`The Barbie movie has a map containing the cow’s tongue line` is information that has received a lot of attention in recent days.
According to Mr. Vi Kien Thanh – Director of the Cinema Department – members of the department agreed not to show Barbie because of the illegal cow tongue scene.
Hollywood’s works not only make Vietnamese people angry, even American politicians are also unhappy because film studios are finding ways to penetrate the Chinese market.
US Senators Marsha Blackburn and Ted Cruz objected to the actions of Barbie movie producers.
For a long time, China has been considered a lucrative market for Hollywood.
Hollywood movies gradually lose their appeal in China
In 2009, James Cameron’s Avatar debuted in China and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Some people even spent $100 to buy the first slot and waited in long lines.
13 years later, Avatar: The Way of Water premiered but did not become a phenomenon.
While the flow of American films into China has basically returned to before the pandemic, Hollywood struggles to attract audiences.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the first Marvel franchise film to be shown in China since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home, also grossed well below expectations, according to ticket seller statistics.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was released in China on February 17, earning $19.4 million in the first week, 70% lower than Ant-Man and the Wasp’s $66 million in July.
American films are increasingly selective about audiences in China
Warner Bros. superhero sequel.
After Beijing relaxed its `zero COVID` policy in December 2022, the Chinese box office during the Lunar New Year period earned 988 million USD, up 14% over the same period in 2019. However, box office revenue led
According to Global Times, China’s recent indifference to Hollywood is the result of a decrease in American film imports over the past few years.
Michael Berry, director of the Center for China Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA, said it is difficult for American films to compete.
”Given the tensions, Hollywood’s access to the Chinese market will continue to be erratic and unreliable for the foreseeable future.
Hollywood too pandering to the Chinese market?
According to Screen Daily, Hollywood must deliver films to the government for approval 10-12 weeks in advance (previously 8-10 weeks) to have a chance to launch in the billion-people market.
Hollywood thinks this is a worrying issue.
In 2022, Mr. Sun Yeli – Deputy Minister of Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China – reminded Hollywood that American films should improve their quality, on the basis of respecting culture, customs and audience behavior.
`We import movies from any country that makes them better and suit the tastes of Chinese audiences,` he said.
According to Bloomberg, this is the first time a senior Chinese official has hinted at the reason why American films are increasingly difficult to appear in the country of billions of people.
This is an important reason for Hollywood to `please` the Chinese market.
When the news that the Barbie movie banned from being screened in Vietnam contained a cow tongue line gained international attention, many politicians spoke up to discuss it, especially focusing their attention on Hollywood studios.
US lawmakers said that Warner Bros.
`Senator Cruz fought for years to block American companies, especially Hollywood studios, from altering and censoring content to make a quick buck in the Chinese market,` said Blackburn, his spokesman.
Now, House member Mark Green reiterated his call for lawmakers to support legislation to prevent Hollywood from being subject to too much censorship in the Chinese market.
`There is no way American films should spread or propagate another national ideology. I encourage studios to respect that or they will lose support from federal organizations,` Mark Green said in a statement.