新概念閱讀：《變形金剛4》將在聯(lián)合制作

In two moves that underscore how keen Hollywood is on the Chinese market, Paramount Pictures is planning to co-produce parts of 'Transformers 4' in China and it has tweaked its coming 'World War Z' in order to not offend censors there.

The Viacom Inc. movie studio said Tuesday that it has signed a cooperation agreement with state-owned China Movie Channel and video-on-demand service Jiaflix, headed by veteran Hollywood producer Sid Ganis. The deal calls for China Movie Channel to support production of 'Transformers 4' in China, including the selection of filming sites, casting of local actors and promotion.

It is the first time that China Movie Channel, the nation's largest film broadcaster, has worked with a Western studio on a production.

Parts of the movie, which begins production in two months, will be shot in China and are likely to be set there, said two people close to the production. It is scheduled to be released in June of 2014.

The deal doesn't necessarily mean 'Transformers 4' will be granted official co-production status. That designation, which gives a movie a greater share of box-office revenue than those imported under the state quota system, is typically granted only after a film is complete and viewed by government officials. Walt Disney Co.'s Marvel Studios worked with local Chinese firm DMG to shoot parts of 'Iron Man 3' there and include local actors and plot elements. But the companies ultimately nixed plans to apply for co-production status.

The partnership is the latest sign that studios are aggressively seeking to work with Chinese officials in order to make more money in the country, which surpassed Japan last year to become the planet's biggest source of box-office dollars outside the U.S.

A statement from Paramount said the arrangement had the blessing of Tong Gang, vice minister of the State Administration of Radio Film and Television. It said Mr. Tong discussed the deal with 'Transformers' director Michael Bay, producer Lorenzo DiBonaventura, Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore and Jiaflix executives.

Mr. Tong's public support indicates that people at high levels in the Communist government look favorably upon the deal.

Jiaflix is making a 'meaningful investment' into the budget of 'Transformers 4' on top of its work to arrange the partnership, said Marc Ganis, the firm's president and a cousin of Sid Ganis. In exchange it will receive a share of the movie's profits.

Past 'Transformers' movies have been popular in China. In 2011, 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' grossed about $145 million there, more than in any other country but the U.S.

Separately, seeking to avoid offending government censors in China, Paramount recently adjusted a plot point in its coming Brad Pitt thriller 'World War Z,' excising a reference to the nation as a possible source of a zombie outbreak, according to a person with knowledge of the change. That news was reported earlier by website TheWrap.com.

派拉蒙影業(yè)公司(Paramount Pictures)計(jì)劃在中國(guó)聯(lián)合制作《變形金剛4》(Transformers 4)的部分內(nèi)容，另外，它還對(duì)即將上映的《僵尸世界大戰(zhàn)》(World War Z)做了小幅調(diào)整，以免冒犯中國(guó)的審查人員。這兩項(xiàng)舉措凸顯出好萊塢對(duì)中國(guó)市場(chǎng)的喜愛。

Reuters為避免冒犯中國(guó)政府審查人員，派拉蒙最近調(diào)整了由布拉德 皮特主演的《僵尸世界大戰(zhàn)》中的一個(gè)情節(jié)點(diǎn)：刪除了中國(guó)是僵尸大戰(zhàn)一個(gè)可能爆發(fā)地的說法。這家維亞康姆(Viacom Inc.)旗下的電影公司周二說，它已經(jīng)與國(guó)有中國(guó)電影頻道(China Movie Channel)以及資深好萊塢制片人錫德 加尼斯(Sid Ganis)執(zhí)掌的視頻點(diǎn)播服務(wù)Jiaflix簽署了合作。根據(jù)該，中國(guó)電影頻道將支持《變形金剛4》在中國(guó)的制作工作，包括拍攝場(chǎng)地的選擇、當(dāng)?shù)匮輪T的參演和影片宣傳活動(dòng)。

這是中國(guó)電影頻道首次與西方電影公司就電影制作開展合作。中國(guó)電影頻道是中國(guó)最大的電影播放機(jī)構(gòu)。

《變形金剛4》將在兩個(gè)月后開拍。據(jù)了解該片制作工作的兩位人士說，該片部分場(chǎng)景將在中國(guó)拍攝，背景可能設(shè)定在中國(guó)。影片按計(jì)劃將于2014年6月上映。

這宗合作案并不一定意味著《變形金剛4》將獲得正式的合拍片地位。相比按照政府制定的限額制度進(jìn)口的影片，合拍片的票房分賬更高。合拍片的地位通常是在影片拍攝制作完成并經(jīng)過政府官員預(yù)審之后才會(huì)授予。華特-迪士尼公司(Walt Disney Co.)旗下的漫威影業(yè)(Marvel Studios)與中國(guó)當(dāng)?shù)毓綝MG在中國(guó)合作拍攝了《鋼鐵俠3》(Iron Man 3)的部分內(nèi)容，影片還有中國(guó)演員參演，情節(jié)中也有中國(guó)元素。但這兩家公司最終放棄了申請(qǐng)合拍片地位的計(jì)劃。

此次合作再次顯示出電影公司積極尋求與中國(guó)官員合作，以便在中國(guó)賺更多的錢。中國(guó)去年超過日本，成為全球僅次于美國(guó)的第二大電影市場(chǎng)（按票房計(jì)算）。

派拉蒙在一份聲明中說，這項(xiàng)安排受到了國(guó)家廣電總局副局長(zhǎng)童剛的支持。聲明說，童剛與《變形金剛》導(dǎo)演貝(Michael Bay)、制片人博納文圖拉(Lorenzo DiBonaventura)、派拉蒙副董事長(zhǎng)穆爾(Rob Moore)和Jiaflix的多位高管就這項(xiàng)合作案進(jìn)行了討論。

童剛的公開支持意味著中共高層看好這次合作。

Jiaflix總裁馬克 加尼斯(Marc Ganis)說，除安排了影片制作方面的合作外，該公司還正在對(duì)《變形金剛4》的預(yù)算進(jìn)行有意義的投資。馬克 加尼斯是錫德 加尼斯的親戚。作為交換條件，該公司將從影片的利潤(rùn)中分得一杯羹。

以往的變形金剛系列影片在中國(guó)很受歡迎。2011年，《變形金剛3》(Transformers: Dark of the Moon)在中國(guó)取得了約1.45億美元的票房，創(chuàng)下美國(guó)以外的票房之最。

另外，據(jù)一位了解情況的人士說，為避免冒犯中國(guó)政府審查人員，派拉蒙最近調(diào)整了即將上映的由布拉德 皮特(Brad Pitt)主演的驚悚片《僵尸世界大戰(zhàn)》中的一個(gè)情節(jié)點(diǎn)：刪除了影片中提到中國(guó)是僵尸大戰(zhàn)一個(gè)可能爆發(fā)地的說法。網(wǎng)站TheWrap.com早些時(shí)候報(bào)道了這一消息。


眾所周知，在新概念英語中有些課文內(nèi)容都是五花八門包羅萬象，而新東方在線新概念組的小編也是秉承著這一理念為同學(xué)們搜羅各種新奇、新鮮事和大家一起分享學(xué)習(xí)。不知道首次與中國(guó)合作的《變形金剛4》會(huì)給我們帶來什么樣的視覺感官。