The recent 3D re-release of James Cameron’s Titanic<\/em> has been an enormous success in China, despite\u00a0controversy over a prudishly deleted scene<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0some of the ensuing<\/a>\u00a0press coverage<\/a>. The film took $67 million at the Chinese box office<\/a> in its opening weekend, almost four times as much as in the US. Now, an Australian mining tycoon has announced plans for a full-scale replica of the ship<\/strong><\/a>, to be built in a state-owned Nanjing shipyard and possibly escorted by Chinese naval vessels. From AFP:<\/p>\n
\n“It will be every bit as luxurious as the original Titanic but of course it will have state-of-the-art 21st century technology and the latest navigation and safety systems,” [Clive] Palmer said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“Titanic II will sail in the northern hemisphere and her maiden voyage from England to North America is scheduled for late 2016.”<\/p>\n
He added that he had invited the Chinese navy to escort the Titanic II to New York \u2026.<\/p>\n
His decision to commission a Chinese shipbuilding yard, which will also construct other luxury liners for the tycoon, reinforces his ties to the country, which is a key buyer of his coal and iron ore.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Palmer acknowledged that the venture might seem to be tempting fate<\/strong><\/a>, displaying none of the hubris unfairly associated with the original<\/a>. From CNN:<\/p>\n
\n“Of course, it will sink if you put a hole in it,” Palmer said at a press conference. “It is going to be designed so it won’t sink. But, of course, if you are superstitious like you are, you never know what could happen.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Cameron told The Hollywood Reporter at the Beijing International Film Festival last week that he was “having some Avatar 2<\/em> and 3<\/em> Chinese co-production discussions<\/a>“; if history does tragically repeat itself, Titanic 2 (The Movie)<\/em> might be made in China as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"