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PEOPLE & ARTS A31
Tuesday 8 March 2016
How Matt Damon may kickstart China’s global movie ambitions
RYAN NAKASHIMA In this July 2, 2015, file photo, movie director Zhang Yimou, right, speaks next to actor Matt Damon according to Rhodium
AP Business Writer during a news conference of their latest movie “The Great Wall” held at a hotel in Beijing. If all Group. That pace then
LOS ANGELES (AP) — China goes according to plan, the film could be China’s first international blockbuster, one that might skyrocketed in January
has a new ally in its cam- presage a wave of similar films intended to present a new face of China to the world. with Wanda’s purchase of
paign to turn itself into a Legendary, which almost
global cultural superpow- Associated Press doubled that total by itself.
er: Matt Damon. And, be- Chinese studios and in-
hind him, a good chunk of not made any secret of a research firm focused nearly 50 percent from a vestors have pledged an-
Hollywood as well. their desire to spread and on global trade flows and year earlier. At that pace, other several hundred mil-
Chinese leaders have long to encourage and to de- government policies. China could eclipse the lion dollars for Hollywood
sought international cul- velop soft power,” says Of course, plenty could U.S. as the world’s largest film slates. Warner Bros.,
tural influence, aka “soft Rance Pow, president of still go wrong. There’s no film market as early as next DreamWorks Animation
power,” commensurate Artisan Gateway, a Shang- guarantee that either “The year. and Universal have linked
with the nation’s econom- hai-based research firm Great Wall” or another half- But tapping that market up with state-owned en-
ic might. That’s brought that tracks the Chinese box dozen or so would-be Chi- has been a challenge. Chi- terprises and private com-
us official Confucian in- office. Regaling the world nese blockbusters will wow nese regulators allow no panies such as electronics
stitutes scattered across with made-in-China block- either Chinese or global more than 34 foreign films maker LeEco and Internet
the world, billions of dol- busters, he says, is one way audiences. Some previous to screen in China every giants Alibaba and Ten-
lars in development aid to do so. efforts along these lines year — far fewer than film- cent.
and awe-inspiring Olympic Hollywood naturally wel- have been global flops. makers release in the U.S. That flood of Chinese
ceremonies. But China’s comes Chinese investment This time, both Chinese every month — and im- cash makes possible epic
own film industry remains a to help fuel its voracious and American movie ex- pose multiple “blackout” films like “The Great Wall,”
mere flicker on the global movie-making machine. ecutives think they’ve got periods during which none helmed by internationally
screen. One Chinese company — the formula right. The most at all can be shown. Regu- acclaimed director Zhang
Which is where Damon conglomerate Dalian Wan- successful attempt so far is lators vary the length of the Yimou and filmed at a
comes in. Early next year, da Group — snapped up “Kung Fu Panda 3,” which blackouts so that Chinese- multi-billion-dollar produc-
the star of “The Martian” an entire Hollywood studio, has pulled in $314 million, made films eke out a ma- tion facility still under con-
will headline “The Great Legendary Entertainment, including an outsized $149 jority of the market every struction in Qingdao on
Wall,” a historical epic for $3.5 billion. Legend- million in China. Unlike its year, Artisan Gateway’s China’s eastern seaboard.
filmed in China with Chi- ary just happens to be the predecessors, the third Pow says. Legendary plans eight
nese and American stars, studio behind “The Great movie in the series was pro- Films like “Kung Fu Panda 3” more Chinese-themed
a famous Chinese director, Wall.” duced by a joint venture and “The Great Wall,” how- projects with similar bud-
a cast and crew of roughly Working with Chinese part- between the series’ original ever, get ushered to the gets, says Peter Loehr,
1,300, a $150 million bud- ners also offers a shortcut studio, DreamWorks Anima- front of the line. Because of CEO of Legendary’s wholly
get and some nasty mon- past rules that limit the distri- tion and Chinese investors, their Chinese backers, the owned subsidiary Legend-
sters. (Not to mention the bution of foreign movies in including state-backed films qualify for prime re- ary East.
support of the Chinese China’s booming film mar- China Media Capital. lease dates. Their backers “We’re hoping this is a
government.) If all goes ket. That could open up The biggest draw for Tinsel- also get to keep a bigger model that works and that
according to plan, the film a vast new territory to U.S. town is China’s huge and share of the box office than we can recreate it often,”
could be China’s first in- studios — at least so long as expanding film market. they ordinarily would. he says.
ternational blockbuster — they play by China’s rules. Cinema attendance in the So Hollywood has eagerly But the Western appetite
one that might presage a “For U.S. industry, these U.S. and Canada has been welcomed Chinese part- for China-centric films re-
wave of similar films intend- concessions are really flat for a decade, but Chi- ners. From 2000 to 2015, mains uncertain. Consider
ed to present a new face about market access,” says nese moviegoers are on a Chinese direct investment “The Flowers of War,” a
of China to the world. Thilo Hanemann, an econ- tear, snapping up tickets in U.S. entertainment firms 2011 film about the Japa-
That’s a lot to expect from omist with Rhodium Group, worth $6.8 billion in 2015, up amounted to $4 billion, nese army’s vicious 1937
a decidedly unusual action sack of Nanking. Despite
flick. In “The Great Wall,” star Christian Bale and a
Damon plays a wander- $94 million budget, the
ing European mercenary movie pulled in less than
in the pre-gunpowder era $500,000 in the U.S., ac-
who stumbles across the cording to Box Office Mojo.
titular structure and learns The brutality portrayed in
what it’s really for. (Hint: the film turned off foreign
Those monsters might be audiences as a “kind of
involved.) propaganda,” says Peter
But film-industry types on Li, managing director of
both sides of the Pacific CMC Capital Partners, a
believe this kind of joint unit of China Media Capi-
venture could open huge tal.
new opportunities for all Foreign co-productions
sides. For Hollywood, it’s could suffer a similar fate
about expanding markets if they grow too heavy
and investment; for the handed in an attempt to
Chinese government and satisfy Chinese censors,
private companies alike, who oversee all films re-
it’s about harnessing Amer- leased domestically. “If
ican stars and storytelling you promote socialist core
to help movies based on values, you’re not going to
Chinese history, myths and succeed overseas,” says
cultural icons break out Stan Rosen, a University of
onto a global stage. Southern California politi-
Chinese authorities “have cal scientist.q
