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Exclusive: Hong Kong-based producer Tsui Hark has boarded the ship as partner and co-producer of the Chinese pirate epic Shih, Queen of the Sea. Hark will partner with Anthony McCarten, Dakota Group and Facing East.

McCarten, whose biopic scripts range from Bohemian Rhapsody to The Theory of Everything, The Two Popes, Darkest Hour and numerous others, has here written the script about Shih Yang, aka Cheng I Sao, who dominated the South China Sea during the Qing Dynasty. Born into poverty, she worked on a “flower boat” brothel where she met the notorious pirate leader Cheng Yi, joining him at sea. Upon his death in 1807, she assumed full command of the fearsome Red Flag Fleet, commanding over 1,800 pirate ships and an estimated 80,000 pirates. By comparison, Blackbeard commanded four ships and 300 pirates within the same century. Shih instigated sweeping reforms to the rules of piracy, ordering execution for rape or marital...

Michael Cudlitz and Jake Abel and have signed on to star alongside Zhang Hanyu and Vivienne Tien (Be Yourself) in Unspoken, a dramatic feature from writer-director Daming Chen that is now in production.

Unspoken tells the story of Xu (Zhang), an estranged father separated from his deaf daughter and her new life at an American university, whose murder reunites them in a way neither could have foreseen. The tragedy pierces Xu with grief and guilt that he couldn’t be present to protect his child. An ex-cop himself, he becomes convinced the local authorities are pursuing the wrong suspect – and that racism is compromising the investigation.

With a young Chinese translator in tow (Tien), who is navigating her own challenging path as a young immigrant, Xu sets out to learn what really happened to his daughter.

Action star Sammo Hung will take the helm of the production of “Seven Little Fortunes,” a feature film re-telling Hung’s childhood story where he and a generation of Hong Kong action movie icons such as Jackie Chan were coached by their mentor, Peking opera master Yu Jim-yuen.

Co-produced by Yuen Biao Films Production, Beijing Renxing Film Media Culture and Quanton Times Pictures, Hung will be the chief director of the film penned by Raymond To (“I Have A Date With Spring”). Yuen Biao, who also trained under master Yu, will executive produce the project.

Starring Tony Leung Ka-fai the film is expected to have a production budget of RMB50-100 million ($7.7 -$15.5 million). Shooting is expected to start in March 2022. International sales have not yet been determined.

Known as a strict teacher, Yu was the master of the China Drama Academy, a Peking opera school in Hong Kong in...

Director Tsui Hark (The Taking of Tiger Mountain) brings back the popular hero in the smash hit wuxia fantasy franchise for Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings, coming to digital, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD November 13 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Set during the Tang dynasty, the third film in the action-packed, martial arts franchise finds the intrepid detective defending himself from the Empress while looking to recover a magical weapon. Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings has Mark Chao (Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon) returning in the title role, with Feng Shaofeng (The Monkey King franchise),  Lin Gengxin (The Taking of Tiger Mountain),  Ethan Juan (The Guillotines),  Ma Sichun (Goldbuster) and  Carina Lau (Detective Dee franchise) rounding out the cast.

A bold and exciting new entry into the smash hit wuxia fantasy franchise from master action director Tsui Hark, Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings sees...

For the first time, all three of Tsui Hark’s (“The Taking of Tiger Mountain”) Detective Dee films are available in one awesome collection exclusively at Walmart on November 13. The bold and exciting smash hit wuxia fantasy franchise from master action director Tsui Hark tell the story of Detective Dee, one of the most celebrated officials of the Tang Dynasty, who is tasked by the Empress to solve a series of inexplicable murders and mysteries.

Included in the collection are “Young Detective Dee: Rise Of The Sea Dragon” (Well Go USA), “Detective Dee And The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame” (Shout Factory) and “Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings” (Well Go USA). The collection sells for $34.98 Srp.

Detective Dee And The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame (2010)

A bizarre mystery brings together the most powerful woman in China. The soon-to-be-Empress Wu Zetian (Carina Lau) and a formerly exiled detective, Dee Renjie...

Leung will be handling international sales on Venice title Jinpa and Jingle Ma’s Euro Raiders for Block 2.

