What's New in China: Jan 10

By Andrew Chin, January 10, 2017

What's New is a recurring column that looks at the new films, music, books and DVD releases in and/or about Chinese mainland

Film: Passengers

Passengers

Mega-stars Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games) team up in this space drama about two people that wake up earlier than expected from their space pods. Opens nationwide on January 13.

Film: Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings

Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, George Takai and Matthew McConaughey lend their voices to the critically lauded 3D stop-motion fantasy action-adventure film. The film follows the magical Kubo whose left eye was stolen and must fight off an army of evil spirits. Opens nationwide on January 13.

Music: Chill Terrific & Wootacc - illtacc

&lt;a href=&quot;http://groovebunnyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/illtacc&quot; _href=&quot;http://groovebunnyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/illtacc&quot;&gt;illtacc by Chill Terrific &amp;amp; Wootacc&lt;/a&gt;

After a relative quiet 2016, hip hop indie label Groove Bunny has gifted us with this full-length collaborative disc from V.N.P. Crew member Chill Terrific and Yanbian rhymer Wootacc. It’s a mix of Cantonese boom bap and Mandarin flows with synth-pop beats cooked up from PeteChen (plus one contribution from Shanghai based Damacha). Available from January 11 on Groove Bunny’s Bandcamp.

Music: Jason Hou - Sheng

<a href="http://dohits.bandcamp.com/album/sheng" _href="http://dohits.bandcamp.com/album/sheng">生 (Sheng) by Jason Hou</a>

Beijing electronic collective Do Hits continues their torrid pace with the latest disc from the Beijing based producer. Throughout Sheng, Hou pays tribute to his hometown whether it’s sampling sounds recorded from the city’s oldest temple or reconstructing Beijing melodic metal band Frosty Eve. Available at Do Hits' Bandcamp.

Stream: Westworld

Westworld

Thanks to their deal with HBO, QQ has scored the exclusive streaming rights to the network’s latest hit. Jonathan Nolan (Inception) adapts Michael Crichton’s hit 70s movie about an American Western themed amusement park filled with robots that are beginning to awaken and become aware of the abuse they’ve been programmed to take from the human visitors. The star-studded TV adaptation features Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, James Marsden, Jeffrey Wright and Luke Hemsworth. Streamable at QQ Video with full season accessible for premium subscribers.

For past What's New columns, click here.

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