Film industry looks to future with sci-fi titles
Print Edition
CHINESE science fiction fans who want more than a token Chinese sidekick in Hollywood blockbusters can soon look closer to home for alternatives.
Industry insiders say at least a dozen Chinese sci-fi movies are in production, suggesting a shift in the film industry toward the genre.
“Many movie houses have initiated sci-fi projects. At least one film has investment of over 100 million yuan (US$16 million),” said Yan Peng, film critic and planning supervisor of Beijing Galloping Horse Film and TV Production Co.
“It not only reflects the personal interest of certain investors but rising enthusiasm in the industry,” Yan said.
“The Chinese film industry has matured in recent years, so it’s time to have our own sci-fi titles.”
One widely-awaited film is the adaptation of Liu Cixin’s best-selling saga “The Three-Body Problem.” Producers Youzu Films said shooting would start before the end of this year.
And writer-turned-director Han Han also plans to make a sci-fi film, following the success of his first outing as a director, “Continent.”
Despite the huge success of foreign sci-fi films, such as “Gravity” and the “Transformers” franchise, domestic options are lacking, with many blaming the situation on technology
“From design to special effects, every link in China’s film industry lacks experience with the sci-fi genre,” said Wu Yan, a sci-fi critic and professor at Beijing Normal University.
Other critics point to the absence of a sci-fi culture among China’s established directors.
However, young filmmakers are rising to the challenge.
“Now filmmakers know more about the genre. Many born after the 1970s grew up reading sci-fi novels,” said Zheng Jun, sci-fi writer and CEO of China Scientific and Cultural Industry Net.
Some up-and-coming teams have started by shooting short films. Lu Bingshu, executive producer of the 30-minute “Eyes of Mars”, said sci-fi production was laborious.
But the 26-year-old believed their efforts to create everything from space capsules to space suits would feed into developing the genre.
But even if a Chinese sci-fi film clears production hurdles, it may still face a picky and suspicious domestic audience.
Zheng said that many Chinese movies avoided the sci-fi label, fearing moviegoers would associate “Chinese sci-fi blockbusters” with clumsy rip-offs of the Western success stories.
But, Wu said, the Chinese market should encourage domestic sci-fi movies.
“Sci-fi films reflect people’s fears and desires in the era of technology. We need to have sci-fi films that embody Chinese thinking,” he said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
