Third International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

When Hollywood films are imported to Chinese film market on a revenue-sharing basis, they encounter some Chinese cultural policies, the censorship system, the quota system, and the non-self-decided releasing dates. Due to the average 30% increase in China’s national box office revenue each year since 2008 despite the increase rate slowing down from 2016, still being the second largest film market in the world since 2012, more and more Chinese elements have been added to Hollywood blockbusters in recent years. Five categories of Chinese elements are mainly employed, Chinese filming locations, Chinese product placements, Chinese renowned actors as cameo roles, the positive plots about China, and Chinese-themed Hollywood films. The way depicting China, Chinese people, and Chinese culture has changed over the years. In this paper, I focus on analysing the category of Chinese renowned actors as cameo roles in Hollywood blockbusters to explore the underlying reasons of the depiction changes of Chinese people from early negative low-class roles to current positive scientists or pilots through the years, trying to answer the question that whether the changes are due to the elevation of self-perception of Hollywood towards China or catering to newly-boomed Chinese film market? In my view, incorporating Chinese elements is the market strategy of Hollywood to please Chinese censors to circumvent the policies and get access to Chinese film market, though the early depiction of China is somehow loaded with Orientalist stereotypes, it has changed due to the spontaneous choice of market rules promoted by globalisation.