Hollywood content will yet again overshadow homegrown efforts as “The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies” is poised to fend off four Chinese newcomers this week. Universal’s “The Seventh Son”—the current No. 1 film in the market—will need to grab as much money as it can before “Battle of Five Armies” steals away fantasy-loving crowds.
The first two “Hobbit” films did steady business in China, but they haven’t ranked among Hollywood’s strongest earners. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” grossed nearly $50 million back in 2012, and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” posted nearly $75 million in 2013. The international turnout has been strong for “Battle of Five Armies”: $558.6 million from 62 markets as of this past weekend. Globally, the action flick has now exceeded $800 million. Success in China is crucial if “Battle of Five Armies” wants to reach $1 billion globally. Since this is the last "Hobbit” film, we expect that it will have no problem topping “Desolation of Smaug” ’s Chinese gross.
"Tales of Mystery”, a co-production between Hong Kong and the mainland, uses the popular WeChat app as the basis for a thriller. If the film succeeds financially, it could usher in more tech-based fright flicks. In North America, the sub-genre is starting to gain more ground thanks to “Unfriended”, a thriller about teens who are haunted by a dead girl over a Skype group chat. The first trailer for “Unfriended” generated a ton of online buzz last week.
Also opening: “A Taste of China”, a documentary focused on Chinese cuisine; “Daja Vu”, a comedy about “Beijing Drifters” starting their own business; and “Money Game”, a film about a rich Chinese resident who learns a life lesson from his mother’s dying wish. “Money Game” stars South Korean pop star Seung-hyun Lee and Zhang Lanxin (Jackie Chan’s CZ 12).
Phil Contrino, Vice President/Chief Analyst of Boxoffice.com contributed to this article.
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