NEWS


Mori, Kwok launch US distributor for Asian product


BY LIZ SHACKLETON Los Angeles-based distribution veteran Ko Mori of Eleven Arts and producer Tim Kwok of Con- vergence Entertainment are launching a North American dis- tribution outfit, Cinema Asia Releasing (CAR), which will focus solely on Asian product. Backed by private equity, the


new company plans to acquire eight to 10 films a year for release in cinemas and across ancillary platforms. The outfit already released Jap-


anese anime Evangelion 2.0 in North America in January and acquired three further titles — Red Eagle, directed by Thailand’s Wisit Sasanatieng; Hong Kong thriller Murderer; and Taiwanese action feature Treasure Hunter. It is also in negotiations with Toho Studios to acquire Japanese drama Confessions, directed by Tetsuya Nakashima. “We hope to reinvigorate the


[North American] market for Asian cinema by bringing in a new generation of viewers and building a sustainable environ- ment for the business,” explained Kwok. All the films are being lined up


for theatrical release, though Kwok and Mori acknowledge the difficulty of securing releases in North America for Asian product. Therefore, in some cases the cin- ema release will be designed to drive sales to ancillary platforms. On the ancillary front, CAR is partnering with DVD and VoD players including Funimation and Gravitas Ventures. Kwok and Mori will also con-


tinue to work on their separate slates of productions. Mori is in pre-production on US-Japan pro- duction Falling, to be directed by Frank Lin, while Kwok’s Malay- sian action film Bunohan is in post-production.


Chaw


BY JEANNOH Korean sales company FineCut has closed two deals for Korean titles in Japan. King Records has picked up the


creature feature Chaw after previ- ously acquiring Bedevilled from FineCut. Japanese distributor Fine Films also added the Korean hit romantic drama Cyrano Agency to its spring line-up. According to King Records, the


March 26 theatrical release of Bedevilled in Japan will proceed as planned. “Despite the recent dis-


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FineCut sells Chaw, Cyrano to Japan


asters that are happening in Japan, the Japanese film industry remains committed,” said FineCut in a statement. “Although many theatres in Japan have temporarily closed since the earthquake that occurred on March 11, the ones that are still capable are playing films between the blackouts.” According to FineCut, 71 — Into


The Fire (Kadokawa Shoten) and I Saw The Devil (Broadmedia Stu- dios) are among the Korean films which are still running in theatres in Japan.


Emperor conjures up slate led by The Great Magician


BY LIZ SHACKLETON Emperor Motion Pictures (EMP) has unveiled a slate of productions, headed by Derek Yee’s period mys- tery The Great Magician starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai. The $15m film revolves around


a master illusionist in the early 1900s who uses magic tricks to save his country and win back the woman he loves. It marks the third collaboration between Leung and Yee, and the first in more than 20


years, following The Lunatics (1986) and The People’s Hero (1988). Currently in production, the film is co-produced by EMP and China’s Bona Film Group. EMP is also producing Dante


Lam’s thriller The Viral Factor, about a super virus which threatens the world. In pre-production, the film is gearing up for an interna- tional shoot in Hong Kong, Malay- sia and Jordan. Jay Chou, Nicholas Tse and Andy On head the cast.


Perfect World starts 33 Days


BY SCREENSTAFF Perfect World Culture, the enter- tainment branch of Chinese online-games operator Perfect World, has begun production on romantic comedy 33 Days Out Of Love (working title) with Teng Huatao (The Matrimony) direct- ing and Wen Zhang (Ocean Heaven) in the lead role. Shooting started late last week


on the contemporary romantic comedy which is an adaptation of author Bao Jingjing’s novel of the same title. The book was a 2009 bestseller in China, shifting more


Asia Bridge kicks off with Panda


Asia Bridge, a new Taipei, Beijing and Los Angeles-based sales and production team, arrives at Filmart with China-Germany co-production Little Big Panda. Produced by Beijing-based


Yishang Media and German Asset Films, the 3D animation was


written and directed by veteran Greg Manwaring, who was an animator on this year’s Oscar nominee The Illusionist. The film grossed more than


$6.06m (RMB40m) in China when it was released during the Chinese New Year holidays.


n 4 Screen International at Filmart/HAF/HKIFF March 21, 2011


than 110,000 copies; it is seen as the Chinese version of Bridget Jones’s Diary. It tells the story of a young woman in Beijing after her boyfriend betrays her and she faces a career crisis in her wed- ding-planning company. Perfect World Culture is known


for co-producing Zhang Ziyi-star- rer Sophie’s Revenge with Korean giant CJ Entertainment in 2009. The romantic comedy broke the $15m mark at the box office and the company now plans to estab- lish a brand for making romantic comedies.


Asia Bridge is a new consortium


led by founders Steve Chicorel (Taipei), James MacLean (Los Angeles) and Christopher Dehau Lee (Beijing). Chicorel continues in his


position as a distribution executive for Taiwan’s Double Edge Entertainment, which is currently selling concert film 3DNA. Screen Staff


Kim Yun-seok Gianna Jun


Choi assembles stars for Macao-set heist picture


BY JEANNOH South Korean director Choi Dong- hoon is putting together a top- flight cast for his upcoming The Professionals, starting with Kim Yun-seok (The Yellow Sea), Gianna Jun (Blood: The Last Vampire), Kim Hye-su (Tazza: The High Rollers) and Lee Jung-jae (The Housemaid). Formerly known as The Thieves,


the film is about a group of Korea’s five top thieves, consisting of con artists, safecrackers and acrobats, who receive an irresistible offer from their ex-boss Macao Park. Together with four of the best thieves from Hong Kong, they are to steal a $20m blue diamond


known as ‘Tear of the Sun’ from a casino in Macau. Casting for Chi- nese characters is under way. Investor/distributor Showbox


Mediaplex sees The Professionals as another potential blockbuster from hit-maker Choi Dong-hoon — with major Korean and Chi- nese stars. The film is produced by Ahn


Soo-hyun’s Caper Film. Ahn’s credits include Thirst and You Are My Sunshine. The multi-lingual film, dubbed


‘an Asian Ocean’s Eleven’, will begin production this May in Macao, Hong Kong and Korea. The tentative delivery date is set for December.


Also on EMP’s slate is Lu


Chuan’s previously announced The Last Supper, a co-production with Beijing-based Stellar Group, starring Liu Ye, Chang Chen and Daniel Wu. The film follows the political intrigues which culmi- nated in the legendary Hongmen Banquet prior to the Han Dynasty. EMP is also producing two con-


temporary dramas — Heiward Mak’s Diva, about two young female singers striving for fame,


and romantic comedy Mr & Mrs Single, directed by Patrick Kong and starring Eason Chan, Harlem Yu and René Liu. “We’re excited about the diver-


sity our present line-up offers, from modern-day romantic com- edies to international thrillers and period mysteries,” said EMP CEO Albert Lee. “Naturally we’ll be looking to add to these when we come across other projects with potential as the year goes on.”


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