xXx: The Return of Xander Cage

[GeneChing]

Tony Jaa, Jet Li and Deepika Padukone Join Vin Diesel In XXX: THE RETURN OF XANDER CAGE (http://twitchfilm.com/2016/01/tony-jaa-jet-li-and-deepika-padukone-join-vin-diesel-in-xxx-the-return-of-xander-cage.html)
Todd Brown, Founder and Editor

http://twitchfilm.com/assets_c/2016/01/vin-diesel-thumb-630xauto-59138.jpg

That Vin Diesel's New Year's Resolution involves punching a lot of people in the face should come as no surprise. And today Twitch has learned a thing or two about which faces he will be punching and / or who will be helping him punch other faces with word of some major names joining Diesel and the already announced UFC star Conor McGregor in XXX: The Return Of Xander Cage.

We're told that the DJ Caruso helmed picture has added international action stars Jet Li and Tony Jaa - fresh off working with Diesel on the latest Fast And Furious picture - along with Indian mega star Deepika Padukone. We're told Padukone will be lining up with the good guys but no word yet on whose team Li and Jaa will play on but, good lord, I'd buy a ticket to watch those two face off in a heartbeat.

Look at Vin and those big, dreamy eyes up there. He knows this is gonna be awesome.



Jet and Jaa you all surely know. Deepika you might remember from Chandni-Chowk-goes-to-China (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?52608-Chandni-Chowk-goes-to-China). :cool:

[boxerbilly]

I pass !!!

[GeneChing]

It's been a while since Jet has delivered a good fight scene. Hopefully Diesel will bring that out of him.


JANUARY 19, 2016 2:27pm PT by Borys Kit (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/jet-li-set-fight-vin-857197)
Jet Li Set to Fight Vin Diesel in 'xXx 3'

http://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_crop_768_433/2016/01/jet_li_vin_diesel_split.jpg
Jet Li; Vin Diesel Getty Images

Whether he is the ultimate villain of the sequel remains to be seen.

Martial-arts maestro Jet Li has closed a deal to join Vin Diesel in xXx 3: The Return of Xander Cage, Revolution Studios’ reboot of the early 2000s action spy franchise.

Diesel is leading a cast that includes Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev, Bollywood star Deepika Padukone and Orange Is the New Black breakout Ruby Rose as well as Samuel L. Jackson.

Plot details are being kept redacted, but just as Diesel found renewed success when Fast & Furious was rejigged as an action ensemble, xXx, too, is being reconfigured to surround the action star with a team of toughs and wiseacres.

According to sources, Li will play the leader of his own team and will square off against Diesel. Whether he is the ultimate villain of the pic remains to be seen.

"xXx 3: The Return of Xander Cage is one of the jewels in Revolution Studio’s library, and we’re giving the devoted fans more of what they want by expanding the franchise and introducing new and extreme action characters like Jet Li’s,” said Revolution CEO Vince Totino.

Added Revolution COO Scott Hemming: "We are extremely excited to have Jet Li join the cast of xXx 3: The Return of Xander Cage as Raif, who is pitted against Vin Diesel’s Xander Cage, and watch these two in action as they raise the bar with some of the most incredible stunts on film."

xXx 3 has a script by F. Scott Frazier, and D.J. Caruso will direct the pic, which is set to begin shooting in February in Toronto and the Dominican Republic.

Li’s involvement, along with several other action mainstays, surfaced several weeks ago, but it's only now that the tricky negotiations closed, according to sources. Some actors rumored for the movie, such as Jennifer Lopez, did not pan out either due to scheduling or dealmaking.

Joe Roth is producing the movie with his new partner, Jeff Kirschenbaum, along with Diesel and his producing partner, Samantha Vincent, who is also his sister. Totino and Hemming of Revolution, which was rebooted two years when it was bought by hedge fund Fortress, are shepherding actor and distributor deals for the film.

And while no distribution deal is set, Paramount remains the likely home for the pic.

xXx 3 will be Li’s first movie since appearing in 2014's The Expendables 3. He is repped by Current Entertainment and Bloom Hergott.

[Jimbo]

It's been a while since Jet has delivered a good fight scene. Hopefully Diesel will bring that out of him.


At least it appears that Jet has overcome the thyroid(?) problem he was having a couple years ago. However, I don't know if he's capable of any more really good fight scenes. The more recent Chinese films he's been in pretty much sucked in terms of action, and I'm not confident that Americans filmmakers will do any better. Jet looked good in Lethal Weapon 4 and some of his Euro films like Kiss of the Dragon and Unleashed. But in those movies, either his go-to guy Corey Yuen, or else Yuen Woo-Ping were given full reign over directing his fight scenes. His stuff in the Expendables series has been meh.

[GeneChing]

These are the days of threequels.


http://moviehole.net/img/xxxfront.jpg
Exclusive : Another big name joining xXx 3 (http://moviehole.net/2016100391xxx3-2)
By Jennifer Avary - Jan 24, 2016 160

While Vin Diesel might be headlining the next “xXx” movie, that doesn’t mean the DJ Caruso-directed sequel is going to entirely skip over the events of the Diesel-less sequel from 2005, “xXx : State of the Union” – even if it was lackluster and unsuccessful. Nope, it’s still very much canon and it’s events will still factor into 2017’s “xXx The Return of Xander Cage”.

In fact, a major player from the Lee Tamahori directed film – besides Samuel L.Jackson’s Agent Augustus Gibbons – is set to reprise his role for the new film.

Turn away now if you’re not wanting the surprise spoiled – though, I’m assuming, the marketing for the film will give it away long before the movie hits the screen – because it’s quite the fun inclusion.

Much like the last couple of “Fast & Furious” movies, Diesel’s prepping the “xXx” franchise to be a ‘team’ action-comedy (complete with the kind of eye-popping ridiculous stunts we’ve seen in the “Fast & Furious” movies). This person will be starring alongside Diesel, Jet Li, Samuel L.Jackson, Tony Jaa, Connor McGregor, Ruby Rose and Nina Dobrev. Most play xXx agents – all of them teaming up to take on the film’s big bad.

Who is it?

** Spoilers Follow **

http://moviehole.net/img/xxxlogo-700x525.jpg

Ice Cube.

No matter what he’s telling press, Cube will reprise Darius Stone in the movie.

He’s a major part of the new story.

The plan seems to be for the “xXx” franchise to take it’s cue from the later “Fast & Furious” movies – acknowledge what’s come before, but make sure the characters from the earlier, weaker movies have something more to do this time around.

Cube’s Darius Stone will be “a treat this time around – very funny, lots of great lines and he gets in on some terrific action sequences”, we’re informed by a solid source.

Cube, of course, is a much bigger [movie] star now than what he was in 2005, so no surprise that Diesel’s got him in the new movie. He’s an asset.

http://moviehole.net/img/xxx2-1.jpg

The Return of Xander Cage” hits theaters in Feb 2017.

[GeneChing]

Total game-changer.


Donnie Yen In, Jet Li Out Of XXX: THE RETURN OF XANDER CAGE (http://twitchfilm.com/2016/02/donnie-yen-in-jet-li-out-of-xxx-the-return-of-xander-cage.html)
James Marsh, Asian Editor

http://twitchfilm.com/assets_c/2016/02/Donnie_XXX3-thumb-630xauto-59848.jpg

Vin Diesel posted the above photo a couple of hours ago on Facebook, welcoming Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen to the cast of XXX: The Return Of Xander Cage, the reboot of the other action franchise Diesel launched with director Rob Cohen.

An anonymous source close to the production also tells us that Yen has been hastily cast to replace Jet Li, who has chosen to exit the project for as-yet officially undisclosed reasons. Otherwise, however, the international cast of the film remains the same, with Tony Jaa, Deepika Padukone, Toni Collette, Samuel L. Jackson and a rumoured Ice Cube returning, for incoming director D.J. Caruso.

