Over the past four years, Chinese audiences have not shown much interest in Hollywood films.

So the breakout success of Disney and 20th Century's "Alien: Romulus," a bloody sci-fi thriller that deserves its R rating, was a welcome surprise. The latest chapter in the long-running horror saga was a rare bright spot among American imports, grossing $82 million and up in China. The film is expected to gross $114 million (RMB819) by the end of its theatrical run, according to Chinese box office Maoyan's forecast.

So far, only one other 2024 U.S. title, the Warner Bros. tentpole “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” has managed to make a dent in the Chinese box office charts with $134 million. And as far as Hollywood profits go, those riches come with an asterisk, since the monster mashup was produced by China’s Legendary Entertainment and distributed by the company’s local Chinese unit Legendary East.

In contrast, major studio offerings like Disney's "Deadpool & Wolverine" ($58.6 million), Universal's "Despicable Me 4" ($54.9 million), Universal's "Kung Fu Panda 4" ($51.7 million) and Disney's "Inside Out 2" ($47.1 million) grossed modestly in China, but far less than would have been expected five years ago. Disney's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" ($28.9 million) was essentially a disappointment, while Warner's "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" ($8.3 million) and Apple and Universal's spy thriller "Argylle" ($2 million) were painful flops.