Huayi Brothers

Background
Huayi Brothers Media Corporation was started in 1994 by brothers Wang Zhongjun (Dennis Wang) and Wang Zhonglei, and overtime became one of the biggest studios in China. In 2011, it attempted to launch a joint venture with Legendary Pictures called Legendary East, but it fell through the following year (Legendary ended up partnering with China Film Group in 2013 instead, and would be acquired by Wanda Group in 2016). Huayi Brothers would partner with the then new STX Entertainment in 2015.

(December 21, 2001)


Logo: On a dark blue/blue graident background, we see a glowing, white "H" with it being sliced in half horizontal down the middle zooming out and rotating into place. It is followed by a "T" and a "F" in the same style, making "HTF". It stops glowing and then 2 big red stars and 8 smaller red stars appears on top and bottom, forming a ring that then makes a red rectangle behind the text. A line of sparkles flies across the bottom of the screen, revealing "Huayi Brothers & Taihe Film" and the Chinese characters above it. The logo and text shine repeatably.

Technique: The text rotating, the ring of stars, the shining. The quality of the CGI is good for the time.

Music/Sounds: A rising drone ending with 2 orchestral hits.

Availability: Rare. Only seen on Big Shot's Funeral.

1st Logo (September 15, 2006-February 28, 2007)


Logo: On a sun lit sky at the ocean with wave slowly moving, we see a white, almost birdlike dragon flying around. As it arches over the sun, it creates a ring of stars and in between the stars, a rectangle with the words "H. Brothers" cutted out and "Beijing" and "Circa 1994" are seen above and below the rectangle. The sky is also reflected in the rectangle. The dragon flies off and Chinese characters appear below. The logo fades out except for the Chinese characters, which fade out later.

Variant: On The Matrimony, the logo starts in vintage, sepia-toned effect until turning it clearer to a original one. Also, the background fades in shortly rather than fading into black and the Chinese characters.

Technique: The dragon. Everything is in amazing CGI.

Music/Sounds: A calming music piece, none, or the opening theme of the movie.

Availability: Rare. Only seen on The Banquet (2006) and The Matrimony (2007).

2nd Logo (December 20, 2007)


Logo: In a white city, a drop of red liquid splashes into a river of it. We then fade a pan shot of the river flooding the city, which then rotates and goes into a screen-shaped space of it, which then glows. We pan out to see the full glowing text of "HY. BROTHERS" and it rises from the spaces. The city disappears and Chinese characters wipe in as the "O" gains a shadow.

Technique: The river flooding the city, the fully glowed name and forming the logo.

Music/Sounds: The sound of fluid running ending with a Chinese flute tune and a whoosh during the end.

Availability: Quite uncommon. Only seen on Assembly (2007).

3rd Logo (December 18, 2008-February 14, 2012)


Logo: In the sky, we glide across a field of clouds. Then, a tower of clouds rises up and the top starts to turn orange. The top then separates and then blows away to reveal the Huayi Brothers logo, though in silver and now styled as "H. BROTHERS" and Chinese characters.

Variants:
 * A filmed variant exists.
 * On Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, an another filmed variant is seen with differences: the clouds and the blue sky is reddish toned.

Technique: The clouds.

Music/Sounds: A calming Chinese music piece.

Availability: Rare in the mainland China. Seen on some movies during the era like If You Are the One, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, Hot Summer Days and Love.

4th Logo (December 12, 2012- )
Logo: We pan up from a bunch of golden gears and silver parts. The silver part rotates to reveal a bunch more gears and a "H"-shaped gate, covered in many symbols and has a lion head in the middle. It then becomes more solid by moving parts and moves closer. The lion head moves up and then some more parts move before finally opening up. When the gate opens, it reveals Chinese characters and the text "H. BROTHERS" spreading a bit and shining. The gate fades out, leaving the text.

Variants:
 * For their 20th anniversary, after the logo fades out, a golden "0" forms with the company name inside it. A golden "2" fades beside it.
 * A short version exists starting with the gate opening. This was seen on CZ12/Chinese Zodiac, Rock Dog, and some STX films. A less short version which starts a bit earlier can also be spotted in some films including the Chinese release of Warcraft.
 * On Moonfall (2022), the logo is in B&W static and alternates between the opening of the movie, which is the Apollo 11 's launch in the same effect as the Lionsgate, UK Moonfall LLP, Centropolis and AGC Studios logos.

Technique: The gears and gate opening.

Music/Sounds: The sound of gears turning and things moving and opening. Sometimes the opening theme is used.

Availability: Current. Seen on many films during the time such as CZ12. With the 5th and 6th logos being introduced, this logo days could be numbered.

Legacy: A very nicely animated logo. It is sometimes noted to have similarities to the 5th Lionsgate Films logo.

5th Logo (April 8, 2016- )
Logo: On a space background, a yellow light shines and dims out to reveal the same text as the previous logo (both in English and Chinese).

Technique: The light and the text zooming.

Music/Sounds: None or the opening theme of the movie.

Music/Sounds Variant: Beginning with Mile 22, the sound of the light is added.

Availability: Current. Debuted on Hardcore Henry and later seen on some movies such as The Happytime Murders, Molly's Game and 21 Bridges, among others.

6th Logo (2016- )
Logo: On a white background, we see a 2D red ball bounce as it transforms to the dot in "H.BROTHERS". The Chinese name fades in below. Then, we cut to the same white background as the same wordmark forms on the left side of a red upside-down T-shape. On the other side. "ENTERTAINMENT" appears on red in a thin font.

Technique: The ball bouncing. 2D animation possibly done in Flash.

Music/Sounds: Transformers-like sound effects or the opening theme of the movie.

Availability: Current. First seen on Rock Dog (as a still variant) then making its animated debut on non-Netflix prints of Extinct.