China banned in mid-2016 South Korean Hallyus and celebrities because of Seoul’s deployment of the THAAD missiles. However, Chinese love for South Korean material is still evident.
One proof of this is the showing on Friday, Nov. 4, of “Hide and Seek,” a Chinese remake of a South Korean horror movie in cinemas in China. The original Korean film, shown in 2010, was loosely adapted from real-life events, according to China Entertainment News.
The movie is about a mental-disordered woman who plans to kill a middle-class family so she could move into their luxury apartment. In the Chinese remake, Wallace Huo Chien-hwa, a popular actor in China, plays the role of the father of the victim family.
Wallace shared that his character has complex personality in which he is a victim on one side and has his own sin on the other side. He also has mysophobia and obsession which is why the actor considers the role a challenging one.
Other stars of “Hide and Seek” are actress Qin Hailu and new actress Chun Xia, winner of the Best Actress trophy in the Hong Kong Film Awards. The movie is directed by Liu Jie, a nominator in the Golden Bear category of the Berlin International Film Festival. Liu said that in his 24-year career as a filmmaker, “Hide and Seek” is his first commercial-genre movie.
The “Hide and Seek” Chinese movie is the latest addition to Village Roadshow Pictures Asia slate. It is the local production arm of the Village Roadshow group, an Australian entertainment multinational, according to Variety.
The original “Hide and Seek” earned $35.6 million in South Korea. The “Hide and Seek” Chinese movie is produced by Ellen Eliasoph of Village Roadshow Pictures Asia, Gigi Qi of New Clues and Lizhi Chen of Spire Media.