China Star Entertainment Group
Encyclopedia
China Star Entertainment Group is a Hong Kong
film production company
and film distributor
. It was established in 1992 by film producer Charles Heung
, and has been known as a huge distributor
and film producer
of films made mostly in Cantonese dialect.
, who is the studio's CEO
chairman
, with his wife, Tiffany Chen
, serving as Vice Chairman and administrative producer. It is a huge distributor
and film producer
of films made mostly in Cantonese dialect.
China Star Entertainment and its subsidiaries are principally engaged in the production
and distribution
of films and television drama series that are in Chinese dialect
, many of which have won various awards. The company has also engaged in the provision of artists management services and post-production
services.
In the past few years, China Star has successfully re-organized itself as a well-established entertainment, multimedia, production and distribution enterprise
. In the course of this development, China Star strives hard to establish an excellent reputation as a powerful film producer
and international film distributor
.
competition flick Election
and its sequel
, Election 2
(aka Triad Election
), fantasy actioner Black Mask
, the chiller My Left Eye Sees Ghosts
and Chinese New Year
special Fat Choi Spirit
. These and other movie titles, a majority of which were produced during the past ten years, feature some of Hong Kong's most cinematic icons, including Andy Lau
, Sammi Cheng
, Gigi Leung
, Lau Ching-Wan
, Louis Koo
, Cherrie Ying
, Simon Yam
, Jet Li
, and Cecilia Cheung
.
China Star Entertainment Group has proven to be a recognized film producer
in Hong Kong. In 2001, the four most popular and successful films produced by China Star, namely Wu yen
, Love on a Diet
, La Brassiere
and Master Q 2001, achieved a total box office receipt of approximately HK$107, million, representing 38% of total box office receipts for the top ten Chinese films in Hong Kong. In 2002, My Left Eye Sees Ghosts, The Lion Roars, Mighty Baby
and Fat Choi Spirit achieved a total box office receipt of approximately HK$73 million, making them four of the most successful local Chinese films of that year. In 2004, Fantasia, a Chinese New Year comedy film, was recorded as the second highest box-office take of all local films in 2004.
In 2005, the film industry experienced a very hard time in the midst of the economic downturn and an influx of pirated films in VCD
and DVD
format. The total number of Chinese dialect films substantially decreased. China Star produced a total of 11 films, accounting for 18% of the 61 Hong Kong films produced in the year. Many of China Star's film have been successful on an internation scale. Johnnie To
and Wai Ka-Fai
's Milkyway Image films, such Election, Election 2 and Mad Detective
enjoyed Hong Kong box office successes and were sold to a slew of foreign territories (including United States
, France
and Argentina
). In more recent years, China Star has gone on to produce a limited amount of films each year, most notably Category III films
, which include Hong Kong Bronx
, Fatal Move
and A Very Short Life
.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
film production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
and film distributor
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
. It was established in 1992 by film producer Charles Heung
Charles Heung
Charles Heung Wah-Keung is a Hong Kong actor-turned-film producer and presenter. As founder of Win's Entertainment in the 1980s and China Star Entertainment Group in the 1990s, he has helped established the careers of various cinematic icons in Hong Kong that include Stephen Chow, Chow Yun-fat,...
, and has been known as a huge distributor
Distributor
A distributor is a device in the ignition system of an internal combustion engine that routes high voltage from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct firing order. The first reliable battery operated ignition was developed by Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. and introduced in the...
and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
of films made mostly in Cantonese dialect.
Company
China Star Entertainment Group was established in 1992 by Charles HeungCharles Heung
Charles Heung Wah-Keung is a Hong Kong actor-turned-film producer and presenter. As founder of Win's Entertainment in the 1980s and China Star Entertainment Group in the 1990s, he has helped established the careers of various cinematic icons in Hong Kong that include Stephen Chow, Chow Yun-fat,...
, who is the studio's CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
chairman
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
, with his wife, Tiffany Chen
Tiffany Chen
Tiffany Chen Ming-Yin is a Hong Kong administrative producer for films made by China Star Entertainment Group. Chen has been named one of The Hollywood Reporter's international Women in Entertainment. Women in Entertainment is an annual list of 100 women power players in Hollywood as well as...
, serving as Vice Chairman and administrative producer. It is a huge distributor
Distributor
A distributor is a device in the ignition system of an internal combustion engine that routes high voltage from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct firing order. The first reliable battery operated ignition was developed by Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. and introduced in the...
and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
of films made mostly in Cantonese dialect.
