MUMBAI: DMG, a Chinese-American media company and Summit have got the Nicolas Cage thriller Knowing into one of the 20 annual theatrical film slots for foreign-made movies that is controlled by the China Film Group (CFG).
The move is a coup for both DMG and Summit, as the quota system in the country favours films coming out of the big Hollywood studios like Transformers, Terminator Salvation, Ice Age and Harry Potter.
Though Summit does not have offices in China but its partner DMG — an advertising firm with 16 years‘ experience in China and offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Los Angeles — used its knowledge of the Chinese marketplace and bureaucracy to position the film in one of the coveted spots.
For most U.S. movies released in China, their distributors receive a flat fee between $10,000 and $75,000. Under the CFG, studios receive a percentage of the gross, usually about 13%. With the Chinese box-office growing at a speedy clip.
DMG hopes Knowing will be released on 1,000-plus screens in the fall. Industry observers in Beijing are uncertain, however, as the Communist Party will celebrate 60 years in power on 1 October.
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