Could Chinese actors’ presence in ‘Rogue One’ help reverse weak box-office trend in China?
BEIJING: Distributors of ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ are banking on the key roles played by Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen to reverse the declining box office receipt in China.
The standalone movie broke box-office records in the US when it opened last week by earning US$155 million during its first three days of weekend exhibition. In China, the franchise “Star Wars” film would premiere on Jan 6.
Distributors of the standalone movie also hope to duplicate the box-office record established in the US by holding a limited exhibition and star-meet activity in China on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen almost rejected the role of the blind monk Chirrut Imwe because the shooting would mean being away from his family for several months. Also playing a key role in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ is Chinese actor Jiang Wen who portrays the soldier Baze Malbus.
Among those who attended the advanced screening of the movie on Tuesday, dianying wanjia, a Chinese netizen, gave the film a four and a half stars rating. He wrote in a Sina Weibo post that Chinese moviegoers are expecting a lot from Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’. He described Chirrut Imwe’s fight against the stormtroopers using a staff as fantastic, Global Times reported.
After Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen – who starred in ‘Ip Man’ – is the second famous Chinese action star. Some Chinese think including the two Chinese actors in the movie intended to draw more Chinese moviegoers to cinemas.
Since its release on Dec 16, the film has earned US$388.2 million globally and helped make Disney the first studio to breach US$7 billion box-office receipts in one year, according to Entertainment Weekly.