Though it had been widely predicted to happen sometime later this decade, China managed to surpass North America during the pandemic 2020 — during the first year of decade — in domestic box-office. A big part of that was the fact that China had built more movie theaters than North America. On this episode, we discuss:
whether I say something in this interview that disqualifies me from ever working for a studio movie that needs China’s box office;
the definition of “dumb money” investors, and how this applies to the China’s access to the American moviemaking process
why did a movie like Wolf Warrior 2, the first movie in the worldwide top-ten, get completely ignored domestically in America?
what contribution the Russo Bros., famously of the Marvel Avenger movies, added to Wolf Warrior 2?
Also:
the Eastern ethos and religious philosophies that are being applied to Chinese big-budget productions like The Wandering Earth,
alongside what the Asian crossover effect of K-Pop, Parasite, and Squid Game;
the difference between Russia’s successful mid-50s film production/censorship from China’s current state-based film distribution.
Erich Schwartzel covers the film industry in the Wall Street Journal's Los Angeles bureau. He joined the Journal in 2013 and has written dozens of front-page stories on life and business in Hollywood, specializing in features where commerce meets culture. His work can be found here.