China Media and Entertainment Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 3 Week of 17 June 2024
(1) Unauthorised Use of B&W ID Photo of Li Qin in Web Drama
A web drama used Chinese actress Li Qin’s ID photo as a memorial image without authorization. The production company eventually removed the content after Li Qin threatened legal action.
(2) Movie Adaption of 3 Body Problem to be Directed by Zhang Yimou
Chinese director Zhang Yimou will direct “3 Body Problem”. The title was originally a novel written by Liu Cixin and has already been adapted into successful TV series by Tencent and Netflix.
(3) Zhou Dongyu Praised for Her Performance in Strangers When We Meet
Zhang Guoli’s film “Strangers When We Meet” received praise for lead actress Zhou Dongyu’s portrayal of a vegetative character but fell short of box office expectations.
(4) Tencent Acquires the Broadcast Rights for the Paris Olympic Games
Tencent will have the exclusive broadcast rights to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in China.
(5) Raymond Wong’s Cinema City Will Close Two Cinemas Before the End of Next Month
High rental costs reportedly at HKD 5.776 million per month will probably force Cinema City Langham Place, owned by Raymond Wong, to close in July 2024.
(6) Chinese actress Yang Zi goes global with selection as torchbearer for 2024 Paris Olympics
Chinese actress Yang Zi, known as the “nation’s daughter”, has been selected as a torch-bearer for the China team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
(7) Macao’s government says it will build an outdoor performance venue in Cotai
Macao to build a 94,000-square-metre temporary outdoor performance venue on Cotai with an audience capacity of 50,000 by 2025.
Wang Leehom had been invited to perform at a tribute for Coco Lee at the 35th Golden Melody Awards but subsequently withdrew due to public backlash. Four days later, he posted photos of his concert in Chongqing, seemingly unaffected by the backlash.
(1) Unauthorised Use of B&W ID Photo of Li Qin in Web Drama
(Photo Credit: 西安等閑內容引擎網絡科技有限公司)
Some netizens discovered that a web drama, titled Years of Love, An Addiction and A Misdeed (這麼多年 愛你成癮亦成罪), had used the ID photo of Chinese actress Li Qin and turned it into a black and white image, using it as a memorial photo in the plot of the drama. Li Qin has become well-known among Hong Kong viewers for her roles in TV dramas such as Joy of Life, Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace, and Princess Agents.
Li Qin’s studio stated that the web drama production team had never obtained authorization to use Li Qin’s portrait and demanded that the production team immediately delete the relevant content, threatening legal action should it fail to do so.
In response to this controversy, the director of the web drama denied the allegations, stating that they had used a composite image similar in appearance to Li Qin’s. However, on 17 June, DX Deng Xian Content Engine production company, the production company of the web drama, issued an apology, acknowledging the unauthorized use of Li Qin’s ID photo to create the black and white memorial photo and admitting that the previous statement to the media did not reflect the actual situation. It added that they had taken down the web drama and will comprehensively delete all content containing Li Qin’s image.
News Source:
Sohu – 恶意P图李沁黑白照剧方致歉，此前试图否认使用该女星图片 https://www.sohu.com/a/786499081_115060
(2) Movie Adaption of 3 Body Problem to be Directed by Zhang Yimou
(Photo Credit: Netflix)
At the Shanghai International Film Festival, it was announced that Chinese director Zhang Yimou will direct a film adaptation of the popular novel 3 Body Problem. This will be Zhang Yimou’s first time directing a science fiction film despite his long filmmaking career. Zhang Yimou’s involvement in the film adaptation has generated significant excitement among netizens, who believe his talent and influence will elevate the storyline and expand the influence of Chinese cinema.
3 Body Problem was written by Liu Cixin. It has gained international recognition and has been adapted into TV series by both Tencent and Netflix. Both series have been highly acclaimed and have achieved great success in China and globally.
News Source:
HK01 – 三體︱張藝謀生涯首次跨界科幻片 全網期待闖出國際：必須張藝謀 https://www.hk01.com/article/1029312?utm_source=01articlecopy&utm_medium=referral
(3) Zhou Dongyu Praised for Her Performance in Strangers When We Meet
(Photo Credit: 骨朵網絡影視)
The film Strangers When We Meet directed by Zhang Guoli, a renowned Chinese actor and film director known for his role as Ji Xiaolan in The Bronze Teeth, garnered attention for Zhou Dongyu’s portrayal of the lead character who becomes vegetative due to an accident. Zhou Dongyu’s ability to convey emotions through subtle eye and mouth movements amazed viewers. She revealed that she had extensively practised for them. Co-star Fan Wei’s performance in the movie is also widely acclaimed.
However, the film’s box office earnings of 18.79 million yuan fell short of expectations. This underperformance was attributed to the unrealistic plot changes that were made. Internet users believed that the original story aimed to depict Lao Qin’s desire for redemption through his longing for a child. However, a significant alteration occurred in the middle of the film, where Lao Qin sexually assaults Chang Juan. This change drastically altered the story’s trajectory, transforming acts of care into ones driven by possessiveness rather than pure love. Another aspect disliked by audiences was the 30-year age gap between the main characters, which deviated significantly from the original story.
