Upcoming titles on2021 CNY weekend(Feb.12-14)
Detective Chinatown 3
General situation - Never before has a Chinese blockbusterhad such aextraordinary expectation even before it was delayed in2020 due topandemic. Wanda Pictures, the local industry giant behind these detectives, couldn't even foresee it was going to challenge what Avengers did in advance ticket sale. In the past, any studio who put theirmost precious title in CNYwere convinced they had a great chance to be NO.1. This year, the fantastic illusions are less clear because they all acknowledgewhere the crown belongs to.
Genre - Comedy /Mystery /Crime
Studio & Distributor - Wanda Pictures /Wuzhou Film Distribution
Opening prediction - $250-300M
Hi, Mom
General situation - Since consensus on Detective Chinatown 3was confirmed, NO.2 of CNY have become what other studios believethey are going get. According to currently buzz & daily want-to-see sign-ups on ticket platform, Hi, Mom has the best chance to go near that place. Shen Teng, the leading actor of the comedy title,is the major reason people want to see the movie. Withmany hits likeGoodbye Mr.Loser($227M),Hello Mr. Billionaire($374M), Crazy Alien($328M),Pegasus($256M), industry & general audience think he isthe best comedian of our generation and the person that could make people laugh by doing nothing but standing there.Hi, Mom is not close to be a threat to Detective Chinatown 3, but the huge attentionShen's participation have brought letthe rest five movies in CNYunable to follow Hi, Mom in brief period.
Genre - Comedy
Studio & Distributor -New Classics Media
Opening prediction - $125-150M
The Yinyang Master
General situation - Just like Dream of Eternity, it is based on the samefantasy IP from Japan. But it has nothing to do withthat work which was mainly controlled by Shanghai Film Group. The marketing have tried toindicatethat their version would bemore focus onlarge scale action set pieces. According to local sources, the production cost studios$60M more or less to make(Dream of Eternity and its sequel together spent that much). But the director is almostanew kid with mediocre career record. The leading actor and actressare seen aspower faction persons with good reputations, but they might bea little strange to most new generations and have no hit(or any major movie) in the past five years. But overall, it is in the third echelon underthe shadow of Chinatown andShen Teng.
Genre - Fantasy
Studio & Distributor - CKF Pictures /Huayi Brothers
Opening prediction - $65-85M
Assassin in Red
General situation - Industry believe the 3rd place on CNY weekend would becontended by Assassin in Red and Yinyang Master. Both of them areheavily involved invisual effects. Assassin has a castcomposed byidol type stars who mostly appeared inforgettable rom-comedy titles -- they aremore fresh butless well received than those in Yinyang Master. But the creative team have used motion capture -- a very rare tech to local industry --in this production and attract some attention from movie fans. One uncertain factor is audience couldn't really see what kind of movie it is. According to the original short novel and what industry know, it has a story with magic realismcolor, an unheardof route for Chinese blockbuster. Advantage or disadvantage?Quality would speak.
Genre - Fantasy / Adventure / Action
Studio & Distributor -Huace Film & TV / Ali Pictures
Opening prediction - $65-85M
Endgame
General situation - Another title based on Japanese materials -Key of Life. The expectation come from two major reasons: a)Hong Kong actor Andy Lau; b)Director Rao Xiaozhi who made surprising comedy A Cool Fish($115M). But these arefar from what a great opening need. White Storm 2 and recent Shock Wave 2 have showedHK titles arenot good at making massive beginning. What Stephen Chow experienced -- from The Mermaid($516M) in 2017 andJourney to the West 2($241M) to New King of Comedy($93M) in 2019 and finished Mermaid sequel without a clear date -- make industry believe comedy withsignificant elements about HKwould not be apowerfulcompetitor in CNY.A Cool Fish, started with just $10M on 3-day opening, had a amazing theatrical run despite Venom and Fantastic Beast sequel fought with it. It's fair to say theyhave a great chance to copy that success if they go with a new date.
Genre - Comedy
Studio & Distributor -Emperor Group /Enlighten Media
Opening prediction - $35-45M
New Gods: Nezha Reborn(unofficial ENGtitle)
General situation -Ne Zha is now a popular worker hired by every studio, forcingMonkey Kingtoget retired. Although Light Chaser created the story with a more modern andpunk stylebefore Enlighten Media's Ne Zhacame out in 2019, most audience still thinkLight Chaser's versionis built formilkingthem. Could the studioeliminate these doubts? Again, great content canoverride everything.
Genre - Animation / Fantasy / Action
Studio & Distributor -Light Chaser Animation Studios / Ali Pictures
Opening prediction -$35-45M
