Le Vision Pictures, a subsidiary of LeEco, is one of the largest film production and distribution companies in China. Founded in 2011, Le Vision Pictures has headquarters in Beijing and offices in Hong Kong and Los Angeles, U.S.. It has produced and distributed several hits, including The Bullet Vanishes, The Expendables franchise and the Tiny Times franchise. More recently, Le Vision has signed Zhang Yimou, Lu Chuan, Tsui Hark and Guo Jingming, whose names are among China's most influential contemporary filmmakers. In 2014, the company was the sixth-largest film distributor in China, with 4.1% of the market.
History
In 2011, former president of Enlight Pictures, Zhang Zhao, founded Le Vision Pictures. He currently serves as Chairman & CEO of the new company. In May 2013, Zhang Yimou, joined the firm as a contracted movie director and Creative Director. In March 2014, director Lu Chuan joined. In August 2013, the firm raised RMB 200MM in its first round of financing, valuing it at RMB 1.5 billion In September 2014, Le Vision announced a second round of financing of RMB 340 million, at which time its value reached RMB 4.8 billion. in 2014, Le Vision established Korean and US branches, and began collaborating with Hollywood studios over both co-production and global distribution of films. On 5 December 2015, LeEco announced that Le Vision Pictures would be sold to sister company le.com, subject to the approval of the shareholders of the listed company. As at 8 November 2016, the deal was not completed. In January 2017 Sunac China acquired 15% stake from LeEco.
Films
Le Vision produced and distributed six films in 2012. The Bullet Vanishes was nominated for four Golden Horse Awards, including “Best Picture”, and thirteen Hong Kong Film Awards. The Expendables 2, in which Le Vision co-invested and also co-distributed in China, grossed over $57 million in China, accounting for 18.5% of its total global box office revenue. In 2013, Le Vision released nine films, grossing a total of $170 million. This included Love Will Tear Us Apart, Tiny Times & Tiny Times 2. Tiny Times took in $78.9 million at the box office that summer, setting a new record in China for a 2-D film opening. With these numbers, the firm became one of China’s top 3 private film companies. During 2014, Le Vision released 13 films, grossing nearly $390 million in box office revenue 3. set a new box office record for a domestic animation film. Zhang Yimou’s Coming Home was selected for the “Special Feature” section at the Cannes Film Festival and made nearly $48.4 million—breaking the existing record for arthouse films
O2O Marketing
During its first two years, Le Vision launched its “O2O Marketing System”, a business model to connect with consumers across new and established on-line/off-line platforms. The firm is also known for its widespread field marketing and distribution network in China, which covers 108 cities, 1,200 theaters, and 85% of the market share.
Multiple Platforms
, the sister company of Le Vision, is the biggest Internet VOD platform in China. Anticipating the rise of home theater viewership in China, Le.com launched two leading products in VOD streaming, C1S and Super TV. In April 2015, LeEco launched its own smartphone. It is but one feature of the company’s “six screens, one cloud” strategy that aims to create a vertically integrated experience for users of mobile phones, tablets, computers and televisions—as well as movie theater audiences and even automobile passengers and drivers.
