TheChinaFilm Administration has confirmed that it will reduce the number of U.S. films allowed to enter the country, hours after Donald Trumpimposed record tariffson Chinese products.
The wrong action of the U.S. government to abusetariffson China will inevitably further reduce the domestic audiences favorability towards American films, the China Film Administration said in a statement Thursday.
We will follow the market rules, respect the audiences choice, and moderately reduce the number of American films imported.
(L-R) Jack Black, Jason Momoa and Sebastian Hansen in ‘A Minecraft Movie’Warner Bros.
Related Stories
How Donald Trumps Trade Tariffs Will Hit The International Film & TV Biz
Donald Trump Hits 90-Day Pause On Tariffs On 75 Countries, Raises Them On China
While Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariff hikes globally, he has increased tariffs on goods from China to 145%, after China unveiled its plans to impose reciprocal tariffs of 84% on U.S. imports.
Watch on Deadline
The China Film Administrations announcement comes aftertwo well-connected and influential Chinese bloggersfloated an identical outline of countermeasures they said Chinese authorities were considering in the wake of Trumps earlier tariff threats.
20thCentury and DisneysThe Amateur, starring Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan and Caitriona Balfe, is due for release in China on Friday.
The rerelease of UniversalsFurious 7, which was thetop-grossing Hollywood film in Chinaat one point, is also set for release in the country tomorrow.
Currently,Furious 7, alongsideA Minecraft Movie, are leading presales for Friday in China, according to ticketing and entertainment platform Maoyan.
Box office gross from American films in China hasdrastically declinedsince the heyday of 2012-2019 prior to the pandemic, but the Chinese market remains a key financial contributor for U.S. studios.
Last weekend,Minecraft Moviefrom Warner Bros and Legendary opened in China in first place, with ticket sales of $14.5 million, which makes up just over 10% of the films$144M international box office takings.
In response to these developments, a spokesperson from Imax said: We are pleased that China Film Administration has clarified its position on U.S. film imports and highly confident given our decades of business and strong relationships in the country that Imaxs robust slate in China, which includes Hollywood, Chinese and international films, will not be materially impacted.
We continue to expect a strong year for Imax in China, coming off our highest grossing first quarter ever in the country.
