Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The international film world has responded quickly to the obvious sensitivities surrounding the Japan earthquake, and it remains to be seen just how the disaster affects the release of films already finished and those planned for production.
Immediately following the devastation caused when the 9.0 earthquake hit last Friday, the sci-fi actioner Battle: Los Angeles was pulled from Japanese cinemas, as was Clint Eastwood's latest film, Hereafter, which had been screening since February. Eastwood's film opens with a recreation of the 2004 tsunami which swept across Asia.
Plans have been shelved to internationally release Chinese director's Feng Xiaogang's Aftershock - about the 1976 Tangshan earthquake - which had been marked down for March 26 distribution, while this week's scheduled release of the Anthony Hopkins horror The Rite has also been postponed.
It remains to be seen just how hard the disaster affects the Japanese film market overall, which according to industry estimates now accounts for around 10 percent of all international ticket sales, and earned more than US$2.5 billion (1.8 billion euros) last year. Film industry media has this week been debating just what films will now be deemed as suitable for screening in Japan over the remainder of 2011 as the country recovers from the disaster.
In other news from Asia's cinematic world, the growing influence of the Chinese audience is being cited by many for the announcement this week that the remake of the 1984 action flick Red Dawn has changed its villains from Chinese to North Korean.
What's more, it appears the changes are being made digitally to the film, which has been sitting on the shelves since it was completed in 2009 due to financial troubles at the MGM studio.
China's movie market is the fastest growing in the world and last year hit an all-time high with sales soaring to more than US$1.5 billion (one billion euros), a rise of 64 percent year on year.
MS
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments