Leonardo May Be On His Way to Beijing, But in the Meantime, Enjoy Mike Tyson and Mini-Me

So the whole watching the Oscars live on iQiyi may not have worked out as planned, but if it’s any consolation, we now know that one of the evening's big winners, The Revenant, is definitely coming to Chinese cinema screens.

Also on the cards is a visit from star and Best Actor winner Leonardo DiCaprio himself, according to local media. The film is expected to hit screens around March 18, so look out for him wandering Beijing's streets in a couple of weeks' time.

DiCaprio, or Little Lee (小李子) as he is affectionately known by Chinese audiences, has quite a following in the Middle Kingdom. Even People’s Daily and The Global Times gave him a shout-out on Weibo when he finally earned the first golden statuette of his career.

Guangdong Alpha Animation and Culture Company, an obscure toy manufacturer, was surprisingly a crucial investor in The Revenant and no doubt its owners, upon hearing the news, will be keen to knock back a glass of baijiu or 10 in celebration with Little Lee.

Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton Headed Our Way

Also on their way to Beijing are Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton. Both actors should be touching down around March 9 to promote their upcoming film Eddie the Eagle.

Jackman is somewhat of an Old China Hand for a Hollywood actor, and has been here at least three times before. The Wolverine star even has his own Weibo account, though it hasn’t been updated since 2012. Anyone see him on WeChat?

Egerton is known to locals as the star of Kingsman: The Secret Service, which topped the China box office on its opening weekend last year.

If you enjoyed Cool Runnings, you’ll probably enjoy Eddie the Eagle. The film is inspired by the true story of Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards, a British laborer who became a famous ski jumper at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. No doubt the film's Winter Olympics connection is one of many steps Beijing is taking to get the masses excited about their 2022 hosting of the games.
 

Mini-Me on His Way, Presumably to Hug More Pandas

Verne Troyer, best known for his role as Dr. Evil’s diminutive and more malevolent protégé in the Austin Powers movies, is on his way to Beijing. Troyer fired off the Tweet above at 5am Beijing time this morning so he’ll probably be here here by tonight.

No doubt Troyer will be warmly welcomed by the Chinese people as he is clearly a panda-hugger, though no word on what he's up to in The Jing.

And he's got to be buoyed by the reception that fellow little person Peter Dinklage received when he came to Beijing in 2014.
 

Tyson's in Town to Promote His Star Turn in Ip Man 3

Ear-biting bad boy Mike Tyson is in Beijing to promote Ip Man 3 which hits Chinese cinemas this Friday.

Tyson faces off against martial martial arts superstar Donnie Yen in the third instalment of the blockbuster martial arts franchise.
 

Apparently, Tyson plays a crooked property developer who plans to take over Ip Man’s city. Ip Man, by the way, was the real-life Wing Chun Kung Fu master who mentored Bruce Lee.

We’re not sure if Mike has a speaking role in the film, and if so, if it’s in English or Mandarin. In a video Yen uploaded to Facebook of himself and Tyson at the Ip Man 3 premiere, the former world heavyweight champion manages to string together a few words.

“Groundbreaking, awesome, Ip Man 3," says Tyson while Yen pumps his fist awkwardly.
 

Beijing Batmobile Ruled Not Streetworthy

Meanwhile, someone must have shone the Bat-signal up into the smoggy Beijing skies last night because the Caped Crusader’s wheels have been spotted on the streets of Beijing.  

According to The Beijing Times, the vehicle is owned by a car-dealership on Jinbao Street in Wangfujing and is worth a cool USD 1 million.

Unfortunately for the owners, the vehicle is not licensed for use on the road in China, which is a shame because it even has the ability to shoot flames out of its engine.

Incidentally, Batman and Superman will face off on Chinese cinema screens on Friday, March 25 – simultaneous with its North American debut.

Images: Twitter, Weibo