Apr 9, 2013

Iron Man and Transformers Will Become Chinese: Emerging Economy's Influence on Hollywood Industry.

At April, 18 in New Zealand Iron Man III will start it's way by the world's cinema theaters, having US start at may, 3. According to recent news movie, which was produced by US and China's companies in alliance, will have a special version for China, what means that movie which will be shown in biggest asian country will be different from one for all the rest of the world. And also without waiting for results of third Iron Man box office Transformers IV' creators seek an opportunity to make another US-China joint movie.

Most of us do not know how different chinese Iron Man III is, but may be in another version he just says that though american military industry and his own company are powerful, but probably not that powerful as chinese military industry, because this brave nation under control of blessed communistic party works for the future of the motherland, but not for illusionary capitalistic values of richness and personal fame...
And Transformers IV movie will also go more chinese way. What plot it can be? May be it will be about an auotobot who transforms in Geely and who have a challenge to participate in Kung Fu tournament, to defend fame of his autobots' family, which he can not refuse. He tries to ask spirits of chinese autobots' ancestors, but problem that Geely company was founded (like other giants of country's automative industry) not too many years ago in 1986, and there is no ancient ancestors to help. But than he asks help of american ones (because actually his mother had a relations with american, who was CIA agent). Spirit of 1963's Chevrolet Corvette, who was the car of one Hollywood celebrity, tells him story how Bruce Lee (sitting after wheel) told his owner the name of the best teacher in the world which lives far away in mountains. Geely Autobot finds him, starts training, learns to eat using sticks and then wins the Only-One-in-Thousand-Years Hong kong Transformers tournament.
Talking seriously, need to occupy emerging markets was understood by Hollywood majors in 1990s, when american movie economy stagnated, but industry still wanted more. Today with growth of US economy americans will buy more of gadgets or brand clothes, but not cinema tickets or DVDs. Economist would say that cinema had become 'inferior good'. But in developing economies situation is different.
In 90's Disney produced Scorsese's Kundun movie, abot Dalai Lama, which communist party of PRC was able to understand as sign of supporting of Tibet's separatists. Studio's products were totally banned in the country, which meant enormous loss of profits in future and denying of plan to construct Disneyland in China. But the next year Disney finds the way out. In 1998 studio releases mulan animated feature filled with good chinese characters and very bad nomads, and celebrating braveness, resolve, wisedom and kindness of chinese people. That opened way of Disney's success in five stars land. Chinese People's Daily (人民日报) wrote perfect review for the Mulan. After Disney started joined enterpraise in the country, constructed Disneyland in Hong Kong and prepares to build anoter one in Shanghai. But scorsese's pictures are still out of law in country. For example, Depatrted were banned for showing chinese people as terrorists. Now Paramount, also collaborating with Marvel studios (Disney releases Avengers serires and Paramount - Iron Man series), tries to find it's way to billions of chinese Renminbi.
Today China's economy is second in the world and for young people, who live in the country were western values were prohibited for centuries, forbidden fruits of America are especially tasty. That is why Apple computer leaders say they will pay special attention to this asian super-dragon, because this market is second for them just one position lower homeland. 
And modern international movie industry is not so far different from so called brand manufacturers to behave in different way. And as superhero's movie budgets are growing and US market do not, they have to pay more attention to emerging economies like China, Russia and South America. So do not be surprised to see more of eastern-european- or latin-american-friendly Hollywood movies. And success of some Disney's and Paramount studios movies only adrenalize Hollywood to come and to get even more.

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