Popular Chinese TV series to have big movie version

Hit television series "The Knockout" is expected to have a big movie version following its huge popularity among audiences.

Through varied timelines, the series is centered on two decades of interaction between a gang boss and a police officer during China's national campaign to crack down on gang crime. It has also been released overseas in subtitles of multiple languages for viewers in Southeast Asia, North America and Europe.

According to Ya Ning, vice president of iQiyi, they are considering producing a film on the story and even develop it into a complete franchise.

"The popularity of the series on our platform has made us realize the big value and potential of the genre in China," he said. "Scriptwriting for the big movie has already started."

Stories from other successful Chinese series will also be transferred onto the silver screen in an effort to develop influential homegrown cultural IPs.

In addition to "The Knockout," popular Chinese suspense series "The Bad Kids," which impressed the world with awards at the 25th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, will also be remade into a Japanese film that is named "Gold Boy."

The film version will bring together a veteran production team, including Japanese director Shusuke Kaneko, who is also the director of popular Japanese film "Death Note," screenwriter Takehiko Minato, producer and the Golden Lion award winner Takio Yoshida, and lead actor Masaki Okada.

The special edition poster of the Japanese film was released at the Hong Kong International Film and Television Fair earlier this month. The Japanese film, with delicate touches on psychoanalysis, will discuss family problems in a pressured society.

"The Bad Kids" revolves around three youngsters who witness a murder. Ever since its release in 2020, the original series has become a massive hit, sparking widespread discussion and rave reviews and scoring coveted awards internationally.