One of the great highlights of the Fast & Furious franchise has been its insanely diverse cast, and it is great to see XXX moving in the same direction. While fans will be disappointed not to see Jet Li and Donnie Yen in the same movie, there is now the very real chance of a Donnie Yen vs Tony Jaa throwdown.

We should also take a moment to give Yen some serious kudos, whose A-list status seems to be finally taking hold in the West, as it has belatedly done in the East.

[GeneChing]

A villain? Srsly? It's like Lethal Weapon 4 all over again.


FEBRUARY 12, 2016 11:21am PT by Borys Kit
Martial Arts Star Donnie Yen to Play Villain in 'xXx 3' (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/martial-arts-star-donnie-yen-864713)
Paramount just closed a deal to distribute the movie.

http://cdn3.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_crop_768_433/2014/10/donnie_yen.jpg
Donnie Yen AP Images

Paramount just closed a deal to distribute the movie.
Martial arts master Donnie Yen has nabbed the villain role in xXx 3: The Return of Xander Cage, the Vin Diesel-starring reboot of the 2002 action pic.

Paramount just closed a deal to distribute the movie, which has D.J. Caruso (I Am Number Four) directing.

Diesel made the casting announcement on his Facebook page.

The movie’s plot, per the studio, sees operative Xander Cage coming out of self-imposed exile and on a collision course with deadly alpha warrior Xiang and his team in a race to recover a sinister and seemingly unstoppable weapon known as Pandora’s Box. Recruiting an all-new group of thrill-seeking cohorts, Cage finds himself enmeshed in a deadly conspiracy that points to collusion at the highest levels of world governments.

Yen will play Xiang. The part was originally filled by Jet Li.

The movie began production in the Dominican Republic last week.

Yen is a huge name in the martial arts world for his high-kicking action flicks such as the Ip Man series and cross-over hit Hero. American audiences saw him in Guillermo del Toro’s Blade 2 and the actor is part of the ensemble cast of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

[GeneChing]

From Tony Jaa's Facebook:


Tony Jaa Official (https://www.facebook.com/officialtonyjaa/photos/a.1410459819170082.1073741828.1410333299182734/1717576921791702/?type=3&theater)
Like This Page · 19 hrs · Edited ·

First time working with Donnie Yen and its a blast.
xXx3 The Return of Xander Cage

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtl1/v/t1.0-9/12717656_1717576921791702_2318977198111390073_n.jp g?oh=e53a4c595860478b387f4359dfba2e4b&oe=572B51AD

[GeneChing]

...and Conor McGregor.


MISS COLOMBIA I'M VIN DIESEL'S 'XXX' LOVE INTEREST!!! (http://www.tmz.com/2016/02/29/miss-colombia-vin-diesel-xxx-movie)
2/29/2016 10:41 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF
EXCLUSIVE

http://ll-media.tmz.com/2016/02/29/0229-miss-columbia-vin-diesel-tmz-instagram-3.jpg

Miss Colombia has extended her 15 ... we've learned she's just signed a deal to become Vin Diesel's love interest in "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage."
Sources connected with the production tell us Ariadna Gutierrez will play Vin's love interest, and her part is not insignificant. She's in 6 scenes and has 3 pages of dialogue.
Our sources say Ariadna's off to the Dominican Republic Tuesday to begin shooting. It will be her first movie role.
Vin's snagged some other people who have recently grabbed headlines ... UFC superstar Conor McGregor will also appear in the flick.

[GeneChing]

Can't fault either of them. Who here wouldn't grab a selfie with either if they had the chance?


Let’s Take a Selfie: Deepika and Donnie Yen Are Such Posers on xXx Sets! (http://news.yahoo.com/lets-take-a-selfie-deepika-and-donnie-yen-are-140041444.html)
March 16, 2016 10:00 AM

http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/aNcY5MQt6SJ6t8EzLqPuZw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3NfbGVnbztxPTg1/http://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/c5249d2cbd27d5dd36d3bacfcb4736af

Deepika Padukone is currently busy shooting for her Hollywood debut film, xXx: The Return Of The Xander Cage. In the last couple of days, many times DP has shared photos on social media from the sets of the film.

And today we have got our hands on another one, the recent picture which is doing rounds is with actor Donnie Yen. He plays the character of Xiang in the film. Donnie Yen has been replaced Jet Li in the film when the latter dropped out of the project due to unknown reasons.

Check out Ip Man star Donnie clicking a selfie with Ms Padukone. And you just cannot afford to miss the cutesy pout of DP!

Adorbs….

[GeneChing]

First Donnie for Jet, now Bisping for Conor...:rolleyes:


Michael Bisping Replaces Conor McGregor in 'XXX' Sequel – Thanks, Nate Diaz (http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/news/michael-bisping-replaces-conor-mcgregor-in-xxx-sequel-thanks-nate-diaz-20160408)
Mac drops out of Vin Diesel film to focus on his fight at UFC 200. But don't worry, they got a guy nicknamed 'The Count' instead
BY SCOTT RAFFERTY April 8, 2016

http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/2016/article/michael-bisping-replaces-conor-mcgregor-in-xxx-sequel-thanks-nate-diaz-20160408/235799/medium_rect/1460121017/720x405-conor.jpg
Michael Bisping replaces Conor McGregor in 'XXX' sequel. NIKLAS HALLE'N/Getty, Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty

Mark Wahlberg might the only man who can get Conor McGregor to make a movie.
Before his shocking loss to Nate Diaz last month, McGregor was set to make his Hollywood debut alongside Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson and Tony Jaa in the upcoming xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. Diesel seemed excited about the two working on a project together and the thought of McGregor appearing in an over-the-top action movie made sense to everyone. But then UFC 196 happened, and McGregor has since suspended his plans to follow Ronda Rousey's big-screen blueprint because he doesn't want the distraction.
That means the only ass kickings McGregor will be giving for the foreseeable future will remain in the Octagon – his rematch with Diaz is set for UFC 200 in July.
Anyway, we now know who will replace McGregor in the movie: Fellow MMA fighter Michael Bisping, who broke the news via a very janky Instagram post (wherever Xander Cage has been hiding, it wasn't at design school), then followed that up with an on-set photo of him hanging out with Jaa and Nina Dobrev. While Bisping doesn't have same star power as McGregor – there's a strong possibility you've never heard of him before – he is an MMA specialist with a 28-7 record who was recognized as one of the UFC's best Middleweight fighters earlier this year. He also happens to be British (and his nickname is "The Count") so they don't have to worry about him putting on a fake accent to be an international villain.


mikebisping (https://www.instagram.com/p/BD5_Wehytb8/?taken-by=mikebisping)
FOLLOW

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/e35/12822450_1006138476141512_1014903231_n.jpg

On the set of #xxx return of Xander cage with @tonyjaaofficial and @ninadobrev #eyesshut :(
1,851 likes
23h
mikebisping On the set of #xxx return of Xander cage with @tonyjaaofficial and @ninadobrev #eyesshut :(

You've got some big shoes to fill, Bisping. Make it, uh, count.

[GeneChing]

From Nina's twitter (https://twitter.com/ninadobrev?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw):


Nina Dobrev ‏@ninadobrev Apr 20
Film an action movie they said. It'll be fine they said. Movies may not be real but this is.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cgfp-wrWIAAkMBb.jpg

4,939 retweets 18,072 likes
Reply Retweet 4.9K Like 18K


Nina Dobrev ‏@ninadobrev Apr 20
The things we do for our craft! #NoPainNoGain #iDoMyOwnStunts #ItAintEasyBeingABadass #XXXtheMovie

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CgfqhsIW4AEf69Q.jpg

1,670 retweets 5,975 likes
Reply Retweet 1.7K Like 6K

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC9vW-BCp20

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhQSogZukuQ

Hoping for a Donnie trailer....;)

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ziu6JzJTZ0

[GeneChing]

...I mean Chirrut (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68803-Star-Wars-Rogue-One). He's on a roll.

