'Star Wars 7' tries to win Chinese market
- By Zhang Rui
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail China.org.cn, December 18, 2015
|
|
| Teen idol, actor and singer Lu Han takes the role as "Star Wars" promotional ambassador. [Photo/China.org.cn] |
The director said to reporters there that although not everyone in China has seen the previous Star Wars films, they do recognize a few classic cultural images and have impressions of the universe, such as Darth Vader, light sabers, and more through video games, cartoons and friends. He was not worried about China's fan base but focused more on how to build a deeply appealing story and make people care, laugh and cry, as well as being eager to know what's next for the characters' fate. In any case, the light side vs dark side theme will never be outdated.
Abrams' approach worked incredibly. After the grand premiere in Los Angeles on Monday, rave reviews have flooded every social networking platform. On the movie rating site RottenTomatoes.com, 94 percent of 179 film critics liked the film and rated it "fresh," "Packed with action and populated by both familiar faces and fresh blood, 'The Force Awakens' successfully recalls the series' former glory while injecting it with renewed energy," the critics’ consensus said.
"The Force Awakens," starring Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, and Andy Serkis, was co-produced by Lucasfilm and Bad Robot Productions and will be distributed worldwide by Walt Disney Studios.
Presales have surpassed a staggering US$100 million in North America and made history as movie fans have sky-high expectations. The film will start to screen on Thursday night in America. Several other markets, such as France, have seen it debut with record-breaking numbers. The opening weekend will be a record-shattering weekend, while industry insiders predict it will gross north of US$200 million in the U.S. alone and repeat viewing business and good word-of-mouth may help it beat "Avatar" by James Cameron.
In China, nothing is certain, but it will at least perform decently as a Hollywood blockbuster. China Film Co.Ltd. and Huaxia Film Distribution will jointly distribute the film in China.
To add Chinese flavor to China's premiere, Disney also announced Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen will join the force for the event in Shanghai at end of this month. Yen is one of the stellar cast members of the upcoming "Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One," a standalone story, -- but a part of the Star Wars universe that Disney paid US$4.05 billion to explore, -- of resistance fighters who united to steal the plans of the dreaded Death Star. The film is slated for a Dec. 16, 2016 release while another Chinese actor-and-director Jiang Wen is also in the cast.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)