“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” will hit Chinese theaters Dec.
20, day-and-date with the U.S.While Marvel films are typically outsized hits in China, the “Star Wars” franchise has historically under-performed in the territory.
Chinese audiences are less familiar with it because the original films were never theatrically released in the ’70s, when Western cultural imports were scarce as the country tried to bounce back from its Cultural Revolution era.“The Force Awakens” performed worse than expectations in 2016 but nevertheless grossed a sizable $124 million in China.
The 2017 spinoff “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” grossed $69 million, while last year’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “The Last Jedi” made just $16.5 million and $42.5 million, respectively.Disney has sought to build more grass-roots love for the franchise with various stunts and partnerships, such as placing 500 storm troopers on the Great Wall for a photo op to promote “The Force Awakens.
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