The Hollywood executive behind the ‘Iron Man 3’ China deal is pushing for American-made films
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A Hollywood executive who spent nearly two decades helping American studios break into China’s film market now says the industry has become too dependent on Beijing – and says the latest film shows how things can change.
Chris Fenton, a veteran producer who worked to bring big releases like “Iron Man 3” to Chinese audiences, later became an outspoken critic of Hollywood’s reliance on China, writing about his concerns in his 2020 book, “Feeding the Dragon.”
“We were in a really critical, critical position in terms of partnering with that superpower and bringing a product and service that had never been in that market in any kind of monetization way,” Fenton told Fox News Digital. “And we did that for over a decade during the glory days between the US and China in terms of the entertainment business.”
An aerial view of the Paramount logo on the water tower at Paramount Studios on Feb. 23, 2026, Los Angeles, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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Fenton began to realize that this relationship came at a cost. He said that US studios are making creative and business decisions to satisfy the Chinese authorities who have ended up expanding their film industry and spreading their message around the world.
“We pleased them both by allowing their home industry to learn and develop quickly to be best in class like Hollywood,” he explained. “We evaluated our content, and we restructured our content to fit the narrative that Beijing directed to reach that market.”
One example, he said, involves the 2012 science fiction film “Looper,” starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Fenton said that the scenes of the story that started in France were moved to China as the filmmakers wanted to appeal to the Chinese authorities and the audience.
US and Chinese flags are displayed at the American International Chamber of Commerce booth during the China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing on May 28, 2019. (Jason Lee/Reuters)
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He argued that this consensus ultimately failed to maintain Hollywood’s standing there.
“That market was about 50% to 80% of Hollywood titles. Now it’s less than 5%,” he said. “Therefore, not only did we broadcast Beijing’s messages to the world … but we also lost the market in time.”
Around 2019, Fenton began speaking publicly about the long-term consequences of Hollywood’s dependence on China. But it wasn’t enough to sound the alarm about the Fenton problem; he also wanted to show the way forward.
Veteran filmmaker Chris Fenton says his new film, “Bad Counselors,” was entirely a US production. (Fathom Entertainment)
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That effort led to his new film, “Bad Counselors,” a comedy produced entirely in the United States, with an American cast and crew.
“It’s an unfortunate story about summer camp,” Fenton said.
The film, which will hit theaters July 23-27 through Fathom Entertainment, follows two brothers who pose as counselors at a Christian summer camp while completing court-ordered community service.
Fenton said the project employs about 1,200 Americans, from actors and writers to crew members and salespeople.
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“We’ve done everything we can to make sure that we hire and hire only Americans,” he said. “It was really harmonious and a fun process… we ended up getting a really good movie out of it.”
The producer believes that Hollywood should put more emphasis on domestic production at a time when the industry is facing economic pressures, layoffs, and external incentives to bring in film projects.
President Donald Trump announced a 100% tariff on US foreign-produced films last September. (Getty Images)
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He advocates for government incentives to keep film and television jobs here in America, arguing that America’s existing infrastructure and workforce are already the best in the world.
“Everything you do allows us to play on a level playing field with all nations around the world and when we get there, we will be able to fully restore 2.7 million jobs. That is, by the way, about a quarter of a billion dollars in wages, which is pretty unbelievable,” he said.
