In a first for a studio Hollywood release, moviegoers in the U.S. will be able to see a Mandarin-language version of Kung Fu Panda 3 in select U.S. theaters.
AMC Entertainment — owned by China's Dalian Wanda Group — is partnering with DreamWorks Animation and Fox to show a dubbed or subtitled version of the movie in markets where there is a significant Chinese population. The seven theaters are in Los Angeles (with three); Boston; Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; and the Bay Area in Northern California.
Also, Regal Entertainment will play the Mandarin version in one location in Canada, and Cineplex will carry it in two theaters in Vancouver.
A Spanish-language version of Kung Fu Panda 3, which opens Friday, also will be shown in select AMC locations. AMC and other circuits often offer a Spanish-language version of animated films, whether subtitled or dubbed, in the U.S., but Kung Fu Panda 3 marks the first time a theater circuit has partnered with a major Hollywood studio to make a title available in Mandarin.
"The audience for the Kung Fu Panda franchise is very broad and includes those whose first language may not be English," said AMC executive vp and chief content officer Elizabeth Frank. "As an extension of our targeted programming, AMC is excited to provide our diverse audience with the opportunity to experience Kung Fu Panda 3 in their preferred format and language."
The DWA movie is a co-production with the state-run China Film Group. English- and Mandarin-language versions will both be shown in China.
The seven theaters in the U.S. playing the Mandarin version are: AMC Loews Boston Common 19; AMC River East 21 in Chicago; AMC Lennox Town Center 24 in Columbus; AMC Cupertino Square 16 in the Bay Area; and Los Angeles' AMC Puente Hills 20, AMC Atlantic Times Square 14 and AMC Tustin 14.