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Thread: Monster Hunt

  1. #1
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    Monster Hunt

    This just set box office records across China. It is now the highest grossing film in China ever.

    Gene Ching
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    First forum review!

    And probably the only forum review as few of you here watch Chinese cinema as vigilantly as I do. But then again, it is part of my job.

    So the plot: A cook/mayor/ne'er-do-well dude gets impregnated by the refugee monster queen and gives birth to a four-armed radish. Monsters, monster hunters, paper-cut golems and exotic meat chefs are hunting for the radish baby using magic and Kung Fu. The radish baby becomes full-auto weaponized when fed fruits. The monsters look like doughy versions of How to Train Your Dragon dragons, but they are really yao (妖), which here are depicted mostly as anamorphic vegetables. Sword fights, Bollywood dance numbers, Disney deaths, cool sets although a little H.R. Pufnstuf-ish, monster **** jokes, mediocre CGI. Entertaining fight scenes. Shrek-esque dance numbers and annoying musical interludes in monster language (which is subtitled in Chinese and translated into nonsense syllables in the English subs). Mostly predictable although there are a few decent mcguffins. The good monsters go vegetarian.

    The fact that this was major blockbuster in China is just another reason why China won't have a global hit anytime soon.
    Gene Ching
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  3. #3
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    radishes

    This only makes sense if you see Monster Hunt.

    Raman Hui is CineAsia Director of the Year



    By Kevin Ma

    Tue, 27 October 2015, 16:20 PM (HKT)
    Awards News

    Raman HUI 許誠毅 is to be awarded Director of the Year at the Asian distributor convention CineAsia (8–10 Dec 2015).

    Hui is being recognised for the box office success of Monster Hunt 捉妖記, Chinese-Language cinema's highest grossing film. The fantasy adventure was Hui's live-action debut after directing several animated films in Hollywood.

    Monster Hunt is being screened this weekend in Tokyo as part of the annual Tokyo Chinese Film Week, a sidebar of the Tokyo International Film Festival 東京国際映画祭.

    The convention announced in July that CJ-CGV's SEO Jeong 서정 will receive the Exhibitor of the Year award for its successful expansion from South Korea to other territories in Asia.

    Both awards will be presented on the final day of the convention at a special award ceremony.
    Gene Ching
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  4. #4
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    40 million free tickets

    40 million free tickets bumps up your gross = that's weird box office math

    Over 40 million free tickets were given out to help make 'Monster Hunt' China's top grossing film of all time



    In response to public suspicion concerning record-breaking box office figures of the homegrown hit Monster Hunt, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has suggested that the ticket sales numbers are likely fake. Subsequently, Hong Kong based broadcaster Edko has confessed to giving out more than 40 million free tickets for obligatory "public welfare screenings."
    Released over the summer, the computer-generated fantasy romp Monster Hunt quickly became the highest-grossing Chinese-language film in China ever and went on to earn 2.43 billion yuan at the box office, outselling even the foreign box office record holder Furious 7 by 160,000 yuan.
    The film's supposed triumph was partially the result of China's tough restrictions on international imports that lead to the film being screened for 59 days in comparison to just 47 days for Furious 7. Monster Hunt was also shown alongside minimal competition during the summer months.
    Incidentally, during its run, CCTV reported instances of free screenings of the movie in suspiciously empty theaters.



    Edko released statement on its Weibo page to reassure the public that it was "instituting serious criticism" to the employees at fault for the dubious occasions of so-called "public welfare screenings," which are really supposed to occur for the benefit of children, model workers and people with disabilities.
    Such a controversy is particularly inconvenient in light of China's resolution to improve the accuracy of its box office auditing as part of a recent trade deal with the United States.
    Still, compared to a certain other instance of suspected manipulation of ticket sales concerning the propagandist war epic The Hundred Regiments Offensive, a film about a child inheriting a mystical kingdom of monsters seems a comically mild form of box office fraud.
    Here's the trailer for the movie that is rated a solid 6.3 out of 10 on IMDB:

    By Pinky Latt
    Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
    By Shanghaiist in News on
    Gene Ching
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  5. #5
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    U.S. Release JAN 22, 2016



    CHINA’S BIGGEST BOX OFFICE HIT MONSTER HUNT GETS A US RELEASE AND TRAILER
    POSTED BY DONNIE LEDERER ON DECEMBER 13, 2015

    The highest grossing movie in Chinese box office history is getting a U.S. release this January, and they’ve released a trailer for it. We can be the first to tell you, it’s insane.

