Chinese Film Is a First for Disney
Walt Disney Co. announced its first film production in China, a burgeoning media market where the company so far has mostly distributed content imported from the U.S.
The Chinese-language joint-venture film, a live-action version of the Chinese children's story "The Secret of the Magic Gourd," began production in October and is expected to be released in Chinese cinemas during the second half of 2006. Disney declined to disclose the film's budget.
Disney has lagged behind Time Warner Inc., Viacom Inc. and News Corp. in Chinese-language local production, an activity often cited by state regulators as useful in negotiating greater access to the market's tightly controlled state-owned television airwaves and movie theaters.
"There is a big corporate commitment towards increasing our business in China," said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's Buena Vista International distribution unit. He added that "every time we talk with government officials about increasing the number of pictures we import in, one thing they say is, 'Please invest in our country. Help us make movies here. Help us distribute those movies outside of China.' "
The announcement also comes amid politically sensitive negotiations between Disney and Chinese government officials over a potential Disney theme park in Shanghai and over broadcast rights for a stand-alone Disney TV channel in China.
The film's largest equity partner is Centro Digital Pictures, a subsidiary of Hong Kong's Centro Group, a production house known for its abilities with visual effects and computer-generated animation on films including "Shaolin Soccer," "Kung Fu Hustle" and "Kill Bill." Disney is the second-largest equity partner in the project, followed by the state-owned China Film Group Corp., China's dominant film distributor, which will also distribute the movie in China.
Disney hasn't decided whether it will distribute the film in North America.
迪斯尼开始在华制作中文电影
沃尔特-迪斯尼公司(Walt Disney Co.)宣布将开始在中国这个迅猛发展的媒体市场上进行电影制作，迪斯尼此前的主要在华业务是发行从美国引进的影片。
这部合资制作的中文影片已于今年10月开拍，预计明年下半年在中国上映。该剧情片根据中国儿童故事《宝葫芦的秘密》(The Secret of the Magic Gourd)改编。迪斯尼拒绝透露影片的投资额。
在中国本地制作中文节目方面，迪斯尼已落后于时代华纳(Time Warner Inc.)、维亚康姆(Viacom Inc.)和新闻集团(News Corp.)。中国政府的相关管理部门常说，外国媒体机构的此类制作活动有助于使他们有更多作品获准在中国受到严格控制的国有电视网和影院放映。
迪斯尼旗下发行子公司Buena Vista International的总裁马克?佐拉迪(Mark Zoradi)说，“这说明迪斯尼致力于发展在华业务。”他还补充说，“每次我们和中国政府官员谈到增加进口影片的数量时，他们都会说，‘请到中国投资，帮我们拍电影吧，帮我们做海外发行吧。’”
消息传出时，迪斯尼和中国政府正就一些具政治敏感性的问题举行谈判，具体内容包括在上海建造一座迪斯尼主题公园以及迪斯尼电视频道的在华播出权问题。
这部电影最大的股东合伙人是香港Centro Group旗下的先涛数码特技有限公司(Centro Digital Pictures)，该公司以擅长营造逼真的视觉效果和制作电脑特技而为人熟知，它参与制作的影片包括《少林足球》(Shaolin Soccer)、《功夫》(Kung Fu Hustle)和《杀死比尔》(Kill Bill)。迪斯尼是本片第二大股东合伙人，第三大股东是国有企业中国电影集团公司(China Film Group Corp.)，这家中国最大的电影发行公司也将负责该片的国内发行。
迪斯尼尚未决定该片是否将在北美地区发行。
