[custom_adv] China’s cinema market has been growing dramatically in recent years. Hollywood exports revenue-sharing movies to China to receive additional box-office revenues. Although globalization accelerates Hollywood movies’ domination in most global film markets, that is not the case in China. [custom_adv] Hollywood studios encounter cultural and political complications in China’s cinema market. This research reviews the interplay of Hollywood globalization and the complexity of China’s cinema market, applies a relationship management perspective in analyzing Hollywood studios’ China-focused endeavors, identifies and discusses five key relations, and analyzes why and how Hollywood studios have strategically managed the key relations to boost their revenue-sharing movies’ box-office performance in China. [custom_adv] To improve Hollywood movies’ success in China and to secure a profitable market share of China’s box office, Hollywood studios need to have a good relationship with China. [custom_adv] This study reviews film globalization and Hollywood domination in global markets, presents the complications that Hollywood faces in China’s cinema market, applies a relationship management perspective in analyzing the strategies and tactics Hollywood studios have used to appeal to China, and discusses how Hollywood studios manage the key relations to boost the success of their revenue-sharing movies in China. [custom_adv] Scholars of global media studies and film studies may find this study helpful in introducing a systematic (i.e., relationship management) approach to analyze and examine the interplay between the globalization of Hollywood and Hollywood studios’ adaptation endeavors in a local cinema marketplace (i.e., China) that resists the dominance of Hollywood culturally and politically. [custom_adv] Newly established and small-size studios and film professionals may also find this study provides frameworks for entering and benefiting from China’s fast-growing cinema market. [custom_adv] State-run companies still control the importing and distribution of foreign films in China, despite a 2009 World Trade Organisation ruling that overseas firms should be allowed greater participation. [custom_adv] The government imposes a multitude of rules and regulations on foreign films shown in China and foreign film companies operating in China. Foreign ownership of film distribution and movie theater ownership is limited to 49 percent. [custom_adv] Foreign films are often blocked from being shown during peak viewing times such as major holidays or when school is in session. The rules can often be changed suddenly and arbitrarily. There have been cases of films premiering and then being pulled because they were deemed to be too successful. [custom_adv] China also protects its domestic industry by only allowing around 20 foreign movies to be screened a year, making it difficult for overseas studios to capitalise on growing demand from the country's emerging middle class.