    Monster Hunt is set in a mythical land that resembles ancient China. Monsters and humans co-exist in this world, and tensions are running high. When a child is born of a monster queen and a human, the baby, Wuba, must realize his destiny to become king and bring balance and peace to both races.

    It seems like a simple plot to follow until you watch the actual trailer. The craziness lasts the entire 1 minute and 47 seconds. You have monsters revealing themselves after tearing off their human skin; you have sword fights; you have monster battles; you have a man giving birth to a four-armed baby monster. This seems more like a late night game of Cards Against Humanity instead of a film that grossed over 381 million dollars in China. Not only is it the highest grossing movie in Chinese history, it’s the first movie MADE in China to top the box office list in 21 years. With those stats to back it up, this movie is definitely worth a look.

    Monster Hunt, directed by Raman Hui, will be released in the United States on January 22, 2016.

    What do you think? Will you be checking out Monster Hunt next month?
    I can't imagine this will have that wide of a U.S. release or appeal....
    Gene Ching
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  6. #6
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    Opens Friday

    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    I can't imagine this will have that wide of a U.S. release or appeal....
    Well, I guess we'll see this weekend.

    Monster Hunt



    IN THEATERS JANUARY 22



    In a mythical ancient world, monsters rule the land while humans keep to their own kingdom. But when adorable baby monster Wuba is born to a human father and monster queen, mortals and creatures alike set out to capture the newborn, and Huba’s epic adventure begins.

    The latest film from Raman Hui – whose animated work includes modern-day children’s classics “Shrek,” “Madagascar” and “Antz,” – “Monster Hunt” smashed box office records to become the highest grossing film in China’s history. FilmRise will release “Monster Hunt” in Mandarin with English subtitles and an English-language version.

    THEATER LOCATIONS

    United States – January 22nd:

    Los Angeles
    Atlantic Times Square TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)
    Puente Hills 20 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)
    Burbank 8 TICKETS (English-language version only)
    Orange 30 IMAX TICKETS (English-language version only)
    Baldwin Hills 18 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    New York City
    Empire 25 TICKETS (Both versions available)
    Village East TICKETS (English-language version only)
    College Point Multiplex TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    San Francisco
    Metreon 16 TICKETS (Both versions available)
    Cine Grand TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)
    San Jose Oakridge 20 TICKETS (English-language version only)
    Great Mall 20 TICKETS (Both versions available)
    Cupertino Square IMAX TICKETS (English-language version only)

    Chicago
    River East 21 TICKETS (Both versions available)

    Houston
    Studio 30 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)
    Gulf Pointe 30 IMAX TICKETS (English-language version only)

    Seattle
    Pacific Place 11 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    Boston
    Boston Common 19 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    San Diego
    La Jolla 12 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    Bloomington
    Showplace 11 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    Washington DC
    Rio 18 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)
    Rockville Centre 13 TICKETS (English-language version only)

    Pittsburgh
    Waterfront 22 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    Philadelphia
    Cherry Hill 24 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    Pheonix
    Centre Point 11 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    Columbus Ohio
    Lennox Town Centre 24 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    Miami-Fort Lauderdale
    Sunset Place TICKETS (Both versions available)
    Aventura Mall 24 TICKETS (English-language version only)

    Dallas/Fort Worth
    Legacy 24 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)
    Stonebriar 24 TICKETS (English-language version only)

    Orlando-Daytona Beach
    Disney Springs 24 TICKETS (English-language version only)

    Baltimore
    Egyptian 24 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    Las Vegas
    Century Orleans 18 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    Honolulu
    Victoria Ward Stadium 16 TICKETS (English-language version only)

    Atlanta
    Hollywood 24 TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)
    Plaza Theatre TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)


    Canada – January 22nd:

    Toronto
    Cineplex Cinemas Markham & VIP TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)
    Yonge & Dundas TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    Vancouver
    Silvercity Riverport TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)
    Silvercity Metropolis TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    Montreal
    Odeon Montreal Forum TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)

    Waterloo
    Galaxy Waterloo TICKETS (Original subtitled version only)



    Gene Ching
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  7. #7
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    Great article on Fortune

    Has there been any ad campaign at all for this in the U.S.? Honestly, if not for this forum, would any of you had known that this was even showing in the U.S. or that it even was a thing?

