皇冠体育app

In this photo released Wednesday, May 16, 2007, by The Walt Disney Co., shown is the main character from the Chinese-language Disney movie 'The Magic Gourd'.[AP]

HONG KONG - Disney's latest 皇冠体育app strategy doesn't involve Mickey, Minnie or Goofy. It's all about an enchanted vegetable.

The Walt Disney Co. 皇冠体育app announced Wednesday it will release a Chinese-language movie, "The Magic Gourd," this summer — its first co-production with the state-run 皇冠体育app Film Group.

The movie, based on a novel written by the late Chinese children's writer Zhang Tianyi, is about a boy who discovers a gourd — a squash-like vegetable often used in Asian dishes — that grants him wishes. The story has already been adapted into a TV cartoon by state-run CCTV.

The movie, a mix of live action and animation, marks a departure from Disney's established strategy of promoting its mainstay stories and characters, such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

Disney's famed animators are not prominently credited in "The Magic Gourd." Hong Kong special-effects studio Centro Digital Pictures, which worked on "Kill Bill," made the movie.

"We respect and appreciate the deep-rooted rich Chinese local culture," Stanley Cheung, managing director of Disney 皇冠体育app, said in a statement.

Disney's overarching approach to cracking the Chinese market has been to flood the country with its content.

It has opened more than 4,200 "Disney Corner" merchandise outlets in stores around 皇冠体育app. A TV show launched in 1994 that promotes Disney cartoons is now shown on more than 40 channels. Disney also publishes cartoon books, and the stage productions "Winnie the Pooh," "The Lion King" and "Disney on Ice" have all been performed in 皇冠体育app.

The Disney movies "Eight Below" and "Cars" were shown in Chinese theaters last year.

The company has also partnered with Shanda Interactive Entertainment to develop an online game in 皇冠体育app based on Disney characters.

And it opened Hong Kong Disneyland in September 2005.

Yet, despite Disney's attempt to saturate the market, company executives acknowledge they need to work harder to promote Disney characters in 皇冠体育app, where Mickey and friends are still relatively unknown.

Hong Kong Disneyland park is a case in point.

Designed as a showcase of Disney's themes for a hoped-for deluge of tourists from mainland 皇冠体育app, the park fell short of its first-year attendance target of 5.6 million.

Adding to Disney's obstacles, 皇冠体育app's government carefully controls media markets and products, and has banned foreign cartoons from prime-time television.

Disney Channel Worldwide President Rich Ross told The Associated Press in an interview last year that Disney wants to launch a channel in 皇冠体育app.

"The challenge clearly is access," Ross said.

"In 皇冠体育app, because it can't fully enter local media and entertainment due to legal restrictions, the spread of Disneyland culture is greatly limited," said Wang Ran, chief executive of 皇冠体育app eCapital Corp., an investment bank that specializes in the media industry.

That's where a movie like "The Magic Gourd" comes in.

"In addition to bringing more Disney family entertainment content to 皇冠体育app, we attach great importance on finding locally relevant and appealing content which complements our existing story values," Disney 皇冠体育app's Cheung said.

Because it is a Chinese co-production, Disney won't have to fight to have "The Magic Gourd" included in 皇冠体育app's annual quota of about 20 foreign films.

Nor should it have any problems clearing the Chinese censors, said Wang. Not only aren't they political, he said, but "for children's cartoon characters, they carry more common cultural denominators," he said.

Disney didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on whether its 皇冠体育app operations are profitable.