Tough nuts to crack

As US film producers and Chinese investors continue to snuggle up to each other, industry insiders said making money from these potential marriages is harder than many think.

The Chinese market, remains partially closed to foreign films. Just 34 movies produced outside of China are allowed to be screened in the Chinese mainland each year.

Some foreign, particularly US, filmmakers are seeking to circumvent the restriction by seeking Chinese partners to jointly produce movies for the Chinese market.

The latest co-productions include Legendary Entertainment's The Great Wall, the Zhang Yimou-helmed epic starring Matt Damon, which will be the largest film ever shot in China for global distribution.

China became the first market outside of North America in 2014 to see gross box-office revenue exceed $4 billion, according to the Motion Picture Association of America's annual report, hitting $4.8 billion, a staggering 34-percent rise on 2013. In contrast, total box-office receipts were down 5 percent in the North American market.

The momentum has continued into this year, with China's monthly box-office receipts totaling $650 million in February, surpassing that of the US for the first time, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 05/01/2015 page23)