    Why Americans Don't Care About China's Biggest Movie Ever
    by Tom Huddleston, Jr. @tjhuddle JANUARY 27, 2016, 2:05 PM EST



    The story behind Monster Hunt’s poor showing here.

    It’s no secret that, more and more, Hollywood is looking to pad its box office receipts with revenue from moviegoers in China. But, can movies produced in the world’s second-largest movie market (and growing) make a similar dent in U.S. theaters?

    That’s a question that Monster Hunt—the 2015 film that became the highest-grossing movie ever released in China—looked to answer when it premiered in U.S. theaters this past weekend. But, so far, the results have been less than impressive, with the movie debuting to only $21,000 in ticket sales in its U.S. opening weekend, according to research firm Rentrak. That’s after the film pulled in a record $392 million in its home country (on a budget of roughly $50 million) since its July 2015 release, passing last year’s U.S.-produced Furious 7 to become China’s highest-grossing film of all-time.

    To be fair to Monster Hunt, though, the film’s U.S. premiere was a very limited release, as U.S. distributor FilmRise put the movie in only about 40 theaters across the U.S. (whereas a wide release for most blockbusters means thousands of theaters). While Monster Hunt was obviously a big hit with Chinese audiences, it has received mixed reviews from English-speaking critics, which may help explain its lukewarm reception in the U.S. as well as its extremely scaled-down rollout and limited marketing.

    Still, the film averaged only $468 per theater in the U.S., which was the lowest per-theater average of any new film last weekend, despite the fact that FilmRise edited the film to appeal more to U.S. audiences and released it in both Mandarin (with English subtitles) as well as dubbed in English.

    Rentrak senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told Fortune he thinks that even a limited release of Monster Hunt in the U.S. is great for movie buffs who want to check out the Chinese phenomenon, but the film’s distributors likely weren’t expecting a major turnout in North American theaters. “Clearly, since it was only in a handful of theaters, basically, the distributor knew this was a title that had much more resonance in China and overseas territories than it would here,” Dergarabedian said.

    As such, Monster Hunt‘s financial backers are unlikely to be overly disappointed by the North American debut, Dergarabedian adds, simply because of the profits already booked along with the fact that “the expectation for the movie here was not anywhere even close to what it earned . . . in China.”

    The film itself has a somewhat confusing action-comedy plot that mixes human actors with computer-animated monsters. Its director, Raman Hui, is a veteran Hollywood animator who worked on the Shrek movie series (including serving as co-director of 2007 sequel Shrek the Third) and once worked for DreamWorks’ DWA 0.75% animation studio.

    There was some controversy over Monster Hunt‘s record revenues, with allegations of artificially-inflated ticket sales, but part of the movie’s success has also been attributed to China’s strict quota system for foreign films. China’s movie industry enforces an annual mid-summer blackout on foreign releases, lasting several weeks, which allowed Monster Hunt to flourish at Chinese theaters without competition from films made in the U.S. and other outside countries.

    China is predicted to overtake the U.S. for the world’s largest movie market sometime next year, which has meant that Hollywood studios have increasingly sought to make films that can hit on crossover success domestically and overseas. While the growing number of movie theaters in China has helped films like Furious 7 and Jurassic World (which saw a massive $99 million opening weekend in China last summer) boost their financial success, seven of the top 10 highest-grossing films in China last year were Chinese films, led by Monster Hunt.

    Meanwhile, the growing number of deals and partnerships between companies across the U.S. and Chinese movie industries certainly suggest that more of Hollywood’s films in the coming years will be produced with an eye toward success in what should soon be dominant movie market. Dergarabedian told Fortune he expects the success of blockbusters like Monster Hunt in China will help pave the way for more Chinese-produced films to see the same cross-marketing efforts as those coming out of Hollywood. “Strategically, the idea would be to combine forces in a way that would create a marketing scenario that would greater ensure the success of the movie all over the world,” he said.
    Gene Ching
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    I saw the Monster Hunt poster at the theater where I saw Ip Man 3, but TBH I have no interest at all in seeing it.

