-31), according to figures from Artisan Gateway, grossing $7.4m for a cumulative total of $22.6m.

Universe Entertainment’s Shock Wave 2 came in second with $6.4m over the three-day weekend, pushing it to a cume of $186.5m. Coming in third with $5.5m, Hg Entertainment’s melodrama A Little Red Flower has reached an even mightier cume of $207.2m.

Chart positions for the top five films remained largely unchanged over the weekend in China, as the Middle Kingdom’s box office returned to a familiar early-year torpor.

Data from Artisan Gateway shows that aggregate revenues amounted to $32.8 million over the Friday to Sunday period, down from $37.5 million the previous weekend. But considering the lack of significant new releases, that outcome should be taken as a sign of success.

That indicates that cinemas are largely operating normally in China, as they have been since social distancing and capacity restrictions were lowered (to 75%) in October last year, and that localized shutdowns due to a revival of the coronavirus are having little impact on the industry’s overall revenues.

For the year to date, Chinese cinemas have earned gross revenues of $512 million, 48% up compared with $345 million in the same period last year.

From now on the gap between 2021 and 2020 performances will continue to grow.

Holdover play continued to dominate the international box office this weekend, notably Disney/Pixar’s Soul which led the frame with $9.3M in 13 markets amid scant drops in both Russia and Korea. This brings the offshore total to $85.2M. Next up were a trio of Chinese movies that have been around for a few weeks as the country looks forward to the lucrative Lunar New Year period. And, in milestones, DreamWorks Animation/Universal’s The Croods: A New Age crossed $100M overseas. The running global cume is now $144.4M with launches still to come in the Easter corridor.

New was Warner Bros’ Denzel Washington-starrer The Little Things which made its debut in 18 markets. From director John Lee Hancock, the cop thriller that also stars Rami Malek and Jared Leto grossed $2.8M. Combined with domestic, the global start is $7.6M.

Russia was The Little Things‘ only offshore major in the mix with $1.1M at No.

A Little Red Flower came in second with $7m for a cumulative total of $196.9m.

Local comedy Big Red Envelope topped China’s box office over the weekend January 22-24, according to figures from theatrical consultancy Artisan Gateway, grossing $8m in its first three days.

Directed by Li Kelong and starring Bao Bei’er and Clara Lee, the film’s title refers to the red paper packets used in China to give money as gifts, especially during the Chinese New Year celebrations. Although the film topped the box office over its opening weekend, it drew a mixed response from audiences,...

Mildly titillating romantic comedy “Big Red Envelope” topped the box office rankings in China as overall takings in the world’s biggest theatrical movie market amounted to a lowly $37.5 million over the weekend.

The new release title may be intended as a critique of obsessions with money, gifting culture and societal status – red packets are gifts of money in Chinese culture, given especially, but not exclusively, at Chinese New Year – but chunks of the audience were not buying it.

Online comments suggested that the film pulled its punches, that the central romance was too far-fetched, and that it was largely an excuse in male gratification with the camera lingering on Clara Lee’s curvy figure. She plays opposite reliable Bao Baier in the picture directed by Li Kelong.

The picture earned a woeful 4.7 out of 10 rating at online film discussion platform Douban, and somewhat better 8.4 score on ticketing platform Taopioaopiao.

Refresh for latest…: Disney/Pixar’s Soul got off to a jazzy start in Korea this weekend, debuting at No. 1 and seeing the second best bow for a non-local title since the Covid pandemic began. The Pete Docter-directed original also launched in Russia, at No. 1, and came in ahead of several pre-Covid animation openings. In total, Soul led the international box office with a $10.4M weekend from 13 markets. See more on Soul below.

Overall this frame, there were no major new breakouts. After opening as the No. 1 film globally last weekend across an extended debut, India’s Tamil action thriller Master is now estimated to have grossed around $30M worldwide. That’s an impressive feat given capacity restrictions in many markets and with European majors closed. The local performance was also an encouraging sign for producers and distributors in India, bringing hope for big upcoming titles to embrace...

