Chinese creative media successes: Does breaking global records equate to ‘soft power’?
Experts weigh in on the potential of ‘Ne Zha 2’ and ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ for global influence
The Chinese creative media industry has made headlines in recent months.
First came the video game “Black Myth: Wukong” by Game Science last August. It sold 10 million copies in three days and 20 million its first month, making it one of the fastest-selling games in history.
Then came the animated film “Ne Zha 2” during the Chinese Spring Festival in January – a sequel to 2019’s “Ne Zha”. In less than a month, “Ne Zha 2” edged out Disney and Pixar animations to become the highest-grossing animated film in history. It recently became the fifth highest-grossing film of all time in the world.
A woman points to characters resembling those in Ne Zha 2 in Suzhou, China. Credit: Tamara Kaup
Both products enjoyed heavy investment and years of production. Both feature incredible animations using the latest technologies. And both are rooted in action stories about colourful characters from Chinese mythology and literature.
But do these two products have “soft power” – the ability to influence other countries through actions like cultural exchange or diplomacy? Yes and no, say experts from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) in China.
International appeal
Before a media product can have influence, the audience needs to relate to it and enjoy it. Some critics have questioned whether unfamiliar characters and culture are off-putting. In the case of “Ne Zha 2”, Dr Xiao Lu, Director of the Creative Technology and Industry Centre at XJTLU, thinks it still resonates.
“I think audiences are always interested in good stories and good characters in the film productions, no matter where the stories are from,” she says. “People around the world love superheroes and animation – these are both characteristics of ‘Ne Zha 2’”.
While the complete picture of the film’s international appeal remains to be seen, international fans clearly enjoy “Black Myth: Wukong”.
“It has been well endorsed by international gamers,” says Dr Gejun Huang of the Department of Media and Communication at XJTLU. “You can see a lot of compliments on YouTube, Instagram, Reddit and other channels.”
One reason international audiences enjoy the game is that its developers set that as a goal, Dr Huang says.
“‘Black Myth: Wukong’” is definitely not just designed for a Chinese audience,” he adds. “The developers expressed multiple times through media that they aimed for global markets.”
To do this, Game Science added details that help bridge culture, he says.
He points to the English-language dubbing as an example. In one part of the game, he says, characters who are part of a local Chinese drama are dubbed with a Scottish accent.
“People are drawing cultural similarities between the place where this drama format was born and the Scottish culture,” Dr Huang says. “It’s so fascinating how they came up with this idea.”
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels
Global expansion
Another way to evaluate influence is reach. Here, the film may be at a disadvantage, says Dr Huang. To date, less than 2% of revenue has come from outside the Chinese mainland, according to Maoyan data.
For example, in the US – a country with large potential audiences – “Ne Zha 2” had only a limited release, with fewer showings for a shorter time than other films.
It’s difficult for Chinese films to get widely shown in the US, Dr Huang says. Times were better for Chinese films when China’s Wanda Group had a large stake in the US AMC theatre chain, he says. Wanda Group sold off most of its shares in 2021.
“Since the Wanda group has given up ownership of AMC, I feel the scheduling of Chinese films has been capped nowadays. Logistics really affects the box office performance,” Dr Huang says.
Despite the limited release, “Ne Zha 2” was the highest-earning Chinese language film during an opening weekend in 20 years in North America, which could indicate unrealised potential.
Dr Lu agrees that international distribution can be problematic for the Chinese creative media industry.
“The majority of Chinese entertainment companies lack experience in working with foreign distribution and publishing companies,” she says. “They may not have the business development teams to help distribute their productions overseas. This is a drawback for Chinese entertainment companies to be able to compete with similar companies in the global market.”
According to Dr Huang, “Black Myth: Wukong” got help getting over these hurdles. An influential investor and China’s media – encouraged by China’s government – played key roles.
“Hero Games, a ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ investor, has widespread contacts in the business sector and knows how to maximise their investment in the game and get desirable financial returns in the global market,” he says.
A multi-year media strategy got global gaming influencers excited even before the video game’s release, Dr Huang says.
