Chinese Drama ‘Better Days,’ Yanked From Berlin Lineup, Has Its China Release Canceled

[F-22Raptor]

Better days may be a long way off yet for the embattled Chinese drama “Better Days,” which has canceled its mainland China release just three days before the film was to hit theaters. The movie was also pulled at the last minute from the Berlin Film festivallineup in February amid tightening control by China’s censorship regime.

Early Monday evening in China, the film’s official Weibo social media account apologized to expectant viewers for the inconvenience, saying: “After considering the level of completion of ‘Better Days’ and our market pre-assessments, and following consultations between the production and distribution parties, the film will not be released on June 27. A new release date will be announced at a later time.”

No other explanation for the cancellation was given. But most industry players attribute it to government interference, particularly in the wake of three other such sudden incidents in the past four months.

Adapted from the novel “Young and Beautiful,” the China-Hong Kong co-production tells the story of a girl who is harassed at school and becomes embroiled in a murder. The film, which contains a scene of violent bullying, stars it-girl Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee, the youngest member of the ultra-popular Chinese boy band TFBoys.

News of the cancellation comes after the film’s director, Derek Kwok-cheung Tsang of Hong Kong, had already made plans to be in Beijing for the premiere and for some low-key promotional activity. Tsang last directed Zhou in her breakout role in the 2016 drama “Soul Mate,” which won her a best actress prize at the 53rd Golden Horse Film Awards. He declined to comment on the cancellation.

Chinese online news source Sina Film reported that “Better Days” had not yet received the “ranking number” or public screening license it needed to open pre-sales and hit theaters.

The incident comes hot on the heels of the high-profile cancellation of Huayi Brothers’ $80 million patriotic war epic “The Eight Hundred” as the opening film at the Shanghai Intl. Film Festival. It was yanked just 24 hours before its big debut.

Zhang Yimou’s Cultural Revolution-era film “One Second” was also pulled from Berlin. And last month, unable to actually pull their film from screening in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard selection, the team for Chinese drama “Summer of Changsha” had to distance themselves from the event and refrain from attending any festival-related events or promotion.

In all instances, official statements cited unspecified “technical reasons” for the film’s troubles – a phrase that has come to be known as a euphemism for government interference.

China last year put the Communist Party’s Propaganda Bureau in charge of regulating films, and numerous industry insiders have complained of trouble getting works past censors who are party bureaucrats with little understanding of the medium.

When “Better Days” was pulled from its Berlin debut in the 14Plus selection in February, its official Weibo account said: “We are very sorry to tell everyone that because of post-production reasons, the film ‘Better Days’ will not be able to attend the 69th Berlin Film Festival in time. We thank the Berlin Festival for its recognition and understanding, and everyone for their support.” It added, however, that the film would be released later in the year, saying, “See you soon.”

Within an hour of the announcement that “Better Days” would not be released this week, more than 50,000 fans responded, most of them commenting: “No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait for you!”

https://variety.com/2019/film/news/better-days-china-release-canceled-withdrawn-berlin-1203251262/

China is never going to put up a serious challenge to Hollywood.

 

[Path-Finder]

China is never going to put up a serious challenge to Hollywood.

hollywood has a century of propagating. can't beat that!

 

[F-22Raptor]

hollywood has a century of propagating. can't beat that!

No one is forcing the world to show up to Hollywood films.

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

hollywood has a century of propagating. can't beat that!

Indeed the best way to propagate would have been to give Chinese movie industry a freer hand.

But movies are getting cancelled left right and center right now.

 

[Path-Finder]

No one is forcing the world to show up to Hollywood films.

you just can't compete with hollywood and they have a century of making pictures.

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

Better days may be a long way off yet for the embattled Chinese drama “Better Days,” which has canceled its mainland China release just three days before the film was to hit theaters. The movie was also pulled at the last minute from the Berlin Film festivallineup in February amid tightening control by China’s censorship regime.

Early Monday evening in China, the film’s official Weibo social media account apologized to expectant viewers for the inconvenience, saying: “After considering the level of completion of ‘Better Days’ and our market pre-assessments, and following consultations between the production and distribution parties, the film will not be released on June 27. A new release date will be announced at a later time.”

No other explanation for the cancellation was given. But most industry players attribute it to government interference, particularly in the wake of three other such sudden incidents in the past four months.

Adapted from the novel “Young and Beautiful,” the China-Hong Kong co-production tells the story of a girl who is harassed at school and becomes embroiled in a murder. The film, which contains a scene of violent bullying, stars it-girl Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee, the youngest member of the ultra-popular Chinese boy band TFBoys.

News of the cancellation comes after the film’s director, Derek Kwok-cheung Tsang of Hong Kong, had already made plans to be in Beijing for the premiere and for some low-key promotional activity. Tsang last directed Zhou in her breakout role in the 2016 drama “Soul Mate,” which won her a best actress prize at the 53rd Golden Horse Film Awards. He declined to comment on the cancellation.