Openers included Taiwanese sci-fi drama The Soul and animated feature Wish Dragon.

Despite two new local releases, melodrama A Little Red Flower and action title Shock Wave 2 stayed atop the China box office over the weekend January 15-17, according to figures from theatrical consultancy Artisan Gateway.

A Little Red Flower grossed a further $11.7m, for a cumulative total of $182.8m since its December 31 release, while Shock Wave 2, which opened December 24, took a further $7.8m for a cume of $163.2m.

Two new releases, which both opened on Friday January 15, took third and fourth position in the weekend chart. Taiwanese...

Family drama film “A Little Red Flower” continued its dominance of China’s box office in 2021 with a third weekend on top of the charts. The weekend was, however, a typically quiet one for January, worth an aggregate $47.1 million according to exhibition and distribution consultancy, Artisan Gateway.

While the individual films’ scores are modest, six movies in China achieved grosses over the past weekend that were stronger than any film in North America. There the top performing film of the weekend was “The Marksman,” earning $3.2 million.

That underlined the growing importance of China to the global theatrical industry. Data measurement agency, Comscore reported that in 2020 China accounted for 25.4% of world box office, up from 21.6% in 2019.

“Red Flower,” which stars Jackson Yee (“Better Days”) and Liu Haocun (“One Second”), dropped 47% from its previous weekend total to score $11.7 million over the latest weekend, according to Artisan Gateway’s weekend data. That was enough for a comfortable win.

Holdover romantic drama A Little Red Flower topped a quiet weekend at China’s box office, earning $11.7 million for a local total of $182.8 million.

Fellow holdover Shock Wave 2, a crime thriller starring Andy Lau, scored second, adding $7.8 million for a four-weekend haul of $163.2 million, according to data from Artisan Gateway.

It was a downbeat period of moviegoing for China, with total revenue reaching just $47.1 million, but the contrast to the ailing theatrical markets of North America and Europe still could scarcely be starker. The biggest film in the U.S. over ...

Holdover romantic drama A Little Red Flower topped a quiet weekend at China’s box office, earning $11.7 million for a local total of $182.8 million.

Fellow holdover Shock Wave 2, a crime thriller starring Andy Lau, scored second, adding $7.8 million for a four-weekend haul of $163.2 million, according to data from Artisan Gateway.

It was a downbeat period of moviegoing for China, with total revenue reaching just $47.1 million, but the contrast to the ailing theatrical markets of North America and Europe still could scarcely be starker. The biggest film in the U.S. over ...

Update, writehru: Fans of Kollywood cinema got a treat this weekend as Tamil action thriller Master debuted in India and a handful of other markets across the harvest festival period. While we do not have confirmed figures for the Vijay-starrer in India, estimates had it at around $11M from Wednesday-Friday with the film believed to have crossed the coveted Rs 100 crore ($15M) gross mark over the weekend. Bows in such international box office markets as UAE, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand, along with the U.S., added about $3M (including previews) for the film from director Lokesh Kanagaraj.

Now, as we always caution, it is notoriously difficult to cull early numbers out of India given its varied states and reporting structure — which in some cases is gross and in others net after the subtraction of an entertainment tax. The situation is further complicated when a movie releases in four different...

Picture the scene: Hong Kong International Airport is attempting a mass evacuation when a high-speed train packed with missiles crashes into a terminal. Shown in slow motion, a nuclear explosion rips through the airport and blows it sky high into a mushroom cloud.

From the start of Shock Wave 2, this Hong Kong-Chinese blockbuster’s message is clear: the stakes are high and the explosions will be big. It’s soon evident that the story will also be complicated, as a voiceover introduces an alternative narrative, and flashes back to the earlier career of its protagonist: bomb disposal expert Poon Shing Fung (Infernal Affairs’ Andy Lau). What begins as a disaster movie becomes a disaster prevention movie.