We all saw this one coming. Good for Donnie!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_XRSh61S9I

[GeneChing]

Hollywood Banks on Foreign Moviegoers as U.S. Ticket Sales Stall (http://variety.com/2016/film/news/hollywood-studios-outposts-overseas-international-1201941107/)
Brent Lang
Senior Film and Media Editor
@BrentALang

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/passengers1.jpg?w=670&h=377&crop=1
COURTESY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES
DECEMBER 14, 2016 | 09:00AM PT

Vin Diesel’s passport is getting a workout these days.

This story first appeared in the December 14, 2016 issue of Variety.

The action star was in Brazil last month to hawk “XXX: Return of Xander Cage” at the country’s edition of Comic-Con. Diesel, recognized the world over for his role in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, popped up at a surprise screening of the “Xander Cage” sequel, and drew crowds as he drove back to his hotel. At one point, he stopped the car to play soccer with locals.

“Fans were screaming,” recalls Nic Crawley, head of international marketing and distribution for Paramount. “It was like the Beatles had come to town.”

The next two months will bring Diesel and company to such far-flung locales as Mumbai, where the film, which features Indian superstar Deepika Padukone in a lead role, will have its world premiere. It’s part of an effort to drive turnout for a movie that seems to have been greenlit primarily for its overseas appeal. The picture is loaded with the kind of action set pieces that cross every language barrier, and it has a multi-ethnic cast that includes Kris Wu, Tony Jaa, and Ruby Rose, major stars in China, Thailand, and Australia, respectively.

“It’s a glorious international movie because of the diverse cast,” Crawley says.

How things have changed. Twenty years ago, foreign markets were something of an afterthought. They could be counted on to pad the grosses of a few select films, particularly those with a Tom Cruise or a Will Smith above the title. Today, overseas territories routinely account for more than 60% of a major release’s total gross.

On paper, the domestic box office achieved record revenue in 2015 and could set a new high-water mark this year. When inflation is taken into account, however, sales have been essentially flat and attendance has failed to come close to matching the record of 1.57 billion set in 2002.

Duncan Clark, president of distribution for Universal Pictures International, says that the American market is still the gold standard when it comes to exhibition technology and in ratio of screens. He adds however, that “the population base, by definition, means that this international world is going to deliver bigger numbers than you’ve witnessed for any of the titles that go out on a broad basis.”

With the domestic business maturing, studios have looked overseas, particularly to Asia and Latin America, to find markets with burgeoning middle classes and a thirst for pop culture. China, for instance, saw ticket sales increase more than 20% through the first half of the year (actually a sizable decline from the 48% growth it experienced in 2015), and movie theater construction is continuing at a feverish pace. Opportunities abroad are leading several studios to change the types of films that they’re making, or to expand the number of films they release that are aimed at foreign audiences in their own language.

That has led to some shakeups and shifts at major studios. Under newly minted studio chief Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures is building up its local-language division and putting more of an emphasis on star-driven, special-effects-oriented productions such as “Passengers” and “Jumanji” that are designed to appeal to overseas crowds. In the past, Sony tended to be the home of Adam Sandler comedies and adult dramas that had a limited appeal outside of the U.S. In a signal of this shift, Rothman tapped Sanford Panitch to serve as president of Columbia Pictures. The two men worked together at Fox, where Panitch developed the studio’s local-language productions.

“You have to have a global revenue perspective,” says Panitch. “No studio should greenlight a big movie based solely on how it will perform in the U.S.”

At Sony, Panitch has also reinvigorated the company’s slate of films produced by and for foreign audiences. In less than two years, the studio has built up its local divisions in 10 countries, including new arms in Turkey, China, and Russia.

“You have to empower your local team,” notes Panitch. “To sit in an office in West L.A. and think we know what will work for a Hindi-speaking audience in Mumbai is the height of imperial arrogance.”

Sony’s not alone in making changes to its foreign-distribution strategy. Universal, for instance, recently placed Universal Pictures Intl. Productions under the banner of Focus Features, its specialty-film arm. The combined divisions have been tasked with instituting a more global approach to the movies they make. That has led the companies to move opportunistically, picking up foreign rights to the likes of “American Honey,” a buzzy Cannes hit; Spanish distribution for Oscar hopeful “La La Land”; and worldwide rights to a drama about the fashion industry from Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Thomas Anderson.

Even as studios seek to offer films that are more regionally specific, there’s a growing sense that social media and the internet are breaking down barriers and allowing pictures to reach audiences in far-flung parts of the globe. Studios are also dealing with the same issues overseas that they are on these shores — namely, an ever-expanding array of entertainment options.

“People have more choices than ever before, and therein lies the challenge,” says Tomas Jegeus, president of Fox Intl. Productions. “People are consuming so much audiovisual content, from YouTube videos to Vines, that there’s only so much time left to commit to getting in the car and going to the theater.”

The audience is also graying, Jegeus notes, although he attributes that more to a demographic shift than a sign of changing tastes.

“There’s an aging-up of the population when you look around the world,” he says. “The average family size is shrinking, even in Catholic countries, so with fewer kids being born, it’s a natural progression that the audience is getting older.”

Foreign audiences are getting pickier when it comes to what they’re willing to see. This summer, many sequels sputtered at the domestic marketplace, with follow-ups from “Star Trek Beyond” to “X-Men: Apocalypse” failing to match the grosses of previous entries in their series. Slapping a roman numeral on a film used to be enough to guarantee healthy returns overseas, but the same slackening appears to be taking place in foreign markets.

“At the end of the day, it’s about the films themselves,” says Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, president of international distribution and growth initiatives at Warner Bros. “There’s a bit of franchise fatigue, so there has to be more reimagining of stories, with sequels that present unique and different elements.”

She points to “The Conjuring 2,” one of the rare sequels this year for which foreign box office grew from installment to installment, as an example of a follow-up that got it right. The second film kept the original picture’s team of paranormal investigators, but transported them across the Pond to England to check into a totally different haunted house.

For many, the gold standard remains Disney. The studio controls major brands such as Lucasfilm, Marvel, and Pixar, which have deep and passionate fan bases around the world. That puts them squarely in the zeitgeist at a time when superhero films and animated features dominate the list of the most popular global releases. It also means the studio doesn’t need to be a major player in the local-language game.

“Having films that work locally takes many, many different forms, and our approach has been to tell broad stories that are universally compelling and relevant,” says Dave Hollis, Disney’s global distribution head.

As for Paramount, the studio is looking beyond “Xander Cage” to brush the dust off characters and franchises it believes will resonate as strongly in India and China as they do in the Heartland. That has often meant travelling far from home for some projects: The studio recently hosted a trailer launch in Tokyo tied to “Ghost in the Shell,” an adaptation of a popular Japanese manga, and it’s filling out the casts of upcoming blockbuster hopefuls like “Transformers: The Last Knight” and “Baywatch” with actors like Anthony Hopkins and Priyanka Chopra, who appeal to overseas consumers. In the case of “Baywatch,” Chopra, Dwayne Johnson, and Zac Efron have been convinced to break out their swim suits in large part because the original television show was so widely broadcast.

“In its day, it was the most-watched TV series in the entire world,” says Crawley. “Wherever you lived outside of California, everybody dreamed of running up and down those beaches.”

And having an international star like Chopra around to do some of that running won’t hurt.

You know, I'm a little disappointed that we don't have threads for xXx (2002) and xXx: State of the Union (2005). I'll write reviews up for those here next week perhaps. I rewatched them a few months ago in anticipation of this.