“Game Science had a media campaign right after the first release of their trailer on YouTube,” he says. “They did a great job, sowing the seed in gamers’ minds that ‘This is going to be a groundbreaking title in the action game genre’, and ‘Graphically speaking, this is a gorgeous game for sure’.”
In contrast, “when ‘Ne Zha 2’ was released, the media only came out to support the animation right after it became a success,” Dr Huang says.
The business connections and publicity strategy seem to have paid off for “Black Myth: Wukong”. Last month, the website 80 Level reported that – according to comments by Game Science co-founder Yang Qi – 30% of the game’s players are from outside China.
The ‘right’ audience
Another key to external influence is engaging with the right international audience. For “soft power” to occur, logically speaking, a creative media product would need to engage people outside China who are not Chinese.
Dr Lu says she’s already seen examples of this from the game.
“Influencers on Western social media platforms are discussing ‘Black Myth: Wukong’. Businessman Elon Musk posted a message on his social media account about it,” she says. “Social media influencers and key opinion leaders in Western countries can shift people’s attitudes.”
Dr Huang thinks that “Ne Zha 2” might not reach audiences outside the Chinese diaspora.
“I think Chinese sojourners across the world are actually the main consumers of Chinese content on media platforms outside China. The reception of that film will not necessarily follow that trend, but it’s highly likely to be the case in many regions,” he says.
Dr Lu says she thinks “Ne Zha 2” will continue to grow its audience around the world.
The animated film is set for general release on 21 March in the UK and Ireland. Releases in countries and regions across Europe are scheduled to follow, according to Xinhua News Agency. It’s also still to be released in Cambodia and Japan.
Dr Lu cautions that any one work cannot be responsible for truly impactful “soft power”.
“I think that ‘Ne Zha 2’ is a good starting point, but it’s only one successful production from China,” she says.
“I think, I hope, that we can have plenty of successful cultural productions from China that will create a huge impact on other people, and they will be more interested in travelling to China, learning the language and engaging with the Chinese culture.”
By Tamara Kaup
Additional reporting by Xinmin Han
Edited by Catherine Diamond
Experts weigh in on the potential of ‘Ne Zha 2’ and ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ for global influence
The Chinese creative media industry has made headlines in recent months.
First came the video game “Black Myth: Wukong” by Game Science last August. It sold 10 million copies in three days and 20 million its first month, making it one of the fastest-selling games in history.
Then came the animated film “Ne Zha 2” during the Chinese Spring Festival in January – a sequel to 2019’s “Ne Zha”. In less than a month, “Ne Zha 2” edged out Disney and Pixar animations to become the highest-grossing animated film in history. It recently became the fifth highest-grossing film of all time in the world.
A woman points to characters resembling those in Ne Zha 2 in Suzhou, China. Credit: Tamara Kaup
Both products enjoyed heavy investment and years of production. Both feature incredible animations using the latest technologies. And both are rooted in action stories about colourful characters from Chinese mythology and literature.
But do these two products have “soft power” – the ability to influence other countries through actions like cultural exchange or diplomacy? Yes and no, say experts from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) in China.
International appeal
Before a media product can have influence, the audience needs to relate to it and enjoy it. Some critics have questioned whether unfamiliar characters and culture are off-putting. In the case of “Ne Zha 2”, Dr Xiao Lu, Director of the Creative Technology and Industry Centre at XJTLU, thinks it still resonates.
“I think audiences are always interested in good stories and good characters in the film productions, no matter where the stories are from,” she says. “People around the world love superheroes and animation – these are both characteristics of ‘Ne Zha 2’”.
While the complete picture of the film’s international appeal remains to be seen, international fans clearly enjoy “Black Myth: Wukong”.
“It has been well endorsed by international gamers,” says Dr Gejun Huang of the Department of Media and Communication at XJTLU. “You can see a lot of compliments on YouTube, Instagram, Reddit and other channels.”
One reason international audiences enjoy the game is that its developers set that as a goal, Dr Huang says.
“‘Black Myth: Wukong’” is definitely not just designed for a Chinese audience,” he adds. “The developers expressed multiple times through media that they aimed for global markets.”
