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Ding Sheng is a Chinese film director and screenwriter, born in Qingdao, Shandong. His works include “Little Big Soldier”, “Police Story 2013” and “Railroad Tigers” all of which starred Jackie Chan. In 2013, he directed “Saving Mr Wu” while his latest project sees him giving a go at John Woo’s classic, “A Better Tomorrow”.

On the occasion of the film “A Better Tomorrow 2018” screening at Far East Film Festival, we speak with him about the pressure of remaking a masterpiece, Jackie Chan and Andy Lau, filming at home and the karma that links him to Hong Kong cinema.

Let’s start with the inevitable question. How the idea to remake this classic came about?

Actually “A Better Tomorrow 2018” was strongly wanted by the investor, I personally wouldn’t have thought the time was right to remake a classic that is still so close to us in time. The...

Director Dante Lam is back once again with his latest big-budget action film “The Rescue”. The impressive trailer for the film promises a high-stakes action film filled with big set-pieces that warrant to be seen on the big screen.

Synopsis

A rescue unit within the Chinese Coast Guard are forced to overcome their personal differences to resolve a crisis.

In addition to China’s most in-demand actor Eddie Peng in the lead role, the film also stars Xin Zhilei (“Crosscurrent“), Wang Yanlin (“Operation Red Sea“), Lan Yingying (“Pacific Rim Uprising”), Xu Yang, Li Mincheng (“A Better Tomorrow 2018“) and Wang Yutian. It releases in China on January 25th, 2020. Whether it is able to replicate the success of Lam’s last film “Operation Red Sea”, which went on to become the 2nd highest grossing film of all time in China last year before falling to 5th spot this year with the...

I have to admit, I am not very fond of film’s adaptations and particularly iconic ones as John Woo’s “A Better Tomorrow.” Furthermore, the quality of the recent Chinese blockbusters left me somewhat disappointed. Thus, I was truly satisfied to see that Ding Sheng’s take on the Hk classic was a more than worthy effort.

A Better Tomorrow 2018 is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival

Two brothers are on opposite sides of the law. Zhou Kai is in charge of a smuggling operation between Qingdao and Tokyo for Boss Ha, while his younger brother, Zhou Chao, is an up-and-coming star in the police department’s narcotics division. Chao, who has been taking care of their dementia-afflicted father, has been looking up to his brother his whole life, not knowing his actual line of work. Apart from Chao, Kai is very close to one of his associates, Ma Ke,...

Reboot of John Woo’s 1986 classic will close CinemAsia Film Festival.

Hong Kong-based Sparkle Roll Media has closed a raft of additional deals on Ding Sheng’s A Better Tomorrow 2018, including sales to Thailand’s Hollywood Co and China Lion Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand.

The police action film, a reboot of John Woo iconic ‘heroic bloodshed’ series, has also been sold to Hong Kong (China 3D Digital Distribution), while Celestial Movie Channel has acquired pan-Asian pay-tv rights and Encore has taken inflight.

The film, which is receiving its first market screening here at the Efm, has been selected as the closing film the CinemAsia Film Festival (March 6-11) in Amsterdam. It was previously sold to South Korea (Kidarient Corp) and Clover Films (Singapore).

Released in China on January 18, the film stars Wang Kai, Ray Ma and Talu Wang in the story of two brothers – one heading a smuggling...

Maze Runner: The Death Cure wins weekend; Forever Young passes $100m.

Source: Amir Khan Productions

‘Secret Superstar’

Secret Superstar shot to the top of the Chinese box office in the week of Jan 22-28, while Maze Runner: The Death Cure narrowly won the weekend and Forever Young hit $100m.

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan’s Secret Superstar stole the weekly crown with $40.4m for $69.6m after 10 days. The coming-of-age story about a young girl who dreams of becoming a famous singer reunites Khan with his Dangal co-star Zaira Wasim. Already China’s second highest grossing Indian film after its first weekend, it’s now one of the top grossing non-Hollywood foreign films although it’s still a long way off from Dangal.

Former champion Forever Young, featuring an A-list cast toplined by Zhang Ziyi, dropped to the second place but still held well with $28.2m for $101.2m after 17 days.

Fox’s young adult adventure Maze Runner: The Death Cure came in third...

Indian singing drama wins weekend but Zhang Ziyi’s Forever Young tops week.

Source: Aamir Khan Productions

‘Secret Superstar’

Zhang Ziyi’s Forever Young fended off five new titles and climbed to the top of the chart in the week of Jan 15-21, but Indian singing drama Secret Superstar captured the hearts of Chinese audiences over the weekend.

Local drama Forever Young gained stronger traction in its second week with $49.6m for $72.8m after 10 days. It moved to the No.1 spot from Tuesday, overtaking Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, until Secret Superstar pushed it to second place on Friday.

