China gives Hollywood gift for the New Year – film releases

During the Chinese Lunar New Year, this year beginning February 18, and lasting nearly two weeks the Chinese celebrate their Spring vacation period by returning to their villages to see family and friends and, going to the movies.

Generally the biggest box-office period in the country, China’s film authorities have frequently used this period as a “black-out” period for foreign film. China allows release of twenty foreign titles a year into the country.This year, Chinese movie fans will be able to see some of Hollywood’s finest – while not major Oscar fodder or blockbusters (sans two) four are from Hollywood and that’s all that the major studios care about. And that’s not counting the late January release, in a US $1.5 million opening day, of Sony’s ‘Casino Royale,” which won the hearts of Chinese fans as James Bond played on movie screens for the first time in that country.Now for the Chinese New Year, Chinese movie fans will get to see the MGM war flick ‘Flyboys’ which cost $60 million to make and which grossed only $13.1 million domestic USA. Opening on February 14th the box-office comedy blockbuster starring Ben Stiller, ‘Night at the Museum’ will see if playing “fetch” with a dinosaur is as funny in China as in the West. “Museum” has pulled in a whopping $232.2 million to date in the USA and was seen in this past weekend's USA box-office in the number five place after nearly eight weeks of release.Another comedy opens on February 27, Fox’s ‘The Devil Wear’s Prada.’ While “Devil” has picked up two Oscar® nods, best actress for Meryl Streep and best costume design for the movie's Patricia Field, it will be interesting to see if this highbrow laffer carries well in China. Movie which cost $35 million to make pulled in a very respectable $124.7 million to date at USA box-offices.And lastly for the holiday period, another comedy, this one starring Adam Sandler ‘Click.’ The Sony release did marginally well in the US, pulling in around $137.3 million in domestic take while putting studio back $82.5 million to make. Pic too has Oscar nod in the ….makeup category for movies makeup artists Kazuhiro Tsuji and Bill Corso.