How Bollywood is giving Hollywood a run for its money in China
Sabena Siddiqi says Hollywood films seem to have lost their lustre in China, where domestic releases and films from India are fuelling box-office revenue
Apparently, Hollywood films are not in high demand any more, as they were not responsible for the booming numbers. Proving this point, in March when there were no domestic releases, the earnings were only half that of the previous month.
Most notable among those that created waves at the box office was Chinese action thriller Wolf Warrior 2, which accounted for 10 per cent of the total box-office earnings last year, becoming China’s top-grossing film of all time. Set in Africa and telling the story of a retired special services soldier fighting Western mercenaries, the film was China’s entry to the “best foreign language” film category at the 2018 Oscars.
Meanwhile, the Chinese audience has apparently had enough of Western films and ideals, displaying a preference for domestic cinema that portrays familiar surroundings and is more imbued with patriotism, family values and a sense of community. This despite Hollywood’s sophisticated and costly marketing campaigns and the Chinese government increasing the quota of foreign films that can be screened in the country from 20 to 34 a year since 2012.
