'Monopoly' row over Chinese movie

The film tells of a struggle for power within the Chinese Royal Family

The record-breaking success of a drama about Chinese royalty has led to claims that cinemas in the country refused to show other films so it was a hit.

Curse of the Golden Flower by Zhang Yimou took $12.3m (£6.3m) in four days, the highest ever for a domestic movie.

One distributor claimed all other films were blocked from being shown in 200 digital cinemas in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Screen Daily reported.

But the company handling Zhang's movie said no such contract had been made.

"If the digital cinemas choose to screen only Golden Flower, it is the choice of the market," Yang Yang, promotion director of Beijing New Picture Films, told trade paper Screen Daily.

'Monopoly'

However, rival firm Beijing Polybona Film Distribution claimed the alleged tie-up had jeopardised its release Confession of Pain, which was due to open on 22 December.

Film star Gong Li (right) was previously in Memoirs of a Geisha

It claimed that the cinemas had guaranteed to show Curse of the Golden Flower exclusively until 14 January.

This had "broken the principle of fair competition and has monopolised the market," said Polybona's chief executive, Yu Dong.

Curse of the Golden Flower stars Gong Li - who appeared in Memoirs of A Geisha - and Chow Yun-Fat.

Director Zhang is known for hit movies such as Hero and 2004's House of Flying Daggers.

The film tells of a power struggle in the Imperial Family during the Tang dynasty and is released in the United States later this month.

It broke the previous box office record in China, held by Chen Kaige's 2005 release The Promise, which took $9.6m (£4.9m) on its opening weekend.