[GeneChing]

In preparation for next year's installment, I rewatched the original, because I couldn't remember a thing about it. Turns out there wasn't that much to remember. xXx is an outrageously gratuitous action film, dumb as a box of rocks, but there's a lot of explosions - real explosions - and only a minimal amount of CGI as it was 2002. The stunts are ridiculous. Xander Cage is ridiculous. It's ridiculously dumb. But so is a lot of stuff I watch so what am I saying here? It's interesting to juxtapose this franchise with Vin's F&F franchise because it's kind of the same idea - rogue adrenaline junkies are the only people capable of taking down some random international gang of thieves. Sam Jackson is particularly amusing because his Eugene Gibbons is basically the same as Nick Fury in his Marvel flicks, only instead of having an eye-patch, he has some odd facial scar (and a far far superior first name). Also amusing was that Marton Csokas played the main villain. I met Csokas briefly at the Into the Badlands premiere (https://www.facebook.com/pg/Kung-Fu-Tai-Chi-Magazine-135964689362/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10153775291079363). But I confess, I was more interested in the Into the Badlands (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?67844-Into-The-Badlands)starlets because they all play hot women fighters and I have a soft spot for them.

I should mention that I'm not a huge fan of VD. He's got a great voice, but he always looks kind of like a pale skinny Shrek (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/index.php?p=article&article=713) to me. Skinny isn't quite the right word because he's hecka yoked, but his face (butter face?), that's the Shrekkish part.

Anyway, the film sorely needed a sword fight.

[GeneChing]

Man, that was a dumb sequel. But with Ice Cube as the new 3x, it was decidedly blacker. Still a lot of good explosions but more CGI so it starts to go sour for me.

Hardly the same franchise except for Eugene. Good ol Eugene.

Maybe the next one will be more Asian to cater to China. It'll surely be more CGI.

Like with Rogue One (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68803-Star-Wars-Rogue-One), all my hopes are pinned to Donnie.

[GeneChing]

Action hero
Tony Jaa has a new Hollywood hit (http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-entertainment/1174817/publicity-stuntman)
8 Jan 2017 at 10:05
WRITER: SUWITCHA CHAIYONG

http://www.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20170105/c1_1174817_620x413.jpg

With his ground-breaking moves and daredevil stunts, Tony Jaa made viewers’ jaws drop in the 2003 action blockbuster Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior. In his latest role, the 40-year-old stunt legend worked with Hollywood star Vin Diesel and Chinese martial artist Donnie Yen in the spectacular spy thriller xXx: Return of Xander Cage.

In his latest role, the 40-year-old stunt legend worked with Hollywood star Vin Diesel and Chinese martial artist Donnie Yen in the spectacular spy thriller xXx: Return of Xander Cage. For this extreme action movie, Tony Jaa adopted an extreme new look for his character Talon, by dying his hair a striking blond. The film is an action extravaganza that is sure to leave audiences breathless.

Before the movie’s release on January 17, S Weekly met up with Tony Jaa at G2D studio where the friendly star told us all about the upcoming movie.

S Weekly: Can you tell us about your character Talon?

Tony Jaa: I think he’s something that viewers haven’t seen before. He’s bold and skilful. This is the first time I have tattoos and dyed hair, so I look really cool. And when I showed my dance moves to the director, he liked them and told me to put them in the movie.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20170105/2170857.jpg

S Weekly: Do you like to dance?

Tony Jaa: Yes, I particularly like b-boy and hip-hop dancing. I think hip-hop music really suits the movements of Thai boxing.

S Weekly: Did Vin Diesel give you any advice?

Tony Jaa: He told me to really try and develop my character. I learnt that he liked to turn on music and move along with it to help him get into character naturally. So I decided to build up my emotions with music. If I wanted to be serious, I listened to rock music. If I had to be sad, I played Mozart.

S Weekly: What was it like working with the stunt team?

Tony Jaa: They were all familiar with my background, so they knew what I was capable of. Before filming, we choreographed my moves. But on set, I could suggest what would make the scenes look better and they sometimes accepted my ideas.

S Weekly: Among the cast, who were you closest to?

Tony Jaa: I hung out with Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen and Kris Wu. Vin was hilarious. Whenever he met me, he hugged me. He said I was vigorous and he needed energy. He made me feel relaxed on set.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20170105/2170861.jpg

S Weekly: Which of your films are you most proud of?

Tony Jaa: I’m really proud of Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior because it was my big break. It took me years to get there and I had to work so hard for it. I’m also proud of Furious 7 because of the great friendships I developed with the other cast members. And in XXX: Return of Xander Cage, I’m proud that I’m a Thai actor representing my country to an international audience.

S Weekly: How did you develop your incredible stunt skills?

Tony Jaa: I used to practice Thai boxing for eight hours a day. I watched a lot of action movies which helped me to understand other actors and develop my own style.

S Weekly: What kind of character would you like to play in the future?

Tony Jaa: I enjoy watching comedies, especially the ones by Jackie Chan and Charlie Chaplin. The characters I usually play are fierce, but I like to joke around as well. So, I’d love to be in an action comedy. I want to make people feel excited and happy.

S Weekly: Did you go sightseeing while filming in Canada?

Tony Jaa: We mostly just went to lots of different restaurants such as Italian, Indian, Chinese and Thai. The owners of the Thai restaurant were very kind and gave me a warm welcome. They took me to see Niagara Falls and to a basketball match as well.

S Weekly: What’s your advice for people who look up to you?

Tony Jaa: You must discover your strengths and set clear goals. It isn’t easy to become a success. Work hard but try to make it fun and don’t give up. You must have faith and courage.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20170105/2170865.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-frXIkq5fSc


"Do you like to dance?" What an odd question.

[GeneChing]

I saw La La Land last night and loved it. I love musicals. The single take choreography was superb.


'La La Land' Scores Awards-Season Release in China (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/la-la-land-scores-awards-season-release-china-963439)
11:28 PM PST 1/10/2017 by Patrick Brzeski

http://cdn5.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/landscape_928x523/2016/08/emma_stone_ryan_gosling_la_la_land_h_2016.jpg
Lionsgate/Screenshot
'La La Land'

'Arrival,' 'xXx' and 'Sing' also have landed upcoming release dates in China, the world's No. 2 film market.
La La Land is on a roll.

After winning a record seven awards at the Golden Globes on Sunday, Damien Chazelle’s modern musical just received some more good news — this time from China, the world's second-largest film market.

The Lionsgate movie has gotten the official green light for local distribution from China's film regulators, according to multiple local media reports.

No release date has yet been announced, but a source with knowledge of the decision at state-backed distributor China Film Group tells THR the plan is to open La La Land on Valentine's Day — Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Chinese-language posters and trailers for the film were put out earlier this week. The film's title has been translated into Chinese as "爱乐之城" or Aiyue Zhicheng, roughly meaning "Music Lovers' City."

China Film Co. will distribute the film, with Shanghai-based Baian Film and Joy Pictures handling marketing, say local reports. Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling will visit China in late January to promote the movie. Emma Stone may not be able to attend, due to a scheduling conflict.

La La Land will be Gosling's first film released in China, but Stone is a familiar face to moviegoers there, thanks to the Amazing Spider-Man franchise.

Other Hollywood titles recently cleared for release in China include Amy Adams' sci-fi Arrival on Jan. 20, Vin Diesel's xXx: Return of Xander Cage and video game adaptation Assassin's Creed on Feb. 10, and Universal's animated musical Sing on Feb. 17.

