Stage meets screen

Go Away Mr Tumor. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Since 2014, about 10 Chinese films have been adapted from stage plays, but only two films－the college comedy Goodbye Mr Loser (2015) and the satirical Mr Donkey (2016)－won both commercial success and critical acclaim. Both original plays have received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics since 2012.

"A film adapted from a poor play will not succeed, even if it has an A-list cast," Wang explains. "On the other hand, some brilliant plays are not suitable for the big screen, because they may have literary or artistic aspects that viewers, especially from smaller cities, cannot relate to."

In 2015, Wang also adapted two popular youth-genre films－Go Away Mr Tumor and Forever Young－into stage plays shortly after they were released in cinemas.

His company now wants to prove that the transition from stage to cinema or vice versa can be shorter, Wang says.

Another major upcoming plan of Wonpennon Media is the Sino-US production Hollywood Casino.

The comedy, based on Chinese students' actual experiences in Los Angeles, will have both a play and an online sitcom version. About 30 percent of the sitcom will be shot in Los Angeles. Four Chinese students and two American students who can speak Mandarin will play the main roles.