To do this, Game Science added details that help bridge culture, he says.
He points to the English-language dubbing as an example. In one part of the game, he says, characters who are part of a local Chinese drama are dubbed with a Scottish accent.
“People are drawing cultural similarities between the place where this drama format was born and the Scottish culture,” Dr Huang says. “It’s so fascinating how they came up with this idea.”
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels
Global expansion
Another way to evaluate influence is reach. Here, the film may be at a disadvantage, says Dr Huang. To date, less than 2% of revenue has come from outside the Chinese mainland, according to Maoyan data.
For example, in the US – a country with large potential audiences – “Ne Zha 2” had only a limited release, with fewer showings for a shorter time than other films.
It’s difficult for Chinese films to get widely shown in the US, Dr Huang says. Times were better for Chinese films when China’s Wanda Group had a large stake in the US AMC theatre chain, he says. Wanda Group sold off most of its shares in 2021.
“Since the Wanda group has given up ownership of AMC, I feel the scheduling of Chinese films has been capped nowadays. Logistics really affects the box office performance,” Dr Huang says.
Despite the limited release, “Ne Zha 2” was the highest-earning Chinese language film during an opening weekend in 20 years in North America, which could indicate unrealised potential.
Dr Lu agrees that international distribution can be problematic for the Chinese creative media industry.
“The majority of Chinese entertainment companies lack experience in working with foreign distribution and publishing companies,” she says. “They may not have the business development teams to help distribute their productions overseas. This is a drawback for Chinese entertainment companies to be able to compete with similar companies in the global market.”
According to Dr Huang, “Black Myth: Wukong” got help getting over these hurdles. An influential investor and China’s media – encouraged by China’s government – played key roles.
“Hero Games, a ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ investor, has widespread contacts in the business sector and knows how to maximise their investment in the game and get desirable financial returns in the global market,” he says.
A multi-year media strategy got global gaming influencers excited even before the video game’s release, Dr Huang says.
“Game Science had a media campaign right after the first release of their trailer on YouTube,” he says. “They did a great job, sowing the seed in gamers’ minds that ‘This is going to be a groundbreaking title in the action game genre’, and ‘Graphically speaking, this is a gorgeous game for sure’.”
In contrast, “when ‘Ne Zha 2’ was released, the media only came out to support the animation right after it became a success,” Dr Huang says.
The business connections and publicity strategy seem to have paid off for “Black Myth: Wukong”. Last month, the website 80 Level reported that – according to comments by Game Science co-founder Yang Qi – 30% of the game’s players are from outside China.
The ‘right’ audience
Another key to external influence is engaging with the right international audience. For “soft power” to occur, logically speaking, a creative media product would need to engage people outside China who are not Chinese.
Dr Lu says she’s already seen examples of this from the game.
“Influencers on Western social media platforms are discussing ‘Black Myth: Wukong’. Businessman Elon Musk posted a message on his social media account about it,” she says. “Social media influencers and key opinion leaders in Western countries can shift people’s attitudes.”
Dr Huang thinks that “Ne Zha 2” might not reach audiences outside the Chinese diaspora.
“I think Chinese sojourners across the world are actually the main consumers of Chinese content on media platforms outside China. The reception of that film will not necessarily follow that trend, but it’s highly likely to be the case in many regions,” he says.
Dr Lu says she thinks “Ne Zha 2” will continue to grow its audience around the world.
The animated film is set for general release on 21 March in the UK and Ireland. Releases in countries and regions across Europe are scheduled to follow, according to Xinhua News Agency. It’s also still to be released in Cambodia and Japan.
Dr Lu cautions that any one work cannot be responsible for truly impactful “soft power”.
“I think that ‘Ne Zha 2’ is a good starting point, but it’s only one successful production from China,” she says.
“I think, I hope, that we can have plenty of successful cultural productions from China that will create a huge impact on other people, and they will be more interested in travelling to China, learning the language and engaging with the Chinese culture.”
By Tamara Kaup
Additional reporting by Xinmin Han
Edited by Catherine Diamond