Chinese version of High School Musical starts production
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The Walt Disney Company announced Sunday the start of production of the Chinese version of the classic High School Musical, working with local partners Shanghai Media Group (SMG) and Huayi Brothers Media Corporation.
High School Musical, Emmy Award winner in 2006, has reached about 300 million views since its debut in 2006. It has formed a product chain including the music albums, drama, clothing and souvenirs.
Created uniquely for the Chinese audience, the Chinese version tells a story of a new student who meets a gifted young man with whom she shares a secret passion for singing. With the help of their friends they overcome the odds to win an inter-school singing competition and discover their true calling in the process.
The movie is planned for cinematic release in summer 2010.
"Disney's ongoing commitment to local content development underpins our strategy to connect with new audiences around the world," said Jason Reed, executive vice president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production.
"The choice of the right stories and best local partners is key to success of our localization strategy," he added.
Chinese film market needs a variety of homemade movies like High School Musical, said Wang Zhonglei, president of Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, one of China's leading film and TV producers.
The cooperation with Disney and Huayi was "magic" and the return might be out of expectation, said Yang Wenhong, head of SMG's Film and TV Drama Center.
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