Imax China Loses $26 Million But Claims to Be Strengthened Post-Pandemic

Rebecca Davis editorChinese director Zhang Yimou’s stylish, snowy spy thriller “Impasse” is set to debut in China over the May 1 Labor Day weekend, joining what will be an unusually competitive line-up.“Impasse” was supposed to hit screens last year, but its release was pushed back to this upcoming April 30 due to the pandemic.

Rebecca Davis editorThe “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy will be re-released successively in Chinese theaters throughout April in restored 4K, Imax and 3D versions, just in time for the 20th anniversary of the first movie’s China debut.The re-runs come just after James Cameron’s 12-year-old “Avatar” returned to Chinese screens on March 12 for an unexpected box office boost that has allowed it to regain its title as the highest-grossing film in movie history, stealing the crown back from

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“The Six,” a documentary film shining a searchlight on the little-known Chinese aspects of the familiar Titanic story is headed for theatrical release next month in the Middle Kingdom.

Yufan Lu. She’s discussing her new photo project, Make Me Beautiful – a brutal and devastating deep dive into cosmetic surgery culture in her home country.

Warner Music and Tencent Music Entertainment Group said Tuesday that they have expanded their long-running licensing relationship while also partnering on a new joint venture record label targeting the China market. A dominant player in digital music in China, Tencent Music has been licensing songs from Warner Music for over a decade.

Meghan McCain apologized on Monday after John Oliver singled out past remarks she made on The View in aLast Week Tonight segment on anti-Asian violence and the shootings in Atlanta. "I condemn the reprehensible violence and vitriol that has been targeted towards the Asian-American community," The View co-host said in a tweet after the Sunday episode of Oliver's HBO show excerpted her past comments.

Rebecca Davis editorJames Cameron’s “Avatar” once again led the China box office this weekend, with sales of $14 million over the three-day period.The 2009 film has held its own as the top title every day since its March 12 re-release in China. It has grossed a total of $44 million so far, ten days into its re-run.

inaccurate, Americanized version of one of the most beloved tales in Chinese culture.

Rebecca Davis editorTop Chinese director Feng Xiaogang will step in front of the camera alongside Chinese-American actor-director Joan Chen in a local adaptation of the 2009 Hollywood tearjerker “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale,” which began shooting Thursday.It is currently set to premiere on New Year’s Eve.Feng is best known for his work as a director on films such as “Youth,” “I Am Not Madame Bovary” and “Cellphone,” but he has also frequently taken on acting roles, with his most recent starring role in

Naman Ramachandran A new documentary from Bhutan will share the Himalayan Buddhist kingdom’s unique philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH) with the world.Bhutan’s King Jigme Singye Wangchuk came up with the phrase in 1972 when he said that GNH is more important than Gross Domestic Product.

Rebecca Davis editorLegendary documentarian Wang Bing is at HAF this year with his new project “I Come from Ikotun,” which follows two Nigerian families with a foothold in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou over the course of the pandemic.Known for his epically long, unflinching works that have previously tackled sensitive issues like China’s brutal re-education camps, Wang will this time turn his lens on a more cross-cultural subject.

Sharon Osbourne is being accused of using racist and homophobic language against her  co-hosts in a new report.The latest allegations came in a story published by journalist Yashar Ali on Tuesday.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefChinese indie sales agency Blossoms Entertainment returns to FilMart with a slate of large-scale commercial pictures sourced from a clutch of China’s biggest film studios.The agency, operated by former IM Global staffers Vicky Ding and Leslie Chen, is pre-selling “Railway Heroes,” a tale of heroism and wartime sabotage which is targeting a National Day release in October.

You know it’s a good week on Real Time when the two stories that have consumed the week’s news — the accusations against Andrew Cuomo and the accusations against the Royal Family — take a backseat to weightier topics such as crony capitalism and the hegemony of China.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefGiant-screen cinema company Imax and Greater China exhibition company Broadway have struck a deal to build four additional Imax theaters in mainland China’s biggest city Shanghai. The agreement means that Imax is on course to have close to 1,000 venues in operation in mainland China.All four downtown Shanghai sites will adopt top-end laser technology.

Rebecca Davis editorChina’s top law-making body will consider this week a popular proposition to ban actors who have used drugs from entertainment industry for life at its annual weeklong meeting, which kicked off Friday.The National People’s Congress, the country’s rubber stamp parliament, counts some 3,000 professionals from across the country as delegates, including directors Jia Zhangke, Feng Xiaogang and Chen Kaige, as well as Jackie Chan and Yao Ming.

Imax posted lower revenues during its fourth quarter, compared to pre-pandemic 2019, but an Asian box office resurgence helped the giant screen exhibitor offset a continuing hit to its North American theaters from the COVID-19 crisis. On Thursday, Imax reported a loss attributable to shareholders at $21.2 million, compared to a year-earlier profit of $18.2 million, and the adjusted loss per share was 21 cents, compared with a 35 cents-per-share profit in 2019.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaImax’s quarterly revenue beat Wall Street’s expectations even as its losses were steeper than expected. The theater company reported revenues of $56 million, a 55% drop from the prior-year quarter’s revenues of $124.3 million.

Imax sales slumped last quarter but beat Wall Street estimates and it swung to a loss. The stock popped in late trading as the company highlighted a strong box office in China and Japan, upbeat outlook and continued sales of its big-screen systems despite the pandemic.

Pierre Morel’s upcoming action thrillerThe Blacksmith, which recently lost its star Nick Jonas due to a scheduling conflict, has a deal in place for the important China market. Beijing-based distributor Infotainment China Media picked up rights to the film ahead of Berlin's European Film Market and plans to stick with the project despite the casting change-up.