With film fans demanding more than remakes and sequels, box-office collections have taken a downturn this season. Scott Murphy finds out what fills cinemas across the region

Earlier this summer, an internet meme made fun of the new films playing at a local cineplex, which included Toy Story 4, Men in Black, Godzilla, Aladdin and Child's Play. The jokes included wisecracks about whether movie fanatics are actually time-traveling back to the past.

It's a fair point. All of the above films are either reboots of successful previous versions or sequels to done-and-dusted hits. However, even the tried and true do not guarantee box-office success these days. So far, domestic US ticket sales are down more than 7 percent from last year and those Hollywood films account for 5 percent fewer sales globally. "I personally don't think the film industry is very healthy," says Vincent Lee, a Hong Kong resident and regular filmgoer. "This is because of their quest for blockbusters. The film studios have been pushing out these films and that's not what everybody wants to see all the time."

The endless quest for global blockbusters makes a section of box-office pundits worry that well-made films on a smaller budget may not get made in the future because worldwide audiences will have become accustomed to big, comic-book styled, special FX-laden, save-the-planet spectacles. "This is turning out to be a cruel, cruel summer for films and the studios that make them," claims Howard Elias, writer of the daily online film blog, Howard on Film. "Hollywood may finally be coming to the shocking realization that audiences are bored with sequels, spinoffs, retreads, reboots and remakes, with 'safe' films like Men In Black: International, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Dumbo, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Shaft all either underperforming or downright bombing at the box office," he says.

China has not been immune to a reversal in box office fortunes either. Despite Avengers:Endgame grossing $615 million, making it the biggest Hollywood release in the country by far, ticket sales are down 5 percent on last year. Industry insiders note an increase of Hollywood releases in the country in 2019, capped at 34, and point to an inevitable maturity of the market as the potential reason for this year's downturn, possibly the first in a decade.

"If it wasn't for Avengers and Captain Marvel, China's first half of 2019's box office would have gone down by more than a 5 percent year-on-year drop," says Ryan Carroll, editor of the online trade journal SilkCelluloid.com, which focuses on Chinese culture industries. "The real issue facing the growth and maturation of the China box office is the development of a studio system in China. Right now, I would say that only Tencent has solidified itself long-term."

Discerning audience

Audiences in China appear to be quickly maturing, though. Smaller Hollywood dramas like Academy Award-winner Green Book performed well there, as have foreign films like Capernaum, a Grand Jury Prize winner at Cannes, and the Taiwan-made arthouse film More Than Blue. And in a quest to follow up last year's biggest domestic film The Wandering Earth, local filmmakers are quickly trying to satisfy the audience's thirst for well-made homegrown movies. "Chinese filmmakers are rising to the challenge of putting effects on the screen," says Patrick Frater, Asian bureau chief at Variety. "In The Chinese Pilot and The Bravest, which is about heroic firefighters, you'll see lots of special FX. Next year in The Rescue, directed by Dante Lam, you'll see even more, as that film is trying to outdo several genres at once. There's a mountain-climbing scene and a sea rescue, for example. It's four or five films in one, which I think Chinese audiences will like."

Around much of the Asia-Pacific region, Hollywood blockbusters still dominate, with some domestic films sneaking through in a climate that may have more to do with the number of screens available than quality. "Theater owners are reluctant to take risks in Hong Kong because of the rents," claims Felix Tsang, film acquisitions manager at Golden Scene, one of the city's biggest independent film distributors. He cites P Storm and the just-released The White Storm 2: Drug Lords as two Hong Kong films that local audiences have responded well to. "Films from Chinese mainland don't necessarily translate into big box office here, but South Korean blockbusters fare well and there's always a steady stream of Japanese art house films, so we try to accommodate that."

Growing markets

While South Korean cinema has matured, and other countries, like Thailand, may have the odd breakout hit (2017's Bad Genius grossed $50 million worldwide and is set for a Hollywood remake), the real potential for filmmaking growth is in Vietnam. There, the recent thriller Furie, directed by Le-Van Kiet, took in over $8 million, becoming the biggest domestic film in history. Vietnam is also emerging as a preferred location for Hollywood productions. In the next few months, Hollywood filmmakers Michael Mann and Spike Lee will both lead new projects in the country, the latter for Netflix. "Vietnam is interesting because it's growing so strongly," says Frater. "The Vietnamese market is now of a scale which is significant to the region and to both the Hollywood and Korean players. It's now a $300 million industry. A decade ago, the value was $4 million."

As Asia-Pacific countries other than China take steps to become more than just niche film markets, there's both new room for growth and stiffening competition at the same time. Home-streaming operator Netflix claims to now have more than 100 new and returning titles from Asia on its platform.

Hollywood, on its part, will compete with a slate it hopes will get moviegoers out of the summer heat and into an air-conditioned cinema. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, just approved for release in China next month, is at the top of a long, lengthy and possibly familiar list.

"If you think Hollywood is done milking those tired, old cash cows, think again," says Elias before reaming off a string of examples. "Get ready for The Angry Birds Movie 2, It: Chapter Two, Rambo: Last Blood, Joker, The Addams Family, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Terminator: Dark Fate, Charlie's Angels, Frozen 2, Jumanji: The Next Level and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which are all expected here before the end of the year."

(HK Edition 07/26/2019 page8)