Village Roadshow creates shingle in China

BEIJING -- Village Roadshow may be the latest worldwide shingle to go in the flourishing China market using the launch of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia, a platform for Chinese film production and distribution. The business's slate is headed by romantic comedy "My Lucky Star," which is created by and star Chinese thesp Zhang Ziyi. VREG Asia and Dadi Media will collectively finance and co-produce the image, which is helmed by Dennie Gordon. The slate includes Stephen Chow's "Journey towards the West," a version from the "Monkey King" story. Chow will helm, produce and write "Journey," while Bingo Group, VREG Asia and Edko Films are collectively financing and co-creating. VREG Asia's topper is going to be former Warner Bros. China professional Ellen Eliasoph, that has 25 years' experience in the area, with Ming "Beaver" Kwei as executive veep of development and production, and Lizhi Chen as veep of selling and distribution. "Getting labored with China's filmmakers and film companies for several years inside a joint effort to build up the film market, I'm gratified to witness China's growing emergence like a major player within the global film industry, and delighted to take part in it," stated Eliasoph, who handled Warner Bros.' participation in "Turn Left, Turn Right," "The Colored Veil" and "Crazy Stone." "VREG Asia will propel this trend forward by working carefully with China's filmmakers, helping them tell their tales, and dealing to create their films for an ever-widening audience all over the world.Inch VREG Asia has additionally created proper overseas alliances using the leading Australian visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic, Cimarron Group, an entertainment marketing group with offices in Beijing and La, and also the researching the market and marketing information company Screen Engine. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com