Marvel's Thunderbolts* to test Chinese appetite for Hollywood as trade war rages
Stars attending the European premiere of 'Thunderbolts in London, on April 22. PHOTO: REUTERS
SHANGHAI – New Disney movie Thunderbolts* is poised to test Chinese appetite for Hollywood blockbusters as it opens in cinemas around China on April 30, making it the first American film to hit movie theatres in the country since a new trade war began.
The film, a part of the sprawling Marvel franchise, was approved for release in China before Washington and Beijing slapped tit-for-tat tariffs on each other.
That meant the movie, which sees an unconventional band of antiheroes brought together to combat a supervillain, escaped a decision by China to curb Hollywood imports earlier in April as part of its retaliation against the United States.
In 2024, 42 American films were released in China, but Chinese audiences have been gravitating away from Hollywood for some time.
Releases so far in 2025 have included Snow White, which made nine million yuan (S$1.62 million) at the Chinese box office, and Captain America: Brave New World, which pulled in 104 million yuan.
In comparison, 2025 box-office leader Ne Zha 2 has grossed more than seven billion yuan in its home market.
'It's hard to remember the last American film I watched,' said Beijing resident Pan Lei, a frequent cinemagoer. 'It should be Dune (2021), which was four years ago.'
The 49-year-old added that American films such as the Marvel movie franchise have been standard fare for nearly 20 years, and any novelty of their production and visual effects has largely worn off.
'I miss the days when we could watch wonderful Hollywood films like Titanic (1997), Speed (1994), True Lies (1994) and Iron Man (2008) in cinemas,' he said, adding: 'I think the younger generation doesn't share the same idea of Hollywood as my generation.'
While Chinese moviegoers around Mr Pan's age were once accustomed to Hollywood films dominating China's box office, the rapid development of a home-grown industry has seen domestic films with local stars and specifically Chinese stories rise to supplant them over the past decade.
Since 2015, Chinese films have ranked No. 1 at the local box office each year, while the number of foreign films at the top of the box-office takings has become rarer.
Even without a new trade war and a rise in geopolitical tensions between the US and China, it is doubtful Hollywood films will be able to regain their once-dominant position in the Chinese market, analysts say.
'China will continue to dominate its home market,' said Dr Stanley Rosen, professor of political science at the University of Southern California. 'China has learnt a lot from Hollywood – for example, from their earlier collaboration with DreamWorks in Shanghai – and simply does not need the Hollywood blockbusters anymore.'
'Only two Hollywood films made over US$100 million (S$130 million) in China last year, and I don't expect any will do so this year,' he added. REUTERS
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