Hollywood’s interest in remaking ‘Hi, Mom’ lies in unique storytelling

Illustration: Chen Xia/Global Times

Sony Pictures' announcement that it was remaking Chinese film Hi, Mom has garnered widespread attention on Chinese social media. It is a delightful surprise for this film that has earned 5.4 billion yuan ($738 million) at the box office.

It's well-known that the regional elements of comedy films can be a significant barrier to their cross-cultural success. These regional elements include local culture, contemporary elements, and local humor, which are essential for a comedy film's success in its home country but can hinder its cross-cultural appeal. 

For example, the film has some wordplay and humor based on the interactions between the characters that are unique and challenging for foreign audiences to understand.

However, this also means that Hi, Mom, as the first domestically produced comedy film to be remade by Hollywood, offers more universality. 

As Chinese director and actress Jia Ling put it, "Everyone's story with their mother is unique, but the love contained in these stories is universal, and we can all relate." This resonated with screenwriter Laura Kosann, who initially thought the film was a typical time-travel comedy but was surprised by its rich and universal themes and emotions.

Time-travel or time-crossing films with family and comedy elements are not uncommon, from classics like Back to the Future to recent ones like 17 Again. Compared with these, Hi, Mom excels in its unique narrative structure. Perhaps what's even more important for Hollywood is that this film is female-led. Before the global release of Barbie, Jia held the title of the "highest-grossing female director worldwide."

Hollywood does not lack for female-led films; Alita shows women can save men, the Wonder Woman series illustrate how women can save the world, and Captain Marvel portrays women saving the universe. However, this also reveals the challenge of Hollywood's female-led films finding a new orientation beyond the superhero genre. Simultaneously, Hollywood's emphasis on"political correctness"exacerbates the crisis of a shortage of original stories and not just counting on "female Thor," "female Black Panther," or "female Wasp" to attract female audiences.

The current Hollywood is firmly treading the path of franchise films with one foot while hesitating on the road of original stories with the other, often reaching out for remakes. For instance, this year's Oscar-nominated films include two remakes, All Quiet on the Western Front and Living.

Taking all these factors into account, Hi, Mom stands out as an excellent choice for a Hollywood remake due to its universal theme, unique storytelling and female-driven creativity.

In the context of China, from the concept of the "She Economy" introduced in 2007 to the recent surge in female consumerism, product producers and creators have long based their production and creativity on this significant trend. Just looking at the titles of Chinese films and TV series in the past couple of years demonstrates this, such as the popular summer film Lost in the Stars starring Zhu Yilong, Ni Ni and Wen Yongshan.

The film market follows the rules of market economics but also operates based on emotional and sentimental logic. 

If Hollywood neglects the unique, already awakened emotional and sentimental logic of different regional audiences, it will naturally struggle to achieve the same success at the box office as before.

The author is a film critic and teacher with Beijing Film Academy. [email protected]