Disney to create original Chinese eBook series with Tencent’s China Literature for Chinese audiences, exclusive.
Disney Has Made a Deal with Tencent to Create Original e-Novels in Chinese, for the First Time Ever, to be Released on e-Publishing Platform China Literature.
Disney China unveiled in Shanghai their latest partnership for Star Wars with Tencent. To create an original story in Chinese to be published as an e-book on China Literature, and its Mainland China affiliates Qidian.com and QQ Reading.
The e-novel will be published in 40 chapters, in serialized form, by China Literature’s popular Xianxia martial arts author who goes by the pen name “His Majesty The King”. Whose ACGN light novel Spirit Blade Mountain: Feast of the Stardustwas adapted into an anime series by Tencent in 2016.
This incredible news comes less than two months after the reports that Chinese Regulators will test what they are referring to as VPN Pilot Zones. Legislation that will allow foreign entities to invest into Chinese Streaming Services. Allowing them to participate up-to 50% revenue share in these “VPN Pilot Zones”.
An agreement that would allow NetEase to produce TV Series of Marvel properties – that being streaming – in the Middle Kingdom and Beyond. Most likely being that of one of the two Chinese superhero characters co-created by Marvel Comics and NetEase Comics; Sword Master or Aero.
The analysis of the VPN Pilot Zones, and the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings being released on the first day of the Spring Festival holiday in China, had us looking at the potential of any streaming TV Series coming out of this extended agreement. Produced implications that they may be distributed on Disney+ outside of China.
Disney China in Shanghai forming a deal with Tencent’s China Literature is yet another “streaming service” agreement for the House of the Mouse in the Middle Kingdom, and potentially falls under the “VPN Pilot Zones” legislation that was just announced.
China Literature is underappreciated aspect of Tencent Holdings from the Western perspective. As it is an integral part of Tencent’s overarching Branded IP development strategy, connecting new and developed IP both upstream and downstream.
With 454M users 7.8M authors and 11M stories China Literature has considerable reach as a valued partner for a brand like Star Wars. Allowing the author to develop and add Chinese characteristics organically to a brand such as Star Wars, reaching newer younger audiences in ways that the films have so-far failed to do.
China Literature, being apart of the larger Tencent machine will allow this new e-book story to potentially be adapted into new formats across other Tencent brands and mediums such as, anime, games, comics from the light novel itself – (ACGN).
Since China Literature’s 2017 Hong Kong IPO of $1.1BnUSD, content creation by the platform’s 7.8M authors has been the driving factor of the online publishing business, rather than a revenue driver for Tencent.
Tencent Holding investing then fully acquiring Qidian.com, the origin of China Literature itself, was to build Tencent’s IP and Content Library; to make it the “Disney-of-China”.
Incorporating a brand such as Star Wars onto a streaming e-Publishing platform such as China Literature, will allow for Bob Iger’s strategic vision for Star Wars in China. A vision that is not just to dominate the China Box-Office but one that will be a long-term investment.
An investment into future generations in China that will incorporate their cultivation of The Force to purchase, not just box-office tickets of future Star Wars films, but an investment into merchandising, licensed products, and Star Wars lands at Disney Shanghai.
This investment of 40 chapters being written by “His Majesty The King” and released on China Literature could lead to other ancillary products. Such as animation, comics, to live-action series, all seen on Tencent’s other streaming platforms – Tencent Video and Tencent Comics.
Achieved through an extended agreement similar to what has been seen between Disney’s Marvel Entertainment and NetEase.
If these agreements on multiple streaming platforms prove fruitful we could be seeing Disney invest more heavily into their Star Wars and Marvel partnerships with Tencent and NetEase, to participate in revenue sharing through the newly enacted VPN Pilot Zones legislation.
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About the Author
Born and raised in the Missouri-Ozarks Ryan studied Film Production, and East Asian Culture, at the University of Kansas where he was a UGRA recipient that led him on a seven-year long, Journey From the West, to China. Where he worked with Warner Brothers, the China Film Group Corp. and the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Before returning to the States, where he specializes in Chinese Anime & Comics, China’s Box-Office, and Chinese entertainment-tech industries. He has a dog in China, Abigail, and a dog in the Arkansas-Ozarks, King Blue, who help ease his anxiety of suffering from the “Two-Dimensional Complex” that is trying to understand the Culture Industry landscapes of the Middle Kingdom.
The Chinese superhero Sword Master is the latest to join Marvel Comics from China, but there is many cultural subtleties that may be overlooked by American comic book readers. That we reveal here in “Marvel’s Sword Master Explained!”
NetEase Comics in association with Marvel Comics released two digital comics in Mainland China one year ago; Sword Master and Aero. In July of 2019 both of these comics became available here in the United States.
One of these comics, Sword Master, has deeper Chinese cultural influences in its storylines than the other. That if the average American reader knew about, they would appreciate the new Chinese superhero even more.
So, let us dive into the world and culture of the Middle Kingdom and explore: Sword Master Explained!
Sword Master issue one cover art – Sword Master (center)
By Ryan Carroll, Editor-at-Large
Sept. 2019
Joining the 616
Sword Master and Aero officially made their Marvel Comics debut (joining the Official 616 Canon) in June during a limited four issue run of New Agents of Atlas. That continued in August with issue #1 of Agents of Atlas.
We covered their debut in a recent article which examined why Marvel Entertainment has brought over their Chinese Superheroes to the United States, to the 616 Canon. Subsequently, releasing their first issues translated from Chinese just days before the San Diego Comic Con announcement of the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Phase 4 MCU film.
