While the North American and international box offices have certainly rebounded this year in the wake of the worst COVID-19 had to offer, China is pretty much back to normal these days. However, only 25 U.S. movies have been released in the country in 2021, something The Hollywood Reporter believes is a result of the increasing tensions between Beijing and Washington D.C.
Remember, there's a planned U.S. diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which is only expected to exacerbate the situation between the two countries. As for how that affects the entertainment industry, it goes without saying that the Middle Kingdom no longer has a vested interest in giving Hollywood a helping hand, especially with their own profitable slate of Chinese movies.
Right now, neither Venom: Let There Be Carnage nor Spider-Man: No Way Home have secured release dates in China, and "their chances of getting the green light are becoming slimmer by the day as the year winds down, analysts say." This is bad news for both movies; Venom earned $268 million in China, while Spider-Man: Far From Home webbed up just shy of $200 million.
This could hurt the next Spider-Man movie's chances of cracking $1 billion, especially in this "pandemic era" of box office takings we find ourselves in. That's not going to close the door on a fourth chapter becoming a reality, of course, but it is a shame to see Hollywood releases shut out of China like this.
In recent years, the Chinese box office has become crucial for major studios, but not a single Marvel Studios movie has managed to break into the country this year. That's certainly had an impact on their BO takings, and could spell an end to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's dominance there.
Spider-Man: No Way Home arrives in U.S. on December 17 and in the UK on December 15.
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