In this engaging discussion, Erich Schwartzel, a Wall Street Journal reporter and author of "Red Carpet," unravels the complex relationship between Hollywood and China. He explores how the Chinese market shapes blockbuster budgets and affects storylines through censorship. Schwartzel highlights the challenges American films face in appealing to Chinese audiences, citing the decline of their success and the impact of domestic competitors. The conversation sheds light on how filmmakers balance cultural adaptation with artistic integrity in this evolving cinematic landscape.

Guests include Erich Schwartzel, Mark McConville, Rebecca Martens, Nick Pettigrew, Jim Gourley, and Marion Lund. Topics discussed include an extravagant theme park proposal, a ceremony involving ashes and ring exchange, Disneyland as a family legacy, scattering ashes at Disneyland, and a magical trip to Disneyland.

China is now the largest market for movies globally, and there have long been whispers about exactly how this impacts Hollywood decisions when it comes to scripts and casting.This episode I’m joined by Erich Schwartzel, author of Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy, for a deep dive into the world of Chinese cinema, Chinese movies abroad and China in Hollywood.Along with co-host Irene Liu, a research analyst at Rhodium Group, we get into: Why the director of Seven Years in Tibet apologized to China 15 years after its release Which tech giant has a minority stake in Steven Spielberg’s production company Whether Richard Gere is unhireable Why the Kenyan official responsible for importing films loves Chinese ones The American movies makers involved in Wolf Warriors Irina Nistor, the Romanian translator of Rambo: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/18/opinion/vhs-vs-communism.html.Chuck Norris vs Communism was a fantastic movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znp1dNaPp3kOutro music: My New Swag (我的新衣) by VAVA feat. Ty. and Nina Wanghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aknkofx2bHg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices