Although Rogue One will ultimately be a massive box office success worldwide, its relative lack of success in Chinese theaters compared to The Force Awakens illustrates the reality that Star Wars simply isn’t as popular of a franchise in China as it is in the U.S. and Europe.
There are a number of ancillary factors that could be affecting Rogue One’s sharp downturn at the Chinese box office in comparison to The Force Awakens, according to Variety.
Rogue One is now the second-most successful Star Wars movie at the U.S. box office, so if anything, the disappointment in China is an isolated issue.
According to Variety, reps for Disney said that promotion for The Force Awakens required added effort in China due to the franchise’s long hiatus from theaters in the country.