"Moonfall", "The New Batman" and "Uncharted" did not perform as expected in China. Why are Hollywood blockbusters not "sweet"?

  On March 29, "The Water Gate Bridge of Changjin Lake", which had been in theaters for 57 days, also ranked second in the real-time box-office list of the day, while the newly released Hollywood blockbusters "Moonfall", "The New Batman" and "Uncharted". ' did not meet expectations.

Why are Hollywood blockbusters not "sweet"?

Analysis believes that fast food movies produced by the assembly line have been difficult to attract enough Chinese audiences.

  Observed

  "Unaccustomed to the water and the soil" in China

  unable to boost

  The film market in March, as a trough of volatility after the Spring Festival, has always been mostly flat, especially due to the impact of the epidemic, it has continued to be sluggish.

In the past, "introducing blockbusters" was regarded as an effective way to "save the market" by theater managers, but now it has been ineffective.

According to Maoyan data, in the week from March 21 to March 27, 8 new films were released, and the box office was only 167 million, down 16% from the previous week.

The three released Hollywood films were quite good at the box office in the United States, but they became more and more "unacceptable" in China and could not play a boosting role.

  "The New Batman" was released on March 18, with a domestic box office of 115 million yuan and a North American box office of 331 million US dollars; "Uncharted" was released on March 14, with a domestic box office of 88 million yuan and a North American box office of 133 million; "Moonfall" released 5 Today, the domestic box office is currently 68.75 million, and the North American box office is 19 million US dollars.

It is indeed unexpected that the journey of Hollywood blockbusters breaking through 100 million yuan in the mainland is so difficult.

  The investment in several films is very high, and the special effects and production are excellent. "The New Batman" has an investment of 100 million US dollars and a three-hour film. It tells the troubles of Batman and Gotham in the way of a literary film. It has become a dark-toned detective film, some people think it is "advanced", some people think it is dull and depressing; "Uncharted" has an investment of 120 million US dollars and is a popcorn movie adapted from a video game. Weak; "Moonfall" invested 146 million US dollars. It is a new work directed by Roland Emmerich, the director of the disaster blockbuster "The Day After Tomorrow" and "2012".

  analyze

  Audience tastes change

  Hollywood routines are exhausting

  The three films failed to rewrite the cold situation of Hollywood in China. Like last year's "Dune" and "007 No Time to Die", the response was flat and it was difficult to make waves.

This is related to the epidemic, but it has a lot to do with the changes in the aesthetic tastes of Chinese audiences - "Chinese narrative" is becoming the "core theme" for audiences to watch movies, and the box office of imported films in 2021 will only account for 20% of the broader market In 2012, Hollywood blockbusters accounted for 55% of the mainland box office; in 2019, it accounted for 37%.

The proportion of the mainland box office of Hollywood blockbusters shows a declining trend year by year.

  Hollywood's routines have already made Chinese audiences feel tired. Although they are products under a mature industrial system, they are the same and lack soul. They are nothing more than the main special effects scenes, plus personal heroic narratives, plus endless sequels or well-known IPs. Continuous development, the Chinese audience has been difficult to impress.

On the contrary, localized realistic themes such as "Hello, Li Huanying" and "I am not the God of Medicine" can resonate strongly with Chinese audiences.

  In addition, the level of heavy industry in Chinese movies is also improving rapidly, and "Changjin Lake" is no longer inferior to Hollywood.

Audiences tend to choose Chinese stories that they can empathize with, and Hollywood does not appear to be so strong. This is a reality that Hollywood has to face.

  suspense

  Movies still coming out in April

  Whether the decline can be reversed is yet to be determined

  In the next April, there will be Hollywood commercial films such as "Escape Room 2", "Hotel Elf 4: Transformation Adventure", "Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore's Mystery", "Desperate Ambulance", etc. Will it be possible to reverse the Hollywood movies? The decline of the market can only be determined by whether they can meet the preferences of Chinese audiences and their own standards.

  Of course, audiences need to see Hollywood masterpieces. Works such as "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Forrest Gump" are still regarded as classics by many Chinese movie fans. However, audiences have lost their appetite for too many commercial fast food.

Hollywood needs its own breakthroughs and innovations to expand its influence in China.

  Text/Coordinator Xiao Yang, reporter of this newspaper/Liu Jianghua