Chinese online news source Sina Film reported that “Better Days” had not yet received the “ranking number” or public screening license it needed to open pre-sales and hit theaters.

The incident comes hot on the heels of the high-profile cancellation of Huayi Brothers’ $80 million patriotic war epic “The Eight Hundred” as the opening film at the Shanghai Intl. Film Festival. It was yanked just 24 hours before its big debut.

Zhang Yimou’s Cultural Revolution-era film “One Second” was also pulled from Berlin. And last month, unable to actually pull their film from screening in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard selection, the team for Chinese drama “Summer of Changsha” had to distance themselves from the event and refrain from attending any festival-related events or promotion.

In all instances, official statements cited unspecified “technical reasons” for the film’s troubles – a phrase that has come to be known as a euphemism for government interference.

China last year put the Communist Party’s Propaganda Bureau in charge of regulating films, and numerous industry insiders have complained of trouble getting works past censors who are party bureaucrats with little understanding of the medium.

When “Better Days” was pulled from its Berlin debut in the 14Plus selection in February, its official Weibo account said: “We are very sorry to tell everyone that because of post-production reasons, the film ‘Better Days’ will not be able to attend the 69th Berlin Film Festival in time. We thank the Berlin Festival for its recognition and understanding, and everyone for their support.” It added, however, that the film would be released later in the year, saying, “See you soon.”

Within an hour of the announcement that “Better Days” would not be released this week, more than 50,000 fans responded, most of them commenting: “No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait for you!”

https://variety.com/2019/film/news/better-days-china-release-canceled-withdrawn-berlin-1203251262/

China is never going to put up a serious challenge to Hollywood.

Look at this:

China is destroying its own film industry.

@TaiShang @Han Patriot @Beast

One movie that has been cancelled is about the cultural revolution. It is shameful that today cultural revolution has become taboo again! People are destined to repeat the history that they don't learn from or erase!

The other movie has been cancelled simply because it shows the valor of the wrong kind of Chinese people. Only CCP seem to be the right kind.

By destroying its film industry, China is giving up on a vital tool of cultural and soft power, not only in the world, but also internally.

Many Chinese people will continue watching American TV Shows and Movies instead.

Already China's movie business contracted the first quarter!

you just can't compete with hollywood and they have a century of making pictures.

Actually in East Asia, Japanese and Koreans both have put up a very very good fight against the Americans. Obviously Japanese and Koreans couldn't make the kind of big budget movies the Americans make due to industry size, but Japanese and Korean cultural output has been very highly influential, specially in East Asia.

China could have been a cultural power on par with the US, but they can't be when their film censorship is in the hands of extreme left wing ideologues who cancel films on the minutest deviation from their orthodoxy.

 

[Han Patriot]

Look at this:

China is destroying its own film industry.

@TaiShang @Han Patriot @Beast

One movie that has been cancelled is about the cultural revolution. It is shameful that today cultural revolution has become taboo again! People are destined to repeat the history that they don't learn from or erase!

The other movie has been cancelled simply because it shows the valor of the wrong kind of Chinese people. Only CCP seem to be the right kind.

By destroying its film industry, China is giving up on a vital tool of cultural and soft power, not only in the world, but also internally.

Many Chinese people will continue watching American TV Shows and Movies instead.

Already China's movie business contracted the first quarter!



Actually in East Asia, Japanese and Koreans both have put up a very very good fight against the Americans. Obviously Japanese and Koreans couldn't make the kind of big budget movies the Americans make due to industry size, but Japanese and Korean cultural output has been very highly influential, specially in East Asia.

China could have been a cultural power on par with the US, but they can't be when their film censorship is in the hands of extreme left wing ideologues who cancel films on the minutest deviation from their orthodoxy.

I would think you would be more rational than this buss. We watch stuff from the whole world. If banning one or two shows is equivalent to destroying our industry, then you must be pretty dumb. So India can ban movies and we can't? You have no idea how much crap I watch out of China. We will continue to watch everything from everywhere including India. 20 years ago, we watch Taiwan/HK shows, now it is reversed my friend, the Mandarin movie industry is now in China. The moment you talk like this, I know you have never watched nor understand our stuff.

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

I would think you would be more rational than this buss. We watch stuff from the whole world. If banning one or two shows is equivalent to destroying our industry, then you must be pretty dumb. So India can ban movies and we can't? You have no idea how much crap I watch out of China. We will continue to watch everything from everywhere including India. 20 years ago, we watch Taiwan/HK shows, now it is reversed my friend, the Mandarin movie industry is now in China. The moment you talk like this, I know you have never watched nor understand our stuff.

