The Crossing

[GeneChing]

Slightly OT as it's not really martial. But it is John Woo.

[GeneChing]

The Crossing opens with RMB24m in China



By Kevin Ma
Thu, 04 December 2014, 18:20 PM (HKT)
Box Office News

John WOO 吳宇森's The Crossing 太平輪, the first instalment of the Civil War-set epic romance, opened first-placed at the China box office on Tuesday.

Accounting for approximately 37.3% of all screenings nationwide, the Beijing Galloping Horse Film Co Ltd 北京小馬奔騰影業有限公司 production earned RMB24.0 million (US$3.91 million) from approximately 586,000 admissions on opening day, including midnight shows.

Released on 3-D and IMAX 3-D, the film chronicles the journeys of three couples – played by ZHANG Ziyi 章子怡, TONG Dawei 佟大為, HUANG Xiaoming 黃曉明, SONG Hye-gyo 송혜교 | 宋慧喬, KANESHIRO Takeshi 金城武 and NAGASAWA Masami 長澤まさみ – during the Civil War period in the 1940s.

The film opens this weekend in Taiwan and on Christmas Day in Hong Kong.

PANG Ho-cheung 彭浩翔's Women Who Flirt 撒嬌女人最好命 was second-placed, earning RMB11.8 million (US$1.93 million). The Huayi Brothers Media Corporation 華誼兄弟傳媒股份有限公司 romantic comedy has made RMB108 million (US$17.6 million) after five days.

ZHANG Yibai 張一白's Fleet of Time 匆匆那年, also co-produced by Galloping Horse, opens in cinemas this Friday. The romantic drama starring Eddie PENG 彭于晏 and NI Ni 倪妮 earned RMB20.4 million (US$3.33 million) from limited early previews last Saturday.

Part 1...Can't Woo make a single installment film anymore? Red Cliff spoiled him.

[GeneChing]

John Woo's 'The Crossing' sinks at China box office
Huang Xiaoming, Song Hye-kyo, John Woo, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Angeles Woo


From left, Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming, South Korea actress Song Hye-kyo, Hong Kong director John Woo, Taiwan-born Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Hong Kong actress Angeles Woo pose for media during a Dec. 3 event to promote their new movie "The Crossing" in Taipei, Taiwan. (Chiang Ying-ying / Associated Press)
By Julie Makinen contact the reporter

John Woo's "The Crossing: Part 1" sank to third place at the Chinese box office

John Woo’s highly anticipated romantic nautical epic “The Crossing: Part 1” could not right its ship in its second week in Chinese theaters, sinking to third place in the box-office rankings in the seven days ending Sunday.

Woo’s 3-D movie, based in part on the true tale of the star-crossed Taiping luxury liner that sank in 1949 near Taiwan, earned just $7.7 million last week, according to data from film industry consulting firm Artisan Gateway. Outpacing it and taking first place for the second week running was “Fleet of Time,” a nostalgic youth drama from director Zhang Yibai that has now grossed over $72 million.

Woo’s movie, dubbed “the Chinese Titanic,” has earned just $25.8 million since its Dec. 2 release. At that pace, the film is unlikely to surpass the $33-million mark. A second installment is scheduled for release in 2015.

Reviews for the first installment have been lukewarm, with one on the popular movie website mtime.com calling it “head-scratching” and saying it did “not meet expectations.” Next week, Woo’s film will find itself up against stiff competition from Jiang Wen’s “Gone With the Bullets.” Presales for that movie are approaching $50 million, according to some local media reports.

In second place for the week ending Sunday was the romantic comedy “Meet Miss Anxiety,” directed by South Korea’s Kwak Jae-yong, which opened Friday and earned $13.7 million in its first weekend in theaters.

After “The Crossing: Part 1” came Hong Kong director Pang Ho-Cheung's “Tender Woman,” taking fourth place. Rounding out the top five was DreamWorks Animation’s “Penguins of Madagascar,” which has now earned more than $40 million on the mainland.

Tommy Yang in The Times’ Beijing Bureau contributed to this report.

Clearly Woo needs to go back to the H.K. Triad genre. But I've been saying that for years now.

[Jimbo]

Clearly Woo needs to go back to the H.K. Triad genre. But I've been saying that for years now.

Would he be allowed to make movies like that anymore?

[GeneChing]

Would he be allowed to make movies like that anymore?

The H.K. Triad genre is still thriving. Andy Lau did Firestorm in 2013 which totally falls under this category. Am I misreading your question?

[Jimbo]

The H.K. Triad genre is still thriving. Andy Lau did Firestorm in 2013 which totally falls under this category. Am I misreading your question?

I guess I'm out of the loop on most of the new HK films. But it seems to me some of the old 'spark' that allowed films like Woo's Hard-Boiled, The Killer, Bullet in the Head, and Ringo Lam's Full Contact to be made may have lessened since HK films now are, or seem to be, Mainland China productions or co-productions. I'll have to check out Firestorm.

*Edit to add:
I'd love to see Chan Wai-Man in a John Woo gangster film.

[GeneChing]

I'm really curious about Monster Hunt.

