SPE CEO Tony Vinciquerra On ‘Venom’ Move, Talent Deals, China; Says “There Are Probably Too Many Film Studios”

Guy Lodge Film CriticWhile Western cinema all too often equates film noir with retro pastiche and period fare, Chinese filmmakers continue to sustain the genre in bracingly contemporary, socially relevant ways — often sneaking a wealth of political and economic commentary past censors and straight into their sleek underworld narratives.

Rebecca Davis editorChina’s box office slowed to one of its lowest points of the year this week, bringing in a total of just $24.6 million over the three-day weekend, the last before the break-out of patriotic National Day holiday blockbusters arriving Sept.

On Friday, “Shang-Chi” passed the $183.4 million domestic run of “Black Widow” to become the highest grossing film in North America since the pandemic began, and this week it is set to become the first film since “Bad Boys for Life” in February 2020 to reach the $200 million mark.

Rebecca Davis editorFollowing a dismal summer, China’s box office over this year’s three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday hit its lowest point since 2014.Chinese citizens had to work on Saturday, Sept. 18, but enjoyed a three-day vacation for the holiday from Sept.

Rebecca Davis editorA battalion of producers and stars worked the opening night red carpet of the Beijiing Intl. Film Festival Tuesday for the world premiere of their mammoth Chinese war film “The Battle of Changjin Lake,” which is expected to rank amongst China’s highest grossing films of the year.The nearly three-hour-long historical epic is a grind through the blood, sweat and tears of the real-life People’s Volunteer Army as they fight against all odds to defeat the U.S.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentBeijing-based distributor Hugoeast Media has acquired Chinese distribution rights to Cannes Directors’ Fortnight player ‘The Tale of King Crab,’ the first feature venture into narrative fiction of Italian filmmakers Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis.Hugoeast Media plans a limited theatrical release in Chinese theaters in the course of 2022.The deal with Hugoeast Media was closed by the international sales arm of France’s Shellac.

Rebecca Davis editorFollowing a string of celebrity scandals, Chinese officials have told young filmmakers entering China’s top film school that their foremost task is to develop the “moral cultivation” necessary to further China’s rise in the world.The Beijing Film Academy, cradle of the country’s top filmmaking talent, last week opened a major new campus in the capital’s northern Huairou district, an hour’s drive outside the urban center.

Rebecca Davis editor“Free Guy” has retained enough charm to stay at second in China in its fourth weekend in theaters, but it slid in just a mere hair ahead of Chinese titles setting themselves up for box office success over the current Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.The 20th Century Studios film starring Ryan Reynolds grossed $4.8 million in the three days of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, bringing its China cumulative so far up to $85.1 million, according to data from  consultancy Artisan

Emiliano De Pablos Mexico’s Sin Sitio Cine is joining forces with Brazilian company Desvia Produções and Canada’s Notable Content to co-produce Johnny Ma’s project “Chin-Gone.”A major up and coming Chinese-Canadian helmer, Ma’s directorial debut, “Old Stone,” world-premiered at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival and won the Canadian First Feature Award at the Toronto Film Festival.

Marvel movie ever.“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Marvel's first Asian superhero movie, has earned an estimated $320.6 million worldwide. The only trouble for “Shang-Chi” thus far is a lack of a release date in China, which hasn't cleared the film for release in the country, the world's largest but highly censored film market.While “Shang-Chi” is playing only in theaters, Warner Bros.

Critical and audience acclaim, combined with its status as a theatrically exclusive film, has turned “Shang-Chi” into a film that has not only been the biggest boost to theaters in months but has also convinced Disney to commit to theatrical exclusivity for the remainder of the year. It is also now on track to become the first film since the shutdown to gross $200 million in North America.

Deadline has confirmed that Legendary/Warner Bros.’ Dune will be opening day-and-date with the U.S. in China on Oct. 22 while Daniel Craig’s swan song as James Bond, No Time to Die, will open on Oct. 29.

Rebecca Davis editorAfter months with few significant new Hollywood releases, both “Dune” and ‘No Time to Die’ finalized their China opening dates on Sunday, officially confirming their outing in the world’s largest film market at a time when other major studio titles have been given the cold shoulder.The two films will hit in successive October weekends. “Dune” will land on Oct.

her US Open triumph.  The teenage sensation - tipped to make £20million in the next two years alone due to her global appeal - has launched an official account with Chinese microblogging site Weibo, with her first video attracting more than a million views in an hour.

' undisputed standout is Morris, a faceless lump with wings, six legs and the heart of a champion.Morris is an unwitting expat from the realm of Ta Lo, who finds himself on a buddy adventure with Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery. Though unlike anything you've probably seen onscreen, he is based on a being that has existed since ancient Chinese mythology.

Rebecca Davis editorAs the days stretch on without any word of a China release for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” there are increasingly slim odds that residents of the world’s largest film market will get to see Marvel’s first Asian superhero on the big screen.Those odds have grown slimmer still after jingoistic social media users unearthed content featuring “Shang-Chi” star Simu Liu that they say “insults China.” In the country’s current political climate, the accusations could