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WSJ: Hollywoods Biggest Misses Are Hits Overseas
- Thread starter Blablurn
- Start date
I think this is it, yeah.
Velcro Fly
Member
Maybe they aren't as sick of the same tired movie franchises like America seems to be.
Sgt. Kabukiman
Banned
That explains a lot.
Kuroi Gogeta
Member
I've heard that some studios are shifting away from making a "good" movie by western standards, because they realize that the film may do well in a foreign market. So dialogue, narrative structure and other things are changed to be easier for non-native English speakers to digest, or to give room for translation changes that can affect the overall quality of the film.
I'm conflicted about this, because on one hand they're bringing the films to a new audience, but on the other hand the motivating factor is profit. Why make a film with consistent pacing and without unnecessary flashbacks when you can ask the director to make changes that will make the film more palatable to foreign audiences?
I'm conflicted about this, because on one hand they're bringing the films to a new audience, but on the other hand the motivating factor is profit. Why make a film with consistent pacing and without unnecessary flashbacks when you can ask the director to make changes that will make the film more palatable to foreign audiences?
Apparently that's exactly how the Mummy was. Long ass boring exposition, talking to the audience like they're 2 year olds... it's all there!
Huh? The entire premise of this thread is that these terrible big budget movies (like The Mummy/Transformers aren't making much money anymore (or at least as much as they have in the past) in the states and are depending on foreign markets for their box office bucks.
IdreamofHIME
Member
Kuroi Gogeta
Member
Yeah I heard about that while I listened to the redlettermedia review of it. It's disappointing to see just how much executive meddling is going on. The movie may make money, but in the short term, but ultimately it ends up being a forgettable product.
On one hand, the film is bad(at least by our standards and perceptions as westerners) but on the other hand, the money made from that film could potentially bankroll a production that westerners would enjoy.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
A lot of movies that have been successful in America are garbage, so let's not pretend like Americans are the barometers for what's "really good" and foreigners eat up what they had the good sense to avoid.
All I see is franchise fatigue. Nothing about them being terrible. Hell F8 is supposed to be great.
Honestly it's a bit of a stupid article. Everytime you compere The Whole Word with One Country, you'll get a result that shows, surprise, surprise, The Whole World winning. And looking at Transformers or Pirates, it's certainly the case that the franchises fell off the cliff in non-US territories as well.
Singling out China as saving movies is also weird, when it's the second biggest (soon to be biggest) Box Office market. Of course if a movie struck a chord with that audience it will do very well. It's like saying the US is saving films.
And that's not to mention the ways the studios get more money out of US run of the film as opposed to the international one.
Singling out China as saving movies is also weird, when it's the second biggest (soon to be biggest) Box Office market. Of course if a movie struck a chord with that audience it will do very well. It's like saying the US is saving films.
And that's not to mention the ways the studios get more money out of US run of the film as opposed to the international one.
Franchise fatigue is a thing for sure, but I think people (or at least NA audiences) are more in-tuned with things like RT ratings/etc at this point. If a movie gets shitty reviews/word of mouth, it's usually gonna bomb. But look at something like Get Out. Positive reviews/WOM and it's a huge success.
paradise_circus
Member
I guess the foreign market isn't participating in the extreme black and white impressions which is represented in sites like IMDB or RT.
Germany shares overall the same taste as the US though.
Germany shares overall the same taste as the US though.
Chaos2Frozen
Member
On one hand China saved Pacific Rim.
On the other hand China prolonged the existence of the Transformer Cinematic Experience.
It's a complicated feeling.
On the other hand China prolonged the existence of the Transformer Cinematic Experience.
It's a complicated feeling.
HarryDemeanor
Member
Even then I don't think Warcraft's China numbers are going to get it a sequel anytime soon unfortunately.
I hope I'm wrong.
I hope I'm wrong.
Hamster Plugin
Member
I think this may also work the other way around - a hit in America may not be a hit elsewhere. Is Wonder Woman doing anywhere near as well overseas as it does in US? Here in Finland she's not the most well known superhero and WB doesn't seem to be giving it anywhere near as much advertising as they did here for Suicide Squad.
Well you can also look at shit like 50 Shades of Grey and Suicide Squad.
Other countries have equivalents to imdb and rottentomatoes. Its not some special thing Americans invented.
A transformers film is up there. What do you think?
ZackieChan
Member
Came for the hottest takes, didn't leave disappointed.
It's not so much about taste as it is about hype in various forms.
Hype in the country of origin, for these blockbusteres USA, will be defined by different things than in other markets.
For example, for Star Wars it's defined by an intimate relationship with the franchise and expectations based on movies in the past. You can spin a whole web of context and references to characters and events. In some markets it will be sold as a shiny new sci-fi action flick first and foremost to audiences with little to no nostalgia attached. Furious and Pirates in China as third entries in the series are fresh enough but at this point familiar to the point of peak public awareness, it's an event everyone's aware of.
Hype in the country of origin, for these blockbusteres USA, will be defined by different things than in other markets.
For example, for Star Wars it's defined by an intimate relationship with the franchise and expectations based on movies in the past. You can spin a whole web of context and references to characters and events. In some markets it will be sold as a shiny new sci-fi action flick first and foremost to audiences with little to no nostalgia attached. Furious and Pirates in China as third entries in the series are fresh enough but at this point familiar to the point of peak public awareness, it's an event everyone's aware of.
A little from column A, a little from column B.
Jinfash
needs 2 extra inches
Oh I'm a snob who definitely think it's the former, though I haven't watched FotF and I heard decent things.
Speaking as someone who lives in one of the markets where these movies over-perform, I think it's a combo of high production values/VFX and hype enough premise. The majority don't give a shit about dialog/acting/script/pace since it's not in their native language, and good and terrible movies sometimes end up sounding the same after being run through translation/subtitles.
andythinkpad
Member
As long as China make the live action Saint Seiya movie happen all it's forgiven.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
Also, dudebros exist overseas. While they may not revel much in video games, they do in movies.
ryutaro's mama
Member
China didn't even get Fast Five in theaters.
the_darkness
Banned
Yeah because only critical darlings make the big bucks in America right?
Glass Rebel
Member
Seriously, the idea that this has anything to do with quality is laughable.
They have their similar ratings aggregating websites. They will still have different ratings because what a Chinese audience is looking for in a foreign film is different from what a US audience is looking for in a domestic film or even what a Chinese audience is looking for in a domestic film.
Monochromaticx
Member
The movie business is just booming in China right now. I live in one of the Tier 1 cities and I have around 5 huge IMAX screens that shits on USA theaters in walking distance to me. Even Los Angeles' (where I spent other half of my time) screen selection is laughable compared to here.
Only on GAF where peeps think America has some sort of superior taste in movies, lol.
Only on GAF where peeps think America has some sort of superior taste in movies, lol.
Those people that follow the Chinese box office religiously on the Box Office Theory forums do take ratings (Chinese ratings) into account into their fairly accurate predictions of the Chinese box office. I don't see any evidence to indicate that NA audiences are more in tune with ratings.
KarneeKarnay
Member
How much of this is just China?
Forerunner
Member
BladeoftheImmortal
Member
China probably likes Hollywood flicks just because the effects don't look like shit in them.
It's kinda crazy how much better America's CGI is than everyone else's.
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