Bona Film Group Company Limited (, formerly known as Beijing Polybona Film Distribution Co. Ltd. (保利博纳电影发行有限公司) ), also known as Polybona Films or the Bona Film Group, is a Chinese production company and distributor of films from mainland China and Hong Kong. It is run as a subsidiary of the China Poly Group, and is one of China's largest share-holding film distribution companies.
It was named "the Chinese Miramax" by Screen International in 2005, and its CEO, Yu Dong, was described as one of "the future's most influential filmmakers" by The Hollywood Reporter in November 2006.[1][2]
History
Founded in 1999, Polybona was the first domestic private firm to receive a film distribution license from the SARFT. In November 2003, it merged with the China Poly Group, a wealthy business conglomerate wing of the Chinese military, the People's Liberation Army, to form PolyBona Film Distribution.[3]
The company has distributed over 120 domestic and foreign films, including Confession of Pain, Protégé, The Myth, Initial D, and Dragon Tiger Gate, generating over RMB 1 billion (approximately US$130 million) in box office revenue, capturing over 20% of the overall market share for five years running.
It has also co-produced over 20 feature films, including The Warlords, Red Cliff, Flash Point, and After This Our Exile.
In 2007, Variety recognized the successful growth of Polybona Films, and wrote highly about its transforming from Miramax to Paramount.
In 2014, the company had a 10% share of the Chinese box office, earning CN¥3 billion from 12 films released.[4]
In 2014, the company was the fourth-largest film distributor in China, with 5.99% of the market.[5]
As of April 2015, the company was worth US$542 million.[6]
In Q1 of 2015, it had a gross profit of US$45 million, a revenue of US$117.6 million, and a box office gross of US$257 million.[7]
In November 2015, it was reported that Bona invested US$235 million in TSG Entertainment, resulting in a stake in six films distributed by 20th Century Fox, including The Martian (2015).[8]
In 2016, the company had a market share of 9%, with a gross of CN¥3.7 billion (US$532.2 million).[9]
Filmography
Released
External links
References
- Polybona Films - About Us^
- Jonathan Landreth. China's Bona Film Group Files IPO The Hollywood Reporter, 17 November 2010^
- Variety (Asia) Magazine^
- Xu Fan (China Daily). Internet Giants Move From Behind the Camera to Front english.entgroup.cn, EntGroup Inc, June 18, 2015, retrieved June 19, 2015^
- China Film Industry Report 2014-2015 (In Brief) english.entgroup.cn, EntGroup Inc, retrieved October 15, 2015^
- Patrick Frater. Chinese Media Stocks Stage Major Rally in U.S. and Asian Markets variety.com, April 9, 2015, retrieved April 14, 2015^
- Kevin Ma. Bona reports record results for 2015Q1 Film Business Asia, May 11, 2015, retrieved May 11, 2015^
- Patrick Frater. China's Bona Film Invests $235 Million in Fox Movie Slate Variety, November 4, 2015, retrieved November 7, 2015^
- Patrick Brzeski. Alibaba Pictures, Tencent Lead $360M Funding Round in China's Bona Film Group The Hollywood Reporter, December 20, 2016, retrieved December 21, 2016^
- Nancy Tartaglione and David Bloom. 'Transformers 4′ Tops 2014's 100 Highest-Grossing International Films – Chart Deadline Hollywood, January 10, 2015, retrieved May 11, 2015^
- THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN Box Office Mojo, retrieved May 11, 2015^
- Clifford Coonan. China's Bona Film Group Racks Up Record First-Quarter Earnings The Hollywood Reporter, May 7, 2015, retrieved May 11, 2015^
- Operation Mekong Box Office Mojo, retrieved February 6, 2017^
- Kevin Ma. Bona announces giant slate in Shanghai Film Business Asia, June 19, 2015, retrieved June 19, 2015^
- Bona Film Seeks Status as Chinese Major Ahead of IPO variety.com, 6 November 2016, retrieved 2017-03-04^
- Patrick Brzeski. China's Bona Film Group to Co-Finance Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' (Exclusive) The Hollywood Reporter, January 27, 2019, retrieved January 28, 2019^