Grandmaster has masterful BO debut

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Box Office News

WONG Kar-wai 王家衛's The Grandmaster 一代宗師 secured RMB162 million (US$26.1 million) in Mainland China in its first six days in cinemas last week, a record for the Hong Kong-based director.

The film's budget is believed to have risen to RMB240 million (US$38.6 million) over its long production period, with Wong finishing the film just 72 hours before its release. Its first press screening was held two days before it opened in China.

The film, starring Tony LEUNG Chiu-wai 梁朝偉, also got off to a strong start in Hong Kong, Wong's home base and the adopted home of Leung's co-star ZHANG Ziyi 章子怡.

Playing in four different versions – in a mix of different Chinese dialects, with and without English subtitles – it notched up US$168,000 (HK$1.3 million) on its opening day for distributor and co-investor Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd 銀都機構有限公司.

By Sunday night, its box office climbed to HK$8.06 million (US$1.04 million), an impressive start for a Chinese-language film of any dialect in Hong Kong.

The film opens in Taiwan on 18 Jan through Warner Bros (Taiwan) Inc 美商華納兄弟 (遠東) 股份有限公司臺灣分公司. Shaw Organisation Pte Ltd 邵氏機構榮譽呈獻 opens the film in Singapore on 31 Jan.

In China, Grandmaster scored more than double the box office of closest competitor, Jackie CHAN 成龍's CZ12 十二生肖, on RMB80.7 million (US$13.0 million). The action-comedy has now grossed RMB801 million (US$129 million).

CZ12 is the second most successful Chinese-language release of all time in the Mainland. Still on release, current record-holder, XU Zheng 徐崢's road movie comedy Lost in Thailand 人再囧途之泰囧, is now on RMB1.20 billion (US$194 million).

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