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| Derek Yee feels pure Hong Kong films cannot find financing |
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| John Chong feels Stephen Chow's NEW CHINESE ODYSSEY will be able to break the Chinese film Hong Kong box office record |
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| Daneil Lam is less than optimistic about Stephen Chow's new film box office courtesy of mingpao.com |
Co-Productions Drag Hong Kong Films Down
The Giddens Ko directed, Michelle Chen, Ko Chen-Tung starred Taiwan film YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE broke Stephen Chow Sing Chi's KUNG FU HUSTLE HK$61.27 million highest grossing Chinese film Hong Kong box office record with a total box office of 61,801,081 and left "Eastern Hollywood" Hong Kong film industry in shame. Will Hong Kong film be able to fend off the competition and regain the box office championship? Let's keep our eyes open and see.
John Chong Sees Sing Yeh As Favorite To Break YOU Record
In 2012 Hong Kong film market will have many giant production releases, including the Chow Yun Fat, Aaron Kwok Fu Sing and Donnie Yen Chi Tan starred THE MONKEY KING (DAI LAU TIN GUNG), Jackie Chan's CHINESE ZODIAC (SUP YI SUN CHIU), Andy Lau Tak Wa and Lin Chiling's DWELLING IN THE FUCHUN MOUNTAINS, and Stephen Chow Sing Chi's NEW CHINESE ODYSSEY (SAI YAU GEI ji CHUI MOR OI JUEN). Sing fans have been starved for four years so his new film will have hope to regain the glory of Hong Kong. Media Asia vice chair John Chong Ching favors the idea, but Derek Yee Tung Sing and Universe Entertainment company boss Daneil Lam Siu Ming disagree. They deeply feel that Hong Kong film will have difficulty with creating another miracle locally. Looking north to China gives Hong Kong film professionals a new direction, but when they accommodate Mainland viewer tastes Hong Kong audience's "co-production" resistance becomes a burden. Hong Kong film is dying, you know?
Daneil Lam Is Less Optimistic About Stephen Chow
Many, including Giddens Ko, hope Chow Sing Chi's new film NEW CHINESE ODYSSEY will break YOU's record. Chong Ching feels it will have a chance. "Sing Yeh is so talented, with all the starving Sing fans the box office will have certain motivation."
Derek Yee: Non Co-Production Has Financing Difficulties
Lam Siu Ming does not feel that Chow Sing Chi's CHINESE ODYSSEY will be able to break YOU's record. "Sing Yeh's last film CJ7 (CHEUNG GONG CHUT HO) struggled to pass 50 million at the box office. Actually this isn't Chow Sing Chi's problem, but the overall market's problem. This is the general trend, everyone have to 'co-productions'. Hong Kong viewers want to see Hong Kong films, but don't want to see any 'co-production'. Yet now basically everything is 'co-production'. Without co-production movies don't have funding. Film ultimately is a merchandise, if you make a Hong Kong film with a 10 million budget you can't even hire actors. Now actors are used to making 'Yun Jai' (RMB), how can they be willing to accept 2 million in salary? If you don't approach them, plenty of directors in the Mainland would; you can't make movies that cost more than 50 million either, with only the Hong Kong market it is impossible. You can't go back. Ultimately no one is willing to invest in a purely Hong Kong film, this is a problem of the chicken and the egg! Even Chow Sing Chi has to make 'co-productions'. CJ7 was a co-production, Universe this year will make a few movies, all of which will be 'co-productions'."
Yee Tung Sing agrees with Lam Siu Ming, "co-production" is at fault for Hong Kong film market's fall. "'Co-productions' have subject restrictions, many subjects can't be made and movies can't speak freely. The results often lack power and become terrible to watch. Helplessly non 'co-productions' have difficulties with financing. If you spend 10 million on a purely Hong Kong film, it will be very hard to make and won't be attractive. I want to make PROTEGE (MOON TOH) sequel and ONE NITE IN MONGKOK (WONG GOK HAK YEH) continuation, but when the subjects get to the Mainland market I don't want to accommodate the Mainland market and change the concept and certain plots." He feels that the world goes round and round, Taiwan film has fallen for 20 years and now finally has shaken itself off. Hong Kong films look north and accommodating the Mainland market has become an inevitable fact. Because the Mainland population the box office return is strong. Last year the box office reached 13 billion yuan RMB, naturally it has more investors as funding floods in; he believes after a few battles the film industry will look completely different.