Chinese New Year, the country's largest holiday period, runs Jan. 27-Feb. 2 this year — between the release of Arrival and xXx — during which time a rush of high-profile local movies will be released, including the Stephen Chow-produced Journey to the West: Demon Chapter on Jan. 28. Chow's The Mermaid set an all-time box-office record after its release during Chinese New Year in 2016, earning $528 million.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story currently is topping the Chinese box office, with $37 million after five days. Sony's Passengers and Laika's Kubo and the Two Strings open in the country on Friday.

Assassin's Creed (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69506-Assassin-s-Creed)

Journey to the West: Demon Chapter (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65681-Stephan-Chow-s-Journey-to-the-West-Part-2-Demon-Chapter)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68803-Star-Wars-Rogue-One)

Kubo and the Two Strings (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69164-Kubo-And-The-Two-Strings)

[GeneChing]

...this opens next week but we are lining up a special exclusive treat for tomorrow.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzjxm80GSLM

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlegZ8taWsk

:cool:

[GeneChing]

Vin Diesel eyes Bollywood: I’d do anything with Deepika Padukone in it! (http://www.hindustantimes.com/hollywood/vin-diesel-eyes-bollywood-i-d-do-anything-with-deepika-padukone-in-it/story-WIGRFQDGMgYE3B0sdeQ1vN.html)
HOLLYWOOD Updated: Jan 16, 2017 14:10 IST
IANS

http://www.hindustantimes.com/rf/image_size_960x540/HT/p2/2017/01/16/Pictures/film-diesel-and-deepika-padukone-promote-their_67a068e6-dbc6-11e6-84f6-f9b2ee092ea6.jpg
Hollywood actor Vin Diesel with actor Deepika Padukone during a press conference. (PTI)

Vin Diesel feels Bollywood cinema is all about making magic, and says he is willing to cross over to the Indian film industry with a project that stars Deepika Padukone.

Diesel got a better understanding about the world of Bollywood after working with Deepika in xXx: The Return of Xander Cage.

“Just that the people who make these movies want to make magic like everybody else. I am not the type of person who finds differences in things; I like to find similarities in things,” hollywoodreporter.com quoted Diesel as saying.

When asked if given the chance, what kind of a role he would like to do in Bollywood, he said: “I’d do anything with Deepika Padukone in it!”

The actor visited India last week for the premiere of xXx: The Return of Xander Cage.

The movie, a new instalment in the xXx series after the 2002 film xXx and 2005’s xXx: State of the Union, released in India on January 14, before anywhere else in the world. Directed by DJ Caruso, the film also stars Vin Diesel, Ruby Rose, Samuel L Jackson, Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa.

I feel him. I'd do anything with Deepike in it too. :)

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by-Z6b693sI

[GeneChing]

I'm going to the screener tonight. This article confirms what I already suspected and included in my notes for our official review coming this Friday.


China’s Huahua Media and Shanghai Film Group Join Paramount on ‘XXX: Return of Xander Cage’ (http://www.thewrap.com/chinas-huahua-media-and-shanghai-film-group-join-paramount-on-xxx-return-of-xander-cage/)
High-octane thriller stars Vin Diesel and Chinese A-listers Donnie Yen and Kris Wu
Matt Pressberg | January 17, 2017 @ 10:57 AM

http://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/XXX.jpg
Paramount

Vin Diesel‘s long-awaited sequel, “xXx: Return of Xander Cage,” recently landed a China release date, and on Tuesday, the studio enlisted two local partners to help make it a big hit in the Middle Kingdom — and beyond.

Paramount Pictures has brought on a joint venture between China’s Huahua Media and Shanghai Film Group as investors and China marketing partners on “xXx,” which it produced with Revolution Studios. The relationship isn’t a new one: Huahua and Shanghai have also invested in Paramount’s “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back,” and Huahua has also been a partner in other Paramount titles including “Star Trek Beyond” and “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” the first Hollywood film to break $300 million at the Chinese box office.

The latest “xXx” film seems positioned to do well in China, as it stars Vin Diesel from the mega-popular “Fast and Furious” — “Furious 7” is currently the all-time highest grossing foreign film in China with $391 million — as well as Samuel L. Jackson, Deepika Padukone, Ruby Rose, Nina Dobrev and Chinese stars Donnie Yen and Kris Wu.

“We are pleased to collaborate once again with Huahua Media and the Shanghai Film Group,” Megan Colligan, Paramount Pictures’ president of worldwide distribution and marketing, said in a statement. “‘xXx: Return of Xander Cage’ is a film that delivers incredible action and great entertainment and we anticipate a strong showing for the film in China, where our stars Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen, Kris Wu and Nina Dobrev have such dedicated fan bases.”

“Huahua’s co-investment in ‘xXx: Return of Xander Cage’ marks the second time our company has had the opportunity to partner with Shanghai Film Group as a financer and marketing provider for a Paramount title,” Huahua CEO Kefei Wang said in the statement. “We are poised to launch a multi-market campaign to drive a lucrative opening for the popular film series in China.”


“America is a developed market and the Chinese market is still developing,” Ren Zhonglun, president of Shanghai Film Group, said in the statement. “If there’s a company or an alliance of companies that can connect the two, such as Paramount Pictures and Huahua Media, it creates a significant collaboration that benefits both markets. This is why we’ve been communicating with American companies and keeping a close relationship with the executives of those companies.”

The film was produced Vin Diesel, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Joe Roth and Samantha Vincent, written by F. Scott Frazier, Chad St. John and Rich Wilkes, and directed by D.J. Caruso.

[GeneChing]

Read xXx: Return of Xander Cage: Donnie, Tony, Bisping and Deepika (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1336) by Gene Ching

[GeneChing]

She was good in xXx.


Nina Dobrev turned to cupping therapy to get rid of cold (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/fashion-beauty/nina-dobrev-turned-to-cupping-therapy-to-get-rid-of-cold-35380394.html)
PUBLISHED 19/01/2017

http://cdn-03.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/fashion-beauty/article35380393.ece/ae9a8/AUTOCROP/h342/cover_media_cmg99fe2f15-cec4-48ec-942b-66d70e472b7b_0
Nina Dobrev
The actress has been travelling the world promoting her new film xXx: Return of Xander Cage.

Actress Nina Dobrev underwent cupping therapy to help her beat a cold when she fell ill while promoting her new movie xXx: Return of Xander Cage.

The former The Vampire Diaries actress, who stars alongside Vin Diesel and Ruby Rose in the action film, has been travelling all over the world in recent weeks and her crazy schedule left her battling a nasty cold.

"I've been in London, Mexico City, Brazil, kind of all over the place," she told Live with Kelly on Wednesday (18Jan17). "(It's) exhausting and fun. You throw the birthday in there last week. It's kind of just been no rest for the weary. When you're travelling to so many different places on planes... I got sick."

Desperate to get healthy as quickly as possible, Nina tried a different method to beat the blues.

"Sometimes they have a set doctor come and I tried Eastern medicine, Asian medicine as well," she said. "I wanted to get acupuncture and all these different types of different things because I was trying to get better and the woman after the acupuncture said, 'Do you want to try cupping?' I had no idea what that was, so I said, 'Yes, whatever it takes to get rid of this cold. Please just do it'.

"She's like, 'OK, you don't have anything coming up?' And I was thinking next two or three hours: 'No I'll go home and go to bed'. I didn't realise she meant the next two to three weeks... It sucks all the toxins out, (but) I didn't realise she meant, 'Are you doing anything for the next two to three weeks, because you might look like you got attacked by an octopus'."

Doesn't count unless we see the suction cup bruises. It's not like she's timid about showing off her scars (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69211-xXx-The-Return-of-Xander-Cage&p=1293239#post1293239).

