By Jeremy Fuster

Jeff Goldstein’s first year as global distribution chief at Warner Bros. has been a whirlwind with $4 billion in worldwide grosses and counting. But amidst the successes, the domestic distribution veteran said he has learned plenty of new lessons about releasing Hollywood films overseas, particularly as surprise blockbusters like “Ne Zha 2” makes $2 billion just in China and “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” hits No. 1 at the box office.

“Trust your local teams,” Goldstein said at TheWrap’s annual business conference TheGrill on Tuesday. “They tell you what’s happening locally, they inform you, and sometimes you ask questions because you have fresh eyes and they’ll come back and say, ‘You know, I really haven’t thought about that, or maybe this will happen.’ World audiences aren’t monolithic. They’re really very different.”

It’s been good advice, as all of Hollywood’s studios face a changed theatrical landscape where many countries, especially in Asia, have leaned increasingly more on local films as American film output has dropped amidst the pandemic and the 2023 strikes.