Barbie’s incredible box office success in the United States did not translate to similar results in China. The Greta Gerwig-directed Warner Bros. film had a lackluster opening in China, earning only $8 million and finishing in fifth place for the weekend. In contrast, the movie debuted to a record-breaking $155 million in North America.
This disappointing performance for Barbie follows a trend of Hollywood films underperforming in the Chinese market. Even Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One struggled in its opening weekend in China, coming in third place behind two Chinese films that were already in theaters.
Despite the lower box office numbers, Barbie has been receiving positive word of mouth. It has earned high social scores, with ratings of 9.4 on Maoyan, 9.3 on Taopiaopiao, and 8.6 on Douban. On Monday, the film saw a slight boost in sales, climbing to third place for the day.
One reason for Barbie’s lackluster performance in China is the strong competition it faced from local films. The historical fantasy epic, Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms, which is the first installment of the highly anticipated Fengshen Trilogy, dominated the Chinese box office during its opening weekend, earning $42.6 million. Directed by Wuershan and executive produced by Bill Kong, the film has been praised for its visual effects and has drawn comparisons to popular Western fantasy franchises like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Although the opening was not as explosive as expected, earning $53.7 million including Thursday, it still outperformed Barbie.
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Additionally, Chang An, an original animated film from Light Chaser Animation, continued to perform well in its third weekend, adding $40.6 million to its total of $168 million, making it one of China’s most successful original animated films. Wonder Family, a comedy film from Mahua FunAge, debuted to $31.3 million in its opening weekend, claiming the third spot at the box office. Wang Baoqiang’s Never Say Never, which had been a hit in its earlier weeks, slipped to fourth place, but still added $20.6 million to its impressive running total of $261 million.
Given the strong competition from local films and the cultural differences in audience preferences, it is not uncommon for Hollywood films to struggle in China. The Chinese film industry has experienced rapid growth and has cultivated a strong audience base for domestic productions. This has made it more challenging for foreign films, including big-budget Hollywood blockbusters, to resonate with Chinese audiences.
However, Barbie’s positive word of mouth and growing sales suggest that there is potential for the film to gain traction in China. It may continue to build an audience over time as more people become aware of its positive reception. Hollywood studios will need to carefully navigate the Chinese market and consider factors such as competition and audience preferences to maximize their chances of success.
