East eyes Hollywood

Asia is the future of the movie industry, two stars have told the Cannes Film Festival.

Hong Kong action hero Jackie Chan, who seems as busy these days funding movies as starring in them, dreams of becoming China's answer to Steven Spielberg or George Lucas.

At the festival to promote his latest movie, The Myth, the martial arts star said that, crucially, he has the backing of domestic banks and "tycoons" willing to help China's movie industry compete with Hollywood dominance.

"After China opened up all those years ago, they know how important the film industry is and the Government helped a lot," he said. "There are a lot of big companies really supporting making movies. They know the power it has. Look at American film. American film is so successful, American culture is so successful.

"I think the Chinese government and the big tycoons, they know. They ask me, 'Jackie, here is 200 million, can you make 10 films for me?"'

One advantage he said he had over his Hollywood rivals was that a film that would cost US$150-200 million ($210-280 million) in America would cost US$60 million ($84 million) to make in China.

"My goal is one day to be a Steven Spielberg, a George Lucas."

The Myth is a $20 million China-funded production co-produced by Chan's JCE Movies and the China Film Group Corporation. It deals with the discovery by an archaeologist of the mausoleum built by China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang, in 221 BC.

Starring with Chan in the film is Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat. She agrees that Asia is the future of cinema.

"Our grandparents watched Europeans and Americans and your grandchildren are going to watch Asians,"she said. "I think everything is becoming global now and in the coming years half the world's population will live in China and India. If the West truly wants to go global they can't ignore it."

- REUTERS