Lay Zhang is opening up about his acting goals.
The 32-year-old No More Bets actor and Chinese rapper and singer-songwriter, who was an original member of the powerhouse K-pop boy band Exo, got candid in a new interview with Variety, out now.
During the discussion, he talked about his acting ambitions, dream collaborators, working with Jackie Chan, and more.
Keep reading to find out more…
On wanting to work with British director Joe Wright:
“I loved The Darkest Hour and would like to have the opportunity to work with [him]. I like a movie that can dig into the personality and conflict.”
On his acting ambitions stateside:
“I want to be an actor who can bridge between Chinese and American culture. I hope that the success of No More Bets in China is just the beginning of being able to be recognized as an actor in the U.S.”
On...
The 32-year-old No More Bets actor and Chinese rapper and singer-songwriter, who was an original member of the powerhouse K-pop boy band Exo, got candid in a new interview with Variety, out now.
During the discussion, he talked about his acting ambitions, dream collaborators, working with Jackie Chan, and more.
Keep reading to find out more…
On wanting to work with British director Joe Wright:
“I loved The Darkest Hour and would like to have the opportunity to work with [him]. I like a movie that can dig into the personality and conflict.”
On his acting ambitions stateside:
“I want to be an actor who can bridge between Chinese and American culture. I hope that the success of No More Bets in China is just the beginning of being able to be recognized as an actor in the U.S.”
On...
- 10/18/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Range Media Partners has signed Chinese actor, singer-songwriter, dancer and fashion icon Lay Zhang and will represent him globally across all areas.
The 31-year-old star, who operates under multiple pseudonyms including Lay and Little Sheep, rose to fame as a former member of K-Pop boyband Exo before launching a solo career, already is a household name in Asia, boasting more than 80 million followers across social media.
As an actor, he stars under his full name Zhang Yixing in the Chinese box office smash “No More Bets,” which has earned more than $527 million in China to date, becoming the country’s biggest hit of the summer. Zhang is now the youngest and fifth-ever Chinese actor to reach this box office milestone. “No More Bets” also received a limited release in the U.S. on Sept. 1.
Next year, he will be seen starring opposite Jackie Chan in the film “A Legend.
The 31-year-old star, who operates under multiple pseudonyms including Lay and Little Sheep, rose to fame as a former member of K-Pop boyband Exo before launching a solo career, already is a household name in Asia, boasting more than 80 million followers across social media.
As an actor, he stars under his full name Zhang Yixing in the Chinese box office smash “No More Bets,” which has earned more than $527 million in China to date, becoming the country’s biggest hit of the summer. Zhang is now the youngest and fifth-ever Chinese actor to reach this box office milestone. “No More Bets” also received a limited release in the U.S. on Sept. 1.
Next year, he will be seen starring opposite Jackie Chan in the film “A Legend.
- 9/19/2023
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
The gambling film is synonymous with the Hong Kong movie industry. From “Games Gamblers Play” through to the “From Vegas to Macau” series, they encapsulate the desire for financial gain that would filter through society. Whist the films may often be violent, in the main they showed a glamour to the lifestyle even if the consequences could be dire. “No More Bets” from the mainland then comes across as a riposte to this with the dangers of online gambling and the devastation it causes at the forefront of its thriller narrative. Yet it is so much more than just a simple damnation, as Western audiences will discover as it arrives on their shores this month.
No More Bets will be screening in UK and Ireland cinemas starting September 8, courtesy of Trinity Asia
Sheng (Lay Zhang) after being rejected for promotion, takes up another opportunity in Singapore. After arriving, he and...
No More Bets will be screening in UK and Ireland cinemas starting September 8, courtesy of Trinity Asia
Sheng (Lay Zhang) after being rejected for promotion, takes up another opportunity in Singapore. After arriving, he and...
- 9/7/2023
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
With its exposé of digital scammers, fraud farms and gangmasters, Ao Shen’s thriller is inventive and snappily directed. A shame, then, that it morphs into a public health warning
It is a shame that either Chinese authorities had a word, or producers decided to aim for brownie points by fitting No More Bets out as an anti-fraud public-messaging spot – because Ao Shen’s thriller is otherwise a snappily directed and intriguing entrée to the industry of online deception. Compared with the unrepentant and far more effective dramatic irony of The Wolf of Wall Street, a film this one often resembles, we get unnecessary scenes of government officials reading the riot act to digital scammers, and a patriotic after-credits montage of fraud and trafficking victims saying how much safer they feel back on Chinese soil.
An unnamed south-east Asian country is the promised land for cheesed-off programmer Pan (Yixing Zhang), who,...
It is a shame that either Chinese authorities had a word, or producers decided to aim for brownie points by fitting No More Bets out as an anti-fraud public-messaging spot – because Ao Shen’s thriller is otherwise a snappily directed and intriguing entrée to the industry of online deception. Compared with the unrepentant and far more effective dramatic irony of The Wolf of Wall Street, a film this one often resembles, we get unnecessary scenes of government officials reading the riot act to digital scammers, and a patriotic after-credits montage of fraud and trafficking victims saying how much safer they feel back on Chinese soil.
