The Netflix special roasting NFL great Tom Brady made it onto the streaming charts for the week it premiered — despite it only being up for a few hours of that week.
The Roast of Tom Brady racked up 279 million minutes for the week of April 29-May 5, good for 10th place among original series in Nielsen’s rankings. The special streamed live on May 5, meaning it tallied those viewing minutes in under 12 hours. (With a running time of almost three hours, the 279 million minutes equate to about 1.6 million complete runs of the special.)
Bluey moved back into the top overall spot with 1.18 billion minutes of viewing on Disney+, adding to its total as the most streamed title in the United States so far this year (21.73 billion minutes and counting). Fallout, which had led the previous three weeks, slipped to third overall with 1.08 billion minutes of viewing on Prime Video, while Grey’s Anatomy...
The Roast of Tom Brady racked up 279 million minutes for the week of April 29-May 5, good for 10th place among original series in Nielsen’s rankings. The special streamed live on May 5, meaning it tallied those viewing minutes in under 12 hours. (With a running time of almost three hours, the 279 million minutes equate to about 1.6 million complete runs of the special.)
Bluey moved back into the top overall spot with 1.18 billion minutes of viewing on Disney+, adding to its total as the most streamed title in the United States so far this year (21.73 billion minutes and counting). Fallout, which had led the previous three weeks, slipped to third overall with 1.08 billion minutes of viewing on Prime Video, while Grey’s Anatomy...
- 5/30/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Though it’s still hard to believe that a film starring Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal and Willem Dafoe can be a total disappointment, such a movie does exist. Back in 2016, all three actors starred in a mostly Chinese-crewed, yet English-language film The Great Wall directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou.
An ambitious monster film with Hollywood’s biggest stars sharing the screen was supposed to blow everyone away, but instead was awarded with poor reviews despite impressive results in the worldwide box office.
Though The Great Wall was heavily criticized for its major controversy upon the release back in 2016, Netflix viewers don’t really seem to care about it as the movie has paved its way to the streaming’s top in the US.
The film’s name immediately evokes something battle-related in everyone’s mind later on leading to a guess that it’s nothing else but an epic historical drama,...
An ambitious monster film with Hollywood’s biggest stars sharing the screen was supposed to blow everyone away, but instead was awarded with poor reviews despite impressive results in the worldwide box office.
Though The Great Wall was heavily criticized for its major controversy upon the release back in 2016, Netflix viewers don’t really seem to care about it as the movie has paved its way to the streaming’s top in the US.
The film’s name immediately evokes something battle-related in everyone’s mind later on leading to a guess that it’s nothing else but an epic historical drama,...
- 5/8/2024
- by benjamin-patel@startefacts.com (Benjamin Patel)
- STartefacts.com
Theaters are in a slump longer than they should be. The last five weekends averaged about $70 million total, while in 2019, the same five weekends with lower ticket prices averaged $190 million. That means success in VOD revenue is all that more important for studios. Even so, on the two top 10 lists from iTunes (ranking by transactions) and Fandango (by revenue), half the slots are taken by companies other than the usual top five.
Results overall reflect the cutback in releases due to last year’s strikes, some longer windows for bigger-grossing studio releases, and, in most cases, a weaker response to other films that made little theatrical impact. All that made it easy for “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.), by far the year’s biggest hit, to repeat as #1 on both charts for the third week. And that’s with a higher price than usual.
Jerry Seinfeld’s feature directorial debut “Unfrosted,...
Results overall reflect the cutback in releases due to last year’s strikes, some longer windows for bigger-grossing studio releases, and, in most cases, a weaker response to other films that made little theatrical impact. All that made it easy for “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.), by far the year’s biggest hit, to repeat as #1 on both charts for the third week. And that’s with a higher price than usual.
Jerry Seinfeld’s feature directorial debut “Unfrosted,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Clockwise from left: Atlas (Netflix), My Oni Girl (Netflix), Unfrosted (Netflix)Image: The A.V. Club
Netflix offers a few high-profile originals this May as the summer movie season gets ready to kick off in theaters. Jerry Seinfeld makes his feature directorial debut and acts in Unfrosted, a comedy about the...
Netflix offers a few high-profile originals this May as the summer movie season gets ready to kick off in theaters. Jerry Seinfeld makes his feature directorial debut and acts in Unfrosted, a comedy about the...
- 5/3/2024
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou this week made his first-ever trip to the Far East Film Festival in Italy’s Udine, and appeared to fall in love with the theatrical and festival experience all over again.
At a masterclass on Thursday morning, Zhang spoke of his filmmaking techniques and priorities, his enduring quest for the human touch and why not all films need to be masterpieces.
“Nobody has pure talent. Success also comes from hard work and the kind of luck that pull together an optimal crew and a cast that gels. I don’t believe that all films can be masterpieces and I doubt that I’ve made my best possible film yet. I’m still on the way,” he told a packed audience at Udine’s Teatro Nuovo, most of which had moments earlier watched a screening of his sensational “Raise the Red Lantern,” which had been restored to 4K.
At a masterclass on Thursday morning, Zhang spoke of his filmmaking techniques and priorities, his enduring quest for the human touch and why not all films need to be masterpieces.
“Nobody has pure talent. Success also comes from hard work and the kind of luck that pull together an optimal crew and a cast that gels. I don’t believe that all films can be masterpieces and I doubt that I’ve made my best possible film yet. I’m still on the way,” he told a packed audience at Udine’s Teatro Nuovo, most of which had moments earlier watched a screening of his sensational “Raise the Red Lantern,” which had been restored to 4K.
- 5/2/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Sometimes Asian filmmakers employ Western actors to attract more public attention to their works. We can recall here such Chinese movies as Christian Bale’s The Flowers of War (2011), Adrien Brody and John Cusack’s Dragon Blade (2015), both of them being historical dramas, and, besides, Kevin Spacey’s comedy thriller Inseparable (2011).
The same happened with the Jason Bourne actor, Matt Damon and Game of Thrones’ Pedro Pascal, who were invited to star in the Chinese monster movie, which turned out to be controversial enough to spark debate about the reasonability of such a cast.
The plot of this kaiju focuses on two European mercenary warriors (played by Damon and Pascal), who become imprisoned within the Great Wall of China by imperial forces, forcing them to join the army fighting against the unstoppable alien creatures.
This movie can be divided in two halves, with the first one presenting a large amount of spectacular action,...
The same happened with the Jason Bourne actor, Matt Damon and Game of Thrones’ Pedro Pascal, who were invited to star in the Chinese monster movie, which turned out to be controversial enough to spark debate about the reasonability of such a cast.
The plot of this kaiju focuses on two European mercenary warriors (played by Damon and Pascal), who become imprisoned within the Great Wall of China by imperial forces, forcing them to join the army fighting against the unstoppable alien creatures.
This movie can be divided in two halves, with the first one presenting a large amount of spectacular action,...
- 5/1/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Ava Raxa)
- STartefacts.com
It’s season finale time for networks, but Netflix, naturally, still has plenty of brand new TV and shows coming in May.
