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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 6 april 2018
Propelled by China, overseas moviegoing surges

By JAKE COYLE tional Association of The-
NEW YORK (AP) — Even as atre Owners, attributed
trade tensions are mount- any year-to-year ups and
ing between the United downs to the quality of the
States and China, the im- releases.
portance of Chinese mov- Among the statistics trot-
iegoers to Hollywood has ted out by the report: more
never been more appar- than three-quarters of the
ent. U.S. and Canada popula-
Global moviegoing tion — 263 million people
reached a record high of — went to movie theaters
$40.6 billion in 2017 despite at least once in 2017. The
a downturn in audiences at gender split of audiences
U.S. and Canada theaters, was exactly 50-50.
the Motion Picture Asso- For the first time, the re-
ciation of America said port expanded to include
Wednesday in its annual re- home entertainment rev-
port. That was despite the enue. And despite the cra-
lowest attendance at do- tering of the DVD market in
mestic theaters in 22 years. recent years, global home
Instead, the growth was entertainment grosses
largely propelled by China, have increased the last
which accounted for $7.9 two years, thanks to rising
billion in ticket sales in 2017. In this Aug. 10, 2017 file photo, children use smartphones near monitors displaying a Chinese ac- digital sales: $32.1 billion in
That fueled a 7 percent in- tion movie "Wolf Warrior 2" at a cinema in Beijing. 2017, up from $24.5 billion
crease in the overseas box Associated Press in 2016. Those totals, how-
office. U.S. and Canada ever, include subscription
ticket sales by comparison for Christopher Dodd as The growing importance films at 34 per year. The streaming services, which
totaled $11.1 billion, down MPAA chairman. "They're of Chinese movie theaters Office of the United States many consider a threat to
2 percent. If not for a 4 per- building about 25 screens to Hollywood comes at a Trade Representatives is theaters. Frequent movie-
cent increase in the aver- a day." sensitive time for relations currently negotiating to goers aged 18 to 24 also
age ticket price to $8.97, The shift has in many ways between the two coun- lessen those terms. "We re- appeared to decrease af-
the drop would have been already begun. For the first tries. In response to moves main hopeful," said Rivkin ter a bump last year. The
worse. time, the Chinese movie by the Trump administra- of the negotiations. MPAA earlier reported 7.2
But after briefly stalling in market overtook North tion, China on Wednesday While pessimism often million such moviegoers in
2016, the needle is going America in the first quarter unveiled proposed tariffs abounds about the future 2016. In 2017, it was 5.2 mil-
the other direction in Chi- of 2018. Several big-budget on numerous American of the theatrical business lion. The MPAA attributed
na. Hollywood productions, in- products, rocking the stock in North America, due in the difference to a change
"The Chinese film market is cluding Steven Spielberg's market and stoking fears of part to digital upstarts like in research methodology,
going to be the largest film "Ready Player One," ''Pacif- a larger trade war. Netflix, Amazon and Apple, shifting from phone surveys
market in short order," said ic Rim: Uprising" and "Tomb Restrictions on film imports the MPAA sought to paint to online ones. "It's liter-
Charles H. Rivkin, the former Raider," debuted bigger in to China are already con- a more optimistic picture. ally as fast as we can build
assistant secretary of state China than in the U.S. and siderable for Hollywood; John Fithian, president and them and they will come,"
who in January took over Canada. the country caps foreign chief executive of the Na- said Fithian.q

Dylan, Kesha change pronouns in

songs to honor LGBTQ couples

By MESFIN FEKADU like "I got a man crazy for "Universal Love," available
NEW YORK (AP) — Bob me." Others have changed on streaming platforms like
Dylan, Kesha and St. Vin- the pronoun of the classic Spotify and Apple Music,
cent have reimagined song in the past, but they was produced by MGM
popular love songs to hon- were mainly women, in- Resorts and is distributed
or the LGBTQ community, cluding Billie Holiday, Ella through Sony Music's Lega-
and the singers are doing it Fitzgerald, Liza Minnelli, Etta cy Recordings.
by switching pronouns. James and Diana Ross. "We believe projects like
The six-song album, "Univer- Kesha, who has a large gay this will help all of us reach
sal Love," was released dig- fan base and has been a point where seeing the
itally Thursday and includes a longtime supporter of world through the lens of
Benjamin Gibbard of alter- equal rights for the LGBTQ people who happen to be This combination photo shows singers Kesha, left, and Bob
native band Death Cab community, closes the al- different from us becomes Dylan, who have reimagined songs to honor the LGBTQ com-
munity, for the six-song album, “Universal Love,” released digi-
for Cutie, singer-songwrit- bum with "I Need a Woman natural and common- tally Thursday.
er Valerie June and Kele to Love Me," a spinoff of place," said Phyllis James, Associated Press
Okereke of the indie rock Janis Joplin's "I Need a Man MGM Resorts' chief diver-
group Bloc Party. to Love Me." Gibbard re-re- sity and corporate social tals' "Then He Kissed Me" to "My Guy"; and June takes
Dylan reworked "She's Fun- corded The Beatles' 1960s responsibility officer. "Then She Kissed Me" on the on the 1930s classic "Mad
ny That Way" into "He's Fun- hit, "And I Love Her," to cre- Grammy-winning singer St. album; Okereke turns The About the Boy" for "Mad
ny That Way," singing lines ate "And I Love Him." Vincent reworked The Crys- Temptations' "My Girl" into About the Girl."q