Co-written and directed by Shock Wave’s Herman Yau, the follow-up is already a hit in China, topping Rmb 1B ($155M) today to more than double the 2017 original. Yet, while the movie may be set in the bomb disposal world, it’s a sequel in name only. Also returning as producer, Lau plays an entirely new character. A series of tense scenes inform us that he is big-hearted and good at his job — he is even kind to cats. But his morale is challenged when he loses most of his leg in an explosion, and later falls into a coma. Waking to discover that he’s suspected of terrorism by his former police colleagues, he’s also amnesic and turns to his ex-girlfriend, Poon Ling (Ni Ni), to help fill in the blanks. But it’s no easy task, and terrorists continue to target Hong Kong landmarks.

Drawing from films as diverse as Armageddon and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, the ambitious script tackles themes including loyalty, sacrifice, consistency and memory. One plot line veers towards fantastical science fiction, but it’s presented entirely seriously. It’s an overwrought concept, conspicuously patched up by flashbacks and expositional dialogue.

While suggesting that Poon Shing Fung is unfairly demoted after his accident, the script seems torn between arguing for disability rights and moralizing about obeying the authorities. There’s also the issue of a non-disabled actor portraying a character who acquires a disability. Lau was Goodwill Ambassador for the 2008 Paralympics, but his casting — or perhaps rather his character’s story arc — invites controversy as the debate about disabled roles rages on.

Lau has been referred to as Asia’s Tom Cruise, and it’s easy to see why. He’s a likable presence and a long-term box office draw in slick, big-budget action thrillers. Also, he often stars opposite much younger women. At least Ni Ni, 27 years his junior, is cast as more than the love interest, eventually becoming chief inspector of the Counter Terrorism Response Unit. But their romance, mostly conveyed during a sentimental montage set to a saccharine score, is perfunctory at best.

The action is the real star here. While some potential tension is undermined by the opening reveal, there are plenty of spectacular set pieces along the way. Visual effects are frequently employed and are persuasive enough to create a sense of spectacle and drama. Each bomb disposal scene comes with its own inventive twist, either shocking or darkly humorous enough to make you exclaim out loud — you can see why this has played well in theaters. Even outside of perilous situations, visual interest is key: two characters discuss a plan while skydiving, for no apparent reason.

For all its plot confusion, Shock Wave 2 delivers two key elements that it promises: escapism and explosions.

Disney/Pixar’s “Soul” has now outperformed “Wonder Woman 1984” in China by more than $10 million despite debuting a week later than the latter. By the end of its third weekend in local cinemas, “Soul” had grossed $36.1 million, according to data from the Maoyan platform — far more than the Warner Brothers title’s China earnings of $25.5 million, and more, even, than its North American cume of $32.6 million.

“Soul” was once again the highest performing foreign title between Friday and Sunday, coming in fourth with weekend sales of $6.4 million. Though its slow burn of continuous sales spurred on by strong word of mouth is expected to continue, Maoyan has dialed down its projected cume by about $5 million to under $49 million. This would knock “Soul” out of contention to become Pixar’s second-highest grossing film in the country, leaving 2018’s “The Incredibles 2” the holder of that title thanks to a $51.5 million cume.

Disney/Pixar’s Soul continues to perform above expectations, grossing a total of $36.2m since its opened on December 25.

Local drama A Little Red Flower has reached a cumulative total of $160.3m at the China box office since opening on December 31, according to theatrical consultancy Artisan Gateway, while Disney/Pixar’s Soul continues to perform above expectations, grossing a total of $36.2m since its opened on December 25.

Directed by Han Yan and starring Jackson Yee, A Little Red Flower took a further $21.9m over the three-day weekend (January 8-10) for pole position in the weekend chart. Also performing strongly, Universe Entertainment...

