Record-breaking 'Star Wars' movie opens in China

[rooster59]

Record-breaking 'Star Wars' movie opens in China

BEIJING (AP) â The record-breaking "Star Wars" opened Saturday in China, where it is far from certain to draw in enough movie-goers to knock off "Avatar" as the world's all-time biggest grossing movie.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is the highest ever grossing film in the North American market, where it was released three weeks ago.

But internationally, it still has a long way to go to beat "Avatar," James Cameron's science-fiction movie with blue aliens. The international box office of the latest "Star Wars" movie stands at $1.6 billion, compared to the $2.8 billion "Avatar" made in 2009.

Richard Huang, an analyst at Nomura Securities, expects the movie to roughly match the $229 million in Chinese box-office sales that "Jurassic World" generated last year.

Not many Chinese are familiar with "Star Wars." The franchise's three prequel films released from 1999 to 2005 were shown in China, but at a time when there were much fewer screens in the country.

Promotional events organized by Disney in the months leading up to the release included the placing of 500 Stormtrooper figures on the steps of the Great Wall and the illumination of the movie's Chinese title on the guard towers for a light show in October.

It enlisted the marketing power of actor and singer Lu Han, who appeared in promotional videos and released a music video on Thursday called "The Inner Force" with images from the film.

In an overt bid to appeal to Chinese audiences in next "Star Wars" film, "Rogue One," bosses have cast Hong Kong martial arts actor Donnie Yen and Chinese actor and director Jiang Wen in it.

China is expected to surpass North America as the world's largest movie market as soon as next year, and Hollywood is casting Chinese actors and incorporating Chinese elements to appeal to the massive audience.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-09

[Publicus]

The movie will do well in CCP China and very likely better than most movie analysists expect, to include CCP move analysists in the US such as poly sci prof Stanley Rosen at the US-China Institute, University of Southern California.

500 Chinese uniformed as Star Wars Storm Troopers mass on the Great Wall outside Beijing during a Disney sponsored light show promotion in advance of the movie's release in China today, January 9th. (Getty Images)

The huge favorite US movie and television productions permitted in CCP China are the ones that center on the intrigue of the individual vs the state. CCP Dictators in Beijing seem to have missed the irony of it.

In respect of movies for instance, the by far most popular CCP permitted foreign film in China remains The Fugitive (also Harrison Ford). While its China box office is nowhere near Avatar or the only slightly further down box office money machine The Fast and Furious 7, Fugitive remains the most dowloaded and still the most discussed, by young CCP Chinese especially.

Hugely popular and much downloaded is the 2005-09 television series Prison Break. This one is still watched by younger CCP Chinese in groups of friends in their homes, in college dorms and the like. Asking many CCP Chinese followers of these two sensations there what the appeal is to them, the youngest Chinese told me they admire the inventiveness of the victims of the system in evading and escaping it. They said yes to my question whether the themes of the movie and the tv program involve the imprisoned mind freeing itself. Yes.

As to Star Wars, maybe the CCP likes the theme of the evil empire being challenged and defeated by the people opposed to it, given CCP teaches in all the schools and continually in its mass media the United States is the evil empire that one day will be overwhelmed (in one way or the other...Japan tied for Number One).

Still, it is more than obvious to me that the under 35 population of the CCP are heavily involved in the theme of escaping the imprisoned mind and of constantly being wrongfully arrested or persecuted, controlled, hunted and haunted by the wrongheaded system.

Edited January 9, 2016 by Publicus

[Dustdevil]

Chinese censors or govt will no doubt spin the movie as the Evil Empire being the U.S. Oops. I wrote that before reading the article. At least I was on target.

Edited January 10, 2016 by Dustdevil

[thaibeachlovers]

Nothing exposes more than this very average sci fi film how hype can make even the most mediocre into a must see.

Were it not for the hype, this film would not be making anywhere near as much.

The people that rave about it probably go to few movies anyway, and almost certainly never saw the first, much better film.

Of course, being made by Disney put the kybosh on any innovation- this movie was designed by committee, to appeal to all the bases, and very PC.

I saw it a couple of weeks ago, and to be honest forgot it almost as soon as I left the cinema, so lacking in interest it was.

Interesting that Jurassic World did well in China- that was by far the worst Jurassic film, and IMO a real bomb, but again, hyped.

[Publicus]

The Force Awakens set a CCP China box office record opening of $33 million.

Seventy-one percent of cinema ticket buyers Saturday bought the Star Wars ticket which is also the most expensive ticket of any movie at $5.60 (38 yuan or the price of a small steak).

The average take per screen was $1,375, or yuan 8,937 which is a lot more than most people make in a month.

China is the last global cinema to get the movie, the final frontier as it were. It however has to be off all movie screens by February 8th which is the Chinese new year. People there can watch the stock market crash instead.

Haven't seen it yet myself but will do very shortly cause no matter what it's always great entertainment. CCP Chinese say they enjoy American movies the most and by far because the fliks are upbeat and positive with levity and imagination, not to mention the often fast action.

Edited January 10, 2016 by Publicus

[Friendly Stranger]

Look at Hollywood, now they're interested in what China/Asia thinks and are scrambling to accommodate the soon to be largest movie market. Hehehe. Times have changed that's for sure.

I guess caucasions playing asians does not cut it any longer. Sarcasm alert.

[Friendly Stranger]

Nothing exposes more than this very average sci I fi film how hype can make even the most mediocre into a must see.

