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0In our last episode The IP of Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, we explored China’s booming IP scene--from online micro-dramas and Labubu to cinematic heavy-hitters like The Wandering Earth and Nezha.
Toput the rise of Chinese IPs in a global context, we are joined by Simon Abrams,a New York-based film critic and longtime observer of global cinema, whoseworks are featured in The New York Times, Roger Ebert.com, Vulture, Vanity Fair and more.
Indeed, 2025 turned out to be a blockbuster year: Nezha2 topped the global box office, part of a wider trend where Chinese franchises continued to level up in ambition and scale. Meanwhile, on the global stage, the box office this year was defined not solely by legacy Hollywood franchises, but also by unexpected new hits like F1 and KPop Demon Hunters, which, for many, signals the coming of a new era.
In this episode, we discuss:
—What “cultural centrality” means in today’s film landscape
—How Chinese franchises differ from Hollywood in building cinematic worlds
—How foreign films--particularly Chinese cinema, Japanese anime and Korean films—are each carving out their own space in the U.S. market
We'd also love to hear from you: what’s your favorite Chinese film, or one you think everyone should watch? Share it in the comments.
