Tricky business: Catering to Chinese viewers a hurdle for Hollywood

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Obvious attempts to appeal to Chinese viewers have, at times, been called "condescending" by netizens, drawing negative reviews. Iron Man 3, which included extra scenes shot specifically for the Chinese market, was criticized for prioritizing the inclusion of those scenes above the pacing and plot of the film.

While promoting Gravity in Beijing recently, director Alfonso Cuaron was asked to explain his use of a Chinese spacecraft in the film. He told skeptical Chinese reporters that the choice had not been an intentional attempt to include Chinese elements.

Shots of the Shanghai skyline featuring big-name billboards rankled some Chinese viewers of Looper, an action film set in a future world in which China is dominant. "I'm from the future: You should go to China," one character advises.

Co-produced with China-based production company DMG Entertainment, the film opened with a disappointing $10 million payoff at the box office. In fact, few successes have come out of co-productions linking US and Chinese studios.

The Painted Veil, Shanghai and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - all films featuring prominent Hollywood stars - flopped in the Chinese market.

Chinese audiences may be shifting away from Western films in general, with domestic films enjoying a 144 percent increase to $1.11 billion in the first half of 2013.

One of 2012's biggest surprises was the runaway hit comedy Lost in Thailand, a Chinese film that earned $195 million. By contrast, international films saw a drop of 21.3 percent to $675 million this year.