Chinese streaming site unveils its 'Action Master' Season, showcases first lineup of films

Promotional material for Eye for Eye 2 Photo: Courtesy of Douban

“Action films can be regarded as the name card of China, especially classic ones that have attracted global audiences to cinemas,” said Song Jia, vice president of China’s streaming giant iQiyi, at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday for the site’s “Action Master” Season.

The site launched its “Action Master” Season earlier, featuring a lineup of four action films:Blocking the Horse,Eye for an Eye 2,Hunt the Wicked, andThe Wild Blade of Strangers. This diverse selection covers a diverse mix of martial arts, modern thrillers, and crime dramas.

Blocking the Horseexclusively premiered on January 25 on iQiyi Cloud Cinema, making it the first film to kick off the season.Eye for an Eye 2is a sequel crafted by the original team behind the highly acclaimed first installment, which gained significant praise for its incredible fight choreography and achieved remarkable success on iQiyi Cloud Cinema in 2022.Hunt the Wicked, an action crime film directed by Huo Suiqiang, the filmmaker behind the recent box-office hitsBlind WarandThe Comeback, promises to deliver an adrenaline-pumping showdown between good and evil.The Wild Blade of Strangersvividly portrays the story of a reclusive charcoal seller who emerges as a savior for oppressed civilians, embodying the spirit of a noble warrior.

“Since Chinese action films, especially classic kung fu films, have always been loved by overseas audiences, we should keep making classics ones to maintain the global appeal of Chinese action movies,” Chinese action star Wu Yue told the Global Times

At the same time, in terms of content creation, we should also continue to improve the quality of scripts, explore creative ideas, and explore new characters to enhance overseas appeal, added Wu.

Wu also pointed out that strengthening cooperation with international film producers such as Hollywood is also an important part of strengthening the influence of Chinese action movies.

As an important category for iQiyi Cloud Cinema, action films such asBlind War,Eye for an Eye,Fight against Evil 2, andThe Comebackhave received significant acclaim and achieved commercial success. Notably,The Comebackgrossed over 47 million yuan ($6.62 million), whileFight against Evil 2approached 36 million yuan, securing their positions as the top two highest-grossing online films in 2023.