Were it not for the hype, this film would not be making anywhere near as much.

The people that rave about it probably go to few movies anyway, and almost certainly never saw the first, much better film.

Of course, being made by Disney put the kybosh on any innovation- this movie was designed by committee, to appeal to all the bases, and very PC.

I saw it a couple of weeks ago, and to be honest forgot it almost as soon as I left the cinema, so lacking in interest it was.

Interesting that Jurassic World did well in China- that was by far the worst Jurassic film, and IMO a real bomb, but again, hyped.

I get what you're saying but even hype cannot save a movie as what was the case for fantastic four.

I'm shocked that JW did as well as it did, it was entertaining but thought ppl would take a pass b/c the absence of the awe factor and the tech is not new.

[Publicus]

Look at Hollywood, now they're interested in what China/Asia thinks and are scrambling to accommodate the soon to be largest movie market. Hehehe. Times have changed that's for sure.

I guess caucasions playing asians does not cut it any longer. Sarcasm alert.

You might want to see the Chinese actors playing evil Japanese WW2 soldiers on the state owned and controlled Central China Television all day and night. Chinese watching the 44 channel CCTV have long since been convinced China whupped the Japanese invaders except for Nanjing which still must be avenged.

The hotel where I stay when I visit in CCP China has a television at the reception desk where all night they watch CCTV dramas of WW2 in which the CCP armies under Mao kick Japanese butt all over China.

So it's good to see such a strong turnout and response in the CCP China to the latest Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Only the political junkies such as yours truly would write political and socio-cultural stuff about a Star Wars movie in the CCP China.

So in short may the force be with you.

[thaibeachlovers]

Nothing exposes more than this very average sci I fi film how hype can make even the most mediocre into a must see.

Were it not for the hype, this film would not be making anywhere near as much.

The people that rave about it probably go to few movies anyway, and almost certainly never saw the first, much better film.

Of course, being made by Disney put the kybosh on any innovation- this movie was designed by committee, to appeal to all the bases, and very PC.

I saw it a couple of weeks ago, and to be honest forgot it almost as soon as I left the cinema, so lacking in interest it was.

Interesting that Jurassic World did well in China- that was by far the worst Jurassic film, and IMO a real bomb, but again, hyped.

I get what you're saying but even hype cannot save a movie as what was the case for fantastic four.

I'm shocked that JW did as well as it did, it was entertaining but thought ppl would take a pass b/c the absence of the awe factor and the tech is not new.

I'm not saying SW was bad, just that it was average. Certainly should have paid for itself, but the mania about it.................... OMG.

Fantastic 4, on the other hand, was pile of stinking crud.

[Rancid]

Chinese censors or govt will no doubt spin the movie as the Evil Empire being the U.S. Oops. I wrote that before reading the article. At least I was on target.

Well, the Chinese wouldn't be the first to see the correlation between the US and the Star Wars evil Empire, read same comparison on a US blog.

[Publicus]

It's a record take for a weekend opening in China, $53 million for SW.

It's also the most expensive cinema ticket ever at $5.60 usd equivalent (40 yuan).

"Internationally, The Force Awakens picked up another $104.3 million this weekend, bringing its worldwide haul to a massive $1.73 billion. It is now the third highest-grossing movie in history, shooting past Jurassic Worlds $1.67 billion global gross."

http://variety.com/2016/film/box-office/star-wars-force-awakens-china-box-office-1201676179/

I'd note that Avatar and Titanic both from James Cameron are 1st and 2nd respectively. Disney did buy the SW franchise rights from fellow American George Lukas.

Chinese money being most welcome in the USA where the originality resides, more of it is most welcome thx.

My friends in China tell me btw the Chinese Communist Party bigwigs in Beijing absolutely did not want this Western and American influence in their People's Republic. SW The Force Awakens got into the People's Republic only because of armtwisting by the US.

Last time President Obama was in the CCP China the CCP Boyz had to sign an agreement to increase the permitted number of American films they allow into the people's republic, from 7 a year to 21 a year. Sort of ruins bootlegging but so be it.

Edited January 11, 2016 by Publicus

[copa8]

Look at Hollywood, now they're interested in what China/Asia thinks and are scrambling to accommodate the soon to be largest movie market. Hehehe. Times have changed that's for sure.

I guess caucasions playing asians does not cut it any longer. Sarcasm alert.

You might want to see the Chinese actors playing evil Japanese WW2 soldiers...

Asians playing Asians is aight. As long as it's not another John Wayne playing Genghis Khan, Mickey Rooney playing a Japanese or Emma Stone playing Asian Allison Ng.

[copa8]

The Force Awakens is average at best. One of those movies where the trailer is better than the actual movie. Its plot is a rehash of A New Hope's plot...right down to the attack run on the trench of the mega Death Star (aka Starkiller Base).

[Publicus]

 

Look at Hollywood, now they're interested in what China/Asia thinks and are scrambling to accommodate the soon to be largest movie market. Hehehe. Times have changed that's for sure.

I guess caucasions playing asians does not cut it any longer. Sarcasm alert.

You might want to see the Chinese actors playing evil Japanese WW2 soldiers...

Asians playing Asians is aight. As long as it's not another John Wayne playing Genghis Khan, Mickey Rooney playing a Japanese or Emma Stone playing Asian Allison Ng.

Might want to check with the Japanese on that one.

CCP teaches in all its schools, in mass media daily and in movies that Japan is the detested enemy. The kind that needs to be exterminated.

Chinese Communist Party.