News Source:
HK01 – 朝雲暮雨｜周冬雨神演半癱病人獲讚 惜票房仆直網民歸咎一大改動 https://www.hk01.com/article/1029182?utm_source=01articlecopy&utm_medium=referral
(4) Tencent Acquires the Broadcast Rights for the Paris Olympic Games
(Photo Credit: Olympics/ Getty Images)
China Media Group (CMG) and Tencent have reached an agreement to cooperate on the video-on-demand and short video rights for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Furthermore, Tencent has also acquired the official broadcast rights to the games.
News Sources:
Wenweipo – 騰訊成為2024巴黎奧運會持權轉播商- https://www.wenweipo.com/a/202406/20/AP6673a201e4b0b14a1c142199.html
aastocks.com – Tencent Becomes Rights-holding Boardcaster of Paris 2024 http://www.aastocks.com/en/stocks/news/aafn-news/NOW.1357737/3
(5) Raymond Wong’s Cinema City Will Close Two Cinemas Before the End of Next Month
(Photo Credit: HK01)
At its peak, the Cinema City, movie theatre chain owned by local film producer Raymond Wong, once comprised six theatres. Following the closure of two cinemas in Causeway Bay in 2022 and 2023 respectively, Cinema City Langham Place will also close in July 2024 as its 10-year lease ends; The Metroplex, another cinema owned by Cinema City, will close on 30 June due to the reconstruction of Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre.
It was reported that Cinema City Langham Place’s rental cost is HKD 5.776 million per month, the highest in Hong Kong, meaning the cinema must sell 1,833 tickets daily to cover the rent. The cinema business has been adversely affected in recent years by a challenging economic environment and increasing ubiquity of streamed content.
News Source:
Singtao – 黄百鸣旗下朗豪坊Cinema City下月约满结业！全港最贵租戏院 日卖XXXX张门票才够交租(https://std.stheadline.com/sc/realtime/article/2005967/)
HK01 – 戲院｜旺角朗豪坊Cinema City約滿7月中離場 同系星影匯亦將告別 | 香港01 (https://www.hk01.com/article/1030656?utm_source=01articlecopy&utm_medium=referral)
(6) Chinese actress Yang Zi goes global with selection as torchbearer for 2024 Paris Olympics
(Photo Credit: SCMP)
Chinese actress Yang Zi, known as the “nation’s daughter,” has been selected as a torchbearer for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Yang, who has a massive online following of 62 million, will join other Chinese stars in carrying the Olympic torch. She is also an ambassador for Mengniu, a leading Chinese dairy brand and Worldwide Olympic Partner.
Yang gained popularity through the TV drama “Home with Kids” (家有兒女) and has since starred in various TV and film productions. Expressing her excitement on Weibo, Yang highlighted that the Olympic spirit extends beyond competition.
Previously appointed as the Major League Baseball China ambassador, she has been recognised for her potential to promote sports among Chinese youth. Fans have expressed their support and pride in Yang’s selection for the torch relay, joining other notable Chinese and international torch-bearers in France.
News Source:
SCMP – China actress Yang Zi goes global with selection as torch-bearer for 2024 Paris Olympics https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3267213/china-actress-yang-zi-goes-global-selection-torch-bearer-2024-paris-olympics
(7) Macao’s government says it will build an outdoor performance venue in Cotai
(Photo Credit: google maps)
The Macao government has announced plans to build a 94,000-square-metre temporary outdoor performance venue in Cotai with an audience capacity of 50,000. It is to be located at the juncture of Avenida do Aeroporto and Rua de Ténis, adjacent to the Grand Lisboa Palace resort and Lisboeta hotel. As Macao’s Cultural Affairs Bureau puts it, the venue will “attract international-level shows” to Macao.
The preparation work and public tendering process is now under way, and the venue is scheduled to open in 2025.
According to news report, one reason for building the venue probably stemmed from the Seventeen (a K-pop group) concert that caused significant public nuisance and traffic inconvenience and drew complaints from a number of the residents. It is reported that, probably as a response to this experience, Macao would benefit from an outdoor venue capable of hosting at least 20,000 people, as suggested by Elsie Ao Leong, the social affairs and culture secretary of Macao.
News Source:
the Macao News – Macao’s government says it will build an outdoor performance venue in Cotai (https://macaonews.org/life/entertainment/macau-outdoor-performance-venue-cotai-macao/)
(8) Performing in Chongqing China Leehom Fully Returns to Public after Withdrawing from the Performance for Coco Lee at the 35th Golden Melody Awards
(Photo Credit: on.cc)
It was reported that Wang Leehom had been invited to perform at a tribute for Coco Lee at the 35th Golden Melody Awards. Unfortunately, Wang was forced to withdraw from participation due to the public backlash. This stemmed from the negative publicity Wang had faced in recent years, following allegations of infidelity and frequenting of prostitutes made by his ex-wife, Li Jinglei.
Four days after Wang announced his withdrawal, it was reported that he re-engaged with the public by posting news of his recent musical performance in Chongqing. Though the post was irrelevant to his withdrawal, the report commented that it seems Leehom was not greatly affected by the public backlash which forced his withdrawal from performing a tribute for Coco.
News Source:
on.cc – 致敬李玟捱轟！王力宏請辭《金曲獎》沉寂4日後首發聲 (https://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/entertainment/20240618/bkn-20240618204827458-0618_00862_001.html)
