US Media: China's Box Office Is No Longer Hollywood's "Cash Machine"
China was once Hollywood's most important overseas market. In 2019, nine American films each grossed over $100 million in China, with *Avengers: Endgame* alone earning more than $600 million. However, after five years post-pandemic, only ten American films have exceeded $100 million in China, and just two have surpassed $200 million.
The agreement signed between China and the US in 2012, which guaranteed an annual quota of 34 American films for release in China, expired in 2017 without renewal. Since then, China has simultaneously expanded its domestic film production capacity and established "protected release periods," significantly raising the barriers for Hollywood films entering the Chinese market.
In terms of market preferences, Chinese audiences and regulators tend to favor visually spectacular, politically neutral films—franchises like *Fast & Furious* and *Jurassic World* have performed well. In contrast, *Star Wars* suffered a major setback due to previous installments not being released in China, resulting in a lack of emotional connection among viewers. Although *Super Mario Bros.* earned over $1.3 billion globally in 2023, it collected only $25 million in China, primarily because gaming console culture is less widespread there.
Despite this, Hollywood has not given up on the Chinese market. This year, several films are still planned for release in China, including *Super Mario Galaxy*, *Michael*, *Mortal Kombat 2*, and *The Devil Wears Prada 2*.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861556616533003/
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