Undeterred by the current state of the industry, and despite posting a $668M profit loss for 2019, China’s Wanda Film is betting big on the local theatrical business. The division of Dalian Wanda Group said that it intends to spend about $431M raised in a non-public offering of A shares to build more Middle Kingdom movie theaters over the next two … [Read more...]
Restored vintage movies making a comeback
Vintage movies, produced mainly by iconic film companies from southern Chinese provinces around the Pearl River Delta, have recently been restored. Through April 28, a total of 14 films will be exhibited in one stunning collection every day at 8:05pm on the Pearl River Movie Channel. The classic films, originally shot in old film footages … [Read more...]
No fastpass: Cinema closures dent Wanda’s dream of beating Disney
Dreams of creating a global entertainment empire have driven China's Dalian Wanda Group to the brink of another crisis, this time from the coronavirus shutting movie theaters worldwide. Crowds were sparse recently at Wanda Plaza on the outskirts of Shanghai, usually a top earner among the group's roughly 320 commercial complexes … [Read more...]
China’s Cinema Operators Lament As Top Government Body Pushes Prolonged Closures
China’s top administrative body has officially “recommended” that cinemas and other entertainment venues remain closed for the foreseeable future due to coronavirus concerns. That spells continued trouble for Chinese cinemas, even as other business sectors get back to work. Read … [Read more...]
Hong Kong martial arts cinema: how Ashes of Time, star-studded Wong Kar-wai film, gained classic status
Ashes of Time is based on a four-volume saga by martial arts novelist Louis Cha, who modernised the long-standing genre in the 1950s. The film focuses on its characters’ inner lives rather than their martial arts, making it something of an anomaly among wuxia … [Read more...]
Chinese tycoon Wang Jianlin’s cinema empire feels the pain as theatres remain closed due to coronavirus fears
Wanda Group owns Wanda Film Holding, the top theatre chain in China, and controls AMC Entertainment Holdings, the largest in the US. The pandemic is punishing others including New York billionaire Charles Cohen as well as Russia’s Alexander … [Read more...]
