After a long absence from the big screens in one of the biggest potential markets, the studios have managed to obtain an unexpected return.
This is obvious, but it should be remembered that the People’s Republic of China is governed by a drastic control of information and cultural products, including for pure entertainment. Censorship is daily there and drastic laws concern content coming from abroad. Thus, Western distributors must themselves anticipate the authorities’ requests, by carrying out an initial cleaning of their productions. Violent, naked or politically subversive scenes must be removed in advance.
Wakanda to Beijing
Since 2019, China had no longer allowed Western films to be shown on its territory. In addition to a previous rule limiting their arrival to only a few dozen, the Covid-19 pandemic has, as elsewhere in the world, led to the closure of cinemas. But here again, the absolute control shown by the government over the management of the pandemic has seen a slower return to everyday life than elsewhere.
So it’s a big win for the studios Marvel to see one of their latest productions, Black Panther : Wakanda Forever, finally leaving on this territory, on February 7th. But we can already imagine that many passages of the film will be censored, in particular for its multi-ethnic references.
Future simultaneous release
The other feature film that has earned the right of citizenship in the Middle Kingdom is none other than the future Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which will be released on the same date as in the United States, February 15. A strong sign for the future of Marvel in this territory.
Still, since 2019, Chinese fans of Marvel productions have missed a few blockbusters. Will the authorities allow the studios to broadcast them, like Wakanda Forever ? For the time being, Marvel is already delighted with this return to normal, and above all with significant revenues given the gigantic proportions of this market.