Sina recently compiled a list of upcoming movies that are scheduled to premiere by the end of this year. Actors with multiple productions coming out this year include Eddie Peng, Huang Xuan, Ni Ni, Liao Fan, Shu Qi and Wan Qian. Which films are you looking forward to the most?
Translations and full trailers (if available) are below the cut. Some movies may have been omitted due to lack of information.
From animations 10 years in the making to comedies shot in 3 days , 2015 brings a bigger range of films than ever. But the real questions is, how many of their minutes are solid?
An incomplete list of films distributed in 2015 announced so far by the big five, which covers over half of the distribution market share in China.
I ignored a couple that had little to no information on story/production/cast and/or children’s films that you probably don’t care about.
Angelababy, Bai Baihe, Lin Gengxin, Jing Boran, and Amber Kuo seem to be the breakout young actors among the list. Adaptations are even more popular, especially in the youth category, with two competing film versions of My Sunshine alone. While popular series like Tiny Times 4.0 continues, we also see the beginning of four new series – Zhong Kui, The Ghouls, The Lost Tombs, and the first major animation-live action film Monster Hunt. I was the most excited by animation Big Fish, one of an increasing number of animations for older audiences, finally finding a distributor.
Which films are you looking forward to the most?
LIu Yifei’s character is called Heartless, by the way. You can add this image to your collection of ironic pictures.
The Four 3, the final installment to the film series, has released a trailer as well as announced its release date on August 22. Starring Deng Chao (Cold Blooded), Liu Yifei Heartless), Collin Chou (the hot-blooded “Iron Hand”), Ronald Cheng (whose role Life Snatcher was previously held by “hotties” like Wallace Chung and Peter Ho), Anthony Wong, Jiang Yiyan, Alec Su, Wu Yingjie and Bao Bei’er, this film picks up from the abrupt and tragic end of the previous. Presumably, it will bring to a close all the untied ends from the last two films with flurry of CGI.
More stills below the cut and trailer here.
Whose tomb are you visiting today?
The two book series that set off the tomb-raiding craze will be both made into a series of films.
Among the two, The Ghouls: Code of the Dragon 鬼吹灯之寻龙诀 will be directed by Wu’ershan (Painted Skin II). The film, based on the first book of the second series, is produced by Huayi Brothers, Wanda, and Enlight Media, and is set for a December 2015 release.
Meanwhile, The Lost Tombs 盗墓笔记 will be produced by our favorite Huanrui along with Filmko Entertainment. Part 1 of 8 is planning for a summer 2016 release.
What do you think? Which one are you looking forward to the most?
The Ghouls concept trailer:
P.S. For those of you faint in the heart, The Lost Tombs actually has real ghosts while The Ghouls does not. And for those of you who are righteous in the heart, The Ghouls feature archaeologists who are forced to search the graves rather than actual grave robbers.
Artsy mash-up poster for The Four 2, which finally abandons the last pretense of being a wuxia film and goes into fantasy.
While we wait on the upcoming drama version of “The Four,” the film version has already released their second installment, The Four 2 starring Deng Chao, Liu Yifei, Jiang Yiyan, Wu Xiubo and Liu Yan. Following director Gordon Chan‘s previous Painted Skin/Mural series, the second promises to up the previous film in special effects and in detachment from reality. The film was released on December 6, continuing from where the first left off.
Listen to the theme by Hu Xia below, and see fire-and-ice themed characters posters below the cut.