Jeff Daniels makes his TV return in the David E. Kelley series “A Man in Full.” That six-episode series is based on the bestselling book of the same name by Tom Wolfe. Per a press release: “When Atlanta real estate mogul Charlie Croker faces sudden bankruptcy, political and business interests collide as Charlie defends his empire from those attempting to capitalize on his fall from grace.” The series will also star Tom Pelphrey, Diane Lane, Lucy Liu, William Jackson Harper, Aml Ameen, Sarah Jones, Jon Michael Hill and Chanté Adams.
Additionally, comedy fans can get excited for a new special series from John Mulaney. The comedian is hosting a multi-night event, “John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA,” that looks to be part interview show and part man-on-the-street hijinks.
Jeff Daniels makes his TV return in the David E. Kelley series “A Man in Full.” That six-episode series is based on the bestselling book of the same name by Tom Wolfe. Per a press release: “When Atlanta real estate mogul Charlie Croker faces sudden bankruptcy, political and business interests collide as Charlie defends his empire from those attempting to capitalize on his fall from grace.” The series will also star Tom Pelphrey, Diane Lane, Lucy Liu, William Jackson Harper, Aml Ameen, Sarah Jones, Jon Michael Hill and Chanté Adams.
Additionally, comedy fans can get excited for a new special series from John Mulaney. The comedian is hosting a multi-night event, “John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA,” that looks to be part interview show and part man-on-the-street hijinks.
- 4/18/2024
- by Erin Strecker
- Indiewire
Veteran Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou will receive both the Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2023 Highest-Grossing Asian Film Award for his last feature Full River Red at this week’s Asian Film Awards.
The Asian Film Awards body has said the two awards are a “testament to Zhang’s extraordinary achievements but also to his continued success.” He was last feted by the awards body in 2021 when he picked up best director for One Second. In 2010 he was also handed the Asian Film Contribution Award.
Widely credited as one of the central figures of China’s Fifth Generation Cinema, Zhang made his directorial debut with Red Sorghum (1987). Since then, he has tackled a wide range of film genres in work like The Story of Qiu Ju (1992), To Live (1994), The Road Home (1999), House of Flying Daggers (2004), The Great Wall (2016) and Cliff Walkers (2021). Full River Red was released during the 2023 Chinese New Year...
The Asian Film Awards body has said the two awards are a “testament to Zhang’s extraordinary achievements but also to his continued success.” He was last feted by the awards body in 2021 when he picked up best director for One Second. In 2010 he was also handed the Asian Film Contribution Award.
Widely credited as one of the central figures of China’s Fifth Generation Cinema, Zhang made his directorial debut with Red Sorghum (1987). Since then, he has tackled a wide range of film genres in work like The Story of Qiu Ju (1992), To Live (1994), The Road Home (1999), House of Flying Daggers (2004), The Great Wall (2016) and Cliff Walkers (2021). Full River Red was released during the 2023 Chinese New Year...
- 3/7/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou is to be feted with two honours at the Asian Film Awards on Sunday (March 10) in recognition of his career and recent box office success.
Zhang will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2023 Highest-Grossing Asian Film Award for Full River Red, which made $667m worldwide according to ticketing agency Maoyan following its release in January last year.
It marks a return to AFAs for the director, who won the Asian Film Contribution Award at in 2010 and best director in 2021 for One Second.
“Having been in the industry for over four decades, I am grateful...
Zhang will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2023 Highest-Grossing Asian Film Award for Full River Red, which made $667m worldwide according to ticketing agency Maoyan following its release in January last year.
It marks a return to AFAs for the director, who won the Asian Film Contribution Award at in 2010 and best director in 2021 for One Second.
“Having been in the industry for over four decades, I am grateful...
- 3/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Veteran mainland Chinese director Zhang Yimou is to be honored twice over at the Asian Film Awards ceremony on Sunday. He will be presented with a lifetime achievement award and a separate prize for directing the highest-grossing Asian film of 2023.
“These two awards are not only a testament to Zhang’s extraordinary achievements, but also to his continued success, having won the Asian film contribution award at the 4th AFAs in 2010 and the best director award at the 15th Asian Film Awards in 2021 for ‘One Second’,” Afa organizers said.
“I consider myself very fortunate to have chosen filmmaking as my lifelong profession. Having been in the industry for over four decades, I am grateful to everyone who appreciates my films [..] I will keep learning and strive to surpass myself. Always having anticipations for the future, I hope that my best film will be my next one,” said Zhang in a prepared statement.
“These two awards are not only a testament to Zhang’s extraordinary achievements, but also to his continued success, having won the Asian film contribution award at the 4th AFAs in 2010 and the best director award at the 15th Asian Film Awards in 2021 for ‘One Second’,” Afa organizers said.
“I consider myself very fortunate to have chosen filmmaking as my lifelong profession. Having been in the industry for over four decades, I am grateful to everyone who appreciates my films [..] I will keep learning and strive to surpass myself. Always having anticipations for the future, I hope that my best film will be my next one,” said Zhang in a prepared statement.
- 3/7/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
For too long, Hollywood films set against an Asian backdrop have succumbed to the stereotypical portrayal of the ‘White savior’ eclipsing the significance and value of an Asian character. Matt Damon’s 2016 film The Great Wall was a major culprit in propagating this viewpoint, with the Oscar winner himself regretting being part of such a narrative.
Hiroyuki Sanada in Shōgun
This is the kind of prejudiced portrayal that FX’s Shōgun wanted to avoid. The samurai show stars accomplished Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada as the central protagonist who has also doubled up as the producer for the project. Showrunners Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo were keenly aware of the clichéd roles that actors like Sanada were subjected to, and wanted to right this wrong with this series.
Suggested“This isn’t even remotely true”: Disney Gets Surprise Fan Support After Being Accused of ‘Under-Promoting’ Hiroyuki Sanada’s Shōgun After...
Hiroyuki Sanada in Shōgun
This is the kind of prejudiced portrayal that FX’s Shōgun wanted to avoid. The samurai show stars accomplished Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada as the central protagonist who has also doubled up as the producer for the project. Showrunners Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo were keenly aware of the clichéd roles that actors like Sanada were subjected to, and wanted to right this wrong with this series.
Suggested“This isn’t even remotely true”: Disney Gets Surprise Fan Support After Being Accused of ‘Under-Promoting’ Hiroyuki Sanada’s Shōgun After...
- 2/28/2024
- by Sharanya Sankar
- FandomWire
Matt Damon’s filmography boasts credits that illustrate the actor’s bankable stature. But one endeavor that often gets overlooked, presumably because of the reception it received pre- and post-release, was Zhang Yimou’s The Great Wall. Looking back on the project, the Oppenheimer alum acknowledged discerning early on that the movie may be a disaster. And disaster it was—if you consider its box office performance and critics’ evaluations, at least.
Matt Damon in The Great Wall (2016)
It wasn’t just that, though. Leading up to the film’s release, the implications of Damon’s inclusion in a premise set in medieval China, where he starred as a European mercenary warrior who joins forces with the Chinese to help combat an alien threat, was not treated lightly. Accusations faulted the initiative for utilizing the ‘white savior trope’ and ‘whitewashing.’
Of course, those are arguments that characterize many Hollywood endeavors.
Matt Damon in The Great Wall (2016)
It wasn’t just that, though. Leading up to the film’s release, the implications of Damon’s inclusion in a premise set in medieval China, where he starred as a European mercenary warrior who joins forces with the Chinese to help combat an alien threat, was not treated lightly. Accusations faulted the initiative for utilizing the ‘white savior trope’ and ‘whitewashing.’
