Lion King's early release, success proves value of Chinese market

BEIJING - After watching the midnight premiere of The Lion King, Sang Shuang, a college student in China, decided that a second watch, in an IMAX theater, would be even better.

Disney's live-action remake of the 1994 classic animated film The Lion King hit the big screen on the Chinese mainland on Friday, a week earlier than North American cinemas.

The ambitious blockbuster filled with computer-generated imagery spectacles led the box office and grossed a total of 369 million yuan ($54 million) over the weekend, according to the China Movie Data Information Network.

The early screening of the film highlighted the great value of the Chinese market, and was also a reflection of an increasingly expanding audience.

Not many years ago, Chinese movie-goers had to wait for weeks, even months after a blockbuster was released in other countries. Some hardcore fans even flew overseas to watch the latest movies.

The Chinese screening of the 2018 movie Avengers: Infinity War, for example, was about two weeks behind North America.

But the situation is changing. This year, Avengers: Endgame hit the Chinese market on April 24, two days before theaters in North America. The new Lion King will not be released in other countries until the weekend.

"Movies are commodities in some ways, and thus must conform to the market laws of investment and returns. Due to the high cost of Hollywood blockbusters, movie companies must take markets' potential buying power into consideration," said Zhou Zhiqiang, former dean of the National Theatre of China, and a renowned voice actor.

Zhou played the voice of Mufasa in the Chinese version of the new Lion King. He said he was attracted to the film after watching some excerpts, and took the job immediately.

China's movie box office will reach $12.28 billion by 2020, surpassing the United States to become the world's largest film market, according to PwC analysis.

The China Business Research Institute estimates that there were more than 60,000 cinema screens in China last year, ranking first in the world. The institute expects figures to exceed 66,000 by the end of 2019.

Ticket prices are reasonable, which means many people can afford to see the films.

"It cost me just 28 yuan to see advanced CGI technologies of Hollywood on the big screen," Sang said. "A ticket for James Cameron's Avatar was several hundred yuan 10 years ago."

The 1994 version of The Lion King has a huge audience in China, even today. It is also a must-see for Chinese students learning English.

"My father is a big fan of the old version. I still remember the happy times watching it with my parents when I was little," Sang said. "My father even keeps Elton John's Can You Feel the Love Tonight as his ringtone."

Industry insiders said China's efforts in copyright protection have given overseas film distributors more confidence to screen their films in China.

Chinese audiences have developed a habit of going to the cinema to watch blockbusters as pirated DVDs or unauthorized online content is becoming less prevalent. Watching a movie in a cinema has become one of the most common entertainment options in the country.

The huge Chinese market has become a perfect place for filmmakers in the world to achieve both artistic and economic pursuits, Zhou said.

Xinhua

(China Daily 07/18/2019 page17)