New tidings from reality tv programs

Poster popular reality TV shows adapted into movies Running Man. Photo provided to China Daily

The TV program, Where are We Going, Dad? 2, the sequel to its last year's first installment, shows four celebrity fathers trying to "survive" with their children on an island of the Republic of Fiji.

The hit show behind the movie, which records the stars' parenting challenges from rural China to picturesque Rotorua in New Zealand, has gained the second-highest rating of nearly 2.5 percent.

During his visit to New Zealand last November, President Xi Jinping noted that the show had contributed to a rising number of Chinese tourists to New Zealand, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Emperor's Holidays is directed by Wang Yuelun, who was a celebrity father in the fatherhood series' first season. The movie, which claims to be a "real" drama as the actors need to "play the roles", will be screened in Chinese theaters on Feb 19, the same day as Dad 2 and also the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

With such movies becoming popular, trade analysts say the holiday season－one of the most profitable periods for Chinese movies－looks set to be dominated by the so-called unconventional movies.

"Filmmaking is like a money-hunting game now. Few producers really care about what a good movie should be," says critic Han Haoyue.

"When a new-genre film gains success at the box office, a slew of replicas will be produced. But it seems the producers just forget the basic rule of 'content is king'."

Producer Zhang Yaping says that Running Man, which was filmed over six months, wasn't tailored for profit.

"Though it enjoyed a high TV rating, it's still hard to estimate how many TV viewers will buy tickets for the movie. It's unfair to call the movie a 'money-hunter'," she says.

She adds the TV show, which was popular with millions of Chinese viewers, also inspired people to live healthier.