Awards News

Witness the running times of such year-end epics as "King Kong" (187 minutes), "Munich" (164 minutes) and "Memoirs of a Geisha" (144 minutes). And the news that Fox plans to release an even longer version of Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven," putting it on the bigscreen during awards season (original running time: 145 minutes).

But thin may be in again, as a pair of kudos contenders look to slim down to better entice auds.

Both Chen Kaige's "The Promise" and Terrence Malick's "The New World" have embarked on the cinematic equivalent of the Slimfast diet.

"The Promise," which runs 121 minutes, is China's official entry for the foreign-language Academy Award. Meanwhile, the Golden Globes nominated a Chinese film that's 24 minutes shorter, "Master of the Crimson Armor."

The funny thing is, they're the same film.

The $30 million fantasy actioner, in its longer version, opened to a boffo $9 million opening week, reportedly a record in its native land.

Last May, Harvey Weinstein and the Weinstein Co. took North American, U.K., Australian and South African rights to the film in May in a joint acquisition with IDG Films.

L.A.-based producer Ernest "Etchie" Stroh, prexy of production and sales shingle Moonstone Entertainment, says, "Harvey looked at the movie and conveyed certain concerns about how it would play with Western audiences. I had almost identical feelings and took these to Kaige."

After a few NRG screenings in the U.S. to test auds' understanding of plot and character, Blighty-based consultant Matt Garner joined Chen and Stroh in recutting the picture. It now runs 97 minutes.

Stroh adds, "There is an explicit clause that says Chen Kaige has final cut. This is definitely his movie. Weinstein Co. came with problems and offered solutions."

Chen tells Variety, "I wanted to make a Chinese film that works for the Chinese market, but I also want to get Chinese elements into the world market.

"Western audiences may not have the same patience as Asians. What we have now looks more of an action movie, but I think the soul of the movie is still there. Harvey sent people to help with things like the subtitles, and I participated all the way."

In China, the longer version brought in approximately $2 million (RMB16 million) on its opening day, Dec. 14. Though ticket prices were set super-high for the first day, that's an astonishing number. Pic is expected to eventually rake in $16 million-$25 million in China.

The shorter version is set to screen for U.S. critics shortly, prior to the Los Angeles Oscar-qualifying run that begins Dec. 30.

Revised version gave the film a new beginning and a modified ending and clarifies the role of the princess, played by Cecilia Cheung Pak-si, who had been regarded by some as schizophrenic in her relations with the male characters.

Anthony Minghella has written a preface to communicate to Western auds the soul of eastern culture in Chen's film, the U.S. producer of the pic was quoted by Yi Jianmei, who is in charge of the film's promotion in China, as saying. She did not give the name of the producer.

That version is expected to be picked by distribs for release outside Asia.

Programmers at the Berlin film festival have offered the pic a special out-of-competition berth, but will screen both versions to decide which one to show at the fest.

As for "The New World," just days before its limited-release Christmas bow in Los Angeles and Gotham, Malick was busy paring 15 to 20 minutes from his historical drama's original 149-minute length.

That longer version was screened for crix and advance auds and has been sent out on DVD screeners to such voting groups as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Newer version is said to have been tweaked and trimmed, but no major chunks were excised.

Pic, centering on the arrival of the English at Jamestown and the story of Pocahontas, has already been reviewed extensively at the 149-minute length, with some critics carping about its languid pacing.

New Line execs will see Malick's leaner edition soon and then decide which version will go out when the film expands in late January.

"It's all part of the process of working with Terrence Malick," says New Line distribution and marketing topper Rolf Mittweg. "He simply wants 'The New World' to be the best possible film that it can be."

And who doesn't want to look their best as kudos season heats up?