German media: Sino-US film industry's "honeymoon period" may be interrupted by Trump

According to the Deutsche Welle Radio website, just as "The Great Wall" was released last year, the new US President Trump stepped onto the world stage. This could significantly reduce the expectations of ambitious China and American film investors. Trump is currently fiercely criticizing China, claiming to launch a trade war.

German media said that the United States and China had a very good idea. In order to increase revenue from the global film business, companies from the two countries collaborated and spent US$150 million to film and produce a film called "The Great Wall." The film was supposed to usher in a new era. Both China and the United States can benefit-a typical win-win situation: Hollywood benefits because China is the world's second largest market and can bring huge box office revenue; in China, cooperation with the United States means taking a step closer to the goals of global players in the huge film business.

According to a report on January 14 on the website of Deutsche Welle Radio, just when "The Great Wall" was released last year (in December in China, then in many European and Asian countries, and in the United States as late as February 17 this year), the new US President Trump stepped onto the world stage. This could significantly reduce the expectations of ambitious China and American film investors. Trump is currently fiercely criticizing China, claiming to launch a trade war.

Reports said that the future president's dissatisfaction with Hollywood has also begun to escalate. It seems completely impossible to get Trump to support Hollywood and promote U.S. -China cooperation in movies and theaters. This huge business seems to have a bleak future.

On January 12, 2017, the most expensive Sino-US cooperation film ever produced was also released in Germany. The film is directed by Zhang Yimou, and most of the actors are China. The screenplay was mainly written by Hollywood professionals, two American superstars Matt. Damon and William. Dafoe also participated. The film was in English-but it was filmed in China.

"The Great Wall" does not deal much with historical allusions to the Great Wall, but is an action fantasy film produced with 3D technology with many digital special effects. This movie is about sitting in a digital theater, eating popcorn and watching endless, meaningless fighting scenes. The movie scenes are huge, piecing together technical, dramatic plots from other popular films-but artistically, it was a fiasco.

According to reports, in China, more than 20 new cinemas open every day. Compared with before, major Hollywood film companies now rely more on overseas income, and entering the China market has almost become a necessity. A blockbuster film invested in hundreds of millions of dollars would hardly be able to recover its costs without revenue from China theaters. Therefore, the United States and China will cooperate.

On the other hand, China investors are trying to gain a foothold in the U.S. market. China's Alibaba Group has been with Stephen since last fall. Spielberg cooperated. International film giants such as Warner Bros. and Sony have also extended an olive branch to China and found partners willing to cooperate. The statement that China tycoon Wang Jianlin is interested in large Hollywood film studios is not groundless. Wanda's acquisition of the American company that produced the "Golden Globe Awards" is the latest example of a "sudden rise".

However, China's move has encountered resistance in U.S. politics. Some U.S. lawmakers recently advocated that China's future investment in the entertainment industry should be strictly reviewed. Trump nominates Peter, a China critic. Navarro, as chairman of the White House National Trade Council, may worry film investors in the United States and China.

Whether Trump will really hinder their ambitious plan remains to be seen. After all, the U.S. film industry also creates many jobs here at home. Trump also knows this. Whether Trump will really build the Great Wall between the two major trading countries, the United States and China, is still unknown. The first thing the producers of "The Great Wall" now hope is that the costly film will be popular with audiences.

Editor: Nancy