Their American English language release also happened two months after NetEase and Marvel Entertainment extended their partnership agreement in China, from just the digital comics of Sword Master and Aero. To producing games, comics, and “television” products of Marvel properties for China and beyond.
Leading us to look at (in the linked article above) if Marvel and NetEase are planning Sword Master and Aero streaming series for China, that may end up on Disney+. Connecting them in an ancillary fashion to the MCU?
Out of either of these two new-ish properties, Sword Master is prime for a big budget (even big for China) adaptation for a streaming series as it contains several Chinese elements that would appeal to the Chinese streaming (and movie-going) audience.
Who is Sword Master and why may he be the more important of the two Chinese superheroes developed by Marvel and NetEase? What is it about this character that American comic readers may be missing out that if they knew they may better appreciate their comic reading experience?
Sword of Goujian
The Sword of Goujian is a 2000+ year-old artifact from the Spring & Autumn period of Chinese Ancient history that was rediscovered in Hubei Province in 1965, at an archaeological tomb dig site.
Sheathed in an air-tight scabbard of wooden black lacquer, the tin-bronze Jian sword (the “gentleman’s sword of Ancient China) had its blade’s edge and its ornate decoration preserved, as if it had just been forged yesterday.
Sword of Goujian
The mystery (mysticism?) was, how could the Sword of Goujian be in such rare pristine condition when it was discovered, after being completely submerged in underground water for over 2000 years?
A sword truly made for a king – which is was, in fact, the King of Goujian.
In the comic Sword Master‘s (Lin Lie) father discovers a rare sword at an archaeological dig called the “Sword of Fuxi” (more on that in the next section), and upon his mysterious disappearance the only thing his father has sent to Lin Lie was this sword.
A sword that bears striking resemblance to the Sword of Goujian, which to Chinese readers would hold a subconscious semblance as the Sword of Goujian is considered to be such a rare and historically important artifact. That it is prohibited from leaving the country, after a 7-millimeter crack occurred while on exhibition in Singapore.
The Sword of Goujian is now on the official List of Chinese Cultural Relics Forbidden to be Exhibited Abroad.
Sword of Fuxi – Sword Master issue one
Warriors of Three Sovereigns
Sword Master is not the title of the comic in China, but only the name of the superhero character of Lin Lei. The title of the series is The Warriors of the Three Sovereigns as Lin Lei is a direct descendant of the first of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Fuxi.
Hence, the “Sword of Fuxi” and where he derives his powers from.
Fuxi is a cultural hero of Chinese mythology, and credited with Nuwa his sister-wife and the Mother Goddess of Ancient China, in the creation of humanity. Along with, Shennong the “Divine Farmer” they make up the Three Sovereigns.
Lin Lei is a direct descent of Fuxi, which is referenced in issue #3 and his best friend Cheng (issue #1) and the female “demon hunter” Ji Shuangshuang (issue #2) are the descendants of Shennong and Nuwa. The other Two of the Three Sovereigns with Fuxi.
It becomes clear that by issue #3 that these descendants were brought together by the mythical Yellow Emperor – who may or may not be based on one or more real life King or Warlord from a pre-China’s ancient past. To fight and defeat another King-Deity named Chiyou.
Chiyou like the Yellow Emperor, who is looked at as being the First Emperor of China, or as it was referred to in a more poetic name Huaxia (which is also used in the comic, and the name of our bi-monthly newsletter The Huaxia Report), may also be based upon stories of a real-life General or Warlord.
Who fought the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor, aka the Flame Emperor) at the mythical-historical Battle of Zoulu, where the original Warriors of Three Sovereigns first defeated Chiyou – who is now regarded as the God of War and worshiped not only in China but throughout other parts of East Asia.
Turning real life historical generals or leaders into deities in China is not uncommon, as one of the most recognizable figures that is known to real history is the General Guan Yu from the Three Kingdoms Period and made famous in the classic Chinese literature Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
As he is worshiped in China, Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and in Overseas Chinese communities, among Buddhist, Daoist, Chinese Folk Religious followers, admired by Confucianist, and the Triads.
During the Qing dynasty promoted the worship of Guan Yu among the Mongol tribes, making him one of their most revered religious figures, second only to their lamas.
issue #1 with the “Warriors of the Three Sovereigns”
All of this, and the Chinese title Warriors of the Three Sovereigns being so very culturally specific with core elements of Chinese legend and mythology behind its naming. It is understandable that Marvel Comics decided the change the name to Sword Master for the U.S. publication.
As seen in the cover art for issue #1 above the other two descendant superheroes who will join Sword Master (as his sidekicks?) both have ancient weapons, a whip and some form of magical bracelet(?), that have not yet appeared. From the “Creators’ Corner” in the back page of issue #3 of Sword Master there is a hint that Ji Shuangshuang’s bracelet is another ancient artifact that contains stones that Nuwa used to patch cracks in the sky, in another myth from China’s ancient past.
Sword Master is only scheduled for five issues and it is unclear if the comic is popular enough for Marvel Comics to continue translating and publishing the comic for the non-Chinese market. Hopefully, we will continue to see where the story leads, so we may fully learn and discover all of these Chinese cultural intricacies as they are only being given to use piece-by-piece. And, even for us seasoned China Watchers it is difficult for us to decipher all of the clues given from issue-to-issue until the full story comes to light.
Tomb Robbing Genre
Another genre that teeters on the edge of Chinese-ness and those of Western superhero elements is the Tomb Raider genre in China, that Mojin:The Lost Legend and its sequels best represent.
A film that began as a serialized story on Tencent’s China Literature, as Ghost Blows Out the Light, before moving to the big and small (streaming video) screen. A genre where its elements help propel both the superhero films of Aquaman – where we discuss in our podcast – and Alicia Vikander’s Tomb Raider at the China Box-Office.
