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On June 29, 2007, 'The Secret of the Magic Gourd' (Magic Gourd), an animation with live action1 film was released in China.2 The film was co-produced by the US-based Walt Disney Company3 (Disney), China Film Group Corporation4 (CFGC), and Centro Digital Pictures Limited (CDP), an animation and visual effects studio based in Hong Kong.
Magic Gourd was the first Disney movie to be produced outside
Hollywood. It was also the first film produced by Disney in
Mandarin, the official language of China.
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The movie was based on a Chinese story, and was a contemporary adaptation of a novel of the same name written by a famous Chinese children's writer, Zhang Tian Yi.5 Disney first made its presence felt in China in the 1930s when it started screening its animated films in theatres in Beijing and Shanghai.
But in 1949, after Mao Zedong, a Marxist military and political leader came to power as the Chairman of the People's Republic of China, Disney films along with many other forms of foreign entertainment were banned in the country. After nearly four decades, Disney re-entered the Chinese market in 1986, when it entered into an agreement with China Central Television, China's national television network, to provide cartoons that were broadcast on Sunday evenings.6
In 1994, Disney partnered with China Beijing TV station, a government-owned television network broadcasting from Beijing, and created 'Dragon Club', a TV program which aired Disney TV serials. The company also published comics and organized stage productions of famous Disney movies including 'The Lion King' and 'Winnie the Pooh' in China.7 Disney also started releasing dubbed versions of its English movies in China in 1995.8
Additionally, Disney, along with the Hong Kong Government opened the Disneyland theme park in Hong Kong in September 2005. Disney also operated several retail outlets that sold toys and kidswear in China.
In the early 2000s, Disney had been lobbying with the Chinese government to start a full fledged Disney Channel in China. But the approval for this was still pending as of mid 2007, as the Chinese government, which controlled its media markets, continued to deny access to foreign channels.9 It was at this juncture that Disney released its first Chinese co-production, Magic Gourd.
The release of Magic Gourd marked a change in Disney's strategy as it
was the company's first film in a foreign language. Disney's move to
produce a film in the Chinese language, with Chinese content, was seen
as a part of the company's attempt to localize its offerings in China.
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1] In an 'animation with live action' film, real people are combined with animated characters in the same frame.
2] Joseph Popiolkowski, "New Disney Film Offers Take on Traditional Chinese Tale," www.voanews.com, July 1, 2007.
3] As of mid 2007, The Walt Disney Company is the world's #2 media conglomerate (behind Time Warner) with assets encompassing movies, music, publishing, radio, television, and theme parks.
4] China Film Group Corporation is the largest and most influential state-run film enterprise that is the sole importer of foreign films in China (www.moviechina.com.cn)
5] "Disney Has High Hopes for Magic Gourd," www.china.org.cn, Accessed on July 5, 2007.
6] Clay Chandler, "Mickey Mao," Fortune, April 18, 2005.
7] Clay Chandler, "Mickey Mao," Fortune, April 18, 2005.
8] "Disney Has High Hopes for Magic Gourd," www.china.org.cn, Accessed on July 5, 2007.
9] "Disney Hopes to Strike `Magic' in China," www.en.ce.cn, May 17, 2007.
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