Photo: VCG
Amid an ongoing battle against Hollywood blockbusters and a period of weak domestic profits, an acclaimed new animation has the Chinese film industry glimpsing a return to critical and commercial success.
“Nezha,” an ancient myth spruced up for modern filmgoers, broke the single-day box office record for an animation Saturday as it pulled in 200 million yuan ($29 million). On Monday — four days after its release — its takings hit 800 million yuan, according to box-office data monitoring platform Maoyan. Those soaring figures put it in the running to become one of the most successful Chinese animated films ever made.
The film, which tells how the son of a deity defies his fate of being born of evil to instead become a hero and defender of the innocent, may prove that winning over modern audiences with the richness of China’s storytelling literary history is no fantasy after all.
Contact reporter Zhao Runhua (runhuazhao@caixin.com)
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