“12 Years a Slave,” “Non-Stop” and “The Grandmaster 3D” lead Bona Film Group’s slate of upcoming films, the Chinese film producer and distributor said Tuesday.
The company noted that the release dates of its movies could change and are subject to government approval as it sketched out what the next year and half holds. The films are a mixture of U.S. and local productions, ranging from this spring’s disaster film “Pompeii” to a Chinese-language remake of the 2009 film “Bride Wars.”
Other pictures slated for release include the Chinese films “My Geeky Nerdy Buddies,” a sequel to “The Man from Macau,” and “The Sword Master.”
“We believe a number of these films in our slate offer the potential to be box office hits, and we have confidence that Bona will continue the strong box office growth rate of 2013 and hit a new record in 2014,” Yu Dong, Bona’s chairman and CEO, said.
This month will see the Chinese release of “12 Years a Slave,” while “Non-Stop” and “Pompeii” will hit China in July and August respectively. “The Grandmaster 3D” from Hong Kong film-making legend Wong Kar Wai will be released in September.
Although “12 Years a Slave” won an Oscar for Best Picture, it represents a very different kind of U.S. import. China tends to release foreign films that are action driven and come with 3D and special-effects. Last week, Bona reported that “Non-Stop” and “Pompeii,” had earned regulatory approval, but “12 Years a Slave” was still going through the process.
For its most recent quarter, Bona Film Group reported revenue of $56.6 million, and earnings of $1.4 million. 21st Century Fox is a stakeholder in the company. In addition to China, Bona distributes films in Korea, Southeast Asia, the United States and Europe.