  9. #9
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    Movie merch

    I'm a little surprised that it has taken this long to start on this. After all, all the Hollywood movie merch is made in China.

    China's Film Industry Targets Merchandising as New Revenue Stream
    6:30 AM PDT 4/18/2016 by Patrick Brzeski


    The producers of Chinese hit 'Monster Hunt' are developing movie merchandise for its upcoming sequels.
    Courtesy of Edko Films

    While China's box office is surging, the country's revenue from consumer products is just a trickle compared to Hollywood, but the local industry is looking to change that.

    The explosive growth of China's box office is the envy of the global film industry. But amidst the country's surging ticket sales, many areas of China's entertainment sector still lag far behind Hollywood — none more so than movie merchandising.

    Such was the consensus on Monday at the Beijing International Film Festival's first annual Chinese Film Merchandising Summit, which featured a panel of influential executives from both Chinese and Hollywood studios.

    China's box office expanded 50 percent in the first quarter of 2016, and the country is projected to overtake North America as the world's largest theatrical territory next year.

    But as Beijing's deputy mayor Li Shixiang pointed out during a keynote preceding the panel, 80 percent of China's film-related revenue comes from box office, whereas in North America, just 30 percent comes from ticket sales.

    "The rest is made of up of derivative products," the deputy mayor said, adding: "It's very important for us to develop a merchandise industry ... Our hope is that not only the Chinese audience will know Iron Man and the Transformers, but families around the world will own figurines of the Monkey King and other Chinese characters."

    As the seminar in Beijing on Monday laid bare, the Chinese industry has begun making efforts to bootstrap its nascent merchandising business. Last year, China Film Group, the country's dominant state-backed film enterprise, created a research institute for movie merchandising in collaboration with the Beijing Film Institute, which also added a movie merchandising major to its film studies programs.

    Jeffrey Godsick, president of consumer products at 20th Century Fox, said he believes China's merchandising space will soon follow the explosive growth of the exhibition sector. He said he has made three trips to China so far this year as Fox is "spending a lot of time here looking for local partners."

    "Chinese consumers want authenticity and they want real brands," Godsick said. "This is the most exciting moment in the history of merchandising in China, because you're starting at the beginning and you understand how important it is in the industry and you're taking it very seriously."

    Jerry Ye, CEO of leading Chinese studio Huayi Brothers Pictures, agreed that the sector was important, but noted the considerable challenges Chinese studios still face in launching healthy merchandising divisions.

    "Every country's toys are manufactured in China, so why can't we produce toys for our own films?" Ye asked. "The development of the IP industry must first have an environment of copyright protection to defend our IP from knock-offs," he explained. "Otherwise, these products will only be another form of promotion for the films, and not a very good form."

    Once copyright protection is in place, Chinese studios will still require more time to develop strong franchises to build product lines around, Ye said. "We need to create our own super heroes," he said. "Your film first has to become very successful to be well-suited for merchandised products."

    Some in the Chinese industry believe changes in local tastes and improvements in copyright enforcement have already created a viable marketplace for high-quality movie goods, provided that IP holders, manufacturers and retailers can make it as easy to acquire legitimate products as it is to get pirated products.

    "Consumers' purchasing power has been growing rapidly and under these circumstances they are looking for great products and not just great films," said La Peking, chairman of China Film Group, adding: "Since 2015, the merchandising sector has been growing quickly.

    Last year, Chinese media company Mtime, which runs a popular movie reviews site and a mobile ticketing service, partnered with real estate and investment conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group to launch over 50 brick-and-mortar stores in cinemas in 10 cities, laying the groundwork for a cross-country online-to-offline merchandise service. The company released a mobile app in December, making it possible for cinema chains to order licensed film goods directly to their theaters with a few clicks.

    So far, Mtime's service has mostly trafficked in Hollywood merchandise, as Chinese production companies are just beginning to develop merchandise-able franchises to feed local demand.

    In a video montage played during Monday's panel at the Beijing festival, Hong Kong director Raman Hui, director of China's second highest-grossing film ever, Monster Hunt ($385 million), noted how his film missed a merchandising opportunity during its wildly successful run in cinemas last July.

