《臥虎藏龍2》 戲裏戲外都變了

In a first deal of its kind, Netflix and the Weinstein Company said Monday that they planned to release next year’s sequel to the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” simultaneously across the globe on Netflix and a select number of Imax theaters.

Netflix公司和溫斯坦公司(Weinstein Company)宣佈，計劃明年在Netflix網站和全球精選的一些Imax影院同時發行《臥虎藏龍》續集，這是史無前例的。

The film, a follow-up to Ang Lee’s Academy Award-winning martial arts drama, is the first major motion picture to make its debut on the streaming service and in movie theaters at the same time. It will be available on Aug. 28 at no additional fee to Netflix subscribers and is the first of several films that Netflix is backing that will follow this new model for release. Only Imax is involved; other theater chains will not screen the film.

《臥虎藏龍》是李安導演的一部武打片，曾獲得奧斯卡獎。這部續集將是第一部在流媒體和影院同時發佈的大片。明年8月28日它在Netflix網站上發佈時，該網站的付費用戶無需額外付費即可觀看。Netflix還資助了其他幾部電影，屆時都將採用這種新的發行模式。該片將只在Imax影院上映；其他連鎖影院不會放映。

Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix, said he hoped this deal would show Hollywood that the time had come to respond to what movie fans wanted, and to change the traditional method for releasing films — first in theaters then, typically several months Later, for streaming.

Netflix公司的首席內容官特德·薩蘭德斯(Ted Sarandos)說，這樣做是爲了向好萊塢表明，是時候對影迷們的需求作出反應，改變傳統發行方式了——傳統方式是影片先在影院上映，通常幾個月之後纔可以在流媒體上觀看。

“What I am hoping is that it will be a proof point that the sky doesn’t fall,” Mr. Sarandos said. “These are two different experiences, like going to a football game and watching a football game on TV.”

“我希望它能證明天不會塌下來，”薩蘭德斯說，“這是兩種不同的體驗，就像看橄欖球比賽可以去現場，也可以在電視上看一樣。”

The move underscores an eagerness at Netflix to shatter the traditional so-called windowing system for movies in the same way that it has rattled the structure of the television business, with TV shows now made available for streaming soon after they are broadcast on traditional networks. Netflix has also introduced entirely new models, releasing original series like “House of Cards” and “Orange Is the New Black” all at once.

這一舉措突顯出Netflix公司渴望動搖傳統的所謂電影窗口制度(windowing system)，就像它動搖電視業的結構那樣——如今電視節目在傳統電視臺播放後很快就能在流媒體上觀看。Netflix公司還推出了全新模式，同時發佈原創電視劇，比如《紙牌屋》(House of Cards)和《女子監獄》(Orange Is the New Black)。

“We fundamentally believe that the only way to attack the windowing system — that is the centerpiece of the business model of the movie industry versus what consumers want — requires an outsider,” said Rich Greenfield, a media analyst with BTIG Research. “Netflix already changed the TV business in a very, very significant way. The movie business is teed up next.”

“窗口制度是電影業商業模式與消費者需求衝突的關鍵部分，我們從根本上認爲，只有局外人才能打破它，”宏橋信託投資集團研究所(BTIG Research)的媒體分析師裏奇·格林菲爾德(Rich Greenfield)說，“Netflix公司已經極大改變了電視業。它下一步要改變的就是電影業。”

Yet the deal also reflects the challenges that persist in breaking the system, particularly in film. The film, called “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Destiny,” is a production of the independent Weinstein Company, not a major movie studio, and has a relatively modest budget. The partnership with Imax avoids one big problem: that the major theater chains refuse to break the system.

不過，這次的做法也顯示出打破這一制度面臨的挑戰，特別是反映在影片之中。該片名爲《臥虎藏龍2：青冥寶劍》(Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Destiny)，它出自獨立製片公司溫斯坦公司，而非大型電影公司，成本相對較低。與Imax公司合作也避開了一個重大問題：主要連鎖影院拒絕打破這一制度。

For Imax, the deal to some degree reflects the manner in which it struggles to find marquee programming during lulls in Hollywood’s release calendar. Late August is sort of a cinematic black hole, a time when big studios hold back new releases to avoid competing with back-to-school activities and end-of-summer vacations.

對Imax公司來說，這一舉措從某種程度上反映出它在好萊塢上映日程的間隙努力尋找放映節目。8月底幾乎是電影黑洞，大型電影公司都儘量不發佈新片，以免跟返校活動和夏末度假衝突。

Three theater chains — Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment and Cinemark — control the majority of movie screens in the United States, and they have aggressively opposed any encroachment on their release window, maintaining that any shortening would encourage consumers to stay home. Under current contracts, theaters get to play movies for three months without competition.

帝王娛樂集團(Regal Entertainment)、AMC娛樂集團(AMC Entertainment)和喜滿客影城(Cinemark)這三大連鎖影院控制着美國的大部分銀幕，他們強烈反對對自己放映窗口的任何侵犯，堅持認爲，影院放映和在線發佈時間差的縮短無異於鼓勵觀衆待在家裏。根據目前的合同，影院可以在沒有競爭的情況下放映三個月。

Even so, major movie studios, eager to tap into the increasing popularity of video-on-demand systems at a time when domestic box office sales are declining, have experimented with making new releases more readily available in the home. In February, for instance, Warner Bros. simultaneously released “Veronica Mars” in only 270 theaters on the same day the film was made available to buy or rent online.

即便如此，由於美國國內票房銷售在下降，大型電影公司也渴望進入越來越受歡迎的視頻點播系統。它們試着讓新發布的電影更易於在家中看到。比如，今年2月，華納兄弟公司(Warner Bros.)僅在270家影院發行《美眉校探》(Veronica Mars)，同一天在網上發佈該片，供觀衆在線購買或租看。

Warner had very limited theatrical options because Regal and Cinemark refused to play the film, and AMC forced Warner to buy out entire auditoriums in advance rather than splitting actual ticket sales after the fact, which is the typical practice.

當時華納公司在影院方面選擇非常有限，因爲帝王娛樂集團和喜滿客影城拒絕上映該片，AMC娛樂集團迫使華納公司提前買下整個觀衆席，而不是按常規做法，在放映後分割實際票房收入。

With Imax, Netflix and the Weinstein Company have found a similar workaround. Although a lot of Imax theaters are now housed in multiplexes owned by one of the big three chains, Imax controls what goes on its screens. Netflix has been interested in breaking into the original film business for some time, and has worked with the Weinstein Company on several projects, including the forthcoming “Marco Polo” historical adventure series, which will be shown exclusively on Netflix.

Netflix公司、溫斯坦公司通過Imax公司找到了類似的變通方法。雖然現在很多Imax影廳都位於三大連鎖影院下屬的多影廳影院裏，但是放映哪些影片可以由Imax公司決定。Netflix公司有意進入原創電影業務已有一段時間了，它與溫斯坦公司合作過幾個項目，包括即將上映的歷史冒險系列影片《馬可·波羅》(Marco Polo)，這一系列將只在Netflix網站上發佈。

The idea to kick off this new project came out of a conversation between Mr. Sarandos and Mr. Weinstein.

這個新項目的想法源於薩蘭德斯和溫斯坦的一次談話。

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was very much an art house film. Made for about $23.5 million in 2000, after adjusting for inflation, it took audiences — in Mandarin, with English subtitles — on a martial arts romp. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won four, including best foreign film. The film catapulted its Taiwan-born director, Mr. Lee, to the forefront of Hollywood.

2000年上映的《臥虎藏龍》在很大程度上是藝術片。根據通貨膨脹率重新計算後，其成本大約是2350萬美元。它講了一個頑皮的武俠女子的故事，中文對白，英文字幕。它獲得了十項奧斯卡提名，贏得了四項大獎，包括最佳外語片獎。該片使臺灣出生的導演李安躋身好萊塢一流導演之列。

Despite its art house imprimatur, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” played more like a blockbuster, which helps explain Imax’s interest in the sequel. Mr. Lee’s film took in $176.8 million in North America, after adjusting for inflation, for Sony Pictures Classics in 2000. It ranks as the best-selling Chinese language film in domestic box office history.

儘管《臥虎藏龍》帶有藝術片的氣息，但它更像一部轟動大片，所以Imax公司對續集產生了興趣。2000年，該片爲索尼經典電影公司(Sony Pictures Classics)在北美賺了1.768億美元（根據通貨膨脹率重新計算）。它是美國國內票房史上最賺錢的中文電影。

The budget for the sequel, “The Green Destiny,” is a multiple of that for the 2000 film, according to one person familiar with the financing.

據熟悉該片財務的一個人說，《臥虎藏龍2》的成本是2000年的第一部影片的幾倍。

In the sequel, Michelle Yeoh reprises her role as the warrior Yu Shu Lien but Mr. Lee does not return. The Weinstein Company has instead given the directing reins to Woo-ping Yuen, a well-known director in China. “The Green Destiny,” set 20 years after the events of the first movie, follows four martial arts heroes trying to protect the Green Destiny sword.

在續集中，楊紫瓊繼續扮演俠女俞秀蓮，但該片不是李安執導的。溫斯坦公司將執導權交給了中國知名導演袁和平。《臥虎藏龍2》設定在第一部的故事發生後20年，講述的是四位武俠英雄努力保護青冥寶劍的故事。

Just because the first “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was a smash does not guarantee similarly huge ticket sales for the sequel. The independent film surge that helped wash it into the mainstream has since receded and sequels made more than a couple years after the original tend to struggle.

《臥虎藏龍》第一部的轟動不能保證續集同樣能取得票房成功。曾推動它進入主流的獨立電影浪潮後來退卻了。而且在第一部上映數年之後拍攝的續集往往處境艱難。

But the more the Weinstein Company can make “The Green Destiny” feel like a must-see event the more the sequel is likely to overcome that challenge.

但是，溫斯坦公司若是能把《臥虎藏龍2》搞得像是必看電影，那麼這部續集就有可能克服困難。

In an interview, Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of the Weinstein Company, said that the industry needed to explore new ways to distribute his movies.

溫斯坦公司的聯合主席哈維·溫斯坦(Harvey Weinstein)在一次採訪中說，這個行業需要探索新的方式來發行他的電影。

“There is a big world out there, and there are many ways to exhibit things,” Mr. Weinstein said. “This is the wave of the future.”

“外面的世界很大，有很多種展示方式，”溫斯坦說，“這是未來的趨勢。”