Wong Kar Wai’s Block 2 Distribution Co is moving into international distribution with the appointment of Virginia Leung as head of international sales.

Leung started her career with Hong Kong-based Media Asia in 1995 and later worked in international sales at Universe Films Distribution and Mandarin Films.

In 2008, she joined the newly-launched Distribution Workshop as sales chief, working on titles such as A Simple Life, The Taking Of Tiger Mountain and Operation Mekong. She left the company earlier this year when its international operations relocated to Taiwan.

Sorcery and delusions of power are the dominant themes of “Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings,” the third and most spectacular of the Chinese franchise about a real-life sleuth of the Tang dynasty. This time the hero uncovers a court conspiracy in which conjurers of illusions play a deadly role, a pretext for director Tsui Hark to run amok with visual effects while slipping in his usual political innuendoes about Machiavellianism and mind-control. On the level of pure popcorn entertainment, there’s not a thing one can fault the 3D megabuster for, and it should steamroll other domestic competition in the summer domestic market while satisfying Tsui’s longtime followers.

At 68, the Hong Kong genre maestro’s childlike imagination and technical inventiveness seems inexhaustible. The script, co-written by Tsui with Chang Chialu, who also teamed up for the last two chapters of the franchise (“Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom...

Tsui Hark’s third action-comedy fantasy about the Tang dynasty-era investigator has creaky effects and a lack of logic but its energy is undeniable

This Chinese blockbuster, the third in a series, is an improvement on 2011’s Mystery of the Phantom Flame but doesn’t make enough advances to have Hollywood quaking in its Louboutins yet. Mark Chao shows flashes of wry charisma as Dee Renjie, the semi-mythical Tang dynasty official who, as head of the “Bureau of Investigations”, is styled here as half-Sherlock, half Q-style gadget man, signed off with a neat Poirot-ish tache. Dee finds himself in a tight spot when Emperor Gaozong presents him with the mighty Dragon-Taming Mace and instructions to protect the kingdom from scheming Empress Wu (Carina Lau); she hires a group of mystics from the jiang hu underworld, ancient China’s equivalent of the dodgy boozer, to take it back.

Tsui Hark,...

Legendary director Tsui Hark returns to direct the third film in the immensely successful series, which has racked up over Usd$200m at the box office and bagged 20+ major award nominations with a star-studded cast that is just as award-worthy. “Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings” is coming to UK cinemas 27th July. Keep updated online: www.DetectiveDee3.com

Synopsis

Detective Dee (Mark Chao) is appointed by Emperor Gaozong to protect the Tang Dynasty from rival Empress Wu (Carina Lau) and is bestowed with the magical Dragon Taming Mace. Wu orders Yuchi Zhenjin (Feng Shaofeng) of the Golden Gard to recruit five mystics and task them with stealing the threatening Mace, the consequence of which is capital punishment for Dee.

Storming the Department of Investigation, Wu orders a demonstration of sorcery power which goes horrifically wrong with deadly consequences. In the confusion, Yuchi Zhenjin is seen killing colleagues of the Golden Gard.

The Taking of Tiger Mountain is Tsui Harks latest movie in the directors chair, a 3D movie based on a conflict between a People’s Liberation Army and a gang in northeast China, during the Chinese revolution.

The movie led the way at the top of the box office over the new year which grossed $51.29 million in its opening six days of release. Tiger Mountain notched up 211,787 screenings and 7.6 million admissions, according to data from Entgroup.

Love on the Cloud, a romantic comedy came in second place grossing $23.17 million within five days, followed by Gone With the Bullets, Fleet of Time, The Nut Job and Meet Miss Anxiety.

Tsui Hark has directed many movies over the years, some include:

Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain (1983)

Shanghai Blues (1984)

The Big Heat (1988)

Once Upon A Time In China (1991)

The Blade (1995)

Double Team (1997)

Detective Dee – The Mystery Of Phantom Flame (2010)

Source:hollywoodreporter...

