So in case you hadn't noticed, there's this super popular movie in town and its name is Avatar. Though we knew Avatar had a great chance of doing well at the box office, even we were a little surprised by exactly how crazy the crowds for it were. more ›

2012, the new apocalyptic movie by director Roland Emmerich, opened this weekend in Shanghai to smashing box office records, showing that Hollywood's discovered at least one way its blockbusters can make a killing in China - by pandering to the Chinese. more ›

MJ has officially "Beat It" into China's exclusive film import quota. Premiering globally on October 28, the Michael Jackson documentary, "This Is It," was able to snatch one of the last of China's 20 annual foreign movie import slots. Chinese censors approved the film before National Day, just in time for China's premiere date on October 30, says the AP. more ›

• China state TV host denies spying for Taiwan [AFP] "A star presenter with China's state television network has denied allegations that she spied for Taiwan, amid reports that she could be under investigation, state newspapers have said. The China Daily, quoting unnamed sources from China Central Television on Friday, said Fang Jing, the 38-year-old face of the network's prime-time military programme 'Defence Watch,' had been 'taken away for a possible spy probe'."
• China's family planning policy shadowed by violations from rich [kazinform] "The rich and famous who break the rules have cast a huge shadow over the policy, denting social equality and even stability. Many mainland women gave birth in the Hong Kong special administrative region to skirt the restrictions, experts say."
• U.S. Births Hint at Bias for Boys in Some Asians [New York Times] "Demographers say the statistical deviation among Asian-American families is significant, and they believe it reflects not only a preference for male children, but a growing tendency for these families to embrace sex-selection techniques, like in vitro fertilization and sperm sorting, or abortion."

Mix Hindi hip hop, Chinese visuals and Bollywood-style dancing and the result is this music video from the soundtrack of the new made-in-China Bollywood film Chandni Chowk to China. For a new trailer of the movie, see below the fold. Shanghai scenes appear between 1:50 and 2:06 more ›

The Straits Times reports that actress Zhang Ziyi (章子怡) has made her first public appearance since pictures of her canoodling topless with her Israeli fiance Vivi Nevo at a beach hit the interwebs. According to the report, Zhang had a "forced smile" at the show. Also:

She avoided reporters by shunning the red carpet but, in a speech on stage, she appeared to allude to being indifferent to online criticism that she had shamed China by sunbathing topless with Israeli investor Vivi Nevo. more ›

China's about to make a move into Hollywood, and it's going to spend some serious cash doing so. Originally titled Mermaid Island, the newly-dubbed Empires of the Deep will be a $100 million USD "English-language tale of mermaids, mermen and a hero who saves the world from an evil empire". Monica Belluci will star as the lead mermaid; Sharon Stone was once attached as well but has since been dropped (something she said, apparently). Unconfirmed rumors have also tabbed Derek Zoolander as the lead merman. The film will rely heavily on CGI, and according to producer and chief financier Harrison Liang, it will be "something like 'Star Wars' under the sea". more ›

Photo from Sypro more ›

It’s cold, it’s wet. It’s the perfect time to catch up with the overseas movie scene. Coincidentally, it’s Oscar season and a whole slew of ‘good’ films are just appearing in the shops here. A widely heralded good year for quality films (2007) has come face to face with the WGA writer’s strike, now into its third month in Hollywood. The Golden Globes were reduced to an hour long press conference announcing the winners. If the strike over future royalty rates on downloaded films isn’t resolved soon then the Oscars are next. The big stars are already resigned to making the most of the British Baftas. more ›

Ang Lee's steamy blockbuster Lust, Caution was named Best Film at the 44th Golden Horse Awards in Taipei yesterday, the Chinese-speaking world's most coveted film awards. It also swept away six other awards, including Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay Adaptation, Best Film Score, Best Makeup and Costume Design, and Best New Performer. Here is the list of winners:Best film: "Lust, Caution" Best director: Ang Lee, "Lust, Caution" Best actor: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, "Lust, Caution"... more ›

Photo of a Mummy 3 set in a Hebei Province desert from China.org.cn more ›

Unlike some of the previous musicals that have taken the stage in Shanghai, 42nd Street is a musical more in line with Broadway's roots and traditions, a true reflection of the Broadway of old...you know, before shows adapted from Hollywood movies took it over. Originally, the show debuted in 1980, based upon the 1933 movie of the same name. After it's Broadway debut and subsequent Tony award for Best Musical, 42nd Street went on to become one of the longest running musicals in Broadway history. more ›

Qian Zhijun, the cute chubby Shanghai teenager, who became a cult figure last year after his picture was posted online and other Internet users began photoshopping his image into the Mona Lisa and Doraemon among other characters (more pictures after the jump), may be going to Hollywood! Apparently, he has been approached by New Line Cinema, a major Hollywood film studio, to star in a film adaptation of "Ghost Blows Out the Light," (鬼吹灯) a popular Chinese online novel about a group of tomb raiders and their mysterious adventures in ancient tombs. Reports say that Qian is 19 years old, but we would really like to know how old he was when this pic was taken, because we think he looks just 10! Does anyone know? more ›

It’s the end of the line for Shanghai’s most notorious drug lord, Li Bin. Shanghai’s highest court has turned down his appeal against a death sentence decision from October of last year. Along with Li Bin, 19 members of his gang were given life sentences. more ›

Remember that Chairman Mao bag that you...your "friend" bought the first time you came to China? These bags are found all over China and they are easy to spot. The bags are dark green with a red star or red portrait of Chairman Mao on the flap. Usually, the bags will contain some quote from Mao's The Little Red Book (the second best selling book in the world, by the way), written in red Chinese... more ›

We told you how we're not so fond of Bai Ling here but the new star of Shanghai Baby has been showing some of her latest moves at Club Play in Hollywood celebrating the birthday of porn star Mary Carey (we wonder if her choice of friends is indicative of any new career move). She also (sort of) tries to dirty-dance a midget, and ends up looking like she's having epileptic fits in the process. Enjoy! more ›

Hollywood actress Sharon Stone arrived in Shanghai late Tuesday night at Pudong International Airport. After passing immigration casually dressed in white slacks and a dark long-sleeved top, she was quickly driven downtown in a Mercedes Sedan to the JW Marriott Hotel. more ›

From the Scotsman:

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese quality watchdogs have seized 46 toy guns from a Wal-Mart store in Shanghai because they looked "too realistic", state media reported on Thursday. more ›

Photo by Shanghai Sky taken from the Shanghaiist Contribute page. more ›

Hollywood is a new DVD shop just a few doors away from Oscars (nee Ka De Club) in Taikang Lu. This new DVD emporium stocks an amazing range of new and old American, Chinese and international titles. It is very similar to its neighbour, but with more choice and better merchandising. All of the films are boxed in hardcases on tall shelves along wide aisles. Hollywood is spacious and the layout makes it almost possible to find what you want. One day they may even get round to filing titles into alphabetical order, grouping them by genre. more ›