Q3 Content Censorship Roundup -- Box Office Edition

Picking your battles is key to box office success in Q3, 2022

The end of another calendar quarter is nearly upon us. It's that time to look at the titles that have performed the best at the box office despite being forced to make content changes or being banned altogether. What's different about Q3 is that each of the top three titles fell victim to censorship. We've been saying for a while that everyone should expect more regulation and censorship, and so far, we haven't seen much to persuade us otherwise.

"Minions: The Rise of Gru"

If you're familiar with the plot of the Universal Pictures "Despicable Me/Minions" franchise, you know the protagonist is a character named "Felonious Gru," who is determined to become the world's greatest supervillain. Throughout the franchise and to earn this title, he has attempted to steal the moon, immobilized people in line at a coffee shop, and stolen numerous items like diamonds and fantastical weapons.

Part of the plot of "Minion: The Rise of Gru" centers on a character called "Wild Knuckles," who fakes suicide to escape capture by a group of villains called the Vicious 6. Knuckles then kidnaps the 11-year-old-Gru and begins his training as a supervillain. At least that's the story everywhere in the world except in Mainland China.

Censors in China insist that characters who commit crimes be caught and punished. Even animated ones. In China, producers were required to add an epilogue explaining that Wild Knuckles didn't escape. He was caught, served 20 years in prison, and became an actor while incarcerated. Instead of becoming a supervillain, Gru turned his life around and " became one of the good guys " who got married and raised three children.

While this didn't require any cuts to the body of the film, the epilogue was inconsistent with the actual storyline, which was not lost on Chinese moviegoers. Some complained it looked like a " bad PowerPoint presentation " was added at the film's end, while others said they didn't care as long as they could see the film uncut. Three months into general release, the film grossed $33M in China. Its current worldwide gross is $904M .

"Thor: Love and Thunder"

Despite being banned in the world's largest film market (China), nearly all Middle East Muslim countries, and Malaysia for LGBTQIA+ content , Taika Waititi's "Thor: Love and Thunder" performed well at the box office. Since its release on 8 July, the film has grossed $342.3M in US/Canada domestic markets and $414.2M internationally, for a total box office of $756.5M .

"Top Gun: Maverick"

2022's top-grossing film, "Top Gun: Maverick," continues to make money on a global scale. China banned the movie for scenes viewed by its government as overtly patriotic towards the US and a brief display of the Taiwanese flag. The latter is guaranteed to get any production banned from Chinese markets. Even without access to China, "Top Gun: Maverick" now ranks as the 5 ^th Top Lifetime Gross title of all time. It has grossed over $1.5B worldwide and will only go higher.

Know When to Hold 'Em and When to Fold 'Em

You could argue that Universal Pictures and Imagination Entertainment caved when they offered to change the end of "Minions: The Rise of Gru." Still, you could also argue it was a wise business decision. In what amounts to single frames with subtitles, the producers complied with a country's censors with no change to the story as produced and had a $33M windfall they would not have had otherwise. It's as if the censors forgot it was a prequel, but clearly, the audience did not.

"Thor: Love and Thunder" and "Top Gun: Maverick" refused to make the changes censors demanded and still did very well at the box office. Audiences have praised both studios for sticking with the story and supporting the writers and directors who made them. The lesson here is that knowing the culture, the audience, and the regulators is critical when deciding whether to comply or not. The old saying that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is true in the movie and entertainment business. Resources are available to help creators identify cultural or regulatory problems at the earliest stages of production. Learn what they are, and you can save time, avoid stress, and successfully release your content in nearly any market in the world.

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Spherex Classification Tool Now Approved for Home Entertainment Content in Australia

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Regulation

Classification

The Albanese Government has updated the Spherex Classification Tool approval to include ratings for theatrical releases, home entertainment, and streaming content in Australia. Spherex was previously approved to classify online films.

The update underscores the Australian Classification Board’s confidence in Spherex as a tool to help Australian viewers make informed choices about the content they consume. This means Australians can now access a range of new films sooner than they might across all formats and windows.

Spherex has a longstanding relationship with the Australian Classification Board. Since 2020, Spherex has collaborated closely with the Australian Government to ensure its technology reliably generates classification decisions that meet Australian standards and viewers' expectations.

As the world’s only commercial provider of local age ratings, Spherex has successfully produced classification decisions for high volumes of online content in over 100 countries. Since 2018, Spherex has issued over one million age ratings for digital content, including films, TV shows, and trailers, distributed by its clients worldwide.

Spherex customers, including Umbrella Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, and Sugoi Co., rely on its AI-based platform to obtain local age ratings in Australia and significantly improve efficiency, cost reduction, and market reach.

Discover how Spherex's cutting-edge AI-based platform can streamline your content classification process and enhance your market reach while reducing costs.

Visit spherex.com today and see how we can support your content distribution needs.

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Today, global media companies are acutely aware of the importance of their content’s cultural fit. Moreover, they have a company like Spherex to help them prepare their content to ensure it fits with any country of interest. I interviewed Teresa Phillips, the Co-Founder and CEO of Spherex, at the recent OTT.X Summit in Los Angeles. She explained how the company is leveraging AI and its massive cultural profiling database to help companies prepare content for target markets. She also explained how, in the near future, AI would aid the company in measuring a movie or show’s cultural distance from a regional market and help it avoid falling into the failure zone between cultural fit and novelty interest.

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Spherex Featured in the DPP's IBC 2024: Demand versus Supply Report

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Spherex was featured in the DPP’s IBC 2024: Demand versus Supply Report, a comprehensive look at how the M&E industry is meeting key customer demands. The report focuses on the topics of empowering creators, understanding audiences, engaging users, and innovating the newsroom. It also highlights many of the technical innovations seen at the recent IBC Show.

An article by Spherex’s CEO Teresa Phillips titled "Navigating Cultural Resonance in Global Media: The Art and Science of Culture Mixing" was featured in the report, exploring how Spherex is pioneering the future of culturally informed content.

Teresa shares how cultural mixing has become a critical strategy for creating content that appeals to diverse audiences in today's global media landscape. This phenomenon involves blending elements from different cultures to craft films and television shows that resonate globally while adhering to local regulations.

However, the process of culture mixing is fraught with risks. Superficial or stereotypical representations can lead to accusations of cultural appropriation or insensitivity, alienating audiences and damaging a company's reputation. For example, imposing Western concepts on Eastern content without proper context can feel inauthentic and jarring to local viewers. These missteps highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of cultural elements to ensure that content is respectful and engaging.

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By leveraging these advanced tools, M&E companies can go beyond traditional content localization. They can create media that actively engages and resonates with diverse audiences. As the industry continues to evolve, those companies that embrace culturally informed, data-driven approaches will be better positioned to succeed, fostering cross-cultural understanding and trust while delivering globally appealing content.

Download the report here.

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