The largest and fastest growing movie market is in China. With close to 1 billion people, its market is so juicy that movies have become international in flavor.
So it is likely no coincidence that there was a Asian who just kicked ass, in what probably was one of the best fight scenes I've seen in recent memory.
I noticed in the opening credits that Alibaba was a part of this movie so it doesn't surprise me that they threw in asian elements. Huayi Brothers Pictures also produced I Feel Pretty and Ready Player One.
shareI read that even though U.S. movies studios get a smaller cut in China (25%) than America (50%), the movies studios now get most of the revenue from that country.
Going out to the movies, buying popcorn and a Coke, is a new experience for the growing Chinese middle class.
I read that even though U.S. movies studios get a smaller cut in China (25%) than America (50%), the movies studios now get most of the revenue from that country.
He means that even though the studios only take a 25% cut from the Chinese box office, that 25% still equals more money than the 50% domestic cut.
Would you rather have 25% of $100 or 50% of $1?
I'm not sure that's actually true, though. No doubt that China has become a force in terms of box office earnings, but I think the domestic box office is still regarded as more important.
Ahh okay, it just wasn't clicking, thank you.
I'm not sure that's true either...although I heard it was absolutely true of the Transformer franchise...maybe the Fast and Furious too, I'm not sure.
Its definitely true that we're pandering to China some, but can't hardly blame anyone there lol
That fight scene definitely kicked ass though...
Yeah, I think that it is true in SOME cases.
World of Warcraft is a well-known example. It only made $47 million domestically . . . but a staggering $213 million in China. When you add in the rest of its international earnings, it earned $386 million outside of the United States. In that case, it's definitely true that the international box office--thanks largely to China--saved that film.
So it is true in some specific instances that the Chinese box office is more important but i don't think it's true as a general statement. The Last Jedi, for instance, only made a measly $28 million in China. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation made $135 million in China, but that was less than the film's $195 million domestic take, so especially when you factor in that the cut from the Chinese box office is only 25% then that film's domestic box office take was definitely more important than China's contribution. And then you have films like Sicario, which did not play in China at all.
Personally, I was hoping that China would save Blade Runner 2049 but they failed miserably, adding only $11 million to that film's bottom line.
And yes, that fight scene was fucking awesome. Probably the best fight scene I've seen in the past few years.
I'm not sure how ok it is. Hollywood has to pass vigorous Chinese censorship it get into the Chinese market, and have even reached the point where they're altering scripts in advance to not run afoul of the Chinese censors.
If the U.S. did that to them, they'd be screaming to the skies about censorship, claiming their freedom of creativity was being infringed upon.
And from what I've read, they did the same thing with Hitler in the 1930s, modifying their films to make them more palatable to the Third Reich.
All the pandering is obviously bullshit . . . but it's just business.
Considering that China is proving itself to be a goldmine for Hollywood it's hard for me to blame them too much for doing what's necessary to be able to exploit the market.
Yeah. That is a shame with the censorship. We (as in the powers that be in America) don't really have the balls to stand up to anyone but pretend like we do. China complains, America folds.
Our freedom of speech is our blessing and curse. And capitalism means a lot of Americans don't really care about making a change to the movie to make $$$. There's less principles to make a stand on.
And how is it a problem that the guy really adept at martial arts was Chinese?
That isn’t precisely how it works. Simply because he is Chinese, doesn’t automatically mean his inclusion in the film is China pandering. Say an English bloke, Irish lad, or Canadian dude was kicking ass as the villain in that scene instead... would that count as pandering to whatever countries these hypothetical actors are presumably from? I’m guessing the answer is no.
I know China pandering exists and for what purpose... although seeing as how Liang Yang isn’t exactly a superstar in his native China (as far as I know) and in fact he made a name for himself by showing his amazing skills as a stunt performer/martial artist in what feels like every major Hollywood production... INCLUDING the last Mission Impossible... then claiming that his minor, albeit memorable role in Fallout was supposed to be pandering to China is reaching. You go that right.
Come on, if “we’re” saying that an Asian/Chinese actor appearing in a big film now equates to China pandering, well... ‘least that groundless argument is fresh (for now) in contrast to the furious, bitchy and constant cries of “Hollywood politically correctness!” by those that lose their shit every time they see more people of color than they care for in a movie; just watch these “special” people react and bro down. Anywho, if I got too PC for ya bro (in other words, threw some facts in your way), then no apologies. Lastly, while Cruise & Cavill deserve kudos for that scene, Liang is the reason that fantastic scene works. He ‘ s the real deal.
No, it is pandering and I will tell you why. Put yourself in the position of a top Hollywood producer, or the head guy(or woman) in charge of a major studio. To make the film profitable and repay 100 plus million invested in it, you cannot do this by American audiences alone, China plays a very large part in that equation.
It is a part of human behavior to root for someone of their own 'tribe' or race. Making a international movie without a Asian face is just not good business. The tricky part is HOW you put it in!
It would be UNWISE to place a Asian face on the side of Ethan Hunt, because the Chinese view themselves as their own masters, not some lapdog to the Americans. Conversely, you cannot put a Asian face in the role of the antagonist because it would be an obvious turn off to Chinese viewers. So what to do? An independent contractor is the only solution, one who can kick the ass of the Americans in a fight. Brilliant!
The fact that the only Asian face in the film was a murky independent contractor who just happened to kick the asses of two Americans is by no means coincidence my friend, it is a brief love note to China.
Jesus.
i agree a lot of this stuff is subliminal, the nazis used a lot of propaganda in their movies.
shareI forgot to add that getting a movie INTO China is not like other countries. That country is very wary of America with it's democracy, liberty and rule of law. It does not wish these principles spread to its people.
China has a communist led government movie review board. This committee has the power to reject the entry of a 100 + million Hollywood blockbuster if it so chooses. American movie studios obviously know this, and make strategic moves to help gain approval (Partnership with Ali-baba company and a Asian kicking American asses in the case of MI)
An earlier poster noted this and had problems with Hollywood catering to it. I agree with him/her to a point. The studios know this also and have to walk a fine line, the pandering to China cannot be TOO obvious to American viewers.
The MI writers did a fine job in doing this...the fight scene was soooo good that it did not cross my mind until I left the theater.
Of course it's pandering, no franchise is protected from this. Almost all major films have 'random' stopovers in China or out of place character insertions for the money.
shareIt's not considered China pandering. It's like you complaining if Jackie Chan, Tony Jaa, Jet Li, or Donnie Yen was in it. The only time I call it pandering is if have one of the Asian characters from China either as an ally/side character that helps them or is there just for the looks and they're usually female Chinese actors (Kong: Skull Island, Pacific Rim: Uprising and some others). That or the mass propaganda about China or Chinese company ads if you watched Independence Day 2.
If you ever watched Asian films, you'd get hooked on the martial art movies and why I enjoy it when they're in on the fighting/stunt choreographies.
Liang Yang - Awesome stunt performer & side actor to direct the fight scenes
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2403982/
I wonder if the OP is too young to have heard of Bruce Lee?..
$
shareyeah great, have the movie made a certain way to pander to a certain audience..... guess they will never show an asian as the main bad guy..... see how dangerous this is... money is thereby more powerful than the screen writers freedom to make a script/movie the way they want.
Britain recently past a law that commercials cannot 'reinforce stereotypes'.
If you noticed in America, all commercials with janitors or criminals are white men.