China is producing more than 600 feature films a year. 22 new movie screens open there every day. It’s safe to say the movie industry in China is booming. In a logical progression for its international ambitions, the Chinese film business is now aiming to compete more directly with Hollywood — with Chinese studios producing more English-language films and hiring Hollywood stars to work with Chinese stars. The cross-pollination is meant to broaden the appeal and multiply the payday.
Two of China’s leading ladies — Li Bingbing and Fan Bingbing — will appear in such new internationally flavored movies. Li Bingbing, who portrayed Su Yueming in Transformers: Age of Extinction and Ada Wong in Resident Evil: Retribution, will appear next in the China-coproduced action/adventure film Nest with American Kellan Lutz (Hercules, Twilight Saga) and his The Expendables 3 co-star Kelsey Grammer (Frasier). Fan Bingbing, who portrayed mutant Blink in X-Men: Days of Future Past, will appear next in the China-produced action/comedy Skiptrace with Jackie Chan and Johnny Knoxville. Li Bingbing will speak about China’s booming movie industry with 60 Minutes correspondent Holly Williams on April 10 at 7pm on CBS.
