Tencent, Goyer To Develop Slate Of China-Based Film And TV Projects
With the continued ever-bustling business of movies these days, you’ll hear a lot more talk of Hollywood and China sharing the same space. It’s a relationship that teeters from time to time, albeit beneficial to the parties involved, including Tencent Pictures and screenwriter David S. Goyer (Nolan’s Batman Trilogy, Man Of Steel, Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice) who will now be working together on a spate of original projects for China.
Check out the official announcement from Tuesday:
SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Tencent Pictures has announced a dynamic slate of more than 20 new film and television production projects for 2016-2017, from the adaptation of popular Japanese TV series to the development of original Hollywood-style action films. The studio has also tapped David S. Goyer, screenwriter of the Dark Knight trilogy and Batman vs. Superman, to explore the development of original content for China and overseas markets.
The plan was announced at the recent celebration of Tencent Pictures’ one-year anniversary.
“China’s movie industry is entering a new era defined by the increasing demand by audiences for high-quality, original content,” said Edward Cheng, Vice President of Tencent and CEO of Tencent Pictures. “Tencent Pictures is looking forward to collaborating with our partners to produce world-class content, explore new business models and build China’s leading entertainment ecosystem.”
Major projects for the coming year include:
● A collaboration with Legendary Entertainment on Kong: Skull Island. The joint effort follows the success of Warcraft, released in early 2016.
● The development of Koseidon with Japanese producer Takashige Ichise (The Grudge and The Ring), based on the popular Japanese Tokusatsu TV series Dinosaur Corps Koseidon by Tsuburaya Productions.
● The adaptation of The Tibet Code, a series of fantasy adventure novels written by He Ma, into a TV series.
● The development of 3D film “Tuzki”, based on the highly popular cartoon emoticon of a lazy bunny created by Momo Wang.In line with Tencent’s cross-IP strategy, the following IP from Tencent will also be developed into movies in the coming year:
● Comics: Pathfinder, Tongzhizhe, and Cong Qian You Zuo Ling Jian Shan
● Games: Asura, Full Metal Angel, WeFire
● Literature: “Fighter of The Destiny”At the celebration’s press conference, Mr. Cheng outlined four key elements that will guide the studio’s movie production and adaption choices during the current stage:
● Youth: Story themes and titles will be selected that match the tastes and style of the young generation.
● Unique: Content will be unique and original, providing unexpected surprises for the audience.
● High-Quality: Content will be of the highest quality, regardless of the size of the investment required.
● Connection: Tencent’s IP in literature, comics, drama, gaming and merchandise will be developed and evolved into valuable franchises, as part of Tencent’s “Pan Entertainment Strategy.”Tencent Pictures is a film division of Tencent Holdings Limited, a leading provider of Internet value-added services in China.
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