Of course, those are arguments that characterize many Hollywood endeavors.
- 2/28/2024
- by Debdipta Bhattacharya
- FandomWire
Matt Damon is Hollywood’s nice guy yet the actor is absolutely incredible when it comes to action movies. Starring in one of the most popular action franchises of all time, the Bourne movie series, the actor’s portrayal of an action hero is as good as it can get.
Matt Damon (on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert)
A tale of resilience and fragility, Damon’s portrayal of the enigmatic spy, especially in the last movie Jason Bourne, has made him a cinematic legend. Yet the movie turned out to be his personal hell, even more so since the last Bourne entry starring Marvel star Jeremy Renner nearly killed the entire $1.6 billion franchise, making it all the more difficult for the then 45-year ord actor.
How Jason Bourne Became Matt Damon’s Personal Hell
Matt Damon in and as Jason Bourne
Matt Damon is now in his 50s yet...
Matt Damon (on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert)
A tale of resilience and fragility, Damon’s portrayal of the enigmatic spy, especially in the last movie Jason Bourne, has made him a cinematic legend. Yet the movie turned out to be his personal hell, even more so since the last Bourne entry starring Marvel star Jeremy Renner nearly killed the entire $1.6 billion franchise, making it all the more difficult for the then 45-year ord actor.
How Jason Bourne Became Matt Damon’s Personal Hell
Matt Damon in and as Jason Bourne
Matt Damon is now in his 50s yet...
- 2/24/2024
- by Maria Sultan
- FandomWire
Paul Wall and Termanology are back where they first met, at Brooklyn’s Hub Studios. Before our hourlong conversation starts, various people in their circle shuffle by Termanology’s studio room to greet Wall, the amiable Texan who’s visiting the city to promote the deluxe edition of Start Finish Repeat, their second collaborative project.
Wall is clad in all-black attire, including a Houston Texans hoodie. Lounging on a couch before the interview starts, his demeanor is as chill as his beaming platinum grill looks. Lawrence, Massachusetts, native Termanology is similarly showing hometown pride,...
Wall is clad in all-black attire, including a Houston Texans hoodie. Lounging on a couch before the interview starts, his demeanor is as chill as his beaming platinum grill looks. Lawrence, Massachusetts, native Termanology is similarly showing hometown pride,...
- 11/12/2023
- by Andre Gee
- Rollingstone.com
“The pandemic has finally passed, and cinema has returned to normal, but the way people think has changed dramatically,” Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou concluded when quizzed by Deadline about cinema post-Covid 19 during a brief chat at the Tokyo Film Festival (TIFF).
“That is,” he continued, “people now value a peaceful and healthy life even more.”
Zhang, one of China’s most enduring filmmakers, is in Tokyo to receive the festival’s honorary lifetime achievement award. He picked up the gong Monday at the TIFF opening ceremony held at Tokyo’s Takarazuka Theatre.
“This is like a new start for me,” Zhang said, accepting the award. He added that he has traveled to the Tokyo Film Festival twice before, but the lifetime achievement award felt like the spark of a new chapter in his career. But with what Zhang described as a dramatic change in the mentality of audiences, has his approach to filmmaking changed?...
“That is,” he continued, “people now value a peaceful and healthy life even more.”
Zhang, one of China’s most enduring filmmakers, is in Tokyo to receive the festival’s honorary lifetime achievement award. He picked up the gong Monday at the TIFF opening ceremony held at Tokyo’s Takarazuka Theatre.
“This is like a new start for me,” Zhang said, accepting the award. He added that he has traveled to the Tokyo Film Festival twice before, but the lifetime achievement award felt like the spark of a new chapter in his career. But with what Zhang described as a dramatic change in the mentality of audiences, has his approach to filmmaking changed?...
- 10/24/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Tokyo’s International Film Festival returned this evening for its first completely unrestricted, post-covid-19 edition with a well-attended screening of Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days.
Fresh from an appearance at Thierry Frémaux’s Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, Wenders, who is also the head of the competition jury at Tokyo this year, was in attendance and introduced the pic alongside most of his cast, including leading man Koji Yakusho. Yakusho won the best actor award at Cannes for his performance in the pic.
During a comedic opening speech, Wenders told the audience inside Tokyo’s Takarazuka Theatre that he had long dreamt of completing a feature shot entirely in Japan, with Yakusho as the lead actor, and a premiere screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival. However, Wenders said there was one milestone he never thought the film would achieve.
“I didn’t dare dream that it was going to be...
Fresh from an appearance at Thierry Frémaux’s Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, Wenders, who is also the head of the competition jury at Tokyo this year, was in attendance and introduced the pic alongside most of his cast, including leading man Koji Yakusho. Yakusho won the best actor award at Cannes for his performance in the pic.
During a comedic opening speech, Wenders told the audience inside Tokyo’s Takarazuka Theatre that he had long dreamt of completing a feature shot entirely in Japan, with Yakusho as the lead actor, and a premiere screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival. However, Wenders said there was one milestone he never thought the film would achieve.
“I didn’t dare dream that it was going to be...
- 10/23/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou has been set as the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement award at the forthcoming Tokyo Film Festival (TIFF), running October 23 – November 1.
He will receive the award at the TIFF opening ceremony on October 23. After graduating from the Beijing Film Academy in 1982, he made his directorial debut with Red Sorghum (1987). Since then, he has tackled a wide range of film genres in work like The Story of Qiu Ju (1992), To Live (1994), The Road Home (1999), House of Flying Daggers (2004), The Great Wall (2016) and Cliff Walkers (2021).
Yimou’s latest work, Full River Red, was released during the Chinese New Year this year and is currently the highest-ranking 2023 Chinese film in the country. The film has also been selected as part of the Gala Selection section at this year’s TIFF. As part of his time in Tokyo, Yimou will take part in a keynote session co-hosted by the Japan Foundation.
He will receive the award at the TIFF opening ceremony on October 23. After graduating from the Beijing Film Academy in 1982, he made his directorial debut with Red Sorghum (1987). Since then, he has tackled a wide range of film genres in work like The Story of Qiu Ju (1992), To Live (1994), The Road Home (1999), House of Flying Daggers (2004), The Great Wall (2016) and Cliff Walkers (2021).
Yimou’s latest work, Full River Red, was released during the Chinese New Year this year and is currently the highest-ranking 2023 Chinese film in the country. The film has also been selected as part of the Gala Selection section at this year’s TIFF. As part of his time in Tokyo, Yimou will take part in a keynote session co-hosted by the Japan Foundation.
- 10/10/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
The director of ‘House Of Flying Daggers’ and ‘Full River Red’ will attend the festival in October.
Acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou is to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) later this month.
The director of House Of Flying Daggers and more recently box office hit Full River Red, which will screen in the gala strand of TIFF, will be honoured in recognition of his career and long-standing contributions to the film industry.
The filmmaker will receive the award at the TIFF opening ceremony on October 23 and later participate in a talk as part...
Acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou is to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) later this month.
The director of House Of Flying Daggers and more recently box office hit Full River Red, which will screen in the gala strand of TIFF, will be honoured in recognition of his career and long-standing contributions to the film industry.
The filmmaker will receive the award at the TIFF opening ceremony on October 23 and later participate in a talk as part...