Mojin: The Lost Legend
Looking at Sword Master’s costume it is a little boring and unassuming, but digging into why his costume looks the way it does gives American readers an entirely new perspective on its design.
Sword Master’s costume is taken from the Tomb Raiding genre of China, fitting into the aesthetics and cultural influences of the country. Providing American readers with this knowledge, they may find the costume to be less boring and less inspiring.
To give an idea of the Tomb Raiding genre of China, one could compare it as a cross between the Indian Jones movies with the Tomb Raider franchise (both Angelina Jolie’s and Alicia Vikander’s), with elements of Chinese historic supernatural and adventure storytelling.
Sword Master’s origin story is also intrinsically linked to the Tomb Raiding genre, as his father’s disappearance and the origin of the Sword of Fuxi, are linked to tomb robbers destroying the archaeological dig site where his professor-father was working: the Valley of a Thousand Tombs.
Valley of a Thousand Tombs / Valley of the Spirits
It is interesting note that the origin story of The Mandarin gaining his powers through the Ten Rings, is from an alien ship that crashed landed at the “Valley of Spirits” in China. A name that is very similar to the English translation of where Lin Lie aka Sword Master gain his powers through the Sword of Fuxi, found by his father at the “Valley of a Thousand Tombs”.
Both of these may just be a coincidence but coming from the House of Ideas and the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, that will feature the classic Iron Man villain himself, The Mandarin. It is unlikely that these two names are just similar in their English-to-Mandarin / Mandarin-to-English translation.
In a previous article we examined the timing of the Sword Master and Aero comic books being released in English and them officially joining the 616, and how they may be referenced in the upcomingShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings MCU movie.
Along with, Disney+ and NetEase possibly developing a Sword Master series together, in cooperation via Marvel Entertainment, that may exist in the periphery of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Either way, we shall see as the first 5 issues of Sword Master are planned for release in the United States, with the appearance of Doctor Strange to train Lin Lie in controlling the magical side of the Sword of Fuxi in issue five.
Magic & Sword Master’s Connection to Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange feature in the NetEase Comic Sword Master released in China in 2018
It makes sense to add Doctor Strange as the first Marvel Comics character to the Chinese NetEase / Marvel superhero comic. As the MCU film Doctor Strange starring Benedict Cumberbatch may not be the most successful MCU film in terms of box-office, but it is one of the most leggiest superheroes flicks of all times at the China Box-Office.
With a second weekend drop of only -49% and a total box-office multiplier of 2.5x. A box-office hold and multiplier that was only beaten by another superhero film, one that contained an extensive mid-film sequence that was very similar to the Tomb Raiding genre of China: Aquaman.
Doctor Strange 49% second weekend drop-off, 2.5x lifetime box-office multiplier
Adding Doctor Strange adds other benefits to solidify Sword Master as apart of Marvel Comics. The benefits of Benedict Cumberbatch who is much loved in his role in Sherlock, making the character of Doctor Strange a household name among comic and superhero movie fans.
With the element being that of magic and mysticism. An element that is ingrained in Chinese storytelling, and integral to Chinese the martial arts and wuxia genres of any storytelling format – from light novel to comics to films. Elements that every Chinese has grown up knowing.
Phase 4 of the MCU: Where Magic & Mysticism Meets Science
Phase 4’s line-up contains more films related to Magic & Mysticism than the entire Phase 1 through 3 did combined: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder, and WandaVision (on Disney+) that will lead up to Doctor Strange: Into the Multiverse of Madness (a callback to H.P. Lovecraft’s novella At the Mountains of Madness which itself a successor of the novella Who Goes There by John W. Campbell Jr. that was later adapted into the cult classic, John Carpenter’s The Thing).
In Phase 4 we will be seeing where the Science of the MCU truly meets the Magical and Mystical sides of the cinematic universe, that has only been touched upon in the Thor trilogy, Doctor Strange, and briefly in Avengers: Endgame. Taking us into a whole new area of the MCU, that brings the notion of a Sword Master streaming series in China, developed by NetEase and Marvel; even more of a possibility.
Future
Will Sword Master live beyond his first five issues as a solo comic in the U.S. or will there not be enough readership to continue translating and printing the ongoing series from China for American readers? The character is apart of Agents of Atlas but that itself may be a limit run comic.
How long and often will we see this Chinese superhero? It is unclear, but his appearance, along with Aero, may be paving the way for a Chinese streaming series that could be released in the Middle Kingdom by Marvel Entertainment’s local partner NetEase and internationally via Disney+.
No matter where this leads, Sword Master, and to a lesser extent Aero, has introduced American comic readers to a wider array of Chinese cultural diversity and mythology that they have not seen before, and as we move forward. With the extended deal between NetEase and Marvel Entertainment, we will most likely be seeing more heroes emerge from the Middle Kingdom that will eventually join the 616 and maybe even the MCU.
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Stay Tuned China Watchers!
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About the Author
Born and raised in the Missouri-Ozarks Ryan studied Film Production, and East Asian Culture, at the University of Kansas where he was a UGRA recipient that led him on a seven-year long, Journey From the West, to China. Where he worked with Warner Brothers, the China Film Group Corp. and the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Before returning to the States, where he specializes in Chinese Anime & Comics, China’s Box-Office, and Chinese entertainment-tech industries. He has a dog in China, Abigail, and a dog in the Arkansas-Ozarks, King Blue, who help ease his anxiety of suffering from the “Two-Dimensional Complex” that is trying to understand the Culture Industry landscapes of the Middle Kingdom.
