The Chinese movie market has been growing in size and influence for a while. The same Hollywood studios and personnel who like to pass all sorts of social judgment on everyone go strangely quiet about things when the opportunity for some Chinese money presents itself.
Movies are re-cut, scenes shot, villains changed, and actors of color are shrunk on posters to satisfy the Eastern market.
Don’t expect any thanks for this, though. China considers just about everything as a patriotic victory to be achieved, such as with Ne Zha 2.
The Chinese film about a mythical boy who battles demons has toppled Inside Out 2 as the top-grossing animated movie of all time, with $1.88 billion as of 22nd February, and still climbing.
This triggered a huge swell of national pride across China and brought another, rival movie being released at broadly the same time into the crosshairs. As the viral social media statement sweeping China now says:
“I don’t care if Ne Zha 2 can survive overseas, but Captain America 4 must die in China.”
It has reached a point that is anyone criticizes Ne Zha 2, they are set upon by legions of fans who accuse them of being “clout chasers” and “paid haters” trying to boost the American product.
Chinese news outlets and social media are full of people gloating about the lackluster performance of Captain America: Brave New World at China’s box office. An essay that was widely shared in China states:
“It’s not Captain America that’s dying, but America that’s dying.”
The author claims:
“In reality, the US does not have superheroes and the US is not a peace-loving, peace-defending beacon for humanity.”
One cinema in Sichuan province has reportedly even held off screening Captain America: Brave New World “…in order to support Ne Zha 2”.
Back the other way, many in China are critical that Ne Zha 2 did not get enough screenings in North American cinemas, accusing American cinemas of trying to undermine their contender. To maintain their dog in this rather strange fight, social media is full of Chinese people claiming to have bought tickets to watch Ne Zha 2 multiple times. According to one poster on Douyin, China’s TikTok:
“A friend told me I was not patriotic, just because I did not watch Ne Zha 2.”
In the eyes of Chinese fans to criticise the movie is to side with Hollywood, they say. One Xiaohongshu (Chinese Instagram) user commented that the “premeditated” criticisms came from jealous individuals in either foreign or domestic film industries.
“Everyone beware, there’s currently a wave of haters swarming Ne Zha 2 with criticism online. With such a great movie, people are using their feet to vote. So they are turning to panic and slander. How despicable!”
The success of Ne Zha 2 is held up as introducing characters from Chinese mythology to new audiences around the world, and there is no response from the makers of the movie as to how they feel about their film becoming a nationalist lightning rod.
On its current trajectory, Ne Zha 2 is likely to overtake both The Force Awakens and Avengers: Infinity War in the all-time box office ranking soon.