Comedy 1st Chinese-language film in Dolby

The first Chinese language film mastered in Dolby Laboratories' advanced visual and sound technologies will be released on July 15 and available at the four recently opened Dolby Cinemas in China.

The $14 million film For a Few Bullets was produced by Wanda Pictures using Dolby Vision, an imaging technology that offers a more detailed viewing experience, and Dolby Atmos, sound technology that moves sound around the theatre and overhead.

The Chinese comedy Western, directed by Pan Anzi, is set in the 1930s and tells the story of a professional thief teaming up with a special agent to protect a national treasure.

Following the July 15 release in China, the film will screen in selected locations in the US and Canada starting on July 22.

Late last month, Dolby Cinema landed in Asia as Wanda Cinema Line opened four sites in China — Dalian, Changchun, Chongqing and Jinan.

For a Few Bullets is the first of "a strong pipeline of local titles" that will be released in Dolby in China, according to Bob Borchers, Dolby's chief marketing officer.

He said storytelling was "kind of a universal opportunity" and the expertise around that and the opportunity for it was pretty broad. Especially with Wanda's significant investment in AMC and its acquisition of Legendary, the new partnership with Wanda would help increase Dolby's ability to leverage the investment.

Dolby Institute, which focuses on educating and inspiring content providers to effectively use sound and visual technologies, has been working with Chinese film festivals, universities and production companies to make sure the tools are available to upcoming filmmakers in the Chinese market.

"We hope and expect to see a steady flow of content and innovation in both directions, so it's not just something that will happen in the US," said Borchers. "This is a worldwide phenomena and China is a big player in that."

Global movie earnings hit a record $38.3 billion in 2015, with China accounting for $6.8 billion, a nearly 50 percent increase over the previous year, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.

Wanda Pictures, the film production studio and the distribution arm of Wanda Cultural Industry Group, gained $1.04 billion in domestic box office last year.

Wanda Pictures is striving to accelerate the industrialization of China's film business by utilizing Hollywood business mode and expertise at a time when the rising middle class in China is seeking entertainment and per capita income has grown 20-fold in a generation.

"Wanda is committed to leveraging our combined strength in movie production and exhibition to deliver a premium movie-going experience," said John Zeng, vice-president of Wanda Cultural Industry Group, in a statement. "We believe moviegoers will be captivated when they watch For a Few Bullets in Dolby."

Wanda and Dolby plan to build 100 Dolby Cinemas in China over the next five years. By the end of this year, a total of 10 will be open.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com