Star Wars: The Force Awakens Falling Faster Than Expected In China

Hopes of besting James Cameron’s Avatar seem to be about as dead as Han Solo as Chinese audiences aren’t as receptive to Star Wars: The Force Awakens as their Western counterparts.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has just about crushed every box office record there is, which led to speculation the J.J. Abrams-directed film might pass Cameron’s mammoth $2.78 billion worldwide gross from 2009’s Avatar.

However, that is not going to happen as Star Wars: The Force Awakens is “falling faster than expected in China.”

Now it’s even questioned if Star Wars will surpass Titanic ($2.18 billion).

Forbes notes in China, Star Wars is peforming ($150 million) less than: Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($165m), Avatar ($209m), Jurassic World ($228m), Avengers: Age of Ultron ($240m), Transformers: Age of Extinction ($320m), and Furious 7 ($390m).

While Disney did market the movie in China, the article notes that the movie may be considered a “rip off” by the Chinese as they are new to Star Wars and have seen similar movies like it in the past 35 years.

China Film Insider even reports younger audiences found Star Wars: The Force Awakens boring, and the movie has failed to be a hit with the younger generation.

“Perhaps what should be most disconcerting to Disney are reports that younger moviegoers in third- and fourth-tier cities, the demographic fueling China’s booming box office and the target of Disney’s marketing bonanza—the foundation for its future success in the country—were confused by the plot and even heard snoring during screenings,” the site reports.

Chinese social networks are also responding negatively to Star Wars: The Force Awakens:

“If a science fiction film lacks imagination then what makes it different from a soap opera? The story was completely in service to fans of the original trilogy and it only relied on razzle-dazzle effects. The most laughable element is that all the force in the galaxy could belong to one family. Creating nostalgia while introducing a new conceptual story doesn’t have to conflict.”

Our own movie reviewer was left scratching his head after viewing the movie, and let me remind you about my earlier tweet: