"The year was 1997, and Disney had finally found a bit of success in China. 'The Dragon Club,' a Disney cartoon series, was popular in Chinese homes, and 'The Lion King' had given Disney its first big hit in Chinese cinemas. But then came 'Kundun.'
As part of a now-defunct effort to make films for more sophisticated audiences, Disney agreed to back the director Martin Scorsese, who wanted to make 'Kundun,' about China's oppression of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader. The Chinese government, which considers the Dalai Lama a separatist, denounced the project and pressured Disney to abandon it.
In the end, Disney decided that it could not let an overseas government influence its decision to distribute a movie in the United States. 'Kundun' was released, and China retaliated by banning Disney films and pulling 'The Dragon Club.'
'All of our business in China stopped overnight,' Disney's chief executive, Michael D. Eisner, recalled...Mr. Eisner just needed to undo the damage.
Disney hired former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and mounted an intense lobbying effort. In October 1998, Mr. Eisner met Zhu Rongji, who had just been named prime minister, at China's leadership compound in Beijing. Mr. Eisner apologized for 'Kundun,' calling it a 'stupid mistake,' according to a transcript of the meeting.
'This film was a form of insult to our friends, but other than journalists, very few people in the world ever saw it,' Mr. Eisner said during the meeting. ('Kundun' bombed, taking in just $5.7 million against a production budget of about $30 million.)
Mr. Eisner said the company had learned a lesson. And he introduced Mr. Iger, then Disney's international president, as the person who would carry on negotiations for a theme park. The Chinese prime minister responded favorably. Land in Shanghai, he said, had already been set aside.
And just like that, the door to China started to reopen."
Those are also quotes from the New York Times article about China and Disney.
Copyright, with noted exceptions, L. Kochman, June 14, 2016 @ 3:05 p.m.
