The Chinese film market continues to flex its increasing muscle raking in a record high USD897.5 million in July. Three recent releases are already among the top 10 highest grossing films ever on the Mainland. With a domestic protection policy keeping major foreign releases off the big screen for several weeks, these are the five biggest smashes of the summer.
1. Monster Hunt
Dir: Raman Hui | Box Office: USD330.19 million
Watch the trailer on YouTube and QQ Video.
The undisputed hit of the summer. The mixed live action-animation adventure has ruled the box office for the last four weeks. It’s overtaken Lost in Thailand to become the most successful domestic film in history and the first Chinese production to crash the RMB2 billion mark. While it’s unlikely that it will surpass Fast 7’s USD327 million mark as the highest grossing film in China, it’s currently locked in at number two.
Directed by Shrek the Third’s Raman Hui, Monster Hunt takes place in an ancient fantasy world where humans and monsters live with an uneasy truce. When a coup occurs in the monster’s side of town forcing the queen to run with monster hunters played by Bai Baihe, Jiang Wu on the chase. The distinct visual effects as seen in the striking baby Wuba have been a hit with families.
2. Jurassic World
Dir: Colin Trevorrow | Box Office: USD228 million
Watch the trailer on YouTube and QQ Video
Don’t cry for Hollywood. While we’ve been deprived of big screen releases of big hits like Mad Max: Fury Road thanks to this domestic film protection policy, American blockbusters have been doing fine. The last major release was Jurassic World, which topped the box office during its three week July run to become the fifth highest grossing film in Chinese history.
Sitting ahead are recent releases like Avengers: Age of Ultron (USD240 million) and Furious 7, which set the benchmark with USD327. Even San Andreas made USD99.3 on the Mainland. With the domestic protection period coming to an end (at least until October), the blockbusters are coming back with Terminator: Genysis (Aug 23), Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (Sep 8), Minions (Sep 13) and the Adam Sandler vehicle Pixels (Sep 15) on the way.
3. Jian Bing Man
Dir: Da Peng | Box Office: USD177.29 million
Watch the trailer on YouTube and QQ Video.
If it wasn’t for Monster Hunt, this superhero satire would be the domestic hit of the summer. Trailers have been dominating taxi and subway screens with comedian Da Peng taking on action legend Jean Claude Van Damme in his Jiang Bing Man guise. There are cameos galore with key roles by Hong Kong Comedian favorites like Eric Tsang and Sandra Ng, as well as an appearance by Han Han.
Still in theaters, Jian Bing Man is the sixth domestic film to crack the RMB1 billion mark. It’s also been a hit overseas, taking in the second largest opening for a mainland Chinese film in North America, just behind Break Up Buddies.
4. Monkey King: Hero is Back
Dir: Tian Xiopeng | Box Office: USD137.56 million
Watch the trailer on YouTube and QQ Video
This animated hit has been part of the three headed monster alongside Monster Hunt and Jian Bing Man that has driven last month’s record-breaking mark. Tian Xiaopeng’s directorial debut has topped Kung Fu Panda 2 to become China’s highest-grossing animated film.
Tapping into the Monkey King well, it brings back traditional characters but puts them into a new story. Its success has been driven by positive word-of-mouth on social media as proof of the possibilities of domestic animation at a time where recent releases like Autobots have been dogged as mere copies of Disney and Pixar fare.
5. SPL II: A Time for Consequences
Dir: Cheang Pou-soi | Box Office: USD90 million
Watch the trailer on YouTube and QQ Video.
A sequel in name only, SPL II follows an undercover cop Kit (Wu Jing) who slips deeper in the criminal underworld. When his cover is blown, he disappears only for his dogged uncle to discover that’s he’s in a Thai prison. There, Ong Bak’s Tony Jaa is in charge of keeping an eye on him. Despite not sharing a common language, the two form a bond especially when it’s revealed that Kit is a suitable bone marrow doner for Jaa’s sick daughter. With incentive to keep him alive, Jaa must face down the warden that wants Kit dead and an onslaught of enemies from Kit’s past.
With a cast of Asian action stars, SPL II was kept off the top of the Chinese box office by Jurassic World. However, it’s the seventh highest grossing domestic film of the year and had a memorably extravagant premiere, as the highlight event of the opening of the inaugural Jackie Chan Action Week at this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival.
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