China Economic Review
Charting China’s changing economic terrain · Since 1990
Blockbuster film to mark 90th anniversary
March 22, 2010
China Film Group spokesman Weng Li said filmmakers are drafting the script and choosing locations for The Founding of a Party which will be a follow on to coincide with next year’s 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.
Weng said shooting would start later this year, with a targeted release date of around July 2011. The Chinese Communist Party celebrates its 90th anniversary July 1 next year.
Last year, China Film Group released The Founding of a Republic to mark the Chinese government’s 60th year in power. By injecting star power into the movie – Jackie Chan, Jet Li and a slew of the Chinese film industry’s biggest names had cameos – the studio produced a rare box office hit for the traditionally staid genre of propaganda cinema, with the $8.8 million production earning $61 million. Its strong results were also helped by politically correct theater operators who inundated their multiplexes with screenings.
WGN America said China Film Group is hoping for a repeat with The Founding of a Party.