This year, the mainland Chinese market didn't seem as lively as last year. However, in April, one major event did occur—a generation-defining Chinese-language superstar, known as "Brother," Leslie Cheung, leapt to his death and was gone.
Perhaps this also foreshadowed the unrest in the Chinese film market for the year.
In the first half of the year, the mainland film market was basically dominated by Hong Kong films. However, few of them surpassed 30 million RMB at the box office—it seemed that mainland audiences were growing tired of Hong Kong cinema.
The highest-grossing Chinese-language film in the first half was Cat and Mouse, starring Andy Lau and Cecilia Cheung, with a box office of 33 million RMB.
The overall highest-grossing film, however, was Hollywood's X-Men 2, which had so far earned 43 million RMB.
After last year's Hero, Director Zhang had no new release this year. Feng Xiaogang's Cell Phone was still a long way off from release, and as for other mainland films—Gilbert honestly hadn't even heard of their names.
Though the overall box office performance in the first half of the year wasn't ideal, things began to change with the release of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Released on Tuesday, June 10th, the film earned 1.3 million RMB on its first day—more than the total box office of many films released earlier in the year.
It's worth noting that among the top thirty box office films in the first half of the year, some had earned only a few hundred thousand RMB. The situation was nothing short of bleak.
Following that, Pirates of the Caribbean continued to dominate the mainland film market.
On Wednesday, it brought in 2.21 million RMB. On Thursday, 3.07 million. From Friday through Sunday, it took in a combined 11.6 million RMB, totaling 18.18 million RMB in its first week.
Judging from these numbers, while it might not replicate The Return of the King's success in the mainland last year, grossing 80 or 90 million—or even 100 million—RMB wouldn't be a problem.
It seemed that aside from Hong Kong films, this year would also belong to Hollywood films, as many more were slated to hit the mainland market.
Since the WTO agreement was signed, the mainland quota for imported films had reached 20 per year. More and more Hollywood blockbusters were becoming a key component of the Chinese market.
But this market's potential still needed to be tapped. Even if Pirates of the Caribbean grossed 100 million RMB in China, that would only be a little over $12 million USD.
Under the revenue-sharing agreement, the distributor would only get around $1.8 million.
Looking at the share of box office revenue, the return was even lower than in some small European countries. In other words, Hollywood films were making hard-earned money in China, while the lion's share was pocketed by China Film Group, which was responsible for importing them.
Mainland China's revenue-sharing system differed from Hollywood's. In Hollywood, the distributor gets the big cut, while theaters get the smaller one. Theater chains mainly earn through peripheral products, something that had already been explained before.
In contrast, theaters in China would starve if they relied on peripheral products, so box office revenue was their primary means of turning a profit.
That's why Hollywood filmmakers found it strange—Chinese production and distribution companies invested time, money, and effort to make and promote a film.
Yet, the theater chains, which contributed nothing, took home the largest share. So what was the point of producing films at all?
The truth was that many Hollywood professionals didn't understand the realities of the Chinese film market—because Hollywood operated on a separated model for production and exhibition.
Film companies were just that—film companies. Theaters were independent entities.
But in China, film companies not only handled production—they also controlled the exhibition side. They owned theater chains. Take China Film Group, for example.
So while it might appear that Chinese film companies received only a small share of box office revenue, they also earned part of the revenue from the theater chains.
It was like one person managing every stage of a project—and reaping all the profits.
In the case of Pirates of the Caribbean, China Film Group made a fortune, while Disney and Warner Bros., the producers, earned a pitiful sum.
It might seem that such modest earnings wouldn't justify Gilbert and Johnny Depp making the trip to China—but they still came.
Often, one must look beyond the present and set their sights on the future.
During its opening week, the film received solid reviews, with many Chinese media outlets praising Pirates of the Caribbean.
But when it came to creativity, Chinese internet users still reigned supreme.
One user even composed a witty poem:
"The Captain's got great charm,
Even crabs fall for his arm.
Stick with Jack, miss many meals,
Starve three days, that's the deal.
Barely fed, still get beat—
Steel pipes rain down, no retreat."
Another user commented: "I have to say, the part where the pirates turned into skeletons under the moonlight while attacking the fortress, and when Elizabeth saw the skeleton crew on the ship—it totally scared me."
"Hollywood's special effects are just so real. In the cave, when Captain Jack and Barbossa were sword-fighting, the way they moved through patches of moonlight, turning human one moment and skeleton the next—it was amazing."
"I want to watch it again. This is the best movie I've seen all year. The last time I had this feeling was with The Return of the King."
"I'm different—I still love Titanic the most."
