9 Movies Hitting Chinese Theaters in April 2018

By That's, April 4, 2018

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Here are all the major international movies to catch in Chinese theaters this April. Click here to see more available movie tickets.


By Erica Martin, Natalie Foxwell and Claudia Bianconi

Now Playing: Ready Player One

Ready Player One
Ready Player One is a Spielberg-directed adaptation of Ernest Cline’s popular sci-fi novel of the same name. Set in a dystopian future, the film follows Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), a young man who spends his free time jacked into a virtual reality system called OASIS to escape from the miseries of his daily life. When the system’s creator reveals that he’s hidden an Easter egg in the world that will give whoever finds it complete control of OASIS, a race to discover its whereabouts ensues. Critics have praised the film’s visuals, especially its dizzying feast of references from the 1980s, the era in which the OASIS world is set. 

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Now Playing: The Commuter

The Commuter
Director Jaume Collet-Serra has teamed up with actor Liam Neeson yet again for his latest action film. Neeson portrays a recently let go insurance salesman named Michael who is trapped in a criminal conspiracy by ‘icy blackmailer’ Joanna (Vera Farmiga). Michael is forced to track down a hidden passenger on the train before the last stop, and everybody onboard is a suspect. Featuring intense action sequences full of twists, this 105-minute film will keep you glued to your seat.

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Now Playing: Pup Star

Pup Star
This 2016 live action film introduces you to pooches that can talk and sing. After a Yorkshire Terrier competes in a televised singing contest, she becomes separated from her owner by a mean dog pound worker and must find her way back home. Sure to make the little ones howl with laughter, this movie is fun for the whole family!

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Now Playing: The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales...

The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales...
This French animated film introduces you to a bizarre world of misfit animals, including a fox that thinks it's a chicken, a rabbit that behaves like a stork and a duck that has its eyes set on replacing Father Christmas. Children will enjoy this quirky comedy.

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April 4: Hindi Medium

Hindi Medium
Raj and Mita are a wealthy couple that run a fabric shop, but in the social hierarchy they are mere shopkeepers. The film tells the adventures of a family struggling to deal with absurd requests, neighborhood parties and corruption, all just to get their five-year-old daughter enrolled at the most prestigious school in Delhi. A humorous look at contemporary Indian society, this comedy drama is rife with irony and pokes fun at the competition among students and parents to provide the best education to their children. This 2017 film just got released in China.

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April 13: Rampage

Rampage Coming to a Theater Near You
Rampage is based on a 1986 video game of the same name in which gamers play as one of three giant animals who must destroy cities in order to advance to the next level. For the film adaptation, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson stars as primatologist Davis Okoye, who has a strong bond with an albino gorilla in his care named George. Okoye must save the day after George is infected with a genetic mutation that transformed him into a violent giant. The film has gained a lot of buzz thanks to its cheeky and irreverent promo material, including a trailer in which The Rock speaks directly to the audience via his iPhone. 


April 13: Annihilation

Annihilation Natalie Portman
The story follows an expedition by biologist Lena (Natalie Portman), whose husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) had previously disappeared in a place known as Area X, an abandoned disaster zone cut off from the rest of civilization. Directed by Alex Garland, Annihilation is sure to be a hit with sci-fi lovers, and critics have praised its outstanding visuals and chilling soundtrack.


April 13: Cell

Cell
Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, this apocalyptic thriller shows what happens when a mysterious cell phone signal causes chaos around the globe. Clay Riddell (John Cusack) is among the few unaffected by the signal and must escape quickly as the streets errupt in terrorizing acts of senseless violence. Along with other survivors of this surreal technology epidemic, Clay must try to save himself and reach his estranged wife and son. Originally released overseas in 2016, Cell just secured its China release date.


April 20: Isle of Dogs

Isle of Dogs
Set in a dystopian near-future Japan, Isle of Dogs tells the story of Atari Kobayashi, a twelve-year-old orphaned boy who boards an aircraft to find his dog Spots, who has been exiled to the so-called ‘Trash Island.’ Upon arriving at the island, Atari befriends a bunch of stray dogs and joins forces with them find Spots and bring the tribe of dogs back home. Director Wes Anderson has been praised for returning to the world of stop-motion animation with this breathtaking film. Nevertheless, some critics have panned his portrayal and interpretation of Japanese culture.


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See more Recent Movie Releases in China

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