Seven new titles enter a surging Chinese market this week. It won’t be easy for newcomers to topple “The Man from Macau 2”—the sequel is already up to nearly $120 million, with word of mouth continuing to build. “Big Hero 6” is also performing well: it delivered the best debut ever for a Disney animated flick with nearly $14 million from only two days of release.
"Paddington”, the story of a talking bear from “darkest Peru” who winds up in London, looks to be in good shape. According to EntGroup’s Film Marketing Tracker (EFMT) Index, the family-friendly entry has the highest awareness level of any new release, and it also boasts the strongest word of mouth. “Paddington” is already a sizable global hit with $70.2 million from North America and another $160.3 million overseas. $57.7 million of the overseas total has come from the United Kingdom.
"Jupiter Ascending” leads all newcomers in the “Intent To Purchase” category of pre-release EFMT Index—a promising sign. The sci-fi flick has not caught on well in North America—a $43 million haul hardly justifies its sizable production/marketing budget which BoxOffice estimates to be $215 million—but it could make up for that with a robust Chinese theatrical run. “Cloud Atlas”—the last directorial effort from The Wachowskis—actually grossed more in China ($28 million) than it did in North America ($27.1 million). It’s possible that the same thing could happen with “Jupiter Ascending”.
Expectations are relatively low for the five Chinese releases that will be opening: “Flying with Daddy”, “The Right Mistake”, “The Wonderful Wedding”, “Beijing, New York” and “Mei Li Ben Nv Ren”. Out of that bunch, “The Right Mistake” has the highest Intent-To-Purchase rating, while “The Wonderful Wedding” boasts the strongest pre-release word of mouth.
Phil Contrino, Vice President/Chief Analyst of Boxoffice.com contributed to this article.
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About EntGroup
EntGroup Consulting is the leading research and consulting company focusing on China’s entertainment industry. A member of ComInsight Information Alliance Group, EntGroup focuses on providing data and information, conducting market research, industry research, consulting, and organizing media conferences. We serve a wide range of clients in areas of film, TV, new media, entertainment marketing and animation.
EntGroup also operates an online portal for the entertainment industry— http://english.entgroup.cn
About EBOT
EBOT EntGroup Box Office Tracker is a database focusing on the entertainment industry. Created and managed by China's leading entertainment industry research institute, EntGroup, it provides statistics and analysis on film and TV industries, as well as insight on market trends and consumer behaviors. It is an essential tool for entertainment investors, financiers, film production companies, distributors and advertisers. EBOT integrates Box Office data and analysis, moviegoer surveys, advertising insight, buzz tracking and industry research reports.
For more information, please visit: http://english.entgroup.com.cn/enbase.html or contact
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Amy (Vice President) Tel: 86-10-85899985-847 E-mail: amy@entgroup.cn
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