Earlier this year it was revealed that Hong Kong movie studio Golden Harvest, once an industry leader that gradually scaled down operations and closed its production wing in 2003, was on the comeback trail with new owners and aggressive plans to resuscitate its moviemaking arm and expand its distribution and theater operations in China.

In a more recent announcement executives revealed that within three years, the company expects to go from operating 12 to 600 theaters in China and go from producing zero movies per year to five. This would include at least one big-budget title per year.

The studio has already invested in upcoming fantasy actioner THE STORM WARRIORS and is planning a new movie with CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON producer Bill Kong that will revolve around female warriors in ancient China.

Studio founder Raymond Chow sold controlling stake in the company to Chinese businessman Wu Kebo back in 2007. Wu owns China-based Orange Sky Entertainment Group. Earlier this year Golden Harvest merged with Orange Sky’s production unit and was renamed Orange Sky Golden Harvest.

Why this news matters to martial arts and action film enthusiasts is that since the 1970s when it was founded by former Shaw Brothers executives, Golden Harvest emerged not only as the territory’s top film studio but as a leading producer of many of Hong Kong’s finest martial arts and action films. It has been home to genre heavyweights Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and John Woo and movies like FIST OF FURY, POLICE STORY and ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA. Golden Harvest also successfully invested in a number of Hollywood action films including ENTER THE DRAGON, the live-action TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES films, and even Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterpiece BLADE RUNNER.

Under Chow’s management, the studio thrived where former rival Shaw Brothers floundered by allowing successful filmmakers like Jackie Chan and John Woo to have more creative freedom to do what they do best. Hopefully, the new management will be just as savvy. Regardless, this news, along with news of the recent revival of Shaw Brothers, means that Hong Kong cinema’s legacy will not only survive its once uncertain merger with the fast-growing mainland Chinese film market but likely prosper as it evolves and adapts.

If all of this leads to production of new martial arts and action films that live up to Golden Harvest’s former standards, we’re in for good times ahead.

Source: Associated Press via KMPH Fox 26

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