WARNER Brothers and investment firm China Media Capital (CMC) are forming a joint venture to develop Chinese-language movies, adding to a wave of tie-ups between Hollywood studios and Chinese partners to tap China’s fast-growing box office.

    The joint venture, Flagship Entertainment Group Ltd., is being launched ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s official visit to the United States next week and underscores the growing influence of Chinese movies around the world.

    China’s box office takings, set to hit US$8.9 billion in 2019 from US$5 billion this year, according to PwC, are fast catching up with the United States, but global studios have a tough time keeping on the right side of the censors and getting around a strict quota system for imported films.

    “The subtext is all these studios are looking at how they can get better access to the China market,” said Ben Cavender, Shanghai-based principal of China Market Research Group, adding it also opened up channels to Chinese facilities and funding.

    Studios such as Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and Walt Disney Co. have all hooked up with local groups.

    Films that qualify as co-productions and meet various criteria are exempt from China’s current quota of 34 imported films each year.

    (SD-Agencies)