Casino resort MGM Macau says it is sponsoring a new film by Hong Kong action movie star Jackie Chan Kong Sang (pictured, left) that is partly set in the casino property. The venue didn’t give details on the nature of the sponsorship.
The casino property, owned and managed by Hong Kong-listed MGM China Holdings Ltd, is linking to Mr Chan’s new English-language movie, “Skiptrace”. MGM Macau is being used for some scenes of the action comedy, the casino resort said in a press release.
The movie, from Finnish film director Renny Harlin (pictured, right), has a cast that also includes Chinese actress Fan Bingbing (pictured, centre). The production is scheduled for release in 2015.
The partnership between MGM Macau and the producers of “Skiptrace” is the latest of several projects involving Macau casinos and the international movie industry. Marketing experts say such tie-ups are promotional moves designed in each case to raise the global profile of a property and boost recognition of its brand, especially in the mass-market segment.
Another recent film called “From Vegas to Macau” starring Chow Yun Fat, another Hong Kong actor who has made a successful crossover to Hollywood, contained scenes filmed in Sands China Ltd’s Venetian Macao casino resort. The gambling-themed Chinese-language film was a Lunar New Year hit in Asian markets.
Venetian Macao has appeared in several other films since it opened in 2007, including Chinese and Indian productions.
Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd’s Galaxy Macau resort on Cotai was the setting for the final scenes in 2013’s Hong Kong-made Chinese-language thriller “The White Storm”. Neighbouring casino resort City of Dreams, owned and managed by Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd, has featured in Taiwanese and South Korean productions.
SJM Holdings Ltd’s Grand Lisboa flagship property appeared in “Unbeatable”, a 2013 Hong Kong-made Chinese-language film about mixed martial arts. It also appeared in the U.S. production “Johnny English Reborn”, starring British comedy actor Rowan Atkinson, which was released in 2011.
