A Look at 2019 Foreign "Buyout" Films in China; 'The Farewell' Gets Rescheduled Release

This post comes courtesy of our content partners China Film Insider.

A Look at 2019 Foreign “Buyout” Films in China

As of Dec 18, 79 “buyout” foreign films (films imported into China with a flat fee, AKA non-revenue sharing) entered Chinese multiplexes in 2019 with total ticket sales of RMB 4.282 billion (USD 610.82 M), according to WeChat media account Yiqipaidianying. In addition to seven upcoming films, China granted 86 foreign films theatrical release in 2019. Additionally, Japan overtook the US as the biggest “buyout” film exporter to China with a total of 24 titles, compared to the US' 17 productions, down from 28 titles in 2018.

The top five highest-grossing “buyout” films were Spirited Away (Japan, USD 69.47 M), Green Book (USA, USD 68.04 M), Capernaum (Lebanon/French/USA, USD 53.35 M), Andhadhun (India, USD 46.22 M), and Weathering with You (Japan, USD 40.94 M). It’s worth noting that China has included films from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan as “domestic productions” since 2019. Thus, Hong Kong’s Men on the Dragon, Taiwan’s More than Blue and Mayday Life 3D, along with their box office earnings, are not included in this analysis on foreign buyout films.

Read more on Yiqipaidianying.

China Now Has Almost 80,000 Movie Screens

As of Nov 30, China now has more than 14,000 movie theaters nationwide, including 1,074 built by 2019, according to the data released by China Film Bureau. The total number of movie screens is 79,907, which has increased by nearly 20,000 compared with the country's 60,079 screens at the beginning of 2018. Given China already lays claim to the most movie screens in the world, this year's figures set a new record high in terms of numbers of cinema screens in a single territory. Likewise, as of Dec 22, China’s box office haul for the year totaled RMB 62.4 billion (USD 8.9 B), also a record high.

Read more on Mtime.

‘The Farewell’ Rescheduled for Jan 10 Release

It was announced this week that the 2019 drama film The Farewell (pictured at top), directed by Chinese-American female helmer Lulu Wang, has been re-scheduled to release in China on Jan 10, 2020. The Golden Globe-nominated film was set to hit Chinese theaters on Nov 22, 2019, but was pulled just two days prior to release. A new poster of the family drama was also unveiled today, which focuses on the lead character Billi and her grandmother, “Nai Nai,” to highlight their emotional bond and deep affection, as opposed to capturing the entire family.

Read more on Mtime.

‘Life Is Beautiful’ Lands Jan 3 China Release

The 4K restored version of Italian classic film Life Is Beautiful has been scheduled for theatrical release on Jan 3, according to the Chinese film site Mtime. Previously arrived in Chinese cinema in March 2001, it will be the first time that the 4K version of the film is shown in China. Over the past two years, several classic films have secured theatrical runs in China, including Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film Spirited Away, released on Jun 21, which earned RMB 488 million, as well as Italian film Legend of 1900, which opened on Nov 15, grossing RMB 143 million. These impressive box-office results indicate that more and more classics will eventually reach Chinese screens.

Read more on Mtime.

‘Angel Has Fallen’ to Release in China on Dec 31

Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, the 2019 American action film Angel Has Fallen has been scheduled to release in China on Dec 31. The film opened on Aug 23 in North America, and is the third installment of the Fallen film series. It stars Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Reddick, Tim Blake Nelson, along with Danny Huston.

Read more on Mtime.

Online Streaming Site Bilibili to Host First New Year Gala

Popular video-sharing site Bilibili will host its first-ever New Year Gala named “2019, the Final Day” on Dec 31, 2019. Bilibili will also become China's first video streaming company to host a gala concert on New Year’s Eve. The Gala features a strong line up of millennial and Generation Z celebrities and content creators, including Chrissy Costanza, Kris Wu, Mayday, and Chinese virtual singer Luo Tianyi. Renowned pianist Richard Clayderman will also join the show, playing the music from the Harry Potter films. According to WeChat media account Shuyumenggong, the move of hosting the gala reflects Bilibli’s ambition to attract more audiences beyond ACG fans and young audiences.

Read more on D-entertainment.

Jia Zhangke’s New Documentary ‘Swimming Out Till The Sea Turns Blue’ Passes Chinese Censorship

Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke’s new feature documentary Swimming Out Till The Sea Turns Blue, which was originally named So Close to My Land, will be released in Chinese cinemas in 2020, according to a post on Jia's Weibo account published on Dec 26. The post is accompanied by two film stills and a photocopy of a government Permit for Theatrical Release, which suggests that the film has successfully passed Chinese censorship. Through 18 chapters, Swimming Out Till The Sea Turns Blue spans the past 70 years since the founding of the PRC, following three Chinese novelists (Jia Pingwa, Yu Hua, and Liang Hong) born between 1950 and 1970 and diving into their personal and family stories.

Read more on 1905.com.

READ: 2019's Top 10 Blockbusters in Chinese Cinema

Images courtesy of China Film Insider