Please don't compare the situation in India with that of China.

In India people can make films on ANYTHING.

The films cannot be banned unless for very specific reasons.

In China, it is the reverse.

Films need to be approved first before making them.

And in China film can get banned or not made for a hundred reasons. There is censorship for all kinds of stuff.

I would think you would be more rational than this buss. We watch stuff from the whole world. If banning one or two shows is equivalent to destroying our industry, then you must be pretty dumb. So India can ban movies and we can't? You have no idea how much crap I watch out of China. We will continue to watch everything from everywhere including India. 20 years ago, we watch Taiwan/HK shows, now it is reversed my friend, the Mandarin movie industry is now in China. The moment you talk like this, I know you have never watched nor understand our stuff.

And for an Indian I have actually watched a lot of your stuff including the recent release Wandering Earth.

 

[Han Patriot]

Please don't compare the situation in India with that of China.

In India people can make films on ANYTHING.

The films cannot be banned unless for very specific reasons.

In China, it is the reverse.

Films need to be approved first before making them.

And in China film can get banned or not made for a hundred reasons. There is censorship for all kinds of stuff.



And for an Indian I have actually watched a lot of your stuff including the recent release Wandering Earth.

Have you watched ghost candle? Yanxi palace? Wandering in on Netflix, that's just one movie which I personally think is overhyped like Hollywood movies. Movies like PeeKay and slumdog millionaire, those are good and original. You can only make those in India because that's the truth in India. People are wondering why the plot is so good, because it's real. I am watching a new show on India's water problem on Netflix. Aryabharta!

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

Have you watched ghost candle? Yanxi palace? Wandering in on Netflix, that's just one movie which I personally think is overhyped like Hollywood movies. Movies like PeeKay and slumdog millionaire, those are good and original. You can only make those in India because that's the truth in India. People are wondering why the plot is so good, because it's real. I am watching a new show on India's water problem on Netflix. Aryabharta!

I can only watch Chinese shows and movies that are available to me.

Wandering Earth for instance was made available via Netflix.

It was a good movie, yet still had a big gap in quality when compared to top Hollywood fares.

It's not only movies like PK or Slumdog Millionaire that have worked in China.

Movies like Andhuadhun, Secret Superstar, Dangal, etc. have also done well.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Better days may be a long way off yet for the embattled Chinese drama “Better Days,” which has canceled its mainland China release just three days before the film was to hit theaters. The movie was also pulled at the last minute from the Berlin Film festivallineup in February amid tightening control by China’s censorship regime.

Early Monday evening in China, the film’s official Weibo social media account apologized to expectant viewers for the inconvenience, saying: “After considering the level of completion of ‘Better Days’ and our market pre-assessments, and following consultations between the production and distribution parties, the film will not be released on June 27. A new release date will be announced at a later time.”

No other explanation for the cancellation was given. But most industry players attribute it to government interference, particularly in the wake of three other such sudden incidents in the past four months.

Adapted from the novel “Young and Beautiful,” the China-Hong Kong co-production tells the story of a girl who is harassed at school and becomes embroiled in a murder. The film, which contains a scene of violent bullying, stars it-girl Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee, the youngest member of the ultra-popular Chinese boy band TFBoys.

News of the cancellation comes after the film’s director, Derek Kwok-cheung Tsang of Hong Kong, had already made plans to be in Beijing for the premiere and for some low-key promotional activity. Tsang last directed Zhou in her breakout role in the 2016 drama “Soul Mate,” which won her a best actress prize at the 53rd Golden Horse Film Awards. He declined to comment on the cancellation.

Chinese online news source Sina Film reported that “Better Days” had not yet received the “ranking number” or public screening license it needed to open pre-sales and hit theaters.

The incident comes hot on the heels of the high-profile cancellation of Huayi Brothers’ $80 million patriotic war epic “The Eight Hundred” as the opening film at the Shanghai Intl. Film Festival. It was yanked just 24 hours before its big debut.

Zhang Yimou’s Cultural Revolution-era film “One Second” was also pulled from Berlin. And last month, unable to actually pull their film from screening in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard selection, the team for Chinese drama “Summer of Changsha” had to distance themselves from the event and refrain from attending any festival-related events or promotion.

In all instances, official statements cited unspecified “technical reasons” for the film’s troubles – a phrase that has come to be known as a euphemism for government interference.

China last year put the Communist Party’s Propaganda Bureau in charge of regulating films, and numerous industry insiders have complained of trouble getting works past censors who are party bureaucrats with little understanding of the medium.

When “Better Days” was pulled from its Berlin debut in the 14Plus selection in February, its official Weibo account said: “We are very sorry to tell everyone that because of post-production reasons, the film ‘Better Days’ will not be able to attend the 69th Berlin Film Festival in time. We thank the Berlin Festival for its recognition and understanding, and everyone for their support.” It added, however, that the film would be released later in the year, saying, “See you soon.”