[GeneChing]

After Going 'Rogue,' Donnie Yen Is Ready for His 'Cage' Match (https://www.moviefone.com/2017/01/20/after-going-rogue-donnie-yen-is-ready-for-his-cage-match/)
Posted January 20, 2017 by Scott Huver

https://s.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/GLOB/crop/4036x2140+0+89/resize/660x350!/format/jpg/quality/85/https://s.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/e4efff062698fc8cfb31f40a078e926b/204837592/632150036.jpg
FilmMagic

The Force remains with "Rogue One's" Donnie Yen.
Already renowned both in Hong Kong and Hollywood as a mind-boggling martial artist, fight choreographer, and filmmaker, Yen has also recently been snapping audiences' heads back with his increasingly impressive acting chops, first as the immensely charming blind Force adherent Chirrut Imwe in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," and now in "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" as the maybe bad / maybe noble Xiang, who finds himself contending with Vin Diesel's swaggering spy in pursuit of a powerful weapon known as Pandora's Box.
Yen joined Moviefone for a fast-paced look at how he adapts his stunt techniques film by film, and how his current star turn is hitting him.

Moviefone: Let's start with the stunts: in a movie like "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" where the action is so up close and the editing is so fast-paced, does that affect how you pull off the stunts or how you stage the stunts?

Donnie Yen: No, because I adapt myself to different directors or how they place the cameras -- because myself, I direct films and I'm an action director, including these kinds of action sequences for many, many, too many of my movies in the last few decades. So for me, I'm very comfortable of a different style of shooting.
Like, I see the camera way over here, my natural instinct will be adapting to that camera angle. For instance, in "xXx" when I walked onto the set, and usually what I'll do is -- in a polite way or in a professional way -- I would ask the director how would you like to, first of all, I study his style before. I watch his films and get a sense. Working with D.J. Caruso, or if I'm fortunate to work with Martin Scorsese, for example, or Steven Spielberg, what I would do is I would have certain images in my head, "OK, this is his style." Usually my guesses are pretty on point.
So, for instance, D.J. likes to shoot it a certain way, and I choreograph my movements, or I collaborate with their choreographer, and then make it, at the end of the day, make it into my own characteristic. What you see is the process of making an adaptation and an adjustment.

Coming in so prepared but also ready to adapt, what was the fun surprise for you in the making of the film?

It's a fun surprise every single scene, every movie, because usually you don't do the same movie all the time. You have different scenarios, you're dealing with different actors, or a different climax, right? It changes the whole flavor, do you know what I'm saying? So for me, every day walking to the set is refreshing.
I like that refreshment because it actually inspires me to deliver beyond being just, "I've done it before." Because, usually, the human body gets lazy. If you've done it so many times you just kind of, uh, you know. You don't have any drive behind it. But with approaching different scenes, it gives you that curiosity and carries that energy.
The adrenaline comes up and it's a good thing, especially for physical performance because you need that high energy. For one, it decreases the chance of getting hurt because your body is a pump. Secondly, again, it inspires you to be creative, and the mind is going 90 miles per hour, and so is the body. Usually good things happen in front of the camera that way.

In addition to your usual exemplary stunt and fight work, you've been getting these great opportunities to act in bigger, more in-depth, more prominent roles -- richer characters that you're being able to create.

Oh, thank God! It's a long time coming. For the longest time. I've done some Hollywood films back in the early '90s, the early 2000s -- more than a decade, though, in "Blade II" and "Shanghai Knights." Unfortunately, I never was given the platform to be a true artist, to be a true actor. We're not going to get into that, right? The world is smaller now and I think I've done enough films to build my credentials where my words mean more, my suggestions mean more, and it's a lot easier today.

As an actor, what was the fun challenge in this character, Xiang? Because you have this cool, shifting dynamic opposite Vin.

I believe I have a lot of -- how would I say it? I have understanding of a different way of acting, at least in action films. Again, unfortunately, what kind of created and built my credentials for the last ten years kind of limited myself from having the producers to let me try something else.
For example, I made "Ip Man," and "Ip Man" was so popular, I made three of them. When you make a character so popular you are typecast -- "Oh, he's the Ip Man," let alone that I'm Chinese. Especially in American movies, when they cast the Chinese person, it's like kung fu master or whatever, right? So I was looking for the vehicle. I was always looking for a vehicle to show the other side of me.
When they came to me with this, I said, "This is the perfect opportunity, and more. I made my suggestion to D.J. and Vin and all the producers. I said, listen, you can have a lot of fun, and you can show that this Chinese actor is very diverse and able to carry this type of personality. So some of the stuff I added, like the little bit of that swagger, that dangerous, you've never seen a Chinese actor play these type of roles. So it's great.

Tell me about the enthusiastic response to your role in "Rogue One." Chirrut Imwe became instantly beloved, instantly quotable, from the moment the fans first met him.

I guess so, but I never thought it would happen! As always, I always try to do my best as an actor in any films, and in "Rogue One" I was just doing my job and trying to do the best I can, and by adjusting this character, changing the character, shaping the character, but never had I expected the response that I'm getting. It's a little bit overwhelming!

"xXx: Return of Xander Cage" is in theaters now.

So what's next for Donnie?
Chasing The Dragon (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69767-Chasing-the-Dragon) I think...
Iceman (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?62460-Iceman-%26%2320912%3B%26%2323553%3B%26%2320448%3B) 2 seems to have been put on 'ice'. :p

[GeneChing]

Like I've been saying "After over a decade of dormancy, Diesel is relaunching the xXx franchise in hopes of gaining global respect with more ridiculous action, or at least a decent box office return. And that means China. China is the second largest film market. The first thing you see at the start of xXx: Return of Xander Cage are the logos for China’s Huahua Media and Shanghai Film Group." xXx: Return of Xander Cage: Donnie, Tony, Bisping and Deepika (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1336) by Gene Ching


Vin Diesel Surprise: ‘xXx’ Sequel Could Be China’s Biggest Hollywood Hit This Year (http://www.thewrap.com/vin-diesel-china-xxx-xander-cage-biggest-hollywood-hit-2017/)
Franchise superstar competes with his own all-time China box office record set by “Furious 7” in 2015
Matt Pressberg | February 1, 2017 @ 4:30 PM

http://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/XXX.jpg
Paramount

Paramount’s action thriller “xXx: Return of Xander Cage” arrives in China on Feb. 10, right after the Lunar New Year. And with a Hollywood headliner that has a massive Chinese fanbase, a couple local A-listers and insane stunts that should be catnip to the country’s action-loving audience, the studio is positioning the film to make a loud entrance in the Year of the Rooster.

The film, which stars Vin Diesel, Nina Dobrev, Ruby Rose, Deepika Padukone and Chinese superstars Donnie Yen and Kris Wu, certainly has the ingredients to be one of the biggest Hollywood movies to ever play in China. That would put “xXx” up against Paramount’s “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” which reeled in a then-record $320 million at the Chinese box office when it debuted in 2014, and Diesel’s “Furious 7,” which raced to $391 million in the Middle Kingdom and remains an all-time record for an imported film.

Nic Crawley, the president of international marketing and distribution at Paramount, didn’t demur when asked whether “xXx” has a chance to hit those lofty numbers.

“This has China written all over it,” Crawley told TheWrap.

And there are a bunch of factors pointing in that direction, including a favorable release date, which is granted at the whims of China’s state censors. “xXx” hits theaters right after China’s annual New Year blackout, during which only homegrown films are permitted, with an audience likely hungry for something different.

“We have high hopes that they saw in this movie a movie that can do really well there,” Crawley said. “I feel they treated us so kindly by giving us that date.”

Crawley said Paramount is trying to take advantage of the flurry of activity in the country around the holiday, particularly the hundreds of millions of people who are expected to travel around China.

“We’re trying to make sure we’re in train stations and airports,” Crawley said. “We have digital and online content. Also, and most important to me: Let’s make sure our trailer is up with many of these great local movies and seen by as many of the cinema-going audience as possible.”

