[LINK] "Hollywood Bows to Chinese Censors, Courts Investors"

[rfmcdonald]

Bloomberg's Anousha Sakoui notes the increasing influence of China--more specifically, the Chinese market--on Hollywood. This potentially huge market, along with China's increasing interest in soft power, is starting to have an impact.

Hollywood film studios are courting Chinese investors to gain access to the world’s most populous nation, brushing aside concerns that their new partners will seek to censor the next generation of films and TV shows.

In the latest sign of the growing mutual interest, Dalian Wanda Group Co. said yesterday it’s in talks to acquire a stake in Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (LGF), maker of “The Hunger Games” films. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (BABA) Chairman Jack Ma toured Hollywood in October seeking alliances, while Shanghai-based Fosun International Ltd. (656) invested in Jeff Robinov’s Studio 8, which is making films for Sony Corp. (6758)

Hollywood is seeking Chinese investors despite the country’s routine censorship of films and TV shows. Studios from Walt Disney Co. to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. have changed story lines, altered national identities and removed sex scenes to accommodate government oversight. Hollywood has even partnered with the Chinese government-owned companies on movies like “Kung Fu Panda 3,” from DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. (DWA)

“Every mainstream studio is keenly aware of not offending the Chinese market, because it’s become such an important revenue stream,” said Tom Nunan, a visiting professor at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Theater, Film and Television.

Wanda is interested in buying control of Lions Gate, though the studio, run from Santa Monica, California, is only willing to sell a minority stake, Wanda Chairman Wang Jianlin said yesterday in an interview.