After several not-so-successful years of co-productions between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong films are planning a comeback this year, Mtime.com reports.
The mainland film market with its huge audience base and a large pool of capital has always been enticing for Hong Kong filmmakers. But to get financial backing from the mainland, Hong Kong moviemakers have had to make some compromises about investors and related mainland rules.
In the past, some mainland-Hong Kong co-productions did not interest audiences in either place and flopped at the box office. In response, Hong Kong filmmakers have acknowledged the problem and started shooting some projects true to Hong Kong's local essence.
In 2012, mainland audiences will have more opportunities to see movies set entirely in Hong Kong. "Night Fall," a gangster film starring award-winning actors Nick Cheung and Simon Yam, is currently in the post-production stage. Director Wong Kar-Wai's "The Grandmasters" is another highly anticipated film that boasts a star-studded cast. It may hit mainland cinemas this year, depending on Wong's pace as he is known for moving slowly when it comes to directing films.
Hong Kong films saw their heyday during the 1980s and early 1990s when a series of classic films and leading actors emerged. Their influence spread to Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea.
During the 1990s, Hong Kong's film industry experienced a drastic decline from which it did not recover until now.