Headlines from China: Here is Why ‘Coco’ Performed Poorly on Its Opening Day in China

Here is Why ‘Coco’ Performed Poorly on Its Opening Day in China

‘Coco,’ Pixar’s latest animated movie, opened in China on Friday November 24 and grossed only $1.9 million. Then the next day, its ticket sales jumped 270% to $7.1 million. Many Chinese audiences complain that the Chinese name of the film (《寻梦环游记》) is such a cliche that they almost ignored this great movie. Since the first Pixar production ‘Toy Story’ was imported into China in the 1990s, animated movies from Pixar and Disney are often given similar Chinese names with Zong Dongyuan (总动员),Qi Yuan (奇缘)or Huanyou Ji (环游记)at the end of each name. According to film critic Zhang Xiaobei, an imported film’s Chinese name is given by the company that imports the film, and some companies choose to give similar names to films that are made by the same studio in order to strengthen the studio’s brand as well as use the studio’s reputation to attract audience. However, the Chinese name of ‘Coco’ seems to have created more confusion than attraction. Read more on Ent Group

John Woo’s Highly Anticipated ‘Manhunt’ Has Flopped at the Box Office 

Acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo’s latest action movie ‘Manhunt’ opened in Chinese theaters on November 24, and has only raked in 87 million yuan ($13 million) after 5 days in release. It’s likely that ‘Manhunt’ will become the worst performing film made by John Woo since he started making films in mainland China. In addition to poor performance at the box office, the film has also been receiving numerous negative reviews. On Chinese film rating site Douban, the average rating of ‘Manhunt’ is 4.8/10. This article points out that the original ‘Manhunt’ gained huge popularity among Chinese audiences who were born in the 1970s and 1980s, yet the majority of today’s moviegoers in China were born in the 1990s and 2000s. In addition, too many changes to the original version as well as lack of big stars might have contributed to the poor results the film is getting. Read more on TMT Post

China’s Largest International Documentary Film Festival to Kick Off on December 11

Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival, China’s largest documentary film festival presented by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and TV of PRC and the provincial government of Guangdong, will take place from December 11-14, according to an official announcement made on November 28. This year, the Festival received 4239 submissions from 113 countries and regions around the world. Many nominated films are official selections of major international film festivals, such as The Berlinale, Cannes Film Festival, and Hot Docs Festival. In addition to presenting screenings, the festival’s programs also include pitching and training sessions, financing forums, and film market. Read more on Mtime

American Drama Film ‘Wonder’ May be Imported into China 

American drama film ‘Wonder’ may be imported into China for a theatrical release, according to sources familiar with the matter. Adapted from the New York Times bestseller of the same name, ‘Wonder’ tells the heartwarming story of a boy with facial differences who attends a mainstream elementary school for the first time. The film is directed by Stephen Chbosky (‘The Perks of being a Wallflower’) and stars Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay. Read more on Mtime