Hollywood has increasingly made huge inroads into other countries' box office markets with its blockbusters and studio investments. While countries like China limit the number of foreign films that can be shown at theatres annually, and other countries rely on government assistance to buoy local industries and counter Hollywood's influence, the US still finds a way to woo non-American audiences. But at a time when Hollywood's global reach has never been greater, and as it rakes in millions of dollars each year, what does the dominance of the US entertainment industry say about its power to shape perceptions about society, culture and history? And does this economic and diplomatic might make Hollywood a chronicle of American power? This month, Empire travels to California, Mumbai, and Paris to investigate the power and reach of Hollywood, and asks if it is the chronicler of an American Empire.