Romantic epic at the movies for Qixi festival
Updated: 2014-07-31 07:40
By Wang Kaihao (China Daily)
|
|||||||||||
Lead actor Huang Xiaoming (second from left) and actress Fan Bingbing (second from right) attend the premiere of The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom in Beijing.[Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily] |
But producer Yu Dong, head of Bona Film Group, is reluctant to make a precise prediction of ticket sales.
'The White Haired Witch of the Lunar Kingdom' premieres in Beijing |
"We are only eager for a good result," Yu says. "But it will surely set a new record in terms of the Qixi Festival's movie market. It is rare in summer to see a domestic blockbuster with such a large budget, big scenes and grand narrative."
He previously predicted Bona's highly anticipated road movie The Continent, released last week, would earn 800 million yuan at the box office. Although the film's takings of 285 million yuan by the end of last weekend is good, considering the tough competition with other films, he confesses the final takings will probably be 600 million yuan.
Few Chinese fantasy movies have achieved both box-office and critical success in the past decade.
In 2005, Chen Kaige's The Promise lifted the curtain on the country's fantasy blockbuster, but this famed director and his all-star cast were lambasted by critics and were later widely scorned by the public thanks to a popular spoof video online.
The Monkey King, a 3-D adaption from the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, earned more than 1 billion yuan in ticket sales around the last Spring Festival, and remains the highest-grossing film this year. Nevertheless, it scored a miserable 4.2 points out of 10 on Douban.com, the nation's major film-review website.
Perhaps, for a movie targeted at people who flock to cinemas to celebrate their own romance, all these concerns do not matter. Fan Bingbing, who claims to be single, said at the premiere: "We usually pursue common and simple love in daily life. So, why not enjoy some strong and bizarre romance this time in the movie?"
Related Stories
Cui Yongyuan to enter film industry 2014-07-28 20:40
Romance comedy film 'Girls' to be on screen on July 30 2014-07-26 11:32
Young film buffs share fresh views of China 2014-07-24 18:13
Zhang Yimou sues film company for 15 mln RMB 2014-07-24 16:41
Witherspoon tops Toronto film festival lineup 2014-07-24 07:17
Today's Top News
Putin bans agricultural imports from West
UK names 'China hand' as new envoy
China film looks to global audience
China to exclude Apple products
Dutch firm to take over MH370 search
Nanjing takes fresh approach to Youth Olympics
China to punish Chrysler, Audi over monopoly
Beijing boosts checks on foreigners
Hot Topics
Lunar probe , China growth forecasts, Emission rules get tougher, China seen through 'colored lens', International board,
Editor's Picks
Horrific nightmare at Kunshan factory |
Shaolin: Fists of fame |
Reading into an online age |
China helps fight international war on drugs |
Crackdown on terrorist attacks |
My China Story: Meeting the master |