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Fingerprint Pictures acquires remake rights to ‘A Better Tomorrow’ from Fortune Star
MUMBAI: Fingerprint Pictures, a production company set up by producer Park Hyung Jun has acquired the remake rights to multi award winning film A Better Tomorrow (originally directed by John Woo, starring Chow Yun Fat) from Fortune Star Entertainment, the distribution division of Star Group.
Fingerprint Pictures is currently recruiting scriptwriters and a director for the Korean remake, which is planned for production in 2007. Fingerprint Pictures is also working with Fortune Star Entertainment to bring in a high profile producer for the project.
Fingerprint Pictures together with Fortune Star Entertainment will handle the international distribution of the remake outside of Korea.
“We are delighted to work with Fingerprint Pictures, a renowned production company, to remake this classic title from our library, A Better Tomorrow. We are especially excited about the prospect of bringing this incredible story back to a new generation of viewers in Asia as well as the rest of the world,” said Fortune Star Entertainment general manager Peter E. Poon.
Hyung Jun added, “We are thrilled and honored to have acquired the rights to remake one of the most prestigious films in Hong Kong’s history. This remake represents a landmark cooperation between the film industries of Hong Kong and Korea, and we look very much forward to bringing this wonderful story to new audiences everywhere.”
A Better Tomorrow tells the story of two brothers: one a successful counterfeiter and the younger a fledgling police academy graduate. The plot revolves around the conflict caused by the younger sibling learning about his brother’s criminal lifestyle. Meanwhile, the older sibling is struggling to change his evil ways. Along the way are a number of action-packed heists, double-crosses and shootouts.
In 1986, A Better Tomorrow won awards for Best Film and Best Actor (Chow Yun Fat) at the 6th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards and for Best Director (John Woo), Best Actor (Ti Lung), Best Cinematography (Horace Wong Wing Hang) and Best Sound Recording at the 23rd Annual Golden Horse Awards.
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Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
