2020 has been a challenging year for the movie industry. In addition to the closure of cinemas around the world, studios have also pushed back or postponed new releases indefinitely.
While many Chinese New Year films were met with unfavourable circumstances this year, film studios in China are hoping the situation in 2021 will be better. With that being said, here are the tentative CNY movies slated to debut early next year.
1. “Detective Chinatown 3” (唐人街探案 3)
- Director: Sicheng Chen
- Movie cast: Wang Baoqiang, Haoran Liu, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Tony Jaa, Masami Nagasawa, Zhang Zifeng, Xiao Yang, Shang Yuxian
“A major crime occurs in Tokyo when detectives Tang Ren and Qin Feng are invited to investigate the crime by Noda Hiroshi. A battle between the strongest detectives in Asia is about to break out with bursts of laughter.”
2. “The Rescue” (紧急救援)
- Director: Dante Lam, Chi-Hung Choi
- Movie cast: Eddie Peng, Wang Yanlin, Xin Zhilei, Lan Yingying, Wang Yutian, Xu Yang
“A rescue unit within the Chinese Coast Guard are forced to overcome their personal differences to resolve a crisis.”
3. “Boonie Bears: The Wild Life” (熊出没·狂野大陆)
- Director: Leon Ding
- Movie cast: Chris Boike, Nikki Stinson, Xiao Tan
“A thrilling new place opens on Pine Tree Mountain, ‘Wild Life’, that offers an unforgettable experience. By wearing a gene-technology bracelet, guests can turn into a variety of animals! With his tourism business suffering, Vick discovers that ‘Wild Life’ is hosting a competition with a massive grand prize and decides to enter.
He teams up with Bramble and a mysterious man named Leon and they astonishingly win the tournament. But before the award ceremony, Leon is caught trying to secretly copy the data of the park. Soon afterward, Vick discovers that hybrid guests are going feral and attacking others… Is Tom the ultimate villain? Who is the mysterious Leon? Can this team win the fight and turn everything back to normal?”
4. “The Yin Yang Master” (侍神令)
- Director: Li Weiran
- Movie cast: Chen Kun (陈坤), Zhou Xun (周迅), William Chan (陈伟霆), Qu Chuxiao (屈楚萧)
“The film follows a Qing Ming – an Onmyoji (magic specialist) – capable of traversing between the worlds of humans and monsters who finds himself forced to do battle with a Demon Emperor.”
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5. “Hi Mom” (你好李焕英)
- Director: Jia Ling (贾玲)
- Movie cast: Jia Ling, Shen Teng, Michael Chen
“Hi Mom” is based on the famous 2016 skit that Jia Ling was involved in previously. The story centers on college student Jia Xiao Ling who has a hard time getting over her mother’s death. In her grief, she somehow manages to travel back in time to meet her mother in 1981 and form a friendship together.”
6. “New Gods: Nezha Reborn” (新神榜：哪吒重生)
- Director: NA
- Movie cast: NA
“New Gods: Nezha Reborn revolves around the boy-god Nezha, who returns as an ordinary man to find his path toward becoming a true hero, some 3,000 years after he conquers the Dragon King and then disappears in mythological times.”
7. “Agent Backkom: Kings Bear” (贝肯熊2：金牌特工)
- Director: Zhang Yang
- Movie cast: NA
“This Chinese animated adventure comedy film is a follow-up to 2017’s “Backkom Bear: Agent 008″. Backkom Bear has set his goal to win the special agent’s honour with a super microchip, but loses it during a mission. Under the encouragement of some new friends, he soon realises the true spirit of an agent.”
8. “Endgame” (人潮汹涌)
- Director: Rao Xiaozhi
- Movie cast: Andy Lau, Xiao Yang, Wan Qian
Andy Lau returns to the big screen in the dark, action-comedy, “Endgame”. Here, he plays Zhou Quan, a world-class hitman who swaps identities with a down-to-luck extra actor, Chen Xiaomeng, during an accident.
9. “Assassin In Red” (刺杀小说家)
- Director: Lu Yang
- Movie cast: Lei Jia Yin, Yang Mi, Dong Zi Jian, Yu He Weu, Guo Jing Fei, Tong Li Ya, Esther Yu
“Desperate to find his missing daughter, a father agrees to help a mysterious woman assassinate a novelist. At the same time, the young hero in the book’s alternate universe has also put his revenge plan into motion, and his actions begin to affect the real world.”
So which of these Lunar New Year films are you most excited to check out?
