BEIJING, April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- iQIYI Inc. (NASDAQ:
IQ) ("iQIYI" or the "Company"), an innovative market-leading online
entertainment service in China, is
pleased to announce that it has partnered with Lajin Entertainment
Network Group Limited to co-produce HACHIKO, a Chinese
version of the classic Japanese screenplay Hachiko
Monogatari.
HACHIKO will be
distributed by Hengye Pictures and premiere nationwide on
December 31, 2021, making it the
first movie to be scheduled for New Year's Eve 2021. Shooting
for HACHIKO has
commenced, and is led by director Xu
Ang and supervised by Yeh Jufeng.
Set in a local small family, HACHIKO is about
human-dog companionship and the importance of family.
At HACHIKO's announcement ceremony, Gong Yu, the film's
producer and iQIYI Founder and CEO, said that he believes that the
film will resonate with audiences through its depiction of the
sincere emotional connections between people and animals. Prior to
shooting, lead actor Feng Xiaogang
already formed a close bond with his four-legged co-stars and at
the ceremony, he expressed his appreciation for the dogs
'cooperation and his participation in such a moving
film.
The world-renowned tale explores the touching relationship
between an old man and his loyal dog, with the 2009 U.S. remake
winning the hearts of global audiences and enhancing the image of
Hachi as a cultural symbol. The Chinese version
of HACHIKO is based on the Japanese
screenplay Hachiko Monogatari written by Kaneto
Shindo. After acquiring the rights to produce the
adaptation, iQIYI retained the original's emotional and artistic
value while adding some local elements to create a Chinese version.
For example, the dog will be played by a Chinese Field Dog named
Batong, meaning eight dots, a Mahjong tile.
HACHIKO tells the moving story of Batong, who waits
in the same place for his owner, played by Feng, to return ten
years after his death.
Besides adapting it for a more local Chinese context, the film
also features a star-studded cast and production team. The director
has previously helmed highly-acclaimed films such as 12
Citizens and Medical Examiner Dr. Qin. The
former was nominated for the Director's Debut Award at the 30th
Golden Rooster Awards and won the Best Film Award in the
Contemporary Film section of the 9th Rome International Film Festival. The
supervisor, Yeh, has overseen films such as Red Cliff, The Wayward Cloud,
and Godspeed. Another highlight is Feng, who takes a
leading role for the first time in six years following his
performance in 2015's Mr. Six. In contrast with his
image of a Beijing street punk
in Mr. Six, in HACHIKO, he plays a
kind and warmhearted old man who loves his dog. The female lead,
played by Joan Chen, is a candid and
fiery mahjong-loving landlady, which also contrasts sharply with
the capable police inspector role of her previous
movie, Sheep Without a Shepherd.
Crossroad Bistro, Feng's first directorial effort for a
web drama that is also produced by iQIYI- will be exclusively aired
on the platform. Among the films produced by iQIYI, Break
Through The Darkness, a realistic drama starring Jiang Wu and Zhang Songwen about China's campaign against gang crime
and Hovering Blade, a crime movie featuring Wang
Qianyuan and Wang Jingchun, are both expected to hit big screens
across the country this year. Moreover, upcoming movies such
as PING-PONG OF CHINA, Hello
Hero, Raid on the Lethal Zone, Man On The
Edge, In Our Prime, The Apprentice of
Mensa, and The Big Band have commenced
production. HACHIKO and the planned slate of new
releases once again demonstrate the Company's commitment to
producing high-quality content across a wide range of genres.
ABOUT iQIYI
iQIYI, Inc. is an innovative market-leading online
entertainment service in China. Its corporate DNA combines
creative talent with technology, fostering an environment for
continuous innovation and the production of blockbuster content.
iQIYI's platform features highly popular original content, as well
as a comprehensive library of other professionally-produced
content, partner-generated content and user generated content. The
company distinguishes itself in the online entertainment industry
by its leading technology platform powered by advanced AI, big data
analytics and other core proprietary technologies. iQIYI attracts a
massive user base with tremendous user engagement, and has
developed a diversified monetization model including membership
services, online advertising services, content distribution, live
broadcasting, online games, IP licensing, online literature and
e-commerce.
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iqiyi-co-produced-chinese-version-of-hachiko-to-premiere-this-new-years-eve-301260601.html
SOURCE iQIYI