‘3 Body Problem’ Helmer Derek Tsang Bullish on Asian Co-Productions Despite Market Struggles

variety.com:

Clifford Coonan It’s been a tough few years in the Asian film market since the pandemic, but “3 Body Problem” and “Better Days” director Derek Tsang believes that we can expect growth in Asian co-productions, with grants and regional tie-ups playing a growing role in boosting the sector. “I can see that many filmmakers are already exploring the possibilities of co-producing films with other regions and their producers.

Even our government in Hong Kong is encouraging filmmakers to explore the opportunity by providing schemes that grants co-productions with other countries,” Tsang told Variety in an interview at the recently concluded Hong Kong FilMart.

Tsang began working as an actor in Hong Kong in 2002, and made his directorial debut with “Lover’s Discourse” in 2010. He became the first Hong Kong helmer to earn an Oscar nomination for his 2019 drama “Better Days” – it was nominated for best international feature film at the 93rd Academy Awards, after it won eight awards at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards.

In 2021, the news broke that he would direct and co-executive produce Netflix’s adaptation of Liu Cixin’s science-fiction trilogy, “3 Body Problem” for David Benioff and D.B.