New films fail to sink Monster Hunt in China


By Kevin Ma

Tue, 04 August 2015, 14:05 PM (HKT)
Box Office News

Four new releases failed to stop Monster Hunt 捉妖記's record-setting dominance at the China box office this weekend.

Topping the box office for the third consecutive weekend, Raman HUI 許誠毅's fantasy earned RMB198 million (US$31.8 million) between Friday and Sunday. The Edko Films Ltd 安樂影片有限公司 production has made RMB1.80 billion (US$290 million), becoming the third highest grossing film of all time.

The top new film this weekend was Lady of the Dynasty 王朝的女人　楊貴妃 in second place. With approximately 19.9% of all screenings over the weekend, the period drama earned RMB63.2 million (US$10.2 million) from approximately 1.92 million admissions between Friday and Sunday.

Starring FAN Bingbing 范冰冰 as the legendary Yang Guifei and Leon LAI 黎明 as Emperor Xuanzong, the film has made RMB92.0 million (US$14.8 million) after four days.

With approximately 20.2% of all screenings over the weekend, Ringo LAM 林嶺東's Wild City 暴走迷城 opened in third place, earning RMB57.4 million (US$9.25 million) from approximately 1.76 million admissions between Friday and Sunday. The noir drama has made RMB88.0 million (US$14.2 million) over four days.

John WOO 吳宇森's The Crossing: Part 2 太平輪　彼岸 sank on arrival, opening in sixth place. Released in 3-D, the epic drama earned only RMB31.0 million (US$4.99 million) from approximately 812,000 admissions over three days, plus six hours of early screenings on Thursday. TSUI Hark 徐克 was brought in to re-edit the film earlier this year.

In Dec 2014, The Crossing: Part 1 太平輪　上集 opened with RMB111 million (US$17.8 million) over six days. It made RMB195 million (US$31.5 million) during its theatrical run.

After a weak opening in Hong Kong, James YUEN 阮世生's Paris Holiday 巴黎假期 also failed to fill cinema seats in the Mainland, earning RMB11.3 million (US$1.82 million) over three days.

Earning RMB55.7 million (US$8.98 million) between Friday and Sunday, Jianbing Man 煎餅俠 has the third 2-D Chinese film to cross the RMB1.0 billion (US$161 million) landmark. The superhero spoof has made RMB1.02 billion (US$164 million).

Monkey King: Hero is Back 西遊記之大聖歸來 has made RMB781 million (US$126 million). The Imitation Game has made RMB33.1 million (US$5.33 million).

Dante LAM 林超賢's To the Fore 破風 and time-traveling period drama Time to Love 新步步驚心 open this weekend.


In Taipei, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation scored a franchise-best opening in the top spot. From 22 locations, the spy thriller earned NT$60.8 million (US$1.92 million) over five days, representing the best opening for the franchise.

Distributor UIP told local media that the film has made NT$163 million (US$5.14 million) nationwide. There is no official nationwide figure available.

Ant-Man dropped to second place, earning NT$9.68 million (US$305,000) in Taipei between Friday and Sunday. The Marvel Studios LLC film has made NT$113 million (US$3.56 million) in the capital.

From three days of early previews at 19 Taipei locations, Pixar Animation Studios' Inside Out earned NT$3.51 million (US$111,000). The fantasy comedy officially opens this weekend.

Japanese period comedy Samurai Cat 2 猫侍　南の島へ行く opened in tenth place, earning NT$290,000 (US$9,140) from six Taipei locations over three days.

Minions has made NT$110.52 million (US$3.49 million). Assassination Classroom 暗殺教室 has made NT$2.11 million (US$66,500). Where the Wind Settles 風中家族 has made NT$2.75 million (US$86,700).

In addition to Inside Out, To the Fore, kids' comedy Open! Open! ＯＰＥＮ！ ＯＰＥＮ！, Thanatos タナトス (2011), The Fantastic Four and Kabukicho Love Hotel さよなら歌舞伎町 also open this weekend.


Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation also topped the box office in Hong Kong. From 45 locations, the spy thriller sequel earned HK$21 million (US$2.70 million) over four days.

In Dec 2011, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) opened with HK$10.1 million (US$1.3 million). It earned HK$44.1 million (US$5.69 million) during its theatrical run.

Inside Out dropped to second place, earning HK$8.84 million (US$1.14 million) between Thursday and Sunday. The Pixar film has made HK$27.8 million (US$3.58 million).

New Zealand comedy What We Do in the Shadows opened in sixth place, earning HK$341,000 (US$44,000) from 14 locations. Bravos Pictures Ltd 巴福斯影業 released a category-III (no one under 18 admitted) Cantonese-language version of the film featuring the voices of Chapman TO 杜汶澤 and Ronald CHENG 鄭中基.

From limited screenings in three locations, CHEN Kaige 陳凱歌's Monk Comes Down the Mountain 道士下山 earned only HK$32,000 (US$4,130) over four days.

Ant-Man has made HK$48 million (US$6.19 million). Monster Hunt has made HK$9.59 million (US$1.24 million). Paris Holiday has made HK$1.24 million (US$161,000).

To the Fore, The Fantastic Four and Vacation open this weekend.