Out of the six titles opening in China this week, homegrown romance “Somewhere Only We Know” and India’s “Happy New Year” pose the biggest threats to “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1”, the current #1 film.
The creative team behind “Somewhere Only We Know” is beloved in China. Director Xu Jinglei achieved popularity as an actress, and her fans are expected to follow as she steps behind the camera. The romantic drama’s script is from commercially successful writer Wang Shuo (“Personal Tailor”), who has a reputation for capturing the mood of the generation born after the Cultural Revolution. Star Wu Yifan, former leader of the South Korean pop group EXO, brings plenty of drawing power with him. Lu Han, another member of EXO, recently found box office success with “Miss Granny”, a $57 million hit. Two other homegrown romances—“Comrades: Almost a Love Story and To Be Together”—open this week, but neither one looks as strong as "Somewhere Only We Know”. The comedy “Lucky Star 2015” is also aimed at the same crowds that will flock to “Somewhere Only We Know”.
With success around the globe already achieved, “Happy New Year”, the latest film from Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan, is getting an ambitious release in China this week. “Happy New Year “ will open on 5,000 screens in the Middle Kingdom. This release could be groundbreaking for the China-India dynamic. Currently, “Dhoom 3” ranks as the highest-grossing Indian film in China with just $3.2 million. “Happy New Year“ should have no problem breezing past that modest sum. If “Happy New Year” posts strong numbers, more Indian films could find their way to China.
James Cameron’s “Deepsea Challenge 3D” also opens this week. Cameron’s popularity in China—“Avatar” was the #1 film of all time before “Transformers: Age of Extinction” came along—will lead to some fans showing up, but this documentary isn’t designed to become a massive commercial hit. “Deepsea” earned only $235,659 during its North American theatrical run.
Phil Contrino, Vice President/Chief Analyst of Boxoffice.com contributed to this article.
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