香港動畫工作室遭遇清盤
?????? 據港媒報道，香港的意馬動畫工作室在2月5日召開的一次內部會議上宣布公司清盤，并辭退了員工。
?????? 據悉，意馬工作室的新片《阿童木》在票房上的失利是其清盤的主要原因?！栋⑼尽犯木幾匀毡韭嫶髱熓謮V治蟲的名作，其制作費用近5億元人民幣（約合7300萬美元）。加上宣傳費用，其實際成本高達8億2000萬人民幣（約合1億2000萬美元）。但是自從該片在2009年10月末同時登陸全球影院，在兩個月內其全球票房僅為1億9000萬人民幣（約合2800萬美元）。
?????? 在主要目標市場的中國內地，該片總共僅有4000萬人民幣（約合590萬美元）入賬，遠于低于預期的2億元人民幣（約合2900萬美元）的票房。但是這部電影在中國上映三天之后，即2009年10月26日，發行方光線影業稱票房已達到4000萬元人民幣。而官方數據顯示其三天的票房只有1700萬元（約合250萬美元）。后來，光線影業做了公開的道歉，承認它公布的數據很有誤導性。
?????? 《阿童木》是意馬工作室繼《忍者神龜》后的第二部動畫長篇電影?！度陶呱颀敗犯鶕麆赢嫺木?，在美國上映的第一個周末，該片票房獨占鰲頭，達到了2545萬美元。這部電影雖然在全世界賣了9500萬美元，但票房還是不如人意。同時，意馬工作室和發行方華納兄弟在分賬上產生了糾紛。這些使得它的股價大跌。
?????? 市場上也早有傳言，說意馬工作室的財政有問題。2009年12月份，公司就曾裁減100余名員工，占全體人員的25%。
?????? 意馬動畫工作室由意馬國際控股有限公司于2000年成立。意馬國際控股有限公司的前身是1997年成立的寶途國際控股有限公司。寶途公司在2004年改成現在的名字。意馬動畫工作室的總部設在香港的柴灣，并在洛杉磯設有工作室，在東京設有辦公室。
HK animation studio goes into liquidation
On February 5, Hong Kong-based Imagi Animation Studios announced liquidation of the company and layoff of its employees at an internal meeting, according to Hong Kong media.
Reportedly, the box office failure of Astro Boy, Imagi's latest production, is the major cause. Based on Japanese manga master Osamu Tezuka's creation, the animated feature cost about 500 million yuan (about US$ 73 million) to produce. Including the publicity fees, its total budget amounted to 820 million yuan (about US$120 million), but since the movie simultaneously hit global cinemas in late October 2009, it grossed merely 190 million yuan (about US$28 million) worldwide in two months' running time.
On the Chinese mainland, one of its major target markets, the movie just grossed over 40 million yuan (US$5.9 million) in total, much less than the box office forecast of 200 million yuan (about US$29 million). But on October 26, 2009, just three days after the movie was released in China, its Chinese distributor Enlight Pictures, announced its box office had reached 40 million yuan in China. The actual figure turned out to be 17 million yuan (about US$2.5 million), based on the official statistics. Later, Enlight Pictures made apologies to the public, admitting its figure was misleading.
Astro Boy is Imagi's second animated feature, following TMNT, adopted from Teenage Mutant Ninjia Turtles franchise. TMNT came out No. 1 on its opening weekend in U.S. with US$25.45 million. Although it grossed over US$95 million worldwide, it did not live up to the expectation. Meanwhile, Imagi got into disputes with its distributor Warner Brothers about profit allocation. These dramatically drove the company's share prices down.
Rumors had already been circulating about Imagi's financial troubles. In December 2009, it laid off over 100 employees, accounting for 25 percent of its staff.
Imagi Animation Studios was established by Imagi International Holdings Company Limited in 2000. The latter had been incorporated as Boto International Holding Limited in 1997. It adopted its current name in 2004. Imagi's headquarters are in Cai Wan, Hong Kong, they have a studio in Los Angeles and a satellite office in Tokyo.
(China.org.cn translated by Pang Li February 9, 2010)
