The Future of US-China Relations, as Seen from the Box Office

Published in UDN
(Taiwan) on 16 August 2021
by Hsing-Yi Chow (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Pinyu Hwang. Edited by Michelle Bisson.
Despite the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, in December 2018 Marvel Studios confirmed the start of production of the Marvel film "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" (hereafter referred to as "Shang-Chi"). The Walt Disney Company has high hopes for "Shang-Chi," which is to be released on Sept. 3 of this year, and will be available only in theaters. Shang-Chi is an Asian character from Marvel Comics, one of the most highly trained martial artists in the Marvel Universe, with fighting techniques far superior to those of Captain America, Daredevil and other superheroes known for their fighting.

The main market for "Shang-Chi" is likely mainland China. The main character is played by Simu Liu, who was born in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, and immigrated to Canada when he was 5 years old. He is best known for his part in the TV sitcom "Kim's Convenience.” "Shang-Chi" is the first film in which he is starring with the lead role. The other main actor in "Shang-Chi" is Hong Kong's Tony Leung, who plays the villainous character Mandarin, a modified version of Fu Manchu from the Marvel comic. Fu Manchu is a terrible guy; in China, comics starring him have been accused of degrading China. The new Mandarin is an effort by Disney to ensure that "Shang-Chi" can be a big hit in China.

It makes sense for Disney to focus on the Chinese market, as 70% of Hollywood's revenue now comes from overseas, with mainland China accounting for the largest share. "Godzilla vs. Kong" grossed nearly $200 million in China, surpassing the U.S. box office; in 2019, "Avengers: Endgame" made Hollywood a huge profit, earning $2.8 billion worldwide, but China alone earned more than $600 million from the box office. In the past two years, China has surpassed the United States to become the world's largest movie market, and now China's annual box office revenue has exceeded $10 billion.

Hollywood has made many efforts to target the Chinese market, but they are not quite on point. In 2020, "Mulan" suffered a Waterloo in China, grossing less than $70 million globally at the box office. Part of the reason was that scenes in the movie did not offer an accurate portrayal of Chinese history and were criticized for inappropriate characterizations and cultural elements. In the drama, Mulan is seen fighting with a super-powerful witch, a princess of the Northern Wei is depicted playing with a parasol in a Manchu-style palace, and Mulan is shown living in a Fujian tulou [a circular earthen building].

"Eternals," which will be released at the end of this year, is also a superhero movie adapted from a Marvel comic. The cast also contains actors of Chinese descent, and the film will be directed by Chloé Zhao, a recent Academy Award winner and an immigrant to the United States. Neither film has been approved for release by the Chinese Communist Party, but since China still welcomes U.S. companies to do business in China, and American films comprise the most popular foreign films in China, it is expected that American films will continue to be approved for release in China.

In fact, Chinese companies have been making their presence felt in Hollywood for years. Chinese investment in Hollywood-produced films, like Chinese technology products sold in the United States, is being questioned by Americans as having a negative impact on American society — for example, the fact that Sandra Bullock, the hero of the movie "Gravity," survived by entering the Chinese space station, in doing so helped to promote China. Although Chinese investment in Hollywood has declined significantly since the start of the U.S.-China trade war, as Hollywood becomes more interested in the Chinese market, this business relationship will become a two-way street. For American films to make money in China, the U.S. may also have to allow Chinese businesses to make money through investment in American films. The quality of filmmaking in China is improving rapidly. "Detective Chinatown 3" was released in China earlier this year and has received great attention in the U.S. after breaking box office records. U.S. media has said "Detective Chinatown 3," earning nearly $700 million at the box office, is proving that China no longer needs Hollywood movies.

With the ongoing battle between the United States and China, can film provide a reflection of the future relationship between the two countries?



即使美中貿易戰已開打,二○一八年十二月漫威工作室仍確認開拍漫威電影「尚氣與十環傳奇」(以下簡稱「尚氣」),華德迪士尼公司對「尚氣」寄予厚望,將在今年九月三日推出,觀眾只能在電影院中觀賞。尚氣是漫威漫畫中的一個亞洲人種角色,為漫威宇宙中武術修為最高的凡人之一,格鬥技巧遠超美國隊長和夜魔俠等以格鬥著稱的超級英雄。

「尚氣」的主要市場應該是中國大陸,主角劉思慕出生於黑龍江省哈爾濱市,五歲時移民加拿大,他以電視情境喜劇「金氏便利店」聞名,「尚氣」是他第一部擔綱主演的電影。「尚氣」另外一名主要演員是香港的梁朝偉,飾演反派角色滿大人,是漫威漫畫裡面傅滿州的修正版,傅滿州是一個壞極了的人,有關他的漫畫在中國曾有辱華的問題,滿大人是迪士尼希望「尚氣」能在中國大陸大賣的一個努力。

迪士尼重視中國市場是很合理的,現在好萊塢電影公司的營收七十%來自海外,而中國大陸的占比最大。「哥吉拉大戰金剛」在中國票房接近兩億美元,超過美國的票房;二○一九年「復仇者聯盟:終局之戰」讓好萊塢大賺,全球票房收入廿八億美元,但僅中國的票房收入就超過六億美元。這兩年中國已超越美國成為全球第一大電影市場,現在中國大陸每年的電影院票房營收已超過一百億美元。

好萊塢針對中國市場已做過不少努力,但仍不到位,二○二○年「花木蘭」在中國遭滑鐵盧,全球票房不到七千萬美元,部分原因是劇中場景與中國歷史不符,被批評電影的人物塑造和文化元素不當,劇中可以看到花木蘭與超能力國產女巫打鬥,魏晉宮廷嬪妃打陽傘在滿清風格的宮殿中嬉戲打鬧,而木蘭是住在福建的土樓裡。

今年底會推出的「永恆族」(Eternals)也是漫威漫畫改編的英雄電影,演員中也有華裔,導演是移民美國、剛拿奧斯卡金像獎的趙婷,兩部電影都尚未拿到中共的上映許可,由於中國大陸迄今仍歡迎美國企業在中國經商,而且美國電影是所有外國片在大陸最受歡迎的,可以預期美國電影允許持續在中國上映。

其實中國企業在好萊塢也已著墨多年,中國人投資好萊塢製作的電影,這些電影類似中國在美國銷售的科技產品,正飽受美國人的質疑,認為對美國社會有不利的影響,例如電影「地心引力」女主角珊卓布拉克能夠存活是因她進入了中國太空站,為中國做了宣傳。雖然中美貿易戰後中國在好萊塢的投資明顯減少,隨著好萊塢對中國市場愈來愈有興趣,這種商業往來應該會是雙向的,美國電影要在中國賺錢,可能也必須接受中國投資的影片在美國賺錢。中國電影的拍攝品質正大幅進步中,「唐人街探案3」今年初在大陸上映,票房破紀錄,在美國受到極大關注,有美國媒體說「唐人街探案3」證明中國不需要好萊塢電影了,票房收入接近七億美元。

儘管中美鬥爭正酣,電影會不會是兩國未來關係的寫照呢?
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