1905 movie network feature The 2024 Spring Festival pre-sale box office is in full swing! At the same time, the national film script filing and project approval list for the fourth quarter of 2023 in the Chinese film market has been freshly released.
According to the public information of the State Film Administration, in the fourth quarter of 2023 (October to December), a total of 761 films of various types were filed nationwide. Among them, 580 story films were filed; 39 animated films were filed; 29 documentary films were filed; 97 science and education films were filed; 5 special films were filed; and 11 co-productions were filed.
This quarter is rich in filmmaking genres, with live-action films such as "Manslaughter 3", "Anti-Corruption Storm 6", and other sequels attracting attention. In terms of animated films, "Summer of Little Monsters", "Youth Singing", "Daji", "The First of the Three Kingdoms: Competing for Luoyang" and other films have IP blessings. Among the documentary films, the concert movie "Zhang Jieyao Beidou Tour Concert" has caused heated discussions.
Live Action Movie Highlights
"Mistake 3"
The third film in the "Manslaughter" series, "Manslaughter 3", was submitted for review and filing by Beijing Yitong Legendary Film and Television Culture Co., Ltd. as the majority shareholder. Wu Wenjing served as the screenwriter of the film. Previously, ******* also participated in the screenwriting of "Manslaughter 1".
Synopsis of the film: Rich man Zheng Bingrui invites teacher Li Huiping to celebrate the birthday of his 8-year-old daughter Tingting, during which Tingting is kidnapped. Police officer Zhang Jingxian leads a team to investigate the kidnapping case, and the news leaks. Under the threat of the kidnappers, Zheng and Li can only throw off the police and rescue Tingting themselves. With in-depth investigation, all the truth is gradually revealed…
"Anti-Corruption Storm 6"
The screenwriter of the film is the synopsis of the movie story: Lu Zhilian of the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption was seriously injured, physically disabled and reclusive. The criminal group that masterminded Thor was particularly rampant, bribing judges, defrauding citizens, killing people, etc., and more in the licensing of virtual currencies to gain profits, Lu Zhilian wants to attack again.
At present, the first five works in the "Anti-Corruption Storm" series have a total box office of 2.172 billion yuan. The fifth installment of the series was once announced as the final chapter of the series. Now that the story continues, the film also wants to further explore the commercial value of IP.
"Let’s Shake the Sun Together"
The film is the final chapter of the "Life Trilogy", directed by Han Yan and starring.
Adapted from a documentary report, the film tells the story of two young people’s brave "life and death pact", which clears the haze of fate and finally sees the sunshine of life.
At present, the film has launched a large-scale business nationwide. As of February 5, the film’s 2024 Spring Festival pre-sale and box office has exceeded 16 million yuan.
"Three Forks."
The synopsis of the story of "Sanchakou" is: Hong Kong, Sham Shui Po, the hot weather makes people restless. In order to live, everyone is actively running. An occasional misunderstanding intertwines the fates of three young people. On that seemingly ordinary night, they came to a fork in their life decisions…
The screenwriting masterpiece of the film includes the film "The Night Before",,, and the TV series "Angry Xiangxi". The 2005 film of the same name was directed and starred by,,,, and. At present, the newly filed "Three Forks" starring lineup has not been officially announced.
"When Happiness Kicks the Door"
The synopsis of the film is: Wu Ming, a screenwriter who lives in poverty, takes his five-year-old son to a foreign land. He warms his son with an optimistic spirit, but gradually forgets his original dream. It is not until the appearance of "Enemy Week" that Wu Ming realizes that this is a signal before happiness.
Is a film, screenwriter, good at comedy script writing, creative style is characterized by nonsense and exaggerated scenes. The characters of single father and son in the movie are reminiscent of high-scoring warm masterpieces.
"The Middleman."
The film was filed by Bad Monkey (Shenzhen) Film Co., Ltd., and tells the story of an enthusiastic and righteous Lao Liu who responds to his friends’ requests. His friend Cheng Dong asks him to help mediate his relationship with the Iron Army, but Lao Liu’s help makes the whole thing more complicated.
The film has been selected for the list of selected film projects of the 19th Hong Kong Asian Film Investment Association, and is the executive producer. Screenwriter Xu Lei has written and directed his own cinema film, which was released in 2019.
"I am the happiest baby in the world."
The screenwriter of the film has starred in many film and television dramas such as,,, and "Dear, Love". Its film and television works are mainly urban romances. Judging from the synopsis of the story "I am the happiest baby in the world", the film may focus on the living conditions of contemporary young women.
It is worth mentioning that in September 2023, Li Hongqi’s self-directed debut feature film premiered at the 80th Venice Film Festival and won the Lion of the Future – Venice Debut Award.
"Six Degrees of Suspicion"
The film is one of the first projects of the "China Film Young Filmmakers Program". The first phase of the talent program will last for three years from 2023, with a total investment scale of 1 billion. It plans to launch 30-50 works by young filmmakers, with an average investment of 20 million yuan.