- 10/10/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Leading Chinese film director Zhang Yimou is to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Tokyo International Film Festival later this month.
The award will be presented to him during the festival’s opening ceremony on Oct. 23.
Later, Zhang will take part in a special talk session at the TIFF Loungeco-hosted by the Japan Foundation.
Additionally, his “Full River Red,” which was a box office sensation in China at the beginning of the year, will play as a gala selection during the Tokyo festival.
Zhang, consider to be among China’s “fifth generation” of filmmakers, has had an extraordinary career that he has sustained for over three decades. His first film as director was “Red Sorghum,” which he has followed with pictures in a wide range of genres, including “The Story of Qiu Ju” (1992), “To Live” (1994), “The Road Home” (1999), “House of Flying Daggers” (2004), “The Great Wall” (2016) and “Cliff Walkers” (2021).
He...
The award will be presented to him during the festival’s opening ceremony on Oct. 23.
Later, Zhang will take part in a special talk session at the TIFF Loungeco-hosted by the Japan Foundation.
Additionally, his “Full River Red,” which was a box office sensation in China at the beginning of the year, will play as a gala selection during the Tokyo festival.
Zhang, consider to be among China’s “fifth generation” of filmmakers, has had an extraordinary career that he has sustained for over three decades. His first film as director was “Red Sorghum,” which he has followed with pictures in a wide range of genres, including “The Story of Qiu Ju” (1992), “To Live” (1994), “The Road Home” (1999), “House of Flying Daggers” (2004), “The Great Wall” (2016) and “Cliff Walkers” (2021).
He...
- 10/10/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
U.S. producer E. Bennett Walsh, who has made films including Mortal Kombat, Meg 2: The Trench and The Kite Runner across the Apac region, says he’s got his eye on Japan and Korea as the next hot destinations for footloose Hollywood productions.
“I think the opportunity in Asia is in Korea and Japan,” said Walsh. “Tokyo Vice recently had a great experience in Japan and there are more opportunities for productions like that. Some pieces of the Marvel movies have filmed in Korea, but that was just scratching the surface.”
Japan recently introduced an official production incentive to fund up to one half of the qualifying Japanese spend of international productions, while Korea has been operating incentives for several years. In addition, Japan’s largest studio Toho recently formed a joint venture production services outfit with established Japan-based producer Georgina Pope.
“The opportunities in Japan...
“I think the opportunity in Asia is in Korea and Japan,” said Walsh. “Tokyo Vice recently had a great experience in Japan and there are more opportunities for productions like that. Some pieces of the Marvel movies have filmed in Korea, but that was just scratching the surface.”
Japan recently introduced an official production incentive to fund up to one half of the qualifying Japanese spend of international productions, while Korea has been operating incentives for several years. In addition, Japan’s largest studio Toho recently formed a joint venture production services outfit with established Japan-based producer Georgina Pope.
“The opportunities in Japan...
- 10/9/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
'The Great Wall' Yibing Wu won the 2023 Ultimate Tennis Showdown (Uts) in Los Angeles after beating 'The Hotshot' Taylor Fritz in the final.
After winning one of the two matches he played on Day 1 in the Round Robin stages, Yibing Wu had a difficult task against Diego Schwartzman on Day 2, but he won the match in the tie-breaker, securing his spot in the Final Four.
In the semifinals of the event, Wu, who was one of the three Chinese players that made history at the Roland Garros , played against Ben Shelton. After beating the American 3-1, he was set for a rematch with Taylor Fritz after previously losing in the group stage. But the start of the match wasn't ideal for the Chinese player.
Yet, Wu had a really good mindset even when he was down 0-2 after the first two quarters. 'The Hotshot' won the first two...
After winning one of the two matches he played on Day 1 in the Round Robin stages, Yibing Wu had a difficult task against Diego Schwartzman on Day 2, but he won the match in the tie-breaker, securing his spot in the Final Four.
In the semifinals of the event, Wu, who was one of the three Chinese players that made history at the Roland Garros , played against Ben Shelton. After beating the American 3-1, he was set for a rematch with Taylor Fritz after previously losing in the group stage. But the start of the match wasn't ideal for the Chinese player.
Yet, Wu had a really good mindset even when he was down 0-2 after the first two quarters. 'The Hotshot' won the first two...
- 7/24/2023
- Tennis Infinity
Counting his cameo appearance in “Thor: Love and Thunder” and an uncredited role in Steven Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move,” Matt Damon appeared in six months since 2021 – including Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” But as the busy star explained in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, his packed schedule was a source of tension in his marriage to the point where a specific dispensation for Nolan was needed.
“This is going to sound made up, but it’s actually true,” Damon said during a group interview with “Oppenheimer” stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, and Robert Downey Jr., as well as Nolan. “I had — not to get too personal — negotiated extensively with my wife that I was taking time off. I had been in ‘Interstellar,’ and then Chris put me on ice for a couple of movies, so I wasn’t in the rotation, but I actually negotiated in couples therapy — this...
“This is going to sound made up, but it’s actually true,” Damon said during a group interview with “Oppenheimer” stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, and Robert Downey Jr., as well as Nolan. “I had — not to get too personal — negotiated extensively with my wife that I was taking time off. I had been in ‘Interstellar,’ and then Chris put me on ice for a couple of movies, so I wasn’t in the rotation, but I actually negotiated in couples therapy — this...
- 7/18/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Los Angeles, July 13 (Ians) Actor Matt Damon said that at one point he “fell into a depression” midway when shooting a movie he knew was “a lost cause”. The actor spoke of this incident while promoting ‘Oppenheimer’ on ‘Jack’s Takes’.
According to Variety: “Without naming any particular movies…sometimes you find yourself in a movie that you know, perhaps, might not be what you had hoped it would be, and you’re still making it,” Damon said.
He continued: “And I remember halfway through production and you’ve still got months to go and you’ve taken your family somewhere, you know, and you’ve inconvenienced them, and I remember my wife pulling me up because I fell into a depression about like, what have I done?”
‘The Departed’ actor noted that his wife simply said: “We are here now.”
He added: “You know, and it was like…I do pride myself,...
According to Variety: “Without naming any particular movies…sometimes you find yourself in a movie that you know, perhaps, might not be what you had hoped it would be, and you’re still making it,” Damon said.
He continued: “And I remember halfway through production and you’ve still got months to go and you’ve taken your family somewhere, you know, and you’ve inconvenienced them, and I remember my wife pulling me up because I fell into a depression about like, what have I done?”
‘The Departed’ actor noted that his wife simply said: “We are here now.”
He added: “You know, and it was like…I do pride myself,...
- 7/13/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Sometimes an actor just knows that their next movie is a stinker. Worse, they know it when they’re in production but are contractually obligated to finish the job. This is just what happened to Matt Damon while making a recent big-budget movie. While Damon didn’t reveal the title, it sounds like he’s talking about The Great Wall, a critical and domestic dud that stands as one of the worst-reviewed movies of his entire career.
Speaking with Jake Hamilton on Jake’s Takes (via Variety), Matt Damon revealed — as much as he would, anyway — that he had the unfortunate and depressing feeling of being locked into a movie he had no choice but to see through to fruition. “Without naming any particular movies…sometimes you find yourself in a movie that you know, perhaps, might not be what you had hoped it would be, and you’re still making it…...