International box office was led again by China this weekend with local titles A Little Red Flower and Shock Wave 2 at the top of the charts, and Disney/Pixar’s Soul continuing its jazzy run there. The Pete Docter-directed original is soon to become Pixar’s No. 3 highest-grossing title ever in the market. Other weekend highlights include Warner Bros’ Wonder Woman 1984 nearing the $100M overseas mark as Russia prepares for its date with Diana Prince, and the ongoing strength of family offerings, all things considered.

The post New Year’s frame overall was quiet with no new major releases and as extended Covid measures were put in place in certain areas. Europe’s cinemas are still closed for the foreseeable future, and even Spain — the only Euro major that’s been operating of late — was hit by a freak snowstorm this weekend which impacted moviegoing. In Japan, a...

Headed by A Little Red Flower, China’s New Year’s Day box office hit $92m, while the three-day weekend came in at $199m.

Three local titles boosted the China box office to a record-breaking total of $92m (RMB600m) on New Year’s Day 2021, beating the previous record of $55m set on January 1, 2018.

Box office for the rest of the weekend was also healthy. With Han Yan’s A Little Red Flower leading the charge, takings over the three days (January 1-3) reached an impressive $199.2m, according to figures from theatrical consultancy Artisan Gateway. The previous weekend (December 25-...

Disney/Pixar’s “Soul” continues to charm China with sales of $13.8 million over its second weekend, more than double its $5.5 million Christmas debut, thanks to strong word of mouth. It was the highest-grossing foreign import of the New Year weekend, far outstripping “Wonder Woman 1984” and even Hayao Miyazaki’s older but beloved animation “Ponyo.”

The weekend was huge. Industry consultancy, Artisan Gateway reported it as weighing in at $199 million, and other sources claim that is the biggest ever New Year weekend on record.

But the course of the next week promises to be disrupted by reactions to two separate plagiarism problems. State media reported that “The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity,” and “Bath Buddies” will both be removed from circulation from Monday.

Director Guo Jingming on Thursday publicly apologized for plagiarizing part of another author’s work in his 2003 novel “Never Flowers in Never Dreams.” Now, his new film “The Yin-Yang Master,...

Refresh for latest…: China was the big international box office winner this weekend with three local movies at the top of the chart and a New Year’s Day record set on Friday. That came just as it was confirmed the market led global box office for 2020, surpassing North America for the first time.

We’ll take a closer look at the Middle Kingdom titles below, but let’s also look at the success of two Hollywood movies that have been doing great business there and in other markets. Both Disney/Pixar’s Soul and DreamWorks Animation/Universal’s The Croods: A New Age are available online domestically and in some other markets which opens them up to piracy. However, family films are getting more of a bye in these cases — particularly in markets where consumer confidence is high on the safety of cinemas.

Soul is having an uplifting run in China.

As 2021 dawned, China shot straight out of the box office gate with a new record. On Friday, the market hit a milestone for New Year’s Day.

Estimates are coming in for January 1 at about Rmb 600M ($92M), besting the same day in all previous years. The big result was generated largely by new local title A Little Red Flower which has blossomed through strong word of mouth. This all comes as China ended 2020 as the biggest box office market globally, surpassing North America for the first time. As previously noted, this was on the horizon as early as October. Comscore estimates the total Middle Kingdom 2020 box office was $2.74B, although the China Film Administration has it slightly higher at $3.12B (Rmb 20.4B). Domestic box office is estimated at $2.28B, per comScore.

China has shown strong bounce-back during the pandemic which nearly a year ago made it among the first markets to shutter cinemas,...

Monday Update, writethru after Sunday 11:41Am post: There was a bit more varied action at the international box office this holiday weekend. Highlights include the continued rollout of Warner Bros/DC’s Wonder Woman 1984 with a good start in Australia, a sizable bow for China’s Shock Wave 2, the debut of Disney/Pixar’s Soul and a brand new milestone for Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train which has officially overtaken Spirited Away to become the highest-grossing film ever in Japan.

