Disney is aiming for a fairytale start in Russia

With a heritage in film and television that is as American as apple pie, Walt Disney is, at first glance, an unusual candidate to make a Russian language movie aimed at Russian cinema-goers.
Yet Disney releases Book of Masters , its first Russian film, this week as it ramps up its interest in one of the world's fastest growing cinema markets.
Based on a Russian fairy tale and produced in Russia using local talent, the film is the latest step in Disney's broad push into local language production.
Bob Iger, Disney's chief executive, says local production strengthens Disney's bond with international audiences, which crave stories that are relevant to them. "There is great interest and pride in local culture," he says. "We are convinced that even though technology is breaking down borders between countries and cultures, we're not seeing homogeneity of cultures."
Hollywood studios used to view the international market differently. They could generate substantial takings internationally from their US-made movies merely by adding a local language track.

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