BEIJING, April 28 (UPI) -- American filmmakers could tap into a more than $2 billion-a-year film market in China by drawing inspiration from Chinese storytelling, film experts said.
Now that Chinese lawmakers have decided to import an additional 14 American films each year, there's a chance China could pass Japan's $2.3 million film market, Xinhua reported Saturday.
"So what can be more useful than a film with a Chinese story in seizing a share of the tremendous market?" asked film theorist Dai Jinhua.
Filmmaker James Cameron's "Avatar" grossed $200 million alone in China, and his film company has recently signed on to provide 3-D technology for a Chinese-produced film, "The Art of War."
"When I came to China in 2010, there were 600 screens showing films. Now, however, 'Titanic 3-D' is being shown on 2,800 screens," Cameron said.
Chinese film official Tong Gang told Xinhua the country's thousands of years of history could serve as a database for American filmmakers and could draw in huge audiences if the stories are developed properly.
