The lifeline of big budget Hollywood franchises, often with less than stellar critical reviews, such as “The Mummy” and the latest “Transformers,” has typically been the international market, especially in China – but it seems like the appetite for these high-octane films might be starting wane abroad.
That’s the argument in David Sims’ recent Atlantic piece, “Hollywood has a bad-movie problem.” While Chinese audiences are rescuing box office numbers during opening weekends, they’re not as enthusiastic during weekend number two and three, and that might be a bellwether for what’s to come.
So what’s changed in movie-going audiences abroad, particularly in China? Are we seeing the beginning of the end for high-budget Hollywood franchises?
Guests:
David Sims, senior associate editor at The Atlantic, where he covers culture; he wrote the piece “Hollywood Has a Bad-Movie Problem” and tweets
Clayton Dube, director of the USC's U.S.-China Institute; his areas of expertise include international relations and media effects and he tweets