Imax Revenues Get Lift From China Moviegoing Revival, but COVID-19 Takes a Toll

Kate Garraway has opened up on how her husband Derek Draper has been “physically changed” after losing eight stone during his year-long hospital stay. Good Morning Britain star Kate, 53, previously revealed that Derek has lost eight stone in just six months following his coronavirus battle.

Kate Garraway has heartbreakingly said her husband Derek Draper's brain is "not his friend" as he continues to battle complications due to coronavirus.The 53 year old's husband has been in hospital for a year after contracting the illness, with doctors admitting they are unsure of what state he may return to. Good Morning Britain host Kate has made a documentary about her husband's battle, and took to Thursday's episode of The One Show to give an update about his health.

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

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefA North American rights deal for mainland Chinese fantasy action film ‘God of War II, was one of several film sales deals struck by Hong Kong’s Media Asia at the recent European Film Market and the ongoing FilMart.Directed by Cai Cong, and starring Charles Lin, Liu Yuxi and David Wu, the film was completed in 2020.

Kate Garraway has revealed her financial struggles when husband Derek Draper was struck down by Covid-19.Kate was left without food over Christmas when she was unable to visit a supermarket because she was isolating ahead of her planned visit to her husband Derek in hospital.She was struggling until Voice presenter Emma Willis sent her a luxury Marks and Spencer hamper to help her over the festive period.Kate had been unable to get a supermarket delivery slot to her family home where she was

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.

gamesindustry.biz, explored the impact loot boxes have on the spending habits of gamers, with 5 percent of all gamers purchasing the boxes by 2025. This accounts for around 230 million people.The majority of these loot boxes will be purchased by people living in the Far East and China, according to the projections, with North America coming up behind.In 2020 alone, the randomised boxes generated revenue of $15billion (£10.8billion), seeing another 5 percent jump from the year before.

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.

Seemingly out of nowhere, James Cameron is back at the multiplex —but only in China. China's Film Bureau has approved a surprise plan for the director's 2009 sci-fi epic Avatar to get a wide re-release in the country on Friday, according to two sources at Chinese movie theater companies, which were informed of the arrangements.

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.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefImax China, the supplier of giant screen cinema facilities and services in Greater China, is one of the purest plays on the mainland Chinese movie exhibition market available to investors.

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.

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.

Clayton Davis Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories.

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.

Mairead Ronan has spoken about her ‘incredibly frustrating’ time with COVID-19 which struck her family twice.