    A live-action CGI adventure-fantasy featuring a color cast of monsters, the movie would indeed ripe for development into wildly popular toys. "A lot of people were making bad knock-offs and there was not much we could do, because we didn't make any merchandise for the first film," Hui said. "At that time, I said to my boss, 'we should have started this years ago'."

    The boss in question was Hong Kong super-producer Bill Kong, chairman of Edko Films, who was among Monday's panelists.

    "Before a film comes into reality, how do you know it will become popular?" Kong said. "At the beginning of Monster Hunt, we went to McDonald's and KFC [to talk about some merchandising] and they didn't take us seriously — the talks went nowhere."

    Kong said a sequel to Monster Hunt, again directed by Hui, a DreamWorks Animation veteran, will be released in the summer of 2018, followed by a third film at a later date.

    "We'll be paying more attention to merchandising in the future," Kong said.
    Gene Ching
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    I saw the Monster Hunt poster at the theater where I saw Ip Man 3, but TBH I have no interest at all in seeing it.
    Watching it online again for the second time right now.

    I thought it was pretty entertaining and funny.

    Good looking movie too.

  11. #11
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    This isn't getting a separate thread for the sequel

    China's 'Monster Hunt 2' Adds Hong Kong Star Tony Leung
    6:30 PM PST 11/29/2016 by Patrick Brzeski


    Getty Images
    Tony Leung Chiu-wai

    The first film in the franchise, directed by DreamWorks alum Raman Hui, grossed a historic $352 million at the Chinese box office.
    Hong Kong leading man Tony Leung will co-star in Chinese fantasy-adventure sequel Monster Hunt 2, directed by DreamWorks Animation veteran Raman Hui.

    Details on Leung's part are being kept under wraps. The actor came to international prominence after his performance in Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love (2000), for which he won the Cannes Film Festival's best actor award. He also starred in Ang Lee's Venice Golden Lion winner Lust, Caution.

    Monster Hunt 2 is the sequel to Hui's 2015 breakout blockbuster, which earned a historic 2.43 billion yuan ($352 million at current exchange rates) at the Chinese box office. It remains the second biggest Chinese-language film ever behind Stephen Chow's The Mermaid.

    The sequel began shooting this fall in Beijing. The original's young stars, Bai Baihe and Jing Boran, have both returned. Other new cast include Chinese pop star-turned-actress Li Yuchun (Bodyguards and Assassins) and Taiwanese actor Yo Yang (Cold War 2).

    The franchise's story takes place in an ancient Chinese world, where humans and monsters exist side by side. The sequel is again backed by Bill Kong's Edko Films and other mainland Chinese partners. The producers are targeting a 2018 release, and a third picture is being planned.
    I tried to watch the original again on Netflix to get a subtitled version, but I just couldn't make it past that scene where the monsters sing nonsense lyrics.
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    Mh2

    I'm troubled that MH2 made it to Cannes.

    Cannes: Lionsgate Takes U.S. Rights to Sequel to Chinese Blockbuster 'Monster Hunt'
    12:35 AM PDT 5/17/2017 by Patrick Brzeski

    Courtesy of Edko Films
    'Monster Hunt'

    Directed by DreamWorks Animation veteran Raman Hui, the first 'Monster Hunt' earned an historic $382 million in 2016.
    Lionsgate has acquired North American and U.K. distribution rights to Edko Films' forthcoming sequel to Chinese blockbuster Monster Hunt.

    The deal also gives Lionsgate rights to the Monster Hunt IP for its location-based entertainment venues in some territories.

    Directed by DreamWorks Animation veteran Raman Hui (Shrek the Third) and produced by Bill Kong, the first Monster Hunt (2016) earned an historic $382 million, which was then the biggest performance ever at the Chinese box office. The professional polish of the film's effects set a new standard for the Chinese industry.

    Monster Hunt 2 again stars Baihe Bai and Boran Jing, along with franchise newcomer Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (In the Mood for Love, The Grandmaster). Now shooting, the film is set for release during Chinese New Year in 2018. Lionsgate will bring the film out day-and-date with China in the U.S. and U.K.

    Set in a world where monsters and humans co-exist, the franchise tells the story of Wuba, a baby monster born to be king. Wuba becomes the central figure in stopping an all-out monster civil war.
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    Still resisting this becoming a separate thread...

    wth? srsly...WTH?

