'Incredible Story' of Cinema in China
Hollywood, and the movie industry in general, is built on great stories. So when you hear the President of Columbia Pictures describe a story as 'incredible' - you know it's going to be genuinely good.
The story in question here is a factual one - the meteoric rise of cinema in China over the last few years.
Growth of ticket sales in the current year in China has according to Reuters been 4.4 percent when compared to 2015. Total ticket sales in China are now an astonishing $6 billion, a figure which is just short of 20 percent of all cinema revenue in the World.
Like all good stories, though, this one has had its ups and downs. As impressive a result as the 4.4 percent growth might be, it's nevertheless the smallest increase for several years.
As China has become more and more important to Hollywood, any potential slowdown is a cause for concern. Nevertheless, the results represent growth, and new film projects seem certain to capture the imagination of Chinese fans.
In October, we reported that the World's largest cinema chain operator, Dalian Wanda, is aiming to get overseas producers to make films at their new studios, Qingdao Movie Metropolis.
The Metropolis, which covers 376 hectares, will be the world's largest studio when it becomes fully operational in 2018.
Dalian Wanda are offering steep discounts to producers who become early users of the facilities. Apparently, discounts of up to 40 percent will be available, funded by a joint investment of $750 million with the local government.