Speaking with Jake Hamilton on Jake’s Takes (via Variety), Matt Damon revealed — as much as he would, anyway — that he had the unfortunate and depressing feeling of being locked into a movie he had no choice but to see through to fruition. “Without naming any particular movies…sometimes you find yourself in a movie that you know, perhaps, might not be what you had hoped it would be, and you’re still making it…...
- 7/13/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Matt Damon revealed on “Jake’s Takes” while promoting “Oppenheimer” that he once “fell into a depression” halfway through shooting a movie that wasn’t panning out how he hoped it would when he accepted the gig.
“Without naming any particular movies…sometimes you find yourself in a movie that you know, perhaps, might not be what you had hoped it would be, and you’re still making it,” Damon said. “And I remember halfway through production and you’ve still got months to go and you’ve taken your family somewhere, you know, and you’ve inconvenienced them, and I remember my wife pulling me up because I fell into a depression about like, what have I done?”
“She just said, ‘We’re here now’,” Damon continued. “You know, and it was like…I do pride myself, in a large part because of her, at being a professional actor...
“Without naming any particular movies…sometimes you find yourself in a movie that you know, perhaps, might not be what you had hoped it would be, and you’re still making it,” Damon said. “And I remember halfway through production and you’ve still got months to go and you’ve taken your family somewhere, you know, and you’ve inconvenienced them, and I remember my wife pulling me up because I fell into a depression about like, what have I done?”
“She just said, ‘We’re here now’,” Damon continued. “You know, and it was like…I do pride myself, in a large part because of her, at being a professional actor...
- 7/12/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Usually Netflix’s Top 10 favors new projects, but for the week of May 22 to May 28, the streamer experience the power of TikTok as Maid made its way back onto the English-language series list.
More than a year after its release, the Margaret Qualley-led series began trending on TikTok. That led the limited series to secure the eighth spot among English-language series for the week with 14M hours viewed.
At No. 1 was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest offering, Fubar. The action series generated 8.94M hours viewed, making it the most viewed title for the week. According to Netflix, the series appeared in the Top 10 in 90 countries.
In its second week, To All The Boys spinoff Xo, Kitty came in at No. 2 on the list with 63.78M hours viewed.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story also continued to stake a claim among the Top 10, coming in at No. 3 with 42.9M hours viewed. As...
More than a year after its release, the Margaret Qualley-led series began trending on TikTok. That led the limited series to secure the eighth spot among English-language series for the week with 14M hours viewed.
At No. 1 was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest offering, Fubar. The action series generated 8.94M hours viewed, making it the most viewed title for the week. According to Netflix, the series appeared in the Top 10 in 90 countries.
In its second week, To All The Boys spinoff Xo, Kitty came in at No. 2 on the list with 63.78M hours viewed.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story also continued to stake a claim among the Top 10, coming in at No. 3 with 42.9M hours viewed. As...
- 5/30/2023
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Filmmaker Lu Chuan, perhaps the most prominent Chinese commercial filmmaker visiting Cannes this year, will touch down on the Côte d’Azur Saturday to shop three new projects — one finished documentary, one nearly complete sci-fi thriller in need of a global distributor, and an all-new drama feature seeking a U.S. co-production partner.
Lu is best known to the industry for his acclaimed early features Kekexili: Mountain Patrol (2004) and City of Life and Death (2009), as well as adventure blockbuster Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe (2015) and the big-budget documentary he made for Disney and China Film Group, Born in China (2016).
He’ll arrive in Cannes with an early cut of Beijing 2022, the official documentary of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games that he directed with Chinese industry titan Zhang Yimou as executive producer. For the film, Lu was given unprecedented access to Beijing officials as they deliberated how to hold the Games...
Lu is best known to the industry for his acclaimed early features Kekexili: Mountain Patrol (2004) and City of Life and Death (2009), as well as adventure blockbuster Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe (2015) and the big-budget documentary he made for Disney and China Film Group, Born in China (2016).
He’ll arrive in Cannes with an early cut of Beijing 2022, the official documentary of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games that he directed with Chinese industry titan Zhang Yimou as executive producer. For the film, Lu was given unprecedented access to Beijing officials as they deliberated how to hold the Games...
- 5/20/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Mena 360’ will spotlight the production and film financing opportunities in the Arab world.
The Cannes Market has partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Neom Media Industries and Arab Cinema Centre to host a conference on the fast-growing opportunities in production, finance and talent in the Middle East and North Africa.
Titled ’Mena 360: Accessing the Largest Untapped Market’ in the World, it will run as part of the Cannes Next programme and comprise three panels exploring the best ways for the international industry to secure financing, partners, locations and talent from the region.
Mena executives and talent due to speak on the panels include Wayne Borg,...
The Cannes Market has partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Neom Media Industries and Arab Cinema Centre to host a conference on the fast-growing opportunities in production, finance and talent in the Middle East and North Africa.
Titled ’Mena 360: Accessing the Largest Untapped Market’ in the World, it will run as part of the Cannes Next programme and comprise three panels exploring the best ways for the international industry to secure financing, partners, locations and talent from the region.
Mena executives and talent due to speak on the panels include Wayne Borg,...
- 5/11/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Legendary Entertainment, the Burbank-based production company behind the recent MonsterVerse films, “Pokémon: Detective Pikachu” and the two-part “Dune” adaptation, has secured a five-year, $800 million credit facility led by J.P. Morgan. The new facility will replace the studio’s existing credit line.
“We are pleased to extend our relationship with J.P. Morgan as we continue to grow our global film and TV pipeline and monetize our IP across multiple platforms,” CEO Joshua Grode stated Tuesday. “The success of our film and television productions from our creative team led by [Vice Chair Worldwide Production] Mary Parent reflects our intentional strategy of creating compelling content that resonates with audiences around the world.”
“Through ongoing commercial success, Legendary has built a premier Company and has positioned itself as a true market leader,” David Shaheen said. The Head of Entertainment Industries for J.P. Morgan’s Corporate Client Banking Group continued, saying, “We are very pleased to have...
“We are pleased to extend our relationship with J.P. Morgan as we continue to grow our global film and TV pipeline and monetize our IP across multiple platforms,” CEO Joshua Grode stated Tuesday. “The success of our film and television productions from our creative team led by [Vice Chair Worldwide Production] Mary Parent reflects our intentional strategy of creating compelling content that resonates with audiences around the world.”
“Through ongoing commercial success, Legendary has built a premier Company and has positioned itself as a true market leader,” David Shaheen said. The Head of Entertainment Industries for J.P. Morgan’s Corporate Client Banking Group continued, saying, “We are very pleased to have...
- 4/18/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Wanda, the Chinese conglomerate that once threatened to take over Hollywood, has put up for sale the Hoyts cinema chain in Australia that it bought in 2015.
Hoyts is Australia’s second largest movie theater operator with 46 multiplexes housing 412 screens, according to 2022 data from Screen Australia. It also owns Val Morgan, Australia’s biggest cinema advertising firm.
Wanda Cinema Line, itself China’s biggest theater operator, has appointed Credit Suisse and Nomura to handle the sale.
Bidders are understood to have access to a “stapled debt” package (a line of agreed financing arranged by the banks) if the potential buyer cannot arrange sufficient finance of their own. A first deadline for bids is set at the beginning of May, with final offers to be submitted by the end of June.
