Wanda Qingdao studio opens to global filmmakers

Chinese entertainment conglomerate Wanda's new film studios in Qingdao opened over the weekend.

The 30 high-tech film studios completed include the world's only indoor-outdoor underwater film studio and a film studio measuring 10-thousand square meters.

Another 10 studios are under construction.

Chinese entertainment conglomerate Wanda's new film studios opens in Qingdao, Shandong Province, on April 28, 2018.[Photo: hezeribao.com]

"We want to work with all the Chinese filmmakers to make this studio well-known in the world in both hardware and software in the next three or five years," said Wanda Film President Zeng Maojun.

50 billion yuan, or 7.9 billion U.S. dollars, has been invested into the project.

The city government and Wanda also jointly set up a film development fund of 5 billion yuan to support foreign and domestic filmmakers to film there.

Michael Ellis is the president and managing director of the Asia-Pacific for the Motion Picture Association of America.

"I think (it) will be one of the world's famous film studios, provide job opportunity for filmmakers not only in China, but also the world the opportunity to cooperate, make films together. Qingdao is a great place," said the president. 

Over 500 film and TV companies are expected to settle at the film base over the next three years to make about 100 film and TV productions every year.

Eleven Hollywood films have been shot at the studio since October 2016, including the Legend Entertainment film "Pacific Rim: Uprising."