CEO Bob Chapek recently commented on the difficulties both Disney and Marvel Studios seems to be having when it comes to getting blockbuster projects into theaters in China. Chapek suggested that it should not be a concern, as evidenced by the ongoing box office success of films such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
At a recent post-earnings conference call, Chapek stated, "We’ve got a long track record of success and a strong fan base for our brands and franchises in this market... We'll continue to submit our films for release. And it is worth noting, I think, though, that at the time that we are having some difficulty in getting our films in China, that Doctor Strange did extraordinarily well."
He added, "So we’re pretty confident that even without China, if it were to be that we continue to have difficulties in getting titles in there, that it doesn’t really preclude our success given the relatively lower take rate that we get on the box office in China than we do across the rest of the world."
Thus far, the Doctor Strange sequel has grossed approximately $507.8 million at the box office worldwide, including $213.6M domestically. The financial success of the recently released Marvel Studios film follows shortly after the monumental success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which earned $1.89 billion worldwide, without ever being released in China.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the latest in a string of major releases to be effectively banned in China. While no official reason has been provided, it is believed it may be related to the inclusion of an Epoch Times newsstand visible in one of the film's major scenes. The Epoch Times is a prominent newspaper outlet, known for being staunchly anti-Chinese Communist Party.
Marvel Studios has been unable to get any of its major projects into China since Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019. Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals and Spider-Man: No Way Home were all either mired in timely controversies or simply never given a release date. It should be noted that a handful of Hollywood films were able to get on to Chinese cinema screens over the last two years, including No Time to Die, Godzilla vs. Kong, and F9: The Fast Saga, among others.
China imposes a strict quota on foreign films. At the current time, the limit stands at 34. Each of those 34 films must be distributed by a state-owned company and pass state censors. However, was the case with a number of films in recent years, none of this guarantees official release.
Source: Deadline