Celestial Pictures is a diversified entertainment company focusing on
Asian-language film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
and
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
content including production, aggregation, distribution and the operation of
TV channels.
Headquartered in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
, the company owns the world's largest Chinese film collection including the
Shaw Brothers film library. Celestial Pictures is restoring the Shaw Brothers' movies and distributing them to cinemas and the worldwide television and home video markets.
History
It purchased the Shaw Brothers film library in 2000, when it was then called "East Asia Filmed Entertainment Ltd" and owned by the Malaysian media group Astro Holdings Sdn Bhd, which in turn controlled by Usaha Tegas Sdn Bhd (a Malaysian investment holding company). In 2001, under the Chinese name 星藝映畫, it produced two films, namely Comic King (漫畫風雲) and Stowaway (驚天大逃亡). It took up the current Chinese name 天映娛樂 in 2002.
Television channels
Celestial’s television channel operations include
Celestial Movies
Celestial Movies (天映频道) is an Asian 24-hour Chinese movie channel, which screens films from and shows interviews with movie stars and directors, entertainment news and film award ceremonies. The channel is available in 11 territories acr ...
; Celestial Movies Asia, which screens Japanese and Korean blockbusters;
Celestial Classic Movies, which features Chinese classic films including the Shaw Brothers film collection; and WaTV, a Chinese infotainment channel dedicated to a new reflection of modern China. Also
Shaw Bros. movies distributed by Celestial are shown in America on
El Rey Network
El Rey Network (Spanish for ''The King'') is a media brand founded by Robert Rodriguez on December 15, 2013, that is currently owned in a joint venture with FactoryMade Ventures.
Until December 31, 2020, El Rey was a cable and satellite network ...
as part of its "Flying Five Finger One Armed Eight Pole Shaolin Exploding Death Touch Tuesdays" block.
Film and television content acquisition
Besides the library and TV networks, Celestial Pictures produces and acquires feature films and hundreds of hours of television programmes each year, including television dramas, children's programmes, animation and documentaries for their channels and worldwide distribution.
Celestial Pictures is a wholly owned subsidiary of Astro Overseas Ltd, owned by
Astro Holdings Sdn Bhd
Astro Malaysia Holdings () is a Malaysian media and entertainment holding company that began as a paid digital satellite radio and television service, Astro. The company is owned by Astro Holdings Sendirian Berhad, which also owns Astro Overs ...
.
References
# All The Content (2008), All The Content, ''Celestial Pictures to offer Mobile Content in Europe Inks Agreement with AllTheContent to Distribute Kung Fu Clips'', retrieved on June 17, 2009
http://www.allthecontent.com/news/celestial-pictures-to-offer-mobile-content-in-europe-inks-agreement-with-allthecontent-to-distribute-kung-fu-clips.html# Celestial Pictures (2002), Celestial Pictures Newsroom, ''Celestial Pictures Tributes Shaw Brothers Films At Gala Reception to Celebrate the Cinematic Re-release and Video Launch of the Shaw Brothers Movies'', retrieved on June 17, 2009
http://www.celestialpictures.com/level3_recentnews.cfm?l_news_id=153# Celestial Pictures (2002), Celestial Pictures Newsroom, ''Celestial Pictures presents Shaw Brothers Masterpieces Digitally Restored Press Conference'', retrieved on June 17, 2009
http://www.celestialpictures.com/level3_recentnews.cfm?l_news_id=154# Celestial Pictures (2003), Celestial Pictures Newsroom, ''Celestial Movies Launches the World's First Global 24-hour Chinese Movie Channel in Hong Kong on exTV'', retrieved on June 17, 2009
http://www.celestialpictures.com/level3_recentnews.cfm?l_news_id=130# Celestial Pictures (2004), Celestial Pictures Newsroom, ''Celestial Pictures' China-Content Infotainment Channel Launches in Southeast Asia'', retrieved on June 17, 2009
http://www.celestialpictures.com/level3_recentnews.cfm?l_news_id=122# Celestial Pictures (2009), Celestial Pictures Newsroom, retrieved on June 17, 2009
https://web.archive.org/web/20090731115720/http://www.celestialpictures.com/level2_newsroom.cfm# Hong Kong Cinema (2009), Hong Kong Cinema - Shaw Brothers News - Celestial, retrieved on June 17, 2009
#Information Services Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, ''Celestial Pictures Limited donates film library to HK Film Archive (with photos)'', retrieved June 17, 2009
# Mark Pollard, Kung Fu Cinema (2009), Celestial Pictures: Kung Fu Cinema, retrieved on June 17, 2009
http://www.kungfucinema.com/tag/celestial-pictures# Mark Pollard, Kung Fu Cinema (2009), Celestial Pictures: Kung Fu Cinema, ''Celestial donates Shaw library to HK Film Archive'', retrieved on June 17, 2009
http://www.kungfucinema.com/celestial-donates-shaw-library-to-hk-film-archive-6972# Mark Pollard, Kung Fu Cinema (2009), Celestial Pictures: Kung Fu Cinema, ''Shaw films leave U.S. and head to Russia'', retrieved on June 17, 2009
http://www.kungfucinema.com/shaw-films-pack-up-in-us-and-head-to-russia-4361#
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# Screen International (2007), Screen International, ''Celestial Pictures launches kung-fu mobile TV channel'', retrieved on June 17, 2009
http://www.screendaily.com/celestial-pictures-launches-kung-fu-mobile-tv-channel/4033356.article
External links
Celestial Pictures - Official WebsiteCELESTIAL MOVIES - Official WebsiteCELESTIAL MOVIES ASIA - Official WebsiteCELESTIAL CLASSIC MOVIES - Official WebsiteCelestial Tiger Entertainment - Official WebsiteChina Travel
{{Authority control
Astro Malaysia Holdings
Film production companies of Hong Kong
Television production companies
Mass media companies established in 2000
Mass media companies disestablished in 2011