AP Features, December 7th, 2007
Will Smith 's new sci-fi thriller "I Am Legend" is hitting movie theaters across Asia later this month — but not in China.
"We struggled very, very hard to try to get it to work out, but there are only a certain amount of foreign films that are allowed in," Smith said at a press conference in Hong Kong on Friday.
"'I Am Legend', as of yet, has not been one of the films that has been accepted," he said.
The film has already got the green light for release in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
Smith's comments came a day after Hollywood trade publication Variety reported that Chinese authorities have decided to ban American movies for three months to protect the local film industry.
But an executive at the import and export arm of state-run China Film Group on Thursday denied there was a ban, saying the company is still reviewing Hollywood movies for release in the country.
Smith said he had met with China Film Group's chairman, Han Sanping, and is working with him to secure a release date for "I Am Legend."
In the past, Chinese regulators have tried to maximize revenue for Chinese studios by banning foreign films from theaters during holidays and school vacations, when audiences are biggest.
Still, the difficulty of breaking into the Chinese market hasn't deterred Smith.
He said he has discussed movie projects with Han and will meet with famed Hong Kong comedian Stephen Chow on Saturday.
"We have a couple of ideas we're looking at," Smith said.
Chow's credits include "Shaolin Soccer" and "Kung Fu Hustle."
Smith said he's also exploring the idea of a remake of "The Karate Kid," possibly set in Hong Kong or Beijing.
"I Am Legend," based on the Richard Matheson novel by the same name, is set in New York where Smith is one of the lone survivors of a deadly global epidemic. It has been adapted for the big screen on two occasions — first as "The Last Man on Earth" in 1964 and then as "The Omega Man" in 1971.
Smith said the advancement of special effects made a third screen adaptation worthwhile.
"When these previous films were made, you actually couldn't see New York empty ... We shoot a real shot in New York City and if a car moves in the background, when they made their films, they couldn't use the shot. Now we can actually take the car out. We can turn all the lights off. We can put grass in the streets," Smith said.
Smith said he visited the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, and met someone who had spent time in solitary confinement and a former prisoner of war to prepare for his role.