China Star Entertainment and its subsidiaries are principally engaged in the production
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
and distribution
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
of films and television drama series that are in Chinese dialect
Spoken Chinese
Chinese comprises many regional language varieties sometimes grouped together as the Chinese dialects, the primary ones being Mandarin, Wu, Cantonese, and Min. These are not mutually intelligible, and even many of the regional varieties are themselves composed of a number of...
, many of which have won various awards. The company has also engaged in the provision of artists management services and post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
services.
In the past few years, China Star has successfully re-organized itself as a well-established entertainment, multimedia, production and distribution enterprise
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
. In the course of this development, China Star strives hard to establish an excellent reputation as a powerful film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and international film distributor
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
.
Films
China Star's film catalogue spans over ten years, and it has produced various films, of which most of them earned critical acclaim and scored a resounding success at the box office. Some films include CannesCannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
competition flick Election
Election (2005 film)
Election |society of Triads]]), is a 2005 Hong Kong crime film directed by Johnnie To. Featuring a large ensemble cast, the film stars Simon Yam and Tony Leung Ka-Fai as two gang leaders engaged in a power struggle to become the new leader of the Hong Kong Triad society.The film premiered as an...
and its sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Election 2
Election 2
Election 2 |Black Society]]: Value Peace Most), also known as Triad Election in the United States, is a 2006 Hong Kong crime film directed by Johnnie To with a large ensemble cast that includes Louis Koo, Simon Yam and Nick Cheung...
(aka Triad Election
Election 2
Election 2 |Black Society]]: Value Peace Most), also known as Triad Election in the United States, is a 2006 Hong Kong crime film directed by Johnnie To with a large ensemble cast that includes Louis Koo, Simon Yam and Nick Cheung...
), fantasy actioner Black Mask
Black Mask (film)
Black Mask is a 1996 Hong Kong action film starring Jet Li, Lau Ching-Wan, Karen Mok and Anthony Wong Chau-Sang. It was directed by Daniel Lee and produced by Tsui Hark and his production company Film Workshop....
, the chiller My Left Eye Sees Ghosts
My Left Eye Sees Ghosts
My Left Eye Sees Ghosts is a 2002 Hong Kong film produced and directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai, and starring Sammi Cheng, Lau Ching-Wan, Lee San-San, and Cherrie Ying...
and Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
special Fat Choi Spirit
Fat Choi Spirit
Fat Choi Spirit is a 2002 Hong Kong comedy film produced and directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai, and starring Andy Lau, Gigi Leung, Louis Koo, Cherrie In and Lau Ching-Wan....
. These and other movie titles, a majority of which were produced during the past ten years, feature some of Hong Kong's most cinematic icons, including Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
, Sammi Cheng
Sammi Cheng
Sammi Cheng Sau-Man is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress. Having enjoyed much success in the Hong Kong music industry, Sammi has been known as a diva and has been one of the most successful female singer in Hong Kong since the 1990s. Her albums have sold more than 25 million copies through...
, Gigi Leung
Gigi Leung
Gigi Leung Wing-kei is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress.-Biography:Given the name Leung Bik-Zi at birth, at the age of 7 her mother changed her name changed to 'Wing-Kei' for superstitious reasons; as a child, Leung suffered from frequent asthma attacks and it was believed a change of name...
, Lau Ching-Wan
Lau Ching-Wan
Sean Lau Ching-Wan is a Hong Kong Film Award–winning and Golden Bauhinia Award–winning film and former television actor based in Hong Kong.Lau was born in Hong Kong in 1964. He joined the TVB acting classes in 1983 and made his first appearance on TV the following year with TV drama Draw Out the...
, Louis Koo
Louis Koo
Louis Koo is a Hong Kong actor. He was once a notable local television series actor, winning TVB's Best Actor award in 1999 for Detective Investigation Files IV. In recent years, he has focused on film...
, Cherrie Ying
Cherrie Ying
Ting Man , better known as Cherrie Ying or Ying Choi-yi, is a Hong Kong actress. She moved to New York City at a young age, and later moved to Hong Kong...
, Simon Yam
Simon Yam
Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
, Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
, and Cecilia Cheung
Cecilia Cheung
Cecilia Cheung Pak-Chi is a Hong Kong actress and cantopop singer. She is the ex-wife of Nicholas Tse, thus being the daughter-in-law of Patrick Tse and Deborah Lee. She and Nicholas have two sons, Lucas and Quintus Tse...