The In-Development Marvel Cinematic Universe Film ‘Ms. Marvel’ Movie Will Be More Important Than ‘Captain Marvel’ or ‘Wonder Woman’
By Ryan Carroll, Editor-at-Large
July, 2019.
Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel will be the most important superhero of modern day diversity to ever hit the big screen – SORRY Wonder Woman. SORRY Black Panther. SORRY Captain Marvel, and we haven’t even seen your movie yet.
Ms. Marvel is a:
a female superhero
a person of color – South Asian (Pakistani)
an immigrant
a person of a faith / non-white American Christian. SORRY Superman, I mean Jesus….
a Muslim
a marginalized immigrant – up against Trump’s Baby Jails & For-Profit Concentration Camps
a female person of color
a child of immigrants
an American-Muslim
not a white man, or even a white woman
Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel represent that which is the American Dream, something that superheroes are designed to innately represent and protect.
Beyond this, there is no real need to present a drawn out represented thesis of why this argument is true – it is intrinsically so.
To say the least there has been some amazing, recent, representation of diversity in the Superhero Genre as see with Wonder Woman, then Black Panther, and finally Captain Marvel over performed domestically and internationally, in some territories better than others, and in the cases of WW and Captain Marvel they were incredibly successful at the China Box-Office. While Black Panther played like a normal MCU movie, albeit some very “weirdly racist” comments on Weibo.
With Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel, an Asian superhero, she will speak to audiences in some of the most important emerging markets in the world, that the previous (very American) three have not – Beyonder the Indian Subcontinent – Beyonder Muslim majority countries – Beyonder just females in Asian countries – to the One Above All, and then some!
Ok, maybe too many Marvel Comic – Beyonder / One Above All – puns….sorry?
The characters of Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Wonder Woman, represent two very American groups; African-Americans and Afro-Futurism, and Strong Females that fit into the idea of American Patriotism with both characters associated with the American armed forces. Kamala’s Khan’s Ms. Marvel speaks beyond just American idealism and see the changing connectiveness of the world itself.
Kevin Feige in an interview last year stated that, Ms. Marvel would be joining the MCU but it would occur after the introduction of Captain Marvel. As Kamala Khan is directly linked to Carol Danvers; Captain Marvel herself.
This link is not by direct association of the characters being related, in some form or another. Nor by inheriting her powers directly from Carol Danvers or in the same fashion as her, but by the fact that Kamala Khan looked up to Carol Danvers as an icon and personal hero / inspiration.
Driving Kamala Khan to take up Captain Marvel‘s original mantle of Ms. Marvel. Something not touched upon in the recent MCU movie, nor was there any Easter Egg to either Kamala Khan or the mantel of Ms. Marvel in the film.
We should not be expecting to see either Kamala Khan as a pre-powered teen, in her own solo outing, but possibly in the Captain Marvel sequel or another Phase 4 MCU film such as The Eternals.
It could literally be years before even the announcement of the actress who would be cast in the part, let alone the release date of the movie she will introduced in; let alone, yet again, her own solo outing.
The question we are faced with, as we wait for the above news to be released (at Comic Con later this month?) is if Ms. Marvel will be an Inhuman – as she gains her powers from latent Inhuman genes in the comics – or if her powers will derive from somewhere else?
Marvel Legacy #1 introduced Avengers 1,00,000 BC featuring Earth’s very first Mightiest Heroes: the original Ghost Rider, Black Panther, Starbrand, and Phoenix, along with Earth’s first Sorcerer Supreme Agamotto, and Odin wielding Thor’s mighty Mjolnir hammer.
This plotline introduce the origins of the Marvel Comics superheroes, while also introducing the concept of why Earth’s Mightiest Heroes came to be in the first place. The Celestials.
As I have argued before that this introduction of Avengers 1,000,000 BC and the Celestials link in the comics, is designed specifically to fit into the upcoming Phase 4 and Phase 5 of the MCU, and it is why The Eternals is soon to begin production. If it has not already.
Along with, why Kevin Feige has officially mentioned that Ms. Marvel will be joining the MCU in the foreseeable future. As Kamala Khan’s powers may not stem from being an Inhuman, but somehow connected to genetically engineered Eternals by the Celestials themselves – a god-like entities that are the oldest in existence in the Marvel Universe.
The Eternals, like the New Gods and Fourth World of DC, were not meant to be apart of the streamline 616 continuity, but like New Gods, after Jack Kirby’s initial run. They were integrated into the larger shared universe that is Marvel, just like characters like Darkseid became integral parts of the DC canon.
The Inhumans are another creation of the great Jack Kirby, and like The Eternals, they are genetically engineered by a cosmic race, the Kree – introduced in Captain Marvel.
The similarities here opens up the possibilities of having Kamala Khan having latent DNA, or the like, from The Eternals rather than that of Inhuman. As Celestials are already established characters in the MCU being introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy.
This approach is also supported by the fact that Thanos himself, as a Titanian, is directly connected to The Eternals. In the storylines continued after Jack Kirby’s original run, The Eternals were further molded into the Marvel 616 canon. With connections being directly made to other established characters such as Thor, and later the Kree.
Building upon a new threat that is greater and more destructive, in the complete annihilation of Earth compared to just half of the world’s population by Thanos himself – in the form of the Celestials – creating an even larger overarching threat going forward in Phase 4 and Beyond. Than the Mad Titan himself was in Phases 1 through 3.
Connecting Kamala Khan’s origin to The Eternals would also established an opportunity for Chris Hemsworth to continue on as Thor beyond The Avengers and Ragnarok.
As his character has threads linking him directly to The Eternals in the comics, that can bring them to Earth in the MCU. Along with keeping around a character who has just now found his footing in the cinematic world.