    CHINESE BLOCKBUSTER 'MONSTER HUNT 2' MAKES SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
    2:17 AM PDT 9/13/2017 by Patrick Brzeski


    Edko Films
    Vivienne Tam and Wuba on the catwalk

    Veteran Hong Kong designer Vivienne Tam took the Chinese fantasy film's lead character as inspiration for her new ready-to-wear Spring 2018 collection.

    Chinese fantasy-adventure blockbuster Monster Hunt 2 made a surprise star turn at New York Fashion Week over the weekend.

    At Vivienne Tam's Spring 2018 show Sunday, the Edko Films franchise was revealed as the focal point and inspiration for the veteran Hong Kong designer's new ready-to-wear collection. Monster Hunt's lovable lead character, Wuba — a baby monster shaped like a daikon radish — popped up throughout the show as a subtle design motif in Tam's new ruffled silk georgette gowns and pantsuits. Less subtly, the character, life-sized and decked out in couture tailored to his rotund frame, made an appearance in the flesh and took several strolls down the catwalk, even accompanying Tam on her victory lap.

    Backed by legendary Hong Kong producer Bill Kong (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and directed by DreamWorks Animation veteran Raman Hui (Shrek 2), the first Monster Hunt movie became a runaway box-office phenomenon upon its release in July 2015, grossing a then-unprecedented $385 million. Hopes are sky-high for the sequel, which is set for release during the Middle Kingdom's peak moviegoing period of Chinese New Year in 2018.

    The Fashion Week debut followed a brisk sales outing for Monster Hunt 2 during the Toronto International Film Festival, where the title sold to Sony Pictures for distribution in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Taiwan. It was also picked up for Thailand by Mono Film; Vietnam and Cambodia by Atrinaga Company; India by Multivision Multimedia; Korea by Kidari Entertainment; Australia and New Zealand by Magnum Films; Latin America by Alpha Filmes; and Italy by Minerva Pictures.

    Lionsgate had previously acquired the North American and U.K. distribution rights to Monster Hunt 2 at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The studio plans to release the film in the U.S. day-and-date with China.

    Monster Hunt's story takes place in an ancient Chinese world where humans and monsters exist side by side. The film features elaborate CG animation mixed with live-action performances. In the original film, hapless Wuba, a baby monster born to be king, is forced to assume a central role in stopping an all-out monster civil war.

    The first film's young stars, Bai Baihe and Jing Boran, have both returned for the sequel. New castmembers include Hong Kong leading man Tony Leung (In the Mood for Love), Chinese pop star-turned-actress Li Yuchun (Bodyguards and Assassins) and Taiwanese actor Yo Yang (Cold War 2).


    Edko Films
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    Enter the franchise

    Inside China's 'Monster Hunt' Franchise Plans: Tentpoles, Theme Lands and Legal Licensing Deals
    5:00 AM PDT 11/2/2017 by Patrick Brzeski


    Courtesy of Edko Films
    Chris Lee in 'Monster Hunt 2'

    Taking a page from the Hollywood playbook, director Raman Hui and legendary producer Bill Kong discuss their ambitious moves to expand the country's biggest original film property.

    On the eve of the Chinese fantasy film Monster Hunt's release in 2015, the film's director, Raman Hui, was terrified. After more than 20 years in Hollywood — much of it spent working for DreamWorks Animation as a senior animator and director (he co-helmed Shrek the Third) — Hui had returned to his hometown of Hong Kong to make his live-action directorial debut for legendary local producer Bill Kong and his Edko Films.

    “Bill took this big risk to make my first live-action film, and I was so scared he wouldn’t get his money back,” Hui says.

    Those worries, however, turned out to be misplaced: Monster Hunt opened to $27.5 million on a Thursday, setting a single-day record on the way to ultimately grossing $382 million, another all-time high at the time for the burgeoning China market. The next morning, Hui received a congratulatory phone call from Jeffrey Katzenberg, his former boss at DreamWorks Animation.

    "He told me everyone there was proud of me and that I should keep doing what I'm doing — but that I would always have a home at DreamWorks," Hui says. "It meant a lot to me."