.
China Star Entertainment Group has proven to be a recognized film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
in Hong Kong. In 2001, the four most popular and successful films produced by China Star, namely Wu yen
Wu yen
Wu yen is a 2001 historical Hong Kong comedy film produced and directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai.-Cast and roles:* Anita Mui - Emperor Qi/Great Great Great Great Great Ancestor* Sammi Cheng - Wu Yen* Cecilia Cheung - Enchantress/Yinchun* Ai Wai...
, Love on a Diet
Love on a Diet
Love on a Diet is a 2001 Hong Kong romantic comedy film produced and directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai, starring Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng.The movie reunites Lau and Cheng, who last paired up in 2000's Needing You......
, La Brassiere
La Brassiere
La Brassiere is a 2001 Hong Kong comedy film starring Lau Ching-Wan, Louis Koo, Carina Lau and Gigi Leung. The film was followed by a sequel, titled Mighty Baby, which was released in 2002.-Plot:...
and Master Q 2001, achieved a total box office receipt of approximately HK$107, million, representing 38% of total box office receipts for the top ten Chinese films in Hong Kong. In 2002, My Left Eye Sees Ghosts, The Lion Roars, Mighty Baby
Mighty Baby (film)
Mighty Baby is a 2002 Hong Kong film directed by Chan Hing-Ka and Patrick Leung. It is a sequel to the 2001 La Brassiere.-Cast and roles:* Lau Ching-Wan - Johnny Hung* Louis Koo - Wayne Koo* Rosamund Kwan - Sabrina* Gigi Leung - Lena Li...
and Fat Choi Spirit achieved a total box office receipt of approximately HK$73 million, making them four of the most successful local Chinese films of that year. In 2004, Fantasia, a Chinese New Year comedy film, was recorded as the second highest box-office take of all local films in 2004.
In 2005, the film industry experienced a very hard time in the midst of the economic downturn and an influx of pirated films in VCD
VCD
VCD is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:* VCD Athletic, semi-professional football team* Video CD* Voice command device* Value change dump * Vocal cord dysfunction* Visual Communication and Design...
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
format. The total number of Chinese dialect films substantially decreased. China Star produced a total of 11 films, accounting for 18% of the 61 Hong Kong films produced in the year. Many of China Star's film have been successful on an internation scale. Johnnie To
Johnnie To
Johnnie To Kei-Fung, born 22 April 1955, is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas...
and Wai Ka-Fai
Wai Ka-Fai
Wai Ka-Fai is a Hong Kong writer, filmmaker, producer and former TV director and producer.Wai is best known for his frequent collaborations with Johnnie To, another former TV turned film director and producer. In 1996, they formed Milkyway Image, which is now one of the most successful independent...
's Milkyway Image films, such Election, Election 2 and Mad Detective
Mad Detective
Mad Detective is a 2007 Hong Kong psychological crime thriller film produced and directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai. The film centers on a schizophrenic, former police inspector , who decides to come out of retirement to help a rookie cop solve a complex murder case, involving a missing...
enjoyed Hong Kong box office successes and were sold to a slew of foreign territories (including United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
). In more recent years, China Star has gone on to produce a limited amount of films each year, most notably Category III films
Hong Kong motion picture rating system
The Hong Kong motion picture rating system is a legal system of movie screening and rating. An official government agency issues ratings for any movie that will be shown in Hong Kong movie theatres.-History:...
, which include Hong Kong Bronx
Hong Kong Bronx
Hong Kong Bronx is a low-budget 2008 Hong Kong action film directed by Billy Chung, and starring Jordan Chan. The film was produced by Wong Jing, whose father, Wong Tin-Lam, appears in a supporting role....
, Fatal Move
Fatal Move
Fatal Move is a 2008 Hong Kong action crime film written, produced and directed by Dennis Law. The film features a large ensemble cast which includes Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Wu Jing, who reunite after 2005's SPL: Sha Po Lang...
and A Very Short Life
A Very Short Life
A Very Short Life is a 2009 Hong Kong drama film written, produced and directed by Dennis Law. It is Law's fifth feature film as a writer and director. Centered on child abuse and child molestation, the film stars Maggie Shiu as a Hong Kong police commissioner who investigates the murder of an...
.
Subsidiaries
Subsidiaries of China Star Entertainment Group include production companies such as One Hundred Years of Film.See also
- List of films: China Star Entertainment Group films