Promoting Foreign Films in China: The Art of Localization
Recently, a promotional song for Venom by Chinese idol girl group Rocket Girls 101, was released in China and caused heated discussions among Marvel fans. Most comments on the song are negative. “I hope movie theaters stop playing this song. I really don’t know how to appreciate it” wrote one netizen on Chinese social media Weibo. This is not the first time Chinese fans are miffed by Marvel’s promotional campaigns. Back in April, a promotional event for Avengers caused furious reactions from fans. In addition to hiring local celebrities to endorse a foreign film, designing posters in Chinese style is another tactic frequently used by Hollywood movies. A good example is the Chinese posters for upcoming film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, which are designed by Chinese animator Zhang Chun and have received numerous compliments. While Hollywood’s efforts in pleasing local moviegoers are admirable, doing it properly remains challenging. Read more on D-entertainment
China Box Office Continues to Disappoint
On Thursday November 1, China box office totaled 35.5 million yuan. The Predator topped the daily box office charts with only 9.2 million yuan. Cumulatively, the film has made 182 million yuan in China. It is the third time this year that the daily box office winner made less than 10 million yuan. No. 2 on the daily box office charts was Project Gutenberg. No. 3 was The House with a Clock in its Walls, which made only 5.55 million yuan on its opening day. Today, ten films will open in Chinese theaters, including The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Iceman: Time Traveller and The Hurricane Heist. Read more on Mtime
‘Burning’ Absent from Nominee List of Blue Dragon Film Awards
The 39 Blue Dragon Film Awards recently released this year’s list of nominees. 20 films are nominated to compete for 18 awards. 1987 leads the race with 10 nominations. Another two frontrunners are Along With the Gods and The Spy Gone North. Each receives 9 nominations. Lee Chang-dong’s Burning, however, is not nominated, due to the filmmaker’s opposite political stance against the Awards. Blue Dragon Film Awards is one of the most popular film awards in South Korea, considering only blockbusters and popular movies of high artistic value released during the previous year. Read more on Mtime