The Kree being introduced in Captain Marvel, and The Eternals coming out in 2020, will allow for a soft-reintroduction of The Inhumans in the official MCU – I have argued before that Marvel TV lies in an undisclosed multiverse on several occasions – while giving fans enough time to forget that failed attempt on ABC.
Not only will Ms. Marvel play a larger than anticipated role in the MCU, linking together not only new characters but overarching stories that will move the MCU forward beyond Phase 4. She will be the most important character in terms of diversity seen so-far in a superhero movie.
Diversity in the superhero genre that had only begun with the releases Wonder Woman, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel, and Kamala Khan will speak to all of these underserved groups, females and African-Americans, and then some.
Stay Tuned China Watchers!
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If you liked what you read please — Follow & Share.
For Speaking Engagements or Consulting Please Contact Directly.
Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter The Huaxia Report!
About the Author
Born and raised in the Missouri-Ozarks Ryan studied Film Production, and East Asian Culture, at the University of Kansas where he was a UGRA recipient that led him on a seven-year long, Journey From the West, to China. Where he worked with Warner Brothers, the China Film Group Corp. and the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Before returning to the States, where he specializes in Chinese Anime & Comics, China’s Box-Office, and Chinese entertainment-tech industries. He has a dog in China, Abigail, and a dog in the Arkansas-Ozarks, King Blue, who help ease his anxiety of suffering from the “Two-Dimensional Complex” that is trying to understand the Culture Industry landscapes of the Middle Kingdom.
James Cameron’s popularity in China and his pre-release press conference for Alita: Battle Angel did help. A press conference where some of China’s top directors joined Cameron on stage: Zhang Yimou, Wuershan, and recent Kingmaker Frant Gwo. The director of what potentially could be 2019’s biggest single territory hit The Wandering Earth – unless it gets snapped out of existence before the Red Giant reaches it….
The press conference also featured a Q&A with James Cameron and Three-Body Problem / The Wandering Earth author Liu Cixin, followed by another Q&A with Cameron by director Frant Gwo (Guo Fan).
This international media worthy press conference surly helped create buzz surrounding Alita‘s lead-up to its China release, but it was not the key reason for its $65MMUSD opening weekend. An opening weekend tally that took in more money in three days than Alita‘s entire ten day run in North American, at the same point.
There is a growing trend at the China Box-Office that has only caught the attention of a few seasoned China Watchers. A trend that has been tackled more than once by this very online trade publications, the fact that: Female Superheroes Are Box-Office Gold in China!
Even Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlett (White on the Outside, Asian on the Inside) Johansson made $29.3MMUSD at the China box-office, over $20MM more than its next largest international territory Japan….but, let’s not use this as our “prime example!”
This trend first caught China Watchers’ eye when DC’s Wonder Woman became the best superhero multiplier at the China box-office. A feat that appears to have only been outdone by last year’s surprise hit Aquaman.
Unlike Wonder Woman, Aquaman had the unique potential to tap into a series of different genres that appealed to general movie going audience in China. A subject we discussed in our Inaugural MiniCast on Castbox.fm.
A Mini-Podcast from Silk Celluloid that dove into the fact that Aquaman was not just another superhero movie, but one that had style elements of Jim Cameron’s very own Avatar and even a “tomb raiding” genre sub-plot.
Speaking of the Tomb Raiding genre, meeting Female Superhero Gold!
Tomb Raider – Opening Weekend, $41.6MM / Second Weekend Drop 32%
Black Panther – Opening Weekend, $67MM / Second Weekend Drop 56%
Maze Runner: Death Cure – Opening Weekend, $21.6MM / Second Weekend Drop 80%
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle – Opening Weekend $40MM / Second Weekend Drop 80%
Pacific Rim: Uprising – Opening Weekend, $65MM / Second Weekend Drop 86%
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Opening Weekend, $28.7MM / Second Weekend Drop 92%
As seen above there is a trend at the China box-office of a second weekend drop of 80-85% for Hollywood blockbusters, franchises, and tentpole releases.
Leading trade pundits to continuously declare box-office failure when looking at Friday-to-Friday drops, as if they were comparing anticipated numbers that one would see in North America to those in China.
Seasoned China Watchers witnessing these drops month-after-month, knew early on that this is now part of the norm. During Q1 / Q2 of 2018 the trend was well established, by the numbers, as a piece of the China box-office that Hollywood should begin anticipating in their China release projections.
Being the first Hollywood blockbuster released after the Spring Festival long holiday, Alita: Battle Angel from producer James Cameron took off with a bang. Opening on Friday at just under $20MM and saw a 25.5% jump on Saturday, leading to a final weekend China box-office tally of $64.8MMUSD.
A tally that is on par with Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One and the Tencent backed Kong: Skull Island. It is way to early and unclear to predict Ready Player One box-office numbers, for Alita, as that movie legged its way to $218MM in China. A surprising result no-one ever expected it to reach.
Right now, Alita is looking anywhere between $150-185MM but with its good word of mouth, it could go beyond even Ready Player One‘s range.
This analyst would not be surprised if it did so, but one should expect it to land on the higher end of the $150-185MM project final outcome. In line with other similar releases like Kong: Skull Island.
Alita could be the first Hollywood film of 2019 to break out in China. As it has something most other Hollywood releases do not have: that being Alita is a Female Manga Superhero meets Jim Cameron hybrid.
A unique combinations that its successful predecessors Wonder Woman, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and even Tomb Raider did not have.
Alita has already broken records at the China box-office, being Fox’s biggest opening in China, and potentially its last before the Disney merger is finalized.
Alita also set a new IMAX opening record for the month of February. Which is a surprise, as normally this is the month which the Chinese New Year lands. A holiday that is by far the most important season at the China box-office for the entire year.
Alita being the first Hollywood post-holiday release had a wide open field on IMAX compared to the long holiday of February 5th through the 10th, which saw an increase by 40% YoY grossing $32MMUSD over the ten day. Though, we should point out that actual IMAX tickets being sold were only up 16% YoY, meaning that ticket prices went up from the prior year and may have been raised specifically for the holiday period.
Alita was able to break the IMAX opening weekend record due to the fact that several major Chinese releases, The Wandering Earth, Pegasus, and Crazy Alien, were simultaneously released on IMAX screens before or on the long Chun jie holiday.
We must also take into consideration that The Wandering Earth, currently China’s second biggest domestic grosser of all time, opened in fourth place and only topped out as number one several days later. The Wandering Earth went on to become IMAX China’s highest grossing single film, overtaking 2015’s Mojin: The Lost Legend from Wuershan, with a final IMAX tally of $27.25MMUSD before Alita: Battle Angel took over its screens.
Alita has 15 days (your typical film lifespan at the China box-office) until Marvel’s Captain Marvel opens Day-n-Date in China. With only How to Train Your Dragon 3 coming out in-between these two Female Superhero films. An animated feature which should not pose any threat to Alita‘s box-office dominance.
No matter how much Alita‘s final tally may be over the next 15 days, the China box-office will not save this $170MM+ film from being a studio write-off, as Fox, Cameron, and Friends will only see 25% of the receipts at max.
What the China box-office will be able to provide to the studio and Cameron is, the ability to save-face for a film that will take years of non box-office ancillary revenues to turn a profit. A face-saving feet that allowed Pacific Rim to be “saved” by China, leading to a heart breakingly disastrous sequel gear specifically toward China and kids in the form of Uprising.
The Female Superhero sub-genre at the China box-office, is not the only space Hollywood should be paying attention to in the coming years. As China is following a trend that is already established in the U.S. that Digital Disruption has led to Female Geekdom representing 50% of all Geek Culture related industries. Which means that all fan & comic conventions, gaming, comics, anime, etc. demographically is now 50% female across the board.
Multiple studies on Female Geekdom, both academically and governmental, have show that females are more likely to choose a character that is female, in games, or a female led story in comics, up-to 75% of the time. When provided with an option between a male or female protagonist to choose from. The studies further went on to highlight the fact that the same is not true for their male counterparts, who would only chose a character of their same sex 35% of the time. A major marketing difference between the two demographics.
During this same period, these female players paid more for in-game purchases than their male counterparts. Making them the highest revenues per player and the largest demographic for the world’s largest mobile game.
A win-win scenario and one that should be paid attention to, if Fox and friends wish to monetize the IP that is the Alita film beyond just a potential sequel. To tap into this lucrative and growing demographic – Chinese Female Geekdom – by teaming up with local partners. Such as Blizzard teaming with NetEase Games for its mobile adaptation, Diablo: Immortal, or as Marvel Comics did in the development and publication of their first Manhua Marvel Superheroes with NetEase Comics.
I suspect Alita in its final China box-office tally will be more comparable to last year’s surprise hit Ready Player One than to uber China hits Aquaman and Venom. BUT, I’ve been wrong before China Watchers! So, Stay Tuned as we track Alita: The Superhero Battle Angel in the weeks leading up to the Day-n-Date release of the MCU’s Captain Marvel.
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About the Author Born and raised in the Missouri-Ozarks Ryan studied Film Production, and East Asian Culture, at the University of Kansas where he was a UGRA recipient that led him on a seven-year long, Journey From the West, to China. Where he worked with Warner Brothers, the China Film Group Corp. and the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Before returning to the States, where he specializes in Chinese Anime & Comics, China’s Box-Office, and Chinese entertainment-tech industries. He has a dog in China, Abigail, and a dog in the Arkansas-Ozarks, King Blue, who help ease his anxiety of suffering from the “Two-Dimensional Complex” that is trying to understand the Culture Industry landscapes of the Middle Kingdom.
With Alita: Battle Angel dropping this weekend, it will have a couple of weekends until the MCU’s Captain Marvel dominates the stage.
By Ryan Carroll, Editor-at-Large
February, 2019.
I agree with Scott Mendelson‘s article from the end of last year, that projecting Captain Marvel to be the MCU’s next $1BnUSD hit may be more detrimental to the film’s outcome, if it comes in below that.
Black Panther hit that mark, not just because it was a cultural phenom for African-Americans, but it also checked off several other crucial boxes to draw in crowds beyond its initial first two weeks. Beyond the fact that it was the *cough* “first black superhero”.
Black Panther was not just an introduction to a male black superhero but gave us, not one, but three female superheroes in the form of Shuri, Okoye, and Nakia. With a compelling villain to go on top. It also provided cultural phenominon in the form of Wakanda itself.
Black Panther’s draw had several aspects going for it, that Captain Marvel may not have.
I would not be surprised if Captain Marvel broke $1Bn, *cough* Iron Man 3 did, but I err on the side of caution that it will not. Unless it is an exceptional overall movie.
I will make one prediction: Captain Marvel will have a similar box-office run as three other heavy female superhero flicks in China:
I believe that Captain Marvel will perform on the higher end of these successful female superhero led films in China next year. If it does come in and perform around the $100–115MM mark, that is the average for MCU films in China, I am willing to say right here: many pundits will refer to it as a disappointment at the China box-office because of it.
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If you liked what you read please — Follow & Share.
