China Video Streamer iQIYI Stands Still After Cutting Content Investment

Germany’s Constantin Film has issued an apology over dialogue in its feature game adaptation Monster Hunter which led to an online backlash in China this weekend, and subsequently resulted in the movie being pulled from Middle Kingdom cinemas.

Refresh for latest…: Sunday’s international box office reporting looks vastly different to what was expected coming into the weekend. A Friday gross that portended a high-teens launch for Monster Hunter in China was quickly thwarted when local authorities pulled the feature game adaptation from the country’s cinemas.

An online backlash that swirled in China on Friday over a scene in Monster Hunter has resulted in the movie being pulled from the country’s cinemas. The Paul WS Anderson-directed feature game adaptation had been eyeing the market as one of its biggest plays, but a short exchange in the film has been perceived as racist by local audiences, and led to its run being abruptly halted late yesterday, the first day of its official launch.

Ellise Shafer editor“Black Panther” star Letitia Wright has deleted her Twitter account after receiving backlash regarding a video she posted on the platform Thursday night.The video, which was from the YouTube channel “On The Table,” questions the legitimacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. It also appears skeptical of climate change, accuses China of spreading COVID-19 and includes transphobic comments.

The new movie Monster Hunter doesn’t come out in theaters in the U.S. until Christmas Day, but it was just released in China and now has been pulled from theaters amid controversy.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefGanesh Rajaram is an old hand at the game of licensing TV shows in the Asia region. Executive VP of sales at FremantleMedia, he breaks down what content is working, and where it is working, and sheds some light from a seller’s perspective on the impact of the coronavirus.Variety: It’s ATF this week. What is the new product you’ve got out there? Rajaram: What we’re excited about ATF would be our doing the seventh season of “China’s Got Talent” which we announced

Vivienne Chow Chinese companies unveiled a slate of high production value drama series ranging from historical war epics to contemporary shows set against the backdrop of modern cityscapes to lure foreign buyers at Singapore’s Asia TV Forum (ATF) on Tuesday.Presented as part of the China Pavilion, the 30-minute showcase streamed at the virtual ATF and highlighted six series.

Vivienne Chow A new dramatic series revolving around China’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic is featured in the market screenings of Singapore’s Asia TV Forum (ATF). The series takes pride of place as part of the Middle Kingdom’s most elaborate presence at virtual markets this year.“With You” is a 20-episode anthological drama series featuring 10 fact-based stories about Chinese civilians’ battle against the coronavirus outbreak, said organizers.

Universal's The Croods: A New Age was the decisive winner of a competitive three-way race at China's box office over the weekend, topping both holdover local hit Caught in Time and the latest release from venerated Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou. Croods 2 opened in China to a healthy $19.2 million, which was $5 million more than its five-day holiday start in North America.

ViacomCBS’s UK broadcaster Channel 5 and PBS Masterpiece have confirmed that period veterinary drama All Creatures Great And Small will return for a second six-part season.

DreamWorks Animation/Universal’s The Croods: A New Age looks set to lead the weekend in China where the cume an estimated $11.6M through its first two days, and pre-sales are solid. This portends an FSS frame of $20M, per Uni, with family uptick throught the weekend . Six other markets are also getting a first look at the prehistoric family pic that’s directed by Joel Crawford, and are expected to round out the global session total to $21.3M.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefHit variety TV show “China’s Got Talent” has been renewed for a seventh season and will be produced by Shanghai Canxing Culture and Media for Star China Media.The “Got Talent” property was created by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment, with the international rights represented by Fremantle. The two companies are the format’s co-owners.“ ‘China’s Got Talent’ is renowned for discovering new and incredible local talent.