At eight o’clock Tuesday evening, many fans of the film who had come straight from work, queued at the box office to buy a ticket, or waited at the lobby for the screening. For some it’s a revisit to a classic.
Enthusiasm for the classic film "Titanic", one of the greatest movies in film history, has been reignited by its 3D version, which has opened in cinemas around the world.
The film premiered in Beijing on Tuesday, and our reporter Song Yaotian went to one cinema in Sanlitun Village to see how the audience there reacted to the new version.
Released in China in 1997, Titanic was the highest grossing film for 10 years. And with the release of the new 3D version, interest in the film is soaring to new heights.
At eight o’clock Tuesday evening, many fans of the film who had come straight from work, queued at the box office to buy a ticket, or waited at the lobby for the screening. For some it’s a revisit to a classic.
An audience member said, "I was in junior-middle school when I first saw it. I came to see it again because this time it is in 3D, and it represents a classic of that period."
An audience member said, "I was moved when I watched the movie back then. This time, I want to experience that feeling again."
This young couple says they watched the film separately the first time and that watching it together this time made the movie more sweet. And for some audience members it’s the first time they watched the film on the big screen.
An audience member said, "I watched the film on video tape when I was in elementary school. But even then I was shaken by the movie. It was such a classic. I liked the lead actor and actress so much that I have kept watching their films."
The cinema has opened four halls to show the film all day. According to the cinema’s box office, since premièring midnight Tuesday, tickets for each time slot were nearly all sold out.
The audience here is not only people who watched the film 15 years ago, but also those who were kids when the film was first released. They have probably known the film all their lives, and now its their chance to see the film in cinemas in its 3D version.
The "Titanic in 3D", took James Cameron and his team 60 weeks and 18-million US dollars to produce, and has definitely provided some exciting new visual attractions for fans of the film. But most viewers say the 3D effects haven’t brought them too much of a surprise. It’s still the story of the passengers and the two charming leads that really touches the viewers.
An audience member said, "I’m deeply moved by it. I haven’t watched it before. I was only 9 years old when the film was first released in China."
An audience member said, "I first watched it when I was 12 years old. I didn’t have too much feelings about it. But now there’s a lot of change in my heart. And I was quite moved by it."
"Titanic in 3D" is showing in cinemas across the country. Experts have estimated its total box office pull in China is expected to surpass the 100-million yuan mark, putting it at a similar level to "Kungfu Panda 2" and "Transformers 3".