Another attempt by an American company Disney gain a foothold China’s film market could crash. This is reported by the edition Variety.
Jade Rod for Mickey Mouse
The agency’s report attracted the attention of American journalists China movie channel, which is dedicated to the fourth phase cinematic universe… The fact is that it only mentions eight out of 10 planned films.
Agency China movie channel under control The State Council of the People’s Republic of China, it operates the country’s only national film chain CCTV-6 and a number of premium channels. It is unlikely that this is a mistake, as all foreign films in China must be approved by censors.
Therefore, we can assume that Chinese viewers will not see two films at once. Marvelwhich Disney created with an eye to the Asian film market. We are talking about projects “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings“(Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) Destin Cretton and “Eternal“(Eternals) Chloe Zhao.
The reasons for the ban are on the surface. Beijing-born Chloe Zhao is considered an “unwanted person” in her homeland after a series of statements criticizing the policies of the Chinese authorities. Thus, the local media ignored the recent news about the awarding of the award to the director “Oscar“for the film”Land of nomads“(Nomadland), on social media, moderators quickly cleaned up the comments with congratulations to the girl, and the broadcast of the ceremony organized in Shanghai by Zhao’s fellow students was disrupted due to the blocking of the VPN service.
Not all is well with “Shang-Chi”. Chinese viewers were unhappy with the film’s first trailer and plot details. The main criticism is related to the main villain Wenwu (Tony Leung Chu Wai), which is better known by the nickname Mandarin…
Debuted in comics in 1964, the character is perceived by many in China as the embodiment of the stereotype about “Yellow menace“. Journalists do not exclude that Tony Leung Chu Wai himself could become a victim of censorship for some statements, because several of the last tapes with his participation did not make it to release.
Obviously, Marvel has reimagined the Mandarin, but this is hard to convince the audience. There is also a popular opinion on Chinese social networks that the studio exploits racial stereotypes about migrants from the United States to China in the film, and the producers allegedly deliberately selected actors who did not meet local beauty standards for the main roles.
Mouse Gulag
Mickey Mouse House over the past few years, it has been trying hard to gain a foothold in the Chinese market, but each time it fails. Yes, Marvel films were popular – the film was even remade for the local market. “Iron Man 3“(Iron man 3). And here is the franchise “star Wars“(Star Wars) quickly lost the audience.
But Disney’s biggest flop was the 2023 premiere of “Mulan“(Mulan). The original cartoon is not liked in China for distorting the classic myth, and the remake turned out to be a mediocre work. The scandal was also provoked by the leading actress Liu Yifei, which publicly supported police action in Hong Kong riot control. Thus, she turned the Western public and the Chinese opposition against herself.
But the main nail in the coffin lid of the 200 millionth project scored the very management of Disney. In the credits, the company thanked Public Security Bureau of Turpan City for the help provided during filming. We are talking about a settlement in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the PRC, where in the past few years local Muslim Uyghurs have been actively sent to “retraining” in a kind of labor camps.
The Chinese side stubbornly denies the existence of modern gulags, with which Western countries do not agree. As a result, in China, “Mulan” was simply removed from the rental, which, in the context of a global pandemic, deprived the tape of the chance to recoup costs.
Read also: Kung Fu Marvel: Trailer and the first details of the movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”
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