An unnamed south-east Asian country is the promised land for cheesed-off programmer Pan (Yixing Zhang), who,...
- 9/4/2023
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Local crime thriller No More Bets dominated China’s box office during the Aug. 11-13 weekend, bringing in a boffo $101.1 million haul. The film enjoyed generous preview screenings ahead of its opening Wednesday and has earned an eye-popping $247.5 million already.
Meg 2: The Trench, the giant shark action sequel co-produced by Warner Bros. and China’s Cmc Pictures, slipped to third place in its second weekend with $16.7 for the frame and $91 million overall. Chinese fantasy blockbuster Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms climbed back into second place, taking in $26.8 million for a hefty $283.4 million four-weekend total, according to data from Artisan Gateway.
Paramount Pictures’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, meanwhile, bombed with a three-day start of just under $1 million — despite the presence of Chinese action icon Jackie Chan in the starring voice cast. The flop continues a trend of Hollywood titles struggling to break through at China’s box office.
Meg 2: The Trench, the giant shark action sequel co-produced by Warner Bros. and China’s Cmc Pictures, slipped to third place in its second weekend with $16.7 for the frame and $91 million overall. Chinese fantasy blockbuster Creation of the Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms climbed back into second place, taking in $26.8 million for a hefty $283.4 million four-weekend total, according to data from Artisan Gateway.
Paramount Pictures’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, meanwhile, bombed with a three-day start of just under $1 million — despite the presence of Chinese action icon Jackie Chan in the starring voice cast. The flop continues a trend of Hollywood titles struggling to break through at China’s box office.
- 8/14/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The film the mark the tenth collaboration between Chan and director Stanley Tong.
Taiwan’s Distribution Workshop is to begin sales at Cannes on Jackie Chan fantasy adventure The Legend, which marks the action star’s tenth film with director Stanley Tong.
The $50m mainland China feature is a sequel to 2005’s The Myth, which was also directed by Tong, and stars Chan as an archaeologist who discovers a jade pendant that seems to connect the dream world with reality.
Produced by Bona Film Group, the feature also stars Yixing Zhang, Coulee Nazha and Aarif Lee. A release date has...
Taiwan’s Distribution Workshop is to begin sales at Cannes on Jackie Chan fantasy adventure The Legend, which marks the action star’s tenth film with director Stanley Tong.
The $50m mainland China feature is a sequel to 2005’s The Myth, which was also directed by Tong, and stars Chan as an archaeologist who discovers a jade pendant that seems to connect the dream world with reality.
Produced by Bona Film Group, the feature also stars Yixing Zhang, Coulee Nazha and Aarif Lee. A release date has...
- 5/16/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Jackie Chan has signed on to star in A Legend, a martial arts fantasy-adventure movie which will be a sequel to his 2005 movie The Myth.
The sequel to The Myth will find Jackie Chan reprising his role as archaeology expert Professor Chen. “The film’s action begins when he notices that the texture on the artifacts discovered by his students during a glacier expedition is strikingly similar to a jade pendant he had seen in his dreams,” reads the description. “Suspecting that the pendant is acting as a bridge between the realm of dreams and reality, Professor Chen leads his research team on a journey deep into the Glacier Temple, embarking on a fantastical adventure.” A Legend will be directed by Stanley Tong, a long-time collaborator of Chan who has helmed Police Story 3, Rumble in the Bronx, and The Myth.
A Legend will have a budget of $50 million, a large...
The sequel to The Myth will find Jackie Chan reprising his role as archaeology expert Professor Chen. “The film’s action begins when he notices that the texture on the artifacts discovered by his students during a glacier expedition is strikingly similar to a jade pendant he had seen in his dreams,” reads the description. “Suspecting that the pendant is acting as a bridge between the realm of dreams and reality, Professor Chen leads his research team on a journey deep into the Glacier Temple, embarking on a fantastical adventure.” A Legend will be directed by Stanley Tong, a long-time collaborator of Chan who has helmed Police Story 3, Rumble in the Bronx, and The Myth.
A Legend will have a budget of $50 million, a large...
- 5/16/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Charity events are in full swing along with gala celebrations bringing together actors, artists, musicians and (of course) drag queens. Meanwhile, movies are pushing for awards consideration and hoping for some box office love from actual theatergoers. It’s a typical November in Tinseltown and beyond. Our favorite famous faces are out and about, giving back while campaigning for both box office wins and end-of-year awards love, too.
2022 Lacma Art+Film Gala
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
(L-r) Kim Kardashian, Lacma Art + Film Gala Co-Chair Eva Chow, wearing Gucci, and Kendall Jenner attend the 2022 Lacma Art+Film Gala.
Gucci returned again in 2022 as the major sponsor of the Lacma Art+Film Gala, the annual fundraiser co-chaired by Leonardo DiCaprio and Eva Chow for the past 11 years. As the Los Angeles County Art Museum reminds us, this one isn’t just about rubbing shoulders and breaking bread with a gaggle of ultra-rich,...
