Ten new films enter Chinese theaters this week with Terminator Genisys and Bride Wars emerging as the strongest of the bunch.
Genisys may be coming off an underwhelming performance in North America—it has earned only $89 million, making it the first film in the franchise to not cross $100 million domestically—but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about how it will perform in China. Genisys is the first American film to open in a couple weeks, which means demand is high for Hollywood output. Also, sci-fi tends to be a very successful genre in China with genre hits such as Interstellar and Gravity performing incredibly well. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s star power is on the decline in America, but in China he’s still very popular. Recent efforts such as Escape Plan and The Expendables 3 actually performed better in China. According to EntGroup’s EFMT Index, Genisys boasts the best levels for intent to purchase and word of mouth—always a good sign. It’s highly possible that Genisys will match its gross in China to what it's earned in North America.
Bride Wars, a remake of the American comedy starring Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson, should connect well with female moviegoers on “Chinese Valentine’s Day” which takes place on August 20th this year. The comedy stars Angelababy and Ni Ni, two of the most popular actresses working in China today.
Cities In Love, directed by Wen Muye with stars Yang Mi, Zheng Kaiyuan, Hyun-Jae Lee, Sandrine Pinna, Jiang Shuying, and Bai Baihe, will also do well this week as it is bound to connect with date-night crowds during the romantic holiday.
Also opening: Eagle-bone Flute & Saussurea Involucrata, Only You, Sleep in the Wind, 108 Rois-Demons, Grudge Pix, Ballet in the Flames of War, and Twin Spirit.
Phil Contrino, Vice President/Chief Analyst of Boxoffice.com contributed to this article.
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