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About the Author Born and raised in the Missouri-Ozarks Ryan studied Film Production, and East Asian Culture, at the University of Kansas where he was a UGRA recipient that led him on a seven-year long, Journey From the West, to China. Where he worked with Warner Brothers, the China Film Group Corp. and the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Before returning to the States, where he specializes in Chinese Anime & Comics, China’s Box-Office, and Chinese entertainment-tech industries. He has a dog in China, Abigail, and a dog in the Arkansas-Ozarks, King Blue, who help ease his anxiety of suffering from the “Two-Dimensional Complex” that is trying to understand the Culture Industry landscapes of the Middle Kingdom.
Ant-Man and the Wasp just broke Chinese box-office records in its opening weekend with $68.2MMUSD.
By Ryan Carroll, Editor-at-Large
Sept. 2018.
Over a non-Chinese holiday Monday Ant-Man and the Wasp continued from its winning opening weekend bringing in another $9.2MM. Proving that Marvel’s smallest, post-Avenger, domestic solo MCU outing, is its biggest solo adventure in China.
Note. Technically, Ant-Man and Wasp are two different heroes, but in terms of the MCU they both appeared in the first film and are not two separate superheroes joining forces under one film umbrella, a la Thor and Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok.
It depends on if you are counting in Dollars or Renminbi for Ant-Man and the Wasp being either the fourth or fifth largest superhero movie opening in China. In USD it is behind Spider-Man: Homecoming in RMB it is ahead. This is due to the exchange rate changing since Homecoming‘s release where Spider-Man has a more favorable opening in terms of the Dollar. While Ant-Man / Wasp brought more in in terms of RMB.
In reality Ant-Man and the Wasp outranks Spider-Man: Homecoming.
The question that is on everyone’s mind is, “why did Ant-Man and the Wasp have such a terrific opening?”
Is it due to the Brand that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Is it because in the post-theatrical release of the first Ant-Man has aged well among Chinese streaming viewers?
Is it because of the comedy of the film crossing cultural borders, something that comedies struggle to do. Outside of particular markets for certain comedies. The Germans love Ryan Reynolds’ Van Wilder while the French still love Jerry Lee Lewis, for some reason?
Is it because Mao Zedong was a huge Scarface fan, leading him to be a lifetime admirer of Michelle Pfeiffer. A result that percolated down through the generations after his death???
Okay, that last one is obviously not the case! As Scarface was never released in China, and Mao wasn’t around then anyways….
The physical comedy in the Ant-Man movies does most likely translate, and it is probably why the trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp focused so much on the physical gags of his shrinking technology.
Ant-Man getting stuck in shrinking-limbo as the size of a child. Having to retrieve something from his daughter’s backpack, at school, is probably funny both here and abroad. While Paul Rudd’s classic riffs are most likely “lost in translation” due to their slang, delivery, and the Americanese of his comedy style.
So, it is not the comedy that led to Box-Office Gold.
Ant-Man and the MCU Brand as a whole, have both aged well. With the MCU as a Brand guarantees a movie theater worthy event. This is a given but it alone, should not have placed Ant-Man and the Wasp‘s debut over the like of Thor: Ragnarok or Doctor Strange.
There are plenty of Cumberbitches in China and the BCC’s release of their Christmas special Sherlock: The Abominable Bride in Chinese cinemas nabbed $6.4MMUSD in its opening weekend and $26.4MM total. When the special was set to stream in China shortly after, like the rest of the world. Shows the box-office power of Benedict Cumberbatch.
So, it is not the Brand or the well-aging of the first Ant-Man that led to Box-Office Gold.
No, it’s none of these.
I would argue that Ant-Man and the Wasp‘s success is not due to Ant-Man himself, but because of Wasp.
Female audiences represents 50% of all; superhero genre film audiences, gamers, comic book readers, Geekdom in general.
Even though the majority of these statistics to back up this data comes from the U.S. and focuses on those in the U.S., or online in general, there has been other research and statistics done that proves it is not just an American thing but apart of Fan Culture worldwide.
Other research shows that be-it games, comic books, or the like, females will pick one that features a female lead or main playable character, over a male one, up-to 70% of the time. Whereas boys are less fickle when it comes to these terms, choosing a male character less-than 40% of the time.
In the top five of superhero movie releases in China, there is not a single DC movie, but Wonder Woman – an IP not as known in China as say Batman – had one of the leggiest performance for any superhero flick of all time in China.
$38MMUSD weekend debut.
$90.5MMUSD over all run.
Representing 25% of its total worldwide take at the box-office.
Receiving a rare 30 day theatrical extension by Beijing Regulators.
Wonder Woman‘s success in China may be overlooked, in the fact that it made less than all post-Avengers releases in China, or at least post-Ultron. Where nearly every MCU release makes $100-115MMUSD in their final runs.
All the statistics and anomalies at the China box-office in regards to superhero films point to one thing: the presence of female superheroes in the film’s lead is a boon to healthy returns in superhero flicks not featuring ensemble team-ups or well established characters, pre-film.
Earlier this year at Cannes China’s oldest film studio Huayi Bros. dished out a cool $20MM for the female ensemble spy flick 355 from Jessica Chastain and company, that features the (potentially blacklisted star for tax fraud) Fan Bingbing. One of the highest paid celebrities in the world.
I am sure that pundits will be arguing over, why Ant-Man and the Wasp debuted so good (second weekend drop-off is still unclear), but I will assume that many will overlook the basic fact that – Female Superheroes Are China Box-Office Gold.
If you liked what you read please — Follow & Share.
For Speaking Engagements or Consulting Please Contact Directly.
