Hollywood's renewed interest signals country's cultural confidence

In a notable cultural shift this year, Hollywood has once again turned its attention toward the Chinese market.

Timothée Chalamet was seen sipping tea from a gaiwan, or lidded tea bowl, in a Chengdu teahouse in Sichuan province while promoting Marty Supreme. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson interacted warmly with fans in Shanghai. Tom Holland, best known for his role in Spider-Man, went viral after being spotted shopping in the city. Christopher Nolan, meanwhile, visited Beijing, accompanied by the cast and crew of The Odyssey for promotional events.

Hollywood's renewed enthusiasm for China reflects a deeper shift in the global film industry.

If we look back at Hollywood's relationship with China, the changes are striking. In the 1990s, blockbusters such as Titanic and Jurassic Park entered China, leaving audiences in awe of Hollywood's cinematic sophistication.

However, during the early 2000s, Hollywood often viewed China from a position of superiority. China was largely regarded as another emerging market in Hollywood's global business map — a destination for its products rather than a genuine partner in cultural dialogue.

But that attitude gradually changed as China's film market expanded. Hollywood is no longer content with simply releasing films in China. It is increasingly eager to come here, engage with audiences and learn more about the country.

Chalamet played table tennis and sampled gaiwan tea in Chengdu, Johnson tried speaking Chinese in Shanghai while Nolan engaged seriously with Chinese moviegoers about filmmaking and creativity. Of course, such appearances are partly marketing exercises, but the shift in attitude behind them should not be overlooked. Hollywood is moving from telling Chinese audiences, "This is what we have for you," to asking, "What do you want to see?" It is transitioning from one-way cultural output toward two-way interaction.

The most immediate reason for this shift is the changing weight of the Chinese market. As a market grows large and important, what was once peripheral can move toward the center. China is already the world's second-largest film market, and no globally oriented film industry can afford to ignore a market of this scale. When a movie is released earlier in China, it is not out of generosity by the studio but a natural response to market realities.

At the same time, China's film market is also undergoing structural changes. The roaring success of domestic films has created a competitive "catfish effect", forcing Hollywood productions to compete directly with high-quality Chinese movies. Hollywood can no longer expect easy success in China. It must deliver genuinely good films to win audiences.

Chinese moviegoers also have far more choices than before. Spectacle and formulaic storytelling alone are no longer enough. Audiences increasingly expect compelling stories, emotional depth and distinctive cultural expression. Hollywood itself has faced considerable challenges in recent years, with relatively fewer outstanding films capable of generating broad public excitement. Winning over Chinese audiences has therefore become increasingly difficult, prompting Hollywood to treat the Chinese market with greater seriousness.

If market logic explains the surface-level reasons for Hollywood's renewed "China enthusiasm", a deeper explanation lies in changing cultural attitudes. For a long time, Hollywood films in China were more than entertainment products. They were cultural symbols. Hollywood represented ideas of being "advanced", "fashionable" and "international", and its films carried images of an imagined way of life. Watching a Hollywood movie meant something beyond the film itself.

That mindset is changing. As China's economy and society have developed, and as cultural confidence has grown, the way Chinese audiences view Hollywood has also changed. Hollywood films are no longer seen as synonymous with "superior", but simply another category of films available to viewers. Chinese audiences now go to see Hollywood blockbusters just as they go to see domestic films: primarily on the basis of their own interests and judgments, without attaching an additional layer of cultural prestige.

This ability to look at other cultures as equals is itself an expression of cultural confidence. A society sufficiently confident in its own culture no longer needs recognition from others to validate its own worth. Nor does it need to worship or fear other cultures.

Hollywood has its strengths, but also its limitations. Its good films deserve appreciation, but mediocre ones do not deserve special treatment. Such a rational, calm and self-assured cultural outlook is exactly what a mature society should possess.

Hollywood's renewed interest in China also reinforces this more equal relationship in cultural exchanges. When a leading filmmaker such as Nolan comes to China, or when Hollywood stars make an effort to speak Chinese and understand the country's culture, Chinese audiences see it as a form of cultural respect.

That, in turn, can further strengthen cultural confidence and audiences' independence in judging art, creating a positive cycle. It also pushes Hollywood to make greater efforts in localization, both in content and marketing, as it seeks to bridge cultural gaps and win over Chinese audiences.

Film is both a cultural product and a reflection of the spirit of its time. Hollywood's growing interest in China signals a changing global cultural landscape. Amid this broader trend, China should remain open to the world while staying grounded in its own cultural identity — engaging with others as equals and learning from one another with confidence.

The author is a professor at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Peking University.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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