Within an hour of the announcement that “Better Days” would not be released this week, more than 50,000 fans responded, most of them commenting: “No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait for you!”

https://variety.com/2019/film/news/better-days-china-release-canceled-withdrawn-berlin-1203251262/

China is never going to put up a serious challenge to Hollywood.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottm...marvel-better-days-eight-hundred-sony-disney/

China Box Office: With 'Eight Hundred' And 'Better Days' Canceled, 'Spider-Man' Swings To $36 Million Friday

'Spider-Man: Far From Home'

SONY
The short story is that Spider-Man: Far From Home opened yesterday with a terrific $3.1 million in midnight previews and $35.66 million Friday gross. That's the third-best MCU Friday in China behind Avengers: Infinity War ($70.5 million) and Avengers: Endgame ($107.9 million). Barring frontloading or the like, we should see an opening weekend essentially somewhere between $90 million and $108 million, depending on legs.

After a very long time when solo superhero movies have had an under-$125 million ceiling in China, the sub-genre has exploded over the last year. Ant-Man and the Wasp becoming one of the biggest MCU movies with $121 million. And then Venom earning a ridiculous $272 million in China. Aquaman superhero fatigued all the way to $298 million late last year while Captain Marvel grossed a whopping $154 million earlier this year.

So, yeah, the sheer domination of superhero cinema among would-be tentpoles is about as potent in China as it is in North America, which is a story for another day. But the longer story is the other reason why Spider-Man: Far From Home is possibly going to top $100 million this weekend. Simply put, its two biggest competitors just got snapped out of existence by the Chinese government.

As I discussed ten days ago, Hu Guan's Chinese war epic The Eight Hundred had been set to premiere at this year's Shanghai Film Festival in advance of its July 5 theatrical release. Heck, the very reason Spider-Man: Far From Home opened “early” was due to perceived competition from the local war blockbuster. However, the film was pulled from the festival, with its wide theatrical release eventually postponed indefinitely, due to what is widely believed to be censorship issues related to the film's content.

The official excuses was "technical reasons," which has become code for "governmental disapproval." As recently as early June, it was hoped that The Eight Hundred, China's first movie shot on digital IMAX cameras, would be the next Wolf Warrior 2 ($854 million in 2017) or at least the next Operation Red Sea ($577 million in 2018). But now, the film may not open at all.

Lazily put, it was intended to do for period piece war epics what The Wandering Earth ($699 million) did for sci-fi blockbusters, namely in showing that local Chinese productions could do the mega-bucks Hollywood thing as well as Hollywood. And now, in an update to this whole situation, the other big Chinese would-be biggie scheduled for July 12, Better Days, has been pulled from release as well, allegedly due to content concerns over scenes of sexual assault and bullying.

So now the two big Chinese would-be blockbusters are off the calendar. That is bad news for art and Chinese moviegoers. It may be great news for Hollywood product like Spider-Man: Far From Home, The Secret Life of Pets 2 (opening July 5) and The Lion King (opening a week early, July 12, in China).

We'll see how this plays out over the next year, both for Chinese cinema in general under President Xi Jinping's comparatively authoritative leadership and the Hollywood blockbusters that may by default end up filling the vaccum. China's loss may indeed be Hollywood's gain. The biggest threat to Hollywood's reign in China over the last several years has been local movies that have approximated the top-tier spectacle and production value associated with stereotypical Hollywood event movies.

There's still September's presumably huge The Climbers, an action drama starring Jackie Chan and Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior 2, Wandering Earth). Be it actual "technical reasons" or outright government censorship in advance of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic on October 1 (and the Fan Binbing tax scandal that rocked the industry last year), China may be snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. And Hollywood may be getting a government-mandate rescue right as China's local giants were starting to make Hollywood's stuff look like consolation prizes.

As noted here and there over the last five years, when movies like Monster Hunt, The Mermaid, Wolf Warrior 2 and The Wandering Earth earn anywhere from $380 million to $854 million in China alone, there is less need for Hollywood imports. The stereotypical Hollywood biggie has become both less valuable and less special to Chinese moviegoers. Audiences are slowly becoming accustomed to getting that level of big-screen entertainment value from local biggies telling distinctly Chinese stories with Chinese artists in-front-of-and-behind-the-camera.

But if those big Chinese productions, often original and high-concept biggies no less, continue to face the wrath of China's government censorship boards and either don't play in Chinese theaters or become watered-down to the point of lessening artistic merit, well, then Hollywood gets a slight advantage in its biggest overseas territory. What's bad news for The Eight Hundred and Better Days is good news for Spider-Man: Far From Home, The Secret Life of Pets 2 and The Lion King. Whether it's good news for anyone else is an open question.