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The film-awards season, which reaches its tearful climax with the Oscars next week, has long been only loosely related to the film business. Hollywood is dedicated to the art of funneling teenagers past popcorn stands, not art itself. But this year’s awards are less relevant than ever. The true worth of a film is no longer decided by the crowd that assembles in the Kodak Theatre—or, indeed, by any American. It is decided by youngsters in countries such as Russia, China and Brazil.
Hollywood has always been an international business, but it is becoming dramatically more so. In the past decade total box-office spending has risen by about one-third in North America while more than doubling elsewhere. Thanks to Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes and “Inception”, Warner Bros made $2.93 billion outside North America last year, smashing the studio’s previous record of $2.24 billion. Falling DVD sales in America, by far the world’s biggest home-entertainment market, mean Hollywood is even more dependent on foreign punters.
The rising foreign tide has lifted films that were virtually written off in America, such as “Prince of Persia” and “The Chronicles of Narnia: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader”. Despite starring the popular Jack Black, “Gulliver’s Travels” had a disappointing run in North America, taking $42m at the box office so far. But strong turnout in Russia and South Korea helped it reach almost $150m in sales elsewhere. As a result, it should turn a profit, says John Davis, the film’s producer.
The growth of the international box office is partly a result of the dollar’s weakness. It was also helped by “Avatar”, and eco-fantasy that made a startling $2 billion outside North America. But three things are particularly important: a cinema boom in the emerging world, a concerted effort by the major studios to make films that might play well outside America and a global marketing push to make sure they do.
Russia, with its shrinking teenage population, is an unlikely spot for a box-office boom. Yet cinema-building is proceeding apace, and supply has created demand. Last year 160m cinema tickets were sold in Russia—the first time in recent years that sales have exceeded the country’s population. Ticket prices have risen, in part because the new cinemas are superior, with digital projectors that can show 3D films. The big Hollywood studios are muscling domestic film-makers aside. In 2007 American films made almost twice as much at the Russian box office as domestic films—8.3 billion roubles ($325m) compared with 4.5 billion. Last year the imported stuff made some 16.4 billion roubles: more than five times as much as the home-grown product, estimates Movie Research, a Moscow outfit. Earlier this month Vladimir Putin, Russia’s Prime Minister, said the government would spend less money supporting Russian film-makers and more on expanding the number of screens.
1. We can learn from Paragraph 1 that ______.
A) film awards are not relevant to the film business
B) Hollywood tries its best to attract teenagers to pass popcorn stands
C) the true worth of a film is decided by Russia, China and Brazil
D) Oscar will reach its tearful climax next week
2. The word “punters” (Line 6, Para. 2) most probably means ______.
A) movies
B) businesses
C) studios
D) customers
3. How much did “Gulliver’s Travels” take at the box office outside North America?
A) $42m.
B) $180m.
C) Almost $192m.
D) Almost $150m.
4. Which of the following may NOT be the reason for the growth of the international box office?
A) Major studios employ global marketing to make films.
B) Cinema is developing rapidly in the emerging world.
C) “Avatar” made great profit outside North America.
D) The dollar is devaluated.
5. What is the main idea of Paragraph 5?
A) Cinema develops rapidly in Russia while American films impact Russian domestic films greatly.
B) American films are more successful at the Russian box office than domestic films.
C) Cinema-building creates demand so that more Russian teenagers go to cinema.
D) Russian government would spend more on expanding the number of cinemas.