However, one important local market indicator could dampen some of the optimism surrounding “xXx’s” box office potential: online presales.

Jonathan Papish, an industry analyst at China Film Insider, says the film is starting to get a healthy amount of buzz and could comfortably land in the $100 million to $150 million range, but said there’s nothing in the presales data that would indicate anything like the “Furious 7” windfall.

“Presales started more than a week ago and are only up to about $75,000,” Papish said. “Kris Wu commands a huge online presence and his fans are known to purchase tickets ahead of time, but we just aren’t seeing that with ‘xXx.’ Of course, presales could pick up once hype from the popular Chinese New Year movies dies down.”

To compare, “Warcraft,” which made $221 million in China, had $3 million in presales more than a week out from its opening.

http://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/xxxchina.jpg
Paramount

Some of that slow start is likely due to Chinese New Year hangover, but Paramount has also yet to fully unleash Diesel and crew on the Chinese market, where he’s a megastar best known for playing Dom Toretto in the “Fast and Furious” movies. Diesel and the rest of the film’s headliners will travel to Beijing next week for press events and fan screenings.

“Vin has a massive following in China,” Crawley said. “What Vin has done with the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise is phenomenal. He’s such a leader and spokesperson for that franchise. We know he was equally excited to bring Xander Cage back to the big screen. Of course, it’s reminiscent of some of the ‘Fast and Furious’ material.”

Diesel, who was the first actor to get 100 million Facebook likes, may be a huge name to China’s netizens, but he has work to do to promote “xXx.” The film’s official account on China’s Twitter analogue Weibo hasn’t exactly set the internet on fire despite plenty of effort.

“‘xXx’s’ official Weibo is the most active I’ve ever seen for a Hollywood movie,” Papish said. “They formed the account all the way back in November 2015 and have been posting content nearly ten times per day for a few months. That said, they’ve only racked up 31,000 followers in all that time.”

Diesel’s co-stars Yen and Wu should help expand the film’s audience by tapping into their devoted local fan bases. But Yen’s role in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” couldn’t singlehandedly save the film at the Chinese box office: it sputtered, making just $62 million there. Crawley thinks Diesel and the film’s female stars, including Dobrev, who has a significant following in China, should mitigate that.

“Where China has an emotional connection to ‘Transformers,’ it doesn’t seem they have quite a connection to the ‘Star Wars’ franchise,” Crawley said. “Our movie — because of Vin, because of Kris, because of our actresses — we find ways to connect with different audiences.”

The stunts in “xXx,” which include Vin Diesel skiing through a tropical jungle, also seem tailor-made for China’s young-skewing theatrical audience. Crawley said the film’s aesthetic is certainly in China’s sweet spot, but also in other international markets.

“As the head of international, this is just exactly the type of movie we want,” he said, comparing the stunts in “xXx” to those in “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” which made $136 million in China.

Paramount can also count on a secret weapon beyond Diesel and Yen, marketing partner (and new slate financier) Huahua Media. Huahua’s marketing expertise, which included original songs and TV tie-ins, helped propel previous Paramount films like “Transformers: Age of Extinction” — which had the biggest-ever box office gross for a Hollywood movie in China when it premiered in 2014 — to banner performances in the Middle Kingdom. Paramount and Huahua are revisiting some of the same tactics this time around, and focusing on the third- and fourth-tier cities well beyond Beijing and Shanghai that can often determine whether a movie succeeds or flops in China.

“We know music helps, hence we had Kris Wu record a track called ‘Juice,'” Crawley said. “We shot the music video here in L.A. and Vin’s in the video.”

Papish said Paramount was smart to bring in Huahua and focus on the third and fourth-tier cities, but he would be surprised if “xXx’s” box office comes close to “Age of Extinction.” That’s not entirely the movie’s fault — China’s box office slowed down last year after years of double-digit growth, up just 4 percent in local currency and actually down year-over-year when converted to dollars, as reduced online ticket subsidies took a toll.

“Don’t get me wrong, this film is still going to be a surprising success at the box office, and I think Paramount was right to partner with Huahua to target lower-tiered cities, but $300 million plus?” Papish said. “Come on!”

But word of mouth can push a film to a surprising performance in China, even when presales don’t indicate an opening-weekend bonanza. “Zootopia” took advantage of that, especially in lower-tier cities, and the film made more in its second and third weeks than it did during its opening seven days on its way to $236 million at the Chinese box office, making the animated hit the second-highest grossing film of the year there. And with popular, social media-savvy stars like Diesel, Yen and Wu, “xXx” is well positioned to generate plenty of buzz — maybe enough to stay in China’s theaters long enough to threaten some of its biggest-ever Hollywood imports.

“It’s the word of mouth that will bring you in and keep you on screen,” Crawley said. “You have to open big and you have to stay strong day-by-day. Or the powers that be will start dropping you off screen.”

Censors, meet Vin Diesel’s fan base.

[GeneChing]

Like I said "In order to win the hearts of Chinese moviegoers, Chinese stars must have lead roles. (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1336)"

For comparison, note that this earned over twice as much in China than John Wick 2 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68427-John-Wick-Chapter-2&p=1300017#post1300017).


China Box Office: 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage' Opens to Massive $61.9M (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-xxx-return-xander-cage-opens-massive-61m-974887)
8:06 AM PST 2/12/2017 by Patrick Brzeski

http://cdn5.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/landscape_928x523/2017/01/xxx-_return_of_xander_cage_still_0.jpg
George Kraychyk/Paramount Pictures
"xXx: Return of Xander Cage"

The film co-stars Donnie Yen and Kris Wu, two of greater China's biggest celebrities.
Vin Diesel's xXx: Return of Xander Cage from Paramount and Revolution Studios roared into China over the weekend with a muscular $61.9 million opening.

The impressive Chinese haul easily eclipsed the movie's total performance in North America so far, where it has earned $42 million since its debut on Jan. 20. It also is the biggest Hollywood bow in China — the world's second-largest box-office territory — this year, nearly doubling Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's $31 million launch.

The third entry in the xXx extreme-sports/spy-action franchise, Return of Xander Cage is the first Hollywood title to hit the market after the Chinese New Year holiday period, which was dominated by the latest local blockbusters from Stephen Chow and Jackie Chan.

Diesel is a major star in the Middle Kingdom, thanks to the Fast and Furious franchise. Furious 7 remains the biggest Hollywood movie ever in the country with its remarkable $390 million run in 2015.

Return of Xander Cage also was boosted by lots of local support, including co-stars Donnie Yen and Kris Wu, two of greater China's biggest celebrities. And the film is the first Paramount release since China's Shanghai Film Group and Huahua Media closed a $1 billion slate financing deal with the studio. The two Chinese film companies were heavily involved in the xXx local marketing campaign.

The Chinese success of the third installment is a big win for Paramount, which acquired rights to the xXx franchise last February. Sony released the first two xXx films, neither of which got a major release in China.

Jackie Chan's Chinese New Year holdover release Kung Fu Yoga came in second over the weekend, adding $15.6 million for a $227.8 million total after 16 days, according to data from Beijing box-office tracker Ent Group. The India-set action comedy is rapidly closing in on Stephen Chow's fantasy Journey to the West: Demon Chapter to become the biggest release of the year so far. Slowing its pace, Demon Chapter earned $6.8 million in the recent frame, taking its cume to $232.3 million.

Hong Kong-Chinese culinary comedy Cook Up a Storm opened in third place over the weekend. Directed by Raymond Yip and starring Nicholas Tse, the film pulled in $12.4 million in its first three days, narrowly beating coming-of-age holdover Duckweed, which netted another $12 million, lifting its 16-day total to $127.8 million. Directed by celebrity blogger turned race-car driver turned filmmaker Han Han, Duckweed was the sleeper sensation of Chinese New Year 2017.

