China Film Co. will remake several classic films that portray stories from China's revolutionary era.
The company announced its plans and projects on Thursday in Beijing at an annual strategic cooperation press conference. The communist classics to be remade include "Shajiabang" and "Depot 51."
Like "The Taking of Tiger Mountain," "Shajiabang" was another nationally popular modern opera that was adapted into a revolution film. It was announced that its new version will have an all-star cast. "Depot 51" will be a spy thriller. Both films will tell stories about communist heroes who fought Japanese invaders in the 1940s.
Tsui Hark's "The Taking of Tiger Mountain” showed the company how to commercially repackage revolutionary era films with fresh adaptations and a new cast.
Jackie Chan's latest "Railroad Tigers," directed by Ding Sheng, also fit the formula and genre. It was adapted from China's War of Resistance Against Japan classic "Railway Guerrilla" and will hit Chinese screens on Dec. 23.
China Film Co. also announced "San Xiao," a comedy musical adapted from another old classic, as well as new fantasy film "Shan Hai Jing Code," which will be directed by Hong Kong director Gordon Chan.
China Film Co. will have another significant revolutionary film out next year, "The Founding of an Army," to pay tribute to China's People's Liberation Army (PLA). It follows "The Founding of a Republic" from 2009 and "The Founding of the Party" (also known as "Beginning of The Great Revival") as the last installment of the "Founding of New China" trilogy.
Source: china.org by zhang rui