《钢铁侠3》(Iron Man 3)还未公开上映就已成为有史以来评价最高的中美合拍片之一，而且据预计，预计该片上映后会很叫座。
成功的秘诀是什么？据一位业内专家说，秘诀之一是避免申请官方认可的合拍片地位。
中国电影业顾问甘敏中(Robert Cain)上周四在其网站上发表的一篇评论文章中说，《钢铁侠3》背后的三家公司──华特-迪士尼公司(Walt Disney Co.)中国子公司、漫威影业(Marvel Studios)和北京的DMG娱乐传媒集团(DMG Entertainment)──为了赢得全球市场，可能选择不再向中国有关机构申请该片的合拍片身份。
在如何才能最好地利用中国利润丰厚但管控严格的电影市场上，该片以无视合拍片流程的方式向传统智慧提出了挑战。过去几年，外国电影制作方在中国达成了多宗中外合拍片的正式交易，他们以为此类交易是绕过中国制定的外国影片进口限额的最有效方法。中国将每年上映的外国影片数量限制在34部，同时又规定其中14部必须是3D影片或是Imax巨幕影片。
甘敏中写道，尽管获得官方认可的合拍片地位将为《钢铁侠3》进入中国市场提供方便，但这样做的代价是将创意控制权交到中国政府手中。
迪士尼的一名发言人说，上述三家公司还没有为该片申请合拍片身份，但她没有回复记者提出的进一步澄清问题的请求。
此前上映的合拍片曾出现票房惨败的情况。一部片子若要申请合拍片身份，制作该片的外国电影公司和中资电影公司在创作一部情节包含中国元素的影片时必须分享版权、风险和收益。
票房数据库Box Office Mojo和《雪花秘扇》(Snow Flower and the Secret Fan)的制作方说， 这部2011年上映的影片在中美这两个全球最大的电影市场的票房表现都远不如人意，其美国票房为130万美元，中国票房600万美元。该片由上海的IDG中国媒体基金(IDG China Media)和福克斯旗下的艺术剧院探照灯公司(Fox Searchlight)联合制作。
有些合拍片虽在中国取得了成功，但未能赢得全球观众的喜爱。媒体研究公司艺恩咨询(EntGroup)的数据显示，吴宇森执导的分为上下两集的史诗巨片《赤壁》(Red Cliff)上映首周获得的票房收入超过人民币1亿元。该片由Lion Rock Entertainment和中影集团(China Film Group)联合制作。与此同时，Box Office Mojo的数据显示，面向西方观众推出的该片精简版的票房收入不到70万美元。
甘敏中说，《钢铁侠3》的主创方希望赢得每位观众，所以他们不会为了能够轻易进入中国市场而过分渲染任何中国元素。与此同时，制片方为了同中国保持友好关系而选择在中国拍摄某些场景，并请来了中国明星王学圻和范冰冰在片中为好莱坞明星小罗伯特•唐尼(Robert Downey Jr.)和格温妮丝•帕特洛(Gwyneth Paltrow)助阵。
这部影片已经在中国大热。中国官员允许片方在过去一年为这部影片进行宣传。甘敏中说，通常来说外国电影公司只能在影片上映前几周在中国对影片进行宣传。他还说《钢铁侠3》甚至可能在中国首映。
这部影片也在中国中央电视台一年一度的春节联欢晚会上进行了宣传。春晚是中国收视率最高的电视节目。
甘敏中在文中没有指出的是，《钢铁侠3》是一部3D影片。在过去一年中国政府热烈欢迎此类型影片。
中国市场对3D影片的需求非常高。类似《西游•降魔篇》和《画皮2》之类的影片纷纷打破票房纪录，帮助推高了票房成绩。这是中国政府希望看到的。
中国政府近来将3D影片归为电影产业的一个门类，并希望打造一批实力强劲的国内影片制作公司。官员们希望国内电影公司能和财力雄厚的好莱坞大公司展开合作，以学习和复制后者的成功，并在海外推广中国文化，提高中国的美誉度。
《钢铁侠3》预计将于4月25日进行Imax版本的全球首映，并在5月3日全面公映。
Before it even hits theaters, where it’s expected to do well, “Iron Man 3” has already become one of the most lauded China-U.S. co-productions in history.
What’s the secret recipe? Part of it, according to one industry expert, is avoiding official co-production status.
In a commentary posted to his website on Thursday, China film consultant Robert Cain said the three companies behind “Iron Man 3″ ─ Walt Disney Co.’s China division, Marvel Studios and Beijing-based DMG Entertainment ─ have likely opted out of trying to gain China’s co-production stamp in favor of winning global appeal.
In ignoring the official co-production process, the film is challenging conventional wisdom about how best to tap China’s lucrative but tightly controlled film market. Over the past several years, foreign film producers have signed a number of official co-production deals in China under the assumption that such deals were the most efficient method for bypassing the country’s foreign film quotas, which the cap the number of foreign films the country can show at its theaters each year to 34 each year, provided 14 of them are filmed in 3D or fit the jumbo Imax screen format.
While achieving official co-production status would have streamlined entry into China for “Iron Man 3,” it would have done so at the expense of handing over creative control to the Chinese government, Mr. Cain wrote.
A Disney spokeswoman the studios had not yet filed for co-production status but did not respond to requests for clarification.
Co-production deals ─ which require a foreign film company and a Chinese film company to share copyright, risks and profits in creating a story that involves China in the plot have resulted in the creation of a few box office flops.
The 2011 film “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan,” a co-production between IDG China Media of Shanghai and Fox Searchlight, fell flat in both of the world’s largest box offices, making $1.3 million in the U.S. and $6 million in China’s box offices, according to box office database Box Office Mojo and the film’s producers.
Other co-productions have found success in China but failed to win over a global audience. Each installment of the two-part John Woo epic “Red Cliff,” produced by Lion Rock Entertainment and China Film Group, raked in more than 100 million yuan ($16 million) in its first week of release, according to media-research firm EntGroup. A condensed version for Western audiences, meanwhile, earned less than $700,000, according to Box Office Mojo.
The creators of Iron Man hope to win everyone over, so they’ve avoided over-playing any China plot for an easy entry into the market, said Mr. Cain. At the same time, producers have kept things friendly with China by shooting scenes in the country and featuring Chinese stars Wang Xueqi and Fan Bingbing next to Hollywood stars Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow.
The film is already getting big play in China, where officials have allowed studios to promote the film for the past year. Typically foreign studios only allowed to promote their films in China a few weeks prior to the their release, Mr. Cain said, noting that “Iron Man 3″ may even be released in China first.
The film was also promoted on China Central Television’s annual Lunar New Year’s Gala, the country’s most-watched TV event.
What Mr. Cain’s post does not note is that “Iron Man 3” is a 3D production, a type of film that the government has rolled out the red carpet for in the past year.
The demand for 3D in China has been through the roof. Films such as “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons” and “Painted Skin: The Resurrection” have broken records, helping to build up box office sales, which the Chinese government wants.
The Chinese government has recently pinpointed 3D as a segment of the film industry in which it aims to develop strong domestic players. Officials are eager for local studios to pair up big budget Hollywood companies to learn and duplicate successes to propel China’s name and culture overseas.
“Iron Man 3” is set for international release on Imax screens on April 25 and May 3 elsewhere.
|