With an ensemble cast of Zhang Ziyi, Huang Xiaoming, Chen Chusheng, Chang Chen and Wang Leehom, the film covers four generations of Tsinghua University students over a century. It’s originally planned for the 100th anniversary of Beijing’s Tsinghua University in 2011.

Following the mega-success of last year’s Dangal, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan returns to China with much fanfare...

Sparkle Roll Media, the newly launched sales arm of Jackie Chan's global film and TV company, has secured distribution deals in South Korea (Kidarient Corp) and Singapore (Clover Film) for A Better Tomorrow 4, the remake of the John Woo’s classic of the same title.

Directed by Ding Sheng (Railroad Tigers, Saving Mr. Wu, Little Big Soldier), A Better Tomorrow 4 co-stars Wang Kai (Railroad Tigers), Ray Ma (Ice Fantasy) and Talu Wang (Railroad Tigers, Our Times). The film is produced by Beijing Jingxi Culture & Tourism Co.

A Better Tomorrow 4 follows the journey of a former smuggler attempting...

Exclusive: Wang Kai-starring feature sells to South Korea, Singapore.

Jackie Chan’s new international sales outfit, Sparkle Roll Media, has clinched two early pre-sales on Ding Sheng’s A Better Tomorrow 4, selling the film to Kidarient Corp for South Korea and Clover Films for Singapore.

The reboot of John Woo’s iconic heroic bloodshed series stars Wang Kai (Railroad Tigers), Ray Ma (Ice Fantasy) and Talu Wang (Railroad Tigers, Our Times). It traces the journey of a former smuggler attempting to start his life anew and repair his relationship with his estranged brother after his release from prison.

Produced by Beijing Jingxi Culture & Tourism Co, the film is currently in post-production for a year-end release. Sparkle Roll is showing a new promo and artwork here in Cannes.

Sparkle Roll’s Cannes slate also includes documentary Jackie Chan: Down To Earth, which traces five decades of Chan’s career and features filmmakers and stars such as...

There is a thrilling selection of Chinese-language titles at Filmart this year. Liz Shackleton picks out some of the most promising.

With very few Hong Kong or mainland Chinese sellers making the journey to this year’s European Film Market in Berlin, Filmart offers a chance for buyers to catch up with the Chinese-language titles that will be rolled out in the region for the rest of the year.

After serving up the biggest film of the Chinese New Year holiday — Kung Fu Yoga, starring Jackie Chan and directed by Stanley Tong — China’s Sparkle Roll Media has launched a Hong Kong-based sales arm that is selling Ding Sheng’s reboot of the A Better Tomorrow series.

Other high-profile action titles new to market include Distribution Workshop’s Extraordinary Mission, from the creative teams behind the Infernal Affairs and Overheard series, and Huayi Brothers’ crime drama Explosion, starring Duan Yihong.

Previously announced...

Hong Kong-based company launches with Feng Xiaogang’s Bloom Of Youth.

Jackie Chan’s Sparkle Roll Media has launched a Hong Kong-based international sales arm, which is selling Feng Xiaogang’s drama Bloom Of Youth (Fang Hua) and Ding Sheng’s reboot of the A Better Tomorrow series.

Produced by Feng’s Zhejiang Dongyang Mayla Media, Bloom Of Youth revolves around a Military Cultural Troupe in China in the 1970s. The cast includes Huang Xuan (The Great Wall), Miao Miao, Zhong Chuxi and Yang Caiyu.

Ding’s A Better Tomorrow 4 resurrects the classic ‘heroic bloodshed’ series, directed by John Woo in the 1980s. Starring Wang Kai, Ray Ma and Talu Wang, the film follows the conflict between two brothers on opposite sides of the law. The film is produced by Beijing Jingxi Culture & Tourism Co.

Sparkle Roll is also selling Sun Lin’s feature-length documentary, Jackie Chan: Down To Earth, which it produced...

Exclusive: Hong Kong-based company launches with Feng Xiaogang’s Bloom Of Youth.

Jackie Chan’s Sparkle Roll Media has launched a Hong Kong-based international sales arm, which is selling Feng Xiaogang’s drama Bloom Of Youth (Fang Hua) and Ding Sheng’s reboot of the A Better Tomorrow series.

Produced by Feng’s Zhejiang Dongyang Mayla Media, Bloom Of Youth revolves around a Military Cultural Troupe in China in the 1970s. The cast includes Huang Xuan (The Great Wall), Miao Miao, Zhong Chuxi and Yang Caiyu.

Ding’s A Better Tomorrow 4 resurrects the classic ‘heroic bloodshed’ series, directed by John Woo in the 1980s. Starring Wang Kai, Ray Ma and Talu Wang, the film follows the conflict between two brothers on opposite sides of the law. The film is produced by Beijing Jingxi Culture & Tourism Co.

Sparkle Roll is also selling Sun Lin’s feature-length documentary, Jackie Chan: Down To Earth, which it produced...