Merchandise of Transformers movie series a mega hit in China

World Today

The fourth installment of the Transformers movie series is a mega hit in China, taking in more than a 115 million dollars at the box office in its first week. While toy and other merchandise makers are cashing in on the movie around the world, CCTV’s Shaghai reporter Yuan Chenyue explores why Chinese movies don’t inspire similar sales.

Merchandise of Transformers movie series a mega hit in China

The fourth installment of the Transformers movie series is a mega hit in China, taking in more than a $115 million at the box office in its first week. And while toy and other merchandise makers are cashing in on the movie around the world, CCTV's Shaghai reporter Yuan Chenyue explores why Chinese movies don't inspire similar sales.

Many hollywood cartoons inspire all sorts of products, from T-shirts and dolls to musicals. But Chinese cartoons rarely inspire anything more than some basic stuffed toys. Animation developers say, local cartoons often lack innovation from the beginning.

Another expert says developing derivatives is a complicated process that needs input from a number of different industries. Since China’s animation industry is still under development, filmmakers should concentrate first on making better movies and then focus on licensed products next.