Although Chow Sing Chi's NEW CHINESE ODYSSEY is a 'co-production', everyone still is waiting for Hong Kong film to return to glory. The film costs over 100 million yuan and finally has completed production after more than three months. Currently it is conducting massive post production special effect production in Korea. It should be able to be released this year.
Media Asia Invades the Mainland
Chong Ching feels that YOU was a coincidence, only a movie that is suitable for young people. He also believes that Giddens Ko will not deliberately make a movie to break a record. "If he deliberately makes a movie to break YOU's box office, the movie may not be good. Thus Media Asia's future big films first have to be good movies. Future movies will still target the Mainland market, including the 100 million Johnnie To Kei Fung directed, Andy Lau Tak Wa and Sammi Cheng Sau Man starred BLIND DETECTIVE (MAN TAM), Lin Chiling and Lau Tak Wa starred DWELLING ON THE FUCHUN MOUNTAINS. Both are 'co-productions' because minding only the Hong Kong market truly is very dangerous."
Film in order to accommodate the Mainland market, will Hong Kong film have difficulty recovering its lost ground? Chong Ching says, "This is a return rate issue, Mainland return rate is high. In 2011 top ten Hong Kong film box office, 3 movies THE LOST BLADESMAN (GUAN WON CHEUNG), MR. AND MRS. INCREDIBLE (SUN KEI HUP NUI) and LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE (DUET MING GUM) only made 8 million. With Hong Kong releases, anything less than 10 million at the box office is a failure."
2012 ANTICIPATED FILM RELEASES
FilM: ROMANCING IN THIN AIR (GO HOI BUT JI LUEN II)
Cast: Louis Koo Tin Lok, Sammi Cheng Sau Man
Release Date: Mid February
Film: LOVE IN THE BUFF (CHUN GIU YU JI MING)
Cast: Miriam Yeung Chin Wa, Shawn Yue Man Lok
Release Date: March
Film: A SIMPLE LIFE (TOH JEH)
Cast: Andy Lau Tak Wa, Deanie Ip Tak Han
Release Date: Mid March
Film: FIRST TIME
Cast: Angelababy, Mark Chao (Chiu Yau Ting)
Release Date: March
Film: NIGHTFALL (DAI JUI BO)
Cast: Nick Cheung Ka Fai, Simon Yam Tat Wa, Kay Tse On Kay
Release Date: Mid March
Film: MOTORWAY (CHEH SAU)
Cast: Anthony Wong Chau Sun, Shawn Yue Man Lok
Release Date: Tentatively May
Film: DIVA
Cast: Joey Yung Cho Yi, Mag Lam Yun Tung, Chapman To Man Jat
Release Date: June
Film: THE LAST SUPPER
Cast: Daniel Wu (Ng Yin Cho), Liu Ye, Chang Chen
Release Date: Mid June
Film: THE GUILLOTINES (HUET DIK JI)
Cast: Huang Xiaoming, Ethan Juan (Yuen King Tin), Shawn Yue Man Lok
Release Date: Tentatively July
Film: VANISHING BULLET (SIU SUT DIK JI DAN)
Cast: Nicholas Tse Ting Fung, Lau Ching Wan, Mini Yang Mi
Release Date: Mid July
Film: CHINESE ZODIAC (SUP YI SUN CHIU)
Cast: Jackie Chan
Release Date: December 12
Film: NEW CHINESE ODYSSEY (SAI YAU GEI ji CHUI MOR OI JUEN)
Cast: Stephen Chow Sing Chi, Shu Qi, Wen Zhang
Release Date: Tentatively Year End
Film: THE MONKEY KING (DAI LAU TIN GUNG)
Cast: Chow Yun Fat, Aaron Kwok Fu Sing, Donnie Yen Chi Tan
Release Date: Tenatively Year End
Film: WINDSEEKER (TING FUNG JEH)
Cast: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Zhou Xun, Wang Xueqi
Release Date: To Be Determined
Film: BAUHINIA WOMAN (JI GAING HUP)
Cast: Chrissie Chau Sau Na
Release Date: To Be Determined
Film: 3D THE ICEMAN COMETH (3D GUP DUNG KEI HUP)
Cast: Donnie Yen Chi Tan
Release Date: To Be Determined
Film: SAVING GENERAL YANG (JUNG LIT YEUNG GA JEUNG)
Cast: Dior Cheng Yi Kin, Wu Chun, Raymond Lam Fung
Release Date: To Be Determined
