In June, it emerged that the MPAA had hired an accounting firm to audit Middle Kingdom box office on a select number of films. This was the first time the Hollywood studios availed themselves of a clause in the longform agreement with China which gives them the ability to take their own look at the books. A report by…

Canadian comics publisher Arcana Studios and China’s Yisang Media have launched production on Pandy, a 3D animated feature that about pandas battling aliens. Yisang's Los Angeles-Beijing Studios (LABS) and Arcana are producing the film, which was announced today at Comic-Con. No talent was announced for the pic, which…

Hong Kong action director Corey Yuen (The Transporter series, Rise Of The Legend) is set to exec produce the first two movies in an anthology being developed in partnership with HBO Asia and China Movie Channel. The films are due to premiere at the end of the year on CMC's channels and across 23 Asian markets via HBO…

EXCLUSIVE: London-based GFM Films and Bill Schultz’s Home Plate Entertainment Company are teaming to develop and produce feature-length stop-motion animated pic, Codename Housewife: The Case Of The Missing Rock Stars (WT). The fish-out-of-water-meets-secret-agent musical comedy is based on the Korean short film, Code N…

Sixteen years after Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became a worldwide phenomenon, the sequel was unsheathed last Friday in China. After a week of play in a very competitive market, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny has grossed $32M. That's more than double the Middle Kingdom lifetime of the previous…

Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 took in nearly $10 million on its first day in China, well ahead of the previous installment in the franchise, Catching Fire. Comparisons between the two films aren’t entirely like for like, however, as Mockingjay opened on a Sunday and Catching Fire on a Thursday. Mock…

Aamir Khan’s PK, the highest grossing Indian film of all time, will get a wide release in China on 3,500 prints through China Film Group and Huaxia. The news was announced in a signing ceremony in Beijing attended by India's ambassador to China, Ashok Kantha; SAPPRFT vice minister Tong Gang; PK director Rajkumar…

Last week, an event was held in Hong Kong where, among other things, it was said that a second distribution license to import and release movies in China is being issued to the China National Culture & Art Corporation (CNCAC). Such a license could spell the demise of China Film Group‘s exclusive grip on Mainland…

Chinese media is reporting that influential executive Han Sanping has officially said he has stepped down as chairman of China Film Group. I reported exclusively in early January that there were management shifts at the top ranks of the Chinese film business, notably that a decision had been made around January 1 for…

China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television is getting tough with cinema operators. The authority outlined new measures this week designed to prevent movie theater managers from manipulating box office figures and defrauding the government and rights holders. According to…

EXCLUSIVE: As Hollywood continues to learn the ropes in China, I'm hearing that there are a host of big management shifts coming at the upper echelons of the Chinese film business. There have been rumors for some time that China Film Group senior management would change or retire this year, and I'm now told that some…

UPDATE: MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd declared Tuesday evening that Hollywood’s revenue beef with the Chinese government has been settled in favor of the studios: "The MPAA understands that the China Film Group stopped payments owed to MPAA studios in China pending resolution of the application of a new value-added tax…