via KFC

Not long ago I was writing about the return of Hong Kong film studio Golden Harvest and now their former rival, the mighty Shaw Brothers is returning to the filmmaking business after nearly 30 years. But don’t get too excited yet. While the studio has announced a slate of four new films to be produced through their Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) subsidiary and partly shot on their legendary Clearwater Bay studio soundstages, no martial arts titles are currently planned.

SB’s is kicking off with TURNING POINT, a HK$13 million crime drama directed by Herman Yau and starring Anthony Wong, Francis Ng and Michael Tse. The film is based on a popular TVB miniseries called E.U. Two other films to go into production this year include the ensemble comedy HOUSE OF 73 TENANTS, a semi-sequel to SB’s blockbuster 1973 film HOUSE OF 72 TENANTS, and the tentatively titled young adult romcom LOVE EXPERT. Also in development is a period drama set for production in 2010.

A studio representative has told The Hollywood Reporter that the company is aiming for diversity, with an undetermined number of films comprised of different genres and scales. The rep also mentions that the company is targeting local audiences and aims to help out the local film industry by hiring Hong Kong actors and crew.

Although their film production unit has been closed since 1985, Shaw Brothers has remained in operation as a film distributor, theater operator and TV production company through TVB. Despite their decline in the late 1970s and early ’80s that led to the closure of their film unit, Shaw Brothers is still Hong Kong’s most successful movie studio with a library of nearly 1000 feature films dating back to the founding of their 49-acre Movie Town studio in Clearwater Bay in 1957 by Run Run Shaw and his brother Runme Shaw. Built upon a business savvy, family-run business started in Shanghai in 1923, Shaw Brothers was modeled after the Golden Age Hollywood studio system and attracted top foreign talent to quickly build up its production muscle. Shaws quickly became the region’s top movie producer and maintained this position throughout the 1960s and early ’70s. They produced films of every variety and scale with a distinctive, polished house style. Many of their films were the top-grossing hits of the era with highlights such as THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN, BOXER FROM SHANTUNG, HOUSE OF 72 TENANTS, and THE WARLORD.

via KFC

Not long ago I was writing about the return of Hong Kong film studio Golden Harvest and now their former rival, the mighty Shaw Brothers is returning to the filmmaking business after nearly 30 years. But don’t get too excited yet. While the studio has announced a slate of four new films to be produced through their Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) subsidiary and partly shot on their legendary Clearwater Bay studio soundstages, no martial arts titles are currently planned.

SB’s is kicking off with TURNING POINT, a HK$13 million crime drama directed by Herman Yau and starring Anthony Wong, Francis Ng and Michael Tse. The film is based on a popular TVB miniseries called E.U. Two other films to go into production this year include the ensemble comedy HOUSE OF 73 TENANTS, a semi-sequel to SB’s blockbuster 1973 film HOUSE OF 72 TENANTS, and the tentatively titled young adult romcom LOVE EXPERT. Also in development is a period drama set for production in 2010.

A studio representative has told The Hollywood Reporter that the company is aiming for diversity, with an undetermined number of films comprised of different genres and scales. The rep also mentions that the company is targeting local audiences and aims to help out the local film industry by hiring Hong Kong actors and crew.

Although their film production unit has been closed since 1985, Shaw Brothers has remained in operation as a film distributor, theater operator and TV production company through TVB. Despite their decline in the late 1970s and early ’80s that led to the closure of their film unit, Shaw Brothers is still Hong Kong’s most successful movie studio with a library of nearly 1000 feature films dating back to the founding of their 49-acre Movie Town studio in Clearwater Bay in 1957 by Run Run Shaw and his brother Runme Shaw. Built upon a business savvy, family-run business started in Shanghai in 1923, Shaw Brothers was modeled after the Golden Age Hollywood studio system and attracted top foreign talent to quickly build up its production muscle. Shaws quickly became the region’s top movie producer and maintained this position throughout the 1960s and early ’70s. They produced films of every variety and scale with a distinctive, polished house style. Many of their films were the top-grossing hits of the era with highlights such as THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN, BOXER FROM SHANTUNG, HOUSE OF 72 TENANTS, and THE WARLORD.