A24’s A Most Violent Year will dominate the Specialty Box Office New Year’s weekend. The feature began as director J.C. Chandor was releasing his previous feature, All Is Lost. A Most Violent Year will begin its limited run in the New Year, but the title will have a wide release by the end of the month. Also opening this weekend is IFC Films’ doc The Search For General Tso, which has its roots from a New York Times Best Seller. Well Go USA will bow China’s The Taking Of Tiger Mountain in exclusive engagements. The title opened number one at home when it rolled out ahead of Christmas. And Magnolia’s genre label, Magnet, will open Spanish thriller [Rec] 4: Apocalypse in five locations January 2. the title is already available via ultra-vod.

A Most Violent Year

Director-writer: J.C. Chandor

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola,...

Final Update, Monday 4:49 Pm Pt: Across the Top 10 major studio releases internationally there’s reason for some holiday cheer. This weekend’s figures are up 19.4% over last frame with The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies leading the pack at $89M, plus strong perfs from Exodus: Gods And Kings in new key markets and the Night At The Museum finale. Still, that result is down from last year, largely due to the impact that Frozen was having on the season with a $50.5M take in the comparable frame. Five Armies in the estimates is also about 9.3% off from Smaug’s performance last year, but there are those nasty currency fluctuations to take into account.

Still, it a big weekend for local titles. Last frame’s Indian release Pk added Bollywood flair to the international box office with an offshore haul of $14.3M for a global cume of $61.46M.

Final Update, 4:35 Pm Pt: Actuals are in from the studios with The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies once again charging ahead of its Sunday projections. The final installment in Peter Jackson’s trilogy came in at $109M versus the previously estimated $105.5M. The international cume after Sunday is $269M. Also notable, India’s Pk starring Aamir Khan is now the biggest-ever Bollywood opener in North America with a confirmed $3.57M, besting last year’s record-holder Dhoom 3. Figures for all studio titles have been updated throughout the below.

Previous, Sunday Pm Pt: Depending on how we slice it, the international weekend was down about 13% across the Top 10 studio titles versus last weekend. Then again, it was up about 15% if we factor in big local movies from China and India. Regardless, The

The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies continued its assault on the offshore box office with...

Tsui Hark is considered one of the greats of Hong Kong action cinema, known for producing or directing classic action films such as "A Better Tomorrow" and the "Once Upon A Time In China" series. And his latest movie looks to increase the scale on an epic level. "The Taking Of Tiger Mountain" (based on the novel "Tracks In The Snowy Forest" by Qu Bo) stars Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Yun Nan, and is inspired by a real life incident during the 1946 Chinese Civil War in which a communist reconnaissance team solder disguises himself as a bandit in order to infiltrate a local gang and ultimately destroy them. While his classic action films relied on choreography and real stunt work, from the looks of this trailer Hark is relying a lot on CGI these days. Characters appear to be fighting tigers, falling from impossible heights, and every attempt is made...

Some estimates earlier this year put 2014’s projected box office in China at about 28B yuan, or around $4.49B. New takings cited by Wang Fenglin, VP of the Chinese Film Producer’s Association, are eyed at 30B yuan or $4.9B. That’s hardly anything to sneeze at, but would fall short of some other government projections which have previously pinpointed 30.7B yuan or $5B, a figure thought to be coveted by the powers that be in China where the film business is highly regulated. Still, according to official state news agency Xinhua, Wang told a gathering on Sunday that China is on track to overtake the U.S. to become the largest film market in the world within three years. Screens and revenue are growing at a rate of 30% annually.

In the first nine months of the year, local movies had 51.4% of the market, even though Transformers: Age Of Extinction is the No.

With China‘s National Day holiday week still in swing, the box office got an extra boost this frame thanks to the timely release of Breakup Buddies, a sort of follow-up to 2012’s smash hit Lost In Thailand. Playing on half the screens in the massive market, the film grossed just under $38M in China this weekend, sending its cume since release on September 30 to about $93M. (It also went out in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand at the weekend.) The original film was arguably responsible for a reversal in China’s fortunes in December 2012, when box office share was lagging behind that of U.S. films. That year ended with Hollywood out front but Lost In Thailand made global headlines and bolstered the unofficial practice of blackout periods when no foreign studio movies are released, allowing high-profile local titles to goose box office in the People’s Republic.