The United States is taking steps to discourage Hollywood from catering to Beijing. A provision from the national defense bill says if studios conform to Beijing’s censorship, they won’t get funding from the Pentagon.
Specifically, the rule would apply to studios seeking pre-approval from Beijing for their film or TV projects, especially when a studio alters its content by request of the Communist Party. Deadline Hollywood first reported on the move.
In some cases, the Pentagon helps film projects by providing military equipment and technical consultancy. For example, the fleet of F-18 fighter jets that appear in the blockbuster Top Gun Maverick were borrowed from the Pentagon.
China is one of the world’s biggest movie markets, and Hollywood has a long tradition of playing by Beijing’s rules. One example of that self-censorship comes from Marvel studio’s blockbuster Doctor Strange.
The film invited British, Caucasian actress Tilda Swinton to play a Tibetan character rather than cast a Tibetan actress for the role over fears of losing access to China’s market—as Tibet is one of Beijing’s most sensitive issues.