His movies about heartlanders are box-office hits here.
Now, homegrown film-maker Jack Neo is shooting for a piece of the
China market.
His Neo Studios company will work with the Shanghai Film Group
Corporation, Xi'an's Western Movie Group and Hong Kong's Big Media
Group to co-produce movies over the next three years.
These agreements are part of the 17 Memoranda of Understanding that
will be signed during the ongoing Singapore Season, signalling
collaborations between Singapore and China in media, business and
education.
The Season is a month-long showcase of Singapore culture in Beijing
and Shanghai organised by 14 Singapore government agencies.
First in the pipeline for Neo is directing a China version of I Not
Stupid. It is expected to begin shooting in April next year with a
cast from China.
This is a co-production with Western Movie Group, which produced
the landmark 1987 Zhang Yimou film Red Sorghum.
I Not Stupid (2002), which made more than $2.6 million in
Singapore, took a hard look at the pressure to shine academically
here.
Speaking to The Sunday Times at the China-Singapore Media Business
Forum at Raffles Beijing Hotel on Saturday, Neo, 47, said that the
players in the China film industry had taken note of his success in
Singapore.
Said Neo: "I started from telling very simple stories about
Singapore and now I hope that audiences in China and Asia will also
like my movies."