About the Author Born and raised in the Missouri-Ozarks Ryan studied Film Production, and East Asian Culture, at the University of Kansas where he was a UGRA recipient that led him on a seven-year long, Journey From the West, to China. Where he worked with Warner Brothers, the China Film Group Corp. and the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Before returning to the States, where he specializes in Chinese Anime & Comics, China’s Box-Office, and Chinese entertainment-tech industries. He has a dog in China, Abigail, and a dog in the Arkansas-Ozarks, King Blue, who help ease his anxiety of suffering from the “Two-Dimensional Complex” that is trying to understand the Culture Industry landscapes of the Middle Kingdom.
Sword-Master and Aero are now officially apart of Marvel Comics belonging to the 616 Canon and are no longer just Chinese Superheroes that Marvel created with NetEase Comics for China.
It makes since that Marvel Comics has teamed with NetEase an internet-tech giant that is the second biggest game company in the Middle Kingdom, behind only Tencent Game. A company that has a history of working with major American players in the digital space. Being a long time partner of Blizzard Entertainment’s local host of World of Warcraft, a game that has seen a longer shelf life in China than it has in any other market.
With NetEase’s digital ecosystem, and track record of working with major American players, it is of no surprise that Marvel Comics choose them as their strategic local partner – a key to any venture in China – for creating localized Marvel comics featuring local original superheroes, that are technically in the 616 universe (canon), while not yet being on Earth-616, with artist and writers who are local as well.
Marvel and NetEase’s online comic platform released two digital comics this week.
Warriors of Three Sovereigns featuring the superhero Sword Master, and Cyclone with the female superhero Aero (yes, both superheroes and comic titles appear to have two separate names from one-another….), are the first two Chinese Marvel Universe superheroes have be launched specifically to target a foreign audience outside of the U.S.
Co-developed by NetEase and Marvel, with the Marvel Comics editing team guiding the development, based on Chinese myths, history, and legends. Brought into a modern superhero setting, with the intent that if any of these comics / superheroes take off. They can be officially integrated into the Marvel continuity known as Earth-616.
References to Iron Man and Stark Industries are clearly there in Warriors of Three Sovereigns, to show Chinese readers that these new characters belong to a larger world of the Marvel Universe, but here in the U.S. these new superheroes will not be seen any time soon, if at all – even though NetEase states in Chinese that they will be release in the U.S. later this year. It would likely be a digital only release.
Marvel has set up shop in foreign countries before, to establish local superheroes that may-or-may-not join the continuity outside of those country’s local releases. With anime and manga versions of Marvel characters being produced in Japan for years, and in the last couple of years Marvel took one of its digital comic characters from South Korea, White Fox, and officially integrated her into the 616 X-Men.
We could be seeing this in the coming future, but this is not why Marvel is so keen on breaking into the digital comic scene in China – and it is not fully because of the MCU films popularity and box-office dependability either.
A Cultural Industry that has not fully blossomed into its full potential as its main demographic is consumers between the ages of 17-23 years old, Gen Z. A generation that though has a small spending ability at this moment, will the largest spending group in 5 years. A group that as they enter adulthood continues to be deeply connected to 2D Culture.
According to the BBC Marvel has 3.5M followers on Weibo (Chinese Twitter), and of May 10th Warriors of Three Sovereigns had 2M views, while Cyclone had 750K.
Initial reactions appear that Warriors of Three Sovereigns is resonating more with Chinese readers, along with Cyclone being released one day later.
These figures are understandable if you view the links below for free peaks of their first issues, as Warriors of Three Sovereigns has a strong manga feel with a hint of some HK manhua. The Three Sovereigns are classical creator deities in China, and all three superheroes featured in the comic are each the last descendant of each deity. With their powers deriving from a weapon connected to that deity. Hence, the superhero named Sword Master the leader of the Warriors of Three Sovereigns.
In the link below you will notice that the action and monster designs are incredibly well-done, with the monsters reminding me of some American style superhero villains from DC’s Justice League Dark. Though after a couple of pages the panel and page layout becomes a little bland, and the visual story portrays Chinese socializations that feels lackluster without the translation.
With Warriors of Three Sovereigns doing nearly triple the views than its counterpart Cyclone, could come down to its more dynamic panelling that is more aligned with your standard American comic. Something that I felt was more visually compelling through the entire comic, without the ability to read the Chinese lettering, and Aero’s powers without text were quite clearly defined.
Chinese superhero manhua – comics from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Taiwan – needs to find its own style if 2D Culture (Chinese ACGN) is going to take off as its own thing in world pop culture.
Manhua in the late 19th Century was the precursor to Japanese anime, with modern manhua taking influence from anime in return. Modern manhua comic books have primarily come out of Hong Kong over the last three decades or so.
China and its 2D Culture’s leading platforms such as B Station, who debut on the NYC stock exchange raising $483MMUSD, along with NetEase’s own comic book platform, it is a ripe time to see an evolution take place in China in their very own 2D Culture and manhua comic genres.
With such influences as gonbi ink-wash animation already established in the heyday of Chinese animation, there is already a basis for an original and unique cultural artform to emerge. And, a lot of money to be made from it in return.
About the Author Born and raised in the Missouri-Ozarks Ryan studied Film Production, and East Asian Culture, at the University of Kansas where he was a UGRA recipient that led him on a seven-year long, Journey From the West, to China. Where he worked with Warner Brothers, the China Film Group Corp. and the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Before returning to the States, where he specializes in Chinese Anime & Comics, China’s Box-Office, and Chinese entertainment-tech industries. He has a dog in China, Abigail, and a dog in the Arkansas-Ozarks, King Blue, who help ease his anxiety of suffering from the “Two-Dimensional Complex” that is trying to understand the Culture Industry landscapes of the Middle Kingdom.
Silk Celluloid 