In mid-2013, a "Red Carpet Show at the Local Tuhao Film Festival" awakened the weary China film and television market. Seven popular actors from Hollywood, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman and Catherine Zeta-Jones, appeared in China to make money. It seems that the once sluggish Asian film market has become as rich as it is today.
Perhaps this appearance only shows that Hollywood actors are aiming at the tip of the iceberg in China market. In 2013 alone, many Hollywood actors such as Tom Cruise, "Shake Sen" and "Kucher" took their works to "knock on" the door of Chinese film market and put on low airs to make friends. However, it seems that it is not enough to feed Lai Hu’s appetite just by propaganda. Hollywood actors are gaining momentum all over Asia, and it may be one of their ultimate goals to really participate in movies to achieve "win-win". What is the current situation of Hollywood actors’ output and what advantages and disadvantages it will bring to the Asian film market? This issue of [Movie Network] will answer you one by one.
Hollywood actors’ coming to China has gradually become a trend.
Present situation: Hollywood actors enter the Chinese market
Keywords: reciprocity, rushing to the beach.
A group of early Chinese actors who marched into Hollywood are still thriving in the international film industry. Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi and Jackie Chan have become the "stepping stones" for overseas audiences to know Chinese films. While rising stars such as Fan Bingbing, Li Bingbing, Yuqi Zhang and other actresses frequently "play soy sauce and walk-on" when they enter Hollywood, their overseas export as Chinese filmmakers is still quite successful. In 2014, there were domestic actors, and such blockbusters were released. It can be said that Chinese filmmakers have never stopped climbing the Hollywood building.
At the same time, overseas actors have gone out of Hollywood to enter the Chinese language market on the east coast of the ocean, and there is quite a trend that "the rain is coming." In 2011, Zhang Yimou invited "Batman" Christian Bale to play a church priest in the film, and Bell’s position in the film also has the status of "savior" with this priest; In 2012 Xiaogang Feng’s tragic blockbuster, the American journalist played by adrien brody and the priest played by Tim Robbins also played an important role in the film. In 2013, keanu reeves’s first directorial debut focused on China Kung Fu.
In terms of quantity, the overseas output of Chinese filmmakers is almost equal to that of Hollywood actors, but the final result is unfair. Fan Bingbing’s "Steel 3" only shows a ten-minute tight frown in the "Special Edition"; Li Bingbing stood out in the film, but he could not escape the dilemma of being called by the wrong name by foreign reporters on the red carpet. The participation of Hollywood filmmakers in Chinese films always attracts the attention of Chinese people, just as foreign roses can attract more domestic "swarms". Undeniably, Bell has almost become the backbone of the plot development in "Thirteen Days in Jinling". Although the reputation of keanu reeves’s virgin director is not satisfactory, many people have earned money. Courtesy is good, but Chinese filmmakers always suffer a lot when compared with Hollywood actors in actual strength. Perhaps it is necessary to find out the reasons on their own.
Japanese movie stars have made great achievements in overseas gold panning, but it is not easy for Hollywood actors to enter the Japanese and Korean markets.
Status quo: Hollywood actor "Gold Rush" Japan and South Korea have been defeated repeatedly.
Keywords: local protection
Once upon a time, Japan, the world’s second largest film market, was gradually replaced by China, while Korean films went further and further on the road of perfecting local self. Facing the Japanese and Korean film market which is close at hand and very far away, Hollywood actors seem to have become fearful and worried, and it is difficult to knock down this "ice-breaking hammer".
However, Japanese movie stars have long set a precedent of breaking the country’s overseas gold rush. Hiroyuki Sanada and Ken Watanabe can be comparable to Chow Yun Fat and Jackie Chan in China. In 2013, Rinko Kikuchi, a strange oriental woman, once again became the focus of Hollywood, and even child star Mana Ashida is planning to further enter Hollywood. Similarly, Korean actors’ "Western Expedition" is proceeding in an orderly way. Lee Byunghun won an eye-catching performance in "Special Forces 2", and Zhang Dongjian knocked on the door of Hollywood and continued to seek his own breakthrough.
