You’re Superman: At one point in Kevin’s (Huang Yuan) training, Ellie (Megan Lai) advises him to convince himself that he is made of steel. (Photo : 10,000 Miles Movie/Facebook)
Bryce Tsao, iQiyi’s director of international sales, announced on Oct. 10 during the Asian Film Market in Busan, South Korea, that the Beijing-based online video service firm sold the international rights to “10,000 Miles” to five Asian countries, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Film distributors from Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Macau signed an agreement with iQiyi to release Simon Hung’s 2016 romantic drama.
A movie about a teenager eyeing a spot on the high school track team and who eventually falls in love to an older student who serves like a personal trainer to him, it stars actress-singer Megan Lai, Huang Yuan aka Sean Huang and actor-model Darren Wang.
Singer-actor-director Jay Chou added another role to his hyphenated career: executive producer for “10,000 Miles.”
Chou asked his fellow Taiwanese, the 35-year-old U.S.-based Hung (“Battle for Skyark,” 2016), to direct, according to an online news article by the Taipei Film Commission. Hung likewise co-wrote the movie.
Seong Si-heup’s rom-com, “Unexpected Love” also piqued the interests of buyers.
This Chinese-South Korean co-productions tells the story about a dancer (played by Krystal Jung) and a singer (Zhang Yixing aka Lay) who finds love as they pursue a career in dancing.
Headquartered in Beijing, iQiyi includes on its list of content suppliers, among others, three giants in the movie world: 21st Century Fox, Lionsgate and Paramount Pictures, according to Variety.
Tsao said that the number of iQiyi’s paying subscribers now exceeds 20 million.
Shanghai-based research firm 86 Research valued the video-streaming service company at $5.8 billion, reported South China Morning Post in July.
Started in 2006, this year’s Asian Film Market--“a total film market covering all stages of film industry from pre-production to film sales with industry experts,” according to its website--ran from Oct. 8-11.
The event happened simultaneously with the 21st Busan International Film Festival, running from Oct. 6-15.