On Saturday, La La Land earned an impressive $1.7 million from limited previews — a good sign for the Oscar hopeful's upcoming Valentine's Day release in China. Musicals historically have underperformed in the Chinese market, but early buzz around the glossy Damien Chazelle-directed romance is looking very positive. La La Land currently has scores of 8.7 and 8.3 on leading local reviews sites Douban and Mtime — higher than any other film presently on screens in the country.

[GeneChing]

This is a Hollywood-marketing-to-China success story.


Vin Diesel’s ‘xXx: Return of Xander Cage’ Tops $100 Million in China in Six Days (http://variety.com/2017/film/asia/vin-diesel-xxx-return-of-xander-cage-china-box-office-1201989625/)
Dave McNary
Film Reporter
@Variety_DMcNary

http://i1.wp.com/pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/xxx-return-of-xander-cage.jpg?crop=226px%2C4px%2C699px%2C389px&resize=670%2C377&ssl=1
COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES
FEBRUARY 15, 2017 | 03:48PM PT

Vin Diesel’s action sequel “xXx: Return of Xander Cage” has grossed $102 million in its first six days at the Chinese box office.

“Return of Xander Cage” has totaled $272.3 million worldwide for Paramount Pictures and Revolution Studios. Diesel reprises his character in the movie as government operative Xander Cage from the 2002 movie “XXX.” The film also stars Samuel L. Jackson, Donnie Yen, Deepika Padukone, Ruby Rose, Kris Wu, and Nina Dobrev. The film had an $85 million budget.

The Diesel film grossed $61.9 million in China over the weekend, marking the biggest opening for a Hollywood film in February. The opening weekend tripled the U.S. launch, which generated $20.1 million during Jan. 20-22 and it’s now at $43.7 million after four weeks.

Chinese companies Huahua Media and Shanghai Film Group announced an investment into “Return of Xander Cage” on Jan. 17, two days before the announcement of their three-year $1 billion slate financing deal with Paramount.

Brad Grey, chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, said, “We join our collaborators Huahua Media, Shanghai Film Group and 1905 in celebrating the great success of ‘XXX: Return of Xander Cage’ in China. We are especially pleased as this opening is our first Chinese market release with Shanghai Film Group and Huahua since the recent signing of our long term collaboration agreement.”

Producers are Diesel, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Joe Roth, and Samantha Vincent. D.J. Caruso directed from a script by F. Scott Frazier, Chad St. John, and Rich Wilkes.

[GeneChing]

China Box Office: 'xXx' Wins Second Weekend, Beating 'La La Land,' 'Sing' (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-xxx-wins-second-weekend-beating-la-la-land-sing-977678)
1:11 AM PST 2/20/2017 by Patrick Brzeski

http://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/landscape_928x523/2016/12/xxx_0.png

The Vin Diesel action vehicle has earned $134 million in China after two weekends, more than triple its North American total.
Vin Diesel's xXx: The Return of Xander Cage muscled aside the musical competition in its second weekend, pulling in $26.5 million to easily beat newcomers La La Land and Sing.

The second weekend win represented a 57 percent decline from the action flick's roaring $61.9 million start the week prior. After 10 days, Xander Cage has earned $134 million in China, more than triple its $44 million North American total.

Although the performance might appear anomalous from afar, the Paramount and Revolution Studios picture had several factors working in its favor in China. Diesel is a huge star in the country, thanks mostly to Furious 7, which remains the biggest Hollywood film ever there ($390 million, 2015). The action thriller also co-stars huge local celebrities Donnie Yen and Kris Wu. And it's the first release since Paramount signed a $1 billion slate financing deal with China's Shanghai Film Group and Huahua Media.

Huahua held a splashy Chinese premiere featuring Diesel, Wu, Yen, Nina Dobrev, DJ Caruso and Deepika Padukone. The Chinese investors also brought on local mobile ticketing service Weying as a strategic marketing partner. Weying is integrated with Tencent, China's most popular messaging app with over 800 million registered users. The company live-streamed the premiere over Tencent's video services, and later sent targeted push notifications to WeChat users aged 15 to 40 who were within 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) of a cinema during the opening weekend.

Universal's Sing opened in second place, earning a modest $11.9 million. La La Land, which debuted in China on Valentine's Day with a healthy $12 million, landed in third place on its first weekend, taking $8.5 million. The Oscar favorite has pulled in $24.5 million over six days in China.

Chinese New Year holdover Kung Fu Yoga, starring Jackie Chan, slipped to fourth, adding $5.9 million for a total of $244.7 million over 23 days, the biggest haul of 2017 so far.

And Kung Fu Yoga (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68161-Kung-Fu-Yoga) pulls ahead of Journey to the West 2 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65681-Stephan-Chow-s-Journey-to-the-West-2-The-Demons-Strike-Back).

[GeneChing]

Chinese Police Say Man Confessed to Defrauding Chinese Rapper Kris Wu in Sex Scandal (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/chinese-police-say-man-confessed-to-defrauding-chinese-rapper-kris-wu-in-sex-scandal-1234987365/)
The announcement from the Beijing police added a bizarre twist to a scandal that cost Wu endorsement contracts with brands including Porsche and Bulgari.

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JULY 22, 2021 9:22PM
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GettyImages-1313049289.jpeg?w=681&h=383&crop=1
Kris Wu VCG/VCG VIA GETTY IMAGES
A man has confessed to defrauding a Chinese-Canadian pop singer, Kris Wu, over a teenager’s accusation he had sex with her when she was drunk, Beijing police said Thursday.

The announcement added a bizarre twist to a scandal that cost Wu endorsement contracts with brands including Porsche and Bulgari. The former member of Korean boy band EXO has denied the accusation, which prompted an outpouring of support for the woman online and criticism of Wu.

A man who saw rumors about the incident online contacted the woman in June and obtained information that allowed him to pretend to be her lawyer, police said in a statement. It gave no indication the woman was accused of taking part in the fraud.

The man talked Wu’s mother into sending the woman 500,000 yuan ($77,000) and then, pretending to be Wu’s lawyer, tried to persuade the woman to send the money to him, the statement said. It said he tried unsuccessfully to obtain an additional 2.5 million yuan ($390,000) from the family.

The man, identified only by the surname Liu, was arrested Sunday in Nantong, near Shanghai, after the singer’s mother complained to police that the family had been defrauded, according to the Beijing Public Security Bureau statement. It said he confessed.

The woman had been quoted by the internet portal NetEase as saying Wu encouraged her to drink too much at a party in December and she woke up in his bed. In a statement on his social media account, Wu said he met the woman but denied encouraging her to drink and said other parts of her account didn’t happen.

The woman was quoted as saying other women told her Wu seduced them with promises of jobs and other opportunities.

Police are investigating allegations Wu “repeatedly deceived young women into sexual relations,” the police statement said.

Brands cut ties with Wu the day after the NetEase report, reflecting their sensitivity to public opinion after the ruling Communist Party stirred up anger at shoe and clothing brands in retaliation for Western reports of human rights abuses in the mostly Muslim region of Xinjiang in the northwest.

Wu, known in Chinese as Wu Yi Fan, grew up in Guangzhou in southern China and in Vancouver, British Columbia. He performed with EXO in 2012-14 and then launched a solo career.

As an actor, he appeared in 2017′s XXX: Return of Xander Cage and two Chinese box office successes, Mr. Six and Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back

threads
metoo-(An-Open-Secret-Hollywood-Please-Watch) (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70520-metoo-(An-Open-Secret-Hollywood-Please-Watch))
xXx-The-Return-of-Xander-Cage (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69211-xXx-The-Return-of-Xander-Cage)