It’s true. After months of lockdown and at least one failed reopening attempt, some cinemas in China are expected to reopen later this month. And while the theaters will feature some of the local films that are sure to attract audiences, Hollywood studio films are also getting involved, with the first slate of imports being announced, including an Oscar-winning feature a couple of, well, duds.
According to Deadline, Chinese theaters are expected to reopen on July 20. And just several days later, the local people will find Robert Downey Jr’s “Dolittle” and Vin Diesel’s “Bloodshot” there to greet them. Of course, moviegoers around the world, who have already seen those features might wonder why China picked two pretty terrible films to ignite the excitement of film fans in China, but it’s obviously more about the stars and less about the films they star in that is the draw.
READ MORE: Financial Analyst Predicts Cinemas Will Remain “Largely Closed” Until Mid-2021
As we are well aware from box office receipts in China for films like “Avengers: Endgame” and “The Fate of the Furious,” people sure do love Robert Downey Jr and Vin Diesel in the Middle Kingdom. While “Dolittle” and “Bloodshot” didn’t necessarily have large box office returns in the US (in the case of “Bloodshot,” the film only was in theaters for like a week before most shut down), China has proven to be a territory that will embrace work from the actors no matter the quality.
But if those two films aren’t enough to attract audiences, perhaps “1917” will do the trick. Though there are no Vin Diesel-level stars in the feature, “1917” has the advantage of being a really great film with some beautiful action and storytelling. And if there’s one thing that Chinese audiences enjoy more than just generic films with big Hollywood stars, it’s action films. So, it wouldn’t be all that shocking if “1917” secured a fair amount of money upon its release.
That being said, the fact that “Dolittle,” “Bloodshot,” and “1917” are the first films from Hollywood studios making their way to China shows just how behind the country is with releases. Needless to say, it’s going to be a while before the country can catch up with films like “Sonic The Hedgehog,” “Bad Boys For Life,” and other films that were released in the first half of 2020. And obviously, if everything goes well, then this is more reason to expect studios to begin to gain confidence about when they can release delayed films like “Tenet” and “Mulan.”