On the evening of November 21, 2019, the New Wave Industry Forum “The Era of ‘New Commercial Blockbusters’ in Chinese Cinema” was held in Xiamen. Directors Peter Chan, Xu Zheng and Chen Sicheng took part, and Zhang Yibai, as moderator, held an in-depth discussion with the three guests on the era of “new commercial blockbusters” in Chinese cinema.
In recent years Chinese blockbusters have surged, repeatedly breaking box office records for domestic films. More encouragingly, they have become more diverse in thematic expression and genre aesthetics. Originality, realistic subject matter, and the use and exploration of genre are the defining features of the current “new blockbuster era” of Chinese commercial cinema.
Director Xu Zheng was pleasantly surprised by how audiences have grown: “Chinese audiences’ hunger for content, their acceptance of genre blending and their understanding of what every filmmaker is trying to say are all remarkable.” Director Peter Chan also said that it is because Chinese audiences have become more discerning, paying attention to the intent behind content and being open to all kinds of subjects, that originally non-mainstream films such as Dying to Survive have become box office hits. Taking The Wandering Earth and Ne Zha as examples, Chen Sicheng said that with discerning Chinese audiences as a foundation, even seemingly niche genres and subjects can succeed as long as filmmakers work on them with care.