    Hui and Kong have heeded that advice and continue on the path that opened up for them following Monster Hunt’s smashing success. The partners now are envisioning a four-film series, with a potential animated spinoff, hoping to make Monster Hunt China’s first full-fledged franchise, with tentpole films feeding a full suite of sub-licensing agreements, merchandising deals and theme park attractions.

    They would seem to be the ideal duo to achieve this landmark first for China. Kong has produced some of Hong Kong and China’s most globally successful and critically acclaimed films, from Ang Lee’s Oscar- winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to Zhang Yimou’s Hero to the Walt Disney Co.’s forthcoming live-action Mulan. Hui is that rare filmmaker who has worked at the peak of the U.S. and Chinese industries — and understands the demands of both.

    Kong and Hui, now toiling on Monster Hunt 2 with an eye toward a Feb. 18 release, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter at Edko’s Hong Kong offices about coping with big expectations, the surprising upsides of piracy and the value of creative partnerships that are built for the long term.

    Before you guys came together for the first Monster Hunt, Raman had never done a live-action film and Bill had never done a movie that relied so heavily on CG. Was there a steep learning curve?

    HUI I’ve known Bill for almost 20 years; we met because he used to distribute movies for DreamWorks Animation in China. For years I was hoping I would come back to Asia to make something. So at some point I went to Bill and said, “Would you be interested in making an animated movie together for Hong Kong or China?” He said, “Nope, no way — you’ve got a good thing going in Hollywood, keep doing what you’re doing.” But a few years later, he suggested that maybe we could do a live-action project. I had never done anything in live action, so I was like, “You really think I can do that?” He just looked at me and said, “You don’t look so dumb; I think you can handle it.” So we went for it, but I really had no idea how to deal with actors.

    How did that go?

    HUI During one of our first meetings, our first AD asked me how long it would take me to shoot this one scene. In animation, that scene would probably take about three months to finish, so I thought that maybe two weeks seemed safe. He was shocked. Now I know that it’s the kind of scene you can get done in one day. That’s how unfamiliar I was with live-action filmmaking. I would also talk to the actors the way I would talk to animators, saying things like, “Walk in a few beats slower, tilt your head slightly this way, and make your smile a little bit broader.” I almost wanted to say, “Do what you’re doing, but just two frames longer.” It was way too specific and visual.

    Bill, how was the process on the second film different for you?

    KONG Raman proved that he had tremendous talent, doing what he did at DreamWorks. So the question for me the first time was, “How can I help him get comfortable making a hybrid live-action/ CGI movie?” The most difficult thing turned out to be finding the right people in China who could do the level of effects we needed at the price we could afford. (Edko ended up using Beijing-based startup Base FX, which has grown with the franchise.) As for what was different this time, everything is bigger. There are more than double the number of visual effects shots, more monsters, and much more difficult effects and much bigger sets. It’s very ambitious for the Chinese industry.

    HUI Bill kept saying more, more, put in more.

    KONG It’s a strange relationship for a producer and a director. Raman is a very responsible and conservative person, whereas I’m happy to take more of a risk. The only other director I’ve met who thinks like him is Zhang Yimou. They both want to make sure everyone makes their money back — because if you burn all of your bosses, no one will finance your next movie.

    I’ve heard that one of the drawbacks to Monster Hunt’s surprising success was that you didn’t have licensing deals in place and missed out on a lot of potential ancillary revenue.

    KONG Yes, that’s true. But in some ways, I think our approach, looking back, was smarter. When we released Monster Hunt, we wished we could do licensing but we had no time and didn’t even register all of the IP. But I did think about it, at the time, wondering how much are we losing out on. From my conversations with the U.S. studios about their licensing arrangements in China, I would estimate that we lost out on a few million dollars in potential merchandising rights sales. But I think we actually got tens of millions more in box office thanks to the pirates’ free advertising. Because all of those pirates making illegal Monster Hunt goods were promoting the movie for us. There were hundreds and hundreds of Wuba products (Wuba is the turnip-shaped baby monster hero of Monster Hunt). Raman hated this because many of them were very badly designed, but they helped us market the movie. Who knows how much all of those products boosted us at the box office — they were everywhere in mainland China. Realistically, at that time, no legitimate licensing partner would have given us that level of saturation. Not even close.
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  15. #15
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    Continued from previous post


    Courtesy of Edko Films

    How are you going about this for Monster Hunt 2?

