While almost the entire world gets to see Spider-Man 2 in July, the Associated Press reports that Chinese fans will have to wait until August.
Chinese moviegoers may have to wait just a little longer for the latest installments of Spider-Man, Shrek and Harry Potter.
The new releases may be delayed as China suspends imports of foreign movies in July, film distributors say, apparently part of a campaign to protect the local film industry.
Despite the success of Chinese director Zhang Yimou and a handful of others, China’s homegrown movie industry has been starved of box office revenues by the plethora of pirated DVDs that sell for as little as 8 yuan (US$1) each.
Adding to the industry’s woes, looser restrictions that followed China’s 2001 entry into the World Trade Organization has meant foreign movies are being shown in ever greater numbers at local cinemas. And audiences seem to favor slick Hollywood productions over the dramas, slapstick comedies and communist propaganda films churned out by China’s state-run studios.
Local studios also make few films aimed at young audiences.
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Source: Associated Press
