Chinese movie to premiere online as virus closes cinemas

Huanxi Media

24/01/2020 05:13

BEIJING, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Chinese movie fans can catch the
premier of much-anticipated new comedy this holiday weekend
under a 630 million yuan ($91.25 million) deal to issue the film
over the internet, as fears of a deadly new virus keep audiences
away from cinemas.
    The Hong Kong-listed Huanxi Media Group  1003.HK  announced
on Friday an agreement with Beijing Bytedance Network to show
its new movie "Lost in Russia" on Bytedance's online platforms.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN29S130
    Bytedance, which owns the popular TikTok video-sharing app
and the news app Jinri Toutiao, said given the efforts to reduce
the risks of big gatherings, it had secured the deal to let fans
watch "Lost in Russia" for free on its apps.
    "The film will keep the appointment to meet everyone on Jan.
25, but the meeting point has changed to your cellphone and
television, instead of the cinema," the company said in a
statement posted on Jinri Toutiao.    
    Huanxi Media's share price rose as much as 30% after the
agreement was announced.
    Neither ByteDance nor Huanxi responded to requests for
comment on their agreement.
    China has stepped efforts to contain the coronavirus, which
has killed 25 people and infected more than 800, with public
transport suspended in 10 cities and public gatherings
discouraged across the country.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N29T040
    The week-long Lunar New Year holiday usually sees audiences
flock to cinemas with distributors taking advantage of the
crowds to launch films but the premieres of at least seven
movies, including "Lost in Russia", postponed.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N29S06K
($1 = 6.9040 Chinese yuan renminbi)

 (Reporting by Muyu Xu and Tony Munroe, Additional reporting by
Yingzhi Yang
Editing by Robert Birsel)
 ((muyu.xu@thomsonreuters.com; +86 10 56692117;))