News of the sale process was first reported by the Australian Financial Review, which reported that the bankers are hoping for...
Hoyts is Australia’s second largest movie theater operator with 46 multiplexes housing 412 screens, according to 2022 data from Screen Australia. It also owns Val Morgan, Australia’s biggest cinema advertising firm.
Wanda Cinema Line, itself China’s biggest theater operator, has appointed Credit Suisse and Nomura to handle the sale.
Bidders are understood to have access to a “stapled debt” package (a line of agreed financing arranged by the banks) if the potential buyer cannot arrange sufficient finance of their own. A first deadline for bids is set at the beginning of May, with final offers to be submitted by the end of June.
News of the sale process was first reported by the Australian Financial Review, which reported that the bankers are hoping for...
- 4/12/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“It is amazing to be here,” said Pedro Pascal in his first “Saturday Night Live” performance: a triumphant Season 48 episode for the sketch show, cross-promoting the actor/host’s hugely successful parts on Disney’s “The Mandalorian” and HBO’s “The Last of Us.”
“I was born in Chile and nine months later my parents fled Pinochet with me and my sister to the US,” Pascal continued in his opening monologue. “They were so brave, and without them I wouldn’t be here in this wonderful country. And I certainly wouldn’t be standing here with you all tonight.”
The 48-year-old actor began performing on screen in the late ’90s, appearing in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “NYPD Blue” among other popular TV series of the time. Pascal made his feature film debut in Julia Solomonoff’s “Hermanas” in 2005, and would later appear in “The Adjustment Bureau,” “Sweet Little Lies,...
“I was born in Chile and nine months later my parents fled Pinochet with me and my sister to the US,” Pascal continued in his opening monologue. “They were so brave, and without them I wouldn’t be here in this wonderful country. And I certainly wouldn’t be standing here with you all tonight.”
The 48-year-old actor began performing on screen in the late ’90s, appearing in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “NYPD Blue” among other popular TV series of the time. Pascal made his feature film debut in Julia Solomonoff’s “Hermanas” in 2005, and would later appear in “The Adjustment Bureau,” “Sweet Little Lies,...
- 3/18/2023
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
Murder, treachery and political intrigue are the juicy ingredients of Zhang Yimou’s “Full River Red,” an entertaining if overlong mystery-comedy set in the narrow passageways and dark chambers of a Song dynasty military compound in 1146. With a twist-packed plot to match its labyrinthine location, Zhang’s fast-paced film motors along nicely as an engaging “Knives Out”-style whodunnit before stumbling a little in the protracted final act. A Lunar New Year smash hit in China, “Full River Red” will be released on 150 North American screens by specialty distributor Niu Vision Media on March 17.
The biggest commercial success of Zhang’s distinguished 35-year career, “Full River Red” has already grossed a whopping $671 million at home since Jan. 22. The 157-minute blockbuster continues the string of hits he’s delivered since big-budget international co-production misfire “The Great Wall” in 2016. Much less ornately decorated and colorfully photographed than Zhang’s famous wuxia epics...
The biggest commercial success of Zhang’s distinguished 35-year career, “Full River Red” has already grossed a whopping $671 million at home since Jan. 22. The 157-minute blockbuster continues the string of hits he’s delivered since big-budget international co-production misfire “The Great Wall” in 2016. Much less ornately decorated and colorfully photographed than Zhang’s famous wuxia epics...
- 3/14/2023
- by Richard Kuipers
- Variety Film + TV
In February 2023, Netflix will remove a bunch of movie and TV series from its library,
Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.
These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.
This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.
To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.
Find a full list of every movie and TV series being added to Netflix this month here.
Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.
UK
Movies
1 February
Amélie
Biking Borders
Christmas Under Wraps
The Cider House Rules
Collateral (2004)
Equilibrium
Event Horizon...
Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.
These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.
This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.
To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.
Find a full list of every movie and TV series being added to Netflix this month here.
Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.
UK
Movies
1 February
Amélie
Biking Borders
Christmas Under Wraps
The Cider House Rules
Collateral (2004)
Equilibrium
Event Horizon...
- 2/10/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
In February 2023, Netflix will remove a bunch of movie and TV series from its library,
Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.
These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.
This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.
To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.
Find a full list of every movie and TV series being added to Netflix this month here.
Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.
UK
Movies
1 February
Amélie
Biking Borders
Christmas Under Wraps
The Cider House Rules
Collateral (2004)
Equilibrium
Event Horizon...
Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.
These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.
This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.
To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.
Find a full list of every movie and TV series being added to Netflix this month here.
Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.
UK
Movies
1 February
Amélie
Biking Borders
Christmas Under Wraps
The Cider House Rules
Collateral (2004)
Equilibrium
Event Horizon...
- 2/10/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
In February 2023, Netflix will remove a bunch of movie and TV series from its library,
Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.
These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.
This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.
To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.
Find a full list of every movie and TV series being added to Netflix this month here.
Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.
UK
Movies
1 February
Amélie
Biking Borders
Christmas Under Wraps
The Cider House Rules
Collateral (2004)
Equilibrium
Event Horizon...
Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.
These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.
This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.
To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.
Find a full list of every movie and TV series being added to Netflix this month here.
Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.
UK
Movies
1 February
Amélie
Biking Borders
Christmas Under Wraps
The Cider House Rules
Collateral (2004)
Equilibrium
Event Horizon...
- 2/1/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
In February 2023, Netflix will remove a bunch of movie and TV series from its library,
Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.
These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.
This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.
To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.
Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.
UK
Movies
1 February
Amélie
Biking Borders
Christmas Under Wraps
The Cider House Rules
Collateral (2004)
Equilibrium
Event Horizon
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Guest House
Holmes & Watson
Hostel
The King’s Speech
Letters to Juliet
Love Happens...
Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.
These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.
This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.
To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.
Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.
UK
Movies
1 February
Amélie
Biking Borders
Christmas Under Wraps
The Cider House Rules
Collateral (2004)
Equilibrium
Event Horizon
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Guest House
Holmes & Watson
Hostel
The King’s Speech
Letters to Juliet
Love Happens...
- 1/31/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
China’s Lunar New Year box office got off to a solid start Sunday despite ongoing concerns over the Covid wave sweeping the country. An especially strong and diverse slate of local holiday blockbusters is giving the Chinese film industry the boost it so desperately needs after a prolonged period of market damage during last year’s lockdowns.
Frank Guo’s big-budget sci-fi spectacle The Wandering Earth 2, starring Wu Jing and Andy Lau, rocketed to the front of the pack with a 69.7 million opening day, according to data from tracking firm Artisan Gateway. But Chinese filmmaking legend Zhang Yimou’s latest feature, Full River Red, a period comedy thriller, was close behind with a strong 59.3 million start. Both films have been enthusiastically received— Full River Red has social scores of 9.6 on Maoyan, 9.5 on Alibaba’s Tao Piao Piao app and 8 from Douban, while Wandering Earth 2 sits at 9.4, 9.7 and 8.3, respectively — suggesting that a close,...
Frank Guo’s big-budget sci-fi spectacle The Wandering Earth 2, starring Wu Jing and Andy Lau, rocketed to the front of the pack with a 69.7 million opening day, according to data from tracking firm Artisan Gateway. But Chinese filmmaking legend Zhang Yimou’s latest feature, Full River Red, a period comedy thriller, was close behind with a strong 59.3 million start. Both films have been enthusiastically received— Full River Red has social scores of 9.6 on Maoyan, 9.5 on Alibaba’s Tao Piao Piao app and 8 from Douban, while Wandering Earth 2 sits at 9.4, 9.7 and 8.3, respectively — suggesting that a close,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMAX has named Daniel Manwaring as Chief Executive Officer of IMAX China, succeeding interim CEO Jiande Chen, who will return to his full-time role as Vice Chairman of IMAX China
Manwaring, who will step into his new role on Jan. 9, most recently led Creative Art Agency’s (CAA) China’s Motion Picture Group, where he acted as a bridge to and within the local market, forging relationships throughout the Chinese film community.
“Across his successful, decade-long tenure at CAA, Daniel has proven very adept at fostering blockbuster Chinese filmmaking that connects with audiences — a talent that will serve IMAX well as we strengthen our unique position at the center of the entertainment ecosystem in China,” IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said. “Daniel’s expertise, creativity, and years of working with Chinese filmmakers, the China Film Bureau, and top film finance and distribution companies will be deeply valuable to IMAX China as...
Manwaring, who will step into his new role on Jan. 9, most recently led Creative Art Agency’s (CAA) China’s Motion Picture Group, where he acted as a bridge to and within the local market, forging relationships throughout the Chinese film community.
“Across his successful, decade-long tenure at CAA, Daniel has proven very adept at fostering blockbuster Chinese filmmaking that connects with audiences — a talent that will serve IMAX well as we strengthen our unique position at the center of the entertainment ecosystem in China,” IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said. “Daniel’s expertise, creativity, and years of working with Chinese filmmakers, the China Film Bureau, and top film finance and distribution companies will be deeply valuable to IMAX China as...
- 12/12/2022
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Unless you spent the whole 2016 growing potatoes on Mars, there’s a good chance you got some echoes of the controversy and headlines generated by the release of “The Great Wall”. Directed by veteran Chinese director Zhang Yimou, and produced by the Hollywood-based – but Chinese-owned – Legendary studio, it was the most expensive film made in China to that date and was thought to have opened a new era of collaboration between China and the US. The cast includes some of the most famous Chinese actors and A-list star Matt Damon. Certainly, an easy target for criticisms, and even just the release a few months prior of the first teaser and trailer had in fact unleashed an avalanche of comments and accusations, mainly of whitewashing and in particular of re-proposing the same old tale of the white hero who arrives, saves the whole China and possibly snatches a trophy-woman too. But...
- 8/17/2022
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Michael Cudlitz and Jake Abel and have signed on to star alongside Zhang Hanyu and Vivienne Tien (Be Yourself) in Unspoken, a dramatic feature from writer-director Daming Chen that is now in production.
Unspoken tells the story of Xu (Zhang), an estranged father separated from his deaf daughter and her new life at an American university, whose murder reunites them in a way neither could have foreseen. The tragedy pierces Xu with grief and guilt that he couldn’t be present to protect his child. An ex-cop himself, he becomes convinced the local authorities are pursuing the wrong suspect – and that racism is compromising the investigation.
With a young Chinese translator in tow (Tien), who is navigating her own challenging path as a young immigrant, Xu sets out to learn what really happened to his daughter.
Unspoken tells the story of Xu (Zhang), an estranged father separated from his deaf daughter and her new life at an American university, whose murder reunites them in a way neither could have foreseen. The tragedy pierces Xu with grief and guilt that he couldn’t be present to protect his child. An ex-cop himself, he becomes convinced the local authorities are pursuing the wrong suspect – and that racism is compromising the investigation.
With a young Chinese translator in tow (Tien), who is navigating her own challenging path as a young immigrant, Xu sets out to learn what really happened to his daughter.
- 1/5/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Zhang Yimou has one of the more fascinating careers of any director. He became a pioneer figure of contemporary Chinese arthouse cinema in the late 1980s / early 1990s, winning top prizes at European film festivals with gritty, hard-hitting dramas that defied ideological guidelines of the time. To Live, winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes in 1994 and widely considered his crowning directorial achievement, was such a blistering indictment of the Chinese regime it never received a theatrical release at home.
Around the turn of the millennium he started making a very different type of movie––lavish, CGI-laden blockbusters like Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Curse of the Golden Flower. These often impersonal, politically correct (or muted) spectacles proved so popular he began attracting Hollywood attention, leading him down a misguided path towards the zillion-dollar abomination that is The Great Wall. His conceptually intriguing, if still visually exhausting follow-up Shadow...
Around the turn of the millennium he started making a very different type of movie––lavish, CGI-laden blockbusters like Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Curse of the Golden Flower. These often impersonal, politically correct (or muted) spectacles proved so popular he began attracting Hollywood attention, leading him down a misguided path towards the zillion-dollar abomination that is The Great Wall. His conceptually intriguing, if still visually exhausting follow-up Shadow...
- 10/11/2021
- by Zhuo-Ning Su
- The Film Stage
Looking at Destin Daniel Cretton’s filmography, he would appear to be an unlikely candidate to helm a Marvel film, especially one as pivotal as the first fresh installment of MCU Phase 4. Cretton has directed five feature films previously, all of which are real-life dramas, three being based on books, with two of those being memoirs. These seem a far cry from comics, but Cretton has a deep Marvel connection – Captain Marvel no less. Cretton’s second film, Short Term 12, was the first leading role for Carol Danvers herself – Brie Larson. His following films, The Glass Castle and Just Mercy, also starred Larson.
Cretton’s approach to Shang-Chi was unconventional. Beyond the obvious Kung Fu movie influences, Cretton was loosely inspired by Good Will Hunting. Cretton felt that the characters of Shang-Chi and Will Hunting (Matt Damon) had a lot of similarities in that they both had big secrets and a lot of emotional baggage.
Cretton’s approach to Shang-Chi was unconventional. Beyond the obvious Kung Fu movie influences, Cretton was loosely inspired by Good Will Hunting. Cretton felt that the characters of Shang-Chi and Will Hunting (Matt Damon) had a lot of similarities in that they both had big secrets and a lot of emotional baggage.
- 9/2/2021
- by Mike Cecchini
- Den of Geek
Matt Damon has been in his share of hits and critically lauded efforts but even he can admit when something misses the mark. In this case, Damon is looking back at the 2016 medieval epic, The Great Wall. Five years after the film's release, the actor is admitting that he knew the film was a disaster even while he was filming it. During his recent appearance on Marc Maron's…...
- 7/29/2021
- by Gaius Bolling
- JoBlo.com
Matt Damon revealed this week on Marc Maron’s “Wtf” podcast (via The Hollywood Reporter) that his 15-year-old daughter “likes giving me shit” when it comes to judging his career and “crushes me on the [films] that don’t work.” One such film is “The Great Wall,” Zhang Yimou’s poorly-reviewed 2016 monster movie that bombed at the U.S. box office. Damon doesn’t need his daughter to tell him the film was awful, as he admitted to Maron that he realized he was acting in a misfire in the middle of production.
“I was like, this is exactly how disasters happen,” Damon said, noting he realized “The Great Wall” was doomed after witnessing the movie’s Hollywood backers pressuring Zhang Yimou to sacrifice his vision. “It doesn’t cohere. It doesn’t work as a movie.”
