'The Grandmaster' has masterful B.O. debut

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Chinesefilms.cn, January 16, 2013
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Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmasters secured162 million yuan (US$26.1 million) on Chinese mainland in its first six days in cinemas last week, a record for the Hong Kong-based director.

The film's budget is believed to have risen to 240 million yuan (US$38.6 million) over its long production period, with Wong finishing the film just 72 hours before its release. Its first press screening was held two days before it opened in China.

The film, starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, also got off to a strong start in Hong Kong, Wong's home base and the adopted home of Leung's co-star Zhang Ziyi.

Playing in four different versions – in a mix of different Chinese dialects, with and without English subtitles – it notched up US$168,000 (HK$1.3 million) on its opening day for distributor and co-investor Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd.

By Sunday night, its box office climbed to HK$8.06 million (US$1.04 million), an impressive start for a Chinese-language film of any dialect in Hong Kong.

The film opens in Taiwan on 18 Jan through Warner Bros. (Taiwan) Inc. Shaw Organisation Pte Ltd opens the film in Singapore on 31 Jan.

In China, Grandmaster scored more than double the box office of closest competitor, Jackie Chan's "CZ12," on 80.7 million yuan (US$13.0 million). The action-comedy has now grossed 801 million yuan (US$129 million).

"CZ12" is the second most successful Chinese-language release of all time in China. Still on release, current record-holder, Xu Zheng's road movie comedy "Lost in Thailand," is now on 1.2 billion yuan (US$194 million).

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