Sino Silver Screen: Filming of ‘355’ With Fan Bingbing Begins; British Rom-Com ‘Yesterday’ Scores Aug 16 Release

This post comes courtesy of our content partners at China Film Insider.

British Rom-Com ‘Yesterday’ Scores Aug 16 China Release

Yesterday, a 2019 romantic comedy film produced by Universal Pictures, has been set to release in China on Aug 16. The film opened in North America last Friday and raked in RMB 12 million at the box office during the weekend, exceeding many industry experts’ expectations. In addition to box office success, the film has also been well-received critically, boasting an admirable score of 90 percent on film rating aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. The film centers around a struggling musician who, after an accident, finds himself the only person who remembers The Beatles. Directed by Danny Boyle, the film is written by Richard Curtis and stars Himesh Patel, Lily James, and Ed Sheeran.

Read more on Mtime.

3D Animated Film ‘The Little Vampire’ Set for Jul 12 China Release

The Little Vampire 3D, a 2017 3D animated adventure comedy, has been given a Chinese release date of Jul 12. The German-Dutch film was imported by China Film Group and will be distributed by Huaxia Film. Based on the children’s book series of the same name by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg, the film is about a boy who tries to save a young vampire and his family from a ruthless vampire hunter.

Read more on Mtime.

Filming of ‘355’ Starts with Fan Bingbing in the Cast

Jessica Chastain recently announced via her Instagram that the filming of spy thriller 355 had begun. French actress Marion Cotillard will no longer participate, but Chinese actress Fan Bingbing remains in the cast despite her recent tax evasion scandal. Other cast members include Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong’o, Penélope Cruz, Sebastian Stan, and Edgar Ramirez. Directed by Simon Kinberg, the film tells the story of a group of top female agents who unite to prevent the world from falling into chaos.

Read more on Mtime.

‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ Confirmed to Release in China

It has been confirmed that the upcoming computer-animated comedy film The Angry Birds Movie 2 will be brought to China for theatrical release, though a release date has yet to be announced. The sequel to 2016's The Angry Birds Movie, the film will feature the voices of Josh Gad, Jason Sudeikis, Danny McBride, and Peter Dinklage, among others. Josh Gad also dubbed the 2017 film A Dog’s Purpose, which was a hit movie in the China market.

Read more on Mtime.

Feng Xiaogang Wraps Filming of His New Film in New Zealand

After two months of shooting, renowned Chinese director Feng Xiaogang has announced the completion of his latest film Only Yun Knows (只有芸知道) in New Zealand. Starring Huang Xuan and Yang Caiyu, the film tells a love story based on true life events of a friend of Feng Xiaogang’s. Huang Xuan was a lead actor in Feng Xiaogang’s Youth, making Only Yun Knows their second collaboration.

Read more on Mtime.

Web Drama Series ‘The Longest Day in Chang’an’ to Release Internationally 

Chinese web drama series The Longest Day in Chang’an is now playing online in China. According to official sources, the series will also hit multiple overseas markets soon with releases in several Asian countries, such as Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia, accompanied by releases on Viki, Amazon, and YouTube for paying users, making it the first Chinese show to hit all three platforms as paid content. Based on a novel of the same name, the show is a period piece set during China's Tang dynasty and tells the story of friendship, brotherhood, betrayal, and loyalty during this tumultuous time.

Read more on Mtime.

Warner Brothers to Participate in China Joy For The First Time

On Jul 2, a press conference was held for the upcoming 17th China Joy (China Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference). At the conference, it was announced that this year’s China Joy will take place Aug 2-5 in Shanghai. One highlight of this year’s China Joy is the use of a WeChat mini-program to help participants navigate the event as well as provide detailed event info and allow attendees to connect with each other and share info. In addition, the mini-program will become an OMO platform for China Joy to develop new business models and help participating companies use the platform to plan and organize their own events. Warner Brothers is set to participate in the event for the first time and will prepare various themed exhibitions to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Batman.

Read more on National Business Daily.

READ: Your Must-Watch Movie List for July

Images: Hollywood Reporter, courtesy of China Film Insider