    KONG This time we are doing it properly. We have many licensing partners; we’re working with Alibaba on merchandising; we have a deal with the biggest shopping mall in China; and we’ve partnered with Chimelong, China’s largest domestic theme park company, which is developing Monster Hunt theme lands. We’re also working very closely with Lionsgate, which is bringing out the film day and date in the U.S. Lionsgate also is discussing a Monster Hunt attraction in the Middle East.

    HUI Really? I didn’t even know that.

    KONG You know Lionsgate, those guys can sell anything. [Laughs.]

    Was the international market more in your mind when you were making the sequel?

    HUI The way we tell the story is very universal; that’s how I was trained at DreamWorks. Kung Fu Panda is a Chinese-themed film that can play anywhere in the world. My filmmaking is similar; the only difference is that this film is live action, with Chinese actors speaking Chinese.

    KONG We never set out as filmmakers to do something international or local. I never pressure or ask him to try to make something more international. We make the film that we feel in our hearts. Authenticity and being genuine is more important than anything with storytelling. We never try to force elements into it to make it more accessible overseas. We stick to the story and the characters, and that guides us.

    I’ve heard producers suggest that it might be possible to do dual-language versions movies like Monster Hunt, since many of the actors are from Hong Kong and bilingual — just run two takes, one in Chinese, one in English. Would you ever consider that?

    HUI We actually had someone approach us from the U.S. to do a Hollywood version — basically remake the whole movie with American actors. I can easily see how you could make the story more Hollywood. But we didn’t want to spend our time on that yet. Making a sequel that’s true to the direction of the first film was exciting enough for now.

    The first Monster Hunt was an unexpected success. This time, there are huge expectations. How are you coping with that?

    HUI The nice thing about filmmaking is it’s such an involving process. Once you start working on the film, you don’t really have time to think about anything else. You’re leading a big team and you’re trying to do your best for all of the people who are counting on you.

    KONG My expectation isn’t that we break the first one’s box-office record. If we don’t, that’s fine. The important thing is we make a better movie than the first one. Because that’s how franchises survive. Even if it makes less, if it’s a better film, we will keep the audience’s trust and they will be excited to see the third one. We’re looking at this from the perspective of a franchise.

    How large will the franchise ultimately be, ideally?

    HUI We have the story planned out through a fourth film. After four, Bill says we have to see what the market is like. We are discussing doing an animated version after the fourth one, to change things up. I would love to do an animated version.

    So the first time you asked Bill to make an animated movie he refused. It sounds as if you’ve won him over.

    KONG Now Raman can do anything he likes.

    HUI The only thing Bill pushes me about is to get it done fast.

    KONG The first one took seven years for us to make; the second one took three. I hope the next one takes one and a half. Two to three years is the limit for timing between franchise releases, I think. More than three years, and memories start to fade. Movies come to VOD much faster in China than in the west. The window is much shorter, the audience is very young, and tastes are changing constantly. So I pushed Raman hard to get this one done faster, so that we could keep the gap short and open in time for Chinese New Year — that’s a very special date for China, especially for a family-friendly film.

    Many in China have told me that one of the biggest factors holding the industry back is a dearth of experienced producers, people who really know how to package and shepherd projects.

    KONG There are some, but of course we could always use a lot more. My comment on that would be that there more money people involved in the Chinese industry right now and not enough producers. This is good, of course — what movie industry doesn’t need money? — but the problem is that these people are getting involved in the industry to make a quick buck. I wish they would look at their investments longer term — that they are investing in cultivating a relationship with filmmakers. For most young Chinese directors, if they don’t have a big hit with their first film, these money people won’t finance them ever again. I worked with Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou — both of their first films lost money. Even Akira Kurosawa’s first film lost money. If these guys were getting their start in China today, they would never get to make a second film, and they would die unhappily. You need to take a longer view — look at this industry as a 10- to 20-year investment. Raman could have failed the first time, and I would have stuck with him and made his next film, because I believe in his talent. Fortunately for both of us, we didn’t have to worry about that. But I would have stood by him.
    Still not splitting this thread, no matter how massive MH becomes. Not convinced any of you have bothered to see this aside from -N- & me. And I don't particularly recommend it unless you are a student of film or tracking Chinese cinema (in which case, you really must see it).
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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