China opening up to Hollywood

Beijing, Dec 8 (Xinhua) "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is set to be China's biggest box office hit this year after reaping about $9.8 million since its release three weeks ago, testifying to Hollywood's huge influence in the world's most populous country.

The movie, together with other three instalments of the hugely successful series, features the adventures of a little wizard boy who has created millions of "Harry fans" in China.

China's other two Hollywood hits for the year - "Star Wars Episode III" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" have earned about $9.3 million and about $7.6 million, respectively, since their releases in June.

Along with its economic rise in recent years, China has been opening up to anything foreign - from management expertise to fast food to Western movies, Hollywood blockbusters in particular.

Of the 88 foreign movies China enjoyed during 2000-2004, 70 were from the US. According to Mao Yu, an official with the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, China introduced 16 American movies among the total 20 foreign films distributed in 2005.

But just 10 or 20 years ago, few Chinese had watched or even heard of Hollywood movies in that ideology-highlighted era.

Wang, a 40-odd-year-old, said most of the few foreign movies he watched during his childhood were from the "socialist camp", such as Vietnam and North Korea.

Indian movies left a deep impression on him by featuring love stories with singing and dancing, rare in Chinese films.

Most Chinese movies screened were news clips. When the first American movie, "The Fugitive," landed in 1994, Chinese distributors were afraid that the movie might cause controversy. The poster read "Time of reform and hot debate; risky screening in the movie market."

Ten years later, more and more Chinese are accustomed to the Western scenes and thinking depicted in movies and are attracted to Hollywood movies for their hi-tech production techniques. They no longer regard them as a threat.

"Hollywood blockbusters, while taking hold of the Chinese movie market, help the Chinese movie industry progress in creativity and production," said Yin Hong, professor with the Tsinghua University, who believed the Star Wars series has stimulated Chinese enthusiasm about space exploration

China has also honoured several Hollywood movies with its prestigious film awards - the Huabiao Awards and Golden Rooster Awards. These movies include "Saving Private Ryan", "Pearl Harbor" and "Forrest Gump."

According to an agreement reached between China and the US in 1999, China would no longer hold a movie import quota and allow the distribution of imported US movies by sharing box office earnings after China's entry into the World Trade Organisation.

Foreign investors are allowed to hold less than 49 percent, or non-controlling stake, in cineplexes and film studios. In October 2004, Warner Brothers, China Film Group, and Zhejiang Hengdian Group, a local film producer, launched China's first joint venture in film production.

Chinese movie directors and producers have turned to Hollywood to learn the US way of movie production and distribution. Chinese blockbusters "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers" by China's first internationally famed director, Zhang Yimou, have reaped millions of dollars.

Ordinary Chinese also find movies instructive.

Lu Ya and her 11-year-old daughter are fascinated by Harry Potter's wizardry, the movie's imagination and the British mythology. The daughter even reads books to understand more about the wizard world.

Lu was happy that her daughter has learned new things from the movie. "'Harry Potter' has become an important part of my life," she said.

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire