Add James Cameron to the growing list of Hollywood players angling to break into China.
The "Avatar" director unveiled a joint venture agreement this week to provide 3D technology to Chinese filmmakers, according to Reuters. Cameron's company, Cameron Pace, will provide the three-dimensional film expertise through a newly created arm, CPG China Division.
A spokeswoman for the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but in an interview with Reuters, Cameron said that he would not be involved in producing the 3D films that Chinese partners make. Instead he will play an advisory role.
"We are going to help them make a transition to 3D production technology as cost effectively as possible, and in a way that doesn't inhibit creativity," he said.
The announcement comes the same week that DreamWorks Animation announced plans to build an entertainment district in Shanghai. It also follows on the heels of other substantial investments from players like Disney, currently building a theme park in Shanghai, and Relativity Media, which bought a stake in China-based production venture SkyLand last year.
At the same time that Hollywood companies are easing open the door to China and its burgeoning population of moviegoers by exporting their filmmaking know-how, China is dialing back restrictions on the number of foreign films it imports.
Like other joint venture agreements in China, CPG China Division involves two state-owned entities — film distributor Tianjin North Film Group and Tianjin Hi-tech Holding Group. Details of the size and breakdown of the investment were not disclosed, Reuters said.
