Title: Chinese Crime Thriller ‘Across the Furious Sea’ Sweeps Box Office, While Hollywood Struggles in China
Cao Baoping’s latest crime thriller, ‘Across the Furious Sea,’ has made a powerful impact on Chinese cinema, dominating the box office with a remarkable $24.7 million opening weekend. The film, which completes Cao Baoping’s loose trilogy of crime thrillers, has further solidified the growing preference of Chinese moviegoers for locally-produced crime stories.
As Chinese audiences increasingly gravitate towards well-told local crime narratives, Hollywood films continue to face challenges in the Chinese market. Disney Animation’s ‘Wish,’ for instance, opened in fifth place, collecting a mere $3.5 million in ticket revenue. Lionsgate’s prequel, ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,’ has also suffered a major setback, plummeting in its second week, earning less than $1 million.
Furthermore, even well-established franchises like Marvel face difficulties. Disney’s ‘The Marvels’ failed to secure a spot on China’s top 10 list, marking an all-time low for an MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) tentpole.
The success of ‘Across the Furious Sea’ further emphasizes the potential of local crime stories in the Chinese market. Following Cao Baoping’s previous crime thrillers, ‘The Dead End’ in 2015 and the unreleased ‘The Perfect Blue,’ the latest installment has garnered positive social scores. Fans of Cao Baoping eagerly awaited the film’s release, which was subject to delays due to China’s lengthy lockdowns during the pandemic and hopes of launching ‘The Perfect Blue’ first.
Based on a Chinese crime novel, ‘Across the Furious Sea’ delves into a murder mystery that follows a father seeking revenge for his daughter’s murder in Japan. The film has garnered critical acclaim and is projected to continue its success at the box office, expected to earn over $80 million.
With this triumphant performance and the increasing preference for local crime stories, it appears that Chinese filmmakers might have found the key to captivating audiences in the country. As Hollywood films struggle to gain traction, it will be intriguing to see how Chinese cinema continues to thrive and captivate audiences with its diverse and engaging narratives.
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