Matt Damon stars in The Great Wall battling ancient monsters. [Image Source: MEDIA-AMAZON]
The landscape of Hollywood films targeting Chinese audiences shifted significantly during the 2010s, as studios sought to tap into China’s expanding movie market. Among these efforts, Legendary Pictures enlisted Chinese director Zhang Yimou to helm The Great Wall, marking his first major Hollywood project. Despite high expectations and a notable cast including Matt Damon, the 2017 fantasy action film became a box office disappointment. Now, fans have until October 2 to watch Matt Damon The Great Wall on Netflix U.K. before it is removed from the streaming platform.
Plot and Cast Overview
The Great Wall centers on an alternate history that reimagines the purpose of the famous Chinese landmark, proposing that it was constructed to defend the mainland from monstrous creatures. Damon stars as a foreign mercenary caught in this secret conflict, alongside Pedro Pascal in his first lead studio role. Actress Jing Tian plays Commander Lin Mae, a key figure in the film’s Chinese cast. Damon’s character parallels other outsider perspectives from historical dramas, similar to the roles played by Cosmo Jarvis in Shōgun. The film combines large-scale action sequences with fantasy elements, aiming for grandeur but receiving mixed critical response.
Financial Performance and Critical Reception
With an estimated production budget of $150 million, The Great Wall earned a global box office total of a little over $330 million but reportedly recorded a loss of $75 million. The film garnered mixed reviews, often criticized for its reliance on the white savior narrative within a Chinese cultural setting. It holds a 35% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ consensus states,
Image of: Matt Damon
“For a Yimou Zhang film featuring Matt Damon and Willem Dafoe battling ancient monsters, The Great Wall is neither as exciting nor as entertainingly bonkers as one might hope.”
Matt Damon’s Reflections on the Project
Matt Damon has spoken candidly about his disappointment with the film, expressing that he anticipated its failure during production. On Marc Maron‘s podcast, he explained that Hollywood pressures caused compromises in Zhang Yimou’s original vision, leading to a disjointed final product. Damon remarked,
“I was like, this is exactly how disasters happen,”
adding,
“It doesn’t cohere. It doesn’t work as a movie.”
He also shared a humorous anecdote about his daughter’s critique, saying,
“Whenever she talks about the movie, she calls it ‘The Wall.’ And I’m like, come on, it’s called The Great Wall. And she’s like, ‘Dad, there’s nothing great about that movie.’ She’s one of the funniest people I know. I came to consider that the definition of a professional actor; knowing you’re in a turkey and going, ‘OK, I’ve got four more months. I am definitely going to die here, but I’m doing it’. That’s as shitty as you can feel creatively, I think. I hope to never have that feeling again.”
Future Projects and Viewing Opportunities
As The Great Wall prepares to exit Netflix U.K., this is an opportunity for audiences to view the film while it remains available online. Meanwhile, Matt Damon is gearing up for upcoming roles, including a project titled The RIP alongside Ben Affleck, and a part in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film The Odyssey. The departure of The Great Wall from Netflix underscores shifting streaming catalogs and offers a moment to reconsider the film’s ambitious but flawed attempt at bridging Hollywood and Chinese cinema.
