Title: ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One’ Fails to Revive Hollywood in China
Subtitle: Local Chinese Releases Dominate Box Office as American Films Struggle to Attract Audiences
[Date]
[City], China – Tom Cruise’s latest installment in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise, ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One’, fell short of expectations at the Chinese box office over the weekend. The film debuted in third place behind two local Chinese hits, signaling a continued struggle for American movies to regain their former box-office muscle in China.
Opening to just $25.9 million from Friday to Sunday, ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One’ experienced a steep decline compared to its predecessor, ‘Mission: Impossible Fallout’, which grossed $76 million on its opening weekend in 2018. The Chinese martial arts drama ‘Never Say Never’ claimed the top spot with $46.1 million, followed by the local animated film ‘Chang An’ with $43.9 million in box-office earnings.
Wang Baoqiang’s ‘Never Say Never’, known for his works such as ‘Lost in Thailand’ and ‘Detective Chinatown’, has accumulated an impressive $211.5 million since its release on July 6. Meanwhile, the latest release from animation studio Light Chaser, ‘Chang An’, has amassed a total of $96.1 million since its debut on July 8.
Despite receiving favorable reviews from local audiences, scoring 9.4 on Maoyan, 9.5 on Alibaba’s Taopiaopiao, and 7.9 on Douban, ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One’ failed to attract Chinese filmgoers. This decline in interest for American movies is reflective of China’s theatrical box office results for the first half of 2023.
Since China lifted its strict COVID-19 lockdowns, it has resumed importing U.S. movies at pre-pandemic levels to signal the return of a thriving film market. In the first six months of 2023, 24 U.S. titles were released in Chinese cinemas, only two fewer than the same period in 2019. However, the total ticket sales for U.S. movies in the first half of 2023 were only $592 million, significantly lower than the $1.9 billion earned during the same period in 2019.
China’s theatrical market has shown a robust recovery overall, with total movie ticket revenue reaching $3.8 billion (RMB 26.3 billion) in the first half of the year. Though down 16 percent from 2019, this represents a remarkable 54 percent improvement compared to the previous year when mass lockdowns still impacted Chinese cinemas.
The dominance of local Chinese films is evident, as they continue to outperform their American counterparts. In the first half of 2023, Chinese titles generated a total of $2.8 billion in ticket sales, marking a 27 percent increase from the pre-pandemic period.
Looking ahead, Greta Gerwig and Warner Bros’ ‘Barbie’, scheduled to release in China on Friday, holds hopes for a potential earnings boost. However, the film will face tough competition from Chinese director Wuershan’s ‘Fengshen Trilogy’, which has been dubbed “China’s answer to ‘Lord of the Rings’.” Opening on Thursday, the highly anticipated local production boasts a star-studded cast and the largest production budget in Chinese movie history.
As American films struggle to regain traction in the Chinese market, local Chinese releases continue to flourish, showcasing the industry’s strong recovery and the growing preference of Chinese audiences for homegrown content.
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