Sunstar Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Hollywood Reporter Quote Orlando Bloom Partners with China's Bliss Media on New Production Venture The company will co-produce the Shanghai-set action-thriller 'Smart Chase: Fire & Earth', in which Bloom is set to star. Orlando Bloom has partnered with China's Bliss Media on a new production venture. The newly formed entity, called BlissBloom Productions, will be jointly run by the actor and Bliss Media CEO Wei Han. Their first project will be the $30 million Shanghai-set action thriller, Smart Chase: Fire & Earth, starring Bloom and directed by French filmmaker Julien Seri (Night Fare). Bloom has a huge following in China, where he is affectionately known as the "elf prince" (jingling wangzi), stemming from his Lord of the Rings role. The announcement was made Friday at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Smart Chase follows a down-and-out private security agent who gets ambushed while attempting to escort a valuable Chinese antique out of Shanghai. Shanghai-based Bliss Media has become an increasingly active player in projects traversing Chinese and international markets. The company, which has an office in Los Angeles, launched the $150 million Bliss-CODI Film & TV Investment Fund at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The fund is targeting international film and television equity investment, taking the Chinese distribution rights to the projects it backs. Bliss Media previously launched the Yoozoo Bliss Film Fund, a $100 million equity fund designed to finance 10 international productions and Chinese co-productions over five years. Creative Artists Agency (CAA) advised on the formation of both funds and represents the companies. So far, aside from Smart Chase, Bliss has invested in Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge, starring Andrew Garfield; Pablo Larrain’s Jackie, starring Natalie Portman; and is co-financing Michael Mann’s Ferrari. More to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welshwoman Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Most interesting -- thanks for sending this news our way, Rene. I had no idea Orlando had such a large following in China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 I have been thinking about Orlando a lot these last few days, wondering what he has been up to lately, so I went on Google yesterday and that was when I learned about "Smart Chase, Fire & Earth". I am glad to see he has a new project lined up, I just wish it was a movie that I know I will be seeing. I still haven't seen "Zulu" and what in the world has happened with "Unlocked" and "Romans"? I haven't heard anything about those movies since he finished filming. Thank you very much Rene. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted June 17, 2016 Author Share Posted June 17, 2016 Orlando was on a local talk show in Shanghai on June 16, 2016. Here are a few pics - there are more in the Gallerie. He also attended a press conference to promote his new film S.M.A.R.T Chase during the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival in Shanghai on June 17, 2016. There are more pics in the Gallerie. - News.cn, Weibo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welshwoman Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 These are terrific. He looks marvelous! Thanks for bringing them our way, Rene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Wow! Orlando looks absolutely gorgeous and so happy, just the way I like to see him. Oh yes, I definitely needed to see him. Thank you so much Rene for posting all these latest beauties. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyn S. Posted June 19, 2016 Share Posted June 19, 2016 Thanks for the news Rene. It looks like it could be an interesting movie for Orlando. Hopefully it will come to the States and get a wide release. I 'm not sure how well Chinese based movies do at the box office in the US though. I guess we'll have to wait and see. And thanks for posting the lovely pictures Rene. I really like the last one. I know Bliss is the name of the company, but seeing smiling happy Orlando is Bliss for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted June 22, 2016 Author Share Posted June 22, 2016 Here's the Bliss Media Press Conference video (Orlando is given a microphone at around 12:45). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 Thank you very much Rene for posting the video! Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welshwoman Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 Thanks, Rene. Most enjoyable. That was quite the array of gifts Orlando received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted October 5, 2016 Author Share Posted October 5, 2016 'Smart Chase' is at the Center of a Hollywood-China Legal Dispute - Hollywood Reporter article here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welshwoman Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 Sorry to learn of the controversy. Thanks, Rene, for providing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted November 3, 2016 Author Share Posted November 3, 2016 ScreenDaily Quote AFM: IMR revs up Orlando Bloom-starrer 'S.M.A.R.T. Chase' EXCLUSIVE: UK director Charles Martin directs Shanghai set action-adventure. IMR International — the LA-based joint sales venture of Insiders’ Vincent Maraval and MadRivers Pictures’ Marc Butan and Kim Fox - is launching sales at the AFM on Shanghai-set action-adventure S.M.A.R.T. Chase: Fire and Earth starring Orlando Bloom. Bloom plays a private security agent who is hired to escort a valuable Chinese antique out of Shanghai but is ambushed before accomplishing the mission, endangering the woman he loves and putting his reputation on the line. Against the odds, he needs to outsmart the mastermind of the theft and evade the Shanghai police at the same time. UK director Charles Martin directed the production which recently wrapped in Shanghai. Other cast members include Hong Kong star Simon Yam, popular model-actress Hannah Quinlivan (Gentle Bullet), actress Lynn Hung, teenage heart-throb Lei Wu (The Wonder) and martial arts artist Yanneng Shi. “S.M.A.R.T. Chase will be the most original and innovative roller-coaster of 2017,” commented Maraval. “It will bring the international audience through an unknown traditional and super modern Shanghai at full speed.” The production is fully financed by Bliss Media, with its CEO Wei Han producing alongside Ben Pugh at London-based management and production company 42. Bliss Media will oversee the Chinese distribution while CAA packaged and represents the film’s US domestic rights. IMR International was launched last Cannes by MadRiver Pictures and Insiders, an off-shoot of Paris-based Wild Bunch launched by Maraval in 2015 to focus on US independent pictures in the $15m range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welshwoman Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 Thanks for posting, Rene. I remain hopeful that we'll get to see this one here in the States. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted November 12, 2016 Author Share Posted November 12, 2016 Latest news about the legal dispute from The Hollywood Reporter - Bliss Media Fires Back at Lawsuit Over Orlando Bloom's 'Smart Chase' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welshwoman Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 Thanks for the link. I hope things get resolved at the November 30th hearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 I got my hopes up about seeing Smart Chase when I saw it was going to be distributed in the U.S. but then I read about the lawsuit and my hopes came crashing down again. Hopefully they will be able to straighten this out and still be able to release the film. I feel bad for Orlando, after all the hard work he put into this movie and then this has happen. Thank you Rene for the updates. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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