TRANSFORMERS 4 aidé par la Chine
Alors que l’équipe doit tourner à Detroit, elle fera escale en Chine pour des prises de vues qui font grand bruit.
La rumeur selon laquelle TRANSFORMERS 4 se tournerait en partie en Chine courait depuis quelques temps maintenant. Mais quand il fut annoncé que le tournage se concentrerait sur la ville de Detroit dans le Michigan, l’info était implicitement démentie. Or… non. Un communiqué officiel révèle que Paramount s’est associé aux Chinois pour leur prochaine production. « Paramount Pictures, China Movie Channel et Jiaflix Enterprises annoncent aujourd’hui avoir un accord de coopération, concernant la production de TRANSFORMERS 4 en Chine. L’accord a été signé le 1er avril à Pékin et Los Angeles ». China Movie Channel n’avait encore jamais soutenu une production hollywoodienne, jusqu’à présent. Et pour info Jiaflix Enterprises est une société de streaming « à la » Netflix, mais chinoise.
Ainsi Paramount compte sur ses partenaires pour faciliter le repérage de lieux de tournage en Chine et pour participer probablement à la post-production de TRANSFORMERS 4. En échange, des acteurs et actrices chinois devront être castés dans le film, aux côtés de Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz (confirmée à la distribution récemment) et Jack Reynor. Peu ou prou le même accord a été passé entre Marvel et les Chinois de DMG pour la superproduction IRON MAN 3.
« Les films TRANSFORMERS sont parmi les films les plus populaires en Chine et Michael Bay est l’un des réalisateurs les plus populaires auprès du public chinois, explique le communiqué. TRANSFORMERS 3, sorti là-bas en 2011, a récolté 165 millions de dollars en Chine… » Michael Bay s’est dit « fier et honoré de la manière dont les spectateurs chinois reçoivent les TRANSFORMERS » et a expliqué avoir hâte « de travailler avec China Movie Channel et Jiaflix Enterprises afin de toucher encore plus de monde et accroître la passion du public pour ces histoires et ces personnages ».
« China Movie Channel et notre site officiel M1905.com sont des partenaires de longue date de Jiaflix, a expliqué Yan Xiaoming, president de China Movie Channel. Nous avons collaboré sur l’importation de films hollywoodiens pour la télé chinoise ou Internet. Y compris ceux de Paramount. Et nous avons exporté des films chinois sur le marché nord-américain et nous sommes ravis des résultats que nous avons obtenus. (…) C’est le début d’une nouvelle collaboration avec les studios américains. Nous sommes confiants sur le fait que la collaboration entre China Movie Channel/Jiaflix et Paramount fasse que la marque TRANSFORMERS soit encore un plus gros succès ».
Il est facile de déduire que TRANSFORMERS 4 a des chances d’être en IMAX et en 3D, le public chinois étant particulièrement friand de ces formats. Opération séduction en cours.
Veuillez trouver ci-dessous le communiqué intégral en anglais (source : Deadline).
Los Angeles, CA – April 2, 2013 – Paramount Pictures, China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises announced today that they have entered into a Cooperation Agreement regarding the production of “Transformers 4” in China. The Cooperation Agreement was signed on April 1, 2013 in Beijing and Los Angeles.
Pursuant to the agreement, China Movie Channel, under the State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT), will cooperate with Paramount in broad-based support of the production of the film in China. “Transformers 4” is expected to be released in China on or about June 27, 2014. The parties also intend to cooperate in a number of other areas related to “Transformers 4,” including the selection of filming sites within China, theatrical promotion, and possible post-production activities in China as well as casting of Chinese actors and actresses in the film.
This agreement represents the first time that China Movie Channel will work with a western studio in the production of a major motion picture.
The unprecedented agreement followed a meeting with Mr. Tong Gang, Vice Minister of SARFT with the Transformers 4 production leaders including director Michael Bay, producer Lorenzo DiBonaventura and Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore, along with Jiaflix Chairman Sid Ganis and President Marc Ganis at SARFT’s official Reception Hall in Beijing. Minister Tong expressed support for the newly formed China Movie Channel/Jiaflix cooperation with Paramount.
The “Transformers” movies are among the most popular films ever released in China, and Michael Bay is among the most popular directors with Chinese audiences. Transformers 3, Dark of the Moon, released theatrically in 2011, grossed $165 million in China and over $1.1 billion worldwide.
“I’m proud and honored by how ‘Transformers’ has been embraced by Chinese audiences,” said Michael Bay. “I look forward to working with China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises to help reach more people here and deepen their passion for this ongoing story and its characters.”
“China Movie Channel and our official movie web site M1905.com have been long term trusted partners with Jiaflix,” said Yan Xiaoming, Chairman of China Movie Channel. “We have been working together in the field of importing Hollywood movies for Chinese television and internet, including Paramount movies, as well as introducing Chinese movies to the North American market and are very delighted with the results we have accomplished together.”
“This is the beginning of a new era of collaboration with the Hollywood studios,” Mr. Yan continued. “We are very confident that the China Movie Channel/Jiaflix cooperation with Paramount will result in the famous Transformers brand being an even bigger success.”
Jiaflix, through its partners, Sid Ganis, Marc Ganis and Kenneth Huang, was the driving force in bringing the new arrangement to fruition. Said Sid Ganis, Chairman of Jiaflix, “Paramount was the first major studio to officially join with us for the distribution of its films over the Jiaflix platform in China, so we are delighted to join our partners at China Movie Channel together with Paramount on this groundbreaking initiative. ‘Transformers 4’ are paving the way.” Jiaflix has recently entered into a long term agreement with Paramount, under which Paramount will supply more than 250 films a year to the new video streaming partnership between Jiaflix and M1905.com, a unit of China Movie Channel.
“We are excited by and grateful for the opportunity to work with China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises on the production and promotion of ‘Transformers 4,’” said Paramount Vice Chair Rob Moore. “We see this relationship as a reflection of the global power and appeal of both this unique franchise and Michael Bay’s talents as a filmmaker.”