"Same here…"
In short, netizens gave Pirates of the Caribbean overwhelmingly positive reviews.
As for the plot—honestly, most moviegoers didn't even notice it while watching. They were completely captivated by the visual effects and spectacular scenes.
While Pirates of the Caribbean was making waves at the Chinese box office, Gilbert also took part in a Shanghai Film Festival seminar, sitting alongside Director Zhang and Director Chen Gezi for a roundtable discussion.
The seminar was hosted by the leading lady of CCTV-6, and the whole event was broadcast live on the channel.
The introduction at the beginning gave the audience in front of their TVs a detailed background on Gilbert:
"He is one of the most successful Hollywood directors since the 1990s. Every one of his films has stunned audiences. His total box office earnings exceed $8 billion.
He is persistent, hardworking, studious, and determined. He is a symbol of the American dream.
Let's welcome Director Gilbert Landrani…"
At the host's words, Gilbert strode onto the stage with a composed manner, waved at the panelists, and greeted the audience watching on television.
After Gilbert's arrival, Director Zhang and Chen "Gezi" also came on stage. The three took their seats, and a ceremony attendant served tea.
The format of the discussion was novel—it was set up more like an intimate tea conversation. The three sat and chatted about Sino-American culture and cinema.
The organizers hoped Gilbert wouldn't have to be overly formal; scripted remarks often feel formulaic. In a casual chat, people tend to speak more truthfully.
Liu Ji and Guo Fan had obtained tickets to attend the session—Liu Ji secured them, and of course, he didn't forget his good friend and brought Guo Fan along.
They found their seats before the session began, and the audience around them whispered in anticipation.
Many attendees were seeing Gilbert—this handsome Hollywood director—for the first time and were curious.
"I heard Director Gilbert speaks Chinese. I wonder if that's true?"
"Of course—it's true. On the red carpet, he even greeted fans in Chinese."
"How did he learn Chinese, I wonder?"
This question had been on everyone's mind—but soon, Chen "Gezi" raised it on behalf of the group: "Director Gilbert, may I ask you a personal question?"
Gilbert nodded, indicating: "Please go ahead…"
He responded in Chinese—and fluently, better than many locals from Shanghai.
Chen asked, "I've been to the U.S., and for many people, Chinese is basically a nightmare. How long did it take you to become so fluent?"
Gilbert pretended to reflect, "I'd say during my time at the University of Southern California—about four years."
A wave of astonishment went through the audience—learning a language like Chinese in just four years? Incredible.
Seeming to sense their astonishment, Gilbert laughed and explained, "English is alphabet-based—you have to memorize words. But Chinese is different. It's one of the few languages in the world that evolved from pictograms. For me, this kind of language wasn't difficult.
Conversely, I studied French with Sophie Marceau, and to this day, I only know a few French curses."
His remark lifted the mood, light and humorous—but it also raised eyebrows: is Chinese really that easy?
Of course it isn't—Gilbert was just trying to look impressive.
Just as filmmakers do when promoting in France or the UK—he'd claim a keen interest in Chinese culture here, just as he'd say he loves French culture in France.
"Since you're interested in Chinese culture, have you watched Chinese-language films?" the host interjected.
"Of course," Gilbert said, looking at Director Zhang and Chen Gezi. "I've actually watched your works—Hero and Farewell My Concubine. Both are excellent."
For a major Hollywood director to have seen their films meant more to Chen Gezi than to Director Zhang—she looked slightly pleased, her expression saying: "You, this foreigner, have good taste."
Finally, Director Zhang asked a weighty question: "What do you see as the main difference between Chinese and American films?"
Gilbert's answer surprised everyone: "I believe it's the industrial foundation."
This answer stunned Director Zhang, and the audience was taken aback. Guo Fan and Liu Ji exchanged looks—they'd thought Gilbert might talk about cultural or political factors.
But Gilbert likely didn't want to enter sensitive territory. He chose the most foundational topic—the film industry—which genuinely affects cinematic development.
Before the audience could dive deeper, Gilbert continued: "Hollywood didn't become globally dominant overnight. Before the 1990s, European cinema could still compete with Hollywood. But by the mid-1990s, with the progress of Hollywood's film industry and technology, European cinema had fallen far behind."
In truth, the global dominance of Hollywood films in the 1990s was largely spurred by the collapse of a major competitor—but clearly, that explanation wasn't appropriate for this setting.
Regardless, seeing the Chinese-language film industry through the lens of a Hollywood director—alongside his perspective on cinematic markets—gave mainland filmmakers meaningful inspiration. Overall, the talk proved to be quite insightful.
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