On the contrary, however, there are few successful examples of Hollywood actors "panning for gold" in the Japanese and Korean markets. In 2007, it should be a breakthrough attempt between Korean filmmakers and Hollywood, despite the waterloo in word of mouth and box office; Keanu reeves’s "Forty-seven Ronin", which was released on a large scale in Japan last year, failed at the box office, and Japanese audiences didn’t seem to buy Hollywood faces. This time, "Snow Country Train" Bong Joon ho assembled a group of Hollywood movie stars and spent 40 million dollars. It can be said that he has the ambition to compete with Hollywood, which may also become a breakthrough for Hollywood actors to enter the Korean market. Generally speaking, the Japanese and Korean film markets are relatively conservative and narrow. Actors and directors in both countries also seem to have the concept of "cleaning their own snow, not caring about others’ frost". Coupled with the strong awareness of local film protection, Hollywood actors can always come up with their own "housekeeping skills" to resist the impact of Hollywood films (such as Japanese animated films). It is difficult for Hollywood actors to find a sense of belonging in the Japanese and Korean film markets, which hinders their way to export to the Japanese and Korean markets.
Hollywood actors’ Chinese export has targeted this fat piece of money.
Advantages: box office interests are the first priority, and China and the United States are in tune with the trend.
Everyone can understand the truth that "money is paramount". Let’s still take flowers of war as an example. The release of this film happened to coincide with Bell winning the Best Supporting Actor at the Oscar. At that time, Zhang Weiping, the producer of the film, made it clear: "Bell’s own joining is the guarantee of the box office of the film, and winning the prize overseas has further become a signal of the overseas box office." He also boasted that the goal of 1 billion box office is no big deal. It is reported that Bell’s input-output ratio is that if he invests 1 US dollar, Bell can produce 55 US dollars. The high output ratio of 1:55 makes people gasp in admiration for Chinese’s favor of "imported goods", and Bell’s personal salary has reached more than 100 million, so it is natural for Hollywood actors to join in the final box office.
Without exception, movies such as "China and the United States are in harmony", and "Tai Chi Xia" continues to carry forward this momentum. As a result, it is a natural thing for Hollywood actors to rush to the "blessed land" of China, and it is easy to get gold. Han Sanping, former chairman of China Film Group, said: "Sino-US cooperation is a major measure to stimulate the development of domestic films, and it is also a road for China films to go international." Only on this road, China actors don’t seem to get much benefit.
Disadvantages: It is more difficult for newcomers to emerge from the impact of the local film market.
Obviously, the entry of a large number of Hollywood movie stars into the Chinese film industry is bound to have a certain impact on the local film market. In a reporter’s street survey, most Chinese are still more willing to watch Hollywood blockbusters. Excellent production and strong visual effects have become the reasons why audiences choose Hollywood movies in succession. China’s film industry is still in its infancy and development stage, and its own competitiveness is still unable to compete with Hollywood. For example, they are similar in type and plot, but the latter still accounts for the majority.
At the same time, it is more difficult to find new people in China. The current mentality of China audiences is like "the moon in foreign countries is relatively round". Even Nicolas Cage, who has always played bad movies in recent years, will still flock to it once a new work is released. Last year, Johnny Depp’s loss-making masterpiece was bad, but its appeal to fans should not be underestimated. His new work will be released in China soon. It is reported that he will also bring his fiancee to China to promote it, and it is sure that there will be another "Depp hurricane" at that time. As a result, domestic directors seem to be more aware of the strength and box office appeal of these Hollywood actors, making it difficult for local newcomers to get ahead. Without a good book and the support of well-known directors, "becoming a hit" is almost more difficult for newcomers.
Xiaobian conclusion:
Hollywood "local tyrants" have become a global trend in the film market of other countries, and they are at the forefront of this trend, whether they are attacking Europe or marching into Asia. For domestic actors, it is still an unchangeable truth to "strike while the iron is hot", explore their own advantages in the trend of internationalization, make a clear positioning, and give full play to the soft power that Chinese films should have.