Today, Hollywood is increasingly focusing on the Chinese market more than ever. This is evidenced by the fact that since 2017, there have been many films that have made it a priority to cater to this market. Moreover, it is also significant in that they must overcome the strict censorship system of China, a country that only allows about 34 foreign films to be screened each year.
Violence, sexuality, politics, and even supernatural powers… any content that is sensitive in relation to this country often faces a backlash. Furthermore, in China, there is no film ranking system, so all works released must be suitable for the general audience.
However, this has not stopped studios from going through a large loophole as such, leading to a significant number of Hollywood films wanting to step into the Chinese box office while changing a lot about the content, characters, etc.
Below are 18 notable films:
1. “Doctor Strange”: Marvel had to change the background character The Ancient One from Tibetan to Celtic to avoid offending the Chinese government. As a result, this alteration leads to a character creation that is not suitable and carries a discriminatory nature towards the originally “Tibetan” background.
2. “Iron Man 3”: The Mandarin, a villain from the comic books, was changed into a Western actor to avoid offending the Chinese audience. Additionally, numerous product placements related to Chinese brands were included in the film, featuring two characters played by Chinese actors, Fan Bingbing and Wang Xueqi. Some specific details were also added for the Chinese release version.
3. “Cloud Atlas”: Released in China, the film had to cut nearly 30 minutes due to portions with controversial content regarding sexuality.
4. “Looper”: The futuristic setting in Paris was changed to Shanghai, likely to attract the Chinese audience, while also featuring a supporting character played by Chinese actor Xu Qing.
5. “X-Men: Days of Future Past”: The film was shot in Hong Kong, while also featuring Chinese actors Fan Bingbing and a boy band.
6. “Skyfall”: A scene involving James Bond killing a Chinese character was cut from the film, along with other scenes, in the Chinese release version that did not include any character related to the storyline.
7. “Mission: Impossible 3”: A scene involving a clothing store in Shanghai was cut from the film due to its sensitive content.
8. “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”: The character of Captain Sao Feng was not included in the Chinese version due to the portrayal of Chinese characters being deemed unacceptable.
9. “Transformers: Age of Extinction”: The film features characters throughout, especially the main character, who prominently bears the Chinese identity. This film was also produced by the Chinese company Jiaflix Enterprises.
10. “Men in Black 3”: The scene featuring a group of Chinese people was cut from the Chinese version, as it was deemed a negative portrayal. Additionally, scenes with aliens hijacking a Chinese restaurant were also cut.
11. “World War Z”: In the original novel, the source of the zombie virus was in China, but in the film, it was changed to Russia.
12. “Pixels”: A scene involving a character in the game “Donkey Kong” was cut, along with many other changes to be suitable for release in China.
13. “Red Dawn”: In the aftermath, the invading army from China had to be changed to North Korean forces.
14. “Captain America: Civil War”: The Avengers had to use a Chinese-made phone for a specific scene, while Tony Stark’s character was portrayed as not being a supporter of the US government.
15. “Warcraft”: Based on a game with many players in China rather than the USA, the film also featured actor Ngô Ngạn Tổ in one of the main roles. This film made a significant impact in China, grossing 221 million USD, while only earning 47 million USD in the USA.
16. “Independence Day: Resurgence”: Featuring actress Angela Baby to attract audiences, the film also included advertisements for various Chinese products such as QQ instant messaging and Moon Milk.
17. “Django Unchained”: The initial version had to be cut shortly after its premiere. Subsequently, the film was edited to exclude any violent scenes that were not compatible with the “socialist values” in China.
18. “The Karate Kid”: All the scenes involving the main Chinese character were cut, to avoid showing that “Chinese people do not attack Americans when provoked,” leading to a change in the film’s narrative from “a young boy’s journey to discover himself” to “a young boy’s growth journey.” At the same time, the film’s title also had to be changed to “The Kung Fu Kid.”
Many other films also utilize Chinese stars to infiltrate this strict box office market, such as the upcoming “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Although there are considerable challenges with the strict censorship system of the Chinese government, they have managed to screen films that yield favorable profits, so what more can we expect!
According to Business Insider
