China Market Update: Mainstream Recovery, Marvel & Main Melody Fatigue, Chinese Indies & Streamers

Hardly anyone in North America or Europe seems interested in working with mainland China’s film and TV industries these days. Even before China retreated behind a literal and metaphorical wall during the pandemic, too many fingers had been burned, too many deals never materialised and too many projects scuppered by censorship for anyone to keep this market as an integral part of a business plan.

These sentiments were made even clearer to me last week when I attended TCCF in Taipei, where the film industries of France, Japan and Korea all appeared more interested in working with Taiwan as a funding partner and entry point into Chinese-language content. As the Mandarin-speaking island gears up for an election in January 2024, the current DPP government is spending generously on supporting its own creative industries as well as forging cooperation with the rest of the world (more on Taiwan in the next edition of Streamlined).

So why is this edition of Streamlined focusing on China? Because…