China opens world’s biggest movie studio

A massive “movie metropolis” billed as China’s answer to Hollywood opened on Saturday, aiming to boost the domestic film industry and attract foreign producers.

A total of 50 billion yuan (USD7.9 billion) has been invested in building the studio complex in the eastern port city of Qingdao, according to the project’s initiator, Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda, which is owned by one of China’s richest men Wang Jianlin.

The complex houses 30 studios with “the highest international standards”, according to the project’s initiator. It has already hosted some high-profile productions, including The Great Wall starring Matt Damon, and Pacific Rim: Uprising.