Just when there were signs that Hollywood’s sycophantic relationship with China might be changing, earlier this month, Disney confirmed that Marvel movies are officially returning to theaters in the Middle Kingdom. “This is the first time in three years theatergoers in China will be able to see films from Disney’s biggest franchise after the country apparently blocked releases of Marvel Cinematic Universe movies,” reported Axios.
Last October, the Financial Times reported that “there are questions in Hollywood about how open the Chinese market will be to foreign films once the country’s Covid lockdowns lift.” Recent blockbuster films “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” were both blocked in China for obscure reasons. Last year’s “Top Gun: Maverick” featured a positive portrayal of the Taiwanese flag. And, most importantly for those holding the purse strings, the Chinese box office was down an estimated 36 percent last year, leading to speculations that the entertainment industry will reconsider its financial relationship with China.
Yet as Disney’s recent announcement proves, if there’s money on the table, Hollywood is going to want in on it, especially given a market as large as that of China. Moreover, according to that same Financial Times article, China’s governing elites want to ensure that the cinema industry can thrive again and that theaters are once more full.
“It’s going to be very carefully orchestrated and calculated. And it’s going to benefit the big [U.S.] studios more than anyone else because it’s going to
