Zhang Ziyi's new movie a victim of smear campaign?
18 Jan – A representative of the new movie, "Forever Young" has recently slammed the recent trend of some irresponsible studios in facing competition at the box office.
As reported on Tencent, the aforementioned Zhang Ziyi-starrer initially received poor online reviews on Chinese review sites like Douban and Taoban, however, the movie was able to turn its bad luck following their release, with many moviegoers giving it a five-star rating - enabling it to earn the title "best movie of the month".
The situation sparked allegations that the initial ratings were done as part of a smear campaign, in which an individual or a rival company pays netizens to ruin their competitor's chance at the box office.
To that, a rep of "Forever Young" stated, "We're willing to accept any kind of comments and criticisms, but this kind of action is like a cancer to the film industry, tantamount to a suicide."
Some critics also slammed the practice, saying that one could like or dislike a movie without trampling on the whole film industry.
Aside from Zhang, the new movie boasts star-studded performances from Huang Xiaoming, Chang Chen, Wang Leehom, Michelle Yim, and Yao Chen.
