Marvels bombs China as superhero fatigue worsens

Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers in The Marvels.

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

WondersA disappointing start at the North American box office over the weekend — $47 million, a record low for a Marvel Studios release — heightens analyst concerns that superhero fatigue is a pressing and growing problem for major studios. But in China, moviegoers have been ignoring the American crusaders for much longer – and Wonders It just represents a new low.

Wonders It opened to just $11.5 million in China, losing its three-day weekend to the local crime thriller Who is the suspect?Which grossed $11.7 million. Including Thursday night previews, WondersThe four-day total is creeping up to $11.8 million.

MCU releases have performed poorly in China since the pandemic, however Wonders“The facial plant is particularly eye-catching. Back in 2019, the beginning of the Brie Larson franchise Captain Marvel It opened to $89.3 million on its way to a strong total of $154 million in China. According to current expectations Wonders He’ll be lucky to cross $20 million.

Other 2023 Marvel releases also failed to attract much interest with mainland Chinese moviegoers. Even James Gunn Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — which was a hit in North America with $359 million — earned just $27.8 million in China, compared to $48.5 million in Guards 2 (2017) and $86 million Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantum Obsession It brought in $39.4 million in China last February, a decrease of 67 percent from Ant-Man and the WaspGrossing $121 million in 2018. MCU releases from 2020 to 2022 were heavily impacted by pandemic-related delays and movie theater closures in China, but social scores on the country’s top ticketing apps throughout this period also began to decline.

American studio franchises have diminished across the board in China, but other action genres have held up somewhat better than superhero films. worldwide Fast x It holds the crown for the biggest Hollywood film of 2023 in the country with a $51.1 million opening and a $140 million gross. And Transformers: Rise of the Monsters It opened with $40 million and topped with $92 million. The early installments of both film series grossed much more in China, signaling an erosion of the franchise across the board for the studios.

As elsewhere, the most notable products in the Chinese market this year were the original Barbenheimer products. Oppenheimer It earned $62 million, which is Christopher Nolan’s second-best performance in China to date Interstellar ($122 million) – and an exceptional showing for a feature-length English-language historical drama in the country. Warner Bros. BarbieMeanwhile, its sales quietly opened with $8.1 million amid a widespread lack of market awareness, but word of mouth among global Chinese women has lifted it to a total of $35.2 million — significant considering that Barbie dolls have almost no history in the country.

Who is the suspect? (Also known as The final suspect), a weekend winner in China, opened a week ago with $23.4 million, including previews. The film is directed by Mo Zhang, the daughter of Chinese film legend Zhang Yimou. Produced by Beijing Dino Films, the film stars actress Zhang Xiaofei as a lawyer who is forced to defend a suspect on death row after her daughter is kidnapped. Chinese ticketing app Maoyan currently expects the film to finish at around $71 million (RMB 515 million).

The next American film to hit Chinese screens will be Lionsgate’s prequel The Hunger Games: Song of Songbirds and Snakeswhich opens day-and-date with North America on Friday.