China's iQiyi and Sony to produce online series in Mandarin

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese online video site announced Thursday it will be working with Sony Pictures Television to produce an action thriller in Mandarin for online viewers.

Chinese and foreign producers have increasingly teamed up in recent years to make movies for distribution in both markets, but the deal between iQiyi and the division of Hollywood studio Sony Pictures is a rare example of collaboration between Chinese and Hollywood companies to produce programming for the Chinese audience.

Streaming sites in China showing Chinese and foreign films and TV shows as well as user generated content have become hugely popular in recent years. Companies like iQiyi, which is owned by search engine Baidu, have also developed their own shows.

iQiyi said at a news conference that the co-production will be a three-part adaptation of an American drama called "Chosen," which aired in the U.S. on an online streaming video service owned by Sony called Crackle.