Is China rescuing Hollywood's flops?

The film Cloud Atlas enjoyed much higher popularity in China than in the US. [Phone/IC]

In fact, it is not just Hollywood flops that earn big money in China. Domestic films such as the Tiny Times series and The Breakup Guru, which won the title of "most disappointing film" at the sixth Golden Broom Awards (China's equivalent to the Golden Raspberry Awards for the worst in film), also received considerable sales.

"In China, the review of a film and its box office is not strongly related, according to my experience," said film director Donald Li, who had studied and worked in the US for more than eight years before returning to China. His comment echoed Zhou's opinion.

Li said that Chinese audiences are more likely to go to a film just for one or two selling points, whereas American viewers tend to regard the movie as a complete product.

"A famous star, or fancy scenes, that would be the point that triggers a Chinese viewer to go to the cinema while American audience are more likely to focus on the whole quality of the movie." said Li.

Another interesting phenomenon is that American audiences seem to prefer movies with familiar themes while Chinese audiences are more open and curious to different genres and themes, according to Li.

"Themes such as Superman, Spiderman, or Marvel's series, they are almost the guarantee for box office in the North America. However, original stories like Pacific Rim and Cloud Atlas are less familiar for American viewers. After all, they are all new to Chinese audience," Li said. "So in a sense, American audiences are more conservative."

Based on the analysis of Xinhua Daily Telegraph, the film tastes in China become increasingly diversified and audiences are segmented. Some good films, though they don't perform well in sales, have received much flavor from Chinese film critics.

"The audience's taste will improve in the long run," Zhou said. It just takes time.