David U. Lee

Last updated

David U. Lee is a Chinese-American Hollywood film producer and entrepreneur best known for co-producing the films The Forbidden Kingdom, Shanghai, and Inseparable. He is the president of the film entertainment company Leeding Media, which he founded in 2008.

Contents

Early life and career

David U. Lee was born in Taipei in 1975. He earned both his BA and MBA degrees from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He started his film entertainment career as an intern in the Los Angeles office of Miramax Films in 1997. In 1999, he joined Sony Pictures Entertainment in the Strategic Planning and Corporate Development department. In 2000, Lee was recruited by Revolution Studios as one of the company's initial 20 employees. In 2002, he studied for an MBA degree while working at K1 Ventures, a private equity fund based in Singapore and Boca Raton, Florida. Upon completing his MBA in 2004, Lee joined IDG Asia, a subsidiary of IDG. There Lee oversaw IDG's foray into the Chinese film entertainment business, and launched the Chinese version of Variety .

In 2007, Lee was recruited by Harvey Weinstein to become the Executive Vice President of Asian Operations at The Weinstein Company, where he oversaw the company's Asian business as well as its US$285 million Asian Film Fund.

Film producer

In 2007, Lee co-founded SDJS/Havenwood Media and produced Already Dead , an action-thriller starring Til Schweiger, Ron Eldard and Christopher Plummer, which was distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment. [1] Lee was a co-executive producer of the Jackie Chan and Jet Li film, The Forbidden Kingdom, which went on to become the most successful China/U.S. co-productions in history. [2] [3]

In April 2008, Lee founded Leeding Media as a film entertainment enterprise dedicated to bridging the U.S. and Chinese film industries. He produced Inseparable starring Kevin Spacey. [4] The company also orchestrated the nationwide release of The Spy Next Door , starring Jackie Chan, the only non-studio foreign film released in China at the same day and date as in the U.S. Grossing over US$8 million, it became the highest grossing non-studio foreign film in Chinese history until the release of Sylvester Stallone's Expendables . [5] [6]

In 2009, Lee advised China Film Group on the co-production of The Karate Kid remake, starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, with Sony Pictures Entertainment. He also served as co-executive producer of The Weinstein Company's first Asian Film Fund production Shanghai , starring John Cusack, Gong Li, Chow Yun-fat and Ken Watanabe. [7]

In September 2011, Perfect World Pictures signed Leeding Media into a multi-year producing deal, making the company the first U.S.-based production company to secure a multi-year term deal with a Chinese studio. Films released under the collaboration include Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance , starring Nicolas Cage (grossed US$9 million); The Last Stand , starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (grossed US$8 million); and Ender’s Game , starring Harrison Ford (grossed US$23 million).

Awards and recognitions

In March 2009, David was named an inaugural member of The Hollywood Reporter's Next Generation Asia, which celebrates the 20 most impressive young men and women in entertainment in Asia.

Filmography

Producer

Distributor (China)

Related Research Articles

Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Chan</span> Hong Kong-Chinese actor and martial artist (born 1954)

Fang Shilong, known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long, is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for his slapstick acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically performs himself. Chan has been acting since the 1960s, performing in more than 150 films. He is one of the most popular action film stars of all time.

Dimension Films is an American film production company owned by Lantern Entertainment. It was formerly used as Harvey and Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax, which was acquired by The Walt Disney Company on June 30, 1993, to produce and release independent films and genre titles, specifically horror and science fiction films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renny Harlin</span> Finnish film director and film producer

Renny Harlin is a Finnish film director, producer, and screenwriter who has made his career in Hollywood and China. His best-known films include A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and Deep Blue Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Lin</span> American film producer

Dan Lin is a Taiwanese-American film producer. He is the founder and CEO of Rideback, a film and television production company that he formed in 2008 that has a first-look deal at Universal Pictures. Lin produced Warner Bros.' Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie, The Lego Ninjago Movie, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, and the horror film It, which holds the record for highest-grossing horror film. Lin also produced Disney's Aladdin, a live action adaptation of the 1992 animated feature.

