Written by new-contact on Jun 17, 2014. Posted in On Location

New film studio and theme park planned for development in Shanghai

A new film studio is being planned for construction in Shanghai through a deal between Beijing Enlight Media and Seven Stars Media. Hengdian World Studios is already established five hours’ drive from Shanghai, offering expansive sets and a replica of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Development is due to start on China Movie World in 2015, with the facility intended to double as a film theme park.

“We will build the theme park based on the films we plan to shoot,” Enlight Chairman Wang Changtian told China Daily: “When the sets are ready for filming, they are also ready for tourists to be involved in interactive games. When the filming finishes, they will open to tourists as attractions.”

The Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis was announced late last year by China’s Wanda Group for construction in the country’s Shandong region. A host of Hollywood stars attended the media unveiling in September and Pinewood Studios has since agreed to formally advise on the facility’s development. Indeed, Pinewood already has a Joint Venture Agreement in place with Seven Stars Media.

Pinewood has also officially opened its new Iskandar Malaysia facility in Johor near the border with Singapore. The new world-class facilities are backed up by Malaysia’s 30% filming incentive, both of which could help boost regional location filming.

The major Hollywood studios are now paying closer attention to Far-East locations. Paramount spent several weeks filming in Hong Kong and mainland China for Transformers: Age of Extinction and Marvel recently shot on location in Seoul as part of the international schedule for The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

(Photos: Bill Doyle)