News on Entertainment & Culture in China

Back to college
Delayed by five years, Zhang Ziyi movie has become a box office hit
Jan 26, 2018 (WiC 395)

Jessica Biel, Jake Gyllenhaal and James Brolin starred and David O Russell directed. Yet in spite of a bankable cast and an experienced director it turned out to be one of the most delayed films in recent Hollywood history. Originally titled ...

Luke-warm response
Why the latest Star Wars sequel has struggled at the Chinese box office
Jan 19, 2018 (WiC 394)

“The Force” did not seem to be with Star Wars when it returned to the Middle Kingdom for the third time at the beginning of 2018 – so much so that 92% of the film’s Chinese screen time was pulled after a tepid debut. The ...

Rap sheet
An alleged affair sees a top rapper pilloried by state media and lose deals
Jan 12, 2018 (WiC 393)

The divorce between actor Wang Baoqiang and his wife was arguably the biggest celebrity scandal to grip China in 2016. For much of last year nothing came close to the social media fervour Wang caused by publicly shaming his wife (who’d cheated ...

Price of clean air
Beijing’s pollution fight fuels gas supply shortage
Jan 5, 2018 (WiC 392)

What do freezing children, a Lycra shortage and arrests for burning coal have in common? The answer: they were all part of China’s drive to meet cleaner air targets in 2017. The good news is that in Beijing, at least, the ambitious goal was ...

Generation gap
Older moviegovers help Feng’s film top New Year box office
Jan 5, 2018 (WiC 392)

Steven Spielberg has become known for crowd-pleasing commercial blockbusters like Indiana Jones and E.T. as well as weighty dramas such as Saving Private Ryan and Lincoln. In fact, the prolific director could ...

One-hit wonder
Are there too many girl bands in China ?
Jan 5, 2018 (WiC 392)

One dream, nine friends, three core beliefs, one heart. That’s the explanation for how Guangzhou girl band 1931 got its name. But three years on and the dream is already over. Last month YY Media, the company that created 1931, announced the ...

Make or break with Mulan
Casting controversy over another version of one of China's favourite tales
Dec 8, 2017 (WiC 391)

Actress Vicki Zhao first tackled the role in 2009. So did China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan in an opera. And last week, Disney announced that local actress Liu Yifei will be the latest to play Mulan. Its forthcoming film of the same name – ...

Logical steps
Firms bet on eSports business
Dec 8, 2017 (WiC 391)

The year 2022 will be an eventful one for sport in China. Beijing will host the Winter Olympics, making it the first city to have hosted both the Summer and Winter games. Hangzhou will play host to the Asian Games as well. Continuing the theme of ...

The golden ticket
Online ticket platforms seen as crucial link for ‘pan-entertainment’ kings
Dec 1, 2017 (WiC 390)

The end of 2017 may still be 30 days away but China’s media regulator seems keen to bring on the holiday cheer. Last week, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) announced that as of November 20, ...

Shanghai surprise
Top Victoria’s Secret models fail to make show as China withholds visas
Nov 24, 2017 (WiC 389)

The 2017 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, filmed on Monday in Shanghai, was full of milestones: it was the first time it was held outside the US and Europe and had the most diverse runway ever with a record number of Chinese models (eight in ...

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