Film company shoots for global role
By Wang Lan (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-08-08 15:04
His strategy is to include some of the most popular film stars
from each market in the cast of every movie. "In every movie we made in recent
years, we have had the hottest stars from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan,"
Ren said. "We found that combination to be a guarantee of box-office success in
those three markets," he said.
To further ensure success on the mainland,
the SFG has invested heavily in expanding its network of cinemas in Shanghai and
some other mainland cities. The company's Shanghai United Film Circuit consists
of 82 franchised multiplexes in Shanghai with a total of 224 screens. Box office
receipts in 2005 totalled 246 million yuan (US$30.75 million), up from 142
million yuan (US$17.75 million) in 2003.
In addition, SFG entered into a
joint venture with US entertainment giant Warner Brothers to develop and manage
a separate cinema chain, Shanghai Yonghua Cinema. Opened in 2003, Yonghua ranked
first among all cinema chains in box office receipts for three consecutive
years.
The SFG has also entered into an agreement with CJ, South Korea's
biggest entertainment corporation, to open a new cinema this October.
"We
believe in international co-operation in all our businesses," said Ren. "It has
been a formula of success in combining the specific expertise of our overseas
partners, who include Hong Kong directors, foreign actors and actresses, and
special effects experts, with our knowledge of the domestic market, excellent
local connections, well-established production facilities and an expanding
distribution network," he said.
"What we need to do is to keep
producing marketable movies."
(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)
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