Daniel Manwaring, a CAA executive, has been appointed CEO of Imax China
The veteran exec has been China-based since 2006 and is married to filmmaker Zhang Mo, the daughter and frequent collaborator of renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou.
Daniel Manwaring, a senior executive headquartered in Beijing, has been named CEO of Imax China.
Manwaring joins the huge screen exhibitor from CAA, where he spent the past decade, most recently directing the agency’s China Motion Pictures Group. He has been based in China since 2006 and speaks fluent Mandarin. He takes over for temporary CEO Jiande Chen, who will return to his full-time post as vice chairman of Imax China, according to the business.
Imax China, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, is an important component of Imax’s global business. The company operates over 800 Imax cinemas in China, with contracts in place for hundreds more, constituting a significant portion of the company’s nearly 1,700 screens worldwide. Following a difficult year for Chinese business due to the country’s strict “zero COVID” policies, Manwaring joins the exhibitor at an exciting moment, with health restrictions being lifted and James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water set for local release Friday.
Across his successful, decade-long tenure at CAA, Daniel has proven very adept at fostering blockbuster Chinese filmmaking that connects with audiences — a talent that will serve IMAX well as we strengthen our unique position at the center of the entertainment ecosystem in China,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of Imax. “Daniel’s expertise, creativity, and years of working with Chinese filmmakers, the China Film Bureau, and top film finance and distribution companies will be deeply valuable to Imax China as we look to grow our industry leadership in this powerful cinema market.”
Manwaring worked at CAA, where he represented some of China’s leading filmmakers and oversaw CAA’s media finance in the region, bringing together more than a dozen local and Hollywood films for release in Chinese theatres. He was also instrumental in the creation of finance and distribution businesses in the region. Manwaring’s significant personal connections to the Chinese film industry were not included in Imax’s formal announcements on the CEO appointment. He is married to Chinese filmmaker Zhang Mo, the daughter of legendary Chinese director Zhang Yimou and a regular collaborator.
“As a longtime believer in the power of movies and the irreplaceable magic of the theatrical experience, I am thrilled to join Rich and the team at Imax China to further expand this great business, foster new opportunities for growth and diversification, and deepen its connection with Chinese consumers,” Manwaring said in a statement.