China appears to have eased restrictions on the release of Walt Disney Company’s Marvel movies in China, the world’s most populous country and second-largest box office market.
Black Panther’s sequel Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man’s new installment, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, will open in Disney-owned theaters in China on February 7 and February 17, respectively. Marvel Studios said via his Weibo social media account in China: The unzip marks the first Marvel Studios superhero movie release in China since 2019.
Deadline first reported the news.
This release should give Disney and the Chinese market a boost.
Hollywood has struggled with releases in China for several years as the pandemic delayed the release of blockbuster movies by movie studios. , restricts imports from the United States.
With Beijing’s backing, as audiences gravitated toward domestic films, improvements in local film production began to take away the competitive edge from U.S. films.
But China continues to prove that it can generate massive box office revenue for American movies. So far, Disney’s 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Path of Water has raised her $215 million in that country alone, according to data provider comScore.
“This could have opened the door for Disney to release Marvel movies there,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore. needed China to achieve global success.”
“Wakanda Forever” was released in November in the United States and many other countries. Ryan Coogler’s films have grossed him $837 million worldwide in ticket sales. The third Ant-Man movie, starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly, will be released in the US next month. Marvel movies such as ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ and ‘Black Widow’ have never been released in China. Sony Pictures and Marvel’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” were also blocked from entering China.
Other US films released in China last year include Universal Pictures’ Jurassic World: Dominion and Minions: The Rise of Gru.
Times staff writer Stephanie Yang contributed to this report.
