MARVEL MOVIES BACK IN CHINA

Marvel films are beginning to be released on screens in mainland China for the first time in more than three years, following a ban in the world’s second largest movie market. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever launched in movie theatres on Feb. 7 while Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania followed on February 17, the same day it came out in the U.S. These are the first Marvel movies to be shown in China since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. China has strict censorship and the release of foreign films is limited in order to promote domestic ones. A number of the studio’s superhero movies have been shut out of Chinese movie theatres since then, including Spider-Man: No Way Home, Eternals, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Marvel’s first film with a mainly Asian cast. The China Film Administration that approves all foreign film releases, gave no official explanation at the time for blocking the films.

Marvel’s recent announcement did not mention the earlier films or say why Black Panther and Ant-Man were being released. In 2018, the first Black Panther movie made $105 million in China, while the second Ant-Man movie took $121 million, according to figures from Box Office Mojo. Avengers: Endgame made $632 million, making it the most successful foreign film in China ever.

China overtook North America as the world’s largest film market in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic hit ticket sales in North America, but it dropped back to second in 2022 as outbreaks of the omicron variant prompted mass lockdowns under China’s strict “zero-Covid” controls.

Experts believe that China could regain the top spot as it emerges from pandemic isolation. Although China’s film import policies can reflect changes in diplomatic relations with the U.S. and other countries, the government also has an economic incentive to get moviegoers back into theatres.

Both Marvel movies were released after the Lunar New Year, China’s biggest holiday, which regulators typically reserve for war epics glorifying the Chinese military and other domestic films.

Among the biggest films airing in Chinese theaters for the holiday were Full River Red, a comedy and The Wandering Earth 2, a prequel to the 2019 sci-fi hit.

In another positive sign for Hollywood, the James Cameron blockbuster Avatar: The Way of Water remained in Chinese theatres during the holiday period, having earned more than $200 million since it was released there.

Whp Global To License Joseph Abboud In China

WHP Global recently announced that it has signed a long-term license with leading Chinese luxury fashion retail group YouXiang to market and distribute the Joseph Abboud brand in China across all channels of distribution.

The brand launch in Greater China will begin this Spring and will include a full collection of men’s apparel, footwear, bags and luggage, and accessories.

“We are looking forward to partnering with YouXiang as we focus on the expansion of Joseph Abboud’s reach through both international and digital channels,” said Stanley Silverstein, Chief Commercial Officer of WHP Global, which owns the Joseph Abboud brand. “YouXiang has successfully brought some of the best-known high-end fashion brands to China, making them the perfect partner to help us reach millions of consumers in one of the world’s fastest growing fashion markets.”

“We are excited about this partnership as Joseph Abboud is a globally celebrated men’s fashion brand with tremendous opportunity in China,” said YouXiang founder Jack Lee. “We intend on fully leveraging our authority in bringing premium fashion brands into the Greater China market as well as our growing retail footprint to build a strong business together with WHP Global.”

An iconic American men’s fashion brand founded in 1987, Joseph Abboud is a top selling brand at Men’s Wearhouse with a robust Made in America custom tailored business operated out of the longstanding Joseph Abboud Factory in Massachusetts.The brand has experienced strong growth within its core collections, including tailored clothing, special occasion, and return to the office, and has a loyal and growing customer base in the U.S. and abroad.

Founded in 2008, YouXiang is an exclusive distributor of premium Euro- pean brands providing complete supply chain, marketing, customer service, and logistics in the China market. The company reaches millions of consumers through its own retail channels with high end stores including Via Dante, UDX and Aquascutum, and as an authorized distributor for brands including Armani, Michael Kors, Moncler, Theory, TOD’s, Versace, and YSL, which combined generate over $750 million in annual sales.