Film heroes descend on Beijing

Beijing has become the latest battlefield for Hollywood superheroes.

Johnny Depp came to Beijing on Monday to promote Transcendence, a cooperation between Warner Brothers, Alcon Entertainment and Beijing-based DMG Entertainment, which will premiere on April 18.

He could "live here easily", the 51-year star said at a news conference. "It is a warm experience."

Chris Evans, who impersonates Captain America in the two films based on the comic book hero, arrived in Beijing for the first time on March 24 to promote Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The film is to be released on April 4 simultaneously in China and the United States.

Also on their first trip to Beijing were Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson, who were overwhelmed by the more than 1,000 fans waiting for them in Sanlitun Village, an upmarket shopping area in eastern Beijing. The meet-the-fans event was part of the film's promotion tour, the only stop in Asia. They also had a news conference and did face-to-face interviews with local journalists.

"Two years ago, it was still Tokyo," says Kerwin Lo with the Walt Disney studios.

"If the crew had extra time and traffic was OK, they would come to China as an extra stop, but now Beijing is definitely a priority in such tours."

His point was strengthened the next day when the city hosted another Hollywood blockbuster's cast and crew.

Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Jamie Foxx met Chinese media and fans to promote Amazing Spider-Man 2, to be released on May 4.

When the first Amazing Spider-Man premiered in China in 2012, the stars did only a video interview with the journalists in China.

"The value of coming to a territory and sitting with people who actually live there and work there is a show of our respect," says Avi Arad, the film's producer.

"We don't just assume people in China are going to come to the movie, we are going to come to you, show you some of it, tell you why we think it is great."

Co-producer Matt Tolmach put it in a more straightforward manner. "Superhero films have done very well in China, especially the Spider-Man series," he says.

"It's a big market with huge growth, and Hollywood pays attention to areas where business is obviously growing."

China, as Tolmach points out, has become the highest-grossing market for many Hollywood films. In 2013 Pacific Rim even yielded more in China than in the United States.

Box office revenue reached 20 billion yuan ($3.2 billion) last year, and every day about 10 screens were built in China.

In addition, imported films now enjoy more share from box-office takings, a rise to 25 percent from 17 percent before 2012. In the same year, the number of imported films allowed in theaters has also increased from 20 to 34.

Challenges in this tempting market are as obvious as the opportunities. China allows only two State-owned companies, China Film and Huaxia Films, to distribute imported films. The studios could only assist. Some say the rise of domestic Chinese films in recent years has become a threat to imported films.

"I hope that someday soon we will be able to have more films shown here, that there won't be a filter for entertainment," says Scarlett Johansson. "I am sure people of China hope that as well."

liuw@chinadaily.com.cn