Starting with Wonder Woman 1984, the Patty Jenkins-directed sequel added an estimated $19.4M from 40 overseas markets, taking the international box office cume to $68.3M. When combined with this frame’s domestic debut, the worldwide running total is $85M.

Last week’s bow was hindered by a soft debut in China, and the picture isn’t any rosier in the Middle Kingdom, but there are some positive signs elsewhere.

Hong Kong’s “Shock Wave 2” out-earned “Wonder Woman 1984” in China in just two days, topping the local box office this weekend with a $51.4 million debut, according to data from Maoyan.

By the end of Christmas Day, “Shock Wave 2” had grossed $28.6 million (RMB187 million), more than the $23 million (RMB151 million) “Wonder Woman” had earned since Dec. 18.

Its opening is nearly triple the Patty Jenkins-directed blockbuster’s China debut of $18.8 million last weekend, and more than 35 times the mere $1.46 million “Wonder Woman” managed to lasso this weekend to come in seventh at the box office.

Meanwhile in North America, “Wonder Woman” opened to $16.7 million from 2,100 cinemas, marking the best opening weekend to date for the region since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Shortly afterwards, the studio announced that it is now fast-tracking development on a third, concluding installment of the franchise that will bring back both director Patty Jenkins and leading lady Gal Gadot.

Hong Kong action sequel Shock Wave 2 rocked China’s box office over the weekend, opening to a healthy $64.5 million. Youth fantasy film Dream of Eternity also did decent business, debuting to $38.9 million.

Hollywood tentpoles, however, fared far less well. Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman 1984 was effectively snuffed out, adding just $1.5 million in its second weekend, a 92 percent decline from its disappointing $18.8 million opening, according to data from Artisan Gateway. The superhero tentpole, which cost $200 million to make, has totaled just $23.9 million and is expected to earn only a little ...

Hong Kong action sequel Shock Wave 2 rocked China’s box office over the weekend, opening to a healthy $64.5 million. Youth fantasy film Dream of Eternity also did decent business, debuting to $38.9 million.

Hollywood tentpoles, however, fared far less well. Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman 1984 was effectively snuffed out, adding just $1.5 million in its second weekend, a 92 percent decline from its disappointing $18.8 million opening, according to data from Artisan Gateway. The superhero tentpole, which cost $200 million to make, has totaled just $23.9 million and is expected to earn only a little ...

The Rescue opened with $36.3m over soft weekend, while Wonder Woman 1984 took $18.8m.

Dante Lam’s The Rescue topped the China box office over its opening weekend (December 18-20), according to figures from Artisan Gateway, pulling in almost twice the gross of Hollywood tentpole Wonder Woman 1984, which opened on the same date.

The Rescue, a $90m action film revolving around an emergency rescue team working for the Chinese Coast Guard, grossed $36.3m in its first three days, compared to $18.8m for Warner Bros’ superhero sequel, starring Gal Gadot. However, both openings were considered soft as December is usually a...

Monday Update, writethru after Sunday 10:08Am post: Warner Bros/DC’s Wonder Woman 1984 in 32 international box office markets this weekend has opened to an estimated $38.5M from 30,221 screens. This is well below the $60M the industry was expecting ahead of the launch, and is largely down to a soft China debut of $18.8M in what was a slow Middle Kingdom moviegoing weekend overall. There were also sudden market closures over the past several days overseas which did not help.

In IMAX, the Gal Gadot-starrer grossed $5M from 31 markets. Of that, $3.8M came from 680 screens in China. IMAX is also citing standout performances in Japan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, UAE and Ukraine.

Overall behind China, the best opening markets were Taiwan with $3.6M on 296 screens, Thailand ($2M/602), Brazil, Japan ($1.6M/736), Mexico, Singapore ($1.3M/132), UK ($.2M/615), Spain ($1.1M/813), UAE ($1M/200), Saudi Arabia ($1M/150) and Vietnam ($832K...