Peter Chan Starts Chinese Kidnap Drama ‘Children’

[reaper]

American Dreams" director sticks to contemporary drama register

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief

HONG KONG – Director Peter Chan Ho-sun will reteam with Tong Dawei and Zhang Ji, his star and screenwriter from hit “American Dreams In China,” for a new dramatic film about parents who have been separated from their children.

The film has an impressive cast of younger generation stars including Zhao Wei (“Red Cliff”,) Huang Bo “(Lost In Thailand”,) Hao Lei (“Summer Palace”,) and Zhang Yi “(Beijing Love Story”).

It has no official English title yet, though its Chinese title (親愛的小孩) translates as “Dear Children.” Production starts from this week (April 4).

Chan’s “American Dreams” was an aspirational story about language teaching, self- improvement and the limits of friendship that was typical of a wave of low-budget, audience-friendly Chinese features that became break-out hits last year.

After a couple of bigger budget misfires and the $95 million Chinese gross of “American Dreams,” Chan (pictured) promised to return to making simpler, more relevant films for Chinese audiences. “Children,” which has a budget of US$12 million, is based on a true child kidnapping story that is known to millions of Chinese people.

The film is produced by Chan and Jojo Hui Yuet-chun, with Sun Li (“Wu Xia”) as production designer, Dora Ng (“Bodyguards And Assassins”) as costume designer and Shu Chou (“Piano In A Factory”) as cinematographer.

The film is structured as a China-Hong Kong co-production between Chan’s We Pictures, China Vision Media Group, Stellar Mega Films, Enlight Media and Happy Pictures Culture Communication. International sales are by We Distribution.