(Variety) Chinese authorities have cleared Alfonso Cuaron’s Oscar-winning drama “Roma” for theatrical release.
China’s National Arthouse Film Alliance confirmed the release on Wednesday, but did not provide a launch date. A poster was released, touting the film’s Academy Awards for directing, cinematography, and foreign-language film on the Chinese site Sina.
“Roma” follows Yalitza Aparicio, who plays a live-in housekeeper in the middle-class neighborhood of Roma in Mexico City. It became Mexico’s first winner of the Oscar for foreign-language feature.
The pic, produced by Esperanto Filmoj and Participant Media, joined foreign-language movies “Life Is Beautiful,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Letters From Iwo Jima,” “Babel,” and “Amour” as a nominee for best picture.
Netflix holds worldwide rights to “Roma,” but is not connected to the China theatrical release. The streaming giant began releasing the film theatrically in November to more than 100 locations in the United States and more than 500 theaters internationally in over 40 countries. But it never reported box office grosses from any territory.
“Green Book,” which won the best picture Oscar, scored a strong $17.4 million in its third-place opening last weekend in China. That is already higher than the lifetime haul of previous best picture Academy Award winner, “The Shape of Water.”
Chinese authorities recently approved Fox’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which won four Oscars, for a limited release by China’s National Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas on March 22.
Source: Variety By Dave McNary
