A deal to develop movies bearing the Disney brand was signed between Walt Disney Studios and Shanghai Media Group Pictures, Reuters reported.

The agreement is seen as the latest move by a US film studio to increase its footprint in the entertainment segment of China. In a statement, the studio said that the multi-year alliance between the two firms will provide writers and filmmakers in both countries with more training opportunities. Under the deal, writers based in the US will collaborate with Chinese writers and filmmakers to come up with stories where Chinese themes are integrated into the movies that Disney will produce, the report said.

The co-development program will be under the supervision of Walt Disney Studios Executive Vice President of Production Tony To. In addition to the collaboration between writers and filmmakers, the partnership could make it more convenient for English-language movies to be released in China. China's Film Censorship Committee, comprised of 37 members, critically evaluates every movie before they are allowed for public viewing, studying it for scenes involving violence, nudity and potential political sensitivity. The bar is higher for Western films because they must still meet the "amendment opinions" of the committee before getting the stamp of approval to be one of the 34 films coming from Hollywood to be released for mass consumption, the report said.

Disney's "Iron Man 3" was launched in China in 2013 featuring a popular Chinese actress as well as a scene shot in China. The report said these add-ons helped the superhero movie get approval from the Chinese film authorities, the report said.

In December last year, Walt Disney Co and Shanghai Media Group's digital media arm BesTV New Media, established a Chinese joint venture that sought to give entertainment through the combined technical and marketing forces of both firms, the report said.