Major sci-fi work set for big screen test

While Chinese movie productions are taking a larger share of the domestic box office volume, industry insiders agree it is important to participate in the global market.

Ying Xujun, deputy president of CMC Inc, shared the company's experience producing The Meg and its sequel in 2018 and 2023, respectively.

The action movie featured an international production team led by CMC Inc in collaboration with Warner Bros. "We believe such a model of international collaboration will work well with sci-fi movies in the global market," she says. The company is confident in furthering its exploration in this field, leveraging international resources and creating movies with multilingual dialogues and fewer cultural barriers.

She also points out that Chinese filmmakers need to actively participate in the global filmmakers' community. "Only when you are a player in the global movie industry will you be able to understand its structure and ecology."

International resources can be an important asset for film productions targeting the Chinese market, she says, citing the example of the company's new thriller Decoder. The spy drama involving decoders from China and the US will be directed by Chen Sicheng, who is also the scriptwriter, alongside co-writer Christopher MacBride.

New technology is another important element for development in the film industry worldwide, such as artificial intelligence. AI not only provides handy tools but is a "creative partner" capable of generating unexpected and brilliant ideas, according to Wang Jian'er. He says that the company founded an AI creative center in Shanghai's Songjiang district to explore new possibilities in the film industry.

Yu Dong, founding director of Bona Film Group, reveals that in the company's upcoming film A Legend, which is a sequel to the 2005 fantasy film The Myth, an AI-generated version of Jackie Chan in his youth will be fighting alongside real actors and "you can hardly tell one from the other".