2022 Lacma Art+Film Gala
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
(L-r) Kim Kardashian, Lacma Art + Film Gala Co-Chair Eva Chow, wearing Gucci, and Kendall Jenner attend the 2022 Lacma Art+Film Gala.
Gucci returned again in 2022 as the major sponsor of the Lacma Art+Film Gala, the annual fundraiser co-chaired by Leonardo DiCaprio and Eva Chow for the past 11 years. As the Los Angeles County Art Museum reminds us, this one isn’t just about rubbing shoulders and breaking bread with a gaggle of ultra-rich,...
- 11/11/2022
- by Jenny Peters
- The Wrap
Over 1.3 million was raised for amfAR's HIV/AIDS research programs last week at the amfAR Gala Los Angeles honoring Paramount Pictures and Kelly Rowland at its annual amfAR Gala Los Angeles at the Pacific Design Center.
Kelly Rowland Honored at amfAR Gala Los Angeles
Credit/Copyright: Getty Images
Guests in attendance included Alexander Stewart, Alex Cooper, Alexis Ren, Andy Garcia, Anna Sitar, amfAR Trustee Arthur Lewis, Austin Mahone, Casey Affleck, Chelsea Handler, Chris Olsen, Christine Chiu, amfAR Trustee Cindy Rachofsky, Colin Egglesfield, Elevator Boys, Greg Tarzan Davis, Hayden Panettiere, Helen Owen, amfAR Trustee Jay Ellis, Jenna Dewan, Jess Glynne, Jessica Michel, Josh “Bru” Brubaker, amfAR Board Co-Chair Kevin McClatchy, Kimora Lee Simmons, Lay Zhang, Lewis Pullman, Marianna Hewitt, Mary Fitzgerald, Michelle Rodriguez, Mike Rosenthal, amfAR Global Fundraising Chairman Milutin Gatsby, Model Roz, Monica Barbaro, Nina Senicar, amfAR Trustee Phil Wilson, Reece Feldman, Rickey Thompson, amfAR Board Co-Chair T. Ryan Greenawalt,...
Kelly Rowland Honored at amfAR Gala Los Angeles
Credit/Copyright: Getty Images
Guests in attendance included Alexander Stewart, Alex Cooper, Alexis Ren, Andy Garcia, Anna Sitar, amfAR Trustee Arthur Lewis, Austin Mahone, Casey Affleck, Chelsea Handler, Chris Olsen, Christine Chiu, amfAR Trustee Cindy Rachofsky, Colin Egglesfield, Elevator Boys, Greg Tarzan Davis, Hayden Panettiere, Helen Owen, amfAR Trustee Jay Ellis, Jenna Dewan, Jess Glynne, Jessica Michel, Josh “Bru” Brubaker, amfAR Board Co-Chair Kevin McClatchy, Kimora Lee Simmons, Lay Zhang, Lewis Pullman, Marianna Hewitt, Mary Fitzgerald, Michelle Rodriguez, Mike Rosenthal, amfAR Global Fundraising Chairman Milutin Gatsby, Model Roz, Monica Barbaro, Nina Senicar, amfAR Trustee Phil Wilson, Reece Feldman, Rickey Thompson, amfAR Board Co-Chair T. Ryan Greenawalt,...
- 11/10/2022
- Look to the Stars
Stars: Jackie Chan, Disha Patani, Amyra Dastur, Aarif Rahman, Miya Muqi, Sonu Sood, Paul Philip Clark, Yixing Zhang, Yuxian Shang, Jiang Wen, Eric Tsang, Guoli Zhang | Written and Directed by Stanley Tong
Rumble in the Bronx was the film that, finally, broke Hollywood’s doors down for Jackie Chan. Well, with Kung Fu Yoga, Chan reunites with his Bronx director Stanley Tong for a Chinese-Indian co-production that, on paper, sounds like it could be Armour of God 4 in all but name. Yes, this is yet another “Jackie Chan, Treasure Hunter” movie, a la Chinese Zodiac – only this time Chan and co. are exploring not only Chinese history but also India’s rich and religious heritage.
World-renowned archaeology professor Jack and his team are on a grand quest to locate a lost ancient Indian treasure, when they are ambushed by a team of mercenaries and left for dead. Using his vast...
Rumble in the Bronx was the film that, finally, broke Hollywood’s doors down for Jackie Chan. Well, with Kung Fu Yoga, Chan reunites with his Bronx director Stanley Tong for a Chinese-Indian co-production that, on paper, sounds like it could be Armour of God 4 in all but name. Yes, this is yet another “Jackie Chan, Treasure Hunter” movie, a la Chinese Zodiac – only this time Chan and co. are exploring not only Chinese history but also India’s rich and religious heritage.
World-renowned archaeology professor Jack and his team are on a grand quest to locate a lost ancient Indian treasure, when they are ambushed by a team of mercenaries and left for dead. Using his vast...
- 8/10/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
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