HOT PROJECTS Chinese Zodiac
Jackie Chan directs and stars in this globe-trotting action adventure sched- uled for release in both regular and Imax versions on December 12, 2012. Pro- duced by Chan’s JG Group, Huayi Bros and Emperor Motion Pictures, the fi lm was shot in Beijing and France in loca- tions including Chateau de Chantilly and Musée Condé. The story is under wraps but is understood to revolve around a global search for ancient treas- ure related to China’s history. Int’l sales Jackie & JJ International, Ramy Choi
ramychoi@gmail.com
Cold War Diva
strong local fl avour, Ann Hui’s A Simple Life, scooped the best actress award at last year’s Venice fi lm festival. But by the end of the year, a Taiwanese fi lm, Gid- dens Ko’s You Are The Apple Of My Eye, had smashed the record set by the big- gest ever Hong Kong fi lm on home ter- ritory, Stephen Chow’s 2004 Kung-Fu Hustle. Released last October, Apple fi nished
on a tally of nearly $8m at the Hong Kong box office, overtaking Hustle’s $7.9m (HK$61.3m). Its success high- lighted the recent resurgence of Taiwan- ese cinema and raised many questions among Hong Kong film executives about their future strategy. For several years now, Hong Kong
has focused on producing big-budget titles aimed at the mainland China mar- ket — among those expected this year are Jackie Chan’s Chinese Zodiac, Stephen Chow’s Journey To The West and Soi Cheang’s The Monkey King. Hong Kong audiences often reject
■ 4 Screen International March 2012
Tuning in to demand T
Hong Kong producers are debating future strategy in the face of regional competition and the booming mainland market. Liz Shackleton reports
he past year has been full of con- tradictions for Hong Kong’s local production sector. A fi lm with a
such titles due to their strong mainland content, but it is becoming more diffi - cult than ever to produce smaller titles specifi cally for Hong Kong. The boom- ing mainland market is driving up demand for Hong Kong talent, making actors and directors prohibitively expen- sive, but even a medium-budget film has little chance of recouping in a terri- tory of just 7 million people.
Meanwhile, Taiwan is also benefit- ting from the opening of the mainland market, and in addition has proactive local government support, resulting in an unexpected source of competition for Hong Kong.
Nevertheless, Hong Kong remains a professional, transparent and outward-looking production hub in what is increasingly becoming a pan-Chinese mar- ket. As the list of upcoming projects (right) testifies, Hong Kong producers and talent will continue to sell tickets and win accolades, not just locally but at an international level, for some time to come.
s
Hong Kong remains a
professional,
transparent and outward-looking production hub
Bill Kong’s Edko Films and his new tal- ent venture, Irresistible Films, are pro- ducing this police action film which kicks off with a hostage situation where the Hong Kong police realise they are dealing with a much more dangerous opponent than they originally thought. Directed by Longman Leung and Sunny Luk, the film has a budget of around $9m and stars Aaron Kwok and Tony Leung Ka-fai. It is tentatively scheduled for release in May. Int’l sales Edko Films, June Wu
wujune@edkofilm.com.hk
Diva
One of Hong Kong’s hottest up-and- coming female directors, Heiward Mak, directs this drama about two young singers navigating the rocky roads of fame and romance. Chapman To, who produced Mak’s youth drama Ex, is again producing and the cast is headed by Joey Yung. Mak’s credits as director also include High Noon and she co- scripted Love In A Puff with Pang Ho Cheung. Diva is in post-production for a release in the third quarter of 2012. Int’l sales Emperor Motion Pictures, May Yip
script
mayyip@emp.hk
Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains
Cold War
Andy Lau, Lin Chi-ling, Tong Dawei and Zhang Jingchu star in this $20m action adventure that is filming in China, Dubai, Italy and Japan. Directed by Sun Jianjun, it revolves around a gang of thieves who attempt to steal a famous Chinese landscape painting, Dwelling »
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