Hollywood meets China

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As more Hollywood stars come into China for promotions, the competition for publicity is pushed up a notch.

"We need more innovative marketing stunts," Yan says. "The mere presence of the stars is not enough."

So, at the press conference for Thor 2, Disney tried to underline the bond between the star and his role. As the host was introducing Hiddleston, all the lights blacked out suddenly. Just as everyone thought it must have been a power failure, Hiddleston appeared, a spotlight behind him and flashes of lightning lit up the room.

Hiddleston was also given a scepter with his name carved in Chinese, and he obligingly swung it around as the cameras went wild at this unique photo opportunity.

"It will require more originality to catch attention from audience as they get used to more and more stars," says Yan.

Jackman's outdoor red carpet, the first for a Hollywood star in China, created quite a stir. Although it is de rigueur in Hollywood, it takes more initiative and ambition for organizers in China.

"We were worried about a lot of things - the weather, security and so on. And then we were worried that not enough fans would turn up," says Min Zhang, one of the event's organizers.

"But we were wrong. Some fans had waited from noon until the event, which began at 7 pm.

"It is becoming more difficult to impress fans and media. We have to try something different, something nobody has done before."

 

There is one more problem facing publicists that may be uniquely Chinese.

Not all Chinese fans adore the same Hollywood celebrities, says film critic Bi Chenggong, veteran researcher of the American film industry and Chinese subtitler for Hollywood films like Warhorse and Monster University.

"China is big," he says. "In second- and third-tier cities and the many, many smaller towns, the definition of A-listers is different from that in Beijing and Shanghai. For some of them, the top draws are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.

"That's something the studios must consider as they develop different strategies to cater for Chinese audiences."

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