Why Foreign-Language Movies Are Thriving in China

Recent releases from India, Thailand and Europe have struck gold in the Middle Kingdom.


North America remains the world’s largest box-office territory, but for foreign-language films produced outside of Hollywood, China can already offer vastly more market potential for the right lucky title.


The highest-earning foreign-language release in North America last year was Bollywood epic Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, which brought in a substantial $20.2 million. That, however, was just a fraction of the $193 million earned by Indian sports drama Dangal at the Chinese box office in 2017.


Produced by and starring Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, Dangal struck a surprising chord with the Chinese audience, smashing every local record for an imported non-Hollywood film. Khan was quick to repeat the feat with his follow-up, Secret Superstar. Another family drama — this time about a rural Indian girl who dreams of becoming a singer — Superstar has taken in $118 million since Jan. 19, making it the biggest imported film of the year in China, thus far beating top Hollywood titles Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ($77.9 million) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi ($42.6 million).


And it’s not just Bollywood finding a foothold at the Chinese multiplex. Thailand’s Bad Genius, a thriller about a high school girl who devises a scheme to cheat on exams, totaled $41 million last year, while Spanish thriller Contratiempo earned $26 million.