Bona Film Group Executive Dead After Apparent Suicide From U-Town Offices

Huang Wei, vice president of Bona Film Group, passed away early on Wednesday morning at the age of 52 in an apparent suicide. Witnesses say that they saw an individual fall from the 18th floor of Chaoyangmen's U-Town Shopping Center, where Bona Film Group is headquartered, adjacent to the Crowne Plaza Hotel (pictured above), at around 1am. The company confirmed his death but gave no further details.

According to The Economic Observer, Huang, who was involved in major film investments as well as the founding of over 100 cinemas across China, had recently communicated with two colleagues over WeChat concerning the reopening of theaters. Both of those individuals reported receiving a simple reply from Huang stating that openings had not yet been approved. The colleagues added that they had noticed no abnormalities with his demeanor.

Some netizens and film industry insiders speculated that his death was linked to the pressure from cinemas not being allowed to reopen on account of the coronavirus pandemic, but it is not immediately clear whether that is the case – in fact, Bona’s stock value has improved significantly since January, suggesting that the success of its investments would outweigh the need to reignite cinema-going in China. One source reportedly had reason to believe that the suicide was linked to personal matters, according to Caijing Magazine.

A report released by the Chinese Film Distribution Association in late May estimated that a staggering 40 percent of all cinemas they interviewed said they would likely permanently close this year.

Filmmakers and colleagues reacted to news of Huang's death on social media, with Still Life director Jia Zhangke simply posting "Film industry grief" on Weibo, seemingly echoing the hardship that the country's film industry is currently facing.

Huang’s funeral will be arranged by Yu Dong, founder and chairman of Bona Film Group.

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Image: ihg.com, Caijing