Shaw Brothers back after 22-year hiatus

It should be a time of celebration at Shaw Brothers today, as the studio releases Laughing Gor Turning Point, its first official stab at filmmaking in 22 years.

But the joy comes at a price: the film, budgeted at HK$12 million, is expected to lose HK$4 million, its executive producer says.

That is a small price to pay, as the movie could be used to promote Shaw Brothers' studios in Tseung Kwan O. Already '90 per cent complete', Shaw Studios hosted all of Turning Point's post-production work.

'We hope to be the first to come up with some good results from the studios,' said Wong Ka-hei. 'It's only through that that other companies would come and use the facilities.'

He said the production was a convenient collaboration, as both companies involved were owned by media mogul Sir Run Run Shaw. Laughing Gor Turning Point - an adaptation of the TVB serial EU - was produced by Concept Limited, a company founded in April and jointly owned by Shaw Brothers and TVB, with the aim of producing movies.

Two more productions were already in the pipeline, Mr Wong said. Shooting of House of 73 Tenants - mainly starring TVB actors, and which is a sequel to Shaw Brothers' 1973 hit House of 72 Tenants - is scheduled to begin in next month, with plans for a release during the 2010 Lunar New Year holiday. Love Expert, to be directed by Yip Lim-shum, will begin production in October.