EXCLUSIVE: A British lawmaker and member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China has urged the BBC to rethink its commercial decision to produce ads for organs of Chinese state media.
08.12.2022 - 14:23 / deadline.com
And, they’re back. After a series of Covid-related stops and starts, Shanghai Disneyland has again reopened today, marking the Shanghai Disney Resort’s latest return to full operations.
The reopening comes as parts of China had already begun easing Covid restrictions in recent days. Then on Wednesday, authorities issued a 10-point plan that marked a sudden shift away from the zero-Covid policy. Among the national directives was a dismantling of mass testing and the ability to quarantine at home. Officials were also instructed to cease imposing temporary lockdowns. The overall shifts follow a swath of protests related to the Chinese government’s strict Covid policies.
There have been several closures and reopenings at Shanghai Disney throughout the pandemic. In recent months, Shanghai Disneyland was abruptly shuttered in late October, then returned to operations on November 25 only to close again on November 29 in order to comply with “the requirement of pandemic prevention and control,” it said at the time.
The timing of the latest turnaround at the park, which features an “Avatar: Explore Pandora” attraction, dovetails nicely with the theatrical release of Avatar: The Way of Water which launches in China on December 16, day-and-date with North America. Currently, about half of the country’s cinemas are closed, but there has been an increasing number coming back on line.
In a statement posted to its website, Shanghai Disney Resort said Disneyland would be open from 8:30AM-8PM local time and that its control measures “will be updated in accordance with the latest local government guidelines and guests should check and strictly follow them.”
Still, select attractions, live entertainment, restaurants and retail locations
EXCLUSIVE: A British lawmaker and member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China has urged the BBC to rethink its commercial decision to produce ads for organs of Chinese state media.
EXCLUSIVE: When BBC journalist Edward Lawrence was detained and beaten by Chinese police during anti-lockdown protests last month, the condemnation was swift.
We’re getting a quick peek at Disney+’s 2023 slate with a sizzle reel that includes footage (albeit lightning quick) of Loki Season 2 and first looks at new series Star Wars: Ahsoka, American Born Chinese, Marvel’s Secret Invasion, Peter, Pan & Wendy, and Pixar’s Win Or Lose, among others.
Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) in China’s Sanya has returned as an in-person event, following a relatively short Covid-related postponement, with separate competition sections for features, documentaries and shorts.
Welcome back, Insiders. Jesse Whittock here. Christmas is just around the corner now but the news doesn’t let up. Let’s begin.
Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we’re talking with Isidoor Roebers and Lea Fels, partners at Dutch doc producer Scenery, a joint venture with Banijay Benelux that has served up artistic but commercial unscripted projects for everyone from local public broadcaster NPO to Netflix and Prime Video.
James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water began its international box office rollout today in such majors as Korea, France, Germany and Italy — and with early sneaks in China. One of the most anticipated movies of recent years, it’s dominating play.
IMAX China Holding, Inc and IMAX Corporation have named CAA China veteran Daniel Manwaring as Chief Executive Officer of IMAX China. He succeeds interim CEO Jiande Chen, who will return to his full-time role as Vice Chairman of IMAX China. Manwaring takes over the post from January 9, 2023.
In addition to Manwaring’s professional experience, he is married to Chinese filmmaker Zhang Mo, the daughter and frequent collaborator of renowned Chinese film director Zhang Yimou (“The Great Wall,” “Hero,” House of Flying Daggers”).
Ahead of the rollout of James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water in China this week, the original Avatar is getting a surprise rerelease in a limited promotional run from tomorrow locally — and will include an exclusive Easter egg for local audiences. The remastered 4K/HDR version is so far expected in up to 80 cinemas – China has steadily been opening theaters as zero-Covid restrictions have eased in the past week.
Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Puss In Boots: The Last Wish has secured a China release date on December 23, two days after its North American bow. Apart from Avatar: The Way of Water, this currently appears to be the only other Hollywood title dated through the end of the year in the PRC.
Time has selected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “and the spirit of Ukraine” as its Person of the Year.
Wild Bunch co-founder Vincent Maraval drew comparisons between the burgeoning film industry in Saudi Arabia with that of China during a business-focused keynote at the Red Sea film festival this morning.
Crackdowns in China seem to be in the news a lot lately, making Jason Loftus’s film Eternal Spring all the more timely. The protagonist of this hybrid documentary is a brilliant Chinese artist named Daxiong, who was forced into exile because of his affiliation with a movement known as Falun Gong, a controversial New Age self-help group that became increasingly threatening to the authorities as it grew in size. In 1999, president Jiang Zemin finally outlawed the organization, leading to imprisonments and death.
Fresh from its success at the Cannes Film Festival where it won Best Director, Decision to Leave marks the first time a film by Park Chan-wook — long believed to be one of South Korea’s finest contemporary filmmakers — has represented his country at the Oscars. A friendly rivalry with Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, who won in 2019 with the first Korean film ever to be nominated, only heightens the anticipation for its chances.
Roll up, roll up, Insiders. The Deadline International team have once again been travelling the world to bring you the latest news and analysis from the global film and TV biz, with Mel and Zac both in the Middle East. Max and I actually found the TV world descending on London for once, so we didn’t have to go so far for access. Read on.
Shanghai Disneyland has again closed its gates, just four days after reopening them, in order to comply with “the requirement of pandemic prevention and control.”
Apple stock fell 3% today as it was hit by two headwinds — protests in China threatening iPhone production and claims of “censorship” lodged by new Twitter owner Elon Musk.