China Has Been Ignoring Hollywood Movies. Why ‘Alien: Romulus’ Is an Exception

As someone who has been following the ebb and flow of Hollywood movies in China for years, it’s truly refreshing to see the unexpected success of “Alien: Romulus”. It’s like watching a xenomorph break through the walls of censorship and make its way into the hearts of Chinese audiences!

For the past four years, Chinese audiences haven’t shown much interest in Hollywood movies.

The unexpectedly huge success of Disney and 20th Century’s “Alien: Romulus,” a bloody sci-fi thriller that lives up to its R rating, has been a pleasant surprise. This latest installment in the long-running horror series is an unusual bright spot among American imports, earning $82 million so far in mainland China and projected to reach $114 million (RMB819) by the end of its cinema run, according to predictions from Chinese ticketing agency Maoyan.

To date, only another 2024 U.S. release titled “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” from Warner Bros., has left a mark on China’s box office, earning $134 million. However, it’s important to note that this movie was co-produced by Legendary Entertainment, which is owned by Chinese entities, and distributed locally in China through their subsidiary, Legendary East. This means that the profits, while significant for Hollywood, carry an asterisk due to its Chinese ties.

Instead, films from major studios such as Disney’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($58.6 million), Universal’s “Despicable Me 4” ($54.9 million), and sequels of “Kung Fu Panda” and “Inside Out” from Universal and Disney respectively, generated reasonable earnings in China, albeit significantly less than what was anticipated just a few years back. Disney’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” ($28.9 million) underperformed drastically, while Warner’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” ($8.3 million) and the spy thriller “Argylle,” co-produced by Apple and Universal, were disappointing failures.

In the context of “Alien: Romulus,” it’s remarkable that film analysts are surprised it was allowed to play in China, considering only three out of seven Alien series films have ever been screened there. Previous releases like “Prometheus” (2012) and “Alien: Covenant” (2017) had solid earnings of $35.2 million and $45 million respectively. However, these figures pale in comparison to the box office successes of other Hollywood blockbusters during that period – films like “Coco,” “War for the Planet of the Apes,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” and “The Fate of the Furious” regularly exceeded the $100 million mark in Chinese cinemas, with “The Fate of the Furious” earning an astounding $392 million.

Analysts who study box office performance attribute the surprising success of “Alien: Romulus” to several factors such as positive feedback from critics and audiences, along with high ratings on popular platforms like Maoyan (8.9/10), Taopiaopiao (9.1/10), and Douban (7.5/10). The lack of engaging local alternatives and the scarcity of genuinely terrifying films may also have contributed to its success, as China’s summer movie lineup has been dominated by crime, comedy, and uplifting dramas with little edge. Additionally, “Romulus” was screened in its original, uncut form for Chinese audiences, unlike “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which had drug references and suggestive content removed. This makes “Alien” a rarity among R-rated films in China, as it can be viewed by people of all ages due to minimal censorship.

“Stanley Rosen, a professor of political science and international relations at USC, finds it surprising that an R-rated horror film made it to China, but he points out that this very fact is contributing to its success. He explains that the film stands out significantly from what’s currently being shown in Chinese cinemas.”

Even though “Romulus” is part of the Alien franchise that started 45 years ago with Ridley Scott’s 1979 monster adventure “Alien”, Rosen thinks this latest addition didn’t require viewers to have watched every previous movie in the series to follow its action involving xenomorphs. Directed by Fede Alvarez, the film focuses on a group of young interstellar settlers (Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux and Isabela Merced) who encounter a frightening creature while exploring an old space station.

“Rosen explains that while ‘Romulus’ connects to earlier ‘Alien’ movies, it still works well as an individual tale, unlike ‘Star Wars’ films which progressively build upon each other.”

The Chinese government tightly regulates which films can be shown in cinemas, usually steering clear of those containing excessive profanity, graphic violence or sacrilegious content. However, censors have been relaxing their grip recently to boost China’s struggling box office, as suggested by Erich Schwartzel, author of “Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the Global Struggle for Cultural Influence.” Compared to the same period in 2023, revenues are currently over 21% lower. Therefore, a lively release schedule could significantly aid the box office recovery.

Despite a decline in revenues from Hollywood imports compared to previous times, these movies continue to generate some income in China, he notes. The volatile nature of the market has necessitated a more flexible approach towards the content being imported.

From 2020 to 2022, Chinese authorities took a firm stance towards American films like “Top Gun: Maverick,” deeming them as U.S. propaganda and denying them import permits. There were also issues with Marvel productions such as “Eternals,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” from Disney and Sony, which failed to secure approval for release in China. The ongoing pandemic affected Hollywood’s production timelines and release schedules, further slowing down the influx of films into China. During this period, China was also restricting the number of foreign movies approved for screening.

Currently, there’s less emphasis on limitations regarding quotas, and even the historic approach by Chinese regulators of providing limited marketing periods and disadvantageous release dates for foreign titles has shown some flexibility. The movie “Alien: Romulus” experienced a traditional simultaneous release, debuting on August 16 in both China and North America.

While it’s not a breeze for U.S. films, the number of American-made box office hits in China since the pandemic is quite limited. Here are some examples: “Fast X” (earned $139 million in 2023), “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” ($86 million in 2023), “Avatar: The Way of Water” ($245 million in 2022), “Jurassic World Dominion” ($157 million in 2022) and “F9: The Fast Saga” ($216 million in 2021).

Previously, films produced in Hollywood held the majority of box office sales in China. However, this trend has shifted as Chinese audiences have shown a growing affinity for domestic content. Simultaneously, the quality and appeal of Chinese cinema has significantly improved, with enhancements in budget, technical skills, and emotional resonance. The financial successes of films such as “YOLO” ($639 million), “Pegasus 2” ($474 million), “Successor” ($454 million), a social-climbing dramedy, and “Article 20” ($343 million), a crime satire, have become so substantial that they overshadow the impact of “Alien” at the box office.

2024-08-29 21:17

China Has Been Ignoring Hollywood Movies. Why ‘Alien: Romulus’ Is an Exception

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