香港动画工作室遭遇清盘
据港媒报道，香港的意马动画工作室在2月5日召开的一次内部会议上宣布公司清盘，并辞退了员工。
据悉，意马工作室的新片《阿童木》在票房上的失利是其清盘的主要原因。《阿童木》改编自日本漫画大师手塚治虫的名作，其制作费用近5亿元人民币（约合7300万美元）。加上宣传费用，其实际成本高达8亿2000万人民币（约合1亿2000万美元）。但是自从该片在2009年10月末同时登陆全球影院，在两个月内其全球票房仅为1亿9000万人民币（约合2800万美元）。
在主要目标市场的中国内地，该片总共仅有4000万人民币（约合590万美元）入账，远于低于预期的2亿元人民币（约合2900万美元）的票房。但是这部电影在中国上映三天之后，即2009年10月26日，发行方光线影业称票房已达到4000万元人民币。而官方数据显示其三天的票房只有1700万元（约合250万美元）。后来，光线影业做了公开的道歉，承认它公布的数据很有误导性。
《阿童木》是意马工作室继《忍者神龟》后的第二部动画长篇电影。《忍者神龟》根据同名动画改编，在美国上映的第一个周末，该片票房独占鳌头，达到了2545万美元。这部电影虽然在全世界卖了9500万美元，但票房还是不如人意。同时，意马工作室和发行方华纳兄弟在分账上产生了纠纷。这些使得它的股价大跌。
市场上也早有传言，说意马工作室的财政有问题。2009年12月份，公司就曾裁减100余名员工，占全体人员的25%。
意马动画工作室由意马国际控股有限公司于2000年成立。意马国际控股有限公司的前身是1997年成立的宝途国际控股有限公司。宝途公司在2004年改成现在的名字。意马动画工作室的总部设在香港的柴湾，并在洛杉矶设有工作室，在东京设有办公室。
HK animation studio goes into liquidation
On February 5, Hong Kong-based Imagi Animation Studios announced liquidation of the company and layoff of its employees at an internal meeting, according to Hong Kong media.
Reportedly, the box office failure of Astro Boy, Imagi's latest production, is the major cause. Based on Japanese manga master Osamu Tezuka's creation, the animated feature cost about 500 million yuan (about US$ 73 million) to produce. Including the publicity fees, its total budget amounted to 820 million yuan (about US$120 million), but since the movie simultaneously hit global cinemas in late October 2009, it grossed merely 190 million yuan (about US$28 million) worldwide in two months' running time.
On the Chinese mainland, one of its major target markets, the movie just grossed over 40 million yuan (US$5.9 million) in total, much less than the box office forecast of 200 million yuan (about US$29 million). But on October 26, 2009, just three days after the movie was released in China, its Chinese distributor Enlight Pictures, announced its box office had reached 40 million yuan in China. The actual figure turned out to be 17 million yuan (about US$2.5 million), based on the official statistics. Later, Enlight Pictures made apologies to the public, admitting its figure was misleading.
Astro Boy is Imagi's second animated feature, following TMNT, adopted from Teenage Mutant Ninjia Turtles franchise. TMNT came out No. 1 on its opening weekend in U.S. with US$25.45 million. Although it grossed over US$95 million worldwide, it did not live up to the expectation. Meanwhile, Imagi got into disputes with its distributor Warner Brothers about profit allocation. These dramatically drove the company's share prices down.
Rumors had already been circulating about Imagi's financial troubles. In December 2009, it laid off over 100 employees, accounting for 25 percent of its staff.
Imagi Animation Studios was established by Imagi International Holdings Company Limited in 2000. The latter had been incorporated as Boto International Holding Limited in 1997. It adopted its current name in 2004. Imagi's headquarters are in Cai Wan, Hong Kong, they have a studio in Los Angeles and a satellite office in Tokyo.
(China.org.cn translated by Pang Li February 9, 2010)
