CHINA: "Avatar" set to break the Chinese box office as the film plays to sell-out audiences

Record ID: 615044

  • Title: CHINA: "Avatar" set to break the Chinese box office as the film plays to sell-out audiences
  • Date: 8th January 2010
  • Summary: AUDIENCE MEMBER WEARING 3D GLASSES SCREEN PLAYING "AVATAR" AUDIENCE MEMBERS WEARING GLASSES WATCHING FILM FILM REFLECTED IN 3D GLASSES
  • Embargoed: 23rd January 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA3OJBJC7A4KBDK0QUD1ARE7XO9
  • Story Text: The bitter-cold winter weather was no match for the chance to watch lanky, blue 3D aliens in China's latest box office hit as tickets sold fast for "Avatar" on Friday (January 8) at in Beijing's Sanlitun Megabox cinema.
    Opening night ticket sales for "Avatar" reached a new national record on Monday (January 4), massing around 5 million U.S. Dollars.
    This is not director James Cameron's first success in China, his 1998 movie "Titanic" broke the Chinese box office grossing 52.7 million U.S. Dollars, a record only broken last year by the Transformers sequel and subsequently by "2012".
    His name has adds to the film's attraction, alongside the promise of a 3D experience, said Beijing resident Jiang Rui who had queued unsuccessfully for tickets on Friday evening.
    "The trailer, it looked really good and it was 3D, I have watched 3D before and it was great, and then, when it was about to come out a colleague said that it was by the director of "Titanic" so I wanted to see it even more, these two reasons," she said, adding that she would come earlier to queue next week.
    Following it's first night success, showings have continued to sell-out through the week, prompting China Film Group Corporation spokesman Weng Li to predict that "Avatar" will set a new box office record at roughly 500 million yuan (73.2 million U.S. Dollars), the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.
    The current highest grossing film is "2012", which pulled in 460 million yuan (63.4 million U.S. Dollars) in its run in Chinese cinema's last year, it added.
    University student Zeng Jing said the film's popularity was thanks to its subject matter of environmental protection and anti-colonialism.
    "It leaves you with an impression, it makes you wonder whether you have made any mistakes or hurt your environment and also brings to mind the time that the Americans destroyed the American Indians," she said.
    The film has already grossed more than 1 billion dollars worldwide and the ending sometimes sparks Chinese audiences into spontaneous applause.
    Zhao Ming, Duty Manager at the Megabox Cinema said every one of the cinema's 8 screens were currently showing the film, a situation last seen with "2012".
    "We have 8 screens showing "Avatar", 8 screens, 3 of those are showing it in 3D and 5 are showing the normal version but most people, 80 percent, are choosing to watch it in 3D," he said.
    China only allows 20 foreign films into its cinemas each year, however the pirate DVD industry is booming in China with a wide range of films from around the world on offer for at roughly 10 yuan (1.5 U.S. Dollars) apiece.
    Local reports claim that pirate DVD copies of "Avatar" were available up to 2 weeks before the film itself opened in Chinese cinemas.
    Despite the relatively expensive tickets, a full price 3D screening costs 120 yuan (17.6 U.S. Dollars) per seat, the attraction of being a dimension further into the action is pulling audiences back to the cinema.
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