<i>Fist of Fury</i> 1972 Hong Kong film

Fist of Fury is a 1972 Hong Kong action martial arts film written and directed by Lo Wei, produced by Raymond Chow, and starring Bruce Lee in his second major role after The Big Boss (1971). Lee, who was also the film's action choreographer, plays Chen Zhen, a student of Huo Yuanjia, who fights to defend the honor of the Chinese in the face of foreign aggression, and to bring to justice those responsible for his master's death.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It handles theatrical and occasional digital distribution, marketing and promotion for films produced and released by the Walt Disney Studios, including Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios; the Searchlight Pictures label operates its own autonomous theatrical distribution and marketing unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donnie Yen</span> Hong Kong actor and martial artist

Donnie Yen Chi-tan is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, and action director. Yen is one of Hong Kong's top action stars. Yen is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts (MMA) into the mainstream Asian cinema by choreographing MMA in many of his films since the early 2000s. The first Chinese UFC champion Zhang Weili states that Yen's films introduced her to MMA. Yen has displayed skill in an array of martial arts, being well-versed in Tai Chi, Boxing, Kickboxing, Jeet Kune Do, Hapkido, Mixed Martial Arts, Taekwondo, Karate, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Hung Ga, Sanda, Judo, Wing Chun, and Wushu. One of the most popular film stars in Asia of the early 2000s, Yen is consistently one of the highest-paid actors in Asia. Yen earned HK$220 million (US$28.4 million) from four films and six advertisements in 2013.

Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. Action films from Hong Kong have roots in Chinese and Hong Kong cultures including Chinese opera, storytelling and aesthetic traditions, which Hong Kong filmmakers combined with elements from Hollywood and Japanese cinema along with new action choreography and filmmaking techniques, to create a culturally distinctive form that went on to have wide transcultural appeal. In turn, Hollywood action films have been heavily influenced by Hong Kong genre conventions, from the 1970s onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Weinstein Company</span> Defunct American film studio

The Weinstein Company was an American independent film studio, founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in March 2005. TWC was one of the largest mini-major film studios in North America prior to the firing of Harvey Weinstein following allegations of sexual harassment and rape against him, as well as financial troubles that followed. The studio eventually declared bankruptcy in February 2018, with independent studio Lantern Entertainment acquiring a majority of its film library and assets. Founder and chief executive Bob Weinstein previously owned a small stake in the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley Tong</span>

Stanley Tong is a Hong Kong film director, producer, stunt choreographer, screenwriter, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Lin</span> Taiwanese-American film director

Justin Lin is a Taiwanese-American film director. His films have grossed US$2.3 billion worldwide as of March 2017. He is best known for his directorial work on Better Luck Tomorrow (2002), the Fast & Furious franchise from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) to Fast & Furious 6 (2013) and F9 (2021), and Star Trek Beyond (2016). He is also known for his work on television programs like Community, and the second season of True Detective.

Beijing Polybona Film Distribution Co. Ltd., also known as Polybona Films or the Bona Film Group, is a Chinese production company and distributor of films from mainland China and Hong Kong. It is run as a subsidiary of the China Poly Group, and is one of China's largest share-holding film distribution companies.

<i>The Monkey King</i> (film) 2014 film

The Monkey King is a 2014 Hong Kong-Chinese action-fantasy film directed by Soi Cheang and starring Donnie Yen as the titular protagonist Sun Wukong. Donnie Yen also serves as the film's action director. The film co-stars Donald Chow, Aaron Kwok, Joe Chen and Peter Ho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annapurna Pictures</span> American independent film company

Annapurna Pictures is an independent American media company founded by Megan Ellison in 2011, that specializes in film production, live theatre production, television through its Annapurna Television division, and video game publishing through its Annapurna Interactive division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DMG Entertainment</span> Media and entertainment company

DMG Entertainment is a global entertainment and media company. The studio's most recognizable films include Looper (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013) and Bloodshot (2020).

<i>Dragon Blade</i> (film) 2015 film

Dragon Blade is a 2015 Chinese historical action film written and directed by Daniel Lee starring Jackie Chan. In the film, Chan plays Huo An, the commander of the Protection Squad of the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty. Dragon Blade was released in IMAX 3D on 19 February 2015, the first day of the Chinese New Year holiday period. The film was released in the United States on 4 September 2015 by Lionsgate Premiere.

<i>Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back</i> 2017 Chinese film

Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back is a 2017 Chinese fantasy adventure comedy film directed by Tsui Hark. A sequel to Stephen Chow's 2013 film Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, it was produced and co-written by both Tsui and Chow.

Bliss Media is a Chinese film company specializing in international film financing, production and distribution. The company was founded in 2011 and now holds offices in both Shanghai and Los Angeles. It has been involved in the investment, production and distribution process of international feature films including Hacksaw Ridge, Jackie, and Loving. Hacksaw Ridge ultimately became the highest grossing imported war film in China.

Banana Pictures was a film distributor and production company founded by Wang Sicong. It is a subsidiary of the Banana Project Culture Development Co., Ltd, an entertainment firm known as Banana Culture.

References

ARTICLES

VIDEOS