“I came to consider that the definition of a professional actor; knowing you’re in a turkey and going,...
“I was like, this is exactly how disasters happen,” Damon said, noting he realized “The Great Wall” was doomed after witnessing the movie’s Hollywood backers pressuring Zhang Yimou to sacrifice his vision. “It doesn’t cohere. It doesn’t work as a movie.”
“I came to consider that the definition of a professional actor; knowing you’re in a turkey and going,...
- 7/27/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Matt Damon is still getting flack from his daughter over his 2016 film, The Great Wall.
A recent guest on Marc Maron’s Wtf podcast, the Oscar-winning actor opened about a bit about his private life, admitting that his 15-year-old enjoys giving him grief about his few career missteps.
“She just likes giving me shit,” said Damon, who stars in the upcoming drama Stillwater. “She’s playfully hard on me. She doesn’t go to see my movies on purpose, the ones she thinks might be good. She crushes me on the ones that don’t work.”
One of those films ...
A recent guest on Marc Maron’s Wtf podcast, the Oscar-winning actor opened about a bit about his private life, admitting that his 15-year-old enjoys giving him grief about his few career missteps.
“She just likes giving me shit,” said Damon, who stars in the upcoming drama Stillwater. “She’s playfully hard on me. She doesn’t go to see my movies on purpose, the ones she thinks might be good. She crushes me on the ones that don’t work.”
One of those films ...
- 7/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Matt Damon is still getting flack from his daughter over his 2016 film, The Great Wall.
A recent guest on Marc Maron’s Wtf podcast, the Oscar-winning actor opened about a bit about his private life, admitting that his 15-year-old enjoys giving him grief about his few career missteps.
“She just likes giving me shit,” said Damon, who stars in the upcoming drama Stillwater. “She’s playfully hard on me. She doesn’t go to see my movies on purpose, the ones she thinks might be good. She crushes me on the ones that don’t work.”
One of those films ...
A recent guest on Marc Maron’s Wtf podcast, the Oscar-winning actor opened about a bit about his private life, admitting that his 15-year-old enjoys giving him grief about his few career missteps.
“She just likes giving me shit,” said Damon, who stars in the upcoming drama Stillwater. “She’s playfully hard on me. She doesn’t go to see my movies on purpose, the ones she thinks might be good. She crushes me on the ones that don’t work.”
One of those films ...
- 7/27/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
“Aquaman” director James Wan has revealed the title to the upcoming sequel starring Jason Momoa in an Instagram post.
“The tide is rising,” Wan said.
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” will open on Dec. 16, 2022.
The sequel will bring back star Jason Momoa as hero Arthur Curry opposite Amber Heard, with Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Yahya Abdul-Mateen and Dolph Lundgren.
James Wan directed the film, which brought in $1.13 billion at the worldwide box office and $332.9 million domestically when it opened ahead of the Christmas holiday weekend late last year, making it the first DC film to cross $1 billion globally since “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Wan and Peter Safran are producing the sequel, and frequent Wan collaborator David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick is writing “Aquaman 2.” He co-wrote the original film with Will Beall based on a story by Geoff Johns, Beall and Wan.
In casting news, Pilou Asbæk, the Danish actor...
“The tide is rising,” Wan said.
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” will open on Dec. 16, 2022.
The sequel will bring back star Jason Momoa as hero Arthur Curry opposite Amber Heard, with Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Yahya Abdul-Mateen and Dolph Lundgren.
James Wan directed the film, which brought in $1.13 billion at the worldwide box office and $332.9 million domestically when it opened ahead of the Christmas holiday weekend late last year, making it the first DC film to cross $1 billion globally since “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Wan and Peter Safran are producing the sequel, and frequent Wan collaborator David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick is writing “Aquaman 2.” He co-wrote the original film with Will Beall based on a story by Geoff Johns, Beall and Wan.
In casting news, Pilou Asbæk, the Danish actor...
- 6/10/2021
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Out here in the West, Zhang Yimou has an established reputation as an auteur of wuxia martial arts films. Pieces of lavish design and spectacle such as Hero and House of Flying Daggers and even the execrable The Great Wall. However, to assume this all he’s capable of is a bit like assuming that Jack Daniels is the only whiskey made in Tennessee. The martial arts stuff is just what makes it over to us and is broad enough to penetrate the Western consciousness. In truth Yimou is a highly versatile workhorse of a director, dabbling in everything from personal drama to crime to espionage.
It is this territory in which Cliff Walkers is set. On the snow swept hills of North East China in the 1930s when the nation was under Japanese occupation. Here four Chinese agents of the Soviet Union are parachuted outside the city of Harbin to extract an informant.
It is this territory in which Cliff Walkers is set. On the snow swept hills of North East China in the 1930s when the nation was under Japanese occupation. Here four Chinese agents of the Soviet Union are parachuted outside the city of Harbin to extract an informant.
- 5/4/2021
- by Liam Macleod
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
You never really know what you’re going to get with a Zhang Yimou movie these days. Then again, perhaps that was always the case to a certain degree. Once a leading light of the so-called Fifth Generation of Chinese Filmmakers, Zhang graduated from the Beijing Film Academy with the vision and confidence of a well-established auteur; his debut feature “Red Sorghum” won the Golden Bear at the 1987 Berlinale, paving the way for an unimpeachable string of contemporary social dramas (“The Story of Qiu Ju”) and florid historical epics that examined the plight of the working people and raised the international profile of Chinese cinema even when they were banned from screening in the country’s theaters.
Frequently overlooked, however, is Zhang’s little-seen second film, a frivolous action thriller called “Codename Cougar” about an airliner that’s hijacked by terrorists from Taiwan. So it was hard to predict Zhang...
Frequently overlooked, however, is Zhang’s little-seen second film, a frivolous action thriller called “Codename Cougar” about an airliner that’s hijacked by terrorists from Taiwan. So it was hard to predict Zhang...
- 4/30/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Director Zhang Yimou returns to theaters this weekend with Cliff Walkers, an espionage thriller set in 1930s China. It’s a change of tone for the director of Shadow, House Of Flying Daggers and Hero, who also helmed Matt Damon-starrer The Great Wall in 2016.
Based on a script by Quan Yongxian, Cliff Walkers opens in pre WWII north east China, where the titles inform us that secret Japanese camps committed heinous crimes against the Chinese. In an aerial shot over the snowy wilderness, four white parachutes appear. Special agents — two men and two women — are landing on a secret mission, codenamed “Utrennya.” The two couples split up for safety, and are met by handlers. But it soon becomes clear that there’s at least one traitor spilling their secrets, so they must fight to evade detection and complete the mission. Over the coming days, the action flits between various groups of communist spies,...
Based on a script by Quan Yongxian, Cliff Walkers opens in pre WWII north east China, where the titles inform us that secret Japanese camps committed heinous crimes against the Chinese. In an aerial shot over the snowy wilderness, four white parachutes appear. Special agents — two men and two women — are landing on a secret mission, codenamed “Utrennya.” The two couples split up for safety, and are met by handlers. But it soon becomes clear that there’s at least one traitor spilling their secrets, so they must fight to evade detection and complete the mission. Over the coming days, the action flits between various groups of communist spies,...
- 4/27/2021
- by Anna Smith
- Deadline Film + TV
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