Article snippet: LOS ANGELES — In an embarrassment for Dalian Wanda Group, the Chinese conglomerate determined to become a global film superpower, its first mega-budget production, “The Great Wall,” fizzled in North American release over the weekend. Costing at least $150 million to make and tens of millions more to market, “The Great Wall” arrived to an estimated $18 million in ticket sales in the United States and Canada, according to comScore, which compiles box office data. Perhaps worse, given that Wang Jianlin, Wanda’s chairman, told American movie executives in an October speech that they needed to “improve the quality” of their films, “The Great Wall” received largely negative reviews; several of the positive notices called the film too bizarre to miss. “The Great Wall” is not a worldwide failure. Starring Matt Damon as a European mercenary who becomes ensnared in a large-scale effort to protect China from razor-toothed monsters, it has collected a total of $245 million overseas. The problem is that the film, directed by Zhang Yimou (“House of Flying Daggers”), was held up as not just escapist entertainment but also as proof that China can serve up international blockbusters — that event films can rise in the East and play in the West. Although filmed entirely in China, “The Great Wall” was engineered to appeal to audiences in North America, which remains the world’s largest box office market. In addition to the casting of Mr. Damon, the film’s dialogue is mostly in Engli... Link to the full article to read more