The synopsis of the film’s story is: his girlfriend "Li Xiao" suddenly disappears after being proposed, and at a loss, Dai Zhen has to search for her traces through the messages and past left by his girlfriend. However, all the clues are put together by another completely different girl, and the mysterious "helper" seems to be inextricably linked to "Li Xiao"’s past.
One of the screenwriters of the film, Yuan Zhe, was previously a producer of the high-reputation suspense miniseries "No Thinking" series. Chen Yutong participated in the screenwriting of the online miniseries "Wild Things, Volume 2" and "No Thinking: Dictionary 3". From the synopsis of the film’s story, there is a strong element of suspense.
"The Little Problem."
The film filing company, Dongchun Film, has participated in the production of many reality-themed independent films, with representative works such as,. One of the screenwriters of the film, the previous representative works include,.
The synopsis of the story is: Under the impact of online group buying, the vegetable market contracted by Yu Wenshuo could not make ends meet. In order to maintain his image as the pillar of his family, Yu Wenshuo swallowed the unhappiness of his career alone and told the lie of "everything is fine" to his wife and daughter. His concealment and support gradually surfaced the hidden small problems in the family.
From the story synopsis, it can be seen that the film will focus on the daily life of the little people in the current society, with a strong atmosphere of life. The theme of the film is both social and topical.
"The Little Things in Life"
The film was filed by Lianrui Pictures, and the title of the film can easily remind the audience of the main production of the 2022 summer film company. Guo Tao, whose masterpieces include "The Perfect Bride", served as the screenwriter of the film.
The synopsis of the film’s story: The deliveryman Lao Zhang Ben and the nurse Niu are a pair of happy enemies. The unexpected car accident brings the two close and comforts each other in the complicated and cold life. It’s just that for them, love is too insignificant, and they can only support each other for a while in the journey of life, and then run around each other.
"Catch the Doll."
The synopsis of the film’s story: Ma Jiye, a teenager, lives in a poor courtyard. Since Jiye’s memory, his parents have been engaged in ordinary social work, and Jiye has been taking care of his grandmother who is paralyzed in bed. But just after grandma passed away, a series of inexplicable things suddenly happened…
After many years, the two worked together again. The two cooperated for the first time and impressed many audiences. The cumulative box office of the two’s second cooperation reached 2.547 billion yuan.
"The Runaway"
The film is filed by its subsidiary, Chengdu Calcined Film Alchemy Film Co., Ltd. The film tells the story of Ma Fei, who left his hometown at the turn of the century, returning to Tianjin and "abducting" his nephew Li Jiawen under various unsatisfactory encounters. The family discovers, the situation escalates, and all the absurdity ensues.
The film is directed by Cao Baoping. At present, the film has been completed. As a leading figure in Chinese crime genre films, Cao Baoping’s directorial works are characterized by sharp social criticism, complex depictions of human nature and fine narrative structure. The film also filled many audiences with anticipation.
The Story of the Sahara
The film tells the story of the writer’s growth experience as an icon in the literary era, using her unique life course to demonstrate the detachment, independence, and truthfulness of women in the new era, as well as her deep affection for lovers and dedication to love. It is a modern romantic love movie story.
A biopic of the writer Sanmao with the same title as his literary work "The Story of the Sahara," the original film tells the details and personal feelings of Sanmao’s scattered life in the Sahara Desert with her husband Jose in the tone of a wanderer. In the text, "Every time I think of you, a grain of sand falls from the sky, and from then on there is a Sahara", which touched countless readers. The casting of the protagonist of the film has attracted the attention of audiences.
The Kidnapping Game
Based on the novel of the same name, the film tells the story of how after Lu Fei owes Qin Haipei a huge amount of money in the casino, he meets his daughter Qin Xiaoyao, who is about to run away from home, and a "kidnapping game" begins.
The film directed by Peng Yuchang, starring and starring. At present, the film has been completed.
"Legend."
The film is a sequel to the movie. The film tells the story of archaeologist Professor Chen who connects dreams and reality through jade pendants. With doubts, Professor Chen leads an expedition team to go deep into the Glacier Temple to explore the truth of the dream and start a fantasy adventure together.
This film is a fantasy adventure action movie directed and written by,,,, and starring, with a special starring role. The film started in February 2023 and was completed at the end of July of the same year.
"Fight to the death."
The film was filed by iQIYI Films, and the screenwriters were Chen Chen and Ke Yufei. Synopsis of the film: In order to rescue his adopted daughter who was kidnapped by an overseas illegal organization, the usually taciturn Lao Chen did not hesitate to reveal his secret past that he had hidden for 20 years, and joined hands with the local young policeman Ah Can to fight against the criminal group and the urban evil forces to start a life-and-death battle.
"Zhang Jieyao Beidou Tour"
The film is a stage documentary.
The synopsis of the film is as follows: Zhang Jiewei LIVE – "Yao Beidou" Tour is Zhang Jie’s concert tour in China from 2021 to 2023. It started in Suzhou in October 2021 and ended in Beijing Bird’s Nest in August 2023. 13 cities, 23 games, the total number of mobilized people exceeded 900,000.
The Sunshine Club.
"Sunshine Club" is a film written by the writer. The film tells the story of Wu You, a senior partner of the Sunshine Club, and his mother.
Previously, directed by Wei Shujun, starring, based on the work of the same name adapted "River Error" became the 2023 mainland film market literary film Little Dark Horse. The film has accumulated box office 309 million yuan, Douban score of 7.3 points.
"No marriage this year."
The film was filed by Sichuan Ruyi Xingchen Film and Television Culture Co., Ltd., with Zhang Qiang as the screenwriter. The film focuses on the topic of marriage and love that young people are most concerned about.
Synopsis of the film: Xiaobai and Lao Bai are a pair of enemies, mother and daughter. Because of Lao Bai’s forced marriage, Xiaobai did not dare to go home for the New Year. Lao Bai lured Xiaobai back to his hometown on the grounds of illness, but broke up unhappily because of urging marriage. So Lao Bai’s organization "Mom Blind Date Group" and Xiaobai’s "Anti-Forced Marriage Alliance" launched a funny trick of forced marriage and anti-forced marriage.
Animated Movie Key Record Film
"The Summer of the Little Monster in China"
The first season of the Chinese manga, released in early 2023, has been well received, with a current rating of 8.7 on Douban. The film consists of eight short stories, and the first episode, "Summer of Little Monsters," is well-known. The story is rooted in the well-known text of "Journey to the West" and adopts the narrative perspective of small people. After the broadcast, it caused a heated debate, and the image of "Little Pig Demon" was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
At the opening forum of the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival held in early June 2023, Wang Jianer, chairperson of the Shanghai film joint stock company, one of the main producers of the film, announced that "Summer of Little Monsters in China" will be a big movie. The screenwriter of the film is Mishui, who is also the screenwriter and director of the short series of the same name.
In addition, the third episode of the first season of "Chinese Wonders", "Lin Lin", and the fourth episode, "The Country Bus Takes Wang Child and the Immortal", will also be filmed with the same name. Currently, the second season of "Chinese Wonders" is being prepared. The director of the film revealed that the second season will have nine stories.
"Junior Song Store"
The film is based on Zhou Munan’s new martial arts novel of the same name. Previously, the anime series and live-action series based on this IP have performed well, with Douban ratings above 8 points. The film appeared in the film list of Ali Pictures at the 24th National Film Promotion Conference.
The synopsis of the film is as follows: Xiao Chuhe, the sixth prince of Beili, hid in an inn under the name of Xiao Se after his martial arts were abolished and expelled from Apocalypse City. After learning of Nanjue’s plot to invade Beili, he embarked on the road back to Apocalypse with Lei Wujie and others. In the end, he understood the meaning of "acting with your heart" and defeated Nanjue to save Beili.
"The First Part of the Three Kingdoms: Competing for Luoyang"
Synopsis of the film’s story: At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, danger was rife, eunuchs were in power, and the people were in hardship. The yellow napkin army rose, and Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Lv Bu, Sun Jian, Liu Bei and other heroes of troubled times were just emerging. How did Cao Cao and Yuan Shao deal with the stormy seas in Luoyang when various forces fought?
The film is the first animated film in the "Three Kingdoms" series of Chasing Light Animation after "New Culture". The screenwriter Wang Wei is also an animated film screenwriter. At the same time, he is also the founder of Chasing Light Animation and the founder of Tudou.
"Daji."
The story synopsis of "Daji", an IP animated film on the God List filed by Chengdu Guangguang Animation Co., Ltd., is: Su Daji, who has an ordinary appearance, in order to protect the family, traded with the big demon Jiuwei, obtained extraordinary beauty, and became the fiancée of the Shang Dynasty Chujunzi. Unexpectedly, all this was a conspiracy of the king of Shang. At a critical moment, Jiuwei controlled Daji’s physical body to subvert Chaoge, and Daji was determined to fight against him in order to stop Jiuwei.
conclusion
According to statistics, a total of 3008 films were filed in 2023, an increase of 60.34% compared with the same period last year. Compared with previous years, the number of films filed in 2023 achieved a significant increase for the first time in the past five years.
Among them, 137 animation film records increased by 158.49% year-on-year, and 127 documentary film records increased by 111.67% year-on-year. It is worth mentioning that 77 co-productions in 2023 increased tenfold year-on-year, basically recovering to the pre-epidemic level. From the filing information, returning to tradition, true adaptation, emotional value, life value, female power, etc. have become the keywords for the filing of domestic cinema screenplays in 2023.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, which one of the national cinema films will you be most looking forward to?