The Great Wall

The Great Wall Analysis

​📉 The Aftermath: Legacy and Impact on Co-Productions (Part 11/20)

​A Cautionary Tale for Collaboration
​The Great Wall was intended to be a groundbreaking success that would validate the model of large-scale, co-financed blockbusters explicitly targeting both the Chinese and Western markets simultaneously. Instead, due to its massive budget, polarizing reviews, and failure to generate sufficient box office profit outside of China, the film became a cautionary tale for the industry.
​The financial underperformance and the intensity of the "White Savior" backlash led studios to re-evaluate the core strategies behind U.S.-China co-productions. Key lessons learned included:
​The Casting Trap: The pressure to cast an internationally recognized Western star (Matt Damon) in a story deeply rooted in Chinese culture was proven to be a dangerous creative decision that alienates key Western critics and audiences concerned with representation.
​Narrative Compromise: The attempt to appeal universally often resulted in a narrative that felt diluted or creatively compromised, sacrificing cultural depth for generic action spectacle.
​Risk Management: The sheer financial risk of a $150+ million budget film being dependent on performing extremely well in two drastically different markets was deemed too high.
​Long-Term Industry Influence
​While the film was financially disappointing, it did not stop the flow of Hollywood investment into China, but it did change the structure of that investment. Post-The Great Wall, studios became more inclined to:
​Finance Chinese-language films for the local market without forcing Western stars into the lead roles.
​Focus on global releases of existing Hollywood franchises, simply ensuring they are culturally accessible to Chinese audiences, rather than creating new, hybrid narratives.
​Thus, the film's legacy is defined less by its creative merits and more by its crucial role as a pivot point in the economics of global filmmaking collaboration.