MUMBAI: The first signs of cooperation between Hollywood filmmakers and their Chinese counterparts are showing up.
In August, DreamWorks Animation, known for making animated hits like Shrek and Kung Fu Panda, officially launched its joint-venture with three Chinese media companies. The firm is scheduled to make the next installment in the Kung Fu Panda series and open a theme park in Shanghai.
At the same time, James Cameron, who successfully directed Avatar and Titanic, also made his entry into China when he co-founded Cameron Pace Group with China Film Group Corp. and they agreed to cooperate on a 3D documentary about the history of Beijing.
The JV structure allows Hollywood to gain entry to a market it sees as fast-growing. It also allows Hollywood studios and their Chinese counterparts to circumvent government rules limiting the number of foreign films that can be shown each year in the country.
In February, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, the country‘s media watchdog, had averred that it would allow the number of foreign-made films allowed into the country this year to rise from 20 to 34.
More significantly, in the same month, Beijing signed an agreement with Washington that means films made by the JVs will not be counted against the quota.
In the first half of 2012, four of the five films that attracted 10 million ticket buyers were made in the US, the remaining being those from China.
Tag: Kung Fu Panda
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Signs of Hollywood, China teaming showing results
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Next Kung Fu Panda to be filmed in China
Mumbai: Further strengthening Hollywood‘s fast-growing ties with China, DreamWorks Animation and its Chinese partners have announced plans to co-produce the next Kung Fu Panda film and develop an entertainment district in Shanghai, expanding Hollywood‘s fast-growing ties to China.
Kung Fu Panda 3 will be produced in China and released in 2016, according to DreamWorks Animation SKG Ltd. and its state-owned local partners, China Media Capital, Shanghai Media Group and Shanghai Alliance Investment.
The film will be produced by a new joint venture, Shanghai Oriental DreamWorks Film and Television Technology Co. While DreamWorks will own 45 per cent of the company, its Chinese partners will hold stakes totaling 55 per cent.
Hollywood studios have announced quite a few deals with local partners to gain access to Chinese financing and a government-controlled film market that seems to be growing strongly at a time of weak ticket sales in the US and Europe.
Oriental DreamWorks plans to release one to three films per year and employ as many as 2,000 production professionals, the partners said. They said it aims to become the largest animation production base in China and also will explore opportunities in online games, musicals and consumer products.
Last year, Legendary Entertainment, producer of hits including The Dark Knight, formed Legendary East with Chinese studio Huayi Brothers Media Corp. It plans one to two movies per year, mainly in English and based on Chinese themes.
Another studio, Relativity Media, said last year it would make movies with two Chinese partners for global audiences and distribute movies in China.
Foreign studios hope partnering with local companies will increase their access to China‘s tightly controlled film market.
For the past decade, China‘s state-run film distributors have allowed in only 20 foreign films per year for national distribution. The foreign share of ticket sales is limited to a range of 13.5 to 17.5 percent.
In March, the government announced it will allow in an additional 14 foreign films if they are made in 3-D or for the big-screen Imax format. It raised the foreign share of ticket sales to 25 per cent. -
Madagascar 3 to premiere at Cannes
MUMBAI: Madagascar 3: Europe‘s Most Wanted will have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
The Paramount and DreamWorks Animation film, which will release on 8 June, will be the first major studio title to surface in connection with Cannes, a popular place to launch summer tentpoles.
So far, only the opening-night film has been officially announced, Wes Anderson‘s Moonrise Kingdom, which Focus Features is releasing in the U.S.
An official announcement about Madagascar 3 is expected in the coming days.
Earlier, Paramount and DreamWorks Animation‘s Kung Fu Panda made its world premiere at the festival in 2008.
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Eighteen films in race for animation Oscar award
MUMBAI: Steven Spielberg‘s‘ The Adventures of Tintin, Kung Fu Panda 2, Rio and Rango are among the eighteen animation films that are in the run for a nomination at the 84th Academy Awards.
The list includes films which have already released, like Puss in Boots, Cars 2, and those that are yet to be released like ‘Arthur Christmas and Happy Feet Too.
Of these, there could be as many as five films for best animated feature film at the Oscars 2011 if all the 18 films qualify.
An important clause for all these films to qualify for the coveted award is that at least eight of the movies must be released theatrically in Los Angeles County before the end of the year. Once they complete that run, the films will also be eligible in other categories beyond feature animation.
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Dreamworks, Nick announce tie-up to bring big screen properties to TV
MUMBAI: US kids brand Nickelodeon, is working with DeamWorks Animation to make television shows based on the films Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda.
Media reports state that the Madagascar show will chronicle the adventures of its penguin characters — Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private.
Nick will handle the day-to-day development of the series, but plans to outsource the actual CG production. DreamWorks’s Jeffrey Katzenberg was quoted in Variety saying that these two projects are likely just the first of what will be future partnerships between Nickelodeon and Dreamworks, which have been in the works since DreamWorks was acquired by Paramount last December