“Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone” Set For A Winter Holiday Release In China

(December 13, 2001 - Burbank, CA) - “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is scheduled for a nationwide theatrical release in China during the Chinese New Year, it was announced today by Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President, International Distribution, and Sue Kroll, President, International Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures. The release will begin January 31, and will continue to play through the Chinese New Year holiday period (February 12-18), a period which has traditionally been reserved for the release of Chinese films. The film is expected to open on approximately 1,200 screens throughout the country. “We’ve always believed that the magic and message of Harry Potter are truly universal, and the level of acceptance we’ve received only strengthens these beliefs,” said Kwan-Rubinek. “We’re pleased that we are able to bring this movie to Chinese audiences during one of their most celebrated holidays.” Since the revenue-sharing importation of Hollywood movies to China began in 1994 with Warner Bros. Pictures’ release of “The Fugitive,” China Film Import & Export Corporation, the country’s sole film importer, has on average released 10 foreign films per year on a revenue-sharing basis. “As a result of the lengthy and demanding clearance process, such films typically do not appear in theatres in China until long after their U.S. domestic release,” said Ellen Eliasoph, who heads up Warner Bros. Pictures’ theatrical distribution in the People’s Republic of China. “In the case of ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,’ we took special steps to present a subtitled print to China Film prior to the film’s release in the U.S., and the favor was reciprocated - approval was granted and the release dated very quickly following submission.” “We are extremely honored that China Film has embraced Harry Potter so warmly and we are looking forward to working closely with them on the marketing campaign for the film,” said Kroll. “The unprecedented level of cooperation serves to reaffirm the very special nature of this film. China Film’s enthusiastic embrace of this film demonstrates that the values of friendship, loyalty and courage embodied by Harry, Ron and Hermione, will strike a chord with Chinese audiences as they have the world over.” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” has broken attendance records around the world, enjoying the biggest theatrical openings in history in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Holland, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Norway and Finland, among others. Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films/1492 Pictures/Duncan Henderson Production of a Chris Columbus film, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris, Ian Hart, John Hurt, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith and Julie Walters. Directed by Chris Columbus from a screenplay by Steve Kloves, based on the acclaimed novel “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling, the film is produced by David Heyman. Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan and Duncan Henderson are the executive producers. John Seale is the director of photography; Stuart Craig is the production designer; Richard Francis-Bruce is the editor; and John Williams is the composer. Production is under way on the second film in the franchise, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” which is scheduled for a November 2002 release. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, an AOL Time Warner Company. This film has been rated “PG” by the Motion Picture Association of America for “some scary moments and mild language.” # # #