a still from “Long Day’s Journey into Night”
Presale of Bi Gan’s Arthouse Film Boosted by Douyin
Bi Gan’s arthouse film Long Day’s Journey into Night, which is set to release in Chinese theaters on December 31, has made a whopping 28.8 million yuan ($4.19 million) in presale. As the second arthouse film by emerging auteur Bi Gan, the film previously was projected to make around 50 million yuan in total from its theatrical run. However, after a letter from the film’s distributor was released a week ago, everything was changed. On December 7, the film’s distributor published a letter to exhibitors, suggesting how the film, which is partially made in 3D, should be priced. The letter also encourages exhibitors to organize New Year’s Eve events around the film, calling this artsy romantic drama “the last film of 2018.” The sentiment suddenly resonated with young audiences, leading to waves of posts on Chinese youngsters’ favorite app Douyin. Many young audiences posted videos to announce their plans to go watch the film with their loved ones. In China, as people are expected to celebrate the traditional Chinese new year with families and relatives, the new year is the time when young people try to celebrate with friends and romantic partners in fun, creative and meaningful ways. Read more on entgroup.cn
2017 Animated Film ‘The Breadwinner’ Set for January 11 China Release
The Breadwinner, a 2017 animated drama film by Cartoon Saloon directed by Nora Twomey and executive produced by Mini Polk Gitlin and Angelina Jolie, has scored a January 11 China release. Based on a best-selling novel, the film was set in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. When her father is captured, a determined young girl disguises herself as a boy in order to provide for her family. The Breadwinner received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 90th Academy Awards. Read more on Mtime
Local Films ‘A Cool Fish’ and ‘Einstein and Einstein’ Continue to Perform Well
According to data from Mtime Pro, China box office totaled 75.4 million yuan on Wednesday December 12 with James Wan’s Aquaman leading the race. No. 2 and No. 3 on the box office charts are local small-budget films A Cool Fish and Einstein and Einstein. Cumulatively, A Cool Fish has made 764 million yuan after 27 days in release and is expected to cross the RMB 800-million mark eventually. Einstein and Einstein is also expected to have long legs thanks to good word-of-mouth. This Friday, over ten new releases will hit Chinese cinemas. But Aquaman will continue to be given the largest screen share. In addition, Hayao Miyazaki’s classic animated film My Neighbor Totoro will